I’m up to 800 miles on a pair of race flats that I tore a hole in a couple hundred miles ago. How did I get here? When I started running two years ago, I did all the safe things that people on message boards and running websites say: 300-500 miles per pair, lots of cushion to avoid pain and all the unscientific remedies that really act as placebos for healing.
I gave up on running at all in 2013. Had to quit a race and ask for an escort back to the finish. Embarassing! My feet had been killing me for some months, probably plantar fasciitis and compensating for it had begun to hurt my knees bad.
In 2016, I picked up a pair of Hokas and gave running another shot. Flat, neutral shoes were definitely the right move, and my feet felt a whole lot better. Still, it took me another year to realize how much better my feet could feel. For my second marathon, I bought a pair of Adidas Adizero Boost 2.0. I wanted lighter shoes to race in, and they felt great. Did some track workouts in them to prepare for the race and some short runs. No pain at all.
After the race, I went back to the Hokas and realized my normal was being in some pain. It wasn’t there with the flats. Well, I fought against training in flats for a few weeks. Now, I’ve been running in them ever since. I also have a blue pair that have over 800 miles with only some small holes.
What I’ve discovered is that there is a strong middle ground between completely minimalist shoes and padded soles. I just need something on my feet, a few millimeters of fabric to keep me off the road, and the less padding, the stronger my feet become. All my friends with more padding have feet problems, and then when the pain increases, they add more padding and the cycle goes on and on.
Being able to run naturally starts with technique. If you can’t get out to a track and run a few miles barefoot, you are doing something wrong. Humans did not always have shoes with padding. Even shoes can be avoided by some runners, but I’m not there yet. I’m worried about the glass, rocks and need the traction for the New England ice I come across now and then.
JF's Blog 