Barefoot Alternative
Cross Country Travel
“Excuse me, Miss…I have to ask, what are you wearing on your feet?!”
I must have been stopped (multiple times) on every hike I chose to wear my VFF’s (Vibram Five Finger’s). People are SO curious about these shoes its rediculous. I couldn’t have been more happy to answer over and over again “Yes, I love them …Yes, I hiked this entire trail in them…Yes, I run in them…and climb…and walk…No, I’m not crazy.” You almost have to laugh at the amount of attention you get in these shoes (I kid you not, it might be about as close as you can get to the attention levels brought on by an adorable new puppy). Attention aside, the benefits are indesputible and I highly recommend anyone who is active to consider this alternative to running shoes for the following reasons:
1. “Barefooting-it” helps develop strength in the 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 muscles and tendons found in your feet….not to mention the impact that has on the connecting muscles of the hips and legs that aren’t utilized properly while wearing shoes. This in turn can increase coordination, agility and balance.
In this video you see two clips of the same girl running on a treadmill. On the left she is running barefoot and on the right she is running in regular tennis shoes while a physician (speaking, not shown) clearly explains the differences between the two videos. Noteably, while wearing tennis shoes, the runner points her foot upwards causing the heel to strike first which puts stress on the knee, hamstring, IT band, and shin (tibia) muscles.
3. Running with shoes can take as much as 4% more energy than running without shoes. Seriously, try it out for yourself… you will be amazed at how much ‘lighter’ you feel.
4. It is more fun! Get back to being a kid again… its therapeutic to run around barefoot in the grass and get back in touch with your inner-child and mother nature (or with VFF’s/ similar alternatives for those of you living in concrete playgrounds and don’t like getting tetnus shots).
Rock Climbing Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
ROCK ON!
Located about 30 minutes from Seattle, the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest is HUGE, stretching across the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains. It reaches from the North Cascades National Park on the Canadian boarder to the northern boundary of Mt. Rainier National Park with peaks named Forbidden, Formidable, and Desolation in between. Mt. Baker, at 10,781 feet, is the third tallest peak in the state of Washington…oh, and its also an active volcano.
Rock climbing, besides an awesome way to mix up a workout routine and be outside in the process, has another astonishing quality… the end of multi-task thinking. You’re up however many feet in the air, clinging to a wall, and nothing else matters except the next move you’re going to make to ensure that the distance between you and the ground does not start decreasing. It is incredibly liberating in this modern day where the need to drive harder, get ahead, reach x, y, z margin/profits/goals and information overload suddenly cease to be crammed inside your head. You can’t think about the market or how you’re going to reach this customer or deal with that problem when every muscle in your body is tensed and every thought is focused on moving up instead of down. Sure, you’ve got a rope attached to you and a harness you triple checked before the climb, but evolution and genetics kicks in and it doesn’t matter how hard you try…you don’t want to fall.
Sharp…its the only way I know how to describe the way I felt while climbing. The rock and my understanding of Newton’s 2nd Law had my undivided attention. In this modern day of “crack-berry” and Twitter, how many things ever truly demand or attain this level of focus and attention? I was hard pressed to think of any. Rock climbing might become my next form of personal meditation.
Dog Love: Marymoor Park
“Doggie Heaven”
Marymoor Park might as well be called “Doggie Heaven.” With 40 acres of off-leash fields and paths to explore, dogs can truly be dogs as they romp through this expansive canine disneyland! From Pug breads to Great Dane’s and everything in between, dog lover’s bring all shapes and sizes to enjoy this spectacular park!
Happy Tails
Water-dogs rejoice! The Sammamish River runs along the back side of the park with multiple places with stairs to enter the water. The stairs are simply ingenious as this completely eliminates the muddy banks of the river your dog (and you) will have to walk through to get to the water.
Sammamish River
Your Labrador or Retriever will find stiff competition for the ultimate prize: tennis balls (or a big stick) thrown across the river. See the picture below…now that is teamwork!!!
Teamwork
The park in its entirety is 640 acres! So if the dog park gets too crowded (unlikely as it is SO BIG) or you’re just feeling like some quality time with your pooch away from other dogs, strap on the leash and head out on the other beautiful trails available within the park.
Happy Dog
Happy Trails 2
Other Specifics:
The park is not entirely fenced so just be wary of this if your pooch tends to stray!
Bring $1 to park
Subway now open within the park for a quick bite!
Wooded Area
“C’ommon Mom!”
Highline Seatac Botanical Garden
“My Favorite”
Stargazer Lilies at Highline SEATAC Botanical Garden
On your way to the airport and have some time to kill? Stop by the Highline SEATAC Botanical Garden instead of running your engine in the “Cell Phone Waiting Parking Lot”! Extremely peaceful and absolutely beautiful lush gardens of flowers and ponds await you at this hidden little gem.
Archway of Purple
Cool Berries? Or Flowers?
Pond
Water Lily
Rose Fountain
Rose Garden
Gorgeous
“Water” Dog Love: Carkeek Beach
Carkeek Beach
950 NW Carkeek Park Rd
Calling all water-dogs! For those of you who own dogs that love to play in the water, this is a great park for you and your little swimmer!
Carkeek Park is a 216-acre park located northwest of Seattle and offers views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains from its rocky shores. It also happens to be just down the street from my favorite place to shop for groceries, Central Market, making it a perfect option for running errands and getting out with your pooch!
Palai on the Rocks
Not a water-dog? That’s OK too! There are a little over 6 miles of additional trails throughout the park offering a great option for those who prefer to stay dry.
Beach Crab
Peaceful little beach teaming with crabs, barnacles, and all different types of seaweed. Helpful tip: the rocks are slippery and I was wearing sandals which made it difficult to walk. Definitely brings tennis shoes, these are not the sandy beaches of Florida and Georgia.
Barnicles
Barking at Seagulls
Seaweed Paws