One of my friends requested I do a blog post about how I deal with Achilles and plantar fascia problems. While I’ve dealt with ocassional ”tweaks” to these areas (what serious runner hasn’t?!), I have never developed full-blown, chronic issues. The reason I’ve never developed chronic problems is because I nip any pain in the bud with barefoot running. I know, this goes against the ”textbook advice” advocated by doctors and healthcare professionals, but it totally works. I’ll explain below how these issues develop in the first place and why barefoot running works.
Achilles Tendonitis
Your Achilles tendon attaches the soleus muscle in your calf to your heel bone (calcaneous). While barefoot, it is fully stretched and engaged, as it’s intended to be. The problem is: most street shoes and running shoes have a bit of a heel lift on them– this shortens the Achilles tendon somewhat. In particular, if you cycle between a street or training shoe with a significant heel lift and a shoe with less or no heel lift (~flats, track spikes, being barefoot, wearing flipflops), this is a stress to the Achilles– going from a tightened state to a stretched state, back and forth.
Additionally, as you pushoff during the running cycle (and moreso the faster you run, or running up a hill), your heel goes up…. and there’s a “tug” on your heel from the heel counter of the shoe. Most shoes are very stiff and don’t readily flex with the feet during pushoff. If you’ve been in street shoes with a heel lift all day (tightened Achilles), and then you subject your feet to this degree of stretch…. you could “tweak” your Achilles and possibly develop a chronic problem.
My theory on preventing Achilles problems in the first place, is you need to allow the Achilles to be in it’s normal, stretched state, as much as possible. As I mentioned in my blog post about minimalism, I train in low-heeled flats and barefoot and even try to wear street shoes that are low-heeled. Additionally, if you are in shoes that flex well/easily and move with the feet, the heel counter of the shoe won’t counter and “tug” the Achilles as badly. I also believe the shoes need to fit well around the ankle, be soft, and not be pressing into any part of the heel with plantar or dorsiflexion. When I tie my shoes, I dorsiflex my foot (toe up).
As far as treating Achilles tendon problems, there’s been a lot research and push by PTs lately that eccentric loading is the best treatment method, meaning muscle lengthening, such as with calf drops (that stretch the Achilles). While this may be light and controlled, my thoughts are…. why not not just jog easy and briefly, barefoot? It’s the most natural activity for the body, and it eccentrically loads the Achilles, step-after-step. No need to do calf raises or other exercises.
Personally, this is exactly what I do when I feel a twinge in my Achilles– I find some nice grass, ASAP, and do some barefoot running until my Achilles feels good. For someone who’s not used to barefoot running, try 5 min. to begin with– the key is only doing enough to the point of it feeling therapeutic (and NOT overdoing it!). It usually only takes one to a few runs to get rid of the Achilles twinge. This treatment method has NEVER failed me. Ideally, I would run 20-30 min. a few times a week (at the end of easy runs), but now I do it depending on the weather and when my body feels it needs it. This has helped keep my legs and feet feeling good and stretched over the years. I also like to do strides and drills barefoot, getting that maximal stretch.
Longterm, the biggest issue for people with chronic Achilles tendonitis is scar tissue. While traditional treatment methods like orthotics, heel inserts, and various shoes may help get rid of the inflammation and pain, as the Achilles heals it develops scar tissue that further “shortens” the Achilles and can cause problems (when you try to stretch the Achilles). It becomes a battle, and some people may think they always need some degree of heel lift or shoe insert, to prevent future problems. Anyone who is familiar with ~massage/foam rolling/Active Release Technique knows…. if you stretch the muscle, you stretch the scar tissue so the muscle can get back to it’s normal length. Barefoot running (with it’s eccentric loading) has the same effect– pitter patter, to help stretch the muscle and stretch-out the scar tissue. The barefoot running will not only help to prevent this scar tissue buildup (if you do it ASAP), but it can help to treat it too (much like ART and other therapeutic methods).
