So far this has been a great December for barefoot running in Indiana. Temps have been staying in the upper 20s and 30s and we have had several sunny days. As you know, moisture is the barefoot runners enemy, so I have really appreciated the few sunny days we have had to both warm and dry out the pavement. I've also been having a blast using my new Garmin 405CX which has encouraged me to go on some longer routes and even go off and discover some new ones. It is amazing how easy it is as a runner to get into a rut of running the same routes OVER and OVER again! The Garmin automatically maps out my route on my laptop when I get back so it's great to try new routes just to see how they will look on the map!
Here is an example of my 10 mile route I ran this past Wednesday. Also graphed are elevation (green) and speed (blue). So far I'm really happy with my purchase. This was a Cyber Monday buy and I got it for only $150! I had always held off buying a running GPS thinking that I liked the freedom of NOT having all the "infrastructure" and hassle of the GPS and connection to computer, etc. I like the idea of just getting up and going on the run first thing in the morning...the simplicity of it all. But this Garmin makes it even simpler, and now I can just go for a run without worrying about staying on a pre-measured course. And in the case of travelling, I can just get up and go and this model even helps me get back to the hotel if I get lost (if will give "turn by turn" directions to "return to start"). I haven't explored half the features yet, but I'm definitely having fun playing with my new toy! The breakdown for the week is as follows: Monday= 6, Wednesday=10 (in Vibrams), Thursday=1, Friday=4.8, Saturday=1.5, both Monday and Friday were dry/sunny so I went barefoot even though it was 32 degrees both days. The Wed and Thurs runs were wet/rainy (but in the 50s) so I used the Vibrams on Wed and went short (although barefoot) on Thurs. It was interesting to look at the bottom of the Vibrams after using them and finding several different sized "pebbles" stuck in the treads.
Here is a photo of the collection of "stuff." I guess this is what always sticks to my feet when they get wet, so I do appreciate the Vibrams in the wintertime. Now by far the most interesting run of the week was on Saturday. I was up visiting the in-laws in northern Indiana and we recieved an un-expected half inch of powdery snow this morning. Since I had already planned to do a short recovery run that day, and hadn't brought along the Vibrams, I decided what the heck and GO BAREFOOT IN THE SNOW! It was 28 degrees with almost no wind and a fine powder of snow still falling. It turned out to be really fun. I fired up the Garmin and went on a 1.5 mile run out on the shoulder of Hwy 120 down to Camp Lutherwald and then turned into their entryway a couple hundred yards before turning back toward the house. Believe it or not, the feet felt pretty good. Even though they started to numb a little, I never completely lost the feeling in my soles and could actually still feel the small rocks, especially in the snow covered gravel driveway of Camp Lutherwald. The Hwy 120 shoulder felt great since it was a very smooth surface, made even softer by the thin covering of snow. I got back to the house and felt like I could have gone another half mile or so but decided I should just call it quits and enjoy my "triumph" over the snow. I came back inside and warmed the feet while playing around with the Garmin, downloading the data and showing off the new toy to my brother-in-law John. I'm definitely looking forward to some more snowy runs this winter although still not looking forward to the much colder temperatures ahead. Well, everyone be careful out there and stay safe with your winter running. Enjoy the challenges ahead!
Happy Barefooting,
(Barefoot) Dan
Total Miles for Week = 23.3 Miles, (10 in Vibrams and 13.3 Barefoot)
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