Fact Check Before Believing

I know another political post, what can I say, I live in New Hampshire and it is in our blood.  

The above image is going around on Facebook and after a bit of research I have found it to be 100% false. Lincoln was never elected for President as a member of a third party. In 1860 Lincoln was a member of the Republican party which held a collation majority in the House.

Below they have added a vote for Lincoln is a vote for Douglas. Lincoln was the only Northern and Republican candidate running for office, while the South split their vote between three candidates: The Democrat party split into two groups, John Breckenridge (Southern Democrat), Stephen Douglas (Democratic), with John Bell being a true third party candidate (the Constitutional Union Party). The election was won by Lincoln only because the North had more electoral votes than the South and Lincoln won all the Northern States. So the added statement is even a bigger falsehood.

Now without the added notation on the bottom you could take this to mean because the South split their vote three ways they lost the election and if they hadn't wasted their vote on someone other than Stephen Douglas, the South would have won the election and we would not have gotten Lincoln. This is still false since Lincoln won enough electoral votes in the North to win the election.

Lesson is don't believe anything on Facebook, unless you spend the time to check it out. All to often something looks good so we share it and only add to the problem. Same goes for the media cause they mislead you as well and have their own agenda. It use to be the media could tell no falsehood, now it is they can say anything as long as they do not KNOW it is false. That is a big difference, they no longer feel they have the obligation to fact check themselves first.

And above all be respectful of the other candidates and especially be respectful of whom ever becomes President no matter what you think of them. We need to teach our children how to be respectful and it doesn't work if we aren't respectful to those in authority over us.

Should we only vote for a moral president?

I can't take it any longer and I must speak out.  I don't want my blog over run by politics, but I must speak out on several issues.  So here goes the first of several post on the current state of our election process and the grumbling I hear all to often.  I'll try and keep it neutral. 

I will never select my president because they love to hike, no more than I would hire my plumber, carpenter or investment broker on the fact that they have hiked the Appalachian Trail from beginning to end. Now when I am choosing among equally qualified individuals, I will than and only than use other criteria to help me narrow down the choice. If they are a fellow hiker they get bonus points. But I will not chose someone just because they share my love for hiking.

There once was a murderer and adulterer and thief whom God was very pleased with and was willing enough to endorse him and call him a man after his own heart. HIs name was King David. You may try and argue the facts, but it will remain that King David was a horrible sinner, worthy of the death sentence by the rules of his own land. Jesus also called Matthew a tax collector and hot head and liar named Peter. And Peter was going to be the head pastor of his new Church. Yikes!

I'm not saying that we should not ignore the sins of those on our list of candidates, but rather focus more on the issues at hand. If two people running for office are almost equal on the issue, that are important to you, then you can take out the morality issues to help you make a final selection. On the other hand if one candidate was perfect and had no moral faults yet wanted to pass laws that would ban anyone over the age of 45 from hiking they probably would not get my vote, but I might let them do my plumbing if they were licensed.

Dirt Sidewalks

I see it has been a while since I last posted, so I felt an update was due.  If you have been following my blog you can see that my summer was full.  At the end of summer we had to shift gears and start getting ready for school.  New school supplies and clothes had to be purchased.  The new schedule for my oldest daughter, now in middle school, has me getting up an hour earlier and it is taking me way too long to adjust to my new schedule.  I think she is doing better than me.

I'm still barefooting it as much as possible.  A little funny if you were a fly on the wall.  I walk everywhere barefoot, but when I shop locally I put on my vivobarefoot sandals to enter the store.  It really feels a little backwards.  Usually one takes off shoes when you enter your home and here I am putting something on.

I am attending church Sunday nights barefoot and the other day the Pastor's wife laughed when she saw I was barefoot.  Not a bad laugh, but more from amusement that I was still barefoot.  Perhaps, since summer is now over.  Not sure what funny bone I hit, but at least I made someone smile.

Today I walked to and from work barefoot and the temperatures were below 50ºF on the way in and 57ºF on the way home.  I'm wondering how low I can go, so it should be an interesting fall.  On the way home I had the opportunity to walk on a section of sidewalk that had been torn up.  As I walked on the dirt I never knew what my feet were going to encounter underneath the top layer of sand.  It was also interesting to  note, that most of the shoed people seemed to be avoiding the now sand sidewalk and using the street.



There is one problem.  I am still developing a blister of sorts between my big toe and its neighboring toe.  I've seen a coach and he informs me I need to learn to activate different muscles and gave me some exercises to help me work towards this goal.  Of course being 50+ I have a lot of muscles that are no longer being used like they should, so hopefully this will help me out in the future as well.  But today I think my posture might be the biggest culprit.

My coach had discussed with me that I needed to activate my glutes more, which I never realized I don't really do while walking.  How's that possible, I'm not sure.  I had started walking differently and did notice a difference, but all of a sudden the blister comes back bigger than ever.  I realized that I had stopped walking in the way my coach suggested.  Today I tried his method again and I think it will help the blister problem.

Auto Dealership

Today started out pretty normal.  We got up and headed to our men's breakfast held on the last Saturday of every month.  Since I'm a single parent they allow me to bring my daughter, so the two boys, my daughter and myself all jumped into my van for the breakfast.  Then my van decided to give me trouble starting.  Last winter the battery would often be dead and I had worked trying to find what was draining the battery.  While the vehicle was in the transmission shop they said they found a short in the grounding line.  I thought that problem had been fixed, but maybe it hadn't.

I attended the men's breakfast barefoot as I had been for a while now and nobody said a word.  Afterwards we headed to the car dealership to see what we won on the flyer, (you know the kind that make it look like you won $25,000) we had received in the mail.  I told my daughter that we would be lucky to get $1 (we actually got $5).  I felt it would be a good lesson in how advertising works.

I only gave it a second thought before I decided to enter the store barefoot.  I was greeted normally and was escorted to a table to begin the dance.  As I walked past several of the other sales people they made comments about my barefeet.  I think one of them said I couldn't be there barefoot, but I just waved him off.  My salesman was treating me with respect and courtesy right from the start. 

While I was sitting at the table one of the sales people from the peanut gallery had found an extra pair of sneakers and walked over to offer them to me.  They were way too large and I told them I was all set.  During our negotiations one of my handlers mentioned that his uncle use to always be barefoot.  Not sure if I could believe him, but it was a nice way to try and smooth things over.  I took the comments as being playful and I don't think they meant to be offensive, though they may have been close to the line, but if you choose to be barefoot, you are bound to draw attention to yourself.

I took the vehicle for a test drive and than we got down to serious business.  I was not 100% sure if this was what I wanted so they sweetened the pot continually until I couldn't refuse.  I told them I wanted to take another look at the van and went out onto the blacktop on a bright sunny afternoon and spent a while "kicking the tire".  If this didn't show them I was a real barefooter, nothing would, that blacktop was very warm.

I was in the store at least four hours and barefoot the entire time and got no further comments until I went in to sign the papers.  When I arrived in the financial office to sign papers I was asked if I was always barefoot.  I told him as much as possible.  

