Author Archive

Given that my route was going to take me along the dried river bed that forms part of the Diktamos Gorge, the Vibrams were never going to be an entirely sensible choice. Still, if I’m going to do a crazy run in the 42 degree blazing sun just to fetch breakfast I may as...
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I’m taking the direct skin on tarmac approach very slowly but after managing a 300m true barefoot dash last week I thought it was time to go out again. I don’t recommend late night, barefoot runs on rainy nights. For one thing the gravel sticks more persistently but more importantly the damp attracts soft...
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I reached into the veg basket this morning hoping to find a selection of ingredients for a wholesome veggie curry and pulled out this whopping sweet potato – a little past it’s best I’d say. It seemed a shame to cook it, so although it is way too late in the season I decided...
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I was using Lynn as my sacrificial canary, she was running far ahead but everytime she wailed and started hopping from foot to foot I knew to make ever such a slight detour. Not that it worked very well, we hopped and squealed almost evenly. So marked the start of our true barefoot experience....
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I was offered a pair of Merrell Siren shoes to try out recently. They are a far cry from my recent spate of minimal running shoes but as I had a planned expedition to the Peak District I thought they’d be ideal for a few rough walks. I’ve worked my way through many pairs...
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The RunAmoc shoes from Soft Star arrived just as we were setting off for our weekend adventure in the Peak District. I whipped off my Nike Frees and socks, slung them into the back of the car and slipped on the moccasins instead. Apart from a brief interlude where I had to review some...
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Here’s an excellent video from Terra Plana showing the speed with which you can transition from heel strike to forefoot running just by going barefoot. In the video, Barefoot Ralph is taken through his paces by Lee Saxby who runs masterclasses in the Pose technique. I heard about the video after listening to the...
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Somewhere along the line I seem to have developed a shoe fetish. I started off in life with a classic shoe phobia and made it into adulthood with a pair of red wellies and a work shoe. An interest in sport increased my repertoire but even then I managed to live in a pair...
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My hairdresser doesn’t force me to partake in an hours worth of small talk and almost never asks me about my holiday plans for the year. We talk a little bit about running and then he cuts my hair. Job done. For this I am grateful. As a result, every 4 weeks or so,...
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Having abandoned treadmill running in favour of the great outdoors it wasn’t long before I began to bemoan the loss of my preferred running watch the Garmin Forerunner 305. I long for pretty maps to illustrate my outdoor running routes and spur me on to explore my surroundings and for that you need GPS....
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