I keep saying, "oh, I'm going to take a break from them, work up to wearing them fulltime, blah blah blah" and I resist the urge to retire my running shoes to lawn-mowing duty.
Yet, whenever it comes time to run, I am drawn to the fivefingers. I had every intention of running last night in my running shoes. But... it just seemed like I'd be slipping into a straight-jacket for my run. So, out came the fivefingers... and away we went.
I started my run next to the canal on rocky/tussocky ground perfect for breaking an ankle or twisting a knee. Neither happened. Instead I just plodded along in my little slippers. True -- my ankles did twist and roll to accomodate the terrain, but never in that painful forceful way that you get with a shoe. (hypothesis to follow)
Then I ran along a little pea-stone road, pain free.Then down along the hops on a dirt road. The dirt is the super-fine flour-type variety that is several inches deep over a base of odd-shaped stones and god knows what. This was the worst. You just were running blind and got that dirt in your shoes and BLEAH. But, still, it was bearable. I would never have touched the stuff in my shoes just because it would've made them a total, dirt-filled mess.
Ran about 3 miles on grass, turned around and went home. Felt fine.
Hypothesis: My hypothesis is that the flat base and sharp "edges" of my running shoe soles are comparable to a flat-hulled play kayak. Super stable and forgiving when upright and on the flat, but once you catch an edge you are forcefully flipped. I believe that the same applies to shoe soles and that running in lumpy terrain, once you get off the kind flat sole of your shoe, the edge on which you stand is wobbly and can result in a nasty ankle-roll. ow! The difference in the shoes on the flat is noticeable. The difference running in the shoes on lumpy/rocky/soddy ground is amazing.
I think I'm just going whole-hog with the shoes. that's that.
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