Ran 10 miles on a local MTB trail Friday morning. It's 5 miles a lap and the first was unshod. The first 1 1/2 miles are a mix of dirt, rocks and gravel which was a tiny bit harsh and forced me to slow down a little bit but the rest of the lap was almost all dirt and sand (trail is in a river bottom that floods every year). The last mile of the loop had a few more gravel stretches put down by trail volunteers to shore up spots prone to erosion so I slipped on my Xero DIY sandals for the second lap.
Very, very fun! I'm hooked on barefoot trail running, that's for sure. I also got thinking about how I ran slower and more carefully on rocky or rough sections while barefoot. At first I lamented that I wasn't quicker through them but realized there's a biomechanical wisdom at work there. My feet felt uncomfortable therefore I slowed down and took care where and how I placed them on the ground, around or on rocks. Because of that I was very much protected from twisting an ankle or other injuries higher up the body. Those nerve endings on your feet are smart. They can help you be healthier in so many ways.