So I learned not to teach my kid a lesson about advertising. Though if my van had started properly this morning I might have won out and drove away $5 richer.  But as it was my van was 16 years old, with 170,000 miles and numerous quirks.  It wouldn't last much longer before beginning to cost me a lot in repairs.

Amusement Park

Having foster kids has many rewards, most of them are not monetary, but today Canobie Lake Park offered free tickets to all foster and adopted children.  Those accompanying them would be charged only $10.  A very good deal and very nice of the park to offer.

Now the question is should I go barefoot.  I decided to enter the park with by Xeroshoes.  The park was paved and I was concerned about it getting too hot, but after a while my shoes started to bother me and I started walking around barefoot.  It did not seem to be an issue.

When we stood in line to purchase some refreshments the pavement did start to get hot, so I put my shoes on for a little while, but took them off once we got moving again.  We eventually arrived at a ride called the Boston Tea Party and it was a log ride where you got wet.  A sign stated shoes were required for the ride.  Considering that you can get really soaked on this ride, I thought it a very silly rule.  Since it was the rule, I took my sandals out to wear for the ride and after a short waiting line we were finally ready to board our own log and I was asked to put my shoes on.  

Leaving the area of wet rides we came to another sign that said shoes and shirts required beyond this point.  So the shoes went back on until we came to the next wet ride. To be fair some rides required shoes and shirts and they required a child in front of us to put his shirt on to ride, so at least they are consistent in enforcing the rules.

Overall I found the park barefoot friendly, except for being required to wear shoes while on most of the amusements.  They actually let you wander most of the park barefoot.  There are a few rides they allow you to go barefoot, and a couple rides even have spots to place  your shoes while you are on the ride.  Not all of those rides were water related either.

Having to put your shoes on for a water ride where you are sitting inside a log boat, with feet safely inside, has to be one of the silliest rules I have seen in a long time.  Considering the the shoe rule was enforced, consistently, politely, and only required on some rides,  I would say it had to be more insurance or some other engineering requirement than it is a simple dislike of barefeet.  I even ate at one of the sit down food places barefoot and didn't have any problems.

First Barefoot 5K Road Race

Last night I ran my first 5K road race barefoot.  My work offers to pay for the entry fee and also gets us t-shirts.  We gather together before the race and have our picture taken.  Then we split up to run the race and gather back afterwards for pizza.

Only one person in the office knows I run barefoot.  So I showed up wearing my old minimalist sneakers for the pictures.  Afterwards I snuck away and left my shoes in my cubical and walked down the stairs, hoping I would avoid meeting anyone.  As I exited the stairs a lady from accounting was just leaving the elevators and inquired if I ran in bare feet.  So much for stealth mode.

I stood in the shadows as much as possible before the race.  I was very nervous and could feel the adrenaline coursing through me.  Would the pavement be too hot, it was 93ºF and had been scorching hot all day.  Half the race was on older pavement, but the last half was on pavement laid down just last year and was still black.  I figured I could try and run on the concrete sidewalks if the pavement got too hot.  Also, my furthest distance running barefoot was 2 miles and on that run my legs began to stiffen up as I attempted to adapt to my new running form prescribed by my coach.  I figured I could run/walk the last mile or the whole race if needed.

I was in the middle of the pack and it took about 3 minutes to reach the starting line and then we were off.  The pavement was much cooler than I had expected, being shaded by the buildings along the street, the second half I was sure I wouldn't be so lucky.  As one runner passed me he commented on my bare feet and was duly impressed. Got at least one other positive comment as well, no negative remarks.

Around the mile mark we entered a residential area where the locals had put out a few sprinklers and hoses to help cool off the runners.  I didn't seem to get wet enough to make a difference.  At the water station I took a few sips and then just dumped the rest over my head.  With about a mile to go the fire department had set up the best sprinkler yet, it was more like a local rain shower.  That seem to help me a little bit. 

Around 2.2 I stopped running, which is now my longest barefoot run.  The rest was mostly walking with a few short runs.  At the very end of the race the city fire department had another hose showering the runners.  This location caused a large puddle to appear, which I gladly walked through, cooling off my feet.

I finished in 40:21, a few minutes slower than last year, but I'm very pleased.  It was 14 degrees hotter than last year, I was attempting to run using a new form I've just started working on and it was my first barefoot race. What more could I ask for.

After the race I went back to the office to grab my stuff and to grab a slice of pizza.  I went into the celebration room barefoot and while grabbing my slice to go and one of the guys commented on my footwear. 

Today at the office the lady from accounting asked if I ran the whole race barefoot and another lady inquired if she had heard correctly that I ran the race barefoot.  She was impressed but I could not convince her that my feet possessed no special powers.  So I guess half the office will know shortly that I ran the race barefoot.  This might be the best way to come out of the barefoot closet.

Longest Barefoot Streak at Day 5

Today we pack up our wet camp and head home.  It is an easy day on the feet as most of it is spent at the campsite packing up or on paved surfaces, no gravel paths today.  I'm pleased with how fast my feet are getting conditioned.

On the way home I stopped at a mom and pop store to pick up a drink and as I walked up to the cashier it seemed as though she noticed my feet and had a slight look of disapproval.  But she said nothing and treated me cordially when I checked out.  She probably figured I would be gone in a minute and I wasn't worth the effort of reminding me that shoes are needed to shop.

After unpacking at home I was very hungry so we walked over to the Bamboo Garden and ordered enough food for a few days.  I didn't want to have to cook again tomorrow.  My mother had also cooked us a boiled dinner, so I'm all set for a few days at least.

Over the past five days I have visited 9 different stores.  We actually went into the store at Gunstock to buy supplies on two separate days.  It was a very successful barefoot outing.  Can't wait till my next one.

Where My Journey Started

I was surprised after yesterday that my feet just don't feel as sore or bad as they did yesterday.  I definitely was missing the soft comfort of shoes for a while.  But today they feel a lot better and the draw of shoes has lessened.

It poured out late afternoon for about 15 minutes.  Afterwards I saw a lot of people walking around barefoot, though it didn't seem to last long.  On the walk back after the evening concerts the ground felt totally different then it had in the past few days.  While earlier it felt hard and unyielding, after the rain it felt softer.  It felt like the earth had become a sponge and had soaked up much of the rain.

This makes four straight days of being 100% barefoot, a new record for me and I'm proud I've made it thus far.  I will have to continue being barefoot until I return to this location to see how my feet have changed over the course of yet another year.  To think this is one of the places I started my barefoot journey and was first place where I was spotted by a friend while I was out in public barefoot.  It was just a random day I had chosen not to wear my shoes.  I hadn't yet even thought about being barefoot all the time, but had seen several people barefoot and wanted to join them in their freedom.  I didn't realize it at the time, but this one day set me on the path for my decision to be barefoot 100% of the time when possible.

Campout Day 3 - Miss Wearing Shoes

Day three and we are all still alive.  Today I notice that my soles are sore.  They certainly have been abused the past few weeks from the high mileage in Manhattan to the rough terrain in Missouri.  Now I'm giving them yet another workout. 

