Endorphin Glow

I've just completed my first run in two weeks and it felt awesome. I ran around 8 miles in a combination of trusty VFF and barefoot. I started off in VFF on the initial road section of my run as I've done sandpapering my soles in the past and I'm not taking any more time off in bandages! I ran along the trail that I broke my left big toe on, and I couldn't believe how massive the offending root looked in daylight. Then, once I was safely off road, I took the VFF off and put them into a waist pack, much to the amusement of a couple walking towards me. I smiled at them and they smiled back, and it all seemed completely normal. I then ran the next six miles on trails - some horribly rocky - all barefoot.

I was pleased to find that running barefoot on stony paths now feels like it used to when I first started out in VFF, so my feet are definately toughening up. I stopped to check the state of my feet a couple of times, I've spent too long injured and limping to risk foot injury again. I watched my footing and the obstacles on the trail like I've never concentrated before and I was pretty pleased with myself for getting through a run without any niggles or further injuries. I got my back straight and head up and focused on picking my feet up. Before long I found that I was almost floating over the rocks and roots that previously feltl like they were trying to repeatedly stab and trip me.

In addition to finding that I could run barefoot OK on trails I hadn't before, I also felt that I had unstoppable leg strength. I found several times that I was running up things that I normally struggle on, but still felt strong. Flu has many downsides, but letting the body rest seems to be one of the vanishing few upsides. On my way back home I met a friendly cyclist at the foot of Reigate Hill who nodded at me in an amicable way. Being competitive I took this to be a friendly challenge and instead of contouring round the hill on a path as I'd planned I decided to follow him up the hill. He was a proper cyclist on a ti ride and he rode away from me, but not so fast that I felt bad. I reckon he gained no more than 15 vertical meters over a 150m vertical climb (the climb wasn't vertical, that's the vertical distance I'm talking about). After that I had a 1.5 mile downhill run all the way home.

Now I've eaten mushroom and pea risotto made using all fresh ingredients and wholegrain rice, and washed it down with a smashing cool lager. Nice. I'm going to spend the rest of the evening chilling it out with my family. Katie also went for a long run this morning so we can both lie around in post run mellowness together, in mutual understanding of limb weight.

This is what life is all about.