Road to Nowhere

Low HR Run: 7.1 miles

Weather: Sunny and warming. 62-67 degrees. Gear: Altras, shorts, T. Fuel: Post-breakfast, also one granola bar. Carried water.

Had an appointment this morning so dithered over whether to go slightly longer in shoes or do a barefoot run. I decided I need to work on adapting back into shoes more, so I opted for that.

Dang. Why is it so difficult to translate what feels light and easy barefoot into shoes? Even with the zero drops, it felt awkward and more difficult. I got about 3.5 miles in and began to despair that I'd ever be able to get my HR where it's supposed to be (about 138) in these shoes. My heart rate/effort kept creeping up, and I wasn't able to bring it down. My legs want to go faster, I guess, which is odd considering how they're still a little sore from the 5k and hilly long run on Monday.

I gave myself a little break and a pep talk at my turnaround point and started heading back hellbent on keeping the HR where it was supposed to be. It took a while, but I finally started to get a sense of what it might be supposed to feel like. I was starting to get a sense of rebound energy out of my legs, and my HR went back into a more acceptable range.

It feels completely different than how I used to run, and it's hard to hold on to the feeling when I can sense things starting to click, but I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised. This is going to be difficult, and I have to be patient.

Walked first and last 5 minutes. Average HR for the entire run: 134

Walk: 1 mile

A little walk in the neighborhood with Alita and Alec. I used it as an opportunity to keep trying to figure out how to walk in these zero-drop Altras. My left foot's been a little sore lately, sort of in the pace where the podiatrist saw a lack of cartilage, so it's making me a little nervous. I hope it's just adapting to the new shoes.

It seems ironic to me that my feet were never really sore when I was doing more barefoot running (other than the bottoms, on rough terrain). And it was generally easier to run, too. Part of me wishes I could just do it all barefoot...

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My schedule has been screwy this past week and into next, so I'm moving workouts all over the place. I have to work on Monday, so I need to do a longer run on Sunday. Then, thanks to work, I'll have to go three days without a run. At least I should be able to walk on some of those days. It's nice that I'm not in a training plan yet, because it'd be making the OCD part of me ab-so-lutely frantic.

Hopefully, I'll be able to get things back to a more normal routine soon. I need to be ready if I'm really going to start this 24-week training cycle in a couple of weeks.

Long Run: 10.3 miles

Weather: Clear and chilly. 36 degrees. Gear: Altras, shorts, long-sleeved T, jacket, hat, gloves. Fuel: Rice milk and coffee before. Carried water, took a Gu in Mile 8.

I pushed my longer run back a day this week, due to a schedule conflict on Monday. I originally planned to try for 12 but decided to do 10 instead. I'm still trying to adapt to these zero-drop shoes, and technique is more important than distance for now.

I started off in the dark - and got a great view of my old friend Orion under a half moon in the southern sky. I also got a nice view of the predawn glow behind Mount Hood in the distance, which helped make up for the fact that I was freezing my arse off! Last time I ran when it was colder, I had more, um, insulation. Brr! I warmed up eventually, but it took a lot longer than usual and I never took off the gloves.


A view of the ponds (with a peek-a-boo view of Mount Hood) as I entered the Salmon Creek Greenway area.


And a (cropped) view from the trail itself. It was a very pretty morning.

Bonus? As I was getting this image, I heard crunching in the brush across the stream and caught a glimpse of a deer.

One thing I noticed right away was that my body was starting to get the idea of pretending to be barefoot while in these shoes. One way I was able to tell was by seeing how much lower my HR was this morning. I wasn't going fast (wasn't trying to) but my HR was often far below my target of 138. Part of it might have been because I had no overheating issues whatsoever (obviously), but I think the larger part was that my body was finding the more efficient biomechanics I developed while barefooting. I hope so, anyway.

I wasn't planning to fuel, but started to feel the start of a bonk when I was just past 8 miles in and had a Gu to take the edge off. I think it helped - though it was the consistency of vanilla fudge. Mm. Chewy.

Walked first and last 5 minutes. Average HR for entire run: 133

The route and elevation profile:

(Vertical scale *slightly* exaggerated. It's a good climb, but I don't need to rope up first.)

Walk: 3.84

Weather: Sunny, cool. 57 degrees.

My routine has been pretty significantly disrupted over the past few days, and it's been driving me nuts. So there was no way I was not going to take a walk during lunch at work.

I took it easy on the way out, on my usual route out to and along the Columbia River, trying to depressurize more than exercise. I picked up the pace a little on the return trip, but not by much. It gave me time to think about what I want to do, why I want to do it, and whether it's the best idea.

