Brains plus Brawn, or is it?

Yes, I know, long time no news. I have been taking it easy those last days, I had this Achileas tendon pain plus a small one on the knee. I run twice a week, only on flat. It is fine now, the tendon feeling is gone and the knee is only weakly present. Will start running hills again soon.

I wanted to attract your attention to the following conversation with Daniel Lieberman Professor of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University. Prof. Lieberman is the one that did those studies about impact forces while running with shoes or barefoot, very interesting studies that I intended to comment on here, but never found the time. Now, in this conversation, he summarizes and adds his personal view on those analysis and others, and what it means to be a running human. Very very interesting and provides the basis for why we love barefoot running.

I can't resist to give you a few quotes from this very interesting discussion:

"We didn't evolve to wear high-heeled cushioned shoes and crash into the ground. We actually evolved to run lightly and gently, because it hurts to land on the ground the way people do in shoes."

or,

"Our lives are filled with problems like insomnia and constipation that are extremely recent. They're novel, and they're caused by the way in which we misuse our bodies."

or again,

"I would argue that a lot of shoes actually cause people to become injured because they're comfortable."

and eventually, my favorite

"We love comfort, and people make a lot of money selling us comfort, but I would challenge the notion that comfort is usually good for us."

Eventually, he finishes with a conclusion from his recent study that barefoot/forefoot runners have less injury that shod ones. Of course, the running shoe industry would like you to doubt that.

Back to 5Fs

That's it, went back to barefoot. Very easy pace, 41' only. I turned around as soon as I felt something on the Achilles tendon. It is fine, doesn't hurt, but I didn't want to take any risk and have done so. Tendons are fine now, although I have some sensations in both, giving myself some preventive massages though. It is weird, I have a friend having had the same thing or may be worst but he was running with shoes, never ran barefoot. On the other side, we use to do a lot of uphill running too, so this is most likely the reason.

Let's see how it evolves while cooling down. Will now intend to increase the pace and the distance, no hills before a while though.

Anyone out there having had the same experience in the Achilles tendon with hills or barefoot, or both? Leave a message.

Have just been running again 3 days later with shoes, Wednesday. Increased the pace, 67' on flat. Absolutely no pain in the tendons, but weak feelings. I am also giving me preventive massage once or twice a day. Feeling good now, ready to go back barefoot and slowly increase the pace and distance. That was just a test run to see if shoes are OK. There is thus definitively something between shoes and hills that act similarly on the Achilles tendon. Take it easy on the hills if you are starting to run barefoot.

Went again 3 days later, Saturday, not long, not strong, 47' only but with 5Fs. Felt very good, nothing at all in the tendons, looks like I am well on my way to recovery. No hills, or shoes on hills. Didn't want to overdone it because tomorrow Monday, I am going back up the hill to a classical run with my ex-colleagues. Will go up the hills again, so will do it with shoes. I don't feel like I am ready to do hills without shoes just yet. I will keep you informed on Monday.

That is it, have ran back with my ex-colleagues up the hills. The Monday recovery tract. Did it in just below one hour, 59'30'', not the best time, but it was good to see that I don't have Achilles tendon problem anymore, with shoes though. Felt fine yesterday and fine today. Discussing with them it seems that this is a fairly common problem with runners, kind of blood cloth accumulating in the tendon. Mine seems fine now. Still giving me some weak and sparse massage though. Anyway, running back up the hill was good.  I confirm, hills with shoes, barefoot on flat, that seems to be the trick, at least for the first year of 5Fs running.

Shoes and flat

Just ran 45' with shoes on flat, very easy pace. No sensations at the Achilles tendon during the run. Now that it is cooling down, I begin to feel a very light sensation, nothing worth worrying. But still something. However, as expected, much better on flat. Will keep running with shoes on flat for a while. Then introduce some 5Fs, slowly, easy. Indeed, confirmed, went again 4 days later, 60' with shoes on totally flat track. No problem at all, absolutely no feelings in the Achilles tendon. Thus it was clearly due to the combination of barefoot and hills. I was extremely tired while running, went slow, but the important bit is that I had no feelings at all in the tendon. Next, I will slowly go back to 5Fs, first on flat and introduce hills very very slowly. Important lesson here, barefoot + hills is not good, you have to take it easy on this too. Went again 3 days later, slowly increasing the pace and the length, introducing some hills. 66', first half with my daughter following on bike, easy pace with some sprint between us. Second half alone and faster pace. No problem on the Achilles tendon. It was thus indeed the hills the problem. Next time, will go barefoot, easy and flat. Keep on running.

Got it now

Went back to run this morning. It wasn't so great, I slightly feel something in the Achilles tendons again, in both. Nothing painful, but worrying.

The good news is that I know what is the problem now.

The problems are the hills, at least the up part. Going down is fine. And it make sense. Because of the inclinations, the Achilles tendons are slightly more stretched than normal. In addition, you are going up, so you pull more on an already overstretched tendons. The results is slight deterioration of your tendons. So, a new recommendation, don't go up hill at the beginning. Down hill is file, if you can do only that.

I will try this new trick next week, choosing another path to go same length but only on flat.

