Barefoot in the Snow

It happened overnight.  We had our first light dusting of snow for the season.

This happy barefoot runner did not feel as happy about the first snow as she usually does.  In fact, she looked out the window with a bit of dismay.

Maybe it will be gone by tomorrow, when my next run is scheduled.

I kept staring at the snow, and as I came back in the house, dragging the garbage cans in behind me from the curb, I still kept staring at it.

I wonder what it would feel like to just step out there and see what it feels like?  I mean, it won't hurt me to go outside, take a picture of my feet on the snow, will it now?  A minute or two wouldn't hurt, would it?  I definitely am not going go barefoot running in the snow this year, but, well .... it's only a light dusting of snow and it looks like very dry snow.

Yeah, but as soon as my feet touch the snow it won't be dry.  It will melt and it will be wet and freezing.

But what would it cost me, really, to just go out and take just one eeny little picture for my blog?  I mean, it would be fun.  I have a Summer picture of my feet outside, a Fall picture of my feet outside.  This could be the Winter version.  Oh, I simply must have the Winter version!

Okay, I'll do it.

I admit it was hard to take of my socks and Terra Plana Vivo Barefoot Kali shoes that were keeping my feet relatively warm.  But once the decision had been made, then I just saw it through.

Amazing!  It was not miserable. It actually felt pretty good!

I could definitely feel that the cold-weather conditioning I've been doing over the past couple of weeks had produced an insulating kind of effect.  I felt definitely like my feet were prepped or ready for this and that it did not feel as cold and freezing as it might have had I not accustomed my feet to the cold. The strong, tough skin on the soles of my feet which had developed over the past 145 miles of barefoot running almost felt like a layer of protection, almost like a kind of "shoe" on my foot.

I'm not saying it wasn't cold, but it was surprisingly more comfortable than I thought it would be.

But I have no idea what it would be like to remain out there.  I was only out there for about 3 or 4 minutes.  I wonder how long I would be out there before my feet started to freeze.

But then I thought that maybe they wouldn't freeze because I'd be running and the activity would keep the feet warm.  There really would be no way of knowing for sure until one gave it a try, would there now?

Maybe running barefoot in the snow would also work like learning to run barefoot at all, or learning to run barefoot in the cold, and have to be done incrementally -- bit by bit, increasing very gradually?

Maybe by taking these little steps out I've already begun?

No, no no!  It's not the right time.  I will not, shall not, run barefoot in the snow.  I will not do it in a house.  I will not do it with a mouse.  I will not do it here or there.  I will not do it anywhere.  Mark my words, I will not run barefoot in the snow!  Do you hear me?!

Mile 145 -- Still Barefoot in December

I looked out my door this morning.  It was warmer, in the 40s, but it was wet.  I stepped out with my bare feet and the wet was cold.

No.  I'm not going to run with this wet ground.  Let me wait and see if it dries up.

Later, around noon, the ground had dried up completely.  I was in my running clothes. I think I even saw a bit of sun.  But I was wrapped up in doing a million things and ... well, it was feeling harder to go out and run.

Remember those spontaneous run days in the summer, when the urge to run just came over me (spontaneous run day #1 and spontaneous run day #2)?

Well, I haven't been feeling it as I look outside at the cold weather.  I have to make myself go.

The brief moment of sun went away.  Some more time passed.  Now it was getting later -- 3:30pm.  If I didn't go now, it was not going to happen.

I ran through a bunch of thoughts.  Can I wait until tomorrow?  Maybe I'm not meant to run today.  But maybe this will be the last day I can go barefoot and if I don't go I'll miss it.  And what about that last race in January down at Disney.  If I don't maintain the work of the summer, I won't feel good running it.

So, I forced myself out the door with my little pup.

And it was great!

I loved every step of it!  It was 41 degrees but it felt cold, even colder than the days I ran in the 30s.  It was very overcast and dull and grey outside.  And yet it was wonderful.  I think that the ground was colder than when it had sun shining on it. I think it makes a big difference when the ground is actually colder.

