Sundays I attend church in the morning. The church has a poured concrete floor and even with my Vivobarefoot shoes I can still feel the heat being taken from my body, so it is not warm enough to skip the shoes at church just yet. We are still in the middle of winter, so I feel lucky to have accomplished as much as I have so far.
THE RUN
Sunday arrived warm again, so I decided to take another run in the afternoon. I was hoping to be able to run the whole mile. This run has more up hills compared to the last run on Thursday, so I wasn't sure I would make the whole distance. Once again I notice how cool the pavement was and you could feel where the sun had a chance to thaw out the ground a bit more. Running barefoot tunes you into nature to a whole new level, even though I am in the middle of the city. My toes got a bit cold on this run, but I managed to run the whole mile in 12 minutes. I was very happy.
GROCERY STORE
After the run I walked over to the nearby grocery store for some food. It really seems like most people don't notice your feet. When I grabbed a cart it was funny how I thought this would help hide my feet a bit. Was making a ham and chicken casserole, so visited the deli counter to get only the amount of ham I needed, just one thick slice. As the lady took my order and helped me pick out what I wanted I don't think she even noticed my feet. The checkout process at the end went very smoothly as well. Four stores and no problem. This grocery store was the biggest store I have visited yet.
After I finished my run and errands I noticed my feet had warmed up and they stayed nice and toasty warm for the rest of the night.
INSIDE MY HEAD
It is interesting when I read another blog about their barefoot experiences it always did seem they were hyper aware of their feet being bare and most of those around them didn't notice or at least didn't comment. I realized that a lot of my concerns would be in my head and that I too would be hyper aware of my feet while most others wouldn't notice. But you still don't know when you will be called out, so until you have some experience interacting with others a few times you will still be on high alert. Yet despite this the experience is still enjoyable, even though I may be a bit self conscious at this stage. I'm wondering about my own reaction to others reaction will be. Will I be more focused on sharing this new found joy and freedom of walking barefoot or will something else stumble out of my mouth.
Stats:
Miles Run Barefoot: 3
Stores Visited 4
Days 100% Barefoot - 0
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Two More Stores
Had a morning men's breakfast to attend and it was still a little cold out so I wore some Vivobarefoot shoes. After the breakfast I returned home and took of my shoes for the rest of the day. Then I began working on my current project, restoring wainscoting in the bathroom.
After working in the bathroom for a short period of time I realized I needed some protective gloves. I was washing off the stripper residue on the wainscoting and the two left handed gloves just weren't cutting it. So I headed over to the local dollar store, still barefooted, to purchase the needed gloves. I was wearing my shorts and I was very aware of my bare feet. But it was just a short walk and the temperatures were in the 50s. Inside it didn't take me too much wandering to find the gloves and was able to make my purchase without any problem. I didn't even hear or notice any reaction.
Back to work the gloves quickly disintegrated. So I decided to head over to the hardware store to buy some better gloves. I asked my mother to watch my daughter and she told me to put some shoes on. I asked her if she thought I would actually walked to the store without shoes and then left. I guess she has already caught on to my new thing. I'll have to discuss at a later time my families reaction so far.
The hardware store is about 2 tenths of a mile away. I visit this hardware store a lot so was very interested to hear their comments. I went straight to the paint department and a kid I don't usually see assisted me in finding the necessary gloves and then I checked out. Nothing was said, though I'm sure the kid who assisted me must have notice my bare feet, the cashier knows me by name and he couldn't really see my feet from behind his counter.
It was good not to be bothered with shoes and to take the short stroll to the store barefooted. Still a bit cool and I wouldn't want to go much further, but summer is coming and it will be very warm soon.
Here are some pictures of my current project. This bathroom has a claw foot tub, so for now we plan to leave the tiles on the back wall, until we replace the floor and need to take out the tub. Otherwise it will be a pain to get all the tile off and wall cleaned.
We then cleaned the wall with some thinner to remove any remaining varnish and stripper. This was after we finished cleaning up the wall. We will add some molding on the bottom, so we were not too concerned about the very bottom.
Loads of pipes running on the outside of the wall, makes it a real pain to clean. But it is coming. Hope to start painting next Saturday.
