Flashback Friday: Barefoot Technique

Every once in a while a pebble will embed itself into my sole. This must happen to every barefoot runner, unless I have uncommonly sticky feet. The sensation is not unlike a pebble finding its way into your shoe.

In the event of a pebble, I have devised two techniques to dislodge it from my foot, all the while keeping stride (more or less).

First is the sole scraper, wherein I plant my foot and purposefully drag it against the ground to remove the stuck pebble. This works most of the time, although sometimes requiring repeat attempts.

Second, if the first doesn't work, is a quick foot wipe, which requires a bit of flexibility and quick reflexes. I bring  the foot with the stuck pebble higher in the air and reach down with my hand to brush off the annoyances. This acrobatic maneuver could go horribly wrong, I fear, but so far, so good.

On the rare occasion that neither of above techniques work, I stop and remove the pebble.

Sometimes, I just grit my teeth and ignore the stuck pebble. I don't recommend this option unless you only have a short way to go until your run is finished.

Back Talk
Wherein the only bird gets the worm. 

BrianFlash, the only person to comment on a post so far this week, wonders if my forgetful legs might require a run/walk race strategy: "Are you considering Gallowagging in Akron? When I head into a long race undertraining, I think it works as a strategy."

Answer: I've never been disciplined enough to correctly follow a run/walk plan. And after reading about Jeff Galloway's baseless opinion of running barefoot or in minimalist shoes, I'm a bit dubious about subscribing to any of his advice.

Happy Hour is nearly upon us, teammates! Have a finely brewed weekend. Run well and drink well. Cheers!

Flashback Friday: Expelling Excess

My injured left big toe had miraculously healed on Wednesday while I was at work. When Dobson wanted to go for a walk that night, I didn't want to reaggravate it somehow.

Wearing flipflops hurt that morning, so I put on my old stability shoes that I used to wear running but have since let sit useless in a row of other idled running shoes. I thought my old, broken-in trainers would be more comfortable than the shoes I'd worn to work. I was wrong.

Shocked by the mass of these clodhoppers and surprised by how awkward my toe felt inside these protective casings, I removed the old shoes in favor of the flatsoled brown leather Sperrys I'd worn all day.

I've held onto my old cushioned running shoes because it seemed so wasteful to get rid of them. Besides, I could wear them to bum around, or maybe I'd don them again during the snowy months like I did last winter.

Three out of the four pairs of shoes I have left over from my non-minimalist days -- or I should say, my excessive days -- have more than 500 miles on them and the other pair is close behind. However, we all know that 500-mile mark is just a marketing myth to get you to buy another pair of $100 shoes.

Maybe it's time to expel these unused extras. I was thinking I should donate them to one of those running charities. If any of you have any ideas of where I can dispose of these shoes, please let me know.

Back Talk

Wherein we discuss starvation strategies.

Several of you echoed Xenia's concern about my long runs without fuel: "Are you going without fuel because you don't want to carry anything with you or because you like to torture yourself?"

Answer: First, I was too lazy to go buy electrolyte gels or whathaveyou for my long runs. Then, I was too cheap. Then, I realized that this might actually be a good training strategy. I eat before I run and then rely on my body's energy stores to get me through to the end. So far, I'm still alive.

Happy Hour is nearly upon us, teammates. Have a finely brewed weekend. Run well and drink well. Cheers!