We are in sight of one of the rockier walkways.  I watch the shod people casually stroll down the hill, chatting with their friends and paying no heed to where they step.  Occasionally I'll see a brave soul carrying their shoes walking down the path and I notice how they pay much closer attention to the ground in front of them.  I feel a little envious at the freedom of movement the shoes give and contemplated writing an Ode to Shoes.  I have to remind myself that I have just started on this journey and haven't been truly 100% barefoot for all that long.  My feet will toughen up eventually, though there will always be some disadvantages to being barefoot, just as their are disadvantages to wearing shoes.

So far I have managed to resist the temptation to wear my shoes.  It probably helps that I my only shoe option is my Xero shoes, which don't offer that much protection and I haven't gotten use to the strap between the toes.  Also, my desire to continue my conditioning is a lot stronger than my desire for temporary comfort.  Too wear shoes for just a few patches of tough terrain just doesn't make sense, especially when most of the campground is relatively barefoot friendly.

On the way back from the second night activities, my daughter was leading the way and I actually had to ask her to slow down.  In the dark I needed to go much slower.  Thankfully I have the time to take it easy and we are on vacation and there is no need to rush.  Maybe that is truly another advantage to barefoot walking in this hectic age we now live in.

Campout Day 2 -

We are camping at Gunstock Ski Resort in NH.  This is my second day at being 100% barefoot.  There is no indication that I will be required to wear shoes at any time while at the campground.  My only concern is the few rocky paths we use and from last year I remember a rocky section of ground for about a block while your entering the Revival stage area.  So it will be a matter of me being able to handle the rough terrain.

Today my right foot had a very itchy spot where the blister use to form between my big and second toes.  I found myself constantly rolling a small rock or something under this spot to sort of itch it.  It does not appear to be another blister.  Other than that I feel pretty good considering I hadn't run much lately.

With three kids to watch ages, 3, 8, and 11, I hope to get out for a run at least twice while here.  My daughter can watch the kids when needed, but since the two younger boys are foster kids I need to be a little extra careful.  It is also both boys first time camping, so they haven't gotten the hang of the whole thing yet.  My daughter on the other hand has been camping every year of her life, so is becoming a camping pro.

Six Stores Barefoot

Today we packed up and headed to Gunstock for SoulFest.  Before we left I had to do a few errands.  We visited Members First Credit Union, Aldi, Radio Shack, Circle K, Dollar Tree, and Walmart.  I'm not feeling as uncomfortable about walking into a store and being confronted.  If they want me to leave I will.

I only brought my Xero Sandals with me.  Since my bike has clip on pedals, which are not at all comfortable barefoot, I grab a spare set of barefoot friendly pedals and my bike tool kit.  Once at the camp I realized my tool kit didn't work on the pedals.  So we went to Walmart to buy a bigger wrench.  I bought a large set of wrenches and sockets since my set is old and missing parts.  Got out to the vehicle and check the wrenches and realized the largest wrench in that set was too small, by just one size.  So back to the store and got another set the next size up.  Good thing is I now have a complete set of wrenches and the second set fit.  I'm sure you can guess what the bad part was.

Back at camp I struggle with figuring out which way to turn the pedal, but finally figure it out and get the pedal off.  When I went to put the replacement pedal on, it was too small.  All that money for tools and I was still without my bike.  Felt like going back to Walmart and getting some pedals, but couldn't bring myself to spend any more money.

Today was a 100% barefoot day and I hope to spend the rest of the week without shoes.  It will be my longest length of time being barefoot yet.  Wish me luck.

Barefoot run with my Coach

Today I had my second appointment with Derek, my new coach I found on Coachup.com.  The first time I ran on the treadmill while he took videos of my form to critique.  His gym doesn't allow street shoes and I'm still not sure how they would respond to a barefooter, so I wore my Xero sandals and brought some socks to wear in the gym.

The last time Derek gave me some tips on what to concentrate on while he worked on a more comprehensive plan.  Mind you the advice he me gave is specific to my body.  He told me to work on pushing my knees out and mentioned activating my glutes.  I worked on this just walking, due to my crazy schedule this past month.   I found that when I pushed my knees, I tended to stand up a bit straighter and activated my glutes.  When I explained to him the muscles I felt stretching during my walks he said I was on the right track.

Derek's plan for today was to start with a 2 mile run.  I had nothing to run in, since my Xero sandals still bother me walking around, so I had to run barefoot.  Strange how this gave me pause, perhaps since this was my first barefoot run with anyone.  Derek knew that I was training to run barefoot, so it didn't surprise him.  I'm not sure if it was because I was running with someone else or if the tips Derek gave me the last time but this was my best run of the year and my first two mile barefoot run.  Though it was probably a bit of both.

During the run my right leg definitely felt some strain, but nothing that I felt like I was pushing too hard.  Tonight after everything has settled down I don't feel the normal blister bubble on my right foot between the big toe and second.  I do have a little spot now on my left foot that feels slightly off, but I can't seem to pinpoint it.

New Bike Rack

Tomorrow we head out for one last vacation for the summer.  Usually my summers are not so busy.  This every other week business is starting to wear me out.  I also don't usually have this much time off, but I saved one week from last year to use to volunteer at the camp this year.

Tomorrow we head out to camp at SoulFest and I've decided to bring the two foster boys with me.  This will be our fourth year and I just didn't feel right passing the kids off once again when it seems like we just got back.  Staying in NH also meant they could come with us, unlike our vacation out of state to Manhattan.  Last year I just tossed the bikes into the van and my daughter had fun riding back and forth, but this year I would need a bike rack to carry the three bikes, no bike for the 3 year old yet.  So after work I stopped at Cycle Etc., on 450 Second Street in Manchester, NH, and found a really good rack at a discounted price (display model).

 The rack is a Yakima RidgeBack 5 and will hold 5 bikes (will take some work to get 5 totally different bikes on the rack).  The arm folds down when not in use and the whole rack will tilt down so you can still open the back of your vehicle when the rack is attached.  And of course I visited and purchased the rack barefoot and no one blinked.

 

Flying Home

View of Washington Monument and the Capital (far right) from Regan National Airport in DC.

On my return trip I added Chicago, IL and Reagan National Airport in DC. I took American Airlines and they never once said anything about me being barefoot. I don't think the check-in person noticed I was barefoot, so that might have helped.  I also was never first in line and always made sure I approached the counter behind someone else and maintained eye contact.  The federal security agent was once again inquired about my lack of shoes, but didn't seem to care that I was walking around barefoot.


A few days after my trip I found a rule on American Airlines website that requires shoes. Seems like I really did get lucky.

https://www.aa.com/i18n/customer-service/support/conditions-of-carriage.jsp#AcceptPass

Scroll down about halfway to Acceptance of Passengers and you'll find the following.

12. Are clothed in a manner that would cause discomfort or offense to other passengers or are barefoot.

Good thing I didn't see this the before I left.  I have heard that this is left over from a bygone era when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was more involved in regulating the airlines and it just hasn't been removed from the old list of rules.  Which may be why many airline employees may wrongful state this is a Federal regulation.

 Knowing this I'm not sure if I would have done anything differently. If I had been told I needed shoes on this trip, I would have pulled out my sandals and put them on. You don't argue with the airlines these days, they have enough to worry about.  I had wondered what they would have done if I said my shoes were on my checked bag. Hmmm, now I think that would be a very bad thing to pull.

