minimalist running question

My opinion is that if it ain't broke, don't fix it...

If I were you, I'd stick with your regular shoes. If you want to get faster, run more! Add some tempo runs / speedwork. Changing your shoes won't make you faster

i always laugh at this.  why...is the first question that pops up. 

you have guys that run a 13.1 in 1:10 they run in regular footwear, trust me its not the shoe.  just run more.  that will make you faster.

There is data out there, but, you might not like what it tells you. Stay away from minimalism unless you know you are biomechanically sound. I am not (large leg length discrepancy and other issues). If I had jumped on the marketing bandwagon I would be very messed up.

DON'T DO IT

Most of the people capable of running 1:10 half marathons are also probably running in racing flats.  And arent racing flats really not all that much different than the current crop of minimalist shoes?  I get the feeling that someone had the bright idea to market the sort of shoe they normally sell to racers, jazz it up a bit, and tell everyone they should run with them...

Personally, I gave the minimalist thing a try just for the hell of it.  I ran a few times in a pair of Merrell Trail Gloves.  While that was an interesting experience, I decided against making that a permanent change.  I do, however, wear the trail gloves as my regular walking around shoes all the time now.

That experience did tell me that I liked the low-to-no drop concept, and now I run exclusivly in Kinvaras.  They are obviously not "minimalist" but they are pretty close to it.  I have no problems running fast or long in them (18 miles max long-run in them so far, no issues whatsoever).  I ended up entirely ditching my "stability" shoes.

I think it is a fun thing to try.  I dipped my toe in it this year with the Saucony Kinvara (much more minimal than what I was wearing).  I plan on getting some trail gloves later this year and trying it out on trails. 

I think it may or may not make you faster, but trying something new is always fun.

I have a very similar experience.   I bought a pair of VFFs about a month ago and began wearing them as everyday shoes.  It took a few weeks to adapt to them, but I can say now that they are the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned and have relaxed my lower back and straightened my posture quite a bit.

however ... I still run in shoes.  We may have evolved running barefoot, but we didn't evolve running on concrete.  Maybe if I had never owned a pair of shoes since birth... but my feet are still too soft and my legs too weak to rely on musculature and connective tissue alone to absorb many many mile of impact from running.  Your body can only take so much stress, and I would rather use shoes to 'cheat' and spread that stress out over many miles.  In a few months, once I'm better adapted from walking around barefoot all day, I'll start doing some barefoot running, but I plan on treating it as a workout, not a every day routine.

The "why" is simple, in my case.  Sure, I can run more - if I stop spending adequate time at work and with my family, or give up time on the bike or swim.  It is not an option to add more training time to my week.  I think that is true for most of us.  Not to belittle your point - in an ideal world, I'd do exactly as you suggest.  But my world is not ideal.

So, I have to look for whatever edges I can.  That's the root of it, for me.

Scott

I have been running almost exclusively in my Vibram Five Fingers since I got them and worked up where I was running before them. The longest run I have done is a little over 4 miles. I started getting a hot spot on my big toe. (Not sure what to do about that either.) Only on longer runs or faster than normal ones.

I know it has changed the way that I run and how I run. I am more efficient and feel good after runs. Less joint compression i guess using my legs for springs. I have much better balance. I have noticed it mountain biking.

I ran cross country and long distance in track in high school. I alway wore stability shoes. I wish these shoes were out when I was in CC and track. It might have saved me from shin splints.

Simply put,  i was a classic heel-striker prone to many of the classic running injuries for years. 

Vibrams changed everything for me -- my technique, my cadence, and my overally enjoyment of running.  I am pain free and absolutely loving going for runs. I just love them. 

This could have happened in normal shoes too, but vibrams lead me down the path of understanding the foot strike better along with support muscle development.

The only 100% "injury prevention" is to not train at all. That's being a little extreme, but soreness and pain always go hand in hand with sports if you ever want to improve, and there's always a chance of minor and/or serious injury. That being said, I agree that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. You may end up being in worse shape, especially since it's no guarantee you will get faster.

I started running in Saucony Kinvara shoes after a stint of plantar fasciitis. They are not minimalist, but they are definitely not the standard shoes people use. So far it's worked for me and I love running in them with no injuries so far, but I'm not sure if it were my previous shoes (Mizuno Wave Riders) or because of how tight my Yankz! were or even how I ran and trained before. 

i am not a very good runner, its not my thing you can see my races if you have any doubts. 

but have run with some very fast people guys that hit 1:15 half, 2:50 marathons.  trust me its not the shoe. 

shoe will not give you the edge it will hurt you quicker then you can possibly imagine.

