I ran a 6 K shuttle course in my neighborhood after coming home from work. It was the first running training after the Sakura Marathon. I was a bit sore from high intensity cardio that I did on Sunday, and I wanted to loosen up my body with some slow cardio. And that's where a comfortable jog comes it. I ran barefoot as my sole had gotten quite tough after completing a full marathon in minimalist aqua shoes. It was largely painless throughout the entire 6 K except for a very few cases where I accidentally stepped on a tiny, edgy pebble. It was tremendously refreshing to run without shoes. I like feeling the cold of the road surface on my sole. I also like feeling the air directly on my feet. To me shoes are extra weights no matter how light they may be. Also, shoes get worn out as you wear them for long. But your sole, which is made of a genuinely organic material, maintains itself automatically after each use. You don't need to fix the heel with Shoe Goo, or anything like that. No shoe lace is needed either.
As I had a very comfortable, and almost pain-free run for 6 K tonight, I became more and more interested in running more races entirely barefooted. My next big race is almost 5 months away, and I have plenty of time to think about what kind of goal I want to set for the next race season. I can go for better times. I can go for a longer distance. But I can also run for a new kind of athletic challenge. Running without relying on modern athletic technology seems to me a good enough challenge. Because there are so many runners faster than me, but I don't see many who run without shoes.
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