On a numbness scale of 1-10, with 10 being not able to feel anything and 0 being completely normal, I would say my feet were at about a 3-4.  It seems like that is an okay way to run.  A little danger of pounding my feet down too hard, but if I'm careful it's okay.

I wrote the other day about getting feedback from knees and other body parts about whether I'm running gently enough.  This awareness of listening to the rest of the body, after a summer of mostly listening to feet, made me feel more complete.  I thought that this whole body awareness would be useful for transferring barefoot running technique to when I put shoes on again.

As I was out there, it began to snow flurry.  It was really pretty.

It's a good thing I went out, because this snow continued through the day.  I think that I won't try snow running this year.  Maybe some year I'll try it, but I'm not ready to try it this year.

So, maybe this was my last barefoot run of the year.  145 barefoot miles. (actually 145.96)  Not a bad total.

But who knows?  Maybe my good fortune will last and I'll be able to keep it up somehow by the time I go down to Disney.

Day 3 -- Running Barefoot in 31 Degrees

This is Part III of my first explorations into colder (sub-40-degree) weather.  The first day out it was 35 degrees.  The second day out, it was 37 degrees.  And now it was time to run again and here it was 31 degrees.

I now have added a pair of running pants over my HIND tights, and a great big sweatshirt over my compression turtleneck and long-sleeved T-shirt over that.


I am plenty warm on top.


Daffodil now gets a sweater.  I don't know if dogs need sweaters but Havanese dogs are Cuban, and have a kind of double-layer fur that keeps them cool in the summer.  So, I was kind of thinking Daffodil might need a little something.

Although I was dreading taking my first steps outside, they really were not bad at all.  I remember when I was conditioning my feet to run on asphalt, how it would hurt so much one day and my feet would feel a little sore afterwards, but by the next time I went out, they would have already adapted some during the time off and there was steady improvement from run to run as long as I did not do too much.


Well, it was my impression that the cold conditioning was working the same way.  My feet began to adapt much sooner than I would think.


I was very very comfortable for my 2.75 mile run.  I even ran the full length of asphalt this time.  It was tricky and I had to be really careful.  But it was amazingly better.

(That big pile of the last fallen leaves of November that I had showed you on day one had now been swept away.)

Why am I doing this barefoot running in the cold when I don't have to?

Well, I've already written about how I want to make sure I'm not put off just because it was uncomfortable in the beginning.  I wanted to make sure that the difficulty of the first time out didn't make me draw the conclusion that it was not for me.  I wanted to give it a chance.

But there is another reason I really don't want to stop going barefoot yet.  I am signed up to run the Disney 5K in January.  I think it would be fun to run it barefoot.  I really would like to run it barefoot.  But if I stop running barefoot now, I might not be able to do it by January.  (If you do click on the Disney link you will find that the race is full.  Last year at Thanksgiving time, when I finally sadly realized I would not be able to run in the half marathon because of my plantar fasciitis, I tried to get into the 5K but it was full.  I had thought I could have run that 5K with my injury.  This year I signed up early so I would definitely be able to do it.)

I have no experience with this, so I have no idea how long it takes a conditioned sole of a foot to get all soft again, but I feel that the longer I can go before I have to put shoes on the better off I'll be.

As far as why I'm running on asphalt, well I remember when I walked this same 5K a few years ago that it started way far out in the Epcot parking lot.  Now this is Disney, folks, so maybe the asphalt out there is smooth, but just in case, I don't want to be too much of a tenderfoot.  I think that inside the park it is a smoother surface, but it is hard to remember because I had been wearing shoes at the time.

But most of all I just feel so sentimental about my barefoot running experience this summer, writing the blog and all that, that I just don't want it to be all over yet.  Not just yet.

