Jason Robillard's ABC's of Barefoot Running - With Video!

So, I've been on a hiatus for two months now.  What have I been doing?  The list is actually pretty short:

1. Adjusting to having two kiddos at home instead of one. (Change is hard for me, even when I love my kids.)
2. Trying to learn how to not be flustered by change.
3. Working.
4. Running.
5. Playing Xbox (Batman: Arkham City - thanks to my wife for the b-day present!)
6. Annoying my wife by playing Xbox and a sometimes surly attitude.
7. Apologizing to my wife for the annoyance.

I realize both of my readers have been wondering when I would get back to posting again so lets do this!

In true lazy form this post is just pirated info and a link!  A few months ago I did a post on the ABC's of barefoot running as presented by Jason Robillard.  Now there's a video!

Check out the video for a visual "how-to" and get started today!

Barefoot Running Form - From "A" to "C"

I've wanted to do a semi-educational post for a while rather than just relaying my modest accomplishments, so here it is!  Hold on interwebs, we are rocketing to Planet Knowledge!

As is the case with all good knowledge, most of what I'll relay to you is stolen from others.  Mostly from Jason Robillard.  I hope he wont mind.  He seems pretty laid back, so we should be just fine.  You know what they say about the quiet ones though...

A couple weeks ago I got to meet Jason when he was in Rochester to present a barefoot running clinic.  I even got some proof:

Jason and I at Tradehome Shoes.

Jason presented the new, simplified barefoot instruction program he and the folks at Merrell developed.  They call it BareForm Running and teach it via "The ABC's".  You can (and should) read the post on his blog about it  here, but I'll summarize quickly:

A= Align Posture.  Stand tall with a slight forward lean at the ankles, knees slightly bent.
B= Balanced Foot Strike.  Feet land under the hips, almost flat.
C= Cadence.  180 steps per minute.  A fast cadence helps ensure the balanced foot strike.

That is honestly enough to get you started.  You can check out his book to get some more details on form and such but the ABC's will get you going.  He is still giving his book away, or you can find it on Amazon if you want the hard copy.  I have the hard copy.  I like circling and highlighting things.

So, here are some tips and things I've learned the easy way (from others) and mastered the hard way (practice).

•  It is true that barefoot running leads to a forefoot or midfoot landing, rather than landing on the heel.  That does not mean that the heel doesn't touch the ground.  In fact, the heel and toes touch the ground a split second after the ball of your foot does.  Your foot lands almost flat.  This was a concept that I struggled with in the beginning and it caused me some problems, namely Achilles Tendonitis.  I was staying on the ball of my foot the whole time rather than letting my heel come down.  Which leads me to my next point...

• If you are thinking about trying barefoot running, go barefoot.  Don't try to change your form while wearing the same running shoes you have been wearing, which is exactly where I went wrong.  I developed my Achilles problems after doing a 5K wearing my New Balance shoes, but running "on my toes" the whole time.  At the time, that was how I understood barefoot form.  Had I taken my shoes off, and continued to run "on my toes", I would have soon gotten blisters or some severe foot pain and had to stop running.  My feet would have told me pretty quickly that I was doing something wrong.  I had shoes on though, so I missed the message.  You should save the minimalist shoes for non-barefoot friendly terrain too.  Go barefoot and learn faster.  Once you have good form, those minimalist shoes like the Merrell Trail Glove or Vibram Five Fingers are great for hostile environments.

• Do a lot of barefoot walking outside.  No amount of walking around the house barefoot can prepare you for the sidewalk down the street that is littered with acorn or walnut shells.  Squirrels by nature are evil creatures and they hate people, especially barefoot people.  Their primary means of attack is covering sidewalks with sharp pieces of debris.  Walking barefoot outside will help desensitize your feet to the small debris that will likely be in your way.  It may also give you a clue on routes to avoid when you are out running barefoot.  Your feet become accustomed to little rocks and debris, but not if you stay on carpet.

• Speaking of soft surfaces, don't try to start on grass.  Find some pavement or a smooth gravel or dirt trail.  Grass is a reward for good form.  Running on a hard surface will give you more feedback and allow your form to improve faster.  I have found that when I'm running on grass I tend to start heel-striking right away.  When I got lost on a run a few weeks ago, I veered on to the grass for a bit when my feet started to get sore and I immediately started to land on my heels.  