I did notice the guy behind me on the other side of the aisle had his flip flops off the entire time. Other passengers slip their shoes off as well. I think if we just need to be mindful that a lot of people think bare feet are dirty and smellier than shoes are and they think being barefoot is just wrong. For most of us being barefoot is a pleasant experience, for a few it is a necessity. I'll be thankful I can wear shoes without any painful consequences and put on shoes when necessary. It is not a matter of me having my rights violated by having to put shoes on. They have the right to require everyone to wear shoes and as long as everyone has the same requirement it is fair. They could require anyone flying on their airlines to wear red shirts and it would be 100% lawful, though maybe not good for business. Maybe someday there will be enough barefoot people to carry some weight in these matters. Until then I'm mindful I'm in the minority and enjoy being barefoot whenever possible and respectful at other times.



A Fellow Barefooter - Final Camp Day

Friday was a much easier day.  No rush to get the pools cleaned and we just needed to get them all set for whatever the camp manager had planned next.  By we I mean basically myself.  I did get some volunteers to assist on occasion, but the care of the pools was my sole responsibility.  The head life guard did stick around and help get things tidied up.  He even requested to vacuum a pool.  Seems as though he had a lot of chigger bites and sitting around a pool for a while is a home remedy.  The camp quickly emptied and the soon there was only a fraction of the volunteers so we moved back into the main lodge for lunch. 

As I was seating eating, my supervisor came up to me and inquired about Xero shoes.  I was caught off guard at first and didn't know what he was talking about.  But he explained that his son had given him a gift certificate for some Xero sandals.  I showed him the pair I was wearing and explained I hadn't gotten use to the thing between the toes and would prefer the other sandals, but they cost more.  He told me he went barefoot at home all the time, so while he was not 100% barefoot, he may have been another reason why I was not hassled at this camp. 

We finished getting things cleaned up and I headed back to Springfield, MO.  I would stay at his house for the night and catch my plane first thing in the morning back to Manchester, NH.

A Little Wear and Tear

Today is the last day of activities. We've done a good job of keeping the pools clean and open all week.  In the past I have worked directly with the camp manager, but they reorganized things this year and gave me a supervisor. It was a good thing.  We had more than our fair share of challenges this year and he was always available when needed.  It was like having an extra pair of hands.

I managed to take one long walk on the road today to visit some of the activities and campsites. It is in the high 90's and I still didn't think the dirt road would be so hot, It seems just as hot as black top.  Another added problem is when you step down, the very hot dust from the road rises up and spreads between your toes.  Then the relief you get from lifting your foot is not as complete as when you move along on a paved surface. 

I did get some comments on this walk.  A few thought it was unsafe, but a few were open to the concept and thought my feet must be special.  I was able to discuss the hazards of shoes and benefits of walking barefoot. 

As the week progressed I had noticed a layer or two of my sole had worn off.  I walked just as much on the streets of Manhattan just two weeks prior with no damage.  Now I could see and feel a layer of skin had been worn off and I felt it must have been from the rough gravel around the pools.  In most places the gravel was on a firm bed and other places it had piled up and acted more like sand, so my whole foot got a workout at times.  Every morning my foot was a little stiff, but after a dozen or so steps I would be fine.  If I had to work at the camp for a month, I'm not sure I could have lasted, but for the few days I was able to keep the shoes off.   

Gravel Surface at the Pools

Today is the first day the swimming pools are open and we have only managed to get 3 of the 4 up and running.  The last pool was just filled too late for the water to have been completely filtered, but it should be fine on Tuesday.  Unfortunately this will turn out to be our biggest swimming day since most of the other activities are not open.

The pools are set up on a gravel surface.  There is a concrete pad in the front where the kids enter the pools, but the filters and all around the pools is this small square gravel.  It doesn't hurt to walk on, but it does feel a little bit like sandpaper.  I hope my feet hold up.  After walking a little bit in my new zero sandals I'm not sure they would be much good.  With such a thin base the gravel would constantly be getting stuck under my foot and it would be a hassle to constantly stop to shake it out.  I did bring my VFF, but I grab my older pair that has a hole in the bottom of one.  It is also very hot here in MO and I'm just not thrilled to be wearing VVF.

Flint Covered Roads

My assignment for the week will be maintaining the water quality of the 4 above ground swimming pools. This definitely made it easier for me to attempt being barefoot all week, though after looking and walking on the roads I think I'll be wearing shoes on occasion.  The roads are hard packed dirt with flint rocks that have sharp edges.  Some of the roads have a grass area on the side, but in a few areas their is nothing on the side I can walk on.  One of these areas is from the pools to the dinning pavilion.  I know if I go easy I could do it, but my schedule is pretty tight so I'll probably wear my zero sandals to get there and back in a reasonable amount time.  

  

 

Walking up to the main building today, barefoot I had to cross this road.  Crossing a road is easy, you just pick your path and then walk across.  When I reached the other side I was told I needed to wear shoes.  He was concerned that I would get cut.  I looked at the man and tried to determine his place in the chain of command.  Most people have visible name tags that tell you who they are and what position they hold.  I didn't see any such identification on him and he just didn't seem to be a person I needed to listen to.

 

Three steps away from this conversation was the Safety Officer for the camp.  I had worked with him previously but still was not sure how he would respond to me walking around barefoot.  He overheard the conversation and ribbed me a bit about not listening to the gentleman's advice.  I told him I didn't see any identification that gave him the authority to stop me from walking barefoot.  Nothing further was said and I took that as his permission to hurt myself if I wanted to.   A very good sign, few people would be higher then him in this regards. 

Flying Barefoot

Saturday I took American Airlines from Manchester, NH to Springfield, MO on my way to Eagle Rock, Mo to work at the Royal Ranger Camporama.  The camp is situated in the middle of the Mark Twain National Forest, so cell phone reception was spotty at best, so I was unable to do any posting.  Got back the following Saturday and was totally wiped out, so sorry for the delay.

Arrived at the Manchester airport and as usual was not very busy.  I had only a small bag and had printed out my tickets so skipped the ticket counter and headed straight for the security line.  The TSA person asked if I had any shoes and didn't seem to mind that I was walking around barefoot.

While waiting for my plane I decided to get my steps in and to help stretch my legs before I was stuck in the plan for an hour.  One lady was standing outside of her store noticed I was barefoot and inquired if I had shoes. But it was more curiosity than anything else.  When it was time to board I got in line and boarded the plane without any problems.

We landed in Charlotte, NC and I walked around there for a little while and was able to board the plane to MO without any problems as well.  Upon landing in Springfield, MO a friend picked me up and we headed to McDonald's where ate barefoot.

Arriving at the camp I registered and was told that the same room was being used as a dining hall and I needed to wear shoes.  I told her no health code required shoes and she asked if that was true why did McDonald's require shoes.  I told her they don't and I had just eaten at McDonald's.  She was concerned about a possible up coming health inspection so I promised I would wear shoes in the dinning hall.  So for supper that night I had to put on my Zero sandals.

