Oh Umpa...we need to talk...
When I got to the part in the book where he was talking about how barefoot is really the best way to run, I had a "Eureka" moment, thinking, "Is that really what will let me start running again?" I mean, I have been wearing shoes my whole life - especially when I used to run. I didn't even go barefoot as a child.
But I was open to the idea. And I tried it. And it works! You will want to go into it very slowly, and don't think you can go out and run a mile right off the bat (even if you can with shoes). There are some great resources on the web. I check in often at
http://www.reddit.com/r/BarefootRunning/ - there are some good links on the right side for information on getting started.
Based on advice from experienced people, I wanted to be able to run a mile at least twice a week barefoot before I went into any kind of minimalist shoes. I reached that goal and last Saturday purchased a pair of Vibram Five Fingers minimalist shoes. I ran in them for the first time yesterday morning, and I LOVE them. When you are running barefoot, your foot fall is completely different (no heel strike, where all the damage and injuries take place).
I could go on and on but you get the point. Looking forward to hearing about your progress! AND...I want to hear if you try any recipes using the food of the Tarahumara (pinole) - I really want to try that but have no idea how to prepare it (I don't cook)