run girl run

i knew from a very young age that i was born to run. i’ll never forget one time when i was about 8, i went to a local nursing home with my dad to visit someone and i was scared to go in so i stayed outside and ran up and down the side walk as fast as i could. there were a couple of residents sitting outside and they kept yelling at me, “run girl run!” i ate that up and ran faster. i was also the kid who when she got a new pair of running shoes, slept with them on her feet. not much has changed here 30+ years later.

i was recently contacted by Leslie at Onlineshoes.com to see if i’d like to try out a pair of the original barefoot shoes otherwise known as Vivo Barefoot running shoes.

how cute is this? they come in a really cool box and individually wrapped.

out of the box! the lining fabric of these shoes is made from 50% recycled plastic bottles.

although i am not a true barefoot runner or even close to being one, i have read a lot of research that supports this movement and it makes a lot of sense to me. since i am in the midst of training for ironman florida, i am not allowed to try any new things that could lead to injury, so i was careful to not overdue running in these shoes, however, i did get to do a handful of 3-4 mile runs in them and i loved them.

running barefoot is a skill. if you aren’t used to running in minimalist shoes such as these Vivo Barefoot's, then you should start off conservatively and keep the mileage short and on softer surfaces before building up your miles and running on harder surfaces. the sole is an ultra thin 3mm, puncture resistant surface so there is a good amount of protection for your foot just in case you step on glass or rocks. i ran on the treadmill, golf course, and trails and they felt awesome. i can’t wait to put some more miles on them once i get done with my “A” race in november.

did you know that your foot has 200,000 nerve endings, 28 bones, 19 major muscles, 33 joint centers and 17 ligaments. that’s a lot of anatomy for just a foot! also, did you know that your foot and your brain work together? 70% of your brain’s information for movement comes from the nerves on the soles of your feet so the more you can feel the ground, the greater your body’s understanding of its surrounding environment and natural movement. in other words, the more you can feel the more you are one with the universe!

thanks again to Lindsey at Onlineshoes.com for giving me the opportunity to get my hands on these very functional shoes, that by the way, look great with jeans on too. please take a minute or two to check out their line of available Vivo Barefoot shoes. i have bought several pair of running shoes from them (K-Swiss Keahou II most recently) and have never been disappointed. what’s not to like when shipping is free, exchanges are free and you get 365 days on returns?

happy running my friends!

much love and peace out!