Barefeet FTW!!

I was playing in the woods barefoot with Windy. It started as a run, but turned into a a mix of running and walking as the terrain and her need to explore allowed. I found it very interesting that I seemed to have less problems stepping on uncomfortable sticks, rocks, etc. when running than when walking. Towards the end of the jaunt I was running on the rougher parts since it paradoxically seemed easier on my feet than trying to walk carefully over them.

But the best part was when I stepped on something sharp and turned to see if it was a pointy rock or thorn. No, it was a strand of BARBED WIRE about an inch off the ground. I didn't see any blood in the dust coating my foot. I licked my thumb and wiped off the dust to see if there was a puncture mark. Nope! I felt the barbed wire with my hand, and yes, that's definitely what I stepped on. Hell yeah! Let's give a cheer for tough bare feet! A year ago my feet were so soft I could only take a few steps on the street. Now I can run on barbed wire without a problem. Not that I'm going to be doing it again - I'm bringing wire cutters with me next time so I can clear it off the trail.

And for all the parents who read this - yes, I will go get a tetanus shot tomorrow.

Barefeet For The Win!!

Hiking in Phoenix

I just got back from Phoenix, AZ for our company annual sales meeting. Except we couldn’t call it that, it was the North American Business Conference – apparently business meetings have some tax advantage that sales meetings don’t qualify for. Plus it was in Phoenix, during the summer solstice, and was 114 degrees out, with 5% humidity. Y’know the adage “it’s not the heat it’s the humidity”? They’re not kidding, it wasn’t the 114 searing heat that drove us inside, it was the soul-sucking lack of moisture. By the end I sounded like a long-term smoker, as the dryness made my voice raspy. Perfect for delivering 4 presentations!

Our hotel was at the base of Camelback Mountain, and I got up early one morning to hike it before work (and before it got too hot). 

The front desk guy gave me a 30 SPF lip balm, checked I had a bottle of water, and pointed me towards the trail head.  Based on everyone's admonitions to wear shoes because of the rocky gravel surface and big rocks of the trail, I started out in my Five Fingers toe shoes. And while I hike in the VA forests and run on asphalt barefoot, I've never been on the crushed rock of the southwest and thought I should play it safe. After about 5 min I thought - this sucks, my feet are sweaty and the finely crushed rock shifting underfoot makes me feel unsteady. I decided to see if being barefoot on the trail was on option. I peeled off my shoes, an effort not unlike slithering out of a wet swimsuit, and gingerly stood on the gravel, then took a few steps. A big smile broke out and I really started to have fun. Feeling my toes curl around big rocks for stability, the quiet barefootfall, and the pleasant warmth of the ground was fantastic. Plus it made me really proud that my feet could handle it, it was by far the most challenging surface I’ve attempted.

A couple people stopped me to ask about being barefoot, particularly how I was able to do it. A few just said wow, barefoot as they passed by, and one warned me about snakes. My response to that was that snakes out there make noise, and I'm used to copperheads and water moccasins. Plus, is really having my feet covered going to save my life? Like it might not just bite my ankle if I was stupid enough to provoke it? The best wildlife encounter was hearing an unfamiliar rapid birdsong that had a touch of frantic static to it. I looked up and there was a broad-tailed hummingbird sitting on a branch nearby singing his little heart out. After a while he flew a few humming circles around my head and took off.

I’d love to go on hikes like that again. It was such a great part of my trip. If…when…if… my parents retire to the southwest, I’m totally going to scope out the hiking opportunities.

Barefoot in Chicago

I’m really starting to see the variability of TSA screening at different airports. At one airport the metal detectors were so sensitive it picked up the underwires in my bra. I will never forget the TSA agent asking “Ma’am, do you have any metal in your…chest area?” Whereas I walked through another airport’s metal detectors cleanly and only on the other side noticed just how much metal I had on my person. I had wondered if the pendant would set it off, as it’s a blacksmithed piece of solid iron. But apparently not. 

 

I was in Chicago recently and our hotel was right on the river. It was a great view from my room, with some famous landmarks visible. There’s a river walk path that people walked their dogs and run on during the day. I found enough time to run up to Lake Michigan and back. The wind coming off the lake was strong enough it made the run more challenging than expected, but at least it was pushing me along on the run back. It was interesting to note that each bridge is different underneath, it gave the run even more personality.

Walking down the street we passed a block-long Macy’s without much thought. Then at the corner I saw the old Marshall Fields cornerstone plaques and realized where I was. I remember as a kid we’d come to the city at Christmastime to see the Marshall Fields window displays. The entire block of windows was converted into sparkling animatronic Christmas windows. The whole block told a long story, but each window was unique. Street vendors sold hot roasted chestnuts in paper sacks to the crowds that stared at the windows. I’d probably love them now, but my kid palate wasn’t too impressed when my dad shared one with me. But even as a kid my mouth knew that Marshall Field’s Frango Mints were something special. So many childhood presents involved boxes of Frango Mints after mom gave me that first one from the small 15-piece box she bought herself. I know you can buy them at Macy’s now across the country, but seeing them in the window in the original Marshall Fields meant so much.

