Choosing Your Barefoot Running Route

One day last week, I was having trouble getting myself out the door for my run.  I was frustrated because I knew I wanted to run.  I mean, I was actually looking forward to the total experience, not just being able to feel the accomplishment.  But something was holding me back and I couldn’t put my finger on it.

All of a sudden I realized that it was because I didn’t want to run the route that I had planned on running!  This surprised me, because I have a few regular routes that I have chosen for certain types of runs.  These are routes that I have developed a comfort level with, so that I can think about running more than whether dogs will attack me, being lost, or figuring out how far I’ve gone (since I have yet to figure out the GPS that is available to me).  Some people increase the enjoyment of their runs by exploring.  Not me.  I don’t mind following someone else (i.e. Impressive Husband) through the desert or back streets, but keeping track of where I am is hard work for me.  Since I have enough things to keep track of in my daily responsibilities, I do things like always use the same locker at the gym and always park in the same section at the store.

It was apparently time to evaluate those routes, though.  I had previously mostly categorized them according to length, hills, and distance.  Now, I was noticing that I was being subconsciously affected by:

• presence of vehicle traffic
• time of day for lighting and other activity going on around me
• types of asphalt or ground surface
• too much concern about potential need to put shoes on

It’s not that I hadn’t thought at all about these things, but I wasn’t realizing when and how much those elements were affecting me.  I needed to be thinking of giving myself choices on any given day, instead of just sticking to a plan.  I am a planner by nature.  I was seeing the need to build some planned flexibility into my approach.  hee hee.

It occurred to me that this was a great time to ask for input from my friends at the Barefoot Runner’s Society, so I started a conversation thread.  There were many good ideas that I will summarize.

• Explore.  As I said, I don’t do this well, but just having someone mention it got me thinking about finding other routes that I felt safe running.
• Check out routes on a bike first.  I might have to stop once in a while to feel the asphalt, but I am getting better at knowing what the ground will feel like just by looking at it.  The trick would be to look at it from a runner’s point of view and not a biker’s, who is mostly trying to avoid crashing….
• Research other kinds of footwear for back-up.  I really like my Moc3’s, but I think I might like the open air feel of sandals for the warmer days.  Unshoes came up a few times with good reports.
• Skip the socks.  I have had it fast in my brain that I needed socks with my shoes!  I tried just walking around in my RunAMocs without socks today and LOVED IT!
• Find a no-hands leash option for my dog.  This could make it easier to stop and put footwear on and off when desired.
• Run more lightly.  I am always trying to do this, but it seems it can’t be overemphasized.  When I went out for my next run, I thought about running more lightly specifically over the rougher sections and it made a difference.
• Don’t be impatient with the speed.  I don’t know if I can do this.  I think up until now, the speed I was aerobically capable of was equal to what my feet could handle on rougher surfaces.  That is not true anymore.  I might apply this suggestion by  making sure that I let myself slow down over really rough ground, but looking forward to my feet getting more durable.  I can tell it is happening.  🙂  I will also continue to think about the previous principle.
• Try to choose smoother  paths for longer runs.  I was doing it the opposite, but maybe this way is similar to the idea of doing shorter speed work outs to help with speed on longer runs.  With this approach, the long runs should be more fun.
• Go ahead and drive to a nicer path.  I have tended to stay within a certain circumference of home.  Obviously, this has partly to do with scheduling.  But choosing an occasional day for an excursion would open up a lot of possibilities of paths in the slightly more cosmopolitan area about 30 minutes away.  I would drive that far to go shopping.  Why not running?
• Look for routes with less traffic.  So, it wasn’t just me being wimpy.  Constantly needing to be careful of being run over is demotivating.
• Add trail running to the repertoire.  Not very many cars AND it strengthens the core in ways that make it easier to run well on rough surfaces.  Nicer scenery for those who enjoy the great outdoors.

There is nothing quite like a good discussion among those with similar interests!  I feel better equipped to seriously consider my goal of increasing my distance to 13.1 miles by next summer.  Hubby says I’m not too old and he’s very supportive of the idea.  🙂  I have new routes on the horizon, and maybe I’ll figure out the GPS soon and make it all easier.