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thing is with the five fingers you just have to "transition" into them - ussing your existing shoes and doing some small distances in the five fingers (or any minimalist shoe) or, start from scratch in the fivefingers but start with small distances (1-2 miles) and increase by 1/8 mile per run, if you get pain step back and so on

main reason i went minimalist/barefoot was to attempt getting rid of a persistant knee problem (runners knee) - to early to tell if it's actually working (NO PAIN SO FAR!) - i'm still tiddling around with small distances but the research on barefoot running points to a more efficient running form so fingers crossed!

just remember if you do go minimal or (better) barefoot go very sloowwwly, build gradually and be mindful of your body's messages - so worth the effort though!!

Best of luck!

Andy from - myrunningtips.com

Hello theSianz!

Long time ago my post! - thankfully I've not had Morton's Neuroma now for a solid 2 years. I first started wearing wider shoes - new balance size 4e - wider cycling shoes etc and this solved my problem. I now do most of my running barefoot or (as it is now getting a bit too cold for barefoot) my Vibram bikila's and sometimes my five fingers kso's - all of which  means my toes aren't bunched together! definitely the source of the problem

Andy from - myrunningtips.com

Gee Bee 2 wrote (see)

Done a few more runs in the vevo's and still love them.  Did 2 miles last night.  It just feels good running in them even on tarmac.  I'm still wondering if anybody has tried barefoot/minimalist running and didn't like the sensation.  You only ever read positive anecdotes about it.

the negative about minimalist footware is that your foot is no longer in contact with the ground as it is when you go real-barefoot, blocking out sensory information - have you considered going completely barefoot?

I started about 2 months ago and one of the first things you start doing is running with a higher cadence (reminded me of someone running on hot-coals!) - over the weeks my running form has improved dramatically, no more heel striking is my main reason for starting

I put on a pair of Vibram Five Fingers (Bikila) which is as minimalist as you will get and even though these shoes are great for running on dirt tracks where there are stones etc., they dramatically reduce what I can feel with my foot, so I will remain barefoot at other times

you can strain lower leg muscles running minimalist or barefoot and if you still run with bad form you will encounter problems (esp. if you heel strike). I find as soon as something goes on my feet I heel strike, almost never running barefoot - the only way to be sure is to video yourself running - do some lower-leg strength training, esp. achilles

So there are negatives - but when you are starting out start barefoot and learn good running form, then switch to minimalist (if you must) this way your feet will coach you

Good Luck!

Love the video PSC, nearly fell of my chair watching that. Cheers

Andy

myrunningtips.com

Robin Hood (Nottingham) is my favorite so far - and in September so you would have over 12 months prep. If I was you choose one which is flat (ish) - at mile 17,18, hills are not what you want to see...

Andy

myrunningtips.com

Hi Mike - noticed a lot of low fat options there. Personally I choose full fat milk, yogurt, chocolate etc because they are better for you as long as you don't over-load - low-fat options often have additives (not always)

Too many products nowadays (carefully marketed products) would have us believe that we will lose weight by eating low fat options (in fact the opposite is true) - if you eat foods low in fat you generally feel less satisfied and eat something else

Fat, Carbs, Protein you need all 3 - don't cut them - balance them. Personally I go for about 20% protein 25% fat 55% carbs - fat and saturated fat in particular has had a bad rap (and no, it doesn't cause heart disease) and many health issues can result from not getting enough, ie. if you cut too much out

If you research info on the web it isn't always helpful and nearly always contradictory but one thing that stood out for me was the research done on fat is very unreliable when trying to claim it causes heart disease

have a look here: http://www.menshealth.com/health/saturated-fat

(very interesting)

Andy

myrunningtips.com