Walk this way


Our podiatrist has drilled it into us that walking barefoot is Bad, and so we hardly ever do (except in sand, that's OK). So I have been feeling wicked ever since Sunday, when I heard the benefits of walking and running barefoot and tried both. It started with a Bob Edwards interview with this guy Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen. The secret is to walk (or run) on the ball of your foot THEN the heel. I decided to try it. My left heel is a little sore, we both have orthotics for plantar fasciitis and I'm mostly over my Achilles tendonitis. I'm supposed to wear shoes w/ at least an inch-and-a-half heel because of these afflictions. Today I wore Birkenstocks (gasp) and walked ball-heel, which feels sort of funny, like mincing. Normally my heels would have hurt after wearing flat shoes--but not today. I feel guilty and amazed. You can, too. Read about barefoot running here.
Will this change my life?