I know that there will be a new season -- that it will all begin again next spring.  But I am just hanging in there for the last dregs here.  I feel that my running season officially ends with my Disney race in January.  So, I just want to finish up.

Well, by the end of that 31 degree run, I felt so good that I was sure the temperature had gone up to at least forty. The wind blowing through my toes felt like a cool spring breeze.  It actually felt good.  It's not that my feet weren't slightly numb.  The balls of my feet were where I felt some numbness.  It's just that they felt comfortable.  It was nothing like the first time out when it was numb and painful.  I really truly think that my feet adapted.  But what was surprising is they responded really quickly.

Anyway, when I checked the temperature it had gone up, just as I suspected -- to 32!

The same thing happened a second time when I went out for another run at 31 degrees after that.

I have drawn some conclusions about it. This is stuff really experienced barefoot runners already know, but I am finding out about it now.  Here are my "notes to self" about barefoot running in the cold:

First of all, stay as warm as possible up on top.

Second, start with only a little bit, like when you first started barefoot running, and gradually increased.  Have as much patience as you did when you first started to run barefoot.

Third, go out a little later in the day when the sun has been shining and warming up the ground a tiny bit.  When I went out that first morning and had to go too early, there was no sunshine on the ground.  For these latest runs, I was able to wait until there was more sunshine on the path and that made a difference.

I have read a post by a guy named Smelph over on the Barefoot Runner's Society site where he warns about going out when it is cold and WET.  I have only gone on beautiful cold days when it is dry.  I think that's a good idea for a beginner.

Fourth, don't just walk around all day with your feet all warm and cozy.  Take them out and let the get used to being in cooler temperatures so that it's not so shocking when you go to run.

Fifth, give your feet recovery time.  Take a full day off in-between so your feet can figure out what happened to them, adjust and do whatever they do to make the cold feel better next time.

That's all for today, folks.

Taking Photos While Running Barefoot in the Cold

Before I give you part 3 of my Barefoot-Fresca-Explores-Barefoot-Running-In-The-Cold series (Part 1 here, and Part 2 here), I shall take some time out to share some photos I took the last time I was out.

Stopping to take photos when it's cold is a little difficult.  Feet that had been feeling comfortable while running get cold really fast while standing still.  It also breaks my little dog Daffodil's rhythm and she pulls on the leash causing the camera to jerk while I'm trying to take the picture.

I used to bring along both my cell phone and my camera, but since I got my new Droid, I've been digging the photos it takes and love that my little running pack has more room in it.  I need extra room because in the winter I have to jam a little pack of tissues and some chapstick in there with all the doggie bags and paper towels.

The reason for this post is that it was so breathtakingly beautiful along the river the other day that I took a bunch of shots, trying to get just the right one to use with my third barefoot-in-the-cold post.

But when I tried to choose there were things about each photo I liked and I find it hard to choose.  To some people, each and every one of these photos will just seem the same and it won't seem like such a difference.  But to me, there is beauty in every slight shift of the angle.  Maybe that's why I don't mind running the same route over and over again. It's not boring to me because each time I move a little it's a new vista.

Of course I'm not exactly looking at this when I'm barefoot running.  I'm actually mostly looking at the ground.  It's amazing how one can be aware of one's surroundings, however, while scanning the ground.  I feel that barefoot running has promoted and developed this awareness in me.

I'm not experimenting with the settings on the camera. It is just set to "auto."  I'm mostly thinking composition.  I haven't really had to worry as much about composition now that the digital age is here, because now you can do your composing when you get home by cropping photos. Yet, all those years of using film cameras and trying to compose while shooting made me enjoy the process if trying to see if I could make the shot come out right with my camera positions and angles.  Just a left-over hobby from the days of 35mm film.

So, here's some photos, in the order in which they were shot (I think), and what I liked about each one of them and why I needed to take another.  I hope you enjoy them.

