on your mark... get set... terrible!

Yes kids. I feel like Casey the terrible right about now. None of this barefoot schmarefoot stuff. All my grand plans have fizzled to a sour spot in the back of my gullet. Gugh.

There was no super cool Tongariro alpine adventure through volcanoes due to mother nature deciding to send a mega storm our way. Guttered. There were about 8 of us all geared up for that hike and the weather had been amazing weeks leading into it but the night before it was meant to be our turn it all turned to pot. We did do a miniature non-alpine non-volcanic walk though to the Whirinaki Falls instead finished off with a loverly hot swim at the Waikete Hot pools.

Pretty awesome day I reckon but definitely not as awesome as the original plan would have been... And due to the weather I never got to take my Luna's out for a good run either. Oh well. One day we shall conquer the Tongariro Crossing. Maybe in the summertime.

Another fail on my behalf is the Wellington half marathon. I really shouldn't have any excuses for not training enough but school and work and life really just put any kind of routine I had right out. I can't really afford the entry fee anyway at the moment and I think that just subconsciously has snuffed out all motivation. Plus winter is coming and exams and blah, blah, BLAH. I'm just a useless tit. After exams though and when I start working again I am going to get back into a routine OR ELSE! I hate feeling so out of whack.

I am still loving my Luna's though. I wear them whenever I can although it is getting pretty cold out now so I am going to need to invest in some toe socks for sure.

They haveth arrived!

Today was a great day in the land of Barefoot Case. My Luna sandals are here! On my feet even.

The Original Luna

I practically skipped from my postbox to my apartment with anticipation. And they didn't disappoint. No sir. They are much more better than I had imagined. To be honest, I had been putting off buying a pair because to me they just looked like a pair of sandals I could buy from the shoe store up the road. But they're not! They are nothing like anything I have put on my feet before. I decided the best way to explain them would be to show you so I made a vlog and uploaded it to YouTube.

Quite possibly one of the scariest things ever. Do you know how weird it is to look into the eye of a camera lens and 'talk' to it. Wasn't too comfortable but we managed. The video came out all right in the end, I think. It at least got across the main points and I even show how to traditionally tie the laces so it has one redeeming feature. I hope I don't come off like a goofball and put people off wanting to try these things. Because really, if you are even slightly interested in barefoot and/or minimalist running, then you gotta put a pair of these babies under you soles. You won't regret it, I promise you.

Today was day 2 of the 1/2 Marathon training plan I am doing (day 1 was a rest day which was a weird start but if this is what the pro says I need to be doing then rest away I will). I was so tempted to take the Luna's out for their first ride but listened to my head and went out in my FF Sprints. It was dark when I went out and didn't want to risk running in unfamiliar footwear on a ground I could hardly see. Bad things would have happened, I know it. It was a good run though. I had to jog for 25 minutes, but ended up going for 30 because I had mapped out a 5km loop along the waterfront which wasn't going to happen in 25 minutes.

I am taking things slowly because due to a few big moves of late (countries and cities) I haven't been running regularly and my fitness is at an all time low. I was actually pleasantly suprised at how good I felt running tonight. I was expecting to have to take it real slow and I'd prepared myself for the nausea that generally follows an unfit person exercising. But no sick and no stopping. Happy bunny!

Hot Yoga?

Oooh, yesterday I received the confirmation email from Luna Sandals that mine are indeed now on there away across the seas down to lil' old New Zealand. This is going to be the longest wait of my life. Go ship, go!

There was also other excitement in my day yesterday. I finally got to try something I have wanted to do for years, Yoga! But this wasn't any old Yoga, no! This was hot Yoga! And far out, it was indeed very hot.

I was invited by my buddy who is a regular on the 'normal' yoga circuit. She had been recommended this hot Yoga by a friend and wanted to check it out for herself. I thought it sounded like a neat idea and as I said, Yoga had been on my list of things to try for a while now, so I went along for the ride. The studio we went to was Bikram Yoga Wellington.