A little disappointed, since I managed to slip through two airports without having to wear shoes.  The roads here are dirt and have flint rocks, so they might pose a challenge from me being 100% barefoot on this volunteer weekend, even if I don't get challenged by some health or security officer.

A line of 15 planes waiting to take off in NC.

Last Day in New York City

Today we got up early to rush around and do a few more things in NYC.  The first thing we did was take the subway, which is now an easy thing to do, and went back to Time Square.  Here was an exhibit called Star Wars: The Power of the Costume.  My niece is a big Star Wars fan and wanted to see the exhibit.  The exhibit was in a building near the Majestic Theater and contained two other exhibits: The Vikings Exhibition and Body Works (which actually looked a little creepy).  You can find out more at their website  http://www.discoverytsx.com/.  So once again I bought my tickets shoeless and when we got to an employee that was directing traffic I was told I needed to put on shoes.  For my safety I was told.  I wish the consumer hadn't become so dumb.  It is out own fault that the seller is so cautious these days.  You hear all kinds of horror stories about stupid things consumers do and then sue the seller for not warning them of the danger.  What happened to caveat emptor (let the buyer beware).  I put my sandals on and checked my pack (no bags or packs allowed inside the exhibit area).. 

The exhibit was good and everyone enjoyed it.  Being so early there was not that many people and we could really take our time and not feel rushed.  At the end are some mirrors that will take and make you CP30, Darth Vader or a Storm Trooper.  You clinch your fist three times and the image changes between the three, but they do a good job of mirroring you as you fool around.  The kids all had fun with it.  Once back at the baggage check I took my shoes off and put them back inside my pack and headed out.  I think I heard something about a barefoot guy on the security radio, but I just headed straight for the door.

We then took the subway back to Central Park area and visited The Plaza Hotel and swung by the Central Park Zoo, both places have been featured in movies, though one was an animated film.

The drive home was uneventful.  I only had to stop once for gas and used the restroom with no problems.

Statue of Liberty

Bad mustache day with me and my sister at the top of the pedestal on the Statue of Liberty

Before we left I went to purchase tickets for the pedestal and the only ones available were from the New Jersey side.  It took a little figuring out, but after two train rides and a mile walk, we eventually found our way to the ferry.  The pavement was hot and I would walk onto the grass every once in a while to give me feet a break.

We picked up our tickets and boarded the ferry without any problems.  At the gift shop you are required to store your packs, purses and bags before going into the monument.  So we purchased a thumb activated locker and stored my pack along with my sandals.  We enter the security line and as I'm putting my belt and phone into the plastic container the federal security agent asked me if I had any shoes.  I said no.  He looked a little surprised and said okay.  I thought about my answer afterwards.  I did not have any shoes, but I did have sandals back in the locker.  My sister said I gave the correct answer and she was entertained by his reaction.

We checked out the views from the pedestal and got a much better perspective on how large the lady is.  The walk in the hot sun had wiped out my sister and niece, and my daughter wasn't interested in looking at the museum, so we headed back to New York City.  Arriving in Battery Park we walked past the Charging Bull near Wall Street and went to China Town for supper.  On the way I discovered that the black stone is hotter then black asphalt and there is a lot of black stone in downtown Manhattan. I moved ahead a few times to find a shady spot or a lighter shade of pavement.  I had not issue eating at 69 Bayard.  The food was good and the walls had dollar and foreign bills tacked on them with messages or sayings.  

So far I was very pleased.  This made my third day in New York City 100% barefoot.  Though I could definitely feel the wear and tear on my feet.  Once back at the hotel we made plans to head out again.  We wanted to see the Empire State Building or Rockefeller Center.  The only building open at night was the Rockefeller Center.  We ended up purchasing tickets for 9:25 pm, since we had time we took a walk down to see the Empire State Building.

Arriving back at the Rockefeller Center I was finally asked to put shoes on for safety reasons.  You could tell this guy would not budge, so I put on my sandals and proceeded to the Top of the Rock.   It is interesting that I purchased my tickets barefoot one floor below in the same building with no issues.  It seems it takes only one person to decided it isn't proper for you to walk around barefoot.  We had walked almost 15 miles at this point and my feet were certainly feeling it, so I ended up walking home with the sandals on the give my soles a break. I would have toughed it out to claim 3 full barefoot days.

9/11 Memorial, Time Square and Broadway Play

World Trade Center

Another late start and we headed out to the visit the new World Trade Center.  We figured out which subway line to take and then discovered that line was not working.  So we had to figure out an alternative.  Seems the subway is going to be the bane of our trip, though it still beats walking.  We picked the 9/11 Tribute Center.  The Tribute Center offers Walking Tours and their brochure states "Guides at the 9/11 Tribute Center are 9/11 family members, survivors, rescue and recovery workers, civilian volunteers or lower Manhattan residents whose personal stories are shared with you and are a testament to the human spirit."  Our guide was an older gentleman who lived just a few blocks from the twin towers on that fateful day.  His personal story was moving and shed new light onto the tragic events that unfolded that day.  He also talked about the history of the towers, and gave us new insights into events of that day and explained some interesting details about the memorial and the new buildings.  I would take the tour again in a heartbeat and highly recommend this tour to all who visit the site.  We did not visit the 9/11 Museum, but heard it was well worth the admission.

We then headed back to the hotel and took a short break before we headed out to the Phantom of the Opera.  Alana wanted to visit the M&M store so we headed directly for Time Square.  The store was jammed packed so we checked everything out quickly and headed back out.  We saw the New Years Eve Ball and my daughter commented that it looked very tiny.  I had to reminder her how high up it was and we were still a distance from that building.

The crowd in Time Square was very tight.  There is a lot of talk in the barefoot community about how those who walk barefoot watch where they walk more then people with shoes.  I have often felt I didn't pay much more attention where I stepped now then I did when I wore shoes. Especially while site seeing in New York City, always looking at the sites and not paying as much attention to what I was stepping on. Now that we were in a packed crowd of people I had to watch out for the people in front of me and make sure we stayed together as a group.  Even if I looked down I couldn't have seen enough in front of me to see any dangers if I wanted to through the press of all the feet around us. Hiking I certainly do pay more attention to where I step, but in this huge crowd it wouldn't have done me any good to try.

We entered the Majestic Theater and I had no problems with my barefeet.  After being given directions by several hosts we were finally escorted to our seats in the back row on the second floor.  Not the best seats in the house, but it was what we could afford and available when we decided to order the tickets.  We then had to visit the bathroom and had no trouble at all in the theater with my barefeet.  This is the second day in a row I've managed to be barefoot 100%

Bike Ride in Central Park

View from Belvedere Castle in Central Park, New York City

I decided today to ignore the bellhops.  It is not normal for me to disregard the rules so openly, but I was on vacation and I wanted to have a 100% barefoot day if possible, and it being the 4th of July seem to inspire me.  So I did not put on my sandals when we left the building and continued to do so for the rest of the trip.  I was confronted several times, usually when I was heading back up and would tell them, I'm going right to my room and that seemed to appease them.

