Running with the dog. Barefoot, kind of...

Last Summer I took the puppy for a 4-mile run most mornings. She would pull at the leash the whole way, so I knew she was not being over exerted. She is a breed built for comfort, not speed, so I wanted to be careful.

This Summer she is just not the same dog. She got run-over last fall and by late winter was recovered, but really out of shape. So on Tuesdays, when I work from home, I take her on a couple of miles slow jog.

In order that I get something out of it fitness-wise I wear these sort of foot gloves made by Vibram.  It feels like you are barefoot--without tearing-up your feet. They make you run like you're barefoot since they've no padding at all. You cannot land on your heel as you would in normal running shoes. The result is that you build-up strength in your foot and calf and this is supposed to ward-off injuries from distance training. I know my calves were very sore the first few times I ran in these things.