Barefoot running

So with the failure of all searches for ethical running shoes (and let's not lie, if you're paying money for it, you can guarantee it's got something bad attached to it) I went for my first barefoot run yesterday.

I hope it won't be the last, it went pretty well. Well, until I got back that was. As I was stopping on the wooden walk way to the entrance of my plattenbau, I slipped on the smooth surface and my right foot shot forward and wedged itself in between said walkway and the little ramp up to the door. Ow. So my right toe is now swollen, and I don't think any running will happen for a while! Oh well, once it's healed I'll be back to barefoot.

Interesting fact is that apparently barefoot runners experience less repetitive stress injuries than runners running in shoes. This is evident in the Nike Free running shoes series and the Vibram Five Fingers, both shoes designed to simulate barefoot running (the five fingers is more a rubber foot glove...).

So welcome barefoot running, welcome the future. Goodbye toxic chemicals in running shoes, goodbye worrying about running shoe makers working conditions.

I'll let you know how it goes...

Eating Saturday morning

So I woke up at 1... and let myself loose on the streets of Berlin on the way to Oranienburg. I was feeling less than well, after getting back late (6) from a place who's name I don't remember. I walked to UFO and stocked up. I bought a mix im brot (haloumi and falafel in pita - goodness), a coke (big red ambulance, you know), an ayran and a piece of baklava. The baklava and coke I stowed in my pockets, and the ayran I downed, leaving only the mix im brot for the tram ride from Eberswalde to Nordbahnhof. Rode past the wall memorial - Berlin is truly an amazing city. By the time I reached Nbahnhof the mix was finished and getting out of the tram I opened up the coke (glass bottle, very cool) and headed into the underground S-bahn station.

There I sat on a bench on the platform, looking at the station name written in great old German gothic script. I sat with my legs crossed under me, and felt like a rock star (as you do). Having finished the coke I said to myself I could only eat the baklava once I was in the sun again. The s-bahn came, I sat next to a window and waited. Soon we were out of the tunnel and the baklava was the perfect sweet end to a fantastic meal. With my head against the window and the autumnal leaves flashing by I drifted in and out of sleep. Once I got to Orianienburg I walked off the s-bahn tossing the tinfoil from my mix into the air, and was feeling like a million dollars - exactly the feeling you need for baroque theatre in the landesgartenschau (think Chelsea flower show outdoors and in German).