After spending some time recuperating on Maui, I have had my first run on asphalt since “the incident.”
- Not my first time running since then, though. Running on the beach, in the waves and sand seemed to be just the thing to speed healing along AND get my soles worked back into leather.
- I fit in 3 oceanside runs during the trip, finally increasing mileage to about 4.5 miles the last time.
- I’m amazed at how tough the formerly injured section of skin already is. And I think my toe pads are tougher than ever from the sand. Bottom line, running on sand seems to be very therapeutic for healing skin!
I chose a flat, relatively smooth asphalt course for this first time running back in Nampa.
- And I carried my Moc3’s in my hip bag, just in case I wasn’t as ready as I thought I was.
- Most of the greenbelt path (between Locust Land and Iowa in Nampa, Idaho) was in the shade at 7 :30 PM, so I didn’t have any issues with hot pavement even though the air temp was still 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Without worrying about my pace per mile, my goal was a test run. It met expectations:
- I didn’t feel I had to pay extra attention to the previously injured foot
- I had reasonable stamina for 4 miles
- There was absolutely NO missing skin when I was done
- My feet feel quite fine the following day
Can you see where my foot was injured?
- The occasional flesh wound heals much more quickly than joint injury, etc., from shoes.
- Running with bare feet is just more fun! Not because it shocks people (“She really IS barefoot!”), but because it feels good from head to toe.
- I think my feet actually look pretty clean, showing that wearing shoes to stay clean is not that big of a deal.
So the game is on – who can spot the Nampa Barefoot Lady about town? I vary my routes and I vary my attire, but if the feet are bare, it just might be me!
