Barefoot Running Basics: Proper Form

Developing proper form is the most important part of running barefoot.  The whole idea of running without shoes is that we are mean to run the way we are.  Making the transition requires that we re-learn how we are supposed to move.  Having run in shoes for years, I thought I understood the right way to do things because it all seemed to work okay.  Making the transition to barefoot running taught me that there was actually a great deal that I needed to improve.

When running barefoot, there is very little room for error in the way the body works.  When I land wrong, pushing off, or make any incorrect motions it will immediately become apparent.  Without shoes, there is no barrier between my body and the ground.  Because of the very serious consequences of bad form, it is important to know that learning the right way needs to be done slowly and over time.  There is a great deal of strength and re-training to do, and over-ambition can quickly lead to injury.  Time and distance amplify every small flaw in form, and turn even small mistakes into blisters, injured ligaments, or stress fractures.  I made the mistake of running too far when I made the transition, and paid for it with big blisters for a full month.  In learning to run correctly, all of my lessons came from listening to my body.  The input I receive from each step needed to be understood and adjusted for.

Unfortunately, there is no 'one size fits all' solution to learning proper form, but I hope to lay down some essential ground rules and describe a few landmarks along the way to learning the correct way to move.  Starting from the top down, I wanted to hit this major landmark: Relax.  Keeping a relaxed and clear mind is a big step in doing things right.

To keep my upper body in check, I always remind myself that I need to keep good posture, and gently lead from my waist (run from the core).  Leading with my shoulders or pulling with your feet is the wrong idea.  Speed is controlled by cadence and gently leading from the core.  Straight posture, and fluid motion of the upper body are the key ideas.  I try to always keep my focus on the road, but never bring it in too close to my body.  If I am too busy staring at my feet, I end up running into a tree or something.

From the hips down is where it starts to get exciting (...hahahaha).  Impact forces are a major part of running, and why barefoot and minimal running are so controversial.    Those of us who practice it are of the opinion that the human body was made to run just as it is.  For more on that subject, hop back to my first big post in this Barefoot Running Basics series: The Big Picture.
The most important parts to handling the forces involved are:

1. Staying relaxed
2. Moving with a fast cadence and short stride
3. Keeping your knees bent
4. Figuring out how to land

While I am out running, I spend a large amount of time focusing on relaxing my body.  When I get started, I work my way from head to toe.  This helps me get my posture set correctly, and slowly works down to my feet as they start figuring out how the ground feels.  As my cadence begins to take shape, I concentrate my way from my toes back up to my head relaxing each muscle group as I go.  My concentration on relaxing is important because tense muscles lead to oddities in form, and problems further into a run.
Previously I had been under the impression that a long stride is best for running.  Longer strides make for more distance covered during each step.  Unfortunately, they also lead to problems for those without the cushion of shoes.  Less time in the air means less force from gravity pulling back down.  A fast cadence of around 90 per minute is actually the most efficient way to run (that means 180 steps per minute).  I have honestly never measured myself, but I also know that my stride now is much quicker than it used to be.  Focus on achieving the correct cadence first; speed and stride length will manage themselves.  Do not worry about speed until running correctly comes naturally.
Knees need to stay bent at all times.  They are an important part of absorbing the shock and using it like a spring.  As a person with previous knee problems, I was worried about how well my joints would handle the increased demand.  Surprisingly they seem to be much stronger now that I am using them correctly.  I have not experienced any issues at all with an odd knee moment (which was a reoccurring issue in shoes).
Landing is a tricky thing to figure out, but it is absolutely vital to master.  Absorbing impact forces begins with the feet.  My first month of running was blister filled, which meant that I had not figured out how to land.  Slowly things came together through listening to my body and learning how to make changes.  Over-thinking each step also led to problems for me.  I think the best strategy is to take time, listen to your whole body's response to your landing method, and begin to tweak it until you are comfortable.

