Thursday Morning. A good, barefootin' day!

Today was a good day for a nice run.  We're still under an extreme heat warning, and yellow air quality, but around 6:30, it was a breezy 87 degrees. Which, considering our recent daily weather, was a nice break.  I ran around Forest Park, the Grand Basin, where I could see the fountains, and the Art Museum at the top of the hill, then through the restoration project of River Des Peres, around the shore of the lake and past the Boathouse.  At about the halfway point, I took off my Merrell's and ran in my actual naked footedness!  Barefoot running is so much more satisfying than wearing shoes, even barefoot shoes.  I love the feel of the grass, asphalt, dirt and gravel on the soles of my feet.  I can feel the energy coming up through the earth, up through my feet and legs, and spreading out through my body, like a wave of excitement.

I learned a couple of new things, and re-learned a couple of things I already knew.  Relearning is something that happens to me often, recently.  New things I learned, Merrell Pace Gloves, while comfy, and great on most surfaces, even large river stones, but there are two things they're not good at doing.
1. keeping out gravel and general junk, I'm going to have to go to dirtygirl.com and get a nice new pair of gaiters to wear with them, which seems ridiculous, but I hope will work.
2. NOT good on slippery, wet, algae covered rocks!  Watch yourself, or you'll end up in the drink!  I didn't but only by a lucky leap.

They are good at playing "Old Lady Parkour", though!  I like to bounce and leap off the railings and benches around the Grand Basin, I'm not exactly hardcore, but it's a nice proprioreceptive workout, which is important, and apparently more so as one ages.

I re-learned what it feels like to be 15 pounds lighter.  I don't want those 15 back, by the way!  Being lighter really affects the quality of my running, and allows me to be much faster, without a lot of effort.
I re-learned that faster foot turnover creates better forefoot striking motion, and really gets you moving, without straining.
I re-learned that it's bad to try to cross the metal suspension bridge in truly bare feet, especially when it's really hot, and a fast moving bike is coming from the other side!
I re-learned why I like to run off the path, out of the box, and down by the waterside.  Lovely!

I was scheduled for a 3 miler today, but I ran 3.22.   It could have been a lot more, if I didn't have so many other things calling for my time!