The Adventures of Barefoot Trail Running

I went out to the forest today, and as quite often happens after my initial run I took off my shoes and went out for a barefoot run. Just over 6km today.

I used to be quite shy about running barefoot, fearing what people might say to me. But I don't care now, people give me amusing looks and occasionally the odd remark. An old lady walking her dog today said 'You're brave!'. I just chuckled, I'm the one having fun!

The hardest thing I find with running in shoes is keeping by breathing at a steady rate. I either have to go at a slow pace 9-10min/mile, or I'm often stopping to calm my breathing down.

When I take my shoes off it's completely different. No struggling at all. The terrain dictates the speed, and running faster even feels easier. The feedback from my bare feet allows me to activate the right muscles at the right time, making me more efficient and using less energy. Its like your whole body is in sync!

There were lots of big puddles to run through today, and the sun had warmed them up nicely making a lovely warm bath for my feet every time.

Anyway, 15km in all today :-)