Road to Nowhere

Joel H wrote:Ah the first few days of kitten life in a new house. Sounds about right. Sorry to hear the loss of your wifi...go for the expensive stuff early....smart kitten!

As for the type of shoe, not sure what to tell you but I would say a trail shoe of some sort is probably your best bet and you could switch shoes mid race if that is possible. Oh the heck with it, go barefoot....I kid, I kid, I kid. I know you aren't THAT CRAZY YET!!

Yet.

(The WiFi was no big deal. She just dislodged the plug. On the other hand, my wife's car broke down on the way to work today. I'm not positive the kitten was involved, but the timing is suspicious, don't you think?)

Low HR Run: 90 minutes

Weather: Overcast, cool. 54 degrees. Gear: Free 3.0s, shorts, T. Fuel: Coffee and rice milk

Transition time. As much as I'd like to be able to scamper 50 miles barefoot next spring, I think the truth of the matter is it'll take a long time before I'm ready for such an adventure. My maximum distance barefoot seems to be about 6-8 miles. So I guess it's time to start working shoes back into the picture.

I went out this morning in my Free 3.0s, trying to replicate a barefoot form and cadence as best as I could. I had some success - but I was slower at a higher effort level than I am barefoot. Shoes (at least at this point) are simply less efficient, all other things being equal. Go figure.

But there is one thing I can do in shoes that I can't do barefoot - let the legs go full-tilt. I tried it going into the ravine in my first mile, and topped out at a 5:08/mi pace. Whee! I also relaxed as I ran down llama ridge and spent a good chunk of the downhill in the 8s. (Larry and Moe say Hi.)

I toyed with going farther but decided to turn at about 4 miles/45 minutes. It was a good choice. I could feel fatigue setting in on the return route, though I really didn't slow all that much over the entire run. I spent far more time above my target HR than I want, though.

Up tomorrow: something barefoot.

Average HR for entire run: 136

Barefoot Run: 2 miles on dry asphalt

Weather: Sunny with some puffy clouds, cool, breezy. 63 degrees. Gear: Bare feet, shorts, T. Fuel: Post breakfast.

My first Monday with Alec and Alita both at school. I hope to do longer runs on Mondays, but too many other things were pressing on the day - and I'm not really ready to start going long, anyway. So I went out to run some barefoot laps around the block. I'd planned to do about three miles but decided I'd had enough after two.

My HR was starting to creep up more than I wanted (might have had something to do with me inadvertently hitting an 8:41 pace at one point...) So I figured I'd stop while I was ahead and keep this as more of a recovery/proprioception run.

Average HR for entire run: 137

Walk: 2.2 miles

Weather: Sunny, mild, a breeze. 65 degrees.

A lunchtime walk down to and along the Columbia River. I hit a good rhythm and ended up going somewhat faster than usual. It was a nice cool day, with a touch of fall in the air. There are even some leaves starting to change.

Leaves starting the change already! I expect we have a few weeks before that happens. I hope.
Were your feet and legs unhappy with you for the shod llama ridge run? (Say Hi to Mo and Curly for me next time you are out that way)

Wow, the leaves are changing already? They are not even changing here yet ans I suspect that I'm not really that much further "south" anymore. In fact, it is still pretty warm here considering that it is mid-September in northeast Ohio.

KathyK wrote:Leaves starting the change already! I expect we have a few weeks before that happens. I hope.
Were your feet and legs unhappy with you for the shod llama ridge run? (Say Hi to Mo and Curly for me next time you are out that way)

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:Wow, the leaves are changing already? They are not even changing here yet ans I suspect that I'm not really that much further "south" anymore. In fact, it is still pretty warm here considering that it is mid-September in northeast Ohio.

We have some trees around here that begin to change early; most trees still have that late summer dusky look to them.

But, it's getting cooler in the mornings (in the mid 40s or lower 50s), even if it's still getting warmer in the afternoons (it may hit 90 today). That will start to change over the next few weeks, but it will probably still be a while before the rain returns. We had 51 days without measurable rain, a streak broken earlier this week by about 0.04 inch of rain on Monday. It's been dry and sunny ever since, which is typical for this time of year.

It's funny that you ask about my feet and legs on shod runs. All the barefoot work I've done has affected how I land in shoes (which was the whole point of going barefoot, to improve my form), so I can really feel the affects of having cushioning underfoot, even if it's only a Free 3.0 sole. I can feel the loss of free energy return, thanks to the dampening of the shoe cushioning. That means I end up slowing down sooner - and more - to maintain the same heart rate.

The soles of my feet are happy to not have to deal with every little pebble out there, which means I can hammer away at a much greater effort level/speed if the spirit moves me. I think that's a good thing, as long as I don't get carried away.

How this all will translate into a mileage build-up sufficient to get me ready for a 50-miler next spring... I'm not quite sure. This was all part of my plan that I cooked up earlier this year, but it is going to be a very experimental process.

Maybe you'll become a "barefoot" only guy by the time that crazy race you're doing comes around in the Spring. Keep up the good work.