I liked the partial sun in the upper right corner of this photo, but I didn't feel I captured the effect of the sun shining on the water.  I decided to move up a little further to see if I could get more of the river in the picture.

In this one, I got more of the river and the light on the river.  I liked that I had some of the running path in the photo, but it all got spoiled by the big telephone pole in the middle.  Looked up ahead and decided I could get a better shot if I just moved past the telephone pole.

But what was awaiting me when I moved up ahead?  Woo-hoo, some really beautiful vegetation that was being lighted up from behind by the sun.  It was so beautiful in person that it made my heart thump, and I knew the light was going to make it come out good in the photograph.

This is essentially the same photo as the previous one, but I moved the camera in an attempt to include the dueling skylines from the New Jersey side.  I only got a little bit of the New Jersey buildings in on the right.  The sun is moving from its corner in the right.  I don't want the sun to be in the center, exactly, but I want more of the New Jersey side skyline, so I decide to try again.

This one is very pleasing to me.  I've got different textures (rock, vegetation, water, sky, sun).  A bit of the running path shows.  The sun is off-center (although I liked it better coming from the right).  The pretty light behind the vegetation is there and it shows the two skylines on either side of the river.

Finally, I decide to lean out over the side (hope I don't drop my camera down the palisade while Daffodil jerks on the leash)  The sun itself is no longer in the picture, but its rays are.  The camera on the Droid is not quite refined enough to catch the shimmer on the river properly and it's bright and overexposed there, however the one or two lit up tops of vegetation in the foreground against the barren, leafless background works well.  Overall, I like this one a lot but kind of wish the sun was in the shot too.  But maybe not.  By the time I'm done with these photos, my feet are pretty cold so I have to get myself moving again.

I really hope you enjoyed me taking you through this barefoot photography process.

Day 2 Running "Brrr-Foot" Sub-40 Degrees

I added a little preparation this time to see if I could make my second ever sub-40 degree barefoot run a bit more comfortable than my first one had been. (To read about the first run in this trilogy, click here: "Three Days Running Brrr-Foot -- Part I")

Preparations

1. I spent some non-running periods of time exposing my feet to the cold:  I took Daffodil for her first out in the morning completely barefoot (about 10 very freezing minutes in the backyard, but it also did not help that I was doing it in my PJs).  I wore my flip flops to run errands with my car and do my shopping.  The time to the car and back was short enough from place to place that it was enough cold exposure. (But I confess I did indulge in pointing the blowers from the heater down toward my feet while driving around, so in-between runs back and forth from the car, it was nice and toasty.)
2. I spent periods of time barefoot in the house at a time of year when I would NEVER be barefoot.  I emptied the dishwasher in the morning barefoot.  I did some vacuuming barefoot.  It is not cold in the house, but at the same time, my feet would almost always be cold and I would be wearing wool socks and warm shoes at this time of year even inside.
3. I decided to finally add my hat and gloves to my running attire. 

So, here is how I was dressed for my second outing at 37 degrees F.

I know it's not glamorous, but it works for me.

Report 

The second day went amazingly well.  My feet felt much more comfortable.  I ran 2.75 miles and felt very good the whole way.  My feet were surprisingly better and I wondered why that was.

Could the 2 degrees F warmer have made that much of a difference?

Perhaps.

Could it be that my feet responded to the first cold run and adapted somewhat and are more able to stay warmer during the running?

Could be.

Did it make a difference to spend more time barefoot in the house and expose my feet to the cold a little more often?

I think so.

Was I keeping the rest of me warmer so my body didn't have to draw as much heat from my extremities?

That could be part of it.

I think it was a combination of all of the above.  At any rate, things had definitely improved and I enjoyed the run and was no longer thinking of how awful it was to run with cold feet, but how fun it was.

Cold Bare Feet on Asphalt
The first day out, my feet were so numb that running on the asphalt felt absolutely horrible. I usually have to concentrate quite hard when I run on asphalt, and I really depend on the feedback from my feet to make sure I'm not hurting myself.  Only a few steps on the section that I do of asphalt and I knew that I needed to get back up on the sidewalk.