Other common treatments, like ice cupping/massage, may help to alleviate the pain. However, I want to point out that it’s the mechanical action of the ice massage that may help the Achilles heal, NOT the actual ice/coolness itself (which only helps with pain and not tissue healing). Also, ibuprofen may help to alleviate pain/inflammation, but as I pointed out in my blog post about stress fractures, it hinders tissue healing (because of it’s inhibition of prostaglandin).
Plantar Fasciitis
Much like the Achilles, the plantar fascia on the bottom of the foot functions at it’s best in a normal, stretched state. It can develop problems going from stiff-soled street shoes or trainers to more flexible shoes (or barefoot)– as with the Achilles, the stress of going from a tightened state to a stretched state, over and over again. It may also develop from direct trauma (and develop scar tissue that lingers), AND it can maladaptively heal at the point of attachment (on the calcaneous) and create a bone spur. If a bone spur develops, you may live with it for years/lifetime (~difficult to resolve), cycling between periods where it hurts or doesn’t hurt. This makes it extremely frustrating, as you have to learn to live with it and keep the inflammation in check.
I have the same sentiments about plantar fasciitis (PF) as I do with the Achilles tendon: it’s very important to prevent it with flexible, low-heeled shoes (throughout the day) that keep your feet and calves in a normal, stretched state. It’s when you start to wear stiff shoes, or even weird foot beds/shoe inserts, that you start to get problems. One of my friends who had PF/bone spur was able to successfully get the inflammation to calm down by wearing Birkenstocks. You may need to play with finding the right combo of street shoes and running shoes to help alleviate the pain.
Barefoot running is esp. good for plantar fasciitis cause it’s like a foot massage, helping to get rid of the scar tissue buildup and stretch it back to it’s normal state. My personal preference is to run on REAL grass (not artificial turf)– you want it to be slightly lumpy/undulating (~soccer fields). This makes sure you fully engage your feet and the intrinsic muscles.This lumpy, and sometimes hard grass may hurt at first (watch out for aeration plugs!), but your feet get used to it and learn to land lightly and nimbly. It ends making not on your feet feel good, but also your whole body. It’s kinda like the idea behind the popular cobblestone walking beds in Asia. If you want to be especially bold, try walking barefoot on gravel– you will figure out that the key to this is to RELAX…. if you tense up, it hurts! This is also what happens when you run on undulating grass– you learn to relax.
There’s all kinds of therapeutic devices, Strassburg sock, shoe inserts, ice cupping, and PT treatments for PF. As I mentioned above and have mentioned many times before in previous posts (~based on my Master’s thesis): mechanical stress heals. Anything that has a mechanical component to it will help the healing process, but longterm the key is getting the tissue back to it’s normal state. Barefoot running achieves this by speeding up the entire process, both inflammation (~increased blood flow with growth factors and nutrients to the area) and also stretching it to it’s normal length (and preventing the scar tissue buildup that makes it tight and debilitating).
Thank you for this. How long do you think it might take to see some significant improvement in PF once introducing some barefoot?
Hi Sara! Sorry for not getting back to you sooner– I’ve been at a race and hiking up in New Hampshire. I’d imagine it depends on the severity of the PF. I get instant relief, when I feel mine gets tweaked (which isn’t very often). For someone who has a chronic problem and scar tissue, it would probably take longer. The key is not getting overzealous with it. Do a little bit over several days and on “lumpy” grass (~soccer field). Personally I find 20-30 min. to be therapeutic, but that may be too much for someone who’s not used to it. What shoes you wear outside of running is also important– stiff and higher-heeled shoes can definitely irritate it. Good luck!
Thanks for the additional info, Camille. When I was doing it on a regular basis a couple of years ago, my feet had never felt better. Re-introducing it gradually now, but needing to be careful.
Congrats on Mt. Washington!
Wow, that’s awesome you know the power of barefoot running!
Thank you– Mount Washington was a lot of fun!
Thanks for the additional info, Camille. When I was doing it on a regular basis a couple of years ago, my feet had never felt better. Re-introducing it gradually now, but needing to be careful.
Congrats on Mt. Washington!
Wow, that’s awesome you know the power of barefoot running!
Thank you– Mount Washington was a lot of fun!