After working in the bathroom for a short period of time I realized I needed some protective gloves. I was washing off the stripper residue on the wainscoting and the two left handed gloves just weren't cutting it. So I headed over to the local dollar store, still barefooted, to purchase the needed gloves. I was wearing my shorts and I was very aware of my bare feet. But it was just a short walk and the temperatures were in the 50s. Inside it didn't take me too much wandering to find the gloves and was able to make my purchase without any problem. I didn't even hear or notice any reaction.
Back to work the gloves quickly disintegrated. So I decided to head over to the hardware store to buy some better gloves. I asked my mother to watch my daughter and she told me to put some shoes on. I asked her if she thought I would actually walked to the store without shoes and then left. I guess she has already caught on to my new thing. I'll have to discuss at a later time my families reaction so far.
The hardware store is about 2 tenths of a mile away. I visit this hardware store a lot so was very interested to hear their comments. I went straight to the paint department and a kid I don't usually see assisted me in finding the necessary gloves and then I checked out. Nothing was said, though I'm sure the kid who assisted me must have notice my bare feet, the cashier knows me by name and he couldn't really see my feet from behind his counter.
It was good not to be bothered with shoes and to take the short stroll to the store barefooted. Still a bit cool and I wouldn't want to go much further, but summer is coming and it will be very warm soon.
Here are some pictures of my current project. This bathroom has a claw foot tub, so for now we plan to leave the tiles on the back wall, until we replace the floor and need to take out the tub. Otherwise it will be a pain to get all the tile off and wall cleaned.
The lower walls were covered in plastic tile, as you can see in the picture above, which popped off the wall relatively easily with a putty knife. Then we were left with the glue (not shown), which a hot gun helped soften up so we could scrape it off. This left some residual glue and the old varnish. So we used stripper to get the wall down to the bare wood.
Friday, February 26, 2016
First Experience in a Store
Went to Derry last night for a practice my daughter needed to attend. During these practice sessions, I have been waiting in the common area, usually barefooted with shoes nearby. I have noticed people glance down and see my feet, but I'm sure they also notice my shoes, so no one has said anything. As I sat reading my book, I decided I wanted something to drink from the small store nearby. I decided I would take the short hike to the store barefooted and see what if any reaction I got.
Once again I could feel how cool the pavement was and upon stepping into the store the first thing I noticed was how nice, warm, and smooth the tiles were. I wouldn't be surprised if they had radiant heat. I quickly crossed empty store to the coolers and found some chocolate milk. There was no one else in line and the cashier was busy so probably didn't even notice my bare feet as I approved her station. I purchased my milk and walked back with no issues.
Once back inside the building during a break I sat with some of the leaders of the group and they were talking about different customs they have and how it bothers other portions of their family. (I joined them barefoot without any comment, but I wonder if my feet lead to any part of the conversation.) One parent said they have no problem letting their child wear pajamas all day when they have no place to go. But if a certain relative is going to be seen, the child will change out of the pajamas. Another adult mentioned she use to enjoy going barefoot when she was a kid. It sounded like she still enjoys being barefoot, but just doesn't practice being barefoot outside of the home. But the topic was brought up because their relatives feel that slippers are needed to protect you from catching a cold, even in the warmth of your own home. So no bare feet when those relatives are around.
Overall I am starting to feel very liberated and excited. I could never have imagined being able to do so much barefooted just a short time ago.
Once again I could feel how cool the pavement was and upon stepping into the store the first thing I noticed was how nice, warm, and smooth the tiles were. I wouldn't be surprised if they had radiant heat. I quickly crossed empty store to the coolers and found some chocolate milk. There was no one else in line and the cashier was busy so probably didn't even notice my bare feet as I approved her station. I purchased my milk and walked back with no issues.
Once back inside the building during a break I sat with some of the leaders of the group and they were talking about different customs they have and how it bothers other portions of their family. (I joined them barefoot without any comment, but I wonder if my feet lead to any part of the conversation.) One parent said they have no problem letting their child wear pajamas all day when they have no place to go. But if a certain relative is going to be seen, the child will change out of the pajamas. Another adult mentioned she use to enjoy going barefoot when she was a kid. It sounded like she still enjoys being barefoot, but just doesn't practice being barefoot outside of the home. But the topic was brought up because their relatives feel that slippers are needed to protect you from catching a cold, even in the warmth of your own home. So no bare feet when those relatives are around.
Overall I am starting to feel very liberated and excited. I could never have imagined being able to do so much barefooted just a short time ago.
