prison scramble and granola breakfast

Eggs with spinach, leek, mushrooms, granola with mushed cinnamon banana.

Before breakfast I went for a "run" again. Set the timer for 15 minutes and took off south/east. Got to Hiroo Station when the alarm rang, so I kept going up towards Nishi-Azabu crossing but turned right way early and ended up at the corner of Arisugawa Park, at Aiiku Hospital. Kept going to Sendaizaka-ue, then turned down the back streets to go home. Total was about 28 minutes, at my own slow but steady pace and my funky "namba" running style.
Felt it a little in the shins, but then again I feel the same when I jump. Wearing my super thin-sole shoes, too, for that near-barefoot feeling. I think it is much better than normal shoes. I am not one of these barefoot unshaven hippies, but I have done enough martial arts barefoot to know that the human foot is an incredible piece of engineering, and wearing shoes with heels and cushioning and padding to "protect" the feet just makes it harder for them to do their job. The foot is arched so that it can act as a shock absorber, and it does a brilliant job of it. When barefoot, steps tend to be more onto the ball of the foot, and shorter in distance, allowing the whole leg, including the knee and hip, to absorb the impact of walking or running. This also gives the sole a chance to feel the ground; the toes grip, individually finding purchase and making minute adjustments to balance the body as the weight transfers on, the arch compresses, distributing the shock, the knee bends, thigh and calf flex...wearing shoes just means the sole has no idea what is going on, and is not prepared for the impact of stepping. The heel tends to strike first when wearing shows, so the shock-absorbing properties of the foot arch are basically ignored.
Anyway, I have been wearing Terra Plana's Vivo Barefoot shoes for over a year now, all day at work and otherwise, and I love that I can really feel the ground, that my toes can spread and move about. I also think it's great for posture, as shoes with heels unnaturally put too much weight on the balls of the feet. Makes the legs look good, because they are constantly tensed, keeping a ballerina-like stance, but it is not terribly conducive to natural and balanced posture.
Anyway today is Sports Day at my kids' school -- taking the AM off to go hang at the park with the kids and parents, play games, and then have a big picnic lunch!