A solution for everything (or almost).

After struggling with foot pain for 7 years, I read Born to Run (also Barefoot Running) and got fired up about trying out barefoot. It took 3 or 4 months to work up tough enough pads to do real hikes but I enjoyed most of it tremendously. Every once in a while I got hurt enough to yell out loud (once every other hike or so). But that occurred less often as my feet got tougher…

My feet are far healthier than before and I’m reminded that there’s a solution for almost anything. The trick is to keep looking.  To extend my ‘barefoot’ season, I’m using the five finger with injinji socks and appreciating them mightily.  I was worried about how to keep my pads up during the winter and came up with the rock mat. Just gravel thrown on a rubber door mat (the kind with the little rubber bumps holds the rocks in place) on which I jog 10 or 15 minutes once a week. I also use a lot of lanolin (sheep’s grease) to keep my pads from drying out. Don’t think anything else would do the trick here in Colorado.

I mostly hike the hogback loop trail and the paraglider launch trail in North Boulder.  Did really enjoy the golden arch trail which I hiked with friends and would love to go back to with my family!