Small Stones

I noticed today out running that I’d stopped noticing small stones.  They are pretty much all you notice when you first removed your shoes and go running, or walking.  Our feet have become so used to wearing shoes that our soles are so delicate that detect and find uncomfortable the smallest of stones.  And they are everywhere.  On the paved street and pavements of our built-up world there are painful tiny bits of stone left over from the various roads works that have gone on over the years.  Landing in the wrong spot on your foot really hurts and is the biggest off-putter for running bare.

It gets worse.  Running past a driveway that’s been gravelled was the worst.  Some of the gravel is inevitably spilled out from the drive onto the pavement.  Landing on one of these right in the middle of your pad would not only hurt, but could actually damage my sole.  This happened a few times and could lay me up for a couple of weeks while it healed.  I used to actually wince as I ran past these drives waiting for the pain to come.

But today, and the few runs before that, I noticed that this isn’t happening anymore.  I just don’t notice the stones anymore.  I must still be landing on them, there are too many and impossible to avoid.  So the only conclusion I can come to is that my feet are now used to it.  I also used to keep getting small stones stick to my soles, so that I had to stop to flick it off, rather than repeatedly keep landing on the same stone.  I don’t remember the last time that happened, I’m not sure the reason for this.  Maybe my feet are less sticky now.  Who knows.  But it’s good.

Currently doing two miles three times a week.  Going to step this up in a week or so to three miles which will be a lap of Clapham Common.