Some guy ran a 2:40 or so fully barefoot at Chicago on Sunday. So don't listen when the naysayers like me say barefooters can't be crazy fast in 2012! I still think its wacky and I hope you don't take offense that I immediately thought of YOU upon hearing about the super fast barefoot racer on Sunday. But hey it works for some and it seems like it is really helping/fixing your mechanics which makes sense to me and hopefully can pay off with some nice longterm pain-free running.

Chris M wrote:Some guy ran a 2:40 or so fully barefoot at Chicago on Sunday. So don't listen when the naysayers like me say barefooters can't be crazy fast in 2012! I still think its wacky and I hope you don't take offense that I immediately thought of YOU upon hearing about the super fast barefoot racer on Sunday. But hey it works for some and it seems like it is really helping/fixing your mechanics which makes sense to me and hopefully can pay off with some nice longterm pain-free running.

Take offense when you see a 2:40 barefoot runner and think of me? Pfft. Heck, I'm flattered!

I concede it seems nutty, but it's also something I've found very satisfying.

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Speaking of which... (you inspired me, Chris...)


Barefoot Run: 3.1 miles

Weather: Foggy and chilly. 45 degrees. Gear: Bare feet, shorts, T, pullover. Fuel: Post breakfast

The lack of barefoot running lately has been driving me absolutely crazy, so I hustled this morning to see if I could cram a few miles in between when I get Alec off to school and me off to work. So far, so good.

The weather was cold and foggy, a big change from the dry weather we've been having lately. I actually had to put on a warm top, though I peeled it off in the last mile.

The run felt good, and it was nice to remember how my feet are supposed to land. I'm hoping I can remember well enough to translate that to my Altras. Even if I can't, it simply felt good to be skin-to-ground again.

I averaged about 10-minute miles, with a HR in about my target range.



Not exactly pea soup fog, but a big change from sunny, dry and windy!

Beautiful pics of the Mountain. Also, that looks like some serious fog, glad you were able to squeeze in some miles despite the weather.

Joel H wrote:Beautiful pics of the Mountain. Also, that looks like some serious fog, glad you were able to squeeze in some miles despite the weather.

Hey, Joel! Thanks for stopping by! I was glad I could get my cell phone to get that shot in the near-darkness.

The weather isn't so much the problem as my schedule. It got shuffled pretty significantly over the past week, which was more disruptive to my mental well-being than I'd care to admit. It makes me wonder if I'm actually ready to embark on a big training effort. If the smallest change in routine makes me want to go bananas, that might not end up being a recipe for happiness.

Walk: 2.2 miles

Weather: Low clouds, clearing. 54 degrees.

I decided to double-dip with an easy recovery walk at lunchtime rather than sit and stare at the computer at work.

It was a bit chilly, but the sun thoughtfully started to burn through the low clouds while I was out.

Believe it or not, I actually reread your entire blog. Early on I was interested in Low HR but was a bit of a naysayer (for me, not for you), but I'm going to give it a go. 36 pages to this epic novel of barefoot and 138 average HR. Got through it with several cups of coffee, reread the Maffetone method and now I'm going to work something out. Maybe use Hal's winter/spring schedule. It's the one with time versus miles. I'll do the MAF test sometime this week. Awesome!

dot520 wrote:Believe it or not, I actually reread your entire blog. Early on I was interested in Low HR but was a bit of a naysayer (for me, not for you), but I'm going to give it a go. 36 pages to this epic novel of barefoot and 138 average HR. Got through it with several cups of coffee, reread the Maffetone method and now I'm going to work something out. Maybe use Hal's winter/spring schedule. It's the one with time versus miles. I'll do the MAF test sometime this week. Awesome!

You re-read the whole thing? Talk about an act of endurance!

Seriously, I'm glad you found this tome useful (and, hopefully, entertaining). A low-pressure, low HR, low-footwear approach seems to have worked pretty well for me this year. And after some reflection over this past week, I think I've decided to keep at it for the foreseeable future and just see how things progress.*

I actually used a time-based method for low HR training back in 2009 (and to a slightly lesser extent recently), and I found it worked out very well. There's a good time-based training approach detailed one of Maffetone's other books, "High Performance Heart" (available for as little as a penny on Amazon.com!) . It's well worth picking up; I found it incredibly helpful.

Good luck on the MAF test! Just remember, keep the HR steady and let the pace fall off. It'll be the benchmark by which you will track your progress.

*-Yes, that means I've now decided against training for the AR50 next spring. This road to nowhere is still the path I need to take.

Yeppers, now just don't quiz me on the section regarding 'blood bubbles' or other 'procedures.' I've quietly put that out of my memory...or I had. Okay, then...just purchased the .01 book and it should be here in about 7-10 days. I can tell you right now that I won't be running barefoot but I do run in Puma Faas 300's which are very light much like a racing flat. It bends in half with ease. Close enough for now.

dot520 wrote:Yeppers, now just don't quiz me on the section regarding 'blood bubbles' or other 'procedures.' I've quietly put that out of my memory...or I had. Okay, then...just purchased the .01 book and it should be here in about 7-10 days. I can tell you right now that I won't be running barefoot but I do run in Puma Faas 300's which are very light much like a racing flat. It bends in half with ease. Close enough for now.

