And I ran ...

...for the first time in months. I managed a 9 km run non-stop for an hour. I was elated - my body felt fine, and I ran. I was smiling from ear to ear.

I hope this lasts ... the 'healthy' bit, that is. It really felt good to be going , and going, and going; each step spurring me onto the next, each kilometer a sign of a achievement since the last time I actually ran without stopping, or struggling for breath. Wish me luck!

Barefootin' - part deux

Okay - so last time I got blisters because I didn't use socks. NOW I do.
Anyway, you've got to get socks that are made that way too - five separate toe pockets - then magic happens.
Well, I decided that since I'm well padded, I'd go longer distances.
Today I did a 10K run. Beautiful day out, breezy, not too hot, not crowded, and pace-wise, very comfortable.
Best thing, no blisters!
Okay, now the after-effects: sore calves and ankles, recurring knee pain, and it hurts. So I'm limping around like the walking wounded.
Well, think my leg muscles are learning and adjusting, but I wonder if my knee can hold up for longer distances, or if I should just stop being obstinate and buy a proper pair of shoes.
Watch this space.

Barefootin'

Bought a pair of Vibrams Five fingers today (model KSO), and went running. According to the makers, many experts believe the shoes we wear not only cast the foot in a protective form, but also weaken our foot and leg muscles, leaving them underdeveloped and more prone to injury.

And while there are many occasions where traditional footwear is essential for protection, safety, and security, it is equally important to stimulate and exercise the foot in a more natural state on a regular basis. Hence the creation of the Five fingers.

Anyway, it was a short run (5K), and I've got blisters! Guess it's part of the breaking-in process. The upside is that you can chuck your socks once you've toughened your skin.

So how does it feel? Well, it's like running barefoot, and you're readjusting to that feeling of being barefoot and running over different surfaces, adjusting to the un-eveness, hardness, and so on.

The leg muscles (especially the toes and calves) are also readjusting as you're mostly landing on your front feet, and not so much on your heels. I'll update this post when I've broken them in a little.

We've moved - hooray!

Moving house, for the uninitiated, requires an effort approximating that of removing archaeological artifacts from a museum. Due care must be paid to boxing everything up - all bits and pieces accounted for, and then put in boxes that could break your back if you tried lifting them on your own.

And then there's the taping up of those same boxes, stacking them up, and making room for your manoeuvres around the dwindling floor space so that you can get at other unpacked items to stuff them into new boxes.

All that took at least two full days (for 10 years' worth of hoarding and junk), and we must have dumped at least a good one-third of that after packing.

And just when you thought 'that's it!', the movers collect and dump the same boxes in your new pad, and you have to reverse the process - unpack.

That would take much longer than the packing as you have to now decide what goes where, and how to fit all the stuff you brought into new, smaller spaces. And this is assuming that you're not completely drained of energy with the packing in the first place.

So after two days of frantic packing up, often late into the night, and another few days of unpacking, we're almost done (and knackered too).

Word of advice: if you ever want to move, spend a little extra and get the movers to pack and unpack your stuff - it's worth every cent, trust me.