Run #11

Today I thought I'd just keep all the muscles, ligaments, tendons and pads worked by walking my running route. But after around 15 minutes I felt the pain on the bruised foot was bearable to try a soft run. So I completed 70% of the course running.

One thing about being barefoot is you are in tune with the feedback from the whole area that's engaged in the running. I could feel all sorts of things going on, from arch stretch, the muscle on the top of the foot, my 4th toe on the right, my left Achilles heel and the bruise.

Well the bruise was shouted out by the surrounding feedback from other areas of my feet and lower legs. Nothing major. But there was a lot of feedback.

I decided to stay on the grass for most of the run. Last week I made the mistake of going onto hard terrain for too long, which aggravated my bruise. Tomorrow I won't run into work.

I had no pain in the knee which was great seeing as that's the area I most of all want to see can handle running again.

I was once again in jeans as I set out for a walk only.

I bumped into a retired podiatrist. He told me he used to recommend barefoot walking in the fields to build up foot strength. He was very pleased to see some barefoot running. He must of been 80+. Old school.

It just shows how humans often come back to natural ways of doing things.

I want to mention again that my ankle seems to have cleared out a stiffness that was developing. My niggly lower back is also loads better. When I used to do extended walks I'd get pain in my lower back after a while. I don't get that anymore. Also a nerve pain in the top of my leg near the hip is slowly improving as well.

To be honest I wasn't feeling fully happy with the way my body was falling back and picking up stiffness. Tai Chi is supposed to keep us fluid and supple. I suspected that there was a missing element and now I believe I've found it through barefoot practice.

I've found the barefoot book by Daniel Howell very informative. Its got a lot of the science behind barefoot versus shoes.