Posts Tagged ‘place’
It’s Earth Day – Go Barefoot!
Today, we’re celebrating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day; which was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson on April 22, 1070 to raise awareness about environmental issues around our planet.
Personally, I like to think of Earth Day as an opportunity to reflect on my relationship with planet and the impact we, human beings, are creating on a daily basis – especially in developed and developing areas; which are growing exponentially every year.
My first jog completely barefoot
Well, it’s been exactly a month since I started power walking and jogging and today I managed to do my first ever jog fully barefoot (so far, I’d been wearing either my Vibram FiveFingers Sprints or my Nike Free runners).
The day has been beautiful here in Toronto. We reached temperatures of 14°C, the sun is shining and there is a nice breeze. When I went for my workout, the temperature was about 8°C, so I decided I was going to wear my gym shorts, a t-shirt and a spring jacket – I thought I was going to get a bit chilly but I was perfectly fine throughout the whole time.
Out of Hibernation
I’ve been struggling with my weight over the last few years so, after turning 40 last year and a wakeup call from my doctor, I’ve decided to take charge. Knowing how beneficial barefoot running has proven to be, I thought I ought to give it a try myself. Of course, I’m no runner and I’m overweight, so I need to be sensible about the whole thing and start from the beginning: walking – power walking, that is.
Last week, I approached fellow barefooter Ryan Graham to get some pointers and he gave me some sound advice and info on how to get started. I got out for my first power walk last Wednesday and it really felt good! I’ve been getting out every second day since and I’m hoping to get out there on a daily basis, starting next week.
Another Great Interview Experience
Yesterday, I had the pleasure to meet, interview, and go for a fun barefoot outing with Radio Documentary Producer Frank Faulk.
Frank contacted me last week to do a showcase half-hour radio documentary about my barefoot lifestyle. As part of the exercise, he wanted to go on a barefoot outing with me to a commercial place and experience firsthand any potential hassles; so I suggested that we go for coffee at Fairview Mall – located at the corner of Sheppard Av. & Don Mills Rd. here in Toronto, not far from where I live – especially, because I’ve had a couple of “encounters” with security there in the past.
Is the Newest Barefooter in Town a Media Writer?
Yesterday morning, I had an interesting and rewarding meeting with Canada’s Sun Media Corporation feature writer Thane Burnett. In the past 10 years or so, I have been interviewed by numerous reporters but I must admit interviewing with Thane was by far one of the most refreshing experiences of this kind in recent months.
When Thane contacted me to propose the article, he explained he wanted to do a cross-media piece focused on the urban barefooting experience here in the city; which would potentially include writing and video reporting for the different Sun Media publications which includes the Sun family of newspapers, Canoe.com and perhaps Sun TV. Needless to say, both the focus of the story, as well as the potential wide reach, got my attention.
