So when I was in Boston last week, I bought some of the Vibram FiveFingers KSO style shoes. My intention in buying them was to use them for running. Advice from the RunnersWorld.com Barefoot Running Forum suggests transitioning to these shoes from regular running shoes very gradually.
So today I went out for my first run in these shoes. I wanted to do 4 miles today, and I thought I’d do the first half mile in the FiveFingers and then switch it up to my usual running shoes (New Balance 769) to finish. I had been wearing the FiveFingers around the house “chillin” for a few hours the last couple of days, and I had done a couple of short sprints down my street, a couple hundred yards or so.
As I started out today, I was paying attention to my foot-strike. I thought I generally run with the midsole of my foot striking, but the heel didn’t like being even close to striking, without padding of any kind, and I found that after a hundred yards or so, that I was actually landing on the ball of my foot by just a teensy bit, and then allowing my heel to drop to the full foot. I liked it.
Due to where I turned around, I actually did a bit over a half mile… 0.6 miles. Then I switched to my NB 769s. OMG. It felt like someone had put pillows under the heels of my feet. I didn’t like the fact that I was unable to put my foot down on the ground as I strode. I felt at first like I was still running on the balls of my feet, but my calves were starting to tighten a teensy bit, so I tried to back off of that and land more mid-foot. Still felt like pillows under my heels. Or like wedge-style shoes at the least. Took a good mile in the regular shoes until they started to feel “normal” again.
Later, about a half hour after the run was done, my calves began to feel just a touch tight, like the muscles were potentially going to have a knot in them. I stretched the calves a few times, but later thought better of it and rolled/massaged them with The Stick. Several hours later, they feel just fine.
I’m planning to run again on Friday. Eight miles total. I think I may do a 3/4 mile in the FiveFingers to start off and then switch to my regular running shoes…
Also today I did my second workout in the hundredpushups.com program. I needed to do the following sets, with 90 sec rests between each: 6, 8, 6, 6 and then my max (but at least 7). I managed to tough out 9 on my last set, but it was hard! Well, I look back at what I did on Sunday, and it was much less, but seemed hard. I guess I got stronger. So… looking forward to the next one. I guess I’ll get stronger still… interesting program.
