NPR story on barefoot running

Last night I went for my usual run at the Metrodome.  I did five miles at a 7:45ish pace and it was difficult.  Similar to Tuesday, suddenly my left shoe seems to be fitting weird.  It feels like someone with a foot two sizes bigger than mine crammed their foot in the shoe and went for a 20 miler, so it feels like my foot is slipping around in the shoe.  When I try to lace it up a bit tighter, I get a pressure point at the top of my foot.  As a result my gait was thrown off and I had terrible shin pains in my right leg.  It was no fun and worries me getting so close to the Austin Marathon (leaving in a week).  Anyone have any suggestions?

In a somewhat related running story that I heard in the news lately, NPR ran a story about barefoot running.  Here is a link to the story.  The author of a story, a proponent of the "human runner" school in Anthropology, studied the difference in running between people that run with shoes and without shoes.  He found that people who learn to run with shoes, hit heel first causing strong shockwaves, whereas people that learn to run without shoes land at the ball of their foot causing almost no shock.  The video provided with the story is pretty interesting.



I have been reading a lot more about barefoot running and think its an interesting idea.  I think that my biggest fear running barefoot would revolve around the environment.  I know there are things like the Vibram five fingers

 

but I would worry about cutting my foot on glass, rocks, and other miscellaneous debris.  I have cut and poked my feet with enough sharp things (e.g., fish hooks and cactus spines) walking around  to know that it just plain sucks!  The other concern is, how the hell are you suppose to train during the winter.  I have had enough trouble training for the marathon (note: I will not train for another winter marathon again) in normal gear, I could not imagine trying it "barefootish."

Happy Friday!