Over the last few months I’ve been clocking in ~180km in my Vibram FiveFingers. For the most part I take it slow; I run when I feel like it (which is rather often), and I check out routes I’ve not ran before. Sometimes these are long, sometimes not so much.
And I’m happy to say that apart from a one-time, mild case of shin splints caused by running too slowly (I’m not kidding) a few weeks back which “grounded” me for a few days, I am without injury and pain. I run a lot on paved roads these days, due to the currently bad weather and my unwillingness to wrestle muddy tracks. Back in my Nike days, this usually gave me bad sacroiliac joint pain. These days, I’m fine. No complaints, really.
I’ve bought a second pair of FiveFingers KSOs a while back, and since my current client is a KSO fan and owner as well I was able to wear them in the office. It’s good, really.
So yes, I’ve embraced minimalist running. Not just in the shoes department, but also in my mind. My stance towards me running has changed over the last few months; I’ve become more relaxed and calm about it. It doesn’t feel like a drag anymore, like something you just have to suffer through; I run because I like it and because I want to.
Most days I don’t even take a watch with me; I glance at the wall clock when I head out the door and check it again when I come back. That’s accurate enough. And in order to find out the distance I’ve traversed I turn to Google Earth or DailyMile’s handy “pedometer” map feature.
My feet have become stronger, I think my feets' arches are not as flat anymore, and my toes have straighten out a wee bit. The money I’ve spent on my FiveFingers was a good investment in my health, methinks. The downside is that I don’t like my “real” shoes anymore. ;)
A sweet side story: when my parents visited us a few weeks back, they saw the FFs and tried them on, deciding they like them. So they’ve both bought a pair, and to my big surprise picked up light trekking as a hobby! Even my mom is having fun. So much, in fact, that they both bought a second pair “for colder days” — KSO Trek. Clearly, I’m an influencer…
So, minimalist running still works for me; it works very well, in fact. And I still enjoy my Vibrams. And yes, I would and do recommend both to everyone interested in running.