On Bikram's website this is how they explain it:

Bikram yoga is the original 'hot yoga'. A unique series of 26 hatha yoga postures and two breathing exercises practices in a heated room. You systematically move fresh, oxygenated blood to 100% of your body, restoring all systems to healthy working order in every 90 minute class. Proper weight, muscle tone, vibrant good health and a sense of well being follows.

And oh my christ, they don't call it hot Yoga for nothing. I was dripping sweat in amounts I didn't think were humanly possible. Walking into the studio was like walking into a sauna. A smelly sauna at that. I'm not sure having a carpeted room is the ideal flooring one would want when you have a group of 10-15 people sweating the equivalent of their body weight into it 4-5 times a day. Anywho, you get used to it pretty quick by the time you have finished the first posture.

I actually really enjoyed it. I found it to be immensely relaxing. There was a definite point where I felt my body release tension and I got into a really nice place mentally and physically. And I am not the most flexible of people but it was taught in a way that any level of fitness or flexibility would be able to get the most out of each posture. Due to the heat, I did feel faint on more than one occasion so make sure you take a bottle of water for sure because you will be needing to take regular swigs from it. Although you must get used to the heat because some of the regulars hardly seemed to take water breaks at all. We all left the studio looking like we'd just had a shower. A sweat shower.

Will I go again? Maybe but perhaps not to 'hot' yoga. I did like the movement of it and the calming effect it has. And today my body definitely feels like it has had a workout... aching all over. But I would like to try it without the heat to see if you can achieve the same results without having to sweat yourself dry. So watch this space...

A Quiet Calm

When I was walking to my lecture this morning I had a revelation of sorts. It was sunny and warm so I decided to go commando south of the ankles. I was amongst the chaos and noise that is rush hour on a tuesday morning when all of a sudden the world went quiet. It was weird but at the same time I felt a wonderful sense of inner calm and bliss. And it wasn't because I had frozen time (althought THAT would be pretty cool) and it wasn't because I had covered my ears. It was my feet. For some reason my mind decided to tune into my footsteps and I realised for the first time how quiet my footsteps now really are. And the more I focused on the sound, or lack of, of my bare feet on the pavement the more quiet the world got around me. It is really hard to explain without sounding completely nuts. But it was amazing. It was almost like meditational walking, if that is possible?! I have felt something similar when running barefoot but not with the intensity I had today. It would be amazing to reach that level of inner calm and quiet when I run though.

Speaking of run. I have agreed to do the Wellington Half Marathon with a pal of mine. Well, the run falls in exam week so there is a real potential for a no show on the day, but we'll see. I shall train for it either way. I am going to follow the recommended 10-week training plan. I like routines and plans because than means less chance of distractions and/or procrastination. And having a buddy to do it with usually means more success in sticking to it. We officially start training the week of 11th April. VERY excited. I plan to do it barefoot or do half in my Luna sandals and half barefoot. I'll see how I feel closer to the time. It will be my first ever official event in bare feet and boy am I ready for it. Let the countdown begin...

The Original Luna

Yesterday I finally ordered my first pair of Huarache sandals. It is something I have wanted to do since reading Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. Meeting Barefoot Ted last week definitely inspired me to finally get a pair.

Rene, Barefoot Ted & Me

I try to be barefoot most of the time but there are always going to be situations where being barefoot is just not going to work. I have had a pair of Fivefinger Sprints for 18 months and love them... but they too, in their Ferrari red sleekness, don't suit some occasions. What I like about the idea of the Huaraches is that they should be the missing link and will be the choice when going to the more formal, less casual events.

I went with The Original Luna model from Luna Sandals. For my first pair (of many, I hope) I thought it would be best to start with the basic, classic Huaraches. Then I can get a real feel for them before I decide what other features I might prefer.

Tarahumara Huaraches

I am so excited for them to arrive. Being in New Zealand means I might have to wait a bit longer but I'm betting it will be worth it. When I get them I will be sure to do a review pre/post run.