Tom Williams of Marathon Talk offers his top tip

I've been getting in touch with various people who might know about more about running than me, telling them what I'm planning to do - making the transition to barefoot running - and then asking them for a top tip.

Here's what Tom Williams of Marathon Talk had to say:

"Transition slowly over time and listen very carefully to what your body is telling you, particularly your feet." 

Short and sweet. 

I've become a bit of a fan of Marathon Talk. It's like TMS for runners. Two chaps with a bit of a public school air (only a guess, they might just be from Surrey) present a podcast that's usually around 90 min long. They talk about running, interview some high quality guests and offer training advice. And they do it all with plenty of banter that would be made complete by observing the number of red buses that have gone past the Nursery End. 

A 90 min podcast is great when you're doing a long run, though if you use it up early in the week you end up having to ration the remainder, working out on which run you're going to most need a bit of company. If anybody sees me chuckling while I run it's probably because I'm listening to these two. (Or because I'm remembering something funny I said earlier. Yes, I do that)

Somehow they've made it to 168 episodes without running out of things to say, or enthusiasm for the world of running. I'd highly recommend it if you find runs a little bit lonely, get bored listening to songs, or want to find yourself speeding up involuntarily whenever they talk about racing. You can find them on iTunes, download it for free, and join in with the forum and Facebook page too.

Second (brightly coloured) pair of Vapor Gloves arrive

The second set of Merrell Vapor Gloves has arrived. Straight out of the box, they're more attractive than the black ones. I suppose that not everybody wants a bright yellow/green/blue pair of shoes on their feet. But they're much smaller than normal running shoes, so I think they can get away with being brighter. In effect, they colour your feet, rather than adding a bit lump of colour that hangs off the bottom of your legs.

These ones are size 10 (the others were size 9.5) - I'll talk about the fit below.



 

When I first put on the size 10s they felt huge, so it seemed easy to pick the 9.5s. Its a bit of a shame because I prefer the more colourful ones. Though, I suppose, I could track down a pair in the colour I want, I don't really want to keep posting shoes back and forth.

 

But when I adjusted the laces a bit, and put them both on, I realised the fit is very similar. The 10s do feel a bit longer and wider and, if they were the only ones I'd tried I'd probably think they were perfect. As it is, I think there is a bit of a trade off between length and width. As someone with wide feet, that's something I've been used to.

This review by barefootjosh suggests coming up with your own lacing pattern to make the shoe fit best. His advice - "Don't be a slave to lacing convenionality!" Certainly, from the photos, he's following his own advice. I'll have a bit of a play around with that. The fact that the upper is so thin does mean that you can adjust the fit quite a lot with the lacing.

Final choice? My heart says the green 10s, but my head says the black 9.5s.

Tips from Lee Firman of feetus.co.uk

I got in touch with Lee Firman from feetus.co.uk, a specialist shop in barefoot and minimalist footwear. I've been asking people to give me a top tip on barefoot running. Here's what Lee had to say:

"Make a conscious effort to listen to how your feet make contact with the ground. You may notice that initially you sound like you thump the ground with every step. Running barefoot requires us to shorten our stride and increase cadence, but while you do this, pay extra attention to focus on landing softer on the ground. I found that focusing more on raising my foot off the ground (as opposed to placing my foot on the ground) was the key in achieving good running form. "

This is a great tip, one I've not heard before - the idea of focusing on the foot raise rather than the landing. It'll definitely be giving that a go, along with listening.

And, as an enthusiast no doubt, Lee couldn't help but offer a couple of other bits of advice:

"Find a route you are comfortable running now (Your local Parkrun, your favourite 5mi circuit, a 1mi stretch) and time yourself. Perhaps every 4 - 6 weeks do this route again to see how your transition has affected your performance. You may notice certain milestones along the way where you once felt fatigued, you now feel strong. You may find you have so much extra power coming in to the final 100m. 

Regularly moisturise and massage your feet. Don't underestimate the value of this.  

