For a while people have been learning of barefoot and minimalist running. It is now possible to get most of those shoes from major retail stores such as REI. However, their sales associates usually do not know anything about barefoot running. They can tell you the specs (weight, material, sizing, etc.) on any of the shoes, but how to use them safely and with no injury is not part of their education.

Yesterday, I was dreading my first training session, which was to be the running test to figure out my maximum heart rate. OMG! I can’t even run a half mile without my posterior tibial tendon screaming at me! How was I going to run long enough to figure out my maximum heart rate? Let me go back to last Thursday.

Last Thursday was the organizational meeting for the triathlon training group. They told us about the Heart Zones Training method we would be using and introduced the coach, assistant coach and group leaders. It’s a dynamic group of women, and I was really excited to be a part of this group, until she started talking about the running test….

Also, the head coach, Denise, was wearing some minimalist looking shoes. I asked her about them at the end of class, and she said they were her transition shoes. “Hmmmm,” I thought. “Transition shoes might be a good idea.”

Then, I promptly forgot and headed to Arkansas for a weekend on the lake with actual warm water and 100 degree temperatures – YEEHAW!

Monday, back to reality, anxiety and dread of the impending doom of the – dun, dun, duuuunnnn – RUNNING TEST!!!

How on earth was I to get my feet through that?????

Consequently, on the long, boring plane ride home, I started reading Born To Run, a book on minimalist and barefoot running. You might have heard of it because it is a great read. I highly recommend it. I digress.

Monday morning, instead of thinking about the impending doom of the RUNNING TEST, I decided to read the book for three hours. While reading, I thought, “Last time I was in Born To Run®, one of the guys mentioned that they do gait analysis. Maybe I should go there and see what they say. Maybe I could get some transition shoes to help me actually finish a 5K in time for the August 19 Triathlon!” And off I went.

Just as I had hoped, Born To Run® was not very busy just after lunch on a Monday. So, Andy, the guy “who runs the place,” videoed my running. It turns out that I was extending my front foot too far forward, which was causing a lot of unneeded stress on the ankle tendons.

Your feet, legs, hips, back and shoulders combine to form a giant spring when you strike the ground. As such, they work best when they are in alignment. So, as your foot strikes the ground, it should be directly below your hip, which is aligned with your straight back, which aligned with your shoulders, neck and head, which is held high. In addition, since your stride is significantly shortened, you should be taking two to three times as many steps per second – think 3 steps per second or 180 steps in one minute. Dee, dee, dee…..over and over. Very, very quick, short steps.

How did I line up? Well, my back, neck and head were all in the correct place. Yes! Essentially, all I have to correct now is placing my foot directly below my hip at strike and quicken my steps per minute.

I then decided, after the little two lap running demo had started to aggravate my tendon, that I needed a transition shoe for my RUNNING TEST that evening. Andy was reluctant. He said that with a shorter stride, I could probably make due with the Vibram 5 Fingersâ„¢, but I was insistent. So, he showed me some minimalist, zero drop shoes.(Drop refers to the change in drop from the heel of the shoe to the forefoot. According to http://www.podiatrytoday.com blog, the average drop in most popular running shoe is 12 millimeters from a 24mm heel to a 12 millimeter forefoot cushion. So, a zero drop shoe is the same cushion at the heel as it is at the forefoot, which allows your foot to function more naturally.)

The great thing about Born To Run® is that they encourage you to try out their footwear. So, I put on a pair and ran out the door onto the outside sidewalk. The white soles were going to be gray and dingy, but Andy didn’t seem to care at all. As a matter of fact, I was shocked to hear him yell, “Faster!” as I went bounding down the sidewalk trying to shorten my stride. His yell prompted me to set my foot down lighter and quicker b/c you have no choice when trying to go three steps per second. Striking the ground too hard takes too much time. Hmmm.

When I returned, he said that they had personal coaching available, and that I should seek out Mack to help with the coaching. Immediately, Mack joined Andy at the door as I took off in the second pair of shoes. It was really cool as Mack was evaluating my gait at that point, too.

After a few more trials, I picked the Inov8â„¢ Bare-X-Lite 135. They are, of course, hot pink and awesome. As I checked out, I mentioned that my husband’s toe was hurting, and they quickly recommended two physical therapists to see who understood and could treat barefoot/minimalist running injuries. OMG! I love this place!

As far as I am concerned, Born To Run®, the store, is the newest member of The Village. I will now be seeing them for all of my minimalist footwear needs, and I highly recommend that you do, too. 🙂