Run #112

Barefoot walk/run:
Since I pushed a little too far on the barefoot stuff yesterday, I limited it today. I did a short barefoot warm-up walk (.235 miles) and ran the same distance back home. Then I put my shoes on and did a run. On the way home I did the last .28 miles barefoot. My feet felt pretty good today, and I definitely am getting more of the hang of this, but it is a slow learning process, and honestly that's frustrating. I want to just be able to go out and run 9 miles this Saturday barefoot, and of course I'm not even CLOSE to being ready to do that! I think this barefoot thing is going to be awesome in the long run, but in the short run I need to find a way to be patient with the process.

Total barefoot walk/run: .75 miles, 11:40 (15:33/mile)

Shoes-on run:
This wasn't an easy run, and I didn't enjoy it much. It was really humid. I was trying to adjust my form to a more barefoot-style (shorter stride, no heel strike, hips forward, keeping foot strike under my body instead of in front of it), but that's hard with shoes! So I felt like I was fighting the whole time. I'm not sure if I should just use my old form with shoes on, and work on my new form when I'm barefoot, or keep trying to apply the new form to shod running (which is the advice I've read.) Or maybe I just need to not think so hard about it all! I mean, I will be able to keep increasing my barefoot time, so eventually this won't even be an issue. And my body's been doing pretty well running with shoes so maybe I just need to do what's comfortable and not think so much about form. I don't know...figuring it out as I go!

Happy moment of the run--seeing another runner and smiling as we passed each other. I really enjoy those brief encounters with other members of the "club"!

Total shoes-on run: 2.81 miles, 33:17 (11:50/mile)

Total RUNNING distance/time (barefoot and shod): 3.33 miles, 39:27 (11:50/mile)
75 degrees, 95% humidity--ick! Thankfully it was completely cloudy, no sun issues at all. The streets were still somewhat wet from overnight rains. Not the prettiest day, but I'm glad I could be out there running in it!