VFF Cross Country Run

I got a pair of VFF Sprints last week! After months of thinking about it I was excited to see that the running store I shop actually stocked them. After I tried them on I just knew that I needed to have them….

My first run in the VFF's happened yesterday after doing a Body Pump and Yoga class . When I got home I just didn’t think about it,  just threw them on and headed out the door. Didn't plan on going more than a mile in them - I have read that you are meant to start out slow to minimize any potential injury and allow you to get used to the different running gait . I am flat footed at the best of times and found that initially I was hitting hard on the heel. I decided to head a bit off track and down an area that has yet to be developed in my area.... people normally walk their dogs down there; it is fenced off and just a grass/sand/dirt trail around some storm water ways and ponds.

Once I hit the gravel, then the dirt I thought I was in heaven! I decided to run around this whole area instead of turning around at the 0.5mi mark. At about 1.5mi I stopped the watch and checked out my prints in the soft sand... almost as though I was running barefoot - you could see the imprint of the toes mixed in with the dogs and shoes of their owners. Deep breath, choking back tears of joy I continued my run reminiscing my school cross country days. Dang - if only VFF's were around back then, I hated running in shoes but you had to on my school's cross country course. As the trail turned and pointed me back to civilization I was running alongside an area of overgrown brush - curse the military for making me run in boots and breaking my feet.

Hitting the pavement again I found that my heel strike was a lot lighter. I was running easy. Got a few funny looks and backward glances from cars and walkers. Bliss! When can I do that again?

Split pace - 9.58 / 9.47 / 9.49