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Second Run
Today is another surprisingly nice day. I emailed a co-worker who is the only person besides my family that knows about my new barefoot habit and invited him to join me for a run. He declined since he will be out of the office, but will take a rain check.
I work for a law firm as an assistant. So my dilemma is how not to expose my feet to my fellow co-workers so early in the process. I decided I would bring my light weight backpack on my run and once I was clear of the building I could put my shoes in the pack and then take my run. I took my socks off when I changed to into my sneakers, which make the transaction pretty smooth and quick.
I arrived at my spot and easily removed my shoes (I did wait and time the removal to the passing of my fellow pedestrians). And started my run across the Bridge Street bridge. The bride felt a bit warmer then the other sections. The run went smoothly and I was able to run the entire mile without a break and no problems. I did pass by several other pedestrians, but did not observe or hear any reactions.
After my mile, I started walking back via a different route, still barefoot. I did pretty well until I came a stretch of sidewalk that was covered in sand that was used to sand the road during the winter snow storms. This was not like your beach sand, but a coarse sand, that while it didn't really hurt me, was uncomfortable to walk on. It also slowed down my pace.
Keeping in mind that shoes are tools and I needed to get back to work sooner then later, I put my shoes back on. Then I was able to easily pick up my pace and walk without any discomfort the remaining distance back to work.
I'll have to develop a plan for how to safely increase my mileage. Not only will this hopefully reduce the chance of another overuse injury, but will give my feet time to adapt as well. In this one thing I feel very fortunate is that I am starting over again and my feet can adapt along with the rest of my body. So far I am really excited that things have gone so easily for me.
I work for a law firm as an assistant. So my dilemma is how not to expose my feet to my fellow co-workers so early in the process. I decided I would bring my light weight backpack on my run and once I was clear of the building I could put my shoes in the pack and then take my run. I took my socks off when I changed to into my sneakers, which make the transaction pretty smooth and quick.
I arrived at my spot and easily removed my shoes (I did wait and time the removal to the passing of my fellow pedestrians). And started my run across the Bridge Street bridge. The bride felt a bit warmer then the other sections. The run went smoothly and I was able to run the entire mile without a break and no problems. I did pass by several other pedestrians, but did not observe or hear any reactions.
After my mile, I started walking back via a different route, still barefoot. I did pretty well until I came a stretch of sidewalk that was covered in sand that was used to sand the road during the winter snow storms. This was not like your beach sand, but a coarse sand, that while it didn't really hurt me, was uncomfortable to walk on. It also slowed down my pace.
Keeping in mind that shoes are tools and I needed to get back to work sooner then later, I put my shoes back on. Then I was able to easily pick up my pace and walk without any discomfort the remaining distance back to work.
I'll have to develop a plan for how to safely increase my mileage. Not only will this hopefully reduce the chance of another overuse injury, but will give my feet time to adapt as well. In this one thing I feel very fortunate is that I am starting over again and my feet can adapt along with the rest of my body. So far I am really excited that things have gone so easily for me.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
My First Run
We have had a really mild winter and I am excited about starting my barefooted journey. The weather today is in the high 40's and it feels pretty warm. The sidewalks are mostly dry and I felt like running. I haven't run since October, one reason was while on vacation (where I did a bit of barefoot walking at the resort in Florida), I ran too much and got an overuse injury. It took several months to go away and then I had just lost the habit and other things crept into my life to use up that time. Beside it was now winter.
But today was the day to experiment. This would be a great opportunity. My legs would need to gain strength and I figured my feet could get stronger right along side of them. Choosing long pants to help hide my feet a little, I rolled up the bottom a tad, so my pants wouldn't drag in the dirt, and set off on my run.
The pavement was still very cool under my feet and I had to navigate around a few streams of melting snow banks along my route. As I ran past a small shopping plaza one guy notice my bare feet and exclaimed to his friends, "Look, that guy is running barefooted." This made me feel a bit proud and glad about my decision.
I made it a half mile before stopping and walking and my toes were getting pretty cold. After walking a little and recovering I did a bit more jogging and walking till I hit the mile mark. I had run 1.04 miles in 13.53. I was very pleased with this, my very first run without shoes.
One thing I noticed as I ran, was when I landed on a sharp object, my ankle, body and foot would all shift the weight away from that spot and I would continue on. I've always had strong ankles so I guess that is going to be a big help in the future.
