[VaughnA]

I could never get into running. I felt like somebody was beating me to death through my feet. I bought a mountain bike in 2000. I'm now an avid cyclist and love getting out on the road or trails. Being able to cover tens of miles quickly makes for a nice change of scenery and it's easier on the body than running.

[Steinback]

I used to run with a bunch of reservists. We had access to a padded indoor track, which really helped in the winter and when the weather was bad. I was fine while running but found that my knees were giving out while climbing stairs or even just stepping up onto a curb.

I'm much happier on my bicycle, though I do miss the higher impact exercise.

[johnmflores]

Great panda, John.

Thanks Tamia. Likewise! That Surly looks like it's ready to cross continents!

[mikemike]

I can't say it's easy or done well, or I'm injury free. I have two torn ACLs, one was reconstructed, a foot that's screwed up and an ankle that seems to be permanently swollen. Cycling would probably be a better option for me but my husband runs (marathons and such) and I guess thinks I ought to as well. Every step is pain but I slog through. I wish there were in-line skating marathons because I could get into that. And it doesn't hurt my knes so much.

Any attempts to start a routine of running used to inevitably end with me stopping because after about 2 months it would kill my knees and give me shin splints. Then about 2 years ago I started running barefoot on the beach (during a stint as a consultant on a tropical island ) and found that I was able to run further, more frequently, and injury free.

Now that I am back, I continue to run barefoot or with minimal footwear and it feels great. I think the main problem I was having was that when I was running with regular shoes I was landing with my heel and rolling through trying to take long strides. Without shoes I land with the ball of my feet or even kind of flatly and do so more gently. Without shoes I am also more keenly aware of what kind of surface I am running on and how severe the impact is making it easy to identify and choose lower impact routes that still provide the same amount of cardiovascular expenditure without as much risk of injury.

The main downside is that you will build-up calluses on the balls and heels of your feet so you will have to either get pedicures when they build up too thick or do it yourself with a callus remover and pumus stone (and take it easy for a few days after thinning these out). I would recommend starting off slowly and on a very nice surface like a beach or a running track before progressing to harder surfaces with hazards like earthen trails and finally concrete/asphalt. Also be conscious that you are vulnerable to the potential presence of critters and parasites if you ever consider running somewhere that is also used to graze animals or that is frequently flooded so generally avoid those areas.

Since I have been running like this the most common setback I have had is ocassional sore feet from running too far on surfaces that are too hard which usually sets you back for a 1-3 days (although these are the kind of runs that would have made my knee act up or caused shin splints with shoes). Also be careful when you go back to shoes b/c it is easy to push yourself too hard because the muscles of your legs will be much stronger while the joints and tendons have not developed the resiliancy needed and will not be sending your brain the same feedback signals and the sides of your feet will get blistered because they will not be used to the friction. If you are planning on running a race in shoes and haven't been wearing them for a while it is a good idea to build up to the distance in the shoes starting from about 1/3 the distance of the race and taking about 3-4 weeks and slowing your pace by about 10% from your unshod pace.

There have recently been some footwear companies catering to barefoot runners with minimal shoes but I would not recommend any of their products because they are generally grossly overpriced. Old socks will do a good job at protecting your feet on fairly clean tracks with only small pebbles or prickly things to worry about. $5 watershoes from walmart or your local athletic store work great for more hazardous terrains. I was recently introduced to "foot thongs" by a friend of mine who is a dancer, these also work great and pared with old socks results ina level of protection a little bit less than the water shoes but a feel much closer to barefoot.

[mel]

I'm pretty happy with my shoes. I've been wearing Saucony for running since my high school track days. And I have found that working on relaxing my stride goes a long ways to helping minimize the pain in my knees. I find that if it's hurting, I try to imagine sinking into the road and loosening all the joints from my hips down (I call it "jelly joints") and the pain usually goes away and I can just relax and enjoy the run. I'm just in a lot of pain in the knees right now because the Marine Corps race orgainizers are a bunch of sadistic SOBs that found the 11 miles with the most hills to plot the course. The running was actually feeling pretty darn good until after that race.

I've seen those barefoot sock things on runners and just walking around. Personally I like the cushion. Having the right shoes for your stride can make a huge difference. My husband had all kinds of problems until he got some shoes designed for over-pronators. But I can't even walk in shoes like that.

I wish there were some flat areas around here. Everywhere I go there are hills. Stupid hills.

[Tamia]

Thanks Tamia. Likewise! That Surly looks like it's ready to cross continents!

Thanks John! My Surly LHT is ready any time. Her engine, though willing, can't break away for that cross-country ride she'd like to make.

[Tamia]

...during a stint as a consultant on a tropical island ....

Sounds good to me! Where can I apply?

[johnmflores]

Any attempts to start a routine of running used to inevitably end with me stopping because after about 2 months it would kill my knees and give me shin splints. Then about 2 years ago I started running barefoot on the beach (during a stint as a consultant on a tropical island ) and found that I was able to run further, more frequently, and injury free.

Now that I am back, I continue to run barefoot or with minimal footwear and it feels great. I think the main problem I was having was that when I was running with regular shoes I was landing with my heel and rolling through trying to take long strides. Without shoes I land with the ball of my feet or even kind of flatly and do so more gently. Without shoes I am also more keenly aware of what kind of surface I am running on and how severe the impact is making it easy to identify and choose lower impact routes that still provide the same amount of cardiovascular expenditure without as much risk of injury.

