Barefoot in the park but not a Redford in sight

The blogging and running took a serious hit over the Christmas and New Year break.  However, I am back with a committed mind-set and posting and running much more regularly.  This radical promise has mainly come about because  in less than three weeks I will be waking up at an unearthly hour to get to the start line for my first 10k road race at the Standard and Charter Bangkok Marathon (the catalyst for this blog in the first place).

While I might have been tardy with writing and running that is not to say I have not been thinking about all things running!  I have been building up the running twitter posse. Some of whom I am stalking (ahem following) and have also been kind enough to follow me.  My tweeting has mostly been focused on trying to get @johnprescott  to retweet my bad film titles along with the odd pithy reply to a couple of tweets .  I will endeavour to be more “running focused” in daily tweets.

In an earlier post, I wrote about speed training and my observations on running styles in Lumpini Park.  This led me to read a lot about styles and speed work. It took me to the hot topic of the moment – barefoot running – or, to be more precise, the issue of minimal running shoes that give the impression (to your feet) of running naked.  I have become strangely fascinated, dare I say almost obsessed, with reading everything I can about this topic. I knew I was onto something when, in a strange moment of Jungian synchronicity, my visiting mother brought with her a newspaper cutting about how to reduce running injuries.  It was about barefoot running and how, for many, it may be the way of the future. And good at reducing all those pesky running injuries, knock on wood.

What appeals is the potential for injury free running. Running with a natural gait, faster and with less effort; running more simply with, supposedly, a less plodding form.  I am also drawn to a sense of ‘getting back to basics’ the simple idea of running without too much kit like some latter day hunter-gatherer.  As a side note, future posts will include musings on running NOT being the low-tech/low-cost sport that some say it is; but, in fact, an expensive fad-driven,  gadget obsessed, fashion sport.  However, I am not one to complain.

I am going to explore barefoot running seriously. As I need to buy new shoes shortly I will consider minimal ones – but NOT those five finger shoes (they actually scare me).  I’m thinking of buying the ‘they look like rock climbing shoes’ type.  First point of research will be the Merrell Barefoot Run Dash Glove collection.

As to roadwork, last week I clocked up 24 km (X4 6k).  Times were not great. But the weather has been hot and I am just getting back in the swing.  This week, back to clocking up the kilometres with more 10k runs!  Tonight I did 11k in 1 hour 14 minutes.

…And finally, a new edition to my posts for 2012 will be occasional running blog recommendations.  These will either be ones I’ve stumbled across or ones recommended to me.  The first of 2012 is Feet Meet Street blog.

Good night all.