Rasita My Family, My Animals, My Food

For the last couple of weeks I have run barefoot at Thursday night’s training. There is quite a number of people there who run barefoot.

I always thought that you ran with your joggers on, and never really questioned running any differently. There is one guy in our club, that almost always runs barefoot, whether we be at the track, a club run, or some other event. I have only seen him once wear a special pair of sandals for running on unknown ground.

Well, my husband has been talking to him, and last week I had a blister the size of a 10cent coin on my heal so it was a case of run barefoot or don’t run at all. I ran barefoot. I felt comfortable running on the grass track and was able to keep up my walk/jog routine for 15 laps (6km) with no discomfort at all.

This week, my shins and knees were a little sore (possibly due to the 2km mountain road climb we did the day before), so 2 laps in to the 3km time trial I hurriedly took off my shoes, carried them around half the track and threw them off to the side, running in just my socks. My knees were still a little sore, and I felt that slowed me down some, but my shins felt fine once out of the shoes. Apart from my shins feeling better, I felt myself cool a little, which made it easier to cope with the running. I did that night in 24:04 (mins:secs), which is my best time yet, and my starting time for the year.

I will possibly run barefoot again next week, keeping the shoes for the off track stuff.

To read about barefoot running, go and visit watzzupsport