Hot in the city

Good to see that the sun has finally made it to London. Nice to run this evening without getting wet. Saying that, I was only out for ten minutes so I wouldn't have got that wet anyway. Me and my Vibrams are starting again. Last Saturday's long run wiped out my calf muscles for a week. Going downstairs was so painful I had to resort to descending sideways. Given I was on a course at a college in central London, this attracted some stranger looks than normal. So, back to square one. Except maybe not, because I've learned a few lessons about my new shoes and my old legs; square two, perhaps?

Don't stop believing

When I was a little girl, I had two dreams: to live next door to a sweet shop and to own a swimming pool. The friend I'm staying with in Bristol has a pool and it's absolutely brilliant. You roll out of bed and the next thing you know you're doing lengths. This morning's dip was especially welcome given my poor calf muscles needed soothing following yesterday's long barefoot run. To be fair, last night's three-hour 80's dance-a-thon didn't help. And neither did the three-inch heels. Thankfully, this morning's swim relieved the pain a little, which brings me back to how brilliant it would be to own your own pool. Unfortunately, we don't have room for one in our back garden but I shall continue to dream. And, on the plus side, we're only a couple of minutes from Tesco's and they sell sweets, proving that that some dreams do come true.

Lost in Bristol

Today's run in the Vibrams took a slightly different turn - several, in fact - when I got very lost. I'm staying at a friend's so while she was at spinning, I headed out in the rain for a 20-minute foray that took 45 minutes. A lesson in spending less time looking at your feet and more time looking where you're going. My calf muscles are now rock hard. Even a quick swim hasn't loosened them up. I'm squatting a lot to see if that helps, though I might need to stop as we're off to Clifton shopping. On the plus side, it was good to go for a decent run. Apart from the concrete calves, my feet are fine and all is well with the barefoot adventure. We're going dancing tonight. The Vibrams would be perfect. However, I'll probably stick with the ridiculously high sandals that have previously left me with second-degree burns. Would Barefoot Ted approve? Probably not. (Stats: 45 minute run (no idea of distance, possibly three-ish miles in circles around Stoke Bishop?) (Pic: Peace and quiet at Clifton Relaxation Centre. Well worth a visit.) [Corrections and clarifications: My friend has just informed me she was at body pump, not spinning.]

Look out Barefoot Ted

First barefoot run: done. Just went out for a mighty six-minute jog around the block in my Vibrams. Actually, I shouldn't use the word jog. According to one of the speakers at the Primal Lifestyle Barefoot Connections conference, 'jogging' was invented by Bill Bowerman at Nike to describe what you do in trainers. 'Barefooters' walk or run (or squat, there was a lot of talk of squatting). Anyway, I'm happy to report that apart from a little soreness in my right calf and a little straining in my right instep (damn my weak right-hand side) all is well. However, six minutes was definitely plenty. I was boiling within seconds. In trainers, it's easier to have a lazy gait. When you're 'barefoot' your whole body has to get involved. As a result, you feel like your feet are skimming, rather than pounding, the pavements. I can genuinely see how, once you're acclimatized, this motion is much kinder to your body. I plan to continue this kindness with a nice bit of reflexology at Step In in Chinatown - followed by fresh dim sum at Jen Cafe on Lisle Street. Healthy body, healthy appetite etc...

Vibrams are like dogs...

...when you're out and about with them, everyone wants to talk to you. Mindful that you can't barefoot run before you can walk, I decided to spend today pottering around in my new shoes. It was with trepidation I left the house. They are not an attractive shoe. However, my flatmate offered reassurance with the words: "Are you really going out like that?" My request he accompany me for support was rejected on the grounds I'd ruin his [in my view, minimal] street cred. What a fool I was. I didn't need his support. No one pointed and laughed. In fact, my feet became minor celebrities attracting interest from all sorts (two men in a cafe and several ladies on the Heath). They all wanted to know if they were as comfortable as they look and have they transformed my running. Having been wearing them for less than a day, I can only say yes, they are very comfortable but, re the running, I plan to go for a very gentle jog tomorrow morning and find out. Wean myself into them slowly. A few people said they'd tried the shoes, but had suffered injuries and given up. This tallies with the words of Lee Saxby - a coach I encountered recently at the Primal Lifestyle Barefoot Connections conference. The reason being, these shoes will not instantly turn you into a fleet-of-foot Bambi-style runner. You have to learn to run skilfully. If you just don the new shoes and gallumph off as if you were wearing a padded trainer, then injury will prevail. I am determined that injury will not prevail here. In fact, I'm thinking that there's a Zola Budd-shaped hole in the running world that me and my feet could fill. Barefoot toes crossed the run goes well tomorrow. (Pic 1: A beautiful day for a barefoot walk on the Heath. Pic 2: Vibrams in action.)

Barefoot or bust

My fitness regime needs a boost. I am hoping these will provide it.