• Start small and work up from there.  If you are already a runner, don't go out and just do your normal mileage barefoot.  That will likely hurt.  There are a few superheros out there that can transition really quickly with no ill-effects, but most of us need to build distance and speed with a healthy dose of time.

There's a few tips to get you started.  The only way to learn is to go out and practice.  Kick those shoes off and take a walk around the block.  Bring your dog with you.  He will appreciate the walk, and you just might start to remember that being barefoot is fun!  My next post will give some visualization tips on proper running form.  I need some things explained to me a few times in a few ways before I really understand so my hope is to get you thinking about form in different ways to find the best way for you.

Questions, thoughts, or just want to tell me to buzz off?  Leave a comment below or search Barefoot Chiropractor on Facebook.  Look for the picture of my feet!

Merrell Trail Glove Review

All the cool kids do reviews of stuff so I thought I had better do it too.  It is my hope that this review will gain me a lot of cool points.  What are cool points you say?  Well, if you have to ask, you don't have any.  But reading this review will get you a starter set of one cool point and an Abercrombie baseball cap (subject to availability) that you can wear everywhere you go.  That is how you start collecting cool points.  With enough cool points you can earn free stays at Marriott Hotels (subject to participation).  Sharing this post with a friend will net you two bonus cool points.  You know you want them.  But I digress...

When I tell people I run barefoot they always say, "Oh!  You mean in those toe shoes?"  I reply "No.  No shoes.  Barefoot."  Then I go on to say I do have a pair of minimal shoes that I wear sometimes when conditions call for it.  Those shoes are the purpose for this post.


A few years ago, humans started walking the earth.  We mostly ate stuff that we found growing in the dirt or on trees, and occasionally we bagged a deer for dinner.  Before the invention of the .270 caliber rifle we used spears to get those deer but before that we actually ran those babies down.  Its called persistance hunting and some tribes still do it today.  You see, deer can't breathe or pant all that well when they are on the run and will quickly overheat if kept running for too long, allowing your caveman ancestors the chance to stick a stone knife in the deer and have venison for supper.  Our feet allowed for that awesome running ability and shoes didn't come into the picture for quite a while.  Even when Sir Roger Bannister ran the first sub-four minute mile his shoes were little more than a few strips of leather and some spikes.


Vibram put their Five Fingers shoes (the "Toe Shoes") on the market in 2005 and the minimalist shoe market has been expanding ever since.  Merrell Released the Trail Glove in February 2011 and were the first major name shoe company to release a zero-drop shoe.  I purchased a pair because I wanted to get going on my transition to barefoot running without taking as much time to desensitize my feet.  (You can read some of that adventure here.)  These are my first minimalist shoe, so this is my first review.  Bear with me.


These shoes are pretty sweet looking.  Price is about $110 retail and you can find retailers on their website, or buy direct from there.  I would suggest going to a retailer and trying them on.  The fit isn't custom, but it will be snug to your foot and you want them to fit correctly.  Sockless is the preferred method for this shoe.

There is a few different choices of color scheme.  I liked this one called "Dark Olive and Kryptonite".  I wonder if they had to license the word Kryptonite.  Inquiring minds want to know.  The uppers are mostly a super-breathable mesh, bonded to the sole.  The mesh keeps your feet cool, and would help the shoes stay a little drier if you are running in wet conditions.

Side views of the shoes.  You can see how thin the sole is, and how flat they are.  Zero-drop!  The average running shoe has a 12mm drop from heel to toe.

The soles are by Vibram.  That means a long life, like thousands of miles long.  You can see how the toe of the shoe curls up a little.  That is called toe spring and I'm assuming it is just due to the molding of the sole.  Not to worry though.  The soles are so flexible that they flatten out when you put them on.  The sole material comes up the front of the shoe to protect the tips of your toes in case you kick rocks on the trail.  Smart.

Here is one of the shoes rolled up.  If you are going to review a minimalist shoe properly, you have to do this.  It proves that the shoe can be rolled up, I guess. 

Here is the shoe on my dog.  Dogs love them, because Merrell doesn't test their products on animals. For the record, I have a big dog not freakishly small feet.