Foot landing takes place directly below the body.  Initially I kept landing with my feet in front of my body, resulting in heel landings.  My first step was to shorten my stride and bend my knees before landing.  These changes brought my foot landing forward to the pads of my feet.  All landings should begin with the front of the foot and  progress through the heel.  If you find yourself not dropping your heels down, try relaxing your ankles and straightening your legs a bit.
There is no noticeable push motion in my stride.  A correct stride feels like I am always lifting my feet up, I even begin before they have quite hit the ground.  This action of constant lifting helps absorb the forces of landing, and helps keep my feet from sliding.  Landing and take-off should not involve any sliding, twisting, or other friction causing movements.  In general, listening to my body is always the best advice for form improvements.  Friction produced from mistakes develops blisters, not relaxing tends to produce forceful landings, and incorrect strides make it difficult to land properly.  Every mistake in form results in clear feedback that needs to be listened to and corrected.

Feedback is one of the most important benefits in running without shoes.  The information received about form allows me to correct my problems before they produce bad habits and harm.  Running with shoes limits feedback and makes it more difficult to identify problems before they result in serious problems.  Learning proper form is always unique to every individual and presents a constantly changing target.  Hopefully these general principals will help anyone interested get started in the right direction.  Like almost all barefoot runners, I have learned my lessons through my own practice and advice from those that came before me.  There are some great resources to the community of barefoot runners, and I hope to feature some of those in the coming weeks as well.


* Note: It does not matter if you have had the post typed up for a whole week... if you don't hit publish, no one will see it. :D

Race Report: Vets Day Run

Today I was able to take part in the Vets Day Run (though it was not on vets day) for the KC Trail Nerds.  It was fun to show up before church and get a run in at the park.  Lately I have been shying away from trail running because the fall trails are not the most safe place to be without something on my feet.  As Ben pointed out before the race, you never know what is lurking below the leaves you see.

I enjoyed the chance to see some familiar faces and brave the trails.  My time (41:31) was not incredible, but it was about as fast as I'm capable of picking my way over the rocks and sticks of WyCo in its leaf covered state.  Four miles is nothing particularly special, and a middle of the pack finish is nothing to glow about, but I was extremely happy with the experience.

At the end of the race, I ended up running an extra 2 miles to locate my son and walk back to the start line with him.  With the extra time running around looking for him, I had a chance to think about how much I love running and the communities around it.  Talking to some of the other runners like Rick, Sophia, and Brett was nice.  Finding myself in the company of other amazing runners is always energizing, having my son around to cheer was encouraging, and the morning was absolutely beautiful.  Races like this bring together runners from all ends of the spectrum, and it is great fun to be a part of it.

Since the race I've noticed a few lingering rock-bruises on my arches, and I thought I would mention how much fun it has been learning to run trails.  Learning to cope with the changes of the trail through each season has been a great release from the monotony of road-running.  The changes have also pushed up against my skill level, and caused me moments of triumph and great humility.  Learning to run on rough ground has kept the lessons coming fast, and thanks to the help of fellow runners I've been able to keep pace with each new challenge.

Since I had a post planned for Monday, I thought it would be appropriate to hold this post until Veterans Day.  Thank you to all the veterans out there.  The sacrifices made for our country are deeply appreciated and recognized far too infrequently.

Barefoot Running Basics: Transitioning and Shoes

Transitioning into barefoot running is a difficult task, and one that I went about doing in a completely wrong manner.  My first month was filled with blisters and pushing myself into the realm of pain which is quite the opposite of what I am now striving for.  I thought that "no pain, no gain" was something to be recited over and over, that is just a myth, like I mentioned last week.  Rather than seeking pain, I should have been avoiding it.  I also like how the folks at RunBare phrased it when they said that you want to work until your muscles are fatigued.  Learning to run without shoes is not about learning to run through the pain, or about enduring the difficulties, it is about running the way we are meant to run.  In the process of re-teaching my body to move correctly, I should have slowed down and given it the time that it needed to adjust.

One common misconception among runners is that they should use some sort of transition shoe, or minimal shoe to work their way down to shoe-less running.  I think that the time spent transitioning to different shoes, and then re-learning all over again how to run without them is a great deal of wasted time.  Transitioning with shoes should actually take place in the reverse order.  First learn to run without shoes, and then slowly transition back into shoes if that is what you want.  My running form has dramatically changed in learning to run without shoes.  If I were to throw on a pair of shoes and go for a run, I would find myself reverting back to the incorrect ways of landing.  Until I learn how to hold to my form, I should not look at moving back into running shoes.

