Running Barefoot – The Danger of Misconceptions
I read an article a couple days ago that appalled me on a level that I couldn’t quite bring myself to share, because, while to me it was obvious that there was some incredible misinformation was involved, I could see that it was based on something that was really easy for people in general to fall into as well. Thus was the existence of the article in the first place.
There seems to be a common misconception in society in general that being barefoot, and especially running barefoot, should hurt. Badly. For whatever reason, it is easy for people to see their environment as harsh and unfriendly, and their feet as delicate and in need of protection in order to avoid that harsh unpleasantness. Having gone without shoes for years in all but those circumstances in which social etiquette absolutely requires them, I do not have this misconception.
So when I read an article about runners in San Diego who decided that running barefoot would improve their times, and then proceeded to go on about how painful it is, the injuries they’ve sustained, the blisters they’ve lanced over and over again, and the idea that running barefoot is only for people with superhuman tolerance to pain…I wince. Especially when I consider that they’ve kept up with this for months without relief.
Now, there’s a certain arrogance that we tend to have towards our bodies, thinking we know what’s best for them, and that the pain we feel is really just a precursor to the benefits we’ll experience later for putting ourselves through it. In a lot of cases, this is true. Especially when you’re dealing with exercise, conditioning, and fitness in general. So it is not an entirely misguided assumption to make.
Indeed, it is entirely reasonable that you’ll experience pain when starting out with wandering around barefoot. As your feet have become accustomed to trying to feel the ground when seperated with nearly a good inch of plaster seperating it from them, it is understandable that they will have developed a bit of oversensitivity.
However, there is a limit to the amount of lenience you should allow for this. So let me say this right now.
Bare Feet Should Not Hurt.
Yes, when you start off, the ground will hurt. The sensations you experience will likely be overwhelming. Much like if you put headphones on maximum volume onto your ears without any warning. Your first step then, is to become accustomed to it. Stand outside, walk around, relax. While it may be painful at first, you’ll notice that after you wash them, and maybe get a good nights sleep, your feet will be undamaged.
Once you get past this initial conditioning, your feet should not hurt. At all. The ground should be comfortable and as far as your feet are concerned you should be able to walk or run without any problems. Maybe you won’t be able to go very far, and if so, that distance will extend as your feet toughen and the soles become thicker.
Now, here’s the thing. If your feet DO hurt, if you get injured, if you get blisters(aside perhaps from being on VERY hot ground)…it means you’re doing something wrong.
Your feet provide wonderfully fast feedback, and do their very best to teach you the proper, fastest, and most efficient way you should be walking and running. If you do something wrong, it will hurt. If you persist, they will stop you. Shoes mute that effect, and allow you to run improperly all you want, forwarding the damage all the way up your body through your knees and hips and back. Your feet will not mess around though, and when they send you a message, you would do well to listen to it.
If you’ve learned to walk and run while wearing shoes, you will probably find that alot of the habits you’ve learned will hurt you. For example, if when you run, you land on your heel, you will find yourself in an incredibly painful predicament with every footfall you make.
Another thing that’s much more subtle, which will cause blisters, is that you’ve likely developed a rolling motion of your foot, and push off the ground off of the ball of your foot. This is because shoes are designed with a curve under the toes, keeping them held in the air at all time, because it makes it easier to walk with your feet held rigid. When you walk this way barefoot however, pushing off of the front of your foot, you will be dragging the sole of your foot forward as you push back to lift it into the air. This causes a significant amount of friction against the skin, and if you persist, it will create a beautiful blister across the entire front section of your foot, which will get bigger and bigger until you stop and do it right.
This is actually how I found myself coming across the article, because it happened to me. While the only time it happened previously was once, three years ago now, I didn’t actually understand the reason for them when it occured back then. I just unconsciously started doing it right, and it never happened again. For the last few months however, I’ve been wearing shoes more and more, and haven’t been running so much either. So, when I went out one night to begin a running program, after only 10 minutes I felt that all too familiar pinching numbness that signals the forming of a blister.
I immediately went home and looked into the reason for it, as I knew very well that it was not normal, and certainly not after only ten minutes. After reading this article on How to Run, it began to occur to me what had actually happened. Indeed, every step I took I noticed that pinching up toward the toes. For the most part, I also adjusted automatically to fix it. It was only that I’d gotten back into the bad habit from wearing my (albeit incredibly flexible) shoes that allowed it to happen again.
The next day, I walked out in the rain for awhile, aware of how I was moving, and realized it was actually quite natural to walk without that extra friction. In fact, I was well on my way to walking that way before, simply to avoid disturbing the blisters.
Today the blisters that were a good 2 inches long just last night are almost vanished.
One last time. Your Feet Should Not Hurt:)
Links:
RunningBarefoot.org
– Beginning to Run Barefoot
– How to Run
– Avoiding Blisters
NY Times – How We’re Wrecking Our Feet With Every Step We Take
Barefoot Runners in San Diego
