Barefoot running?

So I've been having a difficult time staying motivated this week, especially after my run on Wednesday night. I only made it 1.5 miles before I had to stop because I had not one, but TWO side aches! One on each side! I gave up that night. So I took tonight off to try to recouperate and prepare for my 5-mile push tomorrow morning. I really wasn't looking forward to it, until I got a phone call from my trusty friend Chelsea (the awesome Seattle runner). I talked to her, told her my woes, she listened, and made some suggestions for me. She gave me some great insight about the Rock and Roll 1/2 in Seattle in June (which I am thinking about signing up for), and it totally motivated me again. Hooray for wonderful supportive friends! I am now excited again for my 5-mile attempt tomorrow morning.

I've also been dialoguing with people about barefoot running. Apparently there are die-hards out there that say it is way better for your form and for injury prevention. I don't know that I'll ever actually run barefoot, but I became interested in the different techniques used by shoeless runners and those with nice padding under their feet. My dad sent me this article and video which I found very interesting. Check out the shockwave that travels up the guy's leg when his heel hits first. The difference between hitting the ground with your heel and with your forefoot is very visible.

So I decided to try (with shoes on) to run like barefoot runners do, by hitting the ground forefoot first. It was hard! It's like training yourself to run all over again. But I could definitely tell that different muscles were being used. Afterwards I was sore! The article suggests that running forefoot first reduces injury by strengthening other smaller muscles, as well as reducing impact. I think I believe that.

Needless to say, it got me thinking about my running style. I don't know that I can handle running like that all the time, but perhaps it would be helpful for me on downhill stretches to protect my knees more (I have sore knees most of the time). I'll let you know if it works for me!