I started wearing these around just casually before I started running in them.  I love the way they fit close to your foot but they never restrict movement at all.  The large toe box isn't clunky in the least.  Running in them is also very comfortable, if using proper form.  I've seen some blog posts where people had a seam inside the shoe or something rubbing on their foot and they have a big hole in their skin by the end of a run.  I haven't had that happen to me.  The seams are very smooth inside.  The nail on my big toe does hit right behind the rubber at the front of the shoe on the mesh upper and I was worried that might cause some issues but it hasn't yet.  I have worn them to work a few times and one day wore them for 15 hours straight through the work day and part of Relay for Life.  They were comfortable all day.


If you have read some of my previous posts you know that I was trying to move to a forefoot strike before making "the big switch" so I was still running in a pair of New Balance shoes.  I finally put these shoes on for a run after my NB's got soaked on a run in the rain and were still wet the next time I was heading out.  I took the Trail Gloves out for a run that day, and I haven't put the NB's on since.  I was going to use the NB's for the Warrior Dash, but I ended up using the Trail Gloves instead.  Smart.  They cleaned up easily.  A few rinses in the hotel shower and then tossed them in the washing machine in an old pillow case when I got home.  Air dry them and POOF! Clean shoes.


I typically run on streets and paved trails, which is not technically what these shoes are designed for.  There are some lugs for traction under your toes, but they don't interfere on the pavement especially for someone like me who is newer to barefoot and minimalist running.  Some of the more seasoned barefooters don't like these shoes for pavement because of the bumpy sole.

I haven't run in them since the Warrior Dash, but it is starting to get dark a little earlier at night so my runs during the week will soon be in these shoes unless I can get out in the daytime.  I love running in them and they are as close to barefoot as you can get without being barefoot.  If you step on rocks, you will feel it through the shoe.  The pain will be significantly less however.  If you are interested in getting started in barefooting, but aren't ready to give up the shoes yet, these are a great choice.  Give them a try!


Merrell has a bunch of new minimal shoe styles coming out next year.  If you happen to be a Merrell executive, I'd love to help review them.  I know you were impressed by this review, so let's make it happen.  For a sneak peak of some of the upcoming styles, see what Last Place Jason had to say.  Personally I'd love to get my mitts on a pair of Rapid Gloves.  I think they look pretty sweet.


Run on, Runners!

Day Off

I've been running every other day for the last three weeks now.  That's a much better schedule than I was able to do between my injury in June and the Warrior Dash.  The Warrior Dash on July 23rd was the last time I've worn shoes to run and I've been steadily increasing my distance even since.  In fact, my first barefoot run was only one mile just to see if I could do it.  I went out last Saturday evening and did 3.4 miles!  That was my third 5K distance last week.  I guess you could say that its been going pretty well.  I've been careful to not do too much and to just listen to my feet while I am out and the miles have come pretty naturally.  i'm pretty psyched up about my results so far.  I might even be wicked psyched.

I haven't had any new blisters for quite a while, but I'm still having trouble picking my left foot up and preventing a hard push-off.  I've literally been scraping the skin of my left big toe away on each run.  So I figured a day off is warranted.  I pretty much always have some soreness in my feet the morning after a run too.  I'm just assuming that is normal after doing 3+ miles barefoot on asphalt and concrete when you are still new at it.  I'll find out for sure on Wednesday when I get to ask Jason Robillard in person!  Tradehome Shoes and Merrell are sponsoring Jason to come and give a barefoot clinic in Rochester before is appearance at the Naked Foot 5K in Minneapolis on August 20th.  The Robillard's are rolling into Rochester on Wednesday and there is a group run scheduled for that night.  Here are the event detail links for the "Barefoot Week" in Minnesota.  (I just dubbed it "Barefoot Week".  I'm probably the only one, but whatever.)

Group Run

Barefoot Clinic

Naked Foot 5K

On interesting thing that has happened over the past few weeks is the change in how I view rocks on the trail.  When I first kicked off the shoes in July, a rock was any size of pebble on the trail that might be bigger than a grain of sand.  On my Thursday run, I missed spotting one that was your average sized river rock for landscaping and I hit it with the arch of my foot.  I must have been really spaced out at that point to miss a rock that size, but I'm still amazed at my reaction.  The instant I hit it, my whole body reacted and my foot came right off of it.  I hadn't even hit it hard enough to cause a sensation of pain, just a sensation of something that wasn't supposed to be there.  Our bodies can be pretty amazing when we let them!