One good thing about going barefoot is it opens you up to a lot of entertainment that other people can only sit and jealously watch. Take these fountains for example. They were built seamlessly into the walkways of the lobby, and if you weren’t paying attention you could easily walk into one. Which in my mind means they were designed for exactly that. Off came the shoes and I happily splashed my feet in the half-inch of water while waiting for my colleague after the close of the exhibit hall at the convention center. The cold water felt really good after a full day on my feet. I sat alone along the back side of the benches so my feet plaffed in the water while everyone else crowded together on the dry side. 

We have a PLAN

Last weekend my friend and I officially broke ground in our garden this season. The weather was just gorgeous for being outdoors all day, and perfect for physical tasks that would’ve been much more strenuous in hotter weather. She used this great garden planner program from Territorial Seeds that allows you to plot out everything and make a grand master plan. Based on this plan and our desire to expand the garden, we realized most of the current beds needed to be shifted a few feet to reestablish the walkways. This involved moving a lot of dirt and mulch. Once the dirt was shifted and we went for the first pile of mulch, I suggested finally buying a real wheelbarrow this year, and we dusted ourselves off and headed off to the hardware store. Can I just say, wheelbarrows don’t get enough props for their usefulness. They should be listed among the simple machines kids have to learn about. You remember - screw, lever, pulley, ramp, wheelbarrow! Levers were always my favorite. Their ability to transfer force is so impressive, and it was really a mind-trip to understand how moving the fulcrum altered the force. And who doesn’t like the word fulcrum? We got the current garden beautifully laid out with string denoting beds and chives guarding the corners of the beds. The expansion will involve a lot more mulch – yay more opportunities to use the wheelbarrow!

Our garden has always had a casual idea of what we want to do, and we adopted a very fly by the seat of your pants attitude towards it. Last year it officially became known as the Garden of Lost Tools. But not this year! Now that we have A PLAN our garden is being whipped into shape. And it’s amazing how different it is already, as if it knows there’s no fighting against THE PLAN. Tasks that languished for a full year, such as extending the grape trellis, were easily accomplished in a spare moment. All hail The Garden With A Plan!

                                                          

I also discovered how fantastic it feels to garden barefoot. All the soft warm dirt and cool moist mulch underfoot was a treat. And ironically my feet were much cleaner at the end than my mud-caked shoes. I did put my shoes back on when working near the raspberry bushes – I may be crazy but I’m not stupid!

Finally returned

I know it's been a while. The travel schedule and ongoing corporate restructuring has left me little time to do much else. I might start designating my outgoing flights to my hub as "blog update time". It's only about 40 min. of usable laptop time, but that should be plenty of time. I also have to say that in my mind I plan on writing something later today or tomorrow, but in my reality that might be a week or more.

What the hell happened to February? Why is yet another month almost over?

So most of you know I'm into barefoot running and tend not to wear shoes unless I have to. One of the perks of working from home, and no - wooly felted slippers don't count as shoes. One of the most entertaining public places to go shoe-less is the airport. I take them off at security and don't put them on again until I'm about to step out into the real world at my destination. You really notice your surroundings more in socks. For instance, looks at this amazing mosaic that spans the entire corridor floor of Concourse B of Atlanta:

I felt it instantly and looked down, but no one else walking by even noticed it.

I have a pack of fluorescent rainbow socks that I wear traveling. I puff-painted the soles for traction, and like my unapologetic I'M NOT WEARING ANY SHOES! DOES THAT MAKE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE?? blazing neon feet. They make me smile. Ironically, despite the many glances from people, the only ones who ever point out I don't have shoes on are the flight attendants when I'm deplaning. (I think a lot of folks take their shoes off on planes and forget them). Last trip I wondered if my shoelessness was an affectation and decided to wear my Merrell's through the airport. About halfway through I stopped and pulled them off and my feet went aaaahhh!

My feets is nekkid

Barefooting is really working for me. I'm not going to make any wild pronouncements since so many people view the barefoot runners as nutters, but I will just say that my lower legs, ankles, and feet are much stronger than they ever have been and I'm enjoying running and hiking in a way I never did before. I'm following the guidance of the book Barefoot Running to make sure I learn the proper way to strengthen my feet and ankles, and build up my footpads. It's a slooooow process but I know that it's the safest route. Ack, already sounding too preachy!
 

Some of the most fun I've had is trekking in the woods with the dogs while barefoot. There are so many uneven areas and different textures it helps strengthen your feet, and it loads of fun. Well, it wasn't fun walking under the oak trees with their acorn-littered ground. But boy the leaf litter felt like a spongy mattress afterwards! And moss has to be the most awesome groundcover for barefeet ever. It's so densely spongy, cool and damp yet warm in the sun. I also loved standing on patches of smooth dirt to cool my feet while the dogs rustle in the underbrush. After coming out of the woods with all of its twigs and rocks and bits, walking on the asphalt street feels like a treat.

And for you worrying, yes I do bring shoes with me just in case I need them. And not just any shoes! Daven will be proud I bought some Vibram Five Fingers. I had a choice between white trimmed with green, or ghastly orange trimmed with hot pink (not much color choice in a women's 41 - hell, I'm lucky to have found any in person). You don't even get to guess which pair I ended up with. I figured the white ones would get really funky dirty fast. They conveniently clip onto a carabiner for easy carrying.

And I noticed something cool when I was stretching one day - a Baddha Konasana Dragonfly! Check it out!