My first race with the Vibrams

Until the very last minute, I was on the fence on whether or not I would run Globe’s Run For Home 10k using my minimalist Vibram Five-Fingers.  Yes, I have been training consistently with it, logging almost 60 kms for the past month.  But I was concerned that the competitive atmosphere would pressure me to push myself and run faster than before.  And I have never run with minimalist shoes in a race.  I have long abandoned any aspirations of winning any medals.  But I do want to break personal records.  Plus I want to participate in a 21k race in June, which would be the longest distance that I have ever run.

The interesting thing is that, in the end, I did record one of my fastest 10k runs at 57:40.  For the record, my fastest 10k was 54:17, but I doubt that time.  For one, though the race was touted to be a 10k race, the distance was just 9.3 kms according to my Runkeeper app.  However, having said that, my pace then was 10.25 kph; in the R4H, my pace was 10.39 kph.  So yes I could claim my R4H run as a personal best.

But at the same time I am experiencing a dull pain at the top of my feet.  It’s not a debilitating pain.  I can still walk.  In fact, I even did a short, slow 5k run yesterday and the pain seemed to disappear after a couple of minutes.

I did a quick Google search.  Apparently I am not alone in this.  There have been cases where the VFFs cause “top of foot pain.” Here are a few links:

• http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/02/vibram-top-of-foot-pain-connection.html
• http://www.afloat.ca/2010/04/vff-top-of-foot-pain.html
• http://www.foot-health-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38209

I wonder, is it a case of “too much, too soon?”  Anyway, today is a rest day for me.  I don’t want to give up on these VFFs yet.

Barefoot / Minimalist running

It started when a good friend of mine introduced me to the book “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall.  Along with tales of the Taharamura tribe and ultra-marathon races, the book presented an interesting—if not downright quirky—hypothesis: that running shoes are a bane to running and barefoot running is the way to go.

According to McDougall, the modern running shoe, which was invented by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman, had conditioned runners to run in an inefficient manner by landing on their heels.  McDougall continues to elaborate that the heel was not anatomically designed to absorb hundred of pounds of force, that landing on the heel puts an immense amount of stress on other parts of the body, and that the midsole—i.e., the arch of the middle foot—is nature’s greatest shock absorber.  An arch is supposed to be stronger as more weight is placed on it.  So instead of wearing running shoes that forced you to run on your heels, why not switch to shoeless running or running with minimalist gear and adopt a more natural, midsole running gait.

Well, at least that’s how the theory goes.  I was skeptical but intrigued.  I wondered if barefoot running could relieve me of my body’s aches and pains, particularly in my right hip and knee.  So I went ahead and bought a Vibram Five Fingers KSO, which is supposed to be for all sorts of activities—from running to trekking to water sports.  I know it looks funny.  The comments I receive from people range from “gorilla feet” to “Gollum shoes.”  The Vibrams are available in Rockwell and in SM MOA.

I didn’t want to push my luck in my initial run using the Vibram.  I planned for a slow and short 3K run.  The feeling was odd at first—I could feel the concrete road, with all its cracks and loose pebbles.  It wasn’t painful.  I expected needles of pain to shoot up to my knees and hips.  I expected teeth-chattering, jaw-shaking vibrations.   But there was no such sensation.  In fact, it was rather titillating, similar to those of the reflexology shoes that are being sold in those new-age stores.  I picked up the pace, careful not to over-stride.  The 3K became a 5K run and it felt good.  I used it in my next run, which was a 10k run around my home village.  My foot soles felt tender after I completed the one-hour run, probably because I stepped on a lot of those small pebbles and cracks on the concrete.

I am still unsure whether or not barefoot running is safe.  Whether or not it is more efficient, and whether or not it prevents more injuries, remain to be seen.   Evangelists swear by it; podiatrists are cautious about it.  I will continue to run using the Vibrams.  There is some mystical, holistic feeling when you feel your feet touch the ground.  It feels raw and primal, like you’re in intimate communication with Mother Earth.  In some ways, maybe McDougall was right.  We were born to run.