More Free Stuff for you! Courtesy of The Maple Grove Barefoot Guy

The MGBFG wants you to have some free stuff.  Go here to find out more about the upcoming Naked Foot 5K in Minneapolis and a give-away of Merrell minimal shoes.

17 Weeks

Seventeen weeks ago today, April 12th, I began my latest running career.  The goal was to train for and run the Warrior Dash on July 23rd with Sara, my wife.  We had registered for it in December of last year and were really looking forward to it.  We found out the week before we were supposed to start training that Sara was pregnant with our second child. She was hit with morning sickness (lasting all day) about two days later and dealt with that for weeks.  I decided that I was going to train and run the dash anyway, and my office manager Terri ran in Sara's place.  I was disappointed that Sara wouldn't be able to run since it was something we were going to get to experience together but I wasn't just going to give up, and Sara encouraged me to get training. (Here is a re-cap of the Dash if you missed it.)

I downloaded a program from Jeff Galloway and got moving.  The first run was supposed to be 10-15 minutes.  Jeff is big on run/walk intervals so I decided that I would do three intervals of four minutes, broken up by one minute of walking in-between.  I made it, but it wasn't pretty.  I had started though, which is sometimes the hardest thing to do.  My shin splints returned immediately and I started icing my shins after each run.  I won't re-hash that whole story so go here if you need a refresher.

The main point of this post is this: at some point I have begun to enjoy running, and I'm getting pretty good at it.  I'm not good at it like some people, but I'm having a lot of fun and I think that is what makes a good run.  I still have goals, but the goal on top of it all is to have fun and enjoy it.  All of the other goals come secondary to that.  The run for fun idea is again attributed to Jason Robillard, the mentor I've never met.  After reading a post on his blog, I stopped doing intervals, and timing everything, and mapping everything, and posting each run to Facebook.  I'm just enjoying the process now.  It is the process of becoming a better runner with more strength and endurance, transitioning to all barefoot running, and hopefully inspiring someone else to believe they can do it too.  I will confess that I do still map my runs after I get home, but mostly because I get a charge out of seeing the distance increase. 

Tonight I went out about 9:00, wearing my Merrell minimal shoes due to the impending darkness and completed 2.5 miles.  Never stopping, no shin pain, no stitches in my side, no foot pain, just a lot of fun and a little time to myself.  I've come a long way in the last 17 weeks.  I finished a 5K in June.  I did the Warrior Dash in July.  I've lost 16 pounds.  My lungs and legs are stronger.  I've discovered barefoot running.  I sleep better.  I eat less.  I feel better.  The idea of going out to run excites me now, rather than annoying me.  It's just fun.

Fun or not, I still need a goal.  The spirit to complete things still lives inside me.  I love to check stuff off of lists, but I'm also a procrastinator of the worst kind.  The next goal is this: I registered for the Med City Half Marathon next May!  I registered this early for two reasons.  I figure I need to start training now, plus by registering on the first day it was open I saved ten bucks.  I'm cheap.  Thanks to Vanessa at Vanessa Runs for the heads up on the deal!  You can check her out here.  I'm also reviewing a couple of books for her as a guest reviewer so keep your eyes glued to her site for those.  (I promise I'm not procrastinating on those reviews, Vanessa! I'm 1/3 of the way through the first book.)

My plan is to do the half-marathon barefoot.  There is already a group of barefooters signed up, though I think most are doing the full marathon so I'll be on my own after 10 miles when the courses split.  I just figure that means I get to hit the after-party first!  Doing it barefoot will be a challenge.  I worry that I won't have my feet ready in time after the Winter months.  I'll just have to ask for advice from the pros and semi-pros and do what I can!  One cool thing has already come from registering for the half marathon.  I was talking with my friend Dave just before I registered about how I was planning on signing up.  I saw him a week later and found out he had registered too!  He told me I had inspired him to do it.  I'm quite influential, you know.  Now if only I could get him to ditch his shoes...

Jason Robillard and the Western States 100

As I've said before, The Barefoot Running Book by Jason Robillard is the book that got me started in barefoot running.  He recently ran the Western States 100 Mile Ultra-marathon and finished in under 24 hours!  Check out his blog post for a couple cool videos recapping the event.