Today we planned a bike ride in Central Park. We walked to the bike rental place and got the bikes and helmets and then they asked we walk out bikes to the park.  It was a slow ride around the park and we stopped several times to rest.  My sister and her daughter are not use to biking, so we took some breaks to enjoy the views and see some sites.  At one point we stopped and hiked in a bit to see Belvedere Castle.  It is a very nice tiny little castle, basically two rooms on top of each other which are reached by climbing the spiral stairs inside the corner turret.  The second level has a large observation deck where you get some good views of the park and city.  We could also see a crane and turtles down below.

It took us several hours to ride the 6 plus miles around the park and when we were done everyone was beat and ready to relax in the cool room.  So today was my first 100% barefoot day in New York City.  It was also the first time I ever rode a bike barefoot.  I didn't think I would be able to do it, but it was fun and the little raised bumps on the pedals didn't bother me at all.

Splinter from Wooden Deck

On our first full day in New York City we got a late start. I put on my sandals for the lobby and once outside slipped them back into my pack.  We then headed for the subway and our plans were thwarted by the confusing noodle of subway trains.  Now I've used the subway in Boston and Moscow, and you can figure them out in just a few minutes, but I just seemed to have trouble figuring out the NYC Subway system.  So the first day we didn't get as close as we could have to our destination.  But we wanted to see the sites, and we certainly did.  It was later on that I realized that the trains on each side of the platform  went the same direction and there was another platform for the opposite direction.  Also, each line color did not stop at every stop along that line, but rather you needed to pay attention to the numbers or letters for the stop you wanted, and take that train.

Coming out of the subway for the first time I thought how most people thought the floor of the subway was disgusting,  yet my feet didn't seem to think so and then I grabbed the stair railing as I walked up the stairs and my had said yuck, now that was gross feeling.  My sister agreed and said she never grabs the railings unless she has to.

Once off the subway we headed in the wrong direction, this was to be a recurring theme and we joke about it during our trip.  So we trudge onward and finally made it to the Shark Boats.  The dock here was old wood pier in various state of repair.  At one point my foot caught a splinter and my group all heard it snap under my foot.  It definitely hurt, but I assured them I was fine, while at the same time wondering how much my foot was bleeding.  Pride help me resist the urge to do a complete inspection of the damage and I didn't want my group to worry.

Wooden dock at the Shark Boat  

I had no problems boarding the boat barefoot, and I'm sure they had to have noticed my feet since they help everyone on board the boat one at a time.  My foot was still a little sore and I tried to discreetly inspect my foot while waiting for the ride to begin.  I couldn't feel any damage or piece of splinter left in my foot, but I was still wondering if it was bleeding.  Later when I got home and washed my foot I couldn't tell where the splinter had stabbed me.  My tough souls had done a great job of protecting my foot.

The shark boat is a speed boat and it zoomed us around the harbor at tremendous speeds, the sharp turns were not as thrilling as a park ride, but it was a lot of fun.  They do work a little bit at finding all the bumps and on getting you wet.  They stopped so we could get some great shots of the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and the new World Trade Center.  I usually get motion sick and don't like thrill rides, but this was great and I would do it again.

We then decided to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and grab a pizza in Brooklyn.  I saw one lady carrying her shoes and walking barefoot.  Once across we found a pizza place called Ignazio's and were soon seating with only a few stares at my feet.  It was a Sicilian style pizza and was good.  

It had been a full day, so we headed back and I once again put on my sandals to walk across the lobby to the elevator. A great first day being barefoot in New York City, but I was a bit bummed it wasn't 100% barefoot.  I decided tomorrow would be different.

Heading to New York City Barefoot

My shoes came off on Friday evening at 4:47 pm, for what I hope is the last time for the next week.  The family is heading to New York City for several days of site seeing.  My research says the real tourist places will make me wear shoes, but everywhere else I should be fine.  I didn't bring a keyboard with me, so I'm hoping to get caught up over the next few days of our complete adventure.

On the way down to NYC on Saturday we stopped at two highway service centers with no problems with me being barefoot.  I visited the restrooms at both stops.  Getting out of the van at the second stop I was surprised to feel the pavement was cool, even though it was a dark black color.  I gathered from this sensory input that the sun had not been shining much in that area that day. It was cool that I could gather additional information just from being barefoot.

Once at the hotel we drove up to the valet parking and quickly dropped all our gear onto the side of the driveway.  I headed inside to grab a luggage cart and since I didn't see a bellhop I just grabbed the nearest cart and brought it outside.  Upon returning the bellhop was not very pleased with me.

I checked in barefoot and then I went to see the bellhop again to let him know our room number, he informed me that I was required to wear shoes in the lobby and it didn't matter if I had religious reasons, and he listed several other reasons that didn't matter.  I was none to pleased.

My daughter wanted to see the pool so I put on my sandals and we headed back down to the lobby to get to the pool.  Sandals already and I hadn't spent a day in the city yet.  I was a little bummed out.  My sister was willing to head out so we left the two kids behind and I wore my sandals down to the lobby again and once outside took them off and we headed to Central Park.

My sister had seen a video of a Pizza Rat in NYC and she was hoping to see a rat while we were there.  Our luck was with us, we say several rats and also 5 raccoons.  After just a little exploring we headed back.  Once at the hotel I slipped on my sandals to trudge across the lobby and took them off in the elevator.

So much for being barefoot 100%, but still was barefoot a lot.

I Hired a Coach - now you can get $25 off CoachUp.com

I need a coach to help me with my running form.  I can keep working on this myself, but it is going to take me forever.  Even walking I seem to have a blister or something next to my big toe.  The forums I read have no running coaches posted nearby, so I took to the internet to locate a coach.  I found a site call CoachUp.com 

How it works:  You submit a coaching request with what you are looking for.  They ask your location, availability and a few other basic questions and then they email your request to their list of coaches.  The coaches are required to respond within 24 hours.  Use referral code danal1-10-t gets you $25 off your first coaching session through them.  I recommend you book just one session to see how things go and then book a package deal, if things work out. 

I got 4 responses within 12 hours.  They all were qualified to assist me, and I ended up choosing Drew based upon his thoughtful response telling me less about himself (they all have bios I can read) and more about what he would do to help me.  First steps he would video tape me running and analysis my form.   His location is close to me, and his price was reasonable at $69 per hour.  One of the guys wanted $159 for an hour 1-on-1 session.  The lowest was $53. 

Walking into the gym they ask you to remove your shoes before stepping on the floor.  It looked like everyone else has dedicated gym shoes, but I did the session in my socks.  Though I did mention in my request for services that I was a barefoot runner or at least working towards running barefoot.

First Drew had me do some squats and took videos, then I jogged on the treadmill for a bit while he took more video.  Drew then pointed out my problems and talked about form and function.  Of course I have no clue if he knows what he is talking about, but it sounded good and lined up with what I had been reading online.  (Like you can believe everything you read online.)  We spent the remainder of the session doing foam rolling, stretches and some exercises.  He gave me just one area to concentrate on when running, for me I need to push the knees out slightly.  He's now working on my homework and a package pricing.  I feel it was definitely worth it. 

Unfortunately there is no quick fix and it will take a while.   But the areas he has me working on should carry over into the problems I'm having with some of my mobility in gymnasticbodies exercise routine.

