Week 31

• Total weekly miles

6 hours, 10 mins running, approximately 36 miles

• Number of running sessions

4 runs, 2 long, 2 of one hour each

• Total weekly barefoot mile

Again, none this week, partly because of a blister.

• Number of barefoot running sessions

0

• Running terrain

Mostly flat, on a mixture of pavement, dirt tracks and road.

• Ground surface of barefoot runs

N/A

• Runs in minimalist shoes, e.g. Five Fingers.

Both long runs in my lunas, one short one in my Evos.  Unfortunately, the new hemp laces in my lunas proved to be far too abrasive in my first long run this week.  I developed a pretty big friction burn on the top of one of my feet.  I might be a bit allergic to the hemp as well, because my foot was pretty badly swollen for a couple of days after that.  The next run I did was in my Evos to try and take some pressure off the raw patch, but I got a twinge of TOFP from them after that run.  I find that the Evos, despite their flexibility, ‘numb’ my feet too much.  There’s no groundfeel and so I end up hitting the ground far too hard with every step, putting me at risk of TOFP.  I re-laced my lunas with my spare leather laces and stuck with them, after taking a couple of days off to let the TOFP fade.

• Weather for barefoot runs (rain on road?)

N/A

• Condition of skin on feet — hotspots, blisters

The blister on my left foot is healing.  But the skin is still too thin to run for any distance barefoot.  Still got a hole on the top of my right foot from the hemp laces!

• Interesting/amusing comments received during the week: e.g. ‘You’ve got no shoes on!’

Lots of stares again.

• Treading on nasty things: e.g. glass, thorns, poo — how you dealt with any

Again, nothing.  My new route takes me through  wood a couple of miles from my house, so there’s been lots of standing on stones and twigs, but since I’m wearing my lunas, I’m OK.  I think I’ll probably have a go running through the wood barefoot at some point, but I doubt I’d get far!

• Changes in your running style that you’ve noticed.

None really.  What I said last week still stands, I feel comfortable at this slow pace, and my running form is good.

• Injuries incurred, or reduction of existing symptoms.

None.

• Useful tips and nuggets of info you’ve picked up along the way.

The only thing I can think of is that when you find a level of padding/groundfeel that you’re comfortable with (if you’re running in minimalist shoes), then don’t go beyond that level if you can help it.  I feel most comfortable in my lunas and in my soft stars because there’s minimal padding and maximal groundfeel in both.  I’m much less comfortable in my evos because there’s just too much shoe there.  I can’t feel the ground properly and my form (and my feet!) suffer for it.  The only problem is that my evos were the only shoe I had that offered any kind of security in the rain.  The soft star shoes, becuase they’re leather, are way too floppy in the wet, and the lunas can be pretty slippy, neither of which really inspires confidence in wet weather.  I guess I’ll either have to keep looking for rain-appropriate minimal shoes or keep working on my soles to thicken them up faster!