Shootin' at the walls of heartache, Bang! Bang! I am the warrior! - Warrior Dash Review

Perhaps I would have had a faster run if I would have sang Pat Benetar to myself for the whole race.  As it stands, I forgot to do that and I finished a little slower than I would have liked.  Final course time was 45:49.75 for a 15:10/mile pace.  I wanted to break 45 minutes and had a wild goal to finish around 35 minutes depending on how the first mile or so went.  The course was harder than I anticipated, even though the obstacles were easier than I anticipated.  I was not ready at all for the hills on the course, but I guess I should have expected some big ones since we were at Afton Alps Ski Area.  Lesson learned.  Sara and I were originally going to run this together, but as she is currently with child, my Office Manager Terri took her place.  Sara is already in for next year though, assuming she isn't pregnant again.  Just kidding, Sara!

Here's a pre-race picture with Johann.  I decided not to carry him out on the course though. He has been sand-bagging on his training and was ill-prepared.

I had a notion that I might do this barefoot.  I'm glad I didn't.  I wore my Merrell Trail Gloves instead which I'm pretty happy about at this point.  Looking at the satellite photos of the course I kind of thought it would mostly be grass and dirt, but there was a metric crap-ton of gravel that I'm not ready for, plus I guess you never know what is at the bottom of those mud pits.  Either way, I'm glad I had the extra protection.

We made it to the course just after 9:00 am and made it through packet pick-up really quickly.  We were scheduled for the 10:30 start, but decided to just jump into the 10:00 start since it was supposed to start raining, which we forgot to prepare Sara and Johann for.  Just before the 10:00 wave started the lightning started and delayed everything.  The rule was no waves could start until 15 minutes after the last lightning bolt.  We finally got going at around 10:30.


The Start
The start was pretty well controlled.  Since they use a timing chip for each runner there is no rush to hit the course, though if you are going for time you should move to the front of the pack.  That will save you vital seconds of waiting at obstacles and running around Warrior Walkers.  There was quite a few people walking from the start that you had to contend with and zig-zag around.  The guy we were running behind at the start even stopped in the middle of the course to tie his shoe and nearly got trampled by Terri.  Let's use our heads people.  After about 200-300 meters we made a left turn and saw the first hill.  The hills on the course were killer.  I think we ran up about half-way and then walked the rest of the hill.

The Obstacles
The first obstacle was called Road Rage.  There were three rows of cars to climb over with the space in-between the cars full of tires laid out flat.  Not too difficult.  I used the "Dukes of Hazard" technique to get over the cars which was fun.

The next obstacle on the course was called the Treacherous Typhoon.  It was basically a high powered fan that also sprayed water, the same machine that they use to make snow in the winter for the ski slopes.  Not all that difficult, just run through the thing.  The water was pretty cold though and if you are out of breath from the running it can be a little uncomfortable.

There was supposed to be some sort of rappelling obstacle after the typhoon, but it never materialized.  I suppose the plan just didn't work out the way the organizers thought it would.  Instead, we did a wicked downhill on wet grass and I hit the deck about four times.  I was too far back on my heels due to bad downhill form and the trail gloves have zero traction back there.  On the future downhills I remembered to slalom down on my toes and I didn't have any more falls.  Since there was no rappelling obstacle they took us on an out and back course uphill/downhill through some trees.  This was the only spot on the course that had any real tripping hazards from all the tree roots on the trail.

The next obstacle was called Barricade Breakdown.  Up and over a 4' high barricade, then under a barbed-wire fence.  Repeat 4-5 times.  I slipped on the first barricade due to wet shoes but didn't fall.  Most people were crawling under the fences but I just dropped and rolled.  It was a lot faster and easier on my wrists and shoulders that are usually sore after a week of work.  Don't hate me.  I'm an innovator when it comes to approaching obstacles.

A nice downhill brought us to Chaotic Crossover.  This was a cargo net parallel to the ground about 10' up.  It also angled slightly towards the middle.  I ended up right next to the central support so I was able to use that as a sturdy hand-hold while I navigated the net with my feet.  Piece of cake.  Remember I'm an innovator.

Next was another nice uphill run to Blackout.  This was a low, black canopy that you had to crawl through, ducking under beams as you went.  It was dark, but you could see pretty easily.  It was about 40-50' (best guess) of crawling, so it was hard on the shoulders and left me a little winded when I got out, which was nice because then you started running back up the hill.

