I wanted to capture some thoughts I have been having about barefoot or sandal running. The basic premise is pretty simple. I haven’t been able to run since about January 2006 and really want to start up again. This would normally be a big deal for a lot of people, but I used to enjoy trail running, a lot. I spent about 8 years running 30 – 75 miles a week.

I sprained my ankle for the last time (pre-surgery anyway) in May of last year hiking with some great friends to Conundrum Hot Springs outside of Aspen. I rolled it at the top of the hike while we were loaded up with backpacks. I was able to walk it out because my ankles no longer swell when they are sprained. The reason my ankles don’t swell when sprained is because the is no more soft tissue to damage. It still hurts like heck. Good friends Ken and Mary are on the left and my lovely girl is on the right with me.

Ken and Mary crossing the waist deep creek

My lovely Wife and I smooching at the start of the hike

In August of last year I had reconstructive surgery on my left ankle. My ankle was basically worthless. Most ankles have about 3 – 5 degrees of play in them when you try to purposefully sprain them, my ankle had about 25 degrees. I would constantly fall on my face while tripping over large blades of grass or take myself out of a month of mountain biking or telemark skiing while taking out the trash or walking home with groceries.

The decision to go through with ankle surgery was not a quick one, but in the end it was pretty easy. I have watched my father struggle with his ankles for at least 25 years. He injured his at about the same age as I injured mine. We share a lot of genetics and bad luck with our ankles and feet. He recently found out that the ligaments and tendons in his feet are shot and he needs to have two full ankle replacements. I certainly did not want to go down this path, so I started searching for alternatives. I consulted several doctors, natural paths and rolfers and ended up selecting a wonderful orthopedic surgeon in Boulder. You can see his handy work in the following photos.

New ligaments put in from tendon graft on my foot

Most people ask how I have injured myself. I wish there was a great story, well there are a few. The basic reason is that I have spent the past 20 years injuring myself while running ultras, climbing, mountain biking, playing hockey, chasing kids down stairs and missing a step while messing around. However my all-time favorite hospital story is when my wife poke-checked my ankle after dumping the puck between my legs and I rolled all the way over her stick. I was standing and my ankle was flat. Don’t mess with Shelly! Good times.

Lengthening the gastroc tendon, I should be taller now

I have to say, I was surprised at how much ankle surgery really sucked. I thought I would bounce back in a week or two and be hobbling around wondering when I was going to run again. Suffice to say this was not the case. I spent 7 or 8 days on bed rest, only getting up to bathe or use the facilities. I spent roughly 2 weeks in dressing, laying flat, and spent 10 weeks in a surgical boot. I do have some really great scars on my foot and fortunately or unfortunately the two screws I have in my forefoot don’t have enough metal to set off metal detectors in the airport.

Two of my 2-inch screws, holding a busted joint together

The surgery was basically four-in-one. I had my torn ligaments cut out and replaced by a graft from a tendon in my lower foot. This was attached by drilling holes in my ankle and tying or knotting the tendon. Once the bone grew back, voila, I have a new ligament. Two lesser surgeries were creating a notch behind my ankle so my wild tendons would not roll over the ankle bone and come loose on me and my gastroc tendon was lengthened as it was too short and causing my to sprain my ankle by rolling over the big toe. The final surgery and most painful was to put in two 2-inch screws into a joint in my forefoot that was non-functional. In the past, I had feet that were as flat as a duck. I thought I was born with no arches in my feet. This wasn’t true. Instead, I have a joint that is broke. The simple solution to that busted joint was put two screws in it to make it rigid, thereby giving me a fixed arch.

Biking in the surgical boot, also deciding that 6 months of inactivity isn\’t good for the waistline.

The results:
My ankle is awkwardly stable. It has not felt this tight, ever. I don’t completely trust it yet, but I am running, mountain biking, tele-mark skiing and back in Tae Kwon Do. I don’t notice the notch that was cut in the ankle or my gastroc tendon. The screws however, man do they bother me. Everytime I jump in TKD, the screws hurt. If I walk long distances or even short ones, the screws hurt. If my ski boots are cold, it feels like someone is jamming a knife in my forefoot. Hence my logical decision to start running barefoot, or at least in sandals.

I have to admit that I read “Born To Run” and was really intrigued. I have had this idea floating around in my head, placed there no doubt by my rolfer friends, that if I strengthened my arch by strolling around in flip-flops most of the time I would be able to do my favorite things with limited to no pain. Thanks Amy and Judy Koons.

I haven’t tried Vibram 5 Finger toes, but I have toe socks from running ultras that drive me nuts. I think my pinky toes are too fat to wear them, seriously. I decided after hiking 4 miles in flip flops in the CO mountains that I would give Barefoot Ted and his sandals a whirl. I’ll write up a post describing how not to start running in sandals soon. I’ll also probably post a poll about whether people prefer shoes (crazy ), sandals or 5 fingers, because I am curious.

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