However, on this second day, it was not as bad.  I did half my asphalt. I was very careful and could feel much better because my feet felt less numb.  But I did not do the entire asphalt section just to be safe.

Thoughts on Numbness
Since I've been having dental work done, I've been thinking about being numb a lot  This is the first time in my life that I've been having to get the Novocaine and when I went to the dentist after my run last Monday, they had to numb me up for a procedure.  I was sitting there for a while and they were about to start and I had spoken up because I really was not that numb.  So, they had to come inject me a second round to finally get me numb enough not to feel what they were going to be doing.

Of course I thought of this while I ran along on my less numb feet.  They were more numb several days before and now they were less numb.  I wondered why the first round of injections had not numbed me at the dentist and why I had needed more.  Does it take a lot to get me numb?  Does the body get used to being numb?  Do some bodies get numb more easily?

Why were my feet less numb today?  All the above reasons?  Or does the body adapt to numbness in some way. (It seemed like it took more to get me numb at the dentist than the first time I had gone the previous week.)

I did discover something that I think is interesting and important while running with my cold feet on this second run.  If I happen to be pounding my feet too hard to get a read from the ground, there are other body parts that are giving me messages besides my feet when I barefoot run.  My knees and my hips are able to give me information that helps me adjust my stride.  Like a blind person, whose hearing becomes sharper, when my feet are "blind" -- i.e., numb -- then the feedback I'm getting from my knees and hips and rest of body becomes more prominent and helps me keep a good gentle barefoot step.  Perhaps I would have relied too much on my feet and not been as aware of the rest of my body had my feet not lost their sensitivity in this way.  Something to think about.  I know that I definitely was tuning in to what my knees, upper legs and hips were determining and that was definitely a good experience.  In that way it's worth considering that it might not be as "dangerous" to run if the feet are a bit numb and can't feel their way as I had thought it was.

So, I considered day 2 in sub-40 degree weather a complete success.

Stay tuned for day 3 of this trilogy of Brrr-foot running.

Three Days Running "Brrr-Foot" Sub 40 Degrees

It's been a busy time of year and I've been so wanting to share my latest barefoot runs with you.  I have commenced out three times since I last updated this blog and I have evolved considerably from one "Brrr"foot run to another.  It works better when I blog right when I come home from running, because later I forget a lot of what I wanted to say, but I shall try to recreate the experience of my first barefoot steps into sub 40 degree weather with you. 

To make a long story short before we get going, I am at present very excited about barefoot running in the cold.  At first I wasn't very sure at all, but now I'm starting to really love it.

I shall tell the story in three parts, part I of which is recounted below.

First Sub-40 Degree Run -- Monday, November 29 -- 35 Degrees
I had to go out early.  I had a dentist appointment later in the day and there would be no time later.  Even though the forecast said it would get in the 50s that day, I would not be able to take advantage of that mild weather.

So, at 35 degrees, I stepped out for my coldest barefoot run ever.

So, why do I want to run barefoot when it is this cold?

Do I want to run barefoot when it is this cold?

There are plenty of good minimal shoes to try, and you all know I've been trying to think of what I will do when it is cold.  So, why go out barefoot?

There is something in me that is sort of stuck or stubborn or idealistic or something and it is causing me to not want to put shoes on just yet.

As I ran along with very numb feet, I wondered about it, but it wasn't going to be until much later that day that I would get to the bottom of what was making me want to try this running barefoot in the cold weather.

Because it was early, the wall beside my runway was casting a shadow, and the tiles beneath my feet were even colder.

Here's a picture of the shadow cast by the wall:

As you can see, there was very little sunny spots to run on, and the sunny spots were no longer as warm as they had been earlier in the Fall.

