Merrell trail glove might be your best bet for minimal running …
Otherwise altra has zero drop ones (i think the altra superior?) but with some stack height to them and wide toe box
Sooooo, i got a splinter in my foot somehow, i’ve had it since thursday, tried to remove it and it wouldnt come out and normally they just come out of my body but now it seems like its wanting to stay.
I tried
hot water foot bath
hot water foot bath with epsom salts
hot water foot bath with baking soda
hot water foot bath with vinegar (and baking soda added after for that bubbly effect)
and now i’m getting desperate so trying a poultice of soap and sugar covered up by a bandage. No infection it seems so that’s good…but it was a lot more sensitive yesterday after trying twice to get the splinter out after one of the foot baths.
No running for me and it really bums me out, considering i have my new plushy shoes lol
I have used Hoka Speedgoats and Saucony Peregrine. I have used Saucony road shoes the last 10 years, but the Peregrines gave me blisters all over my feet. Switched to the Hokas and everything was good. I have only done one ultra trail race with the speedgoats, but they worked great.
Do you have a friend that is a nurse or a doctor that would be willing to pick it out? If you know a mom with some kids they are good at getting splinters out, too, well most are.
1 Like
that would be wifey, she likes to get ingrown hair out and pop pimples ahahah
but she failed me for this splinter ahahahha
after the soap/sugar thing, it seems to hurt less so i don’t know if it is somewhat pulling it out, i’ll see this evening of there’s any progress
1 Like
Tweezers?
I left a bit in my thumb about ten years ago, I could feel it for years. Probably still in there, waiting to be liberated into my bloodstream and interfere with an atrial valve…
1 Like
I know a mom with some kids, the likelihood of her helping me with a splinter - and not mocking me loudly for years - is near zero. Such is marriage.
3 Likes
Is it normal for a tri athlete to feel better running off the bike than most stand alone runs?
When I first started I would feel like 
off the bike.
Now, the opposite is true. I feel so good off the bike… and so not great on all other runs!
4 Likes
I noticed the same thing. My take is that now that the brain figured out it is okay, the muscles are already warmed up and the blood is flowing…just a guess.
2 Likes
For your Altras, are they the original Escalantes?
I hear theyre quite different from the 2.5
@Joelrivera re: brick runs… i’ve found that by practicing it consistently (even doing 1km after the bike) it becomes quite natural and effortless. The first time i did it was like… “wtf is wrong with my legs”
2 Likes
I think it depends - off an hour endurance, sure. After Vo2 intervals or a 4hr endurance, not so much.
1 Like
Hoka Speedgoat Evo and Brooks Catamount have treated me well. Topo is on the radar also. Altra-ish, but with 5-6mm of drop.
As a wannabe minimalist runner (who got post tib tendonitis trying to transition too quickly to vivobarefoot shoes and properly minimal shoes), I’m a big fan of Altra. Have been using the Provision 5 to help keep things in check while I come back from tendonitis, and otherwise use the Escalante 2.5 as my everyday shoe and the Superior 5 for the trails. Not as good a feeling as a proper minimalist shoe, but still lets my (admittedly quite wide) toes splay out properly, so they feel good while running.
Another question for the thread: I’m currently returning to running from the aforementioned tendonitis, and running 4 times a week (a car crash and subsequent destroyed bike is keeping me away from cycling). Only 45’ easy runs, with form drills before and after and 5xstrides twice a week. I have done so for the past two weeks, and was wondering what sort of progression you would suggest towards running more frequently. I’m feeling pretty good in general, but running back-to-back days seems to leave me a bit tired at the end of the second run, so I am quite wary of increasing frequency.
For context, I’m 28, have been cycling at a good level (4.5w/kg FTP) for 5 years now, I started running early this year, so from a muscoskeletal standpoint I’m quite “green” on the running side of things, and am looking to transition almost completely to running, since I will be moving around the world for work a fair bit in the next few years (my next posting is in Ethiopia, for context, so few opportunities to travel with a bike and use it properly). Mostly working on form and building up those muscles that are underdeveloped from cycling, at the moment. Any suggestions are welcome!
2 Likes
Just add more easy miles.
Like maybe one of the runs is nos 60 minutes… And just keep adding to that .
