My first attempt to run barefoot begins damply. I realize that the gym wipe package inside my bag has leaked gym wipe juice all over my running shorts. I won’t see anyone I know, so I don’t care if it looks like I wet my pants. I jam two wipes in my pocket in case I need to clean my feet afterward. The shorts are dry within two minutes of running outside, one of the benefits of unnatural fibers.
I start with shoes on and I’m off into the mid-day sunshine, running on the rutted dirt surface of road construction for the first mile or so. I see the Santa Rita Mountains still have snow on them even though it’s about 70 degrees here in the valley. I reach my barefoot running destination, a lake and park in a master-planned community known to some as Rancho Stucco. Not it’s real name. Mexican tile roofs are packed tightly around the lake. Beautiful grass awaits my tender feet.
Off with my shoes and onto the grass I go. It feels delicious. I follow the lightly trodden grass trail around the edge of the sidewalk. Sometimes, I have to run on the sidewalk because a picnic table or bench blocks my way. Though the cement is slippery, it feels shiny and new. From the start, I can tell my stride has changed, it’s a little shorter and I’m not as bouncy. I’m gliding almost gazelle-like. I’m not running faster, but I’m definitely running lighter. My heart rate seems to be about the same as it was with shoes, in the low-160s every time I glance at my heart rate monitor. This heart rate is slightly above my lactic threshold (LT), the place where my heart is working to maximize my body’s efforts. It’s an effort I can maintain for an hour, sometimes more.
I run to the end of the lake then turn back and return to where I left my shoes. I’ve run eight or nine minutes, a little under a mile. My glutes feel slightly tighter than usual, and my ankles feel contracted in front. I sit down to check the state of my soles, not one grass stain, just a little dusty. I gym wipe them anyway. Socks and shoes back on, I see two co-workers from the Parks and Recreation Department by the drinking fountain. I just tried some barefoot running, I say. They are less impressed than they should be, more concerned about workers repairing the amphitheater than any actual recreation at their park.
So I hit the sidewalk, pavement, and rutted dirt shoulders back to work. I enjoy the cushioning, but not the weight. And my feet feel really hot. Where is the cool breeze on my toes? Where is the soft grass? I run in the modest shade of young mesquite trees. I run in the blazing sun. I dodge the road construction watering truck and see my office building ahead. It seems quite far away. I look at my heart rate monitor and see 182, an effort I can sustain for 15 seconds, usually less. I begin to run extremely slowly. Am I on the right side of this barbed wire fence? It’s hard to tell with the scattered construction pylons and assorted utility trucks.
I’m back at my office building for a short cool-down walk, a quick shower, and back in my work clothes. I’ve clocked exactly one hour for lunch, and run a little over four miles. I’ve tried the latest running fad and pronounced it good. More barefoot running is in my future.
Avg HR: 154, Max HR: 184, 42 minutes, a little over 4 miles, 389 calories burned
For more info on running barefoot: Born to Run, by Charles McDougal and Harvard University's Biomechanics of Footstrikes .
Post script: What are these “gym wipes”? They are mandatory for everyday adventures: a bath on the go, a handy way to wash your hands, a refreshing facial. I use drug store brand “toddler wipes,” in a re-sealable package. Just make sure it reseals.
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