While recently training for a half marathon I remembered why I stopped running to begin with...my feet.
I have bad feet and they would start to ache terribly at about mile 4 and would continue to ache all night and into the next day. I usually had to skip a day in between runs or I was miserable and going to hurt something else compensating for my especially bad left foot. In trying to get comfortable while running I had noticed that if I ran on the ball of my foot the pain would immediately go away but running on the ball of your foot just didn't feel right.
I had read the book Born to Run but never pursued the barefoot Vibram Five Fingers concept until I went into Phillip Galls in Lexington, KY to buy a pair of Keen sandals. I spotted the Five Fingers on display and asked the sales guy about them. Come to find he was a Five Fingers convert and was training for a half marathon in them. So after a lot of questions, I bought a pair.
I ended up running the half in my regular shoes and after the race my feet were miserable. I could barely walk. I had the Five Fingers with me so I slipped them on. Immediate relief! I wore them to dinner at my uncle's house that night just so I could be comfortable...and I was.
After a 3 week break I decided I needed to start running again so I did a 3 mile jog. My feet ached all night, so I pulled out the Vibram Five Fingers and sloshed through snow, mud and ice to see the effects the shoes would have. Other than I think my calves might be a bit sore, I really liked them. They were fabulous on the grass and I think with time I will learn to run on the harder surfaces effectively. It was already getting easier toward the end of the run. At no point did my feet hurt and 2 hours later they still feel good. I can see my running style changing dramatically on flat and downhill terrain. I've only run in them one time, but I am optimistic that these funny looking shoes will allow me to continue to run comfortably.
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