But today was the day to experiment. This would be a great opportunity. My legs would need to gain strength and I figured my feet could get stronger right along side of them. Choosing long pants to help hide my feet a little, I rolled up the bottom a tad, so my pants wouldn't drag in the dirt, and set off on my run.
The pavement was still very cool under my feet and I had to navigate around a few streams of melting snow banks along my route. As I ran past a small shopping plaza one guy notice my bare feet and exclaimed to his friends, "Look, that guy is running barefooted." This made me feel a bit proud and glad about my decision.
I made it a half mile before stopping and walking and my toes were getting pretty cold. After walking a little and recovering I did a bit more jogging and walking till I hit the mile mark. I had run 1.04 miles in 13.53. I was very pleased with this, my very first run without shoes.
One thing I noticed as I ran, was when I landed on a sharp object, my ankle, body and foot would all shift the weight away from that spot and I would continue on. I've always had strong ankles so I guess that is going to be a big help in the future.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
My Decision to Toss the Shoes
This month I made the decision to start walking barefoot as much as possible. In this blog I will discuss my reasons and adventures in my bare feet. I do not plan to toss the shoes completely, but will try and limit the time spent in my shoes.
If my memory serves me right it was in the spring of 2014 I decided to try to start running again. Every time in the past when I started to run, besides the obvious huffing and puffing I would end up with pains in my legs and would just stop running, it was just not working. After doing some reading on the new minimalist running fad I thought this might be the thing for me. I went out and bought myself some minimalist shoes.
Things started out the same. I would barely make it to the first utility pole before I would have to stop and walk, but eventually I started to run a block, then two and finally a mile. My feet did feel a bit sore, but from what I had read this was to be expected and would last for a some time. The important part was I didn't get any leg pains. I believe that the minimalist style running taught me to take shorter strides and in the past I was over striding. So while my victory was more to running form than the shoes I was hooked.
I began to notice that my minimalist shoes allowed me to feel the texture of the ground and I loved it. They felt light on my feet, allow more air around my toes, and I could wiggle my toes. I have wide feet and have always had trouble finding shoes that fit, so this new style was a blessing.
I eventually did a few 5K races in my minimalist or Five Finger shoes. And then I wanted to feel the ground a little better so I started to walk barefoot once in a while. On the way home from work, or just out in my own little yard, to eventually doing most of the maintenance on my home barefooted.
In the beginning of the fall of 2015 I began to take long barefooted walks around the block after the sun set. I was very self conscious of being barefoot, so I figured after dark the street lights would help me see enough to avoid glass and other hazards and it would be harder for people to notice my lack of footwear.
In February 2016 I found the Society for Barefoot Living at www.barefooters.org where they discussed all the barefoot myths and had all kinds of facts about going barefoot. It was then in the middle of winter I decided to join the ranks of barefoot people.
If my memory serves me right it was in the spring of 2014 I decided to try to start running again. Every time in the past when I started to run, besides the obvious huffing and puffing I would end up with pains in my legs and would just stop running, it was just not working. After doing some reading on the new minimalist running fad I thought this might be the thing for me. I went out and bought myself some minimalist shoes.
Things started out the same. I would barely make it to the first utility pole before I would have to stop and walk, but eventually I started to run a block, then two and finally a mile. My feet did feel a bit sore, but from what I had read this was to be expected and would last for a some time. The important part was I didn't get any leg pains. I believe that the minimalist style running taught me to take shorter strides and in the past I was over striding. So while my victory was more to running form than the shoes I was hooked.
I began to notice that my minimalist shoes allowed me to feel the texture of the ground and I loved it. They felt light on my feet, allow more air around my toes, and I could wiggle my toes. I have wide feet and have always had trouble finding shoes that fit, so this new style was a blessing.
I eventually did a few 5K races in my minimalist or Five Finger shoes. And then I wanted to feel the ground a little better so I started to walk barefoot once in a while. On the way home from work, or just out in my own little yard, to eventually doing most of the maintenance on my home barefooted.
In the beginning of the fall of 2015 I began to take long barefooted walks around the block after the sun set. I was very self conscious of being barefoot, so I figured after dark the street lights would help me see enough to avoid glass and other hazards and it would be harder for people to notice my lack of footwear.
In February 2016 I found the Society for Barefoot Living at www.barefooters.org where they discussed all the barefoot myths and had all kinds of facts about going barefoot. It was then in the middle of winter I decided to join the ranks of barefoot people.
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