Ouch, Ouch, Ouch...that's what it sounds like when you try to do barefoot running and the ground is way too hot. Believe me, I know from experience: I went barefoot running in Phoenix, Arizona in July, and that is like running on a black frying pan. Now, before I give you any advice on how to go barefoot running in hot weather, i would like to be clear about one thing: if it is just too hot for barefoot running, and your feet are actually burning on the pavement, and you don't have any other surface than 'tar' to run on, then just don't do it. save your barefoot running for another day.
However, there are several ways that you can still go barefoot running even if the roads are too hot to handle: 1. Do your barefoot running on trails instead of the road. Trails are usually shaded, and even if they are not, the dirt is always cooler to the feet than pavement. (If you think back to being a kid you will remember this). 2. Find an area where the shoulder of the road has grass and is not likely to be hiding glass or sharp objects - a nice, clean stretch of road with a "grassy verge." Then do your barefoot running in the grass...or run on the road as long as you can stand it and then take a break by running in the grass. 3. Run on the white line.
That's right - black absorbs light, white reflects it - so barefoot running on the white line on the side of the road is always cooler. The only thing to watch out for here is that you will be closer to the cars, so be sure to watch for cars (you should while barefoot running anyway) and get off the line if you see traffic coming. 4. Go barefoot running for as long as you can in the heat - then take a break, and then do some more. Your feet will build up a tolerance to the hot surfaces if you push them a little, and if you don't they probably never will. 5. Try to find a stretch of road to do your barefoot running on where there is enough shade to slip in and out of the shady spots as you run.
You can run on very hot roads - if it's only for a little while, then hop into the shade. 6. Run in Vibram Five Fingers. You can find Vibram Five Fingers online, and although I don't consider running in Vibrams to be 'real' barefoot running, I have done a lot of my training in them. they will allow you to get your barefoot running in without scorching your feet. That's it - 6 ways to keep on barefoot running, even when it's hot enough to fry an egg on the road. One more important note: be sure, with barefoot running as well as any other kind of running, to drink enough water or Gatorade and stay hydrated extra well when you are running in hot weather. I generally drink water before, during, and after barefoot running. And to keep my 'salts' up as well I will drink Gatorade or CeraSport - both of which have salts and electrolytes you need. But it is even more important, of course to drink enough when you are barefoot running in hot weather.
Oh, and one more note about hot surfaces: generally, the darker the surface, the hotter it will be (absorbs more heat)...but red brick is one exception. Red brick is the hottest to run on in the sun, so avoid red brick surfaces when barefoot running. For more information on barefoot running and barefoot running shoes, please visit our website.http://www.invisibleshoe.com - If you are a barefoot runner and want more information on running barefoot or barefoot running sandals, visit Invisible Shoe. We are the foremost authority on barefoot running sandals.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
3 Tips to running in barefoot running shoes
Here are the first three things to know (that I wish I had known when I started out) if you are thinking about doing some barefoot running training:
Barefoot Running Training Step 1: Start Off Slow Even if you've been running for years, when you start your barefoot running training the first thing you need to know is that you will need to cut way back on your usual routine, and begin as though you were just getting started running.
If you're not a runner already, this step may actually be easier for you, as you will not feel such a need to jump into your barefoot running training at full speed. In either case, you need to put the ongoing health of your feet ahead of your need for speed and distance for the moment, and begin your barefoot running training at a quarter, or even a tenth of what you may have been thinking when you started reading this article.
Personally I think that 5 minutes a day is good to start. Then, after a week of that, go to 10 minutes a day, and so on. If you're just starting out running for the first time ever, 5 to 10 minutes a day to start may seem good to you anyway. However, if you've been a serious runner at all before, and you just want o transition over into barefoot running training, then this amount of exercise may seem extremely minimal. In that case, what I would suggest is that you do your normal running routine, whether it's 30 minutes, an hour or what have you, then take off your shoes and do your barefoot running training for the day in the last 5 to ten minutes of your run.
Barefoot Running Training Step 2: Try Minimalist Shoes While I do enjoy running in totally bare feet the most, I would recommend you get a pair of minimalist shoes for your barefoot running training, such as the Vibram Five Fingers, and here is why. When you are doing serious barefoot running training, you are going to encounter places, or weather, or road conditions that might prevent you from getting your training time in, unless you have a pair of minimal shoes to fall back on. For example, it's not a good idea to run for miles in very wet weather, as your feet will turn into prunes and the skin will soften and tear off your feet.