Hi Camille – I too have started to transition to barefoot believing it to be a good thing. I am an ultra runner and Ironman at age 52 but started to have achilles issues last year. Appeared to be healed up, started to run – mostly in minial shoes – even running half marathon, trail 50k and marathon on back to back weekends without major issue – then decided to take my vibram 5 fingers outside (only used them on the tm up until then) ran 3 delicious miles in them and felt some soreness, then ran a couple of days later in minimal shoes – 3.5 miles into my 5 miler had to stop and limp back to my car. Acute pain that worsens with heel in the raised position – totally opposite from what i had last year where the heels made the pain improve. I am hoping that this was just a case of overdoing. I have been to the massage therapist who worked a knot out of my calf and saw improvement so am hopeful. Right now my leg feels best when my foot is flexed which seems counter intuitive with achilles pain. any thoughts from your experience?
Hi Judy! Wow, good for you with the ultra running, but sorry to hear about the Achilles issues! You know, I just had this discussion with another friend recently– he found that he could run barefoot a little or in his Vibrams, ON CONCRETE, and had no problems. Then he’d put on a pair of flats and his Achilles problem would flare up. I think it’s because of the hard heel cup/heel counter of the shoe “tugging” as you push off. We also talked about how you can get a more “conforming fit” of your shoes, if you go sockless! I forgot all about this, cause it’s worked for me too– I’ll have to update my blog post to include this. Several muscles in your calf, including your soleus (via the Achilles), attach to your foot, so you cold very well have scar tissue in your calves that needs to be worked out. When you say flexed, do you mean plantar flexed (toe pointed- as with pushoff) or dorsiflexed (toe up- as with heelstrike)? With dorsiflexion, that would stretch the Achilles/Soleus, which is a good thing for helping to stretch the muscle and get rid of the scar tissue. The heel lift of a shoe would make the Achilles tighter.
Well anyways, figure out what provides relief, and stick to it. I find the barefoot running to be especially therapeutic, and if you haven’t already tried it, you might experiment with going sockless. Hopefully the seams of your shoes won’t run (~loop your heels and toes!). Good luck!
Oh yeah, the whole barefoot on concrete or in the Vibrams…. we speculated that it helps the Achilles cause you’re forced to land more correctly (midfoot/forefoot?) rather than possibly compensating as you would on grass (heel strike). Plus, I think a soft/mesh heel cup or no heel counter shoe “tugs” less on the Achilles. The hard plastic or cushioning in the heel counter can ocassionally irritate my Achilles or press into it. Something to think about! If I remember correctly, the Brooks Green Silence has a nice mesh heel counter.
Hi Camille – I too have started to transition to barefoot believing it to be a good thing. I am an ultra runner and Ironman at age 52 but started to have achilles issues last year. Appeared to be healed up, started to run – mostly in minial shoes – even running half marathon, trail 50k and marathon on back to back weekends without major issue – then decided to take my vibram 5 fingers outside (only used them on the tm up until then) ran 3 delicious miles in them and felt some soreness, then ran a couple of days later in minimal shoes – 3.5 miles into my 5 miler had to stop and limp back to my car. Acute pain that worsens with heel in the raised position – totally opposite from what i had last year where the heels made the pain improve. I am hoping that this was just a case of overdoing. I have been to the massage therapist who worked a knot out of my calf and saw improvement so am hopeful. Right now my leg feels best when my foot is flexed which seems counter intuitive with achilles pain. any thoughts from your experience?
Hi Judy! Wow, good for you with the ultra running, but sorry to hear about the Achilles issues! You know, I just had this discussion with another friend recently– he found that he could run barefoot a little or in his Vibrams, ON CONCRETE, and had no problems. Then he’d put on a pair of flats and his Achilles problem would flare up. I think it’s because of the hard heel cup/heel counter of the shoe “tugging” as you push off. We also talked about how you can get a more “conforming fit” of your shoes, if you go sockless! I forgot all about this, cause it’s worked for me too– I’ll have to update my blog post to include this. Several muscles in your calf, including your soleus (via the Achilles), attach to your foot, so you cold very well have scar tissue in your calves that needs to be worked out. When you say flexed, do you mean plantar flexed (toe pointed- as with pushoff) or dorsiflexed (toe up- as with heelstrike)? With dorsiflexion, that would stretch the Achilles/Soleus, which is a good thing for helping to stretch the muscle and get rid of the scar tissue. The heel lift of a shoe would make the Achilles tighter.
