Personal update on transitions into minimalist running

So I have been out of town, and then back at school the past few weeks, and figured it would be a good idea to update on my transition into minimalist shoes.

First, in case you haven't been following any of my past blog posts, I am in the process of moving from Nike running shoes, into a more minimalist shoe.  I am doing this because I have started running about 3-5 miles per day, 4 to 5 times per week.  I had been again suffering from really bad shin splints, and I finally decided I needed to make some changes.

I had bought two pairs of minimalist shoes.  I have posted pictures of them on previous blogs.  One pair was for running (the Vibram 5 fingers) the other pair was it what I now wear everyday as my normal shoe.

I have so far loved having the light, flexible shoes on my feet.  I notice my feet feel lighter (duh, cause they are) and I feel my feet are much more mobile.  I have noticed that they move and bend much more than before, which is obviously due to the design of these types of shoes.

I originally had gotten a little too much confidence and started running a bit further and a bit more often that I should when I started the transition.  That resulted in a few days of extreme calf soreness, and a few blisters on the front pads of my feet. (due to the forward weight placement when I run.)

I have since slowed down the amount and length of runs with my Vibrams, and for the run themselves I have felt very good.

One area of concern I am having is I am starting to wake up in the mornings with a small amount of plantar foot pain.  It usually goes away within the first few minutes of walking around, but it is enough to have me a bit nervous.  My guess for the pain is that I am using minimal shoes as my everyday shoes, so on days where I am doing a lot of walking and standing, my feet have little support or cushion.  I am monitoring the pain closely, so if it gets any worse I can re-evaluate how I transition further.

On the plus side, I have not had any shin pains at all when I run since I have started using the Vibrams.  I have even gone out for a few long runs in my old shoes ( I wanted to go distance, and was afraid of going too far too fast with the Vibrams) and I didn't have any real discomfort.  One reason could be that I am not running quiet as far the last few weeks, but I think it mainly has to do with my adjustments during running.  Shortening your stride and trying to forefoot run, really does make a difference.

So, as of now, I am still extremely happy with my progression   Lets just hope the morning foot pain dies down, and we shall see how the rest goes!

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I promise to write more interesting material soon!



Vibram Fivefingers KSO Water Shoes (Black-Black-Black, 43 M) - M148