Bikilas, Finally!

I couldn't wait no mo' and I finally bought myself a pair of Vibram Five Finger Shoes. I have been thinking about them since I read Born to Run, which has a very interesting chapter about the benefits of running barefoot.

Supposedly, running with athletic shoes, does not provide so much support, but rather eliminates feedback by reducing sensation on the foot. As a result of running with a cushioned sole, a runner changes their stride and lands on his/her heel rather than in the preferable ball of his/her feet. Before the founder of Nike started creating soles using a waffle maker, runner shoes had thin soles and runners (again supposedly) had better form. The result of today's shoes is greater rate of injuries and slower recovery.

So I had to try them.

Following the advice of Scott, who has been running with teem (and without shoes, I hear) for some time now at least off and on, I need to start slow and short. I know that to be true because I tried running with some travel sleepers that were basically a thin rubber sole and a mesh on top, and after doing four miles the balls of my feet were on fire and for a good week I experienced muscle soreness in my calves.

I bought the newly released Bikilas, created just for running, but basically another pair of the Five Finger shoes not very different form the KSOs. I have taken them for a 2 mile run and LOVE them. I still had some calf pain the next day. Clearly you are using muscles you don't usually use with regular athletic shoes, but still a great experience. Still I decided not to use them for more than once a week. So my plan is to build up to 4 to 6 miles and make it my Thursday run.

I will report back as I get closer to my goal. This might be a good pair of shoes for my club runs at the Phoenix. Speed is usually slower than my usual 9 minute miles, so this might be a good opportunity to take my Bikilas for a spin.