This is a Boring Running/ Soccer Post

These are my new soccer shoes… as they will be seen by the grass or a fallen competitor this spring…or my closet floor.  I’ve wanted to do this for a couple of years

It kind of all depends on this running experiment I’ve been trying on myself the past few months.  

(365 Day 299)

Here’s the overly-simplified version:

First attempt:

I read a book and troll the web

I decide running with a heel strike is the problem with my feet

I run in my lowest, least supportive athletic shoes

I see my arches rise (literally) and all foot/ knee pain is gone for months

I begin transitioning to more minimal shoes

I feel a slight twinge on the top of my foot and stop immediately

I have stress fracture- no warning

I do things I don’t enjoy as much for 6 weeks

Second attempt:

I start back to square one- very slowly- this time careful not to push off with my steps 

I have a great month or so again, then a twinge in the other foot

Come On!

I’m doing all of this to help my body.  And it worked, for the arches anyway.  It’s not like I enjoy shuffling down the road like a Tim Conway skit.   I’ve given up the speed and spontanaity for a long stretch of time here just to prevent problems as I age, yet I have potential to create more.  Thankfully I don’t think it’s as bad as before.  

So for the very few who’ve read my excited posts about barefoot running and the even fewer who may have considered some variation of it–

***** Be Careful!*****

Even very athletic people can have extremely weak bones, ligaments, tendons, etc. in their feet.  I must, and that’s after three years of lots of martial arts and yoga barefoot. 

So, I’m amending my plan again, because I’d like to run -no, sprint- to play soccer.   If this doesn’t work, I’m going back to Saucony.