24.5 Barefoot Miles and Counting

I wanted to run a little further today than I my usual barefoot mile, and I did. I went a mile and a half.  I  really have felt ready to run further, but I've been holding back because of the sore spots on my left foot, especially the 2nd metatarsal head spot (think I mistakenly said it was the third in one post).

I'm not sure what this soreness is.  My husband says he doesn't think it is a neuroma because a neuroma would be between the bones -- between the joints.

But in every way besides that I feel that I can take on a further distance.  My ankles, calves and other foot muscles feel much stronger.  The soles of my feet have gotten a bit tougher.  My other joints, hips, knees, lower back, etc... all feel really good. Cardiovascularly I'm feeling fine.

When I mentioned to my husband that I wanted to try to go further today, but was concerned about that sore spot on my foot, he said, "What's your hurry to increase?"

As I thought about the answer to his question, I realized that it was because of what  I wrote the other day about a chance to run with the author of Born to Run, Christopher McDougall, in Central Park next week. I want to be able to run more than a mile with the barefoot crowd gathering for that event.

I have found out more details about the event since I wrote that initial post about this Harlem-to-Brooklyn run with Barefoot Runners NYC.   The group is starting at the north end of Central Park and running the first three miles through the park and continuing on over the Queensboro Bridge and then on to a park by the bookstore in Brooklyn.

At the point where they emerge from the park, there is the best NYC subway stop for me to use to get myself over to the party at the end of the run.

My ideal situation would be to run the 3 miles through the park, hop on the subway, transfer to a second subway and meet everyone for the little party at the end and hear the talk at the bookstore.

However, as reader's of this blog know, I probably can/should run at most 2 miles of the run through Central Park.  That leaves me with a less-than-ideal situation of walking a mile further to the subway stop.

They say we can join in at any point in the run.  So, I could just wait in the middle of the park for them all to get there and run from that spot to the subway.  But then I would miss the camaraderie of the gathering of barefooted runners at 3pm, and the beginning of the running part at 4pm.  Since I'm so slow, this would make me feel more like I was really participating. Joining in at mile two would mean I'd run along with them for a few minutes and watch them all leave me in the dust. and not really feel connected to the group

Okay, now everyone who reads this blog is going to know how I fall into the trap of thinking way too much. Many times I over-think all the possibilities instead of just getting out there and experiencing it.  Now you have all been exposed to my excessive worrying.

So, right here and right now in front of all my blog readers, I'm going to make a decision. I shall plan to arrive and start right at the beginning of the event.  I will go as far as I can in the park and then meet up with everyone at the party at the end.

There!  Much simpler than mulling and fretting through all the details.

So, now back to testing out an increase in distance with this event in mind.  I decided to set out and just go by feel.  I felt really great, so I went ahead and ran a mile and a half.  It was really wonderful. I feel great now.  The immediate result on that sore spot is that it's no worse.  I have to wait until this evening, and even tomorrow morning to verify that it's not.

So, maybe, just maybe, I will be able to run a little further than a mile at the event next Wednesday.