I read a lot of blogs and forums about running, and a lot about barefooting. Most of them say "add some barefoot time at the end of your longer runs while transitioning...". So, naturally, I put the barefoot time at the start of a run, and found myself a long way from home with blisters, with a long ugly trudge home in the fingens, which, as I noted last night, feel like clogs after the nudie time. With the blisters, it was also an unnervingly squishy way home, too (no they're not very big, but when you're tired, they feel like waterbeds.......)
So, I've learned something else.
My barefoot form feels light and smooth and, apart from the toughening up required, I think it's quite pleasant. Suddenly my much-loved fingens feel bloody awful! I recall saying "I can never go back to shoes now", when the fingens came along - is this the final step?
About the run: 12km 1:02:16, so not a walk. The first 4km was barefoot and I must say that doing it at night probably makes it easier, because there is no second-guessing of the surface. This run was, frankly, too long, but by the time I admitted it to myself, it was half done. I am favouring my cankles, with some tightness creeping in on the outer sides of my lower calves, particularly during the VFF return trip - I feel it was due to poor form putting more impact into the stride, as I was making sure my heel touched down securely and I was staying off my toes.
2 x 15 minutes with ice, compression and elevation for the evening will tell me how much too far tomorrow.
As for the parallel universe - I have a new (potential) client coming in tomorrow. Always enthusing to have someone new come by. Getting excited about projects (and helping other people get excited about opportunities) is something I do well - doesn't always mean the enthusiasm turns into a job, but it makes for enjoyable meetings.
Instead of trying for a witty image inclusion for the day (I tried taking a photo of my blisters and decided against posting it), here's a link I've wanted to put up for a while - my brother's photography site, while living in Beijing.....
The gallery is a collection of incredible images - take a look. No, not just a shameless family plug - it's amazing!
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