Friday 24 February 2012

It's not over yet!

I haven't blogged here for a while. It's not because I've given up on barefoot running - in fact, I'm still as convinced as ever that it's the way to go.

I've been doing lots of research on the subject.  I've been doing 100-ups. And every time I go for a run in my trainers, I finish it with a series of reps up and down the side of the house in my bare feet. Ok, this probably only amounts to about 100 metres in total, but it's a start.  I've also increased my cadence signficantly.  Oh - and I should mention that I obsessively analyse every part of my running route looking for potential 'quiet' places where I might eventually be brave enough to take off my trainers and try a barefoot run in public.

What I have noticed from these small but significant changes are that I don't seem to have so many aches and pains after a run (perhaps this is down to the fact that I've only done sub 4 miles for a while).  However, today I ran the furthest I've done for a while - 6.5 miles, and I felt great.  Legs felt springy, nothing really hurting (yet) like I'd usually feel after 6 miles.  The only niggle I've got is around my ankle joints - they just feel a little tired and well-exercised.  I'm convinced this is down to my increased cadence and gentler footfall.  I've also noticed that I'm much faster running downhill - I think I'm losing that 'braking' effect from not having my knees bent enough.

Hopefully, as the weather improves, and more people are out and about in sandals and flip flops I'll feel confident enough to actually run down my road without shoes.  For now, I'll hang on to my secret squirrel technique, lurking between houses and scouring quiet country lanes!