“There’s no pounding, no perceptible bouncing. You never throw your foot out there without regard for how it lands. I step gently – that’s the key. If I feel a rock or a sharp edge, I relax and let my foot mold around the object. Asphalt’s really nice to run on, but it’s so flat that my ankles start to hurt. Running on rounded pebbles feels like a massage. In road races I look out for big pieces of glass. If you land right, small pieces are no more uncomfortable than a pebble. It’s a risk people exaggerate in their minds.”
* Ken Bob Saxton, 54, a computer technician from Long Beach, California, has run a 3:18 marathon in bare feet.