Well anyways, figure out what provides relief, and stick to it. I find the barefoot running to be especially therapeutic, and if you haven’t already tried it, you might experiment with going sockless. Hopefully the seams of your shoes won’t run (~loop your heels and toes!). Good luck!
Oh yeah, the whole barefoot on concrete or in the Vibrams…. we speculated that it helps the Achilles cause you’re forced to land more correctly (midfoot/forefoot?) rather than possibly compensating as you would on grass (heel strike). Plus, I think a soft/mesh heel cup or no heel counter shoe “tugs” less on the Achilles. The hard plastic or cushioning in the heel counter can ocassionally irritate my Achilles or press into it. Something to think about! If I remember correctly, the Brooks Green Silence has a nice mesh heel counter.
I think it was less the heel counter as it was me overstriding which makes you point your toe prior to landing – really emphasizing the setting down of the heel – much more motion than necessary or normal as it would be if you run with your feet just under your body where they belong. I am recovering nicely with the help of massage and so far rest. I am using kinesio tape which I think is the bomb
. I am able to gently run in place – so little load, and will probably do that for a while just to see where things go. I did walk barefoot around my backyard and you are right – there is something really good about that 
.
Hi runcamille, Your words are a blessing to me.Thank you very much. Briefly: started trying bfing last winter, segued into v5f and began battling lower calf soreness. A lifelong runner, i had experienced this same sort of soreness back in oh, early 90s during a 10 miler on catalina — that knocked me out for several months.
This time: i run up here in the mojave, mostly sand or hardpacked dirt, along with some scrambling up the local rock canyons of the cougar buttes. I ignored the pain signals in my achilles on one exploratory run into the buttes and ended up hobbling home (run through the pain – ha). Also, jammed my heel into a critter hole on the way back. Bottom line: i was screwed, walked with a limp for a while, massaged the area, walk some more as able. Dreams of my return to marathoning now gone. Rest some days, walk BF, rest, whine, massage, etc. This was probably mid-Feb, so 5 mos.ago. Devastaing. Torn? Ruptured? No way was i gonna go “have it fixed.” Had read far too many horror stories.So….i accepted my lot with not very much patience, but have persevered — had some less painful days than others, but kept at it nonetheless.
Now: going from walking to a little jogging. I am acutely aware of what my feet are telling me, (I’m all barefoot, almost all the time). Intense concentration re foot placement — easy, loose, natural. I feel almost there. No intense pain, just small twinges every now and again, and they get my attention. It’s day to day, but now feel that path has been correct — easy barefooting until my body gets it. Lately I practice squatting (asian style) like I used to do, and it seems to put a proper stretch on that lower calf/achilles area. I know this post is too doggone long, but mostly want to say thanks again. I’m coming back. –bob
Hi Bob! Sorry to hear about your Achilles problem, but glad my blog post is giving you some peace of mind with the barefooting!
It’s all a matter of stretching the muscle/tendon, to stretch out the scar tissue. The barefoot activity achieves this. Have you tried squatting/balancing on one foot, knee bent? This is a good activity I learned from my PT last year. Good luck and give it time!
Hi runcamille, Your words are a blessing to me.Thank you very much. Briefly: started trying bfing last winter, segued into v5f and began battling lower calf soreness. A lifelong runner, i had experienced this same sort of soreness back in oh, early 90s during a 10 miler on catalina — that knocked me out for several months.
This time: i run up here in the mojave, mostly sand or hardpacked dirt, along with some scrambling up the local rock canyons of the cougar buttes. I ignored the pain signals in my achilles on one exploratory run into the buttes and ended up hobbling home (run through the pain – ha). Also, jammed my heel into a critter hole on the way back. Bottom line: i was screwed, walked with a limp for a while, massaged the area, walk some more as able. Dreams of my return to marathoning now gone. Rest some days, walk BF, rest, whine, massage, etc. This was probably mid-Feb, so 5 mos.ago. Devastaing. Torn? Ruptured? No way was i gonna go “have it fixed.” Had read far too many horror stories.So….i accepted my lot with not very much patience, but have persevered — had some less painful days than others, but kept at it nonetheless.
