Vibram FiveFingers - Day Two

I started looking into barefoot running for the same reasons everyone else does, I suppose. I was tired of being held back by injuries from running. At the age of 37 I have already struggled with low back pain, Piriformis Syndrome, and the latest ailment - knee pain. But I am addicted to running.

The first day of training in these finger shoes went fairly well. You can read about that here:

http://melissaalthen.hubpages.com/hub/Vibram-FiveFingers-First-Day-Review

Yesterday was a rest day. I still had moderate soreness in my ankles when I got up this morning. Today I debated on which shoes to put on to go to the gym. I slid my toes into my Vibrams and slopped my Brooks into my bag again.

I started out on the elliptical trainer. It was a Matrix machine on which I typically have a toe first, heel raise stride. Those Vibram soles stuck to the pedals of the elliptical like I was a gecko. These shoes are excellent for stability.

I didn't have a high heel to deal with so the range of the elliptical was somewhat easier on my legs. I could also rest a little more over my ankles and feel my glutes working. I closed my eyes and really let myself become absorbed by the work, concentrating on form and not letting my head bob up and down. I was envisioning myself like a jockey, with my upper body fixed while my legs beneath me did the work.

I noticed the elliptical was simulating the same foot strike pattern I noticed on the first day of running in the Vibrams - ball of foot first then heel came down with my weight directly under me. Good.

After thirty minutes of this I moved to the treadmill for a short mile of lung work. I wasn't sure about this run with the residual soreness left in my ankles and feet. So I started off even slower than day one. I grew a better understanding of how minimalist running is about form. Slow down. Pay attention to your form.

You see, conventional running shoes have caused runners to become lazy. Sloppy. In conventional shoes you can get away with bad form. You won't feel it immediately. It makes running easier. You slop into the easiest gait manageable.

When you lose the cushion, it suddenly doesn't feel so good to run sloppy. You become focused on running in such a way that causes the least amount of pain. And it just so happens that way is also the way our bodies were built to run.

The theory is that the correction of form will trickle up to the rest of your body - no more tendonitis, achy knees, sore lower back, and so on. I have to admit, I haven't thought about icing my knees since I left the gym. Icing is usually the first thing on my mind when I get home.

One thing I forgot to mention on day one is how I enjoyed weight training in the Vibrams. I like having my toes splayed and feeling more steady. It seems like the added stability you get from your feet help take some of the side to side motion off the rest of your body (especially the knees).

No blisters today. No irritation on the bottom of my feet at all, really. I was ready to get the toe shoes off again, mostly because they were sweaty. I feel the same about sweaty socks.

Tomorrow I will cheat on my Vibrams with my Brooks. It's long run day and I have no doubt that I am not ready to do a long run in the Vibrams. I am eager to find out if I have developed any lasting corrections to form....