Call of the Wilderness

5am, Thursday the 8th of March 2012, I will be setting foot outside my door, and not returning until 10pm Saturday the 10th, almost 3 days later.

The reason for my absence? The wilderness has called me. It has beckoned me to it's cold and soggy bosom.

Well, how else would you describe Wales :P

Not long since our last jaunt around Snowdonia, the regular bunch and I have decided to go back, but this time for couple of days =]

We will be catching the train to the area Thursday morning, and from there, walking somewhere in the region of 30 miles, and taking in as many climbs as possible.

Only one word for what I am feeling right now...

WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Hey, How You Been?

Fine, thank you =]

My barefoot fitness has come on leaps and bounds. For example, today seemed so sunny and spring-y that I thought a 4.3 mile run around Rising Brook in the late afternoon seemed like a perfect way of indulging in a little exercise.

After such a brisk excursion, all I have to show for it right now is some mildly sore calf muscles. Considering it wasn't long ago that after half a mile they would be literally screaming at me, there has been a definite change in their fitness.

Am I an official minimalist/barefoot convert? You betcha.

Although, such a conversion has come with some rather.... unplanned side effects.

First off, in such a short amount of time, it has struck me as rather odd that my old shoes no longer fit me. They are actually rather painful to wear, which I guess just means I have to wear my Vibrams out more often :P

Secondly, I have been partaking in my hurricane training in Vibrams instead of trainers as of late. On one rather wet and cold evening recently I thought I would just wear trainers and see how I went, for old times sake.

Ermmmmm.....

I gave up on the second round due to leg pains.

Considering I have been doing hurricanes now for over 18 months, in trainers, for them to suddenly become uncomfortable really dumbfounded me. I'm just so used to this new way of running now that the old way is now the painful one.

I'm sure other odd side effects will come out in the wash, but till then...