I'd done a couple of non-stop runs over 30 mins a few weeks ago (both 5K) but then I hurt my knee and when I tried again I had to stop at about 20 mins (getting sore). Today, on my 55th birthday and in my new mad shoes (Vibram FiveFingers), I ran another over 30 mins non-stop. I think this now counts as graduation!
ps I'm not insane re starting the FiveFingers with a 30 minute run - I've been running in Freet barefoot shoes pretty much since I started C25K
Happy birthday ! and many congratulations.
Happy birthday!!
How do you find running in those shoes?
Thanks for the birthday wishes - triumph to get it done after years of being a boozy couch potato!
Now to Vibrams, Freet etc.
I think you have to want to run in barefoot shoes and know what you are letting yourself in for. I do it because my legs point in different directions (really horrible accident - shattered femur) and so shoes that do things to your gait (big shoes) are trouble for me. It is very, very different running in barefoot - you need to get used to it, but I like it.
Freet are much, much cheaper than Vibram. Freet are super-comfy for wearing around the house. Running in the version of Freet with the laces (£35) is really good. They makes you develop strength in your feet and tendons and a good forefoot strike for running (so get there gradually). Much as I like the Freet, I suspect, however, they are not as good as the Vibrams. On the one run I've done I had great flex in the foot and feeling in the toes of the Vibrams - easier to get a good forefoot strike almost all the time and a better feeling as the rest of the foot follows through hitting the ground. Getting all those toes in is a nuisance but, once they are settled, it is a great feeling for running.
All of the warnings are true. Don't just switch from big shoes to barefoot. Do it gently, one step at a time, if you fancy it. Perhaps try the Freet (with laces) to see if you like it before spending a lot on Vibrams. My next pair of shoes are going to be Vibrams though!
cheers,
Bob
Thank you for the advice - I've be thinking of trying, but have been put off by the cost of the shoes... I'll check the Freet - (or maybe start with very short runs barefoot on the beach). I always walk barefoot in the house and wherever I can .... 
Yes, I'm pretty sure that counts as a graduation! If you want to do two more laps of honour of 30 minutes each, you're also welcome to, though. I'm sure that at this stage you'd welcome the opportunity.
So how do "gorilla feet" compare to the Freet shoes? (That's just what my sister-in-law's nephews call her Vibrams -- and admiringly, too). If I run again, barefoot is definitely an appealing option; and around this area, gorilla-footed against all the broken glass. Or is it a bit early to tell? I suppose you might need to give them a few more spins before you really know how much you like them.
Oh hang on! I saw a guy going to a pub I sometimes run past in Vibrams the other day. I've just remembered. He was using them as casual wear, heading for the pub, which in my book so far transcends beyond "cool" that things start freezing, and polar bears come out.
I was at a Bob Dylan gig in Germany (my wife is an unreformable Dylan fan) and the bloke next to me was wearing Vibrams. He said he wore them all the time - work, home, running, everything. I'm totally converted to minimal shoes but I think something like Vivobarefoot are better for work or going down the pub. Mind you, if you really thing they're ice-cool maybe I should start wearing my Bikila EvoWP all the time!!!!
Certainly if they're the most comfortable shoes you have, you could use them as a way of physically asserting that you no longer let yourself be pushed around by other peoples opinions. When we're young we conform. (The poems that pretend otherwise are not terribly true, I'm afraid). When we start disintegrating and become grumpy old gits, we're allowed to insist on doing everything but everything our own way. And when we look upon this, we see that it is good ...
I saw a guy with those on a Parkrun today, and made me laugh, but he wasn't doing much running, as he had his very young daughter with him, which he had to control.
They don't appear to have much support if any, so am thinking these could give problems with the knees and other areas..
I think the whole point is that they don't give much support - in fact they give none. They're not meant to push ANY style of 'control' onto your feet so you can run as you want to (good for me with weird legs). The only point of the sole is to protect you from sharp stuff on the ground. Works well but takes time - you need strong feet and tendons and a reliable forefoot strike.
Hi Doc, I found this in the running for fitness book..
I am a 57 year old woman who has just started jogging. I had been walking 3 to 6 miles a day and now jogging. I wear vibram fivefingers and find them extremely comfortable. I only run on dirt so far. Does anyone know if this is a good or bad thing to do.
Reply
Austin Lewis:
September 5, 2013 at 7:45 pm
Marlene – I have been a runner for many years. Within the past year, I purchased Vibrams for running/wearing out. I went on 4 – 6 mile long jogs in my Vibrams for nearly one month before I gained a painful issue with my achilles tendon on my left foot. But this is my story.
To answer your question to the best of my knowledge, it varies from person to person. Most people who run in Vibrams will encounter some issue with their feet; i.e. ankle, tarsals (bones in your feet), knees, shins , etc. There are few, however, that run in Vibrams having less of a chance of encountering a physical injury (duly noting that ANYONE running has a possibility of injury). I say keep running in them if it is comfortable and you have not experienced any pain/discomfort. The first sign of pain/discomfort, take a break from the Vibrams!
Oh! And a belated happy birthday to you!
Well the Vibrams are super-comfortable and I found running in normal running shoes pretty awful - feeling I was going to go over on one ankle or another all the time - a feet pointing in different directions issue (I had a shattered femur a few years ago and my right leg was put back together with the foot pointing forwards whereas my left foot naturally points outwards at 45 degrees).
cheers!
Bob
Happy birthday! And many congratulations x
Happy Birthday
Are they reef shoes? How thick is the sole? Oh and Happy Birthday..... Hope your family will treat you like gold. Enjoy your day.
The FiveFingers are Bikila Evo WP. The sole is 8.5 mm thick, comprised of 2.5mm of floating rubber pods, 4mm of Vibram EVA/Rubber and 2mm of insole material. The Freet sole is a bit thinner (as I think are the soles of most other FiveFingers).
5k in under 30 mins !! 
4 x 3 mins
Yay! First sub 30 min 5k! 
Which Jeffing plans are there for 30 mins?
Eventually getting to 5k in 30 mins