The best method to barefoot running is to slowly work into it.  My mistake was to think that I could suddenly run 5 miles at a time, when I should have been starting over from 1/4 of a mile.  Building strength in my lower body was mostly accomplished while running in my Vibram Five Fingers Classics, but my form still needed a great deal of work.  Slowly building up from nothing is the only way to keep from doing serious injury along the way to whatever distance you aspire to.  As I noted before, the advice of running to fatigue (not pain!) is the goal.  If you find your form wandering, or soreness beginning to creep into muscles, that means it is time to call it a day.

Not only is a slow building process important, but finding the right terrain is also important.  While soft grass is much more comfortable, it does not do a great job of teaching either.  I live in the city, so my runs take place on sidewalks and roads.  This turned out to be an excellent source of learning for me.  Without the cushion and softness of grass, all of my mistakes were readily apparent in the form of blisters or stress to different parts of my body.  Although some terrains like gravel take time to grow accustomed to, they are also the best teachers of how to move.  When there is little room for error, I learn to not make mistakes.  Again, I call on more advice from the crew at RunBare, saying that taking along shoes to change into is a great idea.  Run until your feet feel like they have had enough, and then put your shoes on.  Running without shoes requires listening to your body, and then responding.  Don't ignore your body, or you will end up having the blisters and required days off like I did.

Transitioning is hard to give any firm numbers on, because everyone is different.  The key is to listen to your body and avoid pushing yourself into pain.  When my heels blistered over on the first day, I learned my first lesson: stop sliding my heels on each landing.  I should have also learned the lesson: Don't run 5 miles on the first day.  Slowly I have been learning the lessons my body has for me, and as I learn the lessons, new worlds of running are becoming open to me.  Trail running, as incredibly difficult as it is, is quite possible to accomplish barefoot.  When I first began, I was in over my head, and was quite blessed to have not been injured.  As I learn more about myself, and more about how to move, my ability to conquer the leaf covered trails of WyCo Park with the trail nerds has become a reality.

I think, one of the greatest things to happen to barefoot running has been the emergence of minimal running. It is doubtful that I would have ever found myself without shoes if it were not for my trusty pair of Five Fingers.  Barefoot Ted did an excellent job of saying that VFF's have become a kind of Trojan Horse to the barefoot running world.  Minimal running shoes are a great way for people to get excited about a product and purchase something that they think will help them be better.  As they learn more about minimal running, more and more people make the jump down to running without them.  At this point, my Five Fingers are something that I wear so that I am no longer told to leave places like the public library (which has happened).

Not only do they help bring runners into the world of barefoot running, but they can also be used to help barefoot runners through difficult terrain.  High on my Christmas list is a new pair of Vibram Five Fingers KSO Treks for trail running during the winter.  My skill level as a barefoot runner has not reached the point where I can run snow covered trails, so Vibram helps fill the gap.  There are other great companies like the Vivo Barefoot line from Terra Plana, and Feelmax that do great products for those that want a bit of the barefoot experience while still having a shoe that looks like a shoe.  I've also made myself a pair of huaraches to run in.  For some they work well as running sandals, but they are not quite my thing.

Some major running companies are starting to push products that are much more minimal than the rest of their lineups.  Nike has their Nike Free line, and racing flats are always a good middle ground.  At the moment the company that has the most interest from me is Mizuno.  Their Mizuno Wave Universe 3 looks like an incredible balance between a traditional running shoe, and a minimal running shoe.  3.8 oz per shoe is incredibly light.  Maybe one day I will be able to review a few of the products I've mentioned, but for now I need to keep learning the right way to move without them.

Next week I am looking forward to a post about the basics of a proper running form.  I hope I covered transitioning well enough, but I know there are opinions out there.  Don't be afraid to let me know if I missed something!


*A run with the Trail Nerds almost had me too distracted to make the deadline of a Monday post.  The race report for that Vets Day 2009 Run will come later this week*