running and wish list

i'm a big fan of making list. i even like to make a list after i'm done doing things just for the satisfaction of crossing things off a list. i also like to make goals, some big but mostly all small, and follow up with myself to see how far i've come and also just how far we have to go... so a while back on one of my post were these four wishes:


4 things on my wish list

* paying off adam's student loans 

* more photography props

* a magic wand to teach me photoshop

* being a barefoot runner!!

i'm happy to report that they are all trucking along - but - being a barefoot runner is the one i'm most excited about right now. i ran seven miles on sunday barefoot and it sparked a lot of conversation via facebook - so i wanted to share the who, what, where and why i decided barefoot is the route for me. 

these are the "shoes" i wear. through the mud, water, bark, asphalt and gravel. yes, they are on my kitchen table, don't judge, i've cleaned it - my husband didn't want the dogs to chew them :) 

as i kid. i ran and ran and ran and ran... as soon as the snow was melted and i could be outside - i was - and i was outside barefoot. all summer long. unless of course my dad yelled at me to put shoes on - or - i had just gotten a new pair of shoes because i love the smell of new shoes. when we were living in texas and doing jay johnson's bootcamp, barefoot Kevin, was one of our trainers. sometimes he wore these shoes but mostly, he wore nothing (shoes people, shoes). all the five fingers do is protect your feet a little bit from the terian. i say a little because it still hurts when gravel gets penetrated onto the soul of your foot with such a tiny bit of rubber protecting you. so of course, they look funny - and i asked kevin, "why do you run in these?" his answer, "it's how we are designed to run" - right right - weirdo - but the those words and his explanation of how we are suppose to run - made total sense to me. 

i got the shoes this year for my birthday, mid training for this next half and didn't really know how you were suppose to "start running" in them - i looked online at a lot of different sites and blogs and they all said, run 1/2 mile or a mile at a time, start out slow... me... start off slow? you've got to be kidding me. Then there's a whole new method of "pose" running to run correctly - So I figured that I start when this half was done - because 1/2 mile or a 1 mile run isn't part of the "training guide". as my five fingers were sitting in my closet I swear i heard them all night just crying for me to put them on. so i would. to play inside, work outside on the lawn or run to the store. and i did run a mile in them on the treadmill one day - just for kicks. it felt great. 

sunday came, long run day for training. adam was in chicago all weekend and i figured - if my feet hurt, i'll turn around, if they feel great - i'll keep going. so i packed up my waterbottle, some gu chews, my ipod, my garmin, and put my five fingers on my feet. i headed out the door to run on some trails by our house. next thing you know - i looked down and i had run a mile... felt good... kept going - next thing you know - i looked down again - 3.44 miles - not kidding. i love the quote "run the mile you are in" because typically running isn't all enjoyment for me and i find myself looking down at my garmin maybe a little too often - i was running about 45 seconds faster a mile on my pace - no joke. any runner knows that some days - the runners high starts before it really even begins - i'm not sure if i was just in my groove, proud of myself for wearing the shoes or what it was - but regardless - i kept trucking along. by the time i got close to my house i was a little over six miles... i had a tiny bit of pain in my left big toe. that's it! i got home and had the biggest smile on my face. and my knees didn't start throbbing right away - they actually never started throbbing - which is just down right amazing! yesterday - i was a tiny bit sore under my calf and getting up this morning - just a little more sore - but that's it folks... i think that this barefoot running just might become a way of life for me! 

here's the link where you can learn more about the science behind it, where to buy them and stories of other people who live there life this way... and the link for a book about a tribe in mexico that's been doing this centuries - and they happen to be the fastest runners on the planet. it's a great book and full of inspiration! 

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303

again, they do NOT recommend going from one mile to seven - but i spend 90% of my days - with no shoes on - i work in my house and i don't wear heels except on very special occasions.