Trail Runs

I went for a trail run yesterday in my “barefoot running shoes”.  I realize that’s an oxymoron, but it really is what they are.   I bought a pair of Vibram FiveFingers a month or so ago.   I run in them occasionally.   I don’t go very far when I wear them and I try to stay on dirt or grass.   Those that advocate barefoot running say you should always run that way.  After all, our feet were designed to operate without shoes, why would we need all that protection and padding?  Well, I would propose that our feet were designed to run on dirt and grass, not pavement and concrete.  

In any case I wore them for my trail run yesterday.   There is trail through the woods that starts about ¼ mile from my house and winds its way down to the Oregon Zoo.   I had only been on it once before and I remembered it being about a mile, and relatively flat.    I was wrong on both counts.   It’s actually about .6 of mile and has about 100 feet of elevation change.   That’s a lot of hill in just over half a mile.   It’s all downhill going out, that part was easy.   It’s all uphill coming back, that part not so much.   I wasn’t out for very long since I can run 1.2 miles pretty quickly, but it was still one of the more enjoyable runs I’ve had in a while.   I was alone; it was early so no one was out yet.    There was wildlife along the way.  (Well, squirrels anyway)   It’s really pleasant to be alone in the forest.   

Portland is lucky to have park areas so close to the city where you can feel like you’re deep in the woods.   I really enjoy running that way.   I need to do it more often.