The magic with running is volume. The more the better (usually). Just keep it easy until you are comfortable and then add one or two wo week…
2 Likes
That’s a recipe for disaster in my experience 
5 Likes
Just been reading through the thread as I’ve recently got back into running. Only reason I quit were due to injuries, meniscus tears, both knees within weeks of each other, that always caused knee swelling back in 2015. That’s why I took up cycling but have always missed my running. Over several years I’ve tried many times to restart the running career (2017&2020) but after a couple of sessions my knees would swell and even keep me off the bike for a month or two. (got so cranky!) So I believed it was all over, just never forgot about running as the other half still went out regularly and I always wished I could again.
Anyway I’ve been watching too many Youtube videos and came across the barefoot running, zero drop, minimalist approach and gait style. (Also I’m currently reading ‘born to run’). The thing that made it click for me is someone asked if you put a support, cast on your elbow for several month would that arm be stronger or weaker when it came off… then why do we put support “casts” over our feet, it just weakens the 100+muscles in them. And I’ve been doing that not for months but 50 years! The feet should be the first part of you leg suspension and protect your knees and hips from impact etc, how can wasted muscles do that… and then there is arch support, only need because, well you figure it out 
Long story short, I’ve been running now for almost three months injury free. Not one complaint from my knees! Started off with using and still using the Vibram v-alpha five finger shoes and V-trail 2.0 versions. Was and still slowly building up with fast walking and a couple of short runs. Keeping impact low and getting those feet muscles rebuilt, calves stretched and ligaments back to where they should be. Still working on gait, increasing my cadence and reducing my stride length. Last week I managed two 90+ minute runs over the hills here within a few days of each other with no after effects. Found doing that at my peak a hard job then but not now. No massive distances just around 10 miles 400m+ ascent but I’m in it for pleasure not speed.
I now incorporated the barefoot method into my hiking having recently purchasing vibvobarefoot boots. Am annoyed all the years of running I did with these hi-tec trainers and hiking with plaster casts on my feet, support here and there and basically they just weaken my feet and with hiking boots, the massive extra weight and energy expenditure. ( 1 pound of weight on feet uses same energy as 5 pound of weight on your back). IMO no wonder us runners were always injured and I do blame them for adding extra stress to my knees that resulted in them breaking.
Anyway the plan is to build up more distance/time and fully enjoy my runs, I’m no longer one that watches pace/time, I’m never going to get where I was 10 years ago but I will be able to go for far longer and enjoy it all far more.
I’ve dropped to the low volume plan on TR, just the three rides a week as I still enjoy that too. tempted/inspired by some ultras (several day events) in the wildness. That’s at least a year+ away, so will see if I can combine my love of hiking and love of trail running and see what the future holds for these reborn feet muscles, one thing for sure, I haven’t worn them out!
4 Likes
Best worse autocorrect ever
4 Likes
good to hear! Barefoot running can get you back in tune with your form, which is absolutely great, just be wary of the fact that it simply shifts injury rates from joints to tendons/bones if you’re not careful enough with building up the mileage and stress (i.e. what happened to me).
Sounds like you’re doing a good job of it, and your chill attitude with it will definitely help, so keep up the great work!
3 Likes
I mean. That was a huge thing almost 10 years ago.
The trend is mostly over and many have realize that minimalistic doesnt mean barefoot.
People are now maximizing cushioning while still playing with the drop.
I think, and I am not an expert, that shoes with anything between 5 and 10 of drop is better for day to day (easier on the Achilles for example) and anything from 0-5 is great for races or training.
and FWIW, 5 fingers were sued for it claims of making you a better runner. It was all made up and a lot of people got hurt. So i would really be careful with barefoot/0 drop shoes for everyday running.
As with anything, its a tool, but should be used with care!
I dont think this is necesarily correct.
Ive been running for 10 years, and although I am not super fast, I was at one point a comptetetive local age grouper and was able to run 17 min 5k and sub 3 marathons.
In all that time I have only been injured 3 times that i have to take more than 1 week from running. 2017 was some wierd musscle in the calf… 2020 was piriformis (maybe 2 weeks off) and 2021 piriformis the return with vengeance (3 months out). I dont think any of them had to do with my shoe choice.
People get hurt for a lot of reasons, mainly because they try to do too much too quick, add too much volume too quick, or dont rest the body enough. Then they blame the shoe…
5 Likes
Man…
I remember when my T pace was 6:15. I could run a Half marathon at that pace…
now, I was just doing 3x 9 min at my current T (7:15) and by the 3rd repeat I was ready to die. Probably the 85 and 99% humidity didnt help
1 Like