My First VFF Run

I went for my first run in my Bikila's this morning. Being the running shoe connoisseur that I am, I opted for the treadmill for a test run. I always test out my running shoes on the treadmill and often take them back after a "failed" first run. Hence, why I like to switch up the store I shop at...by the time I settle on a pair, the sales person wants to kill me. But the Bikila's were a pleasant surprise. I only ran two miles because I had to run at a considerably slower pace than normal and had to get home by 7 to get ready for work. I am not used to running without a lot of padding so there is a transition period before I will be able to run the same distance at the same pace as I do with normal shoes. Many reviews of the Bikila said that the non-shoe was "built for speed" and made them "just feel fast". No such luck here.

As I mentioned in my last post, I've done a little barefoot running so I knew what to expect. With the VFF (Vibram Five Fingers) and the treadmill, it was actually pretty comfortable compared to outside with naked feet. I expect my calves to be sore tomorrow based on numerous VFF reviews but so far so good. I had to keep reminding myself to relax my foot. I kept tensing up my foot as I ran which caused me to hit harder on the ball of my foot. When relaxed, the impact was not noticeable. I also got a little rubbing on my heel and where the strap connects. I hope this goes away as I break in the non-shoes. So far no pain on the left side of my foot but normally it takes at least 3 miles for me to feel that pain in a new pair of shoes. Alot of the reviews said it felt odd to have something in between the toes spreading them out...but little known fact about me...I love to spread my toes apart and felt right at home with that aspect of the non-shoe. I'll continue to update my dedicated followers on my VFF as my mileage increases.