Now: going from walking to a little jogging. I am acutely aware of what my feet are telling me, (I’m all barefoot, almost all the time). Intense concentration re foot placement — easy, loose, natural. I feel almost there. No intense pain, just small twinges every now and again, and they get my attention. It’s day to day, but now feel that path has been correct — easy barefooting until my body gets it. Lately I practice squatting (asian style) like I used to do, and it seems to put a proper stretch on that lower calf/achilles area. I know this post is too doggone long, but mostly want to say thanks again. I’m coming back. –bob
Hi Bob! Sorry to hear about your Achilles problem, but glad my blog post is giving you some peace of mind with the barefooting!
It’s all a matter of stretching the muscle/tendon, to stretch out the scar tissue. The barefoot activity achieves this. Have you tried squatting/balancing on one foot, knee bent? This is a good activity I learned from my PT last year. Good luck and give it time!
Hi Camille,
An update on my PF and barefooting: I started with some grass walking, then increased to sets of 2 min jogs with 1 min walk, and built from there. One month later, I’m now up to 15 min continuous, and all feels good. Without your post I wouldn’t have had the courage to try this while my PF was still achy, and I really feel it has helped me bring things around faster than my physio treatments alone. So, thank you!
Oh, also, something I’m doing differently this time is that right when I’m done with barefoot running I put my shoes back on and finish up my run that way. It’s cool to see the difference in my stride right after, while my body freshly remembers what it feels like to run without shoes.
Anyway, thanks again for the informative blog posts you take the time to write!
Sara
Yeaaaa!!!! You’re right– it’s the getting the courage to do it! You don’t know until you try.
That’s right too on the going from the barefoot running to shod running– you feel more efficient and light-footed. I’ve been running a bit lately with my Inov-8 Evoskins, which allow you to get the ‘barefoot feel’ on concrete or grass…. then I put my regular shoes back on, and feel so nimble! Pretty cool.
Hi Camille,
An update on my PF and barefooting: I started with some grass walking, then increased to sets of 2 min jogs with 1 min walk, and built from there. One month later, I’m now up to 15 min continuous, and all feels good. Without your post I wouldn’t have had the courage to try this while my PF was still achy, and I really feel it has helped me bring things around faster than my physio treatments alone. So, thank you!
Oh, also, something I’m doing differently this time is that right when I’m done with barefoot running I put my shoes back on and finish up my run that way. It’s cool to see the difference in my stride right after, while my body freshly remembers what it feels like to run without shoes.
Anyway, thanks again for the informative blog posts you take the time to write!
Sara
Yeaaaa!!!! You’re right– it’s the getting the courage to do it! You don’t know until you try.
That’s right too on the going from the barefoot running to shod running– you feel more efficient and light-footed. I’ve been running a bit lately with my Inov-8 Evoskins, which allow you to get the ‘barefoot feel’ on concrete or grass…. then I put my regular shoes back on, and feel so nimble! Pretty cool.
Hello! I just developed Achilles Tendonitis after several weeks of heavy walking, hiking uphills, biking, all this with sandals that only attached at the toes…Yes, a mistake from my part but I guess it’s live and learn! Now the pain in the Achilles had been worsening for the past few weeks. I am on an international exchange in Eastern Europe so it’s kind of a bummer at the moment! I have been going to physiotherapy where they perform ultra-sound on my tendons everyday…Any thoughts on this procedure? As long as it’s not making anything worse, perhaps the placebo can help…I’ve been told to walk with an elevated heel for a few weeks, which seems contradictory to your posts here. When I do take the heel away, I experience more pain. I know this stems from extremely tight calves I have not stretched when I should have. I have also been recommended to rest, avoid over-using (half of my classes were dance, that I had to stop) as well as wear supportive shoes or orthopaedics. Although the barefoot story seems to be interesting…Any thoughts on what I could do to improve this situation would be greatly appreciated…your story is so inspiring! Perhaps some walking barefoot in the student house…Would there also be way massage or stretch the calves without hurting the achilles further, story to eliminate the cause? THANK YOU CAMILLE
Hi Camille, I have just stumbled across your blog and took great interest in your information. I have been suffering from achilles related soreness for around 18 months now. I first incurred the wrath of this injury in mid 2010 just whilst training for the Gold Coast marathon. I managed to get though the race in a pb of 2:49 and had a real passion to get the time down further. But unfortunately that is where my marathon running ended to date.
