Its been an odd year for my running. This year running has become part of my life. Its routine, at work I get random people who have seen me get my running gear on and head out the door say "hows your running" etc not people I have spoken to, or know well, running is a good way to make friends.
There have been some other transformations in my running this year, for example my lunchtime runs have become a social event. I also seem to be holding up the motivation for our little running troop, yesterday when I bailed on a 5k no one went, which is kind of annoying. I don't want that much influence over peoples motivation.
I have had some injury and sickness issues, with hurt Glutes, and a bad back making running hard at times, and necessary in my back treatment.
But that was all last year.
This year has started well, a good 10k with the boys back at work, a 5k with my sister in law who is visiting, and a 2k run in my vibram five fingers.
I plan to do more in my five fingers this year, and would like to get to the point where I am running the majority of my runs in them, I really like the way that I felt connected with the ground without the cushioning of my kayanos. It was a strange sensation running in them, at first it was like I had forgotten to put my shoes on, then I noticed that I was kind of leaning forward more than I normally do, and then it just felt natural, and that is what its all about.
For anyone wondering why I would do this, here is the dot points on barefoot (minimalist in my case) running:
- The human body was designed to run without shoes.
- cushioning in shoes was developed by marketing experts who were trying to solve an issue that didnt exist
- by running barefoot you use your legs, butt and back in the way that nature (or you chosen deity) meant for them to be used.
- the impact on your feet is less than with cushioned shoes due to your brain registering something hard under your feet and stopping you pushing down harder.
So I have joined the group of strange people who own/wear vibram five fingers. For anyone who doesn't know what these are, they are a rubber sole with a lycra top and some bits of Velcro to hold it all together. see the below picture.