Barefoot Saturday & Garden

City Garden - starting at top Peas, Broccoli & herbs, cucumber or squash & red peppers,
bottom is cucumber and corn.

I have sunflowers and mustard plants that I let come up in my garden from last year.  There is also a vine growing in the same plot as the peppers, not sure but it came up by itself, so I let it be. 

This week I recovered from my hike.  It took till Wednesday before my legs felt like doing stairs again.  Just the one bruise on the bottom of my right foot still hurts, I have to probe to find it and it is now feels like a little bump now.   My sleep has improved and I'm hoping to start jogging again next week.  I am actually looking into hiring a running coach to help me with my form.

This week I've brought the kids to Vacation Bible School (VBS) at the church every night.  They had a lot of fun, but we ended up getting home around 9 which makes for a late night.  Saturday morning was the men's breakfast and us guys went and I let my daughter sleep in.  I've been going to church this whole week barefoot and word has spread of my barefooted hike up the mountain thanks to Fred and George.

After breakfast I came back home and mowed the lawn, did a little work in the garden and cleaned up some bad weed growing in the shrubs.  The garden is growing nicely and was done 100% with bare feet.  After lunch I ran over the to Dollar Store and purchased a card (barefoot) then we headed out to a graduation party for a young man in our church who is heading out to join the Marines.  I thought for sure my mom would ask if I was going to wear shoes, but she said nothing.  So I arrived at the party barefoot.  Most of the people were from church and are use to seeing me barefoot now.  Though I don't think most of them know how much I go barefoot.
 One friend commented on the bare feet in my summit picture I posted on facebook, but other than that, nothing was said.  I don't think most people really notice or probably think your shoes are nearby.

So I managed another 100% barefoot day.  Vacation is coming up soon and I'm anxious to see how many days I can manage 100% barefoot on my trip to New York City.

Monday & Tuesday morning condition report

MONDAY
After taking a really laid back day on Sunday it was time to get a little more active again.  I will not drive to work unless absolutely necessary, since work is just over 1 mile away.  Feeling like my feet were doing good and wanting to give them a test walk, I kept up my routine of walking to work barefoot. The first few steps were not encouraging.  Not sure if I was just unlucky, but those first few pebbles felt very uncomfortable.  I felt like I had lost some of the toughness in my feet. It is probably my imagination and perhaps my souls are still a bit tender from the hike.  I kept on going, taking the smoothest sidewalks, picking concrete over asphalt and avoiding the rougher sections.  I was paying close attention to my feet and could feel a bruise on the border of my heel and arch of my right foot.  When I probe that area I can actually feel a bump.  But as I continued along things seem not be as bad as my first few steps indicated they were going to be.  My quads are by far the sorest piece of my body and I have no interest in doing stairs.

Monday evening our church is having their annual Vacation Bible School (VBS) where the kids play games, do crafts, listen to stories, sing songs, and eat for 2.5 hours.  I arrived as usual barefoot for a non Sunday event.  By this time word had spread that I had hiked barefoot up the mountain.  I mentioned to one person as we talked that I often walked in the city barefoot and he was surprised.  Once I mentioned that you need to tough up your feet a bit before hiking barefoot it seemed to make perfect sense to him.  Maybe I'll try and do all the 4,000 footers a second time barefoot. 

I even took a nice shopping trip to Walmart and wasn't bothered by anyone.  I also felt a lot more confident and didn't care as much about being confronted or kicked out.

TUESDAY
My quads are no longer screaming at me, but I can still tell they had a great workout on Saturday.  My feet and ankles felt fine when I got up this morning, nothing stood out as unusual.  When I stepped outside away from the smooth floors of my comfortable home my feet just didn't feel as tough as they once were.  I'm thinking it is more in my head than anything else.  There is often talk on the barefoot forums that on such a hike you wear out your pads.  I just can't seem to believe that you could wear them out that much.  Sure I noticed a little wear no one foot, maybe on layer of skin gone in a spot, but nothing major, no blood or chunks of skin gone.

Follow up on big hike

I figured that Sunday morning would tell the real story on how my feet held up.

The first thing I notice upon standing was my ankles were sore and of course the soles of my feet were sore as well.  My calfs were also a bit tight.  But I didn't have to much trouble walking.  The soreness in the bottoms of my feet felt more like a muscle sore, then it did bruises.  When I probed the bottom of my feet I did find a couple of spots that could only be bruises.  The arches seem to be where the most tenderness was.

As the day progressed my thighs let me know they had a workout that they did not appreciate.  I would hobble up the stairs, but most of the difficulty was in the leg muscles and not the feet, though the feet did contribute a little. While I am not totally surprised my legs were sore, I hadn't hiked a 4,000 foot mountain in a few years.  I was surprised my feet seem to be so doing well.  I have heard from a good source that my feet may swell up, but that still hasn't happened.  I'm thinking perhaps swelling of the feet might be more a result of exercise then it is of being barefoot.  I'll continue keeping an eye on that aspect as well.

Hike on Moosilaukie - 10.77 miles - 3,300 feet elevation gain

Today the plan was to hike up the summit of Mount Moosilaukie (4802 feet) with a small group of friends.  Fred (50) and George (64), and I don't think they have every really hiked a 4,000 foot mountain in NH.  Sy is a teen who has hiked with me before.

We got a very late start, heading up the trail around 10:40 am.  Immediately as we crossed the road there was a wide shallow brook that had to be crossed.  I simply walked across the cool refreshing water as the rest of the group headed up stream looking for a place to cross.  They finally did find a down tree that had been made into a crude bridge.  The trail was very soft under foot, I was a little surprised seeing how this was part of the Appalachian Trail.  Though hiking about 1.4 miles we came to the new parking lot.  The group wondered why I didn't park there.  I had figured the lot would be full and didn't realize they had made a nice new bigger lot.  I also sometimes don't think in terms of miles and just want to get on the trail.

Once on the Glencliff trail the ground felt much firmer, though still very barefoot friendly.  The trail wandered through a few fields and I was asked if I was worried about ticks.  I was actually less concerned barefoot since they would probably be brushed off or seen more easily then someone wearing socks or long pants.  We soon crossed a few small sources of water which I used to cool my feet.  Once I stepped in some mud that oozed between my toes.  I was concerned at first that when it dried the dirt between my toes would irritate my skin, but that was not to be the case.

As we ascended the trail got rockier and I slowed down, but so did one of the other guys, so I still was not holding the group back.  We were hiking at a very slow pace, but we were all enjoying out time out in the woods.

Gravel on the Carriage Road

Eventually the steep and rocky section ended and we were now on the Carriage Road.  The group decided to push on to the summit.  I was concerned that here I would find the trail to contain more gravel, but at first it was very barefoot friendly, but unfortunately it didn't last.  About a half mile from the summit the gravel appeared in the trail and stayed there for the rest of the walk to the summit.  It is not unusual to see this type of hiking bed at this elevation.  We had seen a few people earlier, but on this section of the trail it got a little crowded.  I tried to walk as though the gravel wasn't bothering my feet at all, but did ask that Sy knock the pace down a bit.  At this point we had lost the other two members of our group and looking back they were no where to be seen.

