Running: Day 0

Today I took my first run in a few years, and, I ran in my new Vibram5Fingers. Everyone says to take it slow in these shoes but I think since my body isn't that used to running at all right now, it's the perfect time to try a new shoe. About two years ago I started commuting to work daily. Part of my commute consisted of what seems to be miles of walking. Fast. Trying to catch the next bus/metro/shuttle. I developed plantar fasciitis in both of my feet. I "needed" cortisone injections, orthopedic inserts and about a million doctor's visits. I'm positive it went away on it's own after I watched some youtube videos about foot mechanics. I believe somewhere on that page I saw a link to barefoot running and how that may help me correct my gait. So I finally decided that I was really going to make an effort to run more, sign up for a few 5k's and eventually run a marathon.

Today is day 0. I don't have a pedometer, a hear monitor, or even a good watch to time my runs yet. I thought it would make my runs more enjoyable if I wasn't bogged down by extra gear or things to remember. So I started running in an area that I'm pretty familiar with, but I didn't burden myself with remembering or trying to stick to a particular route. My Achilles ached during the run. Besides being winded that was about that only thing I felt. I know I have a tendency to strike my heel pretty hard when I run and the first thing I noticed about these shoes is that it's VERY difficult to continue doing that. I really feel barefoot and my body reacts and acts like it. I know that I had an extra bounce in my step and that's probably why my Achilles was so sore during the run. About 15 minutes later it's feeling much better.

When I got home I decided I really did want to know how far and how fast I ran. Luckily I found this handy site that let me click and map my run. It says 1.9 miles, and I think I'd make it a full two just because there were some extra turns in there that weren't on the map. Also, from the playlist on my Zune it took me pretty close to 21 mins to complete the run. I don't think a 10 minute mile is that bad considering I can't remember the last time I ran that far. I'm using this site to log my runs, let me know if there are better ones out there.

We'll see how I feel tomorrow.