Having a pair of barefoot running shoes will allow you to continue your barefoot running training on the wettest of days. The same goes for very cold weather. Personally I have run in snow and freezing weather without shoes at all, but I had a van for backup and was not alone or in danger of my feet getting frostbite. Having a pair of Vibrams or other minimalist shoes will let you do your barefoot running training in the cold, too. The other thing that might interrupt your barefoot running training is having only bad roads or trails to run on. While I don't mind a few rocks, sticks and even the occasional glass shard, I have seen trails coated in sharp gravel that would curl your toes; and, as I discovered to my dismay, in some places like West Virginia, they "sand" the roads in winter with crushed cinder - a substance very like crushed glass. Not very pleasant. You would be wise to strap a pair of minimalist shoes to your back, even if you plan to do all your barefoot running training without shoes - just in case.
Barefoot Running Training Step 3: Ice, Ice, Ice The number one thing I learned a little too late, that would have been great to know early on, is the benefits of icing your feet when starting your barefoot running training. Ice is a barefoot runner's best friend, and I'm not just talking ice packs. The best thing you can do for your feet when you are in barefoot running training is to make sure you immerse your feet in an ice bath immediately after returning from a a barefoot running training session. It may be difficult (and even feel painful) but having your feet in an ice bath for 5 to 10 minutes right after barefoot running, can reduce or even eliminate swelling, and encourage fast recovery of your feet, especially as you are passing through the stages of "foot restructuring" that your feet go through as they are getting stronger. So, be sure to make ice baths a routine aspect of your barefoot running training and you will avoid some of the unnecessary pain and swelling I experienced.http://www.invisibleshoe.com - If you are a barefoot runner and want more information on running barefoot or barefoot running sandals, visit Invisible Shoe. We are the foremost authority on barefoot running sandals.
Barefoot Running Training Step 1: Start Off Slow Even if you've been running for years, when you start your barefoot running training the first thing you need to know is that you will need to cut way back on your usual routine, and begin as though you were just getting started running.
If you're not a runner already, this step may actually be easier for you, as you will not feel such a need to jump into your barefoot running training at full speed. In either case, you need to put the ongoing health of your feet ahead of your need for speed and distance for the moment, and begin your barefoot running training at a quarter, or even a tenth of what you may have been thinking when you started reading this article.
Personally I think that 5 minutes a day is good to start. Then, after a week of that, go to 10 minutes a day, and so on. If you're just starting out running for the first time ever, 5 to 10 minutes a day to start may seem good to you anyway. However, if you've been a serious runner at all before, and you just want o transition over into barefoot running training, then this amount of exercise may seem extremely minimal. In that case, what I would suggest is that you do your normal running routine, whether it's 30 minutes, an hour or what have you, then take off your shoes and do your barefoot running training for the day in the last 5 to ten minutes of your run.
Barefoot Running Training Step 2: Try Minimalist Shoes While I do enjoy running in totally bare feet the most, I would recommend you get a pair of minimalist shoes for your barefoot running training, such as the Vibram Five Fingers, and here is why. When you are doing serious barefoot running training, you are going to encounter places, or weather, or road conditions that might prevent you from getting your training time in, unless you have a pair of minimal shoes to fall back on. For example, it's not a good idea to run for miles in very wet weather, as your feet will turn into prunes and the skin will soften and tear off your feet.
Having a pair of barefoot running shoes will allow you to continue your barefoot running training on the wettest of days. The same goes for very cold weather. Personally I have run in snow and freezing weather without shoes at all, but I had a van for backup and was not alone or in danger of my feet getting frostbite. Having a pair of Vibrams or other minimalist shoes will let you do your barefoot running training in the cold, too. The other thing that might interrupt your barefoot running training is having only bad roads or trails to run on. While I don't mind a few rocks, sticks and even the occasional glass shard, I have seen trails coated in sharp gravel that would curl your toes; and, as I discovered to my dismay, in some places like West Virginia, they "sand" the roads in winter with crushed cinder - a substance very like crushed glass. Not very pleasant. You would be wise to strap a pair of minimalist shoes to your back, even if you plan to do all your barefoot running training without shoes - just in case.
Barefoot Running Training Step 3: Ice, Ice, Ice The number one thing I learned a little too late, that would have been great to know early on, is the benefits of icing your feet when starting your barefoot running training. Ice is a barefoot runner's best friend, and I'm not just talking ice packs. The best thing you can do for your feet when you are in barefoot running training is to make sure you immerse your feet in an ice bath immediately after returning from a a barefoot running training session. It may be difficult (and even feel painful) but having your feet in an ice bath for 5 to 10 minutes right after barefoot running, can reduce or even eliminate swelling, and encourage fast recovery of your feet, especially as you are passing through the stages of "foot restructuring" that your feet go through as they are getting stronger. So, be sure to make ice baths a routine aspect of your barefoot running training and you will avoid some of the unnecessary pain and swelling I experienced.http://www.invisibleshoe.com - If you are a barefoot runner and want more information on running barefoot or barefoot running sandals, visit Invisible Shoe. We are the foremost authority on barefoot running sandals.
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