Felt the ground for the first time today

Distance: 2 mi

Time: 22 min

Intervals Run/Walk: No

After reading and rereading a plethora of information (everything I could find) about how to run barefoot (see runningbarefoot.org under 'How' and 'Beginning' for some of the best info) and scouring YouTube for any how-to-run-barefoot videos I woke up early this morning ready to head out the door and experience running the "real way" for the first time.

My plan was simple, I would keep all the info that I had learned in the back of my mind, take it easy, and simply focus on relaxing, relaxing, relaxing while listening to my feet as I worked my way to the jogging path .5 mi from the doorstep and then turn back for home (I also wore the heart rate monitor to help me keep my pace in check). Well, it wasn't quite as easy as I had hoped. Relaxing is a lot harder than it should be by any measure, my shoulders would creep up, my neck would stiffen, and my ankles would try and lock in place. I fell into a pattern of loosening my body from the head down and as I got down to my toes I would start over.

Soon I found myself approaching the jogging path and I felt that I had a good rhythm down, my body was staying relaxed more naturally now, though my right ankle had a hard time staying loose and would remain tight for the rest of the run. I ended up turning down the jogging path another .5 mi, logging a total of 2 mi for my first run. It was too much looking back on it, but it was fun. I ended up with 2 significant blisters, one on my second toe on the left foot and one on the fourth toe on the right, but they don't hurt too bad and I expected it since I need to work on my form. There are tiny and not so tiny muscles (like my calves) that are aching, but in the good way, I haven't ever used these muscles before since they've been bound up in my shoes all these years. The aches are DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) and will go away in a day or too leaving me stronger.

Now for the good: though I had to work at staying relaxed I have to say that I was completely sold on running barefoot, the sensation was amazing, feeling the ground, feeling my body move so naturally, feeling the bounce in my cadence, feeling the smile on my face--it was incredible!

In short: I loved it, I loved it because it felt so natural, I loved it because I could feel the ground  (grass, cement, asphalt, all of it), I loved it because my feet were cool and comfortable, and most of all I loved it because it was the first pain free run of my life!!!