Last night, Katie convinced me to pick up a pair of these babies. That’s right, I now own a pair of Vibram Five Fingers. I remember first seeing them a couple years ago and thinking, “That’s the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen.” But the truth is once you slip them on they feel amazing.

Why did I get them? For starters, my interest was peaked by seeing a pair in good buddy Aaron Nordyke’s house. I thought, “Of course you’d buy these.” But as he began talking about how amazing they feel and how they’ve helped correct his running I became interested. Then he recommended a book called “Born To Run” by Christopher McDougall. McDougall is on the search to rediscover the lost art of running, along the way meeting a colorful cast of characters. The book is nothing short of inspirational.

So a couple weeks ago I decided to start running barefoot. I’m still rehabbing a bum ankle, but immediately I noticed that I could run a couple miles effortlessly. And there’s something so right about running barefoot. Maybe it’s the connection of your body with the earth, or the fact you can really feel what’s going on under your feet. There’s certainly something therapeutic and right about barefoot running.

There’s also something very wrong about barefoot running – nasty, nasty blisters. Katie got sick of seeing my gross feet, so as soon as I tried a pair on she convinced me to buy them. What an amazing wife!

I have always felt something very spiritual about running. It could be the parallels with Paul talking about running the race and winning the prize, or beating his body into submission. There is certainly an element of discipline. More than that, when I run the entire world shuts off. All I hear is the pitter-patter of my feet and the rhythm of my breath. My mind manages to push every thought and worry aside and God speaks. Maybe not an audible voice, but certainly He speaks through my thoughts. Ideas begin to take shape and understanding forms as I push further and further to the rhythm of heart, feet, and breath.

Looking goofy is a small price to pay for communing with God.