The next obstacle was the Cargo Climb.  As you might expect, this was a (nearly) vertical cargo net.  This was an easy climb, but it may be a real mental challenge if you are afraid of heights.  I'm not sure of the height, but it was pretty high.  There was a girl ahead of me that was having a little trouble.  She made it though with a little coaching from her friend.

Obstacle number seven was the only one I thought might be hard.  The Warrior Wall is a 12-15' (guess) high wall with 1" toe-holds and a rope to haul yourself up.  It really wasn't that difficult to pull yourself up.  If the toe holds were more slippery or you are afraid of heights then the wall may have been trouble but otherwise no trouble.

Next was the Teetering Traverse.  This was 2 X 8 planks with some toe holds ramping up to about 6' off the ground, down again to about 4', a short flat stretch, then up and down again.  The boards were a little slippery from all the mud we ran through to get there, but the planks were pretty sturdy and didn't wobble at all.

After that was one more hill to climb to get to the top of the Petrifying Plunge which was a multi-lane slip and slide back down a small hill.  It is in the picture below.  The plunge was not that petrifying. As a matter of fact, I got stuck half-way down.  My advice for this one would be to make sure you have a full head of steam when you jump in.

The last two obstacles are below.  The Warrior Roast and the Muddy Mayhem.  I think they are self explanatory.

Here is Terri and I after the race...

...and a picture of my only injury.  My shirt got stuck on the last string of barbed-wire over the mud pit as I was standing up and I poked my hand trying to unhook it.  Not life threatening, and I am well into my recovery.  Like the good Dr. Crabb always said at Boy Scout Camp; "All bleeding stops."

This was a fun race and I'll certainly do it again.  You should too!

Ooops, I stepped on a rock. Nope, that's a blister. - Part Two

Part One

I felt pretty good through the weekend and took a day off while we visited my family in Iowa.  We got back Sunday evening and I was itching to get a run in.  I headed out at about 7:15, no shoes again this time, still wanting to work on technique and get that down.  I slowed my pace but was careful to actually increase the cadence of my running.  Basically that means you shorten your stride, and aim for about 180 steps per minute, well over the average of 140 most runners take.  I tried to keep my pace slower though and concentrate on not pushing off.  That blister on my left foot was still there and I didn't want to make it worse.

I finished a full mile loop back to our house with no increased pain in the blister, but on inspection I could see it was starting to look a little puffy again.  Great.  It was sore by the time I went to bed and was still bugging me the next morning.  I let it calm down until today and went for another run tonight.  The blister is still there obviously, so I've made the executive decision to wear my Merrell Trail Gloves until that problem is resolved a little further.  Lifting my foot is still the hardest part of the barefoot gait for me to nail down.  This video with Lee Saxby helped me quite a bit.  Watch for the runner's increased cadence when they do a side by side shot of him running with shoes and without.

I had my dear wife video me running a little bit before I took off tonight which helped some too.  I'll spare you from that little piece of entertainment, but it was nice to see what I was doing.  Tonight's run was 1.4 miles and didn't increase any blister pain at all so I'll take that to mean my form is improving.  We are going to try and video me running on the treadmill which should make it a little easier to see my gait pattern.

The foot lift is described differently by different people.  Some say run like you are on hot coals, some say run like a ninja.  Jason Robillard suggests that instead of trying to softly place your feet as you step, concentrate on the foot that is rising and the foot that is stepping will naturally land more softly.  The important part is to keep your knees bent through the entire stride.  At no point in the stride is the knee completely extended.  With the higher cadence as well as keeping the knee bent I tended to envision that I was riding a bike as I was running.


(Get ready for the touchy-feely part of this story.)

Regardless of how long it takes, I'm sticking on this path.  I am enjoying this new hobby and I don't see that ending any time soon.  Not long ago I couldn't run for 4-5 minutes straight without nearly passing out.  Tonight, I did my entire run without stopping, and I wasn't even tired when I got done.  I could have done more, but in an effort to limit the Too Much Too Soon syndrome I stopped.  People have different reasons for running and mine is this:  I have a one year old boy, and another little boy due in December.  I have a wife that for some reason enjoys my company.  Every day I see people who are literally in a health crisis and they continue to make excuses about why they can't change.  I'm not going to be that person, and it's my job to be an example.

(You can stop weeping with inspiration now, though it is appreciated.)

I am the King...

...of too much too soon!

