One Day I'll Fly Away...

As humans, we spend a lot of time on the ground (duh). Unless you are George Clooney's character in "Up in the Air" or the cute old man in "Up" then your feet are usually firmly planted on the ground (any George Strait fans out there...name that song).

Don't get me wrong. I like to pound the pavement.  I like being able to use my legs and tire my body out. Thank goodness for gravity.  But sometimes, just sometimes, I get the knack to be up in the air, weightless.  And I'm not talking about jumping on an airplane and jetsetting around the world.  I think Carl Fredrickson of "Up" had the right idea.  Why not just tie a whole bunch of balloons to your house and fly to a magical place?  Wouldn't it be great to get away from all of the grime and dirt and concrete that covers our world?  I want to fly north like the crows and south like the geese

The main reason, though, to attempt to be airborne is to see things from a different perspective. What does the world look like from the air?  Do the fields and cities fit together like a piece-work quilt?  Do the millions of trees blend into a goregous green canvas that blankets the globe?  Is there really a layer of smog over some of those cities?  Hopefully those balloons will get us above that ugliness...

Like every runner, I have my usual running routes that get used on a weekly basis.  I know the cracks in the sidewalk, where the cops hide in the early morning haze and how long the "walk" signs blink for. I'm comfortable with the routine-ness of it. I blame my mother for being comfortable in a rut (sorry, mom).  What I need every now and again is a different perspective.  What better way to do that than go up in the air (and change my running routes)?  Anyone know where I can get a thousand helium balloons?

Update: according to Pixar (through Twitter), Carl Fredrickson from "Up" had to attach 10,297 balloons to his house to get it to lift off the ground.  My rough estimate of 1,000 was slightly off.  Don't hold it against me...I'm not one of those magic guessers who win the "count how many jellybeans are in the jar" contests. 

A Listy List

I was truly wracking my brain for a blog idea today. Nothing substantial has happened in my running life and inspiration was hard to come by.  Maybe it's because it's a Monday...always blame Monday.

So, I decided to try to bring together a lot of the information I've found on barefoot running into one spot.  Below are some links to barefoot posts I've seen, sites I've visited and Twitter users I follow. Hopefully, somewhere out there in the wide world of the Internet will get some use out of them.

Twitter:

@RunCompetitor Competitor Magazine

Your online source for the running lifestyle. Training tips, shoe reviews, running news, and more!

  

@BornToRunChris Chris McDougall

The official Twitter account for BORN TO RUN author Christopher McDougall. http://www.chrismcdougall.com

 
@Cool_Running Cool Running

Cool Running is the complete online resource for runners of all ability. Founders of popular couch-to-5k plan.

 
@dailymile dailymile

social training log and source of motivation for runners, cyclists, triathletes, and active people.

 
@VIVOBAREFOOT VIVOBAREFOOT

Vivobarefoot is a revolutionary, back-to-basics design based on the healthiest way for you and your feet to be - barefoot!

@exerscience amby burfoot

Amby Burfoot is editor at large for Runner's World magazine, Peak Performance blogger, and 1968 Boston Marathon winner

 
@RunBareCompany RunBare

RunBare is a barefoot wellness school devoted to inspiring runners and walkers to go barefoot for a happier, healthier injury-free lifestyle.

 
@Vibram5Fingers Vibram FiveFingers

The official twitter account of Vibram FiveFingers.We like to run, bike, climb, hike, workout and sometimes just loungebarefoot. discover the alternative

Websites:

Barefoot Runner's Society: http://www.barefootrunners.org/

* This site has a lot of cool forums on every topic you could ever think about when it comes to barefootin'.  They also do neat profiles of people who are living the bare life.

The Running Barefoot: http://therunningbarefoot.com/
*Touted as "original Barefoot Running website since 1997" this is the website for Barefoot Ken Bob, one of the original barefooters.

Run Bare: http://www.runbare.com/
*Michael Sandler was the guy I interviewed for my Denver Post article on barefoot running.  You could say that he sparked that barefoot fire in me.  I owe him.

Christopher McDougall's Blog: http://www.chrismcdougall.com/blog/
*For anyone who has read Born to Run, this is a bookmark-worthy site.

Barefoot articles:

"You Walk Wrong" by New York Magazine

"At submax pace, barefooting uses 2-5.7% less oxygen (more economical) than shod running" Study by University of Nebraska

"To Run Better, Start by Ditching Your Nikes" by Wired Magazine

"Long-Awaited Barefoot Running Study Finds Sneakers Are Harmful" by Popular Science