I thought I then got it under control after a few months and then moved into triathlons over the Aussie 2010/2011 summer. However, mid last year the problem flared up again and I haven’t been able to shake it since…very, very frustrating as I had to pull out of training for my first ironman in Dec last year.
I even took two months off running late last year whilst doing the heel drop exercises (only to floor level because of diagnosed/supposed insertional issues). I started back running very slowly early this year, only for the problem to return as I progressed up to 7-10k runs. I have had an ultrasound scans in the past that showed mild insertional tendinopathy, however I have always felt that the niggle was coming from under the achilles and more medial ankle – maybe flexor hallucis longus or post tib tendons, but no one seems to know. Again very frustrating.
Up until the injury in 2010 I had always worn Asics Kayanos and never had a problem. I think the injury was mainly due to too many hills and over training. I then saw some supposed foot experts who said I should be in a neutral style shoe due to my foot type, so I switched across. Unfortunately I can no longer find comfort in either stability or neutral type runners.
I am very lucky in that my younger brother is a fantastic chiropractor who is all into natural body movement. He has suggested a slow transition to a minimalist shoe as that is the way humans were meant to move (pre pavement and roads). I have just started to apply this approach over short distances i.e. laps of the footy oval and it is the only time I can run almost niggle free. I mix up my Nike frees with barefoot on the grass. I am starting to believe there might be something in it.
I was quickly starting to lose hope of ever being injury free and never really considered the minimalist approach as it goes against what most sports doctors and physio’s advise. However, I have always thought that heels raises and normal shoes prevent the Achilles stretching out to it full range of movement.
I am hoping that this move will help me to strengthen all the dormant intrinsic foot muscles and assist in ridding me of my achilles issues as I still dream of completing an ironman and getting back to marathon running.
Do you have any advice on setting up a transition program to minimal running footwear? I have started with the Nike Frees as a bit of a cross-over and will look to lower the heel as I go.
Hi Steve! Very cool to hear you’re transitioning to minimalism to help your Achilles problem! I did a detailed post about my transition: http://camilleherron.com/2011/06/08/how-i-became-a-minimalist-and-went-from-average-runner-to-elite-marathoner/
I basically started from scratch in a basic shoe and built up +10 mpw each month, until I was up to 70 mpw after 7 months. The first 3 months my feet/ankles were very sore. I added in the barefoot running after 3-4 months (5 min. starting out) and the got up to 20-30/3x week after ~3 months.
You know, this is all trial and error, figuring out the right shoes and structure for you. Definitely though, it requires a transition period like any new stress to the body.
Good luck getting healthy, transitioning, and meeting your lifetime goals!
Peroneal Tendonitis
Hello Camille,
Yrs and yrs of knee, hip and some over-use injuries (IT Band) (Hip Bursitis) I finally woke up! And came to the realisation that padded healed lumpy chunky footwear just ain’t for me and so after doing a considerable amount of research I discovered people not only going back to basics and running barefoot
But many people including indigenous are doing it and are injury free! So one night 3am Oct 2011 (England;-D) I decide what the hell have I got to lose and so I went off down the road, barefoot!(The neighbours thinking look at this fruit loop!) Felt absolutely free!! Light and effortless, like a gazelle… amazing!! So I was completely hooked! Walked like I was John Wayne for over a week but hooked!
