These guys were awesome, though...
I've hit running benchmarks this week. After not running with any consistency for years I had three runs of 2 miles or longer in the last seven days. Now I realize that for many of the "runners" out there this isn't very far or many running days in a week. My response to that is I'm returning after long time off and the barefoot thing has dictated a slow, careful progression of distance.And there lies the dissonance.
Now that I've tasted success and progress, my mind naturally wants more. I also know that slipping into a pair of shoes would enable an almost instant increase in distance and speed. This, I admit, is terribly tempting.
Embrace the dark shoe side. Together we can rule the Universe Road!
The thing is, I don't want to put shoes on. Not yet anyway. i'm sure the situation will arise where shoes are the sensible option for me. I view shoes as tools to use when needed. What I don't want is to return to shoes as a crutch and all the injuries that, for me, went along with them. Before you attack, I do know that form, not shoes, is the biggest contributor to injury. I also know that shoes allow you to go farther, often before your body is ready,and introduce more fatigue which leads to sloppy form and, you guessed it: injury. I'm no expert so I'll stay out of any debate on shoe design being good bad or indifferent.
I don't run barefoot for bragging rights; I began it because I found it as a way to better my running form and reduce my injury frequency, which was the main holdback on my running success (can't run, can't build running fitness, can't get better...Always injured=not running). I keep at it because I honestly enjoy it. Running barefoot requires that I focus more on what I'm doing and HOW I am getting it done. Ultimately I believe it is making me a better, stronger runner. And that, my friends is the whole point.
I want to keep running for the long haul. This is how I believe it will best be accomplished. For me.
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