My foray into “barefoot” running…

So, last Thursday, I finally picked up my birthday gift that had been on backorder since the middle of September…

…a pair of Merrell Barefoot Running Trail Glove shoes. Yay!

I’ve been working at getting back into running more frequently but both pairs of shoes I already own have little-to-no tread or cushioning left from my Parkour days. I knew I needed a new pair but I had been hearing so much about how good the barefoot running (shoes) were supposed to be for your feet and posture that I wouldn’t even entertain the idea of buying anything else.

FINALLY, I got them last week, and finally I broke them in on Sunday.

The inside of the box cleverly reads “Let your feet lead you”. I like it because its pseudo-spiritual tone appeases my inner treehugger while its instructional value appeases my inner dork. Simply stated, “Don’t be an idiot and try to run your usual distance your first time out. Your feet will hate you. Your body will hate you. Your co-workers will hate you for whining about how much your ‘feet hate you’.”

I decided to keep it low-key and just run 1K and holy smokes! I felt the strain in my Achilles tendons right away then in my calves almost immediately after. It was extremely hard to maintain a casual pace. Without my heels touching I kept propelling myself faster — it’s more of a sprint-like foot position in those shoes — and after 1K, I was spent. Eeeesh!

I loved them. They are incredibly light and I felt like I was flying. However, 1.17 km and two days later, my calves hate me. But my co-workers don’t… they’ve just been laughing.

I can’t wait for the pain to go away. I’ve got 1.18 km in my sights and I’m gettin’ antsy.

[steelie]