Because you'll be significantly reducing your running mileage, you may get a little twitchy and want to run more. Instead, go out cycling - it's a great way to stretch out the calf muscles and will maintain your fitness and satisfy your appetite for training. And who knows, you may just develop a taste for duathlon / triathlon as a result! "

I have to say, I hadn't thought about moisurising. I think I know someone at home who will help me with that.

It's great when you get people talking about something they're interested in. Lee gave me a full and quick reply, very keen to help. People who are into barefoot running seem to be pretty passionate about it. I haven't even started yet and I'm catching the bug. A friend emailed me today to ask a couple of questions and I was preaching about it before I knew it. 

'Second Old Git'

When I first decided to try out barefoot running about 6 weeks ago, I posted my reasons for it. They had a lot to do with wanting to run faster. Like many keen amateurs I'm always looking to shave a few seconds off here or there, looking for that extra few percent. Barefoot running seemed like a good way to find a little bit extra.

But as I've been researching, or explaining my ideas to others, I've found myself focussing less on the performance benefits and more on the potential impact on my long term running career. It sounds like it could well prolong it. If this style of running does use the bones and muscles of the feet and legs in a more efficient way, if it does reduce impact by using natural shock absorbing properties, then it's got to be a good idea in the long run.

I'd like to still be running well in 20 years, and not one of these runners that has succumbed to dodgy knees and worn out hips etc. I fancy being one of these quick vets that I run with now, but I've got a way to go and could do with a running style that gives me the best chance. Dave, in my club, was second vet50 in a race last year and called himself 'second old git'. I'd like to be second old git one day.

Merrell Vapor Glove - the shoe has arrived!

The first set of shoes have arrived. After reading a few blogs and reviews (like this one at derbyshirebarefootrunner) I found that everybody seems to love this shoe. So I've gone for it. I ordered it in a 9.5 and 10 - I'm usually a 9.5 but my feet are quite wide, so I may well have to go up a size. The first pair arrived this morning.

  

These are the Merrell Vapor Gloves 9.5 just out of the box.

The shoes are so light and flimsy that they come with a moulded cardboard filler and a bent cardboard straw to hold them in a shoe shape.

You have to say, they don't look much like a running shoe.A bit more like the plimsols I used to wear for PE at primary school. When you hold them they really do weight next to nothing, and they feel small because they don't have bulky padding and cushioned soles etc. 

Here's the sole. Again, it looks a bit different from your average running shoe. A very low and fine tread. The sole is actually made by Vibram who appear to have perfected thin, strong, grippy rubber. The shapes and curves are designed to flex in the normal directions of your foot.

View from the top. If you'd showed me these before, I'd have guessed they were for climbing. I'm not sure if I like the all black look - the other pair I've got coming are vibrant green.

Now I'm wearing the shoe. It's pretty comfortable. Not a lot to it, so it's difficult to be uncomfortable I suppose. I'm quite aware that the bone to the outside my foot (at the bottom of my little toe) is protruding quite a lot. Because the usual strappingisn't there I don't feel it as much as a normal pair of shoes. But I'm keen to try the larger size and see if they feel better.

In case you're wondering why I opted for mail order, rather than going to try some in a shop, I'll tell you! a) I researched local shops and none particularly advertised barefoot shoes, b) I tried a few pairs on in a Blacks recently and realised that as minimalist with very flimsy uppers, fit is not so difficult to achieve, c) a couple of pairs by mail order, posting one back (they're very light) is probably cheaper than driving an parking. Having put them on, I think I'm vindicated in thinking point b). There is not really anything squeezing your foot, so the idea of 'fit' is quite different to a traditional running shoe.

This should have been Day 1

The view from our bedroom window.

This should have been day 1. Unfortunately the weather came and wiped out the race. It was cancelled on Saturday morning, and was probably a sensible decision since there was already plenty of snow and it continued well into Saturday night. The race will be rearranged for some time in the future, but this leaves me in a quandry. Do I hold off and get my half-marathon time, or do I start work barefoot running now?

In some respects, the answer is easy. The ground is still covered with snow, so it's probably not the time to get out there in new trainers that barely cover my feet. But it's a bit more tricky to work out in the bigger picture.

