Early this morning I got up and got ready to go for a jog with my running partner Marco. We agreed to meet at 7 am. I got ready and I text him, but no reply. I knew that he was going to be out late with family, so I figured he got in late and was still asleep. At 8 he replied and we decided to go out for a run at that moment.
I usually pick him up and decide where we run. This time I asked him to pick me up. He decided that we head out to Lake Artemesia and run away from the lake through one of the many trails that feed into the trail that circumvents the lake. Once we got there, we decided to just do laps around the lake.
A couple of days ago I was at Costco buying some things. I noticed that they were selling a new model of Adidas running shoe on a pallet stack. They almost always offer an affordable running shoe aside from their Kirkland store brand. In the past, I've owned 2 pairs of running shoes from there. They were both good utilitarian running shoes. That day the fact that they were advertised as "trail running" shoes made me decide to buy them. My last pair of shoes were by Adidas, a shoe known as the Energy Boost. I paid $150 for them when they debuted about 6 months ago. They had a new technology in the foam that formed the heel. I loved running in them for the last 5 months. Unfortunately like any other shoe, they wore out with use.
Yesterday morning I went to the gym. I wore my new shoes. I immediately noticed how tight they were. I know that sometimes new shoes need a few uses to be broken in and adjust to your feet. I got on the elliptical for 20 minutes and seemed to be getting used to the fit. After lifting weights, I ran a little to see how they affected my feet. They were tight but the more I ran the less I felt it. The only persistent problem was my corns were bothering me.
This morning when I was getting ready, I specifically chose the thinnest pair of socks I could find. I slip my socks on, then I put on the shoes. They were so tight that as I walked in them, I could feel my corns rub against the inside of the shoe. I immediately took them off. I took of the socks off and decided to wear them without socks. They felt much better.
As we start off on the trail, my feet feel fine. I'm keeping a steady pace. Towards the end of the first lap, I start feeling a tightness in the heel. The more I ran the more I noticed how tight they felt. Especially around the toes. Close to the end of the 2nd lap I could not run so I had to walk. At the end of the lap there are some benches. I sit down and take the shoes off. My toes are so sore. You can see the creases on the top my foot, where the shoe was squeezing it. The longer I sat the more my feet felt re-energized and free of pain.
About a week ago, I was running on a nearby trail. I'm making a turn as I see another runner zipping towards me. He was thin, with a mustache and glasses. The thing that caught me by surprise was the fact that he was running completely barefoot. In the past I have read articles about the pros and cons of running barefoot. I know that some runners only run barefoot, to the extent of completing all 26.2 miles of a marathon without shoes. I didn't think it was something I could ever do.
After sitting there for a while, I decided to get up and do one more lap walking. I never put my shoes back on. I instead I tied the laces together and hung them over my shoulder. After a few steps, which felt a million times better then they did while wearing the shoes, I began to run. I didn't plan to continue, I just wanted to see how it felt. My feet landed on the concrete in it's most natural angle and curve. I didn't feel any pain or strain. I just kept going. I was following the curves, and hills of the trails. As I passed other runners, walkers and cyclists, I wondered what they thought when they noticed I was barefoot.
When I was halfway through the 3rd lap, another runner is coming towards me. She was about 50 wearing sunglasses. She stops in her tracks and asks me, with a German accent, if I was running barefoot. I proudly announced, yes. She shared with me that she once tried it and got a bunch of blisters. She seemed amazed and concerned, so she suggested I run in the grass. I thanked her and went on my way. I did try to run in the grass. It was dewy so it refreshed my feet. I soon got back on the asphalt trail, because I have seen dog poop on the grass in the past and was scared to step on it or something sharp camouflaged my the grass blades.
I kept my pace and continued on to finished my 3rd lap. In total, I ran 1.43 miles without shoes and 4.31 miles total. I made it back to the benches where I started. I felt fine. I waited for Marco to finish his 4th lap. As we walked back to the car, I did feel a slight burn on the ball of my right foot. What do you know, it was a damned blister.
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