New Shoes == New Challenges.

I read warnings against jumping onto the barefoot
bandwagon but by the time I had been drawn to it like a moth
to a flame. I got a pair of nice running sandals from Xero
Shoes, two pieces of thin rubber with a 5000-mile warranty.
Other values, e.g., freeing my feet to feel the world, be
damned for the moment but saving big on running shoes
appealed to my DNA.

The first week, just as when I first got the Merrells, I
clocked some impressive miles in the sandals, e.g., a 9-mile 
run @8:13. I think they even helped with my plantar fasciitis.
Everything felt great and my balloon was further inflated.

Since the 2nd week, however, the sandals have given me
one blister under each heel. The left one was as big as a
small lightbulb. These were caused by walking and not
running, I realized. To be fair, my shoes had invariably
warned me in the past 20 years by patiently, obligingly and
selflessly wearing out at the outer edges of the heels. They
were just too nice to use blisters to make a point! With the
Xeros, I need to change the way I walk.

But the severe left calf pain (at mile 4 last Monday) was
definitely the sandals' fault. Or was it? If I were running
with glutes and hamstrings, I didn't need to use much
calf either landing or pushing off. So in theory, a good
running form should not incur calf pain. And how come my
right calf didn't hurt? So again, I need to improve the form.

In short, for the price of a pair of sandals, I've got a blunt
no-nonsense private coach as bonus. It was a good trade!

Today's run: 8 miles @ 8:41.