Thanks, Michele! I can't imagine that my body would be ready to do 50 miles barefoot that soon, but hey... you never know! If you'd told me five years ago that I'd be running barefoot at all, or even contemplating an ultra, I would have looked at you like you were crazy.

Barefoot Run: 10 miles (a new record!)

Weather: Sunny and warming rapidly. Started at 64, finished at 75. Gear: Bare feet, shorts, T. Fuel: Post breakfast; carried no fluid or fuel (mistake), though I tanked up on water at the 5-mile turnaround.

Every once in a while, I feel obligated to do something that seems even nuttier than usual. Today, it was the spontaneous decision (as in, decided *during the run*) to set a new distance record barefoot. The goal: 10 miles, skin to asphalt. I headed out to the Salmon Creek Greenway where I do a lot of my long runs.

Of course, it's a sunny day, and warming rapidly... and I didn't have fluid or fuel on board.

Luckily, I didn't bonk (though I wasn't sure there for a while), and I at least could tank up on water at the turnaround point. But those last few miles were pretty challenging. I was getting hot, thirsty, depleted and fatigued... and my feet were feeling rough patches more and more as I progressed. The upside of the tender feet was that it forced me to run even *more* gently. There were a couple of patches, though, that just about brought me to a crawl. I am going to have to get a lot tougher, or figure out a way around that spot. Yee-ouch!

I tried to keep the HR down, but I had too many things working against it. I walked a few times to ease up on my body, but it's pretty clear that this was a big stress on my system.

The running felt pretty good despite the challenges. My feet feel a bit tender but not the worse for wear.

I also weighed myself when I got back and was surprised to see 157.8 looking back at me. Part of that drop (from 160 last week) is probably fluid. But still. Wow. I actually weigh less than what it says on my driver's license!

Average HR for entire run: 141

ps. What really felt good was looking at my Garmin in the first mile and seeing a nice low heart rate and a sub-9 speed. I knew it wouldn't last, but it gives me hope that I'm doing the right thing.

Well, that's a little closer to 50!

I can't imagine that. Pretty cool!

Michael Enright wrote:Well, that's a little closer to 50!

I can't imagine that. Pretty cool!

Funny, I was thinking that, especially as I was ow-ow-owing my way over some really rough pavement: "Just do this four more times and it'll be a 50!"

Day after report: My feet are bouncing back nicely from yesterday's 10-miler - there's not even any scuffs on my soles - though the rest of my body is feeling a little more wrung out than I'd expect for that distance. It might be the depletion, or it might be that physiological stress accumulates at a more rapid rate when you're testing the limits of a different form. As I was wrapping it up yesterday, I noticed that it felt more like the end of a 20-miler.

The odd thing is, it seems that I learn more about barefoot form as I push into fatigue. Whether I actually do learn more, well, it's hard to say.

The next time I go that far, I'll need to make sure I have fluid and fuel with me.

Mark B wrote:...The next time I go that far, I'll need to make sure I have fluid and fuel with me.

!!!

Dave P wrote:

Mark B wrote:...The next time I go that far, I'll need to make sure I have fluid and fuel with me.

!!!

I'm not sure if that means "Well, duh, idiot..." or "For only 10 miles? Are you nuts?"

Of course, both could easily apply.

Either way, I used to carry a bit of water and an emergency Gu, just in case I needed it on those mid-distance runs... but I got out of the habit lately. Both might have come in handy the other day, even if only psychologically.

I think I know Dave well enough to clarify that he meant "of course you should have that stuff with you!"

But, hey, it was a bit of a whim to extend the run - been there, done that (but with shoes on!).

Sunday update...

I normally meet up with a buddy to go for a medium-long run on Sunday, but he was busy and I was overtired from not getting enough sleep and from my barefoot escapade, so I decided to sleep in a little today. (Well, as much as the kittens let me.)

I might go out and run a little with the family later today, but it won't be much. I'm in the process of transitioning to doing my longer run on Mondays, when I have a day off and the rest of the family is away at school for most of the day. I want to be fresh for that outing.

I will probably head off to run a little on the Wildwood Trail in Portland's Forest Park. A friend of mine ran the Pine to Palm 100 Mile Endurance Run in Southern Oregon this weekend (well, technically, he ran 115 miles; he got lost), and it's inspired me a little. I still haven't committed to the 50-miler next April, but I'm thinking it's time to get out for a nice long run in the woods.

(ps Yes, I intend to wear shoes for this: My Saucony Peregrines. I might try it barefoot at some point, but I want to scout out the route first.)

(pps Okay, there is a chance that I might actually try out my Lunas on the trail tomorrow. I've had some problems with them - the shell Cordovan leather has remained slippery underfoot despite months of wear - but I emailed the company and took their suggestion to use leather conditioner get them more broken in. Even after only two treatments, they feel more supple and sticky underfoot, so that's a good sign.)

Trail Run/Walk: 4.91 miles in thin sandals (bad idea!)