Now that I realized this, it all start to make sense. Actually, I started having this problem when I thought I had done it and was ready. I then started on my usual but demanding hilly path, and that's when the Achilles tendons started to complain. Did I mention already that I completely tore apart my right Achilles tendon some five years ago. Interestingly, the right is not worst than the left now. I have the same issue on both sides. But make sense, I though I was ready, started on hills, putting more pressure on already overstretched tendons. They didn't like it. I had similar issues when I started too early to put more pressure on my legs by starting too early to make fast sessions. Again, tendons complained.

It looks like I am having a lot of problems with my 5Fs shoes, but in fact, we are making a lot of progress. And all the problems I have had in the past are slowly getting solved. So I am confident that I should soon be able to enjoy long injury-free barefoot runs. It feels so much better with my 5Fs.

Interesting, since I went back to shoes, lower back pain while sitting at my desk have come back. This was one of the reasons, probably the main, for my willingness to go barefoot. Clearly shod running is not good for the back and the joints. So I really want to be able to go back to barefoot since it clearly improves a lot my daily condition, specially with work. However, you have to be careful during the transition to barefoot.

Stay tuned for more advices.

Back to shoes

Haaiie! Achilles tendon hurt!

Last week before taking the plane to go on holidays, I ran 1h08 at a good pace to relax the legs before a short flight. The day after, both Achilles tendons did hurt. Not much but enough to be disturbing. I was giving myself massages of the tendons for two days. After a week of rest, it is ok, but there is clearly something there that I don't like. And it is related to barefoot running. I went running again today, 58' with shoes. No pain at all, even after cooling down. So there is definitively linked to barefoot running. I might not be as ready as I expected to be.

The running was great. I love to run, with or without shoes. But it is nicer, more enjoyable without.

What I will do now is to go back to shoes, and only run barefoot every other time. We will see how it develop and if I start again dropping the shoes more often.

Seems like going barefoot is not so easy eventually. Well, that's the point of this blog. If it was easy, it won't be needed.

Keep tuned.

Another recovery?

Recovery almost completed, I ran 65' completely barefoot at a normal pace, followed 2 days after by a short easy pace run of 30'. No feelings in the ankle. Happy to be back on 5Fs.
Will attempt a classical run tomorrow Saturday followed by a run in the woods, in my old work place two days after on Monday. Let's see how what happens. I hope to be able to run Craichgau in a bit more than a month. Training won't have been optimal, so I don't expect to finish it below the 90' mark this time, but let's see if I can finish it on 5Fs.

Saturday morning, just ran my classical 13km at a good pace, in 60'. Happy. And running feels good again. I am back on track.
Monday, back to my old working place, up the hill, ran the classical Monday track in a good time, just 59', when the usual challenge is to do it below the hour, usually around 58' with a best time of 56'. So 59' is ok, not excellent, but good enough. All 5Fs, of course. And now, 4 hours after it, it feels good, so I think I am completely recovered now.

On Thursday, I went back again to my ex-working place. I ran the classical most difficult track, the famous Koenigsthul. 15Km going up and down the hill above the city. Difficult, long, high climb. I almost hit my personal best, and certainly a very good mark in 66'45''. Just below 67'. We use to consider normal to do it below 70', and a good time below 68. But 66'45 is certainly very good. Meaning I indeed recovered. Now I need to increase the weekly mileage.

Back to training then.

Back to big cushion shoes

I know, long time not written. This was due to two main points. First I was extremely frustrated not to have taken part to the HD half-marathon due to injury. Second, I hurt myself again. Well, not exactly hurt, didn't hurt, feeling in the back of the Achileas' tendon. Probably due to the fact that I was so excited that I overdid it when not totally recovered from the injury. At some point, I was running 3 to 4 times a week more than 1 hour each sometimes, 2 days in a row.

So I stopped completely running for two weeks, and now back to big cushion shoes. I don't know if my feeling in the tendon is due to the barefoot running, but it is clear that barefoot, your tendon is more solicited which is why in recovery mode, I went back to running shoes. 

This is the occasion to be back to the old 'shoe feeling and compare the two.

First, I don't enjoy it. I feel the difference. Much more traumatic, more difficult and less enjoyable. I really don't like anymore to run with shoes. Running barefoot is so different. So much more sensation, just this sensation of lightness at your feet instead of having to drag to big heavy shoes. Then the sensation of the ground, and all its irregularities. And then the impact, or the lack of, the absorption of the impact by your feet. Amazing.

Second, I feel the difference in the posture too. It is clear that with shoes, my strike has the tendency to be heel first, my shoulders moving backwards, if I don't pay attention to it. May be that is my default running posture that I learned by all those years with shoes. I have to pay attention to push my shoulders forwards and lend on the middle of the foot. I know some runners that are just natural middle or even front foot runners. May be the related injuries are different too.

Anyway, this problem is getting better, I am resting, running less, only once a week, now back to one hour, but I was down of that before.  I will take it easy with shoes until it disappear but I really hope to very soon, I'll be able to go back barefoot. The difference is so amazing. And if everything goes well, I hope to be able to run the craichgau half marathon. Of course, the real challenge would be to do it below 90'. Cheers