Can I combine barefoot and 'normal', to start strengthening my feet/calves/achilles etc but still run a half in a few weeks in the old style? Or, if I'm making a transition will I end up adopting the new style and running too far, injuring myself in the process? I need to keep my fitness at the levels I'd got to, but that might be difficult if I am cutting back and relearning how to run. I think I might put it off for a week or so, at least until the new date is announced.

Review: toesalad.com

The name comes from an 11-year old's description

of the vegetation caught between the toes of

Vibram Fivefingers after a run through the grass. Clever.

This site is subtitled: Your Resource for Barefoot and Minimalist Shoes. The author, Damien, describes it as a 'place where everyone could share with others their minimalist footwear stories, experiences, reviews, links, and photos. A place to learn, ask questions, and find out what works and what doesn't in the real world.'

It is built around shoes reviews. And plenty of them. I count 32 different brands. That does include some slippers for children, and probably some that aren't available in the UK but still it is a very useful resource. 

Each review (most at least) is broken down into specs, fit, performance, durability and verdict. Specs are fairly standard, but handily presented. For the fit and performance sections it helps to read a few reviews, to get the hang of Damien's preferences and expectations. I've been attracted to the NB Minimus Zero (partly because they are available relatively cheaply at the moment) and he has a lot to say, including some good pictures.

There's also a selection of articles on or around barefoot running. This includes a great section titled The Case for Minimalist Footwear, with 6 articles in which Damien tells the story of his journey into barefoot running. This is the sort of thing I'm after! From aching feet, to ITBS and orthotics, he appeared to be getting into discomfort management with his shoes until he stumbled across the barefoot philosophy and it proved to be a great discovery for him.

Damien says he's not a physiologist, but a 'computer geek who happens to love learning about our bodies'. And that analytical approach comes across in the articles. They're thorough, methodical and engaging, with photos to illustrate his points. But they don't read like a computer geek has written them. Thankfully!

Like many, Damien suggests beginning the transition by going genuinely barefoot. And walking, around the house, concentrating on developing a forefoot strike. This is apparently trickier than running because then a forefoot strike comes more naturally. He also suggests that a good (though not mandatory) next step is to get some Fivefingers because they are the closest thing to staying barefoot, though he acknowledges they can be pricey.

All in all a helpful site. And he responds to comments. That's always welcome!

Where to look for advice?

So I'm starting to look for advice about this barefoot running business. By doing a bit googling I've found various websites and blogs dedicated to barefoot running and have been browsing through them.

At this stage, the main things I'm looking for are:

A method/plan for making the transition

Advice on footwear

Footwear

I've been reading reviews of minimalist shoes, and they often make comments like  'good for experienced barefoot runners' or 'ideal as a transition shoe'. The former are usually harder, with less cushioning, the latter with a bit of a softer, thicker sole. Mainly zero drop, but occasionally with a slight heel to toe drop, presumably to ease the transition.  My concern with getting transition shoes is that I'd be making it too easy for me to maintain my current style, whereas a really unforgiving pair would be more like running in bare feet and force a change. Need to look for some advice.

The silent runner

Finishing the Ashby 5. A bit blurred because I'm running so fast. Obviously.
You can just spot the other two Barrow vests in the background,
those were good scalps for me!

I did a 5 mile race recently, part of our local road running league. All in all it was a good experience. I improved my PB over the distance by over a minute and got close to the promised land of 6 minute miling.

But, more importantly for this blog, I also spotted a chap in barefoot shoes. I was out on the warmup, a mile out and back, running past many similar runners to myself. All displaying some level of pre-race nerves, and far too many clothes (freezing day). There was a general background murmur as hundreds of shoes hit the ground around me. Then he came past. The silent runner. It was as if someone had switched off the sound on this one. He was running in barefoot shoes and as he landed it was not just silent, the absence of noise was so strange that it was if each step muted the sound around it. Then he was gone.

I've read that barefoot running can reduce impact on joints to almost nothing because the foot arch and the calf are such good natural shock absorbers when used properly. By the sounds (or lack of) of this runner, that's true.