Weather: Mild, clear. Upper 60s. Gear: Luna Sandals (Catamounts), shorts, T. Fuel: Post breakfast. Carried nuun.

As I've been experimenting with form, technique and footwear over the past few years, I've wondered if I'd ever reach a point where my body would tell me it'd had enough. As I've progressed from orthotics to stability shoes to neutral shoes to Frees to barefoot, every step in the process has worked.

Until today. I can say with some confidence that I have met my match: Thin sandals and a technical trail with large sections of knobby, chunky, sharp-edged rocks.

Nature wins. I can't do this.



Okay, rewind a little. I wanted to get back to running on the Wildwood Trail in Forest Park, and this morning looked like a good time to do it. I considered wearing my Peregrines but decided after my toes felt claustrophobic in the shoes to take a chance and wear my Lunas. I've hiked on that trail wearing those sandals before, and it went pretty well. I was worried my feet might not stick to the footbed enough, especially on rocky downhill sections, but I didn't have a set mileage to run, so it seemed like a good time for a test.

The score? A solid D. The sandals didn't give me enough protection on the rocks, and my feet aren't tough enough to take that sort of pounding. I hit a few times on my arch, which really hurt. When I wasn't on rocks, my Lunas make a gawdawful slapping sound that drove me nuts. (I'm a pretty silent runner otherwise, so it was surprising to make so much noise.) I even went so far as to try to take the sandals off and carry them, seeing if I could just barefoot it, and quickly realized that wouldn't work, either. This trail has been rehabbed so many times that even the non-rocky parts are covered with scattered bits of fractured gravel.

Not that there was much trail like that, mind you...




I was going to go about 9 miles but realized pretty quickly that this was a bad idea. I turned around and started heading back, only to discover that it was even harder hitting those rocks on the return trip, which is mostly downhill. Gaa. I ended up walking a decent part of the way, just for better footing. Unfun.

Sigghhh. At least it was pretty, when I stopped and could look around...



So. It seems pretty clear to me that barefooting is for fun and proprioception work. NOT for extended trail runs. Not yet. Maybe not ever. And if I try Lunas on trails again, they need to be much more robust than the ones I have now. They were just overwhelmed by the conditions.

The only reason this run didn't get a big fat F is because I didn't injure myself.

It just so happens that the trailhead is near the running store where I bought my Peregrines, so I stopped by to see if the new New Balance Minimus 1010 trail shoe might work for me. They looked pretty cool, but as soon as I put them on, I noticed a heavy welded seam digging into my fifth metatarsal. No way those will work.

Dang. Now what?

I think there are some other minimal trail shoes on the market, aren't there? Frankly, I doubt that running on that trail would feel good with a minimal shoe anyway. Ouch, ouch, ouch! You are far braver than I.

That looks like a brutal trail to run on in minimalist shoes or barefoot. YIKES!! Glad you made it out ok and survived.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:I think there are some other minimal trail shoes on the market, aren't there? Frankly, I doubt that running on that trail would feel good with a minimal shoe anyway. Ouch, ouch, ouch! You are far braver than I.

Hi Michele! I'm not sure "brave" is the right word to use in this case. But then again, I always did need to learn the hard way.

Yes, there are other options out there for trail shoes. I've had trouble finding something that works, thanks to my freaky foot anatomy. I keep running into shoes that allow my toes to slide forward into the tip of the shoe, which would be very bad. That never happened with the Peregrines, so maybe I just need to get accustomed to them again.

Still, they keep coming up with new varieties, so perhaps something better will come along for when I really need them.

Joel H wrote:That looks like a brutal trail to run on in minimalist shoes or barefoot. YIKES!! Glad you made it out ok and survived.

Thanks, Joel. It was humbling, unnerving and quite uncomfortable.

As for shoes and those rocks, I've worn the Peregrines on those trails and they did pretty well. They don't have an excess of cushioning (which has its downsides, as I discovered on the chunky gravel roads of Indiana last December), but they're far more protective than the truly minimalist offerings out there.

No run - or even a walk - today. Not that I was too sore (though I am kinda sore), but because it was simply to crazy today.

But crazy turned out pretty well. First off, it's my nineteenth wedding anniversary, always a good thing. Second, Alita was told today that she has (finally) been hired by the local school district as a permanent, full-time paraeducator working in special education. That's an EXTREME good thing. She's been subbing for the past two and a half years, with the last school year as a full-time but temporary assignment, but this has always been the goal.

Woot! Woot! Woot!

We celebrated (both the anniversary and the job) with dinner from Panda Express and a nice bottle of Veuve Clicquot Brut. Mmm.... Good stuff.

And now, hopefully, we can begin breathing again.

And, to cap off our celebration, after enjoying the bubbly and getting Alec off to bed...

... we promptly passed out.

Congratulations goes to you both for 19 years of marriage. And, a big shout out to Alita for landing a permanent position. It was a banner day and one that will set you guys up for your next 19 years and beyond.

Thanks, Tim! That sound you hear out west is a huge sigh of relief. It'll be nice to have something more predictable than subbing going forward. It's going to make planning a lot easier.