Comments on: Study: Running Economy Improves After a 4 Week Simulated Barefoot Running Program

By: Get In Shape For 2013 With The Right Footwear » Gear Diary

Get In Shape For 2013 With The Right Footwear » Gear Diary — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 23:01:42 +0000

[…] Some studies have even begun to determine that you can be more efficient in a minimal shoe; Runblogger has a great rundown fo the report and explanation of what it means for a regular […]

By: Eric Narcisi

Eric Narcisi — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I also used Mizuno Ronins as a transition shoe, sort of. I used to train in bulkier shoes like the Mizuno Inspire and was a heel striker. It was weird since it quite often felt clumsy. I noticed that in races where I was wearing racing flats I'd have more of a mid- to forefoot strike, then my calves would be screaming at me after. How much sense did it make to train one way and race another? I always seemed to be dealing with injuries too. I went out and got myself a pair of VFF's but realized I wasn't ready to run in them right away. What I did to build up to that was slowly work in less shoe. I started mixing in more runs in the Elixirs, then pretty soon all of my runs were in Elixirs. From there I worked in runs with the Ronins, and then pretty much all of my running was with the Ronins, and throughout the whole process I made sure to focus on the forefoot landing. After a couple of months of this, the results were quite astounding. Every run felt amazing, and at the age of 31 (back in 2011), I PR'd in just about every distance. My road 5k PR even surpassed my old college PR which was run on the track. My quads, which were always knotted and beat, were pretty smooth and stronger than ever. I never did get to run in the VFF's that much, as I ultimately decided that it was too little cushioning for me since most of my runs were on the hard city streets. I did work them in now and then to improve my foot strength and form. I should also note here that I did develop some painful post tib tendonitis, which makes me think that either I still moved too quickly to essentially training in racing flats, or I just needed to strengthen the feet and calves more. I also ended up tearing a hip labrum, but again I don't necessarily think that was all because of this. I had been feeling pain in the area off and on for years and kept working through it. I think attempting a marathon while fighting through the tendonitis (goal race for the training cycle) caused it all to blow up. After surgery, I'm headed towards a full recovery and plan on going the minimalist route again once I start running.

By: Pete Larson

Pete Larson — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

In reply to Greg.

Sometimes can be hard to tell form the article, but yes, I think the same shoe used by all runners, though 400g is an average as it would vary by shoe size. Training was not exclusively in VFFs - I mention in the methods how they did it, but they maintained normal mileage in shoes and gradually introduced the VFFs in a graded fashion. Yes, pre and post testing on Woodway treadmill.

----
Pete Larson's Web Links:
-My book: Tread Lightly: http://ow.ly/bdUO0
-Blog: https://runblogger.com
-Twitter: http://twitter.com/Runblogger
-Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Runbl...
-Discussion Forum: https://runblogger.com/forum

By: Blaise Dubois

Blaise Dubois — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

So, again evidence going in the same direction : When considering performance, the most efficient running shoe is the LIGHTEST and the one providing MINIMAL PROTECTION from an environment to which the foot is not adapted. My opinion : All runners who want to improve their performance should transfer smoothly to use more and more lighter minimalist shoes, to train and to perform... and if their body tolerate the load, why not 100% of the time after one year?

By: Pete Larson

Pete Larson — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

In reply to Greg.

Exactly, lack of control groups was to me the main thing lacking, but my guess was also that it was due to sample recruitment difficulties

By: Rodney Bowman

Rodney Bowman — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I started 2 years ago wearing the Guide 4. After 2 pairs, I transitioned to the Mirage and I immediately noticed a big difference in my running economy. That shoe started me down the path of lower drop and lighter weight shoes. I eventually even started running completely barefoot. I believe that each runner adapts differently and can see advantages or disadvantages to more of a barefoot, transitional, or minimalist shoe. It helped me to change my stride and improve my endurance. I run with hard-core only barefoot, minimalist, and traditional runners. The thing I have noticed is cadence and maintained speed during a run as being things that separate my experiences running with each. I have absolutely shortened my stride and recognize more quickly when I feel something that isn't quite right when running. One other minor thing is that my feet have widened slightly. I don't require a wide shoe, but I notice some styles are snug now. Overall my transition has been a great learning experience. I now spy out new shoes like a car enthusiast looks for the latest supercar.

