Huaraches!
Today was my first technical run in the huaraches. So I remember saying that the MR790’s were light, felt like I was floating. Well scratch that. These guys are light! Though seeing that there is much less material between me and the ground I had to be very mindful of each and every step. The places where there were lots of pointy rocks I would walk, but I can really see myself running through such a section in the future.
The big thing to think about when running barefoot (or in a bare-footing type shoe, think Vibram 5 Finger) is you can’t just “run”. You can’t barrel down the trail like you would in a pair of beefed up running shoes with a thick sole and lots of tread. In shoes like that you don’t feel the rocks. You miss out on the all of the fine details of the trail. Where the soft spots are where the hard ones are. The little rocks the big rocks, the sticks and vines and leaves strewn about the trail. Being mindful while you run is very important, it keeps you from getting hurt.
I still find that the leather strap that holds the shoe on to my foot is still in the stretching phase. I’m not sure how much longer this will go, but eventually it’ll stop. What this means, though, is I have to stop now and then to re-tie the strap cause it gets loose. Aside from having to retie the shoes once, my pace was quick, and light. I danced through the rocks around the mud, and smiled the whole time I was running. These shoes bring me back to a time when running is joyful.
The trail wasn’t very muddy, but it was muddy enough. I found that I slipped only a couple times, probably cause I was being more mindful of each and every step. Making sure that a) it won’t hurt and b) it won’t slip.
The only down side to this run was there were a few little hills, which are to be expected when you’re out at Clinton Lake. The down hill running did hurt my knees, but thankfully the section I ran was mildly hilly, and more rocky/muddy. The flatter sections and the up hill sections were pain free and I loved every minute of it. Now though it’s time to go ice/rest and keep the knees feeling happy.
