Running a Half Marathon in One Month

[Tanner]

Currently, the most that I can run in my VFF's is about 4 miles. However, that is not due to fatigue but my feet becoming too sore to continue. I've only had my sprint's for about 2 weeks and I'm wondering if my feet will be able to adjust in time. Also could someone recommend a few techniques to decrease the recovery time of my feet? Thanks!

[kuo34]

That's quite a jump in mileage.  It all depends on what you mean by sore feet.  Are we talking skin type soreness or are we talking muscle type soreness?

As for recovery, RICE and one of those foot massage tubs work for me.

[zarzu]

i have no clue of your history of minimalist running but assuming you just began 2 weeks ago with the sprints you bought:

slow down right now! most people here will tell you that 4 miles after 2 weeks is utterly insane and that you're risking getting injured. however fit you are from an endurance and non-minimalist point of view doesn't matter. your feet have to build up and that takes time and patience, there is no shortcut for this.

it's possible that you are one of the very few people who has hardly any transitioning problems and can increase mileage fast. chances are you're not. you might feel alright for the moment but that doesn't mean you are. many of us have increased distance and speed too fast because everything seemed to feel alright and were then struck down by an injury out of nowhere. you can take your chances and try to force this but no one will recommend it. don't do the half, at least not in vffs. you will regret it.

[Hawkeye]

I see your future in the stress fracture thread if you ramp up your milage from 4 miles to 13 in a month. 

You might want to run the half in racing flats instead of vffs.

[kuo34]

It's not that we don't want you to do a half in your Sprints.  It's doable.  We just don't want you to end up with an injury that puts you out for several months afterwards.  A lot of cautionary tales about too much too soon around the running discussion area.  If your skin is still reeling from four miles in VFFs, I can only imagine what your muscles are doing.

[Tanner]

Well that's quite a bummer to hear. Marathons in these parts are hard to come by and likely the next one will be next year . Oh well, thanks for the advice guys, I guess I can just start training for the full marathon next year instead!

[qcassidy352]

no reason not to run the half, but I wouldn't do it in VFFs a mere 6 weeks in to owning them!  As others have said, to even be at 4 miles after 2 weeks is quite a bit.

[kuo34]

Don't feel bad.  There will be a marathon next year and plenty of 5ks and 10ks to go to.  I was dead set on doing a 10k for labor day after two months of being in VFFs, but after reading about some of the too much, too soon stories I decided to back off until late October for a 5k.  I think I could probably do a 10k this weekend, but I also think there's a good chance of an injury that may span months.

[JT]

I concur with everyone else. 4 miles in 2 weeks is a bit much. It took me a year to build up to a half marathon. Consistency is key. Shorter runs regularly, are better then a few long ones you can pull off before having to rest due to injury.

I however didn't follow this advise, and was dead set on a full marathon by fall. I referrer this past summer as "The summer of tendinitis".

[taylordmd]

I'd now say to take it easy, as well. I have my heart set on running a half on Sunday, and have been running in my VFF's since April, but now am nursing a calf injury which the chiropractor says is from scar tissue forming in the muscle, which tends to happen from overuse/not enough rest/building endurance. I thought I was taking it slow enough as I've felt great up to the 19.5km mark, but the following week during an "easy" 15km, at the 6 or 7km mark my calf just seized up.

I'm hopeful that I'll still be able to do the half, but I have to add my voice to the "take it easy" choir.

[Scuba Ninja]

Wow I'm glad I read this thread when I did. I was planning on trying the very saqme thing. Its my first week in vffs also and I just did 4 niles as well. I was planning on doing a half in a couple weeks from now and honestly I think I should do it in my other running shoes. I do feel my feet building but I think 13miles would do some real harm at this point. How long does it usually take to be through with the blistering and soreness? The blisters I have have popped and callused and I hope a small cut I have on my arch will do the same soon. But is it something that should be finished in a month say or is there no timeline? My stride and speed is seemingly reduce by almost half. Will my stride length and I wanna say confidence going to return? I say confidence meaning I have a built in kind of hesitence that makes me step more carefully. I was guessing that after a while running in vffs it would go back to normal...

[taylordmd]

Scuba,
I would think that the blister part should improve within a month or so, although I started using socks/liners when I got fed up with the blisters so not too sure.

I would for sure say that if you're doing a half in a few weeks to use your regular shoes! 

As for stride/speed, your stride will not likely increase but that's a good thing, it means you're landing on your forefoot/midfoot and landing under your body instead of the overstriding that goes with heel striking. Your speed will increase, however, as your turnover or cadence increases.  The recommendation is 180 steps per minute. There are many other threads here about running form with VFF's that cover this in detail, along with some videos some have posted.

Your running will not, and should not, be the same in VFF's as it was in your normal shoes, although after running in VFF's for a while you may find that you can carry the new form over into the other shoes.

Good luck!

[Scuba Ninja]

Thank you I will read further

[kamper]

Wow I'm glad I read this thread when I did. I was planning on trying the very saqme thing. Its my first week in vffs also and I just did 4 niles as well. I was planning on doing a half in a couple weeks from now and honestly I think I should do it in my other running shoes. I do feel my feet building but I think 13miles would do some real harm at this point. How long does it usually take to be through with the blistering and soreness? The blisters I have have popped and callused and I hope a small cut I have on my arch will do the same soon. But is it something that should be finished in a month say or is there no timeline? My stride and speed is seemingly reduce by almost half. Will my stride length and I wanna say confidence going to return? I say confidence meaning I have a built in kind of hesitence that makes me step more carefully. I was guessing that after a while running in vffs it would go back to normal...

Blistering and muscle soreness is not what you want to worry about.  Those are good, they stop you (hopefully) before you overdo it.  What you want to worry about are stress injuries to your feet.  I ran about 2 and a half weeks on my vffs and then developed pains in my feet a full 5 days after I had last run in them.  I didn't feel it until it was much too late.  It has stopped me from running in them for a further 3 weeks or so and it forced me to cut back almost half my mileage in regular shoes for two weeks.  That was bad because I'm hitting my peak getting ready for a marathon right now.  Of course, I'm also being more conservative than I normally would be because of that.  If I work up the nerve, I might start doing very short runs in vffs again soon.  I do try to walk in them regularly.

Also, doing the marathon (in 6 weeks) or my upcoming half (in 3 weeks) in vffs was never even a consideration.  No way I'd be ready.  If the winter goes alright, I'm aiming for some 5k and 8k races in the spring.

[Scuba Ninja]

When you say your going to do an 8 or 5k in the spring do you mean in vffs or just having recovered fron your current pain and doing them in regular running shoes? Now that I have experience the difference in strides I would like to strengthen forefoot runkning. With or without vffs.