is like being a born again human. there’s primal joy and connection that comes with running in the woods ‘barefoot’. i signed up for 18 mile trail run this november so i needed to pick up my training. just been averaging 4-6 miles on a regular basis near the home but it’s been a long time since i ran in the trails. i got myself some new vibram five fingers designed for trial running and it definitely lives up to it’s design. i was running on some gnarly loose dirt and steep hills and the traction of the shoots was awesome. normally i run in my new balance mimmus shoes, which is also barefoot style but not as hard core as the vibrams. as much as i love the new balance shoes, i have to admit the vibrams are better for strengthening the right muscles for barefoot running. i got the vibrams a few years ago but i got the road running style and although i did run a half marathon with them, once i tried out the new balance, i didn’t go back to the vibrams. I have ran with the new balance on the trails before and it’s good but not as good as the new vibrams for feeling the earth and connecting with my feet. undoubtedly, having ‘no support’ from these shoes have gave me a lot more confident in running because i had been prone to sprain ankles before these bare foot style shoes. there were numerous times i hit really uneven road on the run yesterday and i can tell my ankle/foot reaction much more naturally and avoided spraining my ankle. anyway, i am now beginning to have some fear/respect for the 18 mile trail run because with elevation changes/trails, it’s a whole different story. i actually walked over 15% of my run yesterday which i would never do if i was running in the streets. it’s amazing how much elevation can kick your ass. pain was good though, i knew it was growing my muscles!
