Who uses barefoot running drills as a part of their current training program?

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Aug 2010
7:48am, 11 Aug 2010
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chirunner
Having left my mike free shoes on the bench for a year and started again with them this week to attempt to strengthen my feet i have started to wonder again about the merits of full on barefoot running as a follow up stage. A book has just come out with a lot more information and i think i may give this a read and see what insights are on offer to use to maintain good running form. A quote from the article below...

coreperformance.com

Most barefoot running experts suggest using barefoot running as a tool only—perhaps just twice a week for 20 to 30 minutes on a lush grass surface such as a soccer field or the infield of a track.
Hank Campbell, who conducts barefoot running clinics in St. Petersburg, Florida, has runners keep their shoes on initially.“I get them to focus in regular shoes on mechanical things that they’ll notice when they’re barefoot and then transition into drills and easy strides, he says. “From there they can work up to 20 or 30 minutes a day, maybe twice a week, and that will provide huge dividends in terms of form.”
Michael Sandler, author of the new book Barefoot Running and creator of RunBare.com, says barefoot running saved his athletic career. A former speed skater and pro-level cyclist, he suffered a broken hip and shattered femur during an inline skating accident three years ago. Doctors said he would never run again and he needed custom orthotics just to walk. After discovering barefoot running, he now can run up to 50 miles at a time. He spoke to CorePerformance.com about barefoot running.

CorePerformance: What are the benefits of barefoot running?

Michael Sandler: Barefoot running helps in two ways. First, when you’re running barefoot you’re running “aware foot.” You have more nerve endings on the bottom of your feet than anywhere else on your body. It’s why we’re ticklish and why we’re able to run incredibly light. It’s like being a cookie thief, stealing into the kitchen at night barefoot on tiptoes as quietly as we can. When we feel the ground, we can run incredibly light. We hit the ground up to three times lighter out of a shoe than in one and with far less toque to the hips and knees. Second, we change our gait and stride to something of a forefoot stride. We use our metatarsals as a spring-like mechanism, the arch and Achilles tendon, along with the calf, quad, glute, and hamstring as a two to three foot long spring rather than relying on the heel of the shoe. That forces us to extend the leg out and drives force up through the body which attenuates shock rather than dissipates it.
Most barefoot running experts suggest using barefoot running as a tool only—perhaps just twice a week for 20 to 30 minutes on a lush grass surface such as a soccer field or the infield of a track.
Aug 2010
8:17am, 11 Aug 2010
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BanjoBax
Chi - think the benefits of running barefoot on softer surfaces as a foot strengthener are pretty much accepted even by the mainstream.

Running on hard surfaces seems to be the contentious aspect - I have done the very rare tiny bit of barefoot on HARD surfaces, managed half a mile once,my technique isnt good enough to do much yet.

The advocates for barefoot on hard surfaces argue that if your form is off you'll get abrasion issues before you can do any serious damage like lots of folks who get VFFs and start running too far too soon without changing their technique resulting in stress fractures. Picked up on this idea from the Barefoot forum on the US runners world site (.com rather than .co.uk), suggest you have a look there if you havent already.
Aug 2010
8:19am, 11 Aug 2010
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SODIron © 2002
yep...love the barefoot stuf. Not done it for a while but I do like to get the odd two or three mile barefoot run in during the summer. The grass feels great between the toes and it really helps with running form and foot/ankle strength.
Aug 2010
8:44am, 11 Aug 2010
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ThinkRunning
At least once per week on the local cricket pitch.

Hard surfaces aren't a problem if you have the technique. Smooth concrete and asphalt are great to run on. I run up and down the garden path most days and generally walk around the house and outside barefoot.

I have noticed a change in my feet - toes straightening out, feet getting much stronger.

I use vibrams for longer distances to give a bit of protection. Longest run in vibrams is about 11 miles.

Running on hard beach sand is good too. Longest run I've done on sand is 10 miles.
Aug 2010
9:05am, 11 Aug 2010
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The_Saint
I was going to skip it this time and wait until its back in fashion next in a few years time
Aug 2010
9:37am, 11 Aug 2010
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ThinkRunning
What Saint, you were going to wait until feet are back in fashion?
Aug 2010
9:39am, 11 Aug 2010
917 posts
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ThinkRunning
One wonders why Saint posted on the thread in the first place to state that he doesn't use barefoot running? I thought the thread title was pretty much self explanatory...
Aug 2010
9:48am, 11 Aug 2010
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The_Saint
Partly to take the piss and partly to maybe raise consciousness in doing so that its just a fad and like all fads people will foam at the mouth when this is pointed out, do carry on.
Aug 2010
9:53am, 11 Aug 2010
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OllyW
TR - a fair answer to the thread title might be: "Not me".

That is pretty much what The Saint has said :)
Aug 2010
9:56am, 11 Aug 2010
918 posts
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ThinkRunning
Of course feet are a fad, how insightful of you Saint. Of course, running itself could just be a fad too. On that note I'm off on my faddish run. Do carry on.

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Maintained by XT2runner
Having left my mike free shoes on the bench for a year and started again with them this week to atte...

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