Minimalist shoes by themselves are not likely to make you any faster than you are now, unless you are already running with the same form as the minimalist shoes promote/require. If you're a standard heel striker/over strider, making a change in shoes and running form is actually going to make you slower until your body fully adapts. That process can take anywhere from a couple of months to well over a year.

You can get a much lighter shoe and still keep the same running form without going to a minimalist shoe. The Saucony Kinvara has been mentioned several times and it's much closer to being a racing flat than it is a minimalist shoe. Depending on your running form lightweight shoes may not last quite as long, but you should be able to run a little faster.

Many people make the switch to minimalist shoes and running form because they've had injury problems. During the changeover process there is still an injury risk, especially if it's done too fast. Typically once the body fully adapts there is a lesser chance. This usually results in allowing people to run more, which is how they get faster. It's not really the shoes that make people faster, it's a byproduct of being able to run more.

So, if you don't have any more time to devote to running than you do now, there is likely very little to be gained.

^^^ Great Post! ^^^

I'll add one point in response to the "people running 1:10 are using flats".  True, but they don't (by and large) train in them.  They race in flats for the second or two per mile they gain do to the lightness of the shoe.

While that is true - those people are also not running in "stability" shoes or any of those other rather heavy things on the market.  They are running in regular neutral trainers which are already quite a bit lighter than the running shoes many people wear.

Now, if you already have a neutral gait, it might not be all that hard to transition to minimalist shoes.  However, I too question the reasoning.  As I said above, I tried it, liked it, but didnt see any reason to put out the effort to really switch fully.  Then I ended up running in only Kinvaras.  Not minimalist, but hardly a standard shoe. 

We agree on the basic point, so I'm nitpicking, but no, elite runners do not all train in less cushioned neutral trainers.  There is a variety out there both from runner to runner, and from one training session to another for the same runner.  The variation is pretty similar to what I suppose we'd find in the general population, apart from the fact that many elites do (so I understand) do some limited training in lighter shoes such as flats..  Some examples:

Geb has been reported in some pretty cushy Adidas, but I'm not sure which (he's also been seen training in flats)

Rupp has been seen training in the Nike Pegasus (somewhat neutral, but pretty cushy, with a significant arch for stability)

Ritz has also been reported as training in the Pegasus, as well as the Nike Air Span (considered a stability shoe), but also the Skylon, which is definitely lighter-weight

Hall has been reported as training in the Asics Gel Cumulus, which yes is neutral, but again quite cushy.

Most of these shoes are about as heavy and well-cushioned as your average running shoe.

Bottom line (and I know you agree with this, it's just to re-iterate):  If you want to 'do as the elites' then use what works best for you, because that's what they're doing (within the limits of sponsorship...).

Lot of good information in this post and others, but this really describes my experience.  I had to limit my running due to knee trouble.  Increased some with a softer shoe, but things still weren't quite right.  Found I fit in the Kinvara (much closer to minimal than previous shoes) and things really clicked well.  I didn't get better because of the shoe, but because I could run more.  It fit my style better.

Also consider that we are triathletes.  Dan Empfield of Slowtwitch wrote a great article on this (not sure of a BT equivalent).  Consider that the elite male runners are only 130 lbs or so.  Some are even less.  A typical elite triathlete is up around 155 lbs.  A considerable increase.  I'm up at 182, and can't lose more than a couple pounds at my height, so a Kinvara is as light as I'm going to go.  It's a pretty low-drop shoe and taking away the cushioning it does provide would be asking too much.  I'd likely start getting hurt again.  Different injuries, but hurt is still hurt. Can't run when hurt.

A triathlete is also running after swimming and biking.  It's not an exact comparison, but it is worth remembering that our runs will be closer to the back half of a running race twice as long, as opposed to an open race of the same distance.  Like in a HIM, the run portion is closer to running the back half of an open marathon than an open half-marathon because of all the fatigue.  So chose a shoe that will work for this longer distance.

I'd like to remind everyone that anecdotes do not equal data. Just because one person *thinks* the switch helped them doesn't mean it actually did. Perhaps my years in marketing have made me a bit cynical, but anything that is the new trend needs to be viewed with much skepticism.

Now, heavier bulkier shoes do have a negative impact on running economy so if you are biomechanically sound, a pair of racing flats might make make you a bit faster.

I tried it but had knee issues running. I need stability (flat footed), which the minimalist shoe did not provide.  I put in a superfeet insole (green) and that gave me the stability, but those are not he most comfortable thing to run in barefoot. 

For me, it's not so much minimalist is that i want a shoe that is stable and I can run sockless (for Olympic and Sprints).