I have a new goal, and I think it is attainable. Once I thought bare foot running would never be possible for me. More recently I have thought bare foot running on difficult surfaces (gravelly New Hampshire trails, for instance) would not be possible. But after some encouraging words from Stomper at BRS, and after having succeeded on roads in a way I never thought possible, I am inspired to work on this problem.
So for the past few days I have been taking short walks on my road, which is conveniently made of gravel. It gets pretty rough, with every imaginable surface available, as it turns from a gravel road into a woods trail. What I am finding is that my feet are adapting! I really think this is going to work, and that is very exciting. Almost as exciting as my earlier realization that I could actually run barefoot on roads.
The big key to this was realizing that I need to start by walking, and work slowly up to running.
On another note, last night I was in town with my family, and we were going to stop to meet my daughter at "Boloco" (a burrito place). When I jumped out of the car, my flip flops were in the back, and I said "ah, what the hey, I'll go without them". It was funny how liberating that felt. Lot's of times I'll carry them around town, but to go out without them entirely was different. Then we ended up going into Boloco! And I was barefoot! I felt like such a rebel. Simple fun.
So for the past few days I have been taking short walks on my road, which is conveniently made of gravel. It gets pretty rough, with every imaginable surface available, as it turns from a gravel road into a woods trail. What I am finding is that my feet are adapting! I really think this is going to work, and that is very exciting. Almost as exciting as my earlier realization that I could actually run barefoot on roads.
The big key to this was realizing that I need to start by walking, and work slowly up to running.
On another note, last night I was in town with my family, and we were going to stop to meet my daughter at "Boloco" (a burrito place). When I jumped out of the car, my flip flops were in the back, and I said "ah, what the hey, I'll go without them". It was funny how liberating that felt. Lot's of times I'll carry them around town, but to go out without them entirely was different. Then we ended up going into Boloco! And I was barefoot! I felt like such a rebel. Simple fun.