I usually walk the first 1/4 mile but my feet were numb and freezing and hurt and it did not feel good.  I thought as I walked along that it couldn't be good to not feel the ground like this.  I began to wish I had brought my Vibrams along.

Still I continued.  Why?  Because I wanted to see if my feet would warm up at some point like they had after running while the temperatures were in the 40s.

I ran up to the restaurant on the corner, but saw that they had out the hoses and were spraying the sidewalks.  There was no way I wanted to run on those wet pavements  while my feet were so numb, so I turned around.

As I ran along and my feet did not warm up very much, I decided that I definitely didn't want to overdo it in the cold.  I think Barefoot Ken Bob wrote about not doing too much too soon with cold barefoot running.

Usually a very clear path, this late in the season there were sections of leaves to run over. 

I realized that I needed to go back to "The Barefoot Mile."  Yes, I had found a new use for The Barefoot Mile.  It shall now be a training tool for colder weather.

There were many thoughts about this as I ran along on feet that I could barely feel.  (But if I could barely feel them, why did they hurt?)

For one thing, it seemed like short distances at first seemed wise in order to condition the feet.

But then, what if it takes a whole mile to get the feet warm?  Why, I would just be quitting right when things were getting good.

I decided to play it by ear.

Well, it turned out that 1.5 miles was all I could take before heading home.  My feet never warmed up and when I got back to the house and got inside, the thawing out process was most interesting.  My feet began to itch like crazy as they came back up to room temperature.  It didn't last too long.

But here's the kicker.  Later in the day my feet felt WONDERFUL.  Like I had some exotic spa treatment designed to invigorate and enliven my feet.  They felt warmer for the rest of the day, even when I was wearing only flip flops.

Now, I spent a lot of the day thinking about this run and whether and why I should run barefoot in such cold weather.  A comfort-loving individual such as myself might give it a try one day like I had today, and come to the conclusion that it was SO not worth it.  It would be so easy to decide that barefoot running in the cold was not an experience I digged very much and that it was time to finally haul out the injinji socks, Vibrams, aqua shoes, whatever.

However, there was something in me that did not think this cold weather barefoot running was a done deal yet.

What if cold-weather barefoot running was like plain old barefoot running was like in the beginning -- kind of hurt a little (afterward,) and felt a bit uncomfortable on tender non-conditioned soles?  If I had gone out one day barefoot running, could I really have decided from that one day that it truly was not for me?  Or would I give it more of a chance.  Try it for a while, and then decide?

I remembered back to how much better it just kept getting each time I went out over the summer, until eventually it was fantastic.  Would the same thing happen as I persevered through some cold runs?

And why do I want to persevere? I knew that I needed to, but I wasn't sure exactly why.

Finally, by the end of the day I had my "aha" moment on why I was intent to see if I could continue barefoot running in the cold.

I think, ultimately, it comes down to a fear I have of my own love of comfort.  I know that my love of comfort can keep me from realizing my full potential in so many areas of my life.  Love of comfort can keep me from adventures.  Love of comfort, while masquerading as an enjoyment of life, is actually the deterrent to many other great enjoyments.  I know that it is my love of comfort that has at least kept me from running at faster speeds throughout my lifetime.  I feel that I need to conquer that love of comfort, get on top of it, and not let it rule me or make my decisions for me.  I wanted to at least make sure it was not a love of comfort that would deter me from running barefoot in colder weather.

Conquering the love of comfort always has newer and newer levels.  One could say, for instance, that I've already conquered it.  After all, I'm disciplining myself -- getting out there and exercising.  I've challenged myself in new ways and had some barefoot adventures.

The only problem is that the comfort level always keeps changing.  I was comfortable in my running shoes, right?

We can of course take this idea of being comfortable vs. denying one's self comfort too far either way.   On the one side is the idea of never getting up and doing anything, wrapped in blankets, drinking gobs and gobs of hot chocolate, and watching the old movie channel for days on end.  On the other side could be such severe deprivation that one never allows one's self the joy of rest and pleasure.  Or even that one hurts one's self because of recklessness and lack of prudence.

