A Barefoot Path To Fitness
Last year Bev was telling me about the running she was doing. I was interested in a new challenging experience so I started looking up information about running and specifically barefoot running. My main concern was about injury, since pretty much any runner I had talked to in the past had been injured and had to stop running. I read a book called Chi Running by Danny Dreyer (www.chirunning.com ). Danny is an ultra marathoner and his running form uses concepts from tai chi. It is promoted as an effortless injury-free running technique. It does not require the runner to be barefoot, but does involve a mid-foot landing that is more easily achieved with minimal footwear. I found barefoot and chi running to be a good match. As of the spring of 2008 I have tried to stay barefoot as much as possible in order to keep the skin on my soles thick. My goal now is to maintain my barefoot running through winter.www.barefootrunner.org
I have taken up Dave’s challenge and put $10 on myself getting through the winter without resorting to the evil shoes. Having said that, my priority must continue to be the health of my feet.