Monday, October 11, 2010

Barefoot Running

In honor of the first annual barefoot in NY City I went for a barefoot run yesterday. I love the freedom of just showing up to the park, taking off my shoes and going. I have started wearing regular shorts and t-shirts, just to be more anti-running gear. I especially enjoy passing someone in all their fancy running gear because it really reinforces the fact that the big money advertisers lead us to believe we need all this special gear to get in shape. Yes, I was one of those NIKE from head to toe guys. While I was running a girl, rather attractive I might add, caught up to me and asked if I ever step on pebbles etc. So, let me discuss what I have learned from barefootin. I started at the track. While the track feels like sandpaper, it is forgiving and it is usually around a football field. I started by running one mile, then sprinting 100 yd dashes on grass. I felt that my form came very naturally, meaning I landed on my front pads without thinking about it. I did already have my Vibram five fingers, but did not use then. I also never went back to running shoes, as I did not want to confuse my body or mind. After a month of exclusively running at the track I moved to the park paved trails. What I found was that I was so aware of the ground that even if I did step on something I was able to pull up and therefore did not hurt my feet at all. The only thing that has ever hurt, and in a good way, is my calves. I have always wanted those well formed calves and now I can feel them getting a better workout. The biggest irony, thanks to CW, is that I used to tell my brother-in-law he was landing wrong when all along he was the one running "naturally". I look forward to next spring and getting more mile in. However, now I have to start thinking about where to run in the winter. I think I will go to the indoor track at Whitmore Lake High School, but have to play around with barefoot vs Vibram's.

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