Two of us made it!

At the summit we got our picture taken.  I was very happy to see they got my bare feet in the shot.  Then we headed down to find our friends.  Going down was a lot harder then going up.  For one my feet had already hiked 5.5 miles (0.5 mile more than my previous hike) and I knew it was a long way down.  Here I definitely went a lot slower, searching for the least painful foot placement, which I'm not sure I was accomplishing.   We soon found our friends resting along side the trail.  United we continued down the trail.




During the first half of the trip downward it was all I could to to keep up with the group and not slow everyone down.  I once again thought constantly of how my boots made hiking down hill so much easier.  (Upon arriving home I read about several other barefoot hikers that wear shoes on the downward trek due to the difficulty of hiking down hill barefoot.  Now they tell me.)  I realized that being barefoot really limited my foot placement and did not afford me any new options (beside mud and water).  I could feel the pounding my soles were taking, and had a good feeling they would be a bit tender the next day.   But the next day was Sunday when I usually take it easy and don't do much walking, so they would get a good recovery day.

At the end of the hike.

Once the trail started leveling out I was able to keep up with the group and soon moved into the middle of our small pack.  Then when the trail got even closer to bottom I pulled to the front and started to drag George along a bit faster.  We came to another junction and we decided George would stay there with my pack and wait for the rest of the group, while I went ahead and brought the vehicle around to the end of the trail, saving them 1.4 miles.

In the end I did 10.77 miles barefoot.  I have now tracked over 100 miles barefoot, either walking, running or hiking outside.  I've walked a bit more, but haven't always remembered or felt the distance was worth tracking.  I think next time ( I must be crazy) I'll try bringing some hiking poles.  In the past I felt hiking poles slowed me down going downhill, but nothing can slow me down more than I'm going now, so hopefully they might help speed me up.

I did get a lot more comments on this hike.  Most were encouraging.  Probably the best moment of the day was when a hiker commented on my bare feet and then asked if I was Dana from Manchester.  It was Ethan a fellow avid hiker who was a friend on Garmin Connect.  If it wasn't for my bare feet we would not have noticed each other have passed each other by.  Of course making it to the top and back while remaining barefoot was pretty cool as well.

On the road we stopped at McDonalds for breakfast and I hid my feet the best I could behind the counter and managed to purchase my food without any hassles.  On the way back we stopped at a country store and purchased a drink with no problems and I'm pretty sure they noticed my bare feet,  They were nice folks.  Then we stopped off at McDonalds again, where we ordered some more food and we sat down to eat.  They delivered my McFlurry to me and I met him half way up the aisle.  I'm pretty sure my bare feet were very noticeable but nothing was said.

Sunday morning arrived and I knew this would tell the real story on how my feet held up.

The first thing I notice upon standing was my ankles were sore and of course the soles of my feet were sore as well.  My calves were also a bit tight.  But I didn't have to much trouble walking.  The soreness in the bottoms of my feet felt more like a muscle sore, then it did bruises.  When I probed the bottom of my feet I did find a couple of spots that could only be bruises.  The arches seem to be where the most bruising was.

As the day progressed my thighs let me know they had a workout that they did not appreciate.  I would hobble up the stairs, but most of the difficulty was in the quads and not the feet, though the feet did contribute a little. While I am not totally surprised my legs were sore, I hadn't hiked a 4,000 foot mountain in a few years.  I was surprised my feet seem to be so doing well.  I have heard from a good source that my feet may swell up, but that still hasn't happened.  I'm thinking perhaps swelling of the feet might be more a result of exercise then it is of being barefoot.  I'll continue keeping an eye on that aspect as well.  Though during the hike my hands swelled up again, though I remember that happening in the past on some of my longer hikes.

Monday has arrived and I walked to work barefoot.  Seemed like the feet were not as comfortable walking barefoot as they have been, like I've lost ground in toughness.  While walking I now notice a bruise on the heel of my right foot on the inside by the arch.  My quads are definitely still sore and I'm not interested in taking many stairs.

Low Key Weekend

This weekend I stayed at home.  We had  yard sale in the morning where my daughter sold more then I did.  Which is a good thing cause now I know she has money for camp at the end of the month.  Most of the time while the yard sale was out I was working in the garden plucking out the weeds.  I think I got everything planted.  Still need to find something for the peas to climb up, but the garden is looking real good this year.

You would think that since I stayed home I would have had a whole day without wearing shoes. It was not the case.  My mom had finally finished her floor yet again.  The floor had a nice factory finish, but it wasn't shinny enough and she thought it was worn, so she waxes the floor every now and then.  Now that she has waxed the floor I am not allowed in that room barefoot.  She claims bare feet leave marks on the floor and I need to either wear socks or slippers.  At least she has a reason besides a distaste for bare feet.

Next Saturday is my big hike up a 4,000 foot mountain in NH.  I'm going with a group from church and do plan to attempt the whole hike barefoot.  I am sure people will ask me if I plan to hike barefoot and I plan on replying, "That would be crazy, wouldn't it?"  Of course then I'll head up the trail barefoot.  The total miles will be 7.8 with a gain of over 3,000 feet.  Should be very interesting. 

Tough 5 Mile Hike

Today we hiked up South Mountain in Pawtauckaway State Park in New Hampshire.  For this hike Starry, Christian and I were accompanied by my friend John and his almost 9 year old son Noah.  The hike 1.5 miles up the mountain was pretty easy barefoot.  The trail was not too tough on the feet, of course I expected that hiking up hill would be much easier then hiking downhill.  The kids had a blast climbing many of the huge boulders that are all along the trail.  Everyone climbed the tower and enjoyed the view.

The trip downhill started out pretty easy as well. Had to take a bit more care where I placed my feet, but much easier than last week when I was guiding a three year old.  The kids found some more huge boulders to scramble on and I began to think that we were never going to make it home.  The boulders eventually faded and the kids began to get board.  We did find a snake and toad to help distract them for a little bit.  After hiking down about 2 miles the trail turned onto a gravel road.

Here is where the going got really tough.  I began to slow down and try and find a safe place for my feet.  The rest of the group didn't seem fazed by the rough terrain and pulled a little ahead.  Several times I thought about putting on my VFF, but resisted the urge.  I found a couple of spots along the way that gave my feet relief for a short period of time, and one nice cool rock that I stood on for a few seconds.  So hobbling along as fast as I could after about 1.5 miles the rough road ended and we were back on a nice dirt road.

My feet were really dirty after the hike, but besides being a little sore don't seem to have sustained any injuries.  I did stub my toe only once and it didn't hurt for long and seems fine now.  Perhaps I should add a little addendum tomorrow morning on how my feet are doing.

That evening my mom and I were invited to join a pizza party for a friend who was visiting from Texas.  I started to head out the door and my mother asked if I was going barefoot.  I told her of course, she asked if I couldn't wear something, so I reluctantly grabbed my Xeroshoes.  Funny how it doesn't take much to make some people happy.  I wore my shoes into the venue and but took them off shortly afterward and my mom gave me a look and I smiled.  No one said anything and she let me be.