I'm back!!! What have I been up to since January of 2011? I was barefoot and pregnant :) Due to complications I had to stop running. But baby Benjamin was born on November 18 and so last week I ran my first miles in quite a long time. Absence really did make my heart grow fonder...I have hit the trail with a renewed excitement for barefoot running and running in general. I didn't adequately appreciate the physical and mental strength that I experienced from running until I didn't have it any more. I ran twice last week and both times I felt absolutely euphoric at the end!
A smarter runner probably would have transitioned back into running by walking first or following a run/walk method...but not me. Like an animal that had been caged for months, I took off running...well okay it was more like jogging. Friday, 12/23, I ran a little over a mile in my most recent aquisition - my Vibram Five Fingers Bikila LS's (the ones with the laces - the top of my left foot rises slightly higher than my right and the laces make it possible to adjust for the differences which is something I couldn't do with the other models of VFF's). On Sunday, I ran a few blocks short of a mile in my VFF's then bared my soles for the last part of the 1.5mi run. That would be just over a half-mile of barefoot bliss. We ran on the roads and sidewalks around our neighborhood. We must have been quite a sight for the neighbors on Sunday...me with my naked feet and Ben running backwards (he does this on purpose to strengthen the tendons around his knees).
Speaking of aquisitions, today I ordered a new pair of running shoes from A Running Start in West Reading (thanks for your help Sorita!)...a pair of Newton MV^2's ! Newton Running shoes have been around a long time and they were/are frontrunners in promoting the benefits of the natural running form. True barefoot running and running in minimalist footwear like Newton Running shoes encourages a midfoot strike which is the most natural and efficient way to run (http://www.newtonrunning.com/run-better/optimal-running-form). I still very much love my VFF's and I intend to do a lot of bf running but the Merrell Gloves didn't work out for me (they kept giving me blisters) and I still wanted a running shoe that I could not only run in but also feel socially acceptable while walking around in public places... VFF's are becoming accepted among runners but the mall and the grocery store are filled with people who just don't get it .
So what is next? I have the shoes and I am beginning to reacclimate my soles to bf'ing so now I am considering my goals for the new year. I am thinking that 250 miles barefoot would be a nice accomplishment. I would like to fit in a half-marathon and a mud run. This year I am going more for increased distance rather than speed...although it would be nice to set a new PR in the 5K.
Hope to see you out there...Happy Running!