By: John N.

John N. — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ten years ago for a job test I was barely able to finish a 3-mile run just under 27min, the cutoff. That was me giving everything I had and running faster than I ever did and ever have since then until this year. I used to be a severe heel striker and my shins and knees wanted to explode by half a mile. Even moreso, my lungs would just beg for mercy if I forced myself to endure the acute pain in my legs. I never ran more than a mile at a time since then. This was kind of weird because I've actually always been a pretty athletic guy and competed in lots of contact and combat sports. I was also always very good at sprinting.

This past March I discovered a minimalist shoe at the store which led led me to read up on the concepts surrounding running gait. I ordered a pair of Mizuno Ronin 2s after reading your review and the suggestion of using it as a transitional shoe. My previous shoes for the past 4 years were Saucony Omnis. WITH a cushioning insole ON TOP of the sockliner. I thought I needed as much cushion as possible to alleviate that incredible pain in my knees and shins. Looking back I'm certain it encouraged me to heel strike like crazy. For my first run ever in months I just tried not to take giant steps, instead almost shuffling my feet along, floating just above the ground. I ran 1.5miles nonstop that day in the Ronins before my lungs finally felt uncomfortable (my knees and shins were fine). It was quite a feeling finally breaking the 1 mile barrier without wanting to throw up. Since then I've kept below 9mm in heel drop and I have zero doubts I have transitioned to a midfoot strike (I've used video and kept track of my sole wear).

I regularly compete in 5Ks now and quickly became a consistent top 80-90% percentile placer in most every race. I've survived a 10-mile trail run and am now training for a half-marathon. I very much credit the change in gait for the majority of this.

By: Greg

Greg — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

In reply to Pete Larson.

OK, got a better picture of what they did.

My comments would be that a more ideal study would be to have some of the runners continue training in their personal training shoes. And have some of the runners gradually work into the 400g "study" shoes from their regular training shoes. This would give a couple of control groups for comparison. Wishful thinking of course! Recruiting a large body of subjects for these studies couldn't be easy, especially when you need a uniform group of runners with VO2 max numbers in the 70s! It seems like a study that says "interesting result, do some more studies".

By: Greg

Greg — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I'm sorry I can't read the full article. I've got a few questions:

1. The 400 gram training shoe- was it the same model used by all of the runners?
2. All of the runners trained 4 weeks exclusively in the VFFs?
3. All of the pre and post testing was done on a treadmill?

By: John Williams-Searle

John Williams-Searle — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I’m a big fan of Dr. George Sheehan’s admonition that we are “an-experiment-of-one” when it comes to running, which also suggests the importance of anecdotal experience. I have been going minimal since the fall of
2009, when I shifted to a pair of Nike Free 3.0s to combat a bad case of plantar fasciitis. I alternated the Frees with a pair of Lunaracers, successfully eliminated the plantar fasciitis, and became a forefoot and midfoot striker who
now finds it just about impossible to heel strike. In retrospect, I transitioned to a new running form and footwear far too quickly and managed to give myself a right tibia stress fracture. After I recovered, I continued to improve my form by increasing my stride rate and decreasing my stride length. I now train in Zoom
Streak XC 3s and Lunaracers. My own experience has convinced me that one of the big keys to decreasing injury and increasing racing speed are form adjustments – particularly the elimination of over striding – that can be encouraged through minimal footwear. I think that my biggest problem was over striding (and running my easy runs too quickly) and that minimal shoes help to enforce good form because you just can’t keep heel striking – too painfully jarring.

By: Greg

Greg — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

In reply to Greg.

As a crude estimate of the talent of the runners in the study, I looked up the estimated 5 km race time for a VO2max =70. 15 minutes 18 seconds! This is from the "Pace Effort Tables" in the RRCA Coaching Certification book. Not your typical recreational runners for sure!

By: Cody R.

Cody R. — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

yep, can't stand even a transition shoe like the kinvaras

gone barefoot, will stay that way, trying to find the best minimal shoe that can do it all

since going minimal 2 and a half years ago, running became comfortable again, hadn't experience that since i was barefoot before i was in kindergarten, well, and the time i wasn't in school

i'm a much faster distance runner than i was and my form is awesome, i've been making sure of that

makes sense, cool study