But here's what the cold barefoot running is for me.  I want to make sure that when I put my shoes back on it is because I thought it was the best option for me, and that it is a thoughtful wise decision based on what was healthful and appropriate and best served my goals and plans and that it was NOT because I wasn't willing to give it a shot.

I don't know if this is the final conclusion about it or not, but it was good to dig deep and realize what was driving me to keep going in the cold. Then I can examine, accept, or challenge the underlying issue as need be.

I decided that one time out with cold, numb feet was not enough to decide whether it was time to put the shoes on yet.  I will have to try again a few times before that decision can be made.

Stay tuned for Part II -- Second Sub-40 Degree Run

Post Thanksgiving -- Some Scenes From My Non-Run Holiday

Hello there, folks.  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday. Ours was great.  We stayed in Manhattan and watched the parade, and then took in the Radio City Christmas Show.

Here's me, pretending that I'm a Manhattanite living amid all the hub-bub

During last year's Thanksgiving-in-the-City trip -- 2009 --  I was still clinging to the measly little hope that my plantar fasciitis was not going to prevent me from running in the Disney half marathon I had been training for since the preceding spring.  I had made many compromises with the plantar fasciitis.  I had run slower.  I had not run on hills.  I had tried to alter my gait to a healthier mid-foot strike using principles from Chi Running.  I had cut back on my long run miles.  I had done so many things to try to coax my poor foot into healing while I was still training. Pretty please, foot?  Will this be enough to persuade you to keep running so I don't have to discontinue training?

But it was the day after Thanksgiving 2009 when I went for a  run in Central Park that I knew the gig was over.  I admitted defeat by the ugly plantar fasciitis monster.  That run in Central Park, day-after-T-Giving 2009, was my last run before I had to take six months off to recover from the foot.  At that point I did not have a crystal ball to look into to tell me all about how I would very soon try barefoot running.  I didn't have a vision of the future to predict that I would start a barefoot blog and give myself a barefoot name.  I only felt horrible that I had to relinquish the goal I had set for myself.

I think I threw a little temper tantrum about it.  I decided to give up on watching what I ate, and while I was healing from the plantar fasciitis.  "What's the use?" was my attitude as I dug into the Christmas cookies and pies.

However, that was really dumb and immature.  Because running injuries heal.  One does get back to running, and once the time is past, the period of time resting seems like nothing at all.  The mistake of not seeing the larger picture, in my case, caused me to make things a bit more difficult for myself when I started back up again. Twenty-five extra pounds more difficult, as a matter of fact.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Well, enough looking back and having regrets.  In fact, there is not even a moment to spare in that kind of activity -- thinking about regrets.  It will only weigh a person down as one moves towards future adventures.  And this year I have really strong great feet to proceed with.

This year as we spent our time in the City, I had planned to run in Central Park again, as I had the year before because I remembered how cool it felt to just wake up and go out there and pretend that I lived in Manhattan and that Central Park was my backyard.

But it was raining.  So I did not go.

So, instead of the great report of a barefoot run in Central Park I had planned to share with all of you, I'll just share a couple of pictures from the holiday.

Oh --- uggh ---- I didn't take pictures of the parade this year because I have so many from other years that I thought I had enough finally.  So, that meant, in order to complete this blog post, I had to go dig through my photo files and find pictures taken in 2009 and 2008.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

It always starts out looking much more like Thanksgiving.

Then there's all that in-between stuff:

and then we have to remember that we're in New York City, specifically

until finally it evolves into Christmas -- which is on the way:

Whew!  I was going to share the rest of the weekend, including the Radio City Christmas Show, but I think that's enough for one blog post.  I'll save the other stuff for the next post.

I still have to write about running with freezing numb feet when I got home from the city.  You'll have to stay tuned.