Uh-oh -- Some Little Barefoot Bruises

Last night I noticed two little abrasions on the bottom of my left foot.

Oh no!  That's it!  No more barefoot running!

Okay, calm down.  Why didn't I see these before?  One was some very slightly scuffed skin below my pinky toe, and the other was further down on the outside edge.

They were really tiny and insignificant and may even have been caused by my walking to my voice lessons in new Teva sandals yesterday.  I am very squeamish about any kind of abrasion of the skin and I was reacting to these like a little kid who is upset that he got a small boo boo.  Very wimpy.  I am most certainly not a warrior.  In fact I've already decided I will NEVER trail run barefoot.  I will stay on the safe paths!!! (famous last words?)

At the barefoot running clinic I attended a few weeks ago, Michael Sandler (Barefoot Running: How to Run Light and Free by Getting in Touch with the Earth) had mentioned that  the feet need rest time so the muscles can build themselves up.  He said we can "rest" our feet by wearing our supportive shoes.

But when I tried to wear my running shoes to walk to an appointment last Friday after having run barefoot in order to do just that, my feet ended up hurting horribly. I just couldn't stand the hump under my arch in the running shoe.  It felt really uncomfortable.  After trying to walk in the running shoes, I realized even more how they may have played a role in me getting plantar fasciitis.  At least I think I bought the wrong kind of shoes for my feet.

So, when I had to walk to an appointment yesterday after having run barefoot, I chose my Tevas this time -- a new pair I just got.

The little cuts on my feet may have been caused by this walk and not the barefoot running.

I had inspected my feet carefully after my run yesterday and they had looked fine.

However, I seem to recall having read on one of the barefoot blogs or one of the books that bruises and cuts sometimes don't show up until later.

Anyway, a good night's rest seems to have taken care of things.

But, being new to this, I am on alert!!!