Barefoot Back Track

I took my all leather Skora Form minimalist shoes for a run. They are quite different to the Vibram Five Fingers, and quite different to the Vivobarefoots. Better than the Vivo’s and different to he VFF’s. Does that mean I think VFF’s are better than the Vivo’s…? It’s a difficult one. I can feel myself back tracking after all these years, given I criticised the VFF’s in previous posts as being poorly conceived and not very durable, yet, there is nothing quite like the VFF's for barefoot running, the other shoes I would say are “minimalist” and shoe-like (the Skora need breaking in, and then were super-comfortable, but the Vivobarefoot Primus Trail have never been that comfortable and tended to give me blisters) whereas the VFF’s are probably the closest to barefoot …especially with a rubber sole of no more than 3 mm in thickness and they are comfortable, just like wearing a glove in fact. Does that mean I no longer like the Skora, previously my ultimate minimalist running shoe? Not quite...

I just think we get so het up in brands and functionality, even with barefoot shoes; however we go barefoot to get away from all the torsion bars and gel heels and anti-roll orthotic insoles…and yet we find the equivalent nerd science in barefoot…I guess that is consumerism: packaging our god-given barefootedness into something we can buy!

I’m starting to think it is time to actually run with no shoes…and in the meantime I think I’m heading back to my old Vibram Five Fingers...which are very comfortable (I don't think I ever got a blister) ... I have glue and I have some thread and I am going to try repair them! Would I buy another pair? I'm thinking about it!

Barefoot Begins (again)

I am in the unenviable position having completed a couch to 10k barefoot in 2015 to find myself in a position of having to do it all again. Having been chronically ill, I have not run properly in two years. It’s been too long…

I have returned to running in the Vibram Five Fingers, I think the VFF’s are a really useful training shoe to build up strength and good technique, the soles are thick enough to prevent any cuts or puncture wounds and yet thin enough to retain a barefoot run in form and function - usually between 3 and 8 mm depending on the model.

 

I headed out this morning for a short run and what a pleasure it was to run on my toes and feel my calf muscles start to work again, for the feet and ankles to start to move and become a suspension system once again. A sense of the body coming alive: the whole body running not just the legs and feet. Running "barefoot" has a totally different gait cycle than normal running...landing on the toe and forefoot rather than the heel...

Although I haven’t run barefoot in 2 years, I have worn vivobarefoots most of the time for both work and casual so I believe this has been really useful in keeping the barefoot muscles and tendon strength to a reasonable level, they just need some practise now with running! I’m so grateful I can run again, after two years of chronic fatigue syndrome I am starting to find my feet again…

Snitte: The Danish Art of Whittling Part 3

There is nothing like whittling to find peace and tranquillity in these troubled times…

So, following on the step by step process from the book Snitte: The Danish Art of Whittling by Frank Egholm, I have finally got to the painting stage for my Blue Tit project! (Click here for Part 1 and Part 2)


Possibly the more difficult part of the process, but one has to just jump in and have a go…I used acrylic paints a little watered down, but not too much. Yellow on the belly, green on the back of the neck, blue on the wings and white and black on the head. A bit of white detailing to make it look somewhat feather-like. If you are not used to painting, Games Workshop or model making then you may find this a difficult process…however practise make perfect.

 

For a first try I am quite happy with the result. I just need two bamboo skewers for the legs, and perhaps some black beads for the eyes.

In terms of the book  I find that it is really easy to follow, and the whole presentation helps to motivate the process. The illustrations and the photographs are clear and easy to follow and the text is kept to a minimum. I do recommend this book!