First Barefoot Mile on Pavement

These are NOT my feet... jus sayn. :)

It was actually 1.35 miles last night … to be exact. :)

By the way, I love pushing the envelope for my own personal gratification … but I also love the message YOU should be receiving from my antics or experiments…however you want to charactarize them… YOU HAVE NO EXCUSES!!

Diabetic or not!  Says a former obese diabetic…. :)

I ran at night which added to the ‘danger’ factor but hey! … I didn’t want anyone to see me. They may think I’m crazy or something. :)

There are links at the end of the post for more information on barefoot running… but just know, I did NOT go from the couch to barefoot running on pavement.   It is a progression… I’ve been exercising and running barefoot on grass for over a year.


My First Barefoot Mile

Three days before… on a whim while at the local high school track … I decided to try barefoot running. I ended up running 3/4 of a mile (3 laps), at that moment I knew I was going to try to run a mile… barefoot.

When I woke up the next morning and my feet were in great shape… there was NO doubt in my mind that a mile was in my future…. or at least the attempt.

I had decided to wait a week and run a mile on the track… it has softer asphalt and very few rocks etc.

But then … last night, after dark I was watching TV after stuffing myself at dinner and I decided go for a jog. Then the next thought was …

“I’ll try jogging barefoot on the road … and I’ll take my shoes in case it gets too rough … literally and figuratively”

Next thing I know … I am jogging lightly on the road.  Though it was dark, thanks to the street lights I

This is immediately after running 1+ miles, barefooted.

could see if any large sharp objects were in my path and the first .2 miles were uneventful.  At that point the road turned to rockier asphalt and I had to start jogging on the concrete sidewalk.

I had not expected this and I was concerned about it wreaking havoc on the skin of my feet. I made a conscious effort not to push off with my feet on each strike but to pick them up more straight up and down.

** By the way – when running barefoot on grass or pavement… I ALWAYS run on the balls of my feet. My heels may ‘touch’ the ground … but only lightly. The “heel to toe” foot striking MUST go away… for obvious reasons.

Yes there were a few times where I felt sharp pain … when stepping on a pebble … but after running barefoot you learn to react very quickly … your feet, skin and senses are much more ‘alert’.  Though I stepped on a few small rocks… as you can see there is no permanent damage.

I am NOT suggesting that YOU as a diabetic go running barefoot on pavement.

Yes, I wash my feet. I walked around the house prior to this picture, due to recent rains it's a bit muddy. :))

 

I am suggesting that SINCE I DO …. YOU have NO EXCUSES not to exercise…. so DO IT!

Here’s an informational post about barefoot running, “New Barefoot Challenge” ,  This is a post and vid of me running in the snow … barefooted, “Snowy Primal X

My toes, feet, ankles, knees and legs ALL feel great the next day. I will run again on pavement barefooted … not sure of what my goals will be regarding miles.  I’ll just see what happens. :)

 

Here is my Diabetes Warrior Info:

My Diabetes Meal Plan ( a true diabetes diet, not like most of those promoted by American Diabetes Association)

How I Play