Taking My Shoes Off

My first barefoot run was short, only 400 meters. This is because I have been told to take it easy to start of with, as you use completely different muscles to when you run with shoes.

So I went out to the stable where Emmi and Elina keep their horses and went out in the forest with Emmi and her mini Shetland pony Elvis.

Deep in the forest we found a path that looked good.

Shoes coming off

Feet steady on the ground

It feels strange all of a sudden taking your shoes off, you feel vulnerable and free at the same time. I could really feel the earth beneath my feet, I felt like a child again.

Getting ready to go

I walked around barefoot for a bit, just enjoying the feeling. Then I was off.
It was harder than I thought. You really had to concentrate of each step you took. Look down to see where you were stepping. The first bit was very slow.

I also noticed straight away how I was running more on my toes than on my heals. It felt like I was sneaking through the woods like an indian.

I felt like Pocahontas

Another thing I noticed straight away was that it was hard work. This is probably because you are using different muscles to what you are used to. It felt like I was running up a steep hill. My
calves and my bum were burning after a few minutes.

Off I go

After a while I found my stride, even though I had to slow down when I hit a rougher path. The whole run was slower than my normal pace as I really had to concentrate on where I stepped.

Then it was over.

I felt like I could have gone a lot further, but you should not fool yourself and think you can handle it just because you are used to running. This is very different. So 400 meters will do the first time.
Now a few days later I can definitely tell that I used new muscles, as my ankles and my bum is aching. My feet are fine though, they are tougher than I thought.

And I really look forward to trying it again, this time a bit further.