The main downside is that you will build-up calluses on the balls and heels of your feet so you will have to either get pedicures when they build up too thick or do it yourself with a callus remover and pumus stone (and take it easy for a few days after thinning these out). I would recommend starting off slowly and on a very nice surface like a beach or a running track before progressing to harder surfaces with hazards like earthen trails and finally concrete/asphalt. Also be conscious that you are vulnerable to the potential presence of critters and parasites if you ever consider running somewhere that is also used to graze animals or that is frequently flooded so generally avoid those areas.

Since I have been running like this the most common setback I have had is ocassional sore feet from running too far on surfaces that are too hard which usually sets you back for a 1-3 days (although these are the kind of runs that would have made my knee act up or caused shin splints with shoes). Also be careful when you go back to shoes b/c it is easy to push yourself too hard because the muscles of your legs will be much stronger while the joints and tendons have not developed the resiliancy needed and will not be sending your brain the same feedback signals and the sides of your feet will get blistered because they will not be used to the friction. If you are planning on running a race in shoes and haven't been wearing them for a while it is a good idea to build up to the distance in the shoes starting from about 1/3 the distance of the race and taking about 3-4 weeks and slowing your pace by about 10% from your unshod pace.

There have recently been some footwear companies catering to barefoot runners with minimal shoes but I would not recommend any of their products because they are generally grossly overpriced. Old socks will do a good job at protecting your feet on fairly clean tracks with only small pebbles or prickly things to worry about. $5 watershoes from walmart or your local athletic store work great for more hazardous terrains. I was recently introduced to "foot thongs" by a friend of mine who is a dancer, these also work great and pared with old socks results ina level of protection a little bit less than the water shoes but a feel much closer to barefoot.

Great info Mike. Thx for sharing. I used to run with Nike Frees, and then I went and broke my foot in a motorcycle accident. Ouch. The foot is not the same and starts to swell and feel bad after an hour of nearly any activity. I've thought about trying barefoot, but am worried about the foot. Maybe I'll test at the local track.

I've worked very hard over the years on my biomechanics. I'd like to think that I've got a pretty efficient, low-impact stride, and am always thinking about the moving parts when I run. It's almost zen-like. Almost.

[mikemike]

Sounds good to me! Where can I apply?

With the right skillset it is actually very easy to land a job out there because there are severe labor shortages of qualified professionals throughout the Caribbean and places like Bermuda, Cayman, and Bahamas and immigration is very restricted. These forces create a market where their is a stream of consultants that do a lot of the heavy lifting. It also seems like a very attractive opportunity on the surface 100k+ plus housing allowance for a job that would pay 70k-80k most places in the US and no income taxes. When you get there you find that despite no taxes everything is very expensive and the lifestyle you are able to afford is more like a 55-65K lifestyle in the US and there are some serious caveats like not being able to put down roots, knowing that your going to need to find a new gig (normal for consultants) somewhere else and move again in the near future (not so normal and a big headache). It is also more difficult if you have significant amounts of assets (like a home, car, furniture, etc.) that you can't really bring with you and will need to rent/sell/store/maintain while you are away and depending on the place bringing family along and your spouse being able to work is a big question mark.

You also have to deal with people in power who are where they are because they have residency and would not get as far as they are professionally in the US. I had a good experience overall but would not do it again because my life situation has changed where the drawbacks would be a significant drag on my quality of life.

[MRRiley]

Taking a camera along is fun for shooting "panda shots" like John's -- those are great, John.

Ok... don't want to derail the thread, but I gotta ask... "panda shots"??? HUH? just a term I've never heard before...

Mike

[Tamia]

Ok... don't want to derail the thread, but I gotta ask... "panda shots"??? HUH? just a term I've never heard before...

Mike

Panda shots are photographs of yourself in motion. It all began with someone called "faster panda kill kill" who posted a lot of such photos on her Flickr account. The idea took off, and a Flickr group was created called Panda Portraits.

I see no reason why only cyclists can take panda shots. Anyone who moves can do it. A successful panda shot has drama, or humor, and definitely gives a sense of movement. It's a bit like panning photos but easier to do in some respects, because you hold the camera on yourself, your shadow, or your conveyance.

[Tamia]

With the right skillset it is actually very easy to land a job out there because there are severe labor shortages of qualified professionals throughout the Caribbean and places like Bermuda, Cayman, and Bahamas and immigration is very restricted. These forces create a market... I had a good experience overall but would not do it again because my life situation has changed where the drawbacks would be a significant drag on my quality of life.

All points well taken, Mike. Before I turned to writing full time, I worked as a contract geologist. It was either feast or famine, and when it was famine, we were always scrounging for new work, so there was no time to relax and take a vacation in case we missed a good opportunity.

[mel]

Panda shots are photographs of yourself in motion. It all began with someone called "faster panda kill kill" who posted a lot of such photos on her Flickr account. The idea took off, and a Flickr group was created called Panda Portraits.

I see no reason why only cyclists can take panda shots. Anyone who moves can do it. A successful panda shot has drama, or humor, and definitely gives a sense of movement. It's a bit like panning photos but easier to do in some respects, because you hold the camera on yourself, your shadow, or your conveyance.

Hmmmmmm. I wonder if I could take such shots while goalkeeping. That would be funny. And result in a lot of goals for the other team I think.

[Douglas_of_Sweden]

Just wonder who out there runs and maybe does road races and such. I've been sort of dragged into it kicking and screaming recently, ran two, and am signed up for a third first weekend in September. Anyone else?

I'm running after butterflies...does that count?

[Pablom]

I have two main hobbies and photography comes second to running. I don't run as much as I used to any more but just enough to make a couple of races a year. I usually do half marathons since it doesn't require too much training that would mess up my routine.