Barefoot running is great for your form and speed.

Take it easy to begin with. Find a softball, soccer, or football and scout for debris first. I always do my drills after a solid warm up- and I mean a couple miles worth. Then it's time for the shoes to come of for the drills. Strides, butt kicks, high knees, etc. Do em at 80% for a couple weeks and expect a little tenderness.

Forget the Nike Free and all that. Nothing replaces barefeet on turf.

Thanx. In High School and College, we ran stride on the in field to warm down. Always loved them.

I'm asking about running on pavement and at distances like 5-7 miles.

It was a meniscus tear. My doc (a Trithlete) said that the high tech shoes we have let you run wrong and cause injuries.

Supposedly, if you run barefoot your body will not let you run wrong.

He said your muscles are the shock absorbers, but shoe let you run in a way that lets the bones and joints become shock absorbers.

He said there are no studies just anocdotal evidance. Such as people in poor countries who run barefoot have no leg issues.

Hmmmm

On the other hand they don't have leg issues because they are dying much younger due to other health and nutrition issues.

I'd rather be having leg issues in my 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's, than being dead in my 20's or 30's.

Just my opinion of course :rolleyes:

To Sloswimr:

The latest hype I've heard about barefoot running is attributed to some world-class marathoner who trains & races exclusively in Nike Frees. I personally worry that running barefoot exposes the runner to some unnecessary hazards (shards of foreign objects (from lost chew toys to aluminum cans), sharp sticks, rocks, etc.); I've always felt that because of such hazards, the cons out-weigh pros, as such hazards can cause more problems than the potential added benefit of running barefoot is worth.

At the same time, I can see how running as "naturally" as possible would strengthen underutilized stabilizing muscles (a problem with running in supportive running shoes), as well as train muscle memory to mimic proper anatomic motion when in a running shoe.

Ideally, I'd buy a pair of Nike Frees for running shorter distances (1-2mi) in order to realize the potential benefits of running barefoot and stick with a good, supportive running shoe for anything longer. Some purists might disagree and say that we should create as natural an environment as possible for athletic training, but I honestly don't think triathlons are "natural" - our bodies are meant to run 6, 7, 8miles a day. That doesn't mean we shouldn't participate; just that we need some gear that accommodates for weaknesses in our evolution.

I use my Nike Free's on the dreadmill at the gym. I haven't used 'em outdoors yet. They are plenty comfortable there, and I didnt notice any ill effects. But I didnt notice anything positive either!

All in all VERY comfy shoes whether on the hamster wheel or at the coffee shop.

yeah, thats not what you asked.

Jsut take it easy, you dont wanna subsititute knee problems for shin AND knee problems. Jumping into this head first might cause you a bt of discomfort and expose you to a higher risk of shin splints and other lower leg issues. First sign of sharp pain in the shins or calves, I strongly recommend you stop.

The barefoot thing was all the rage a year or two ago. Havent heard about these barefoot runners since. Most the people who stuck their heads in here asking about barefoot stuff didnt hang around long. Was that because they got injured or they didnt like the community.

Before training for triathlons, I did casual workouts on the treadmill with Nike Frees. First of all, after about three weeks of 3-5 miles a day at varying speeds (intervals, steady-state, etc.), the heel material tore leaving a sort of heel cup, which still managed to work. Secondly, after having run for about three months on the Nike Frees at distances no longer than 6 miles, I developed pain in the patellar area of my knee. After visiting my doctor about a month later, he attributed my knee pain to weak ankles and foot muscles (from numerous ankle sprains during football in high school). Therefore, it would seem that the Frees are a bunch of hype because they did not improve my lower joint stability and actually caused me to further realize my imbalances. So it would seem like unless you have been living in the boonies of America and have had no at access to shoes at all (which I'm assuming nobody has, in America that is), barefoot training should just be used for things like strides, short intervals, and maybe track training. I would say that running races/distances of 5-7 miles would be out of the question.

I use my Nike Free as casual footwear that I wear out to walk around in. I don't find them that great for running however. I ran a couple of sprints and one Oly in them and found I yearned for cushionning pretty quickly. I run in more conventional running shoes but using the Nike Frees for just walking around contributes to a greater feeling of foot flexibility overall.