So I bought a pare of Bikkila Vibram 5 Fingers. Oct 2011 – Jan 2012 I would do just 3runs maximum per week and adding 5min to every run every week. So Mon- 15min Thurs- 15min Sun-15min Then the next week I would add 5min extra to each run. I built up to doing 1hour 20min! With sore/dead calfs at the end of each run. After only 12weeks I now decided (idiot)to rest only 1 day and go faster on my runs!.. Again.. Felt great, amazing! And then Jan 2012 I was 45min into my run ignoring a very very slight stabbing feeling on the outside behind my ankle bone next to the Achilles. It then got so painful I could no longer run, or even walk! I was limping for about 3weeks and decided to see a physio. I had inflammed my peroneal tendon. I iced it rest, elevation, compression first week. After 6weeks total rest I started again built up to 45min 3times per week went for a run with my brother, got a bit to over excited the last 15min and really went for it (speed) yes I know (idiot) finished feeling great! But today April 2012 and all Doe it’s not fully inflammed I have that slight stabbing feeling return! (What a bummer)
My Questions for you Mrs Chamille-
1- Do you think I’m adding the speed part of running to soon into my progression into Bf/Mn running? If so, how long or how much mileage would you build up to before starting to incorporate SPEED! ?
2- My Vibram five fingers, they feel really great (apart from maybe the slight slapping noise against the paved roads) What’s your opinion on racing in them or doing speed work? Could they maybe be partly responsible for my tight Achilles/Peroneal tendonitis?
3- Would you and have you raced barefoot?? If not why?
4- I’m thinking possibly the way forward would be, a racing flat with a spongy, kinda soft bottom.. Like the Nike 3 which my brother runs in with no issues. I tryed the 2011 New balance minimus mode 4mm heal, found the soles to rock hard… What’s your thoughts?? I thinking maybe the latest 2012 road zero by New balance which is completely flat… Thoughts? Please.
Thanks Camille all the best!
Renda
Hi Renda! Glad to hear you’ve discovered the ‘joy of minimalism’, but sorry to hear you’ve got a peroneal issue. A lot of this has to do with muscle imbalances, which being an “overpronator”, you likely have very strong medial leg muscles, but weak lateral leg muscles (peroneals). There’s exercises you can do to strengthen these muscles, if you do a Google search.
I did a full blog about my transition to “minimalism”, which answers most of your questions: http://camilleherron.com/2011/06/08/how-i-became-a-minimalist-and-went-from-average-runner-to-elite-marathoner/
You know, each of us is our own guinea pig of what works and feels the best. It took me a year to fully transition; added in speed after 7 months of “just running”. It’s very easy to get caught up in doing “too much, too soon”. When something “goes wrong”, that should signal to you that you need to make a change. No shoe is perfect for anyone, which is why it’s best to mix up what you wear to change the stress on the legs. Definitely, comfort is the priority. Go to a shoe store, try on shoes, and hopefully run around a bit in them. Let comfort dictate what feels best.
I’m a professional road racer– having run barefoot before on asphalt and developed some sizeable blisters (plus other hazards over the years– puncture wound running on grass that required a tetanus shot!), I don’t race barefoot because of the imposed risks. This is what I do for a career, and I can’t take the risk of potentially stepping on something and slicing open my foot and ending my career. I’m sure over a period of time I could thicken the skin to resist hazards. I also believe there is possibly greater footstrike hemolysis (breakdown of red blood cells) from running barefoot vs. having some protection from a shoe.
Best wishes getting healthy!
Renda again
Sorry forgot to mention. My left foot heavily over-pronates, which in fact happens to be the same foot which I have the peroneal tendon issues. Could the pronations also be a contributing factor?
Or is it just going to fast too soon you think?
Thanks camille
Renda
Hi Sara! Sorry for not getting back to you sooner– I’ve been at a race and hiking up in New Hampshire. I’d imagine it depends on the severity of the PF. I get instant relief, when I feel mine gets tweaked (which isn’t very often). For someone who has a chronic problem and scar tissue, it would probably take longer. The key is not getting overzealous with it. Do a little bit over several days and on “lumpy” grass (~soccer field). Personally I find 20-30 min. to be therapeutic, but that may be too much for someone who’s not used to it. What shoes you wear outside of running is also important– stiff and higher-heeled shoes can definitely irritate it. Good luck!