Posted on: April 3rd, 2011The Barefoot Revolution, well, somewhat…
Author: Jerod Fink
I have recently joined the “Barefoot” Revolution!! OK, so it’s not that big of deal. However, how could you not be intrigued after reading “Born To Run” as well as see all the minimalist footwear hitting the market these days. I dove in whole hog about a month ago, and went straight for the vaunted Vibram FiveFingers shoes to begin my journey. They are like a glove for your feet, and definitely give the sensation of running barefoot, without having to worry about those pesky sharp rocks and chunks of glass in the ditches. The funny looks you receive while wearing them are a small price to pay…
A bit of disclosure: The “minimal” footwear movement is not that new to me. Participating in wrestling for 25 years of my life, and hence wearing wrestling shoes, gives a pretty good grasp of using the muscles of your feet and lower legs to grip, push, and pull during activity. Even when I was much younger, I could never quite understand why people wore clunky “cross” training shoes or even large heeled workboots when lifting weights. All that ever did was give me a back ache!
So, over the last month I have wore the FiveFingers exclusively when CrossFitting, Kettlebelling, C2 rowing, and running intervals on the treadmill. Results were great, and the weird looks kept to a minimum! Today was the first day of spring around here it seems, with most of the snow gone and 45 degrees it was a perfect day for a run outside. Having left my actual “running” shoes a couple hours away recently, I had no choice but to “lace up” the Vibrams and hit the road.
Following the CrossFit Endurance protocol, today called for an hour run. Having not run longer than 20 minutes, and that being on the treadmill, in the Vibrams had me a bit worried how my legs would react. My fears were put aside quickly once I began. I was feeling great after sucking down a “Focused Recovery” shake from Wilderness Athlete, and sticking to the soft margins of the road kept the asphalt pounding to a minimum. My pace was slower than normal, only knocking out 6.5 miles in 60 minutes, but I am definitely looking forward to hitting the trails soon with the FiveFingers!