TERRA PLANA VIVO BAREFOOT…the perfect casual minimalist shoe.

What to wear on your feet when you are NOT RUNNING!

Yes. You read it right. NOT running!

The recent trend to hit the running world is minimalist or barefoot running.  Many people these days have read “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall. If not, I highly recommend reading it. Barefoot running is natural, biomechanically efficient, and has the potential to reduce injury and improve performance when carefully incorporated into a person’s training program.

I am a huge fan of barefoot walking and believe it really helps keep my feet flexible and strong. I also train and race in lightweight running shoes.

It is fantastic to see so many people embrace the barefoot running concept. However it is disheartening to see many people who run barefoot continue to further stress their feet by wearing incorrect street shoes. Especially considering a normal running person will only spend up to 1-2 hours per day in running shoes and 8-10 hours in casual shoes. So what is the best way to strengthen your feet when you are not running?

Terra Plana make a range of minimalist shoes called Vivo Barefoot designed for barefoot walking and or running. For the past month I have been testing out the Terra Plana Vivo Barefoot Dylan. It is a super cute, eco-friendly summer casual canvas shoe which doubles as the perfect “barefoot” shoe. It has a very thin sole that is puncture-resistant and unlike most casual shoes it has a nice WIDE TOE-BOX which is essential for proper foot function. Terra Plana also make several other styles in their Vivo Barefoot range including the Aqua and Lucy which are extremely popular casual shoes in the USA. All styles come in men’s and women’s colours and sizes and can be used for walking. Their latest shoe is the Vivo Barefoot EVO which is a specific running shoe.

Running people really need to pay more attention to what they wear outside of their sport. This can be just as important for injury prevention and performance as the shoes you wear when you are running. Terra Plana Vivo Barefoot are an excellent adjunct to your running regime when worn as a casual shoe during work/walking/leisure activities. It can only benefit your feet (and body) and might just help mend or prevent you from further injury this year!

You can check out the Vivo Barefoot range at:

http://www.terraplana.com.au

Happy Bare Footing!

From Karen

Marathon Recovery. ITB pain. Barefooting it.

The road to recovery from a marathon can be a tricky task. Some marathons you run them and recover perfectly so that you don't even need a day off from running. This has been my experience after the majority of my marathons.

Unfortunately the Denver Marathon recovery has not been quite so easy. A twinge in my right ITB at 20 miles was not the best start. The pain got worse over the last 6 miles and left me limping at the end. It had been a long year of racing and travel so it was a great excuse to have some much needed time off from running.

The problem was how to maintain some fitness without adding more stress to my IT Band. I tried a light jog a few days after. Bad move. Stabbing pain in my right knee. Next i tried spin class. Bad move. Resulted in tighter hamstrings, hip flexors and ITB. Next swimming...still put stress on my IT Band. Lastly i resorted to the most simple of all exercise -Walking! At first i was sore to walk but after a week or so i found i could walk with minimal pain. Living right beside Chataqua Park in Boulder i started to hike some of the trails. However i kept getting sore in my knee or worse feeling sharp pain in my hip on the same side. The more cushioning i had in my shoes the worse the pain. Hmmm. I thought. Must be something to this. So i went to my big sports bag and got out my old trusty VIBRAM FIVE FINGERS. Woo hoo! After a 2 hour hike in the Vibrams i felt the best i had felt for 2 weeks. Being able to feel the dirt and rocks under my feet must have improved the proprioception to my legs, hips and spine and so i had found the perfect recovery exercise post marathon. Barefoot hiking!

So a combination of ICING, BAREFOOT WALKING, MASSAGE, FOAM ROLLER and HIP EXERCISES helped me get rid of that horrid IT BAND PAIN. Today i went for my first proper run post marathon. 30mins on the flat grass. No pain during or after. That really put a smile back on my face :-)