The other day I went for a walk.
I could walk or run in the country behind my home. But, the corn is so high (and everywhere), the pollen is annoying, the dust from the gravel roads is…dusty. I am sneezing and clausterphobic a the thought of it. So, I opted for a very short walk from my house to the new high school track.
As I was stretching, I started thinking about massage and then ashiatsu. My mind wandered.
What about barefoot running? I hear about it all the time! Could I do it? Would I like it? What would the high school kids think as they saw this crazy lady running around the track with no shoes and her 5th generation iPod?
I like to grip and feel the ground. It brings me back to the days of gymnastics and running on the springy floor, or down the vault runway. I loved the feel of my feet hitting the floor or ground. Shoes just feel so awkward to me sometimes. I and I am sure many of you barefoot massage practitioners feel the same way.
I decided I wanted to try it.
Just not that day.
I needed to do a little research first.
I am not an expert on barefoot running. But here are some articles (read the comments too) about barefoot running:
Reuters
Chris McDougall
Runners World
I know I do not want any wounds on my soft, working feet. I want to protect them. Shoe companies have developed “minimalist running shoes” to help those who would like to try barefoot running, but protect their feet a little more. I am looking into those now.
Do you run barefoot too? I would appreciate some feedback!
