Funny Feet!

Hello friends!! Today has been a gorgeous day. Lots of sunshine and temps at almost 60 degrees. :) I just got back from a nice walk with Lucien. He was very excited to be out of the house and there were a lot of people out with their kids and their dogs. Just the kind of day we love.

You're probably looking at this picture and thinking, "What in the world?!?!" Well, this is what I wore to the gym today. Goofy, huh? Last month I bought these "shoes". They're called Vibram Five Fingers. They mimic barefoot walking/running and help to increase flexibility and build the muscles in our feet and legs that get used so infrequently when wearing normal running shoes. Because running shoes are so flat, there are tons of muscles in our feet (for balance and whatnot) that we just don't have to use when running in them. I've decided to give VFFs a try to help strengthen my ankles. Last year I rolled my right ankle several times and had to take time off from running. I'm hoping that running in my VFFs will help to strengthen the muscles in my feet and ankles, so I can overcome my running problems.

Prior to today, my longest run in the VFFs had been two miles. I've read on running forums that you have to build up barefoot (or minimalist if using VFFs) mileage slowly in order to allow your body to transition without getting injured. Because you're using all kinds of new muscles, you ache in different places. I was also having an issue with rubbing, which was causing blisters. There's a company (Injinji) that makes toes socks specifically for use with the VFFs. I bought a pair on Saturday in hopes that they would correct my rubbing issue. Of course, there weren't any pairs in my size in a normal color. The only ones in my size had rainbow-colored stripes. Just my luck.

Needless to say, I got some funny looks while I was on the treadmill. I did four miles in my awesome socks and VFFs. :)