I started on the trail of barefoot running in about April this year.  I have never enjoyed running any further than a 400 meter race.  Any more than that was literally fatiguing to the point of nausea.  As I learn more and practice more barefoot running I realize that my fatigue likely came form poor form.  I was a stomper.  My high school hurdles coach likened me to an elephant in my Junior year, but I was a skinny kid.  I just made a lot of noise.  (*heel strike, foot slap, heel strike, foot slap*)  I dealt with shin splints within a week of starting track practice in the Spring, and  they lasted the entire season.  I loved sprinting and hurdles.  But make me run mid-distance, and I was miserable.  After high school, I abandoned running for beer except for one summer when I trained for and ran the Bix 7 Mile Race in Davenport, IA at the behest of a friend.  (I barfed twice at the finish line of that one, mostly from too much water at the last water stop.)

I began Chiropractic school in 2002 and started to get back in shape, but with weightlifting rather than running.  I still struggled through the odd mile here and there, but the shin splints were too much.  Lifting was fun for me though, and I had two dedicated training partners to keep me going.  We moved a lot of weight.  The trouble with that kind of workout is the equipment.  It's hard to lift weights without weights to lift, and after I graduated and started paying back student loans there was no money for gym memberships, so I tried running again.  My running career continued to be sporadic and painful.

Fast forward to December 2010.  I saw an ad for the Warrior Dash, talked it over with my wife, and we signed up.  Soon after that she became pregnant with our second baby so she is no longer running the race in July.  I started training though, vowing to stay ahead of my shin splints with ice massage and stretching.  You can imagine how that went.

About three weeks into my latest failing attempt at a running career, I went to see my shoe guy, Jamey.  He and I have been friends since high school, and he manages the Tradehome Shoes store in Rochester.  I demanded answers.  He showed me the latest ASCIS.  Hefty price tag on those bad boys for something I may not be able to continue with.  I think he could sense my frustration with the newest must-have shoe and put the ASCIS down and instead gave me Jason Robillard's book.  It's an odd thing when a shoe salesman hands you a barefoot running book.  Jason's experience was similar to my own and the way he presented barefoot running jived with something deep down in my soul.  I am a Chiropractor and I believe in the human body's abilty to function properly.  I won't get into things like orthotics in this post, but suffice to say I have started to see the error of those things for most patients.

This post is getting longer than I wanted so lets get back to where I started.  I promise that I am really the King of too much too soon.  I sit here tonight with pain in my left heel and ankle.  The same pain that recently sidelined me for two weeks after doing a 5K on June 4th.  At that time I was still running in my trusty motion control New Balance shoes, but I had changed my form and gait to running on the balls of my feet and not heel striking.  My shin splints were improving and I vowed to make the switch to barefoot after the Warrior Dash in July.  The race went well.  Too well.  I took 40 seconds off my per-mile time, seven weeks into my training.  Oops.  The Achilles Tendonitis that developed in my left heel was like walking on hot coals every second of the day.  Through treatment and my trusty Kinesio Tape I was ready to go again in two weeks.  I put on my New Balance shoes and headed out for two miles, alternating from forefoot strike to heel strike depending on how my calves felt (I had still not learned my lesson).  The run went fine but I did end up in the middle of a rainstorm.

Thursday was my next run day and my shoes were still soaked from Tuesday's run.  I had already purchased a pair of Merrell Trail Gloves from Jamey and since I didn't think I was ready for a real barefoot run slapped those puppies on and off I went.  Two miles later and I'm riding high.  NO PAIN, ANYWHERE.  So what did I do?  Ran again Friday.  Heel pain.  Damn it!  Too much, too soon.  I took the rest of the weekend and Monday off from running.  I put my Merrells back on yesterday, and did two miles.  I even took my shoes off for the last half mile interval!  It felt great!  I couldn't believe it!  Again, NO PAIN! Until this morning.  Too much, too soon.

I think I get it now.  I need to run barefoot so I learn how to run, then I can use the shoes this Winter.  I need to run barefoot so I get the feedback from my feet that I need to prevent injury.  My calves are ready, my lungs are ready, but in this case my Achilles tendon is exactly that.  My Achilles heel.

I have a feeling that my experience mirrors or at least parallels a lot of the Type-A, high-strung, gotta-win new barefoot runners out there.  The most important thing in my story is this: I now love running.  I want to run every day, and I want to do it barefoot.  I think I'll give up my crown though.  I've learned that lesson.