Ew. I'd forgotten about that, too. My apologies.

Barefoot is not necessary for MAF, of course, though you might be interested to know that Phil Maffetone is a huge barefoot running fan. (Really! Click here to see his page.) Those Pumas sound like a very good alternative, though. Thin and flexible. Definitely the way to go.

Mark and his 365Runners cult. I could learn a thing or two in persuasion from you, sir.

I'm sad to see no AR50 - was looking forward to enjoying the trails with you - but I understand the reasons.

No crazy 50 miler?? What???

Mike MacLellan wrote:Mark and his 365Runners cult. I could learn a thing or two in persuasion from you, sir.

I'm sad to see no AR50 - was looking forward to enjoying the trails with you - but I understand the reasons.

But I don't actually seek to persuade, Mike. I merely document my experiences as the official 365Runners crash test dummy and share the results. The fact that at least some of those results are positive speaks more toward the benefits of what I'm doing than any salesmanship on my part.

More on the ultra decision after Michele's post, but I hope you and I can hook up for a run at some point. It'd be a hoot.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:No crazy 50 miler?? What???

So the small print didn't hide the news well enough, huh? Oh well... Let's see if I can explain it succinctly.

If I have any hope of being able to do 50 miles by early April, I would have to throw myself into a training plan that would have me running farther than I've ever run before and running at pretty much every opportunity, leaving me very little flexibility to accommodate the variables of life. And with Alita's new job and Alec's school and random schedule shifts at work to cover others' days off, the variables are likely to be frequent.

I don't seem to be handling conflicting priorities well lately. Trying to squeeze in enough miles to get to the point to where I could reasonably start a training cycle later this month in the face of shifts in work days and times, appointments and other things turned me into something snarly and unpleasant. The notion of running and training had pivoted from a fun adventure to a looming, oppressive burden.

Add to that the expectation that I should have run 35 mpw in four of the six months prior to starting the plan (which, of course, I haven't), and the fact that there'd be little to no way I could keep doing barefoot work... it's clear that I was stepping into a giant stress vortex with dubious chances of making it out the other side ready for an ultra - and I swore some time ago that I wouldn't embark on a race unless I was truly for it. And while I still like the idea of running silly distances someday, I'm not yet ready to do it yet.

The flip side is, doing what I've been doing this year has resulted in good progress. I may not be whipping out 20-milers, but I'm getting stronger and more coordinated and enjoying what I'm doing - as long as I don't put too many expectations on myself.

The upshot of all this is that I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing, playing around with different routes, distances, surfaces and footwear. I might get my mileage up as time goes on, but I'm not going to set any specific goals right now other than to keep at it. Maybe I'll build up enough to do something later next year, or maybe not.

It's hard to give up a sense of control like this and remain on this "road to nowhere," but I think it's probably the right choice for me.

I get it Mark, I was just looking forward to reading about the crazy course. Maybe you should focus on a 50K and in the fall. It is just fun to have a cool goal.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:I get it Mark, I was just looking forward to reading about the crazy course. Maybe you should focus on a 50K and in the fall. It is just fun to have a cool goal.

That might be a possibility. We'll just have to see what happens.

But stick with me, Michele. I guarantee that you'll keep getting plenty of crazy from me.

So here's my random forehead-slapping moment of the day...

I was bouncing messages back and forth with a friend who'd just finished a fun 20-miler when I started thinking about the last time I ran that far

And thinking. And thinking.

Damn. When did I run that far?

Sure I did a couple of 20+ trail runs before Tecumseh, but those involved sections of walking. I sure didn't run a full 20 at Tecumseh, or even in my last road marathon in Eugene in 2011. Cripes! How long has it been?

So I went to my RunningAHEAD log and did a little research. Turns out the last fully-run 20-miler I did was in April 2011 (!), when I did my last 22-miler before Eugene. As I looked back at the log entry, it seems that I enjoyed it very much, which is a good thing. But wow. It's been a year and a half? No wonder my body is complaining a little when I push a road run up to 10-12 uninterrupted miles.

Anyway, maybe that'll give me a little project to work on over the next few months, building up my long road run again. That might be a good counterpoint to trails, barefoot and hills/mountains. Balance might be good, hm? (I'm not ready to start whipping out fast quarters, though.)

Thought of you when I saw a guy running Hartford barefoot this morning. He was at about mile 20, looking strong. I thought the pavement would rip up his feet!

Michael Enright wrote:Thought of you when I saw a guy running Hartford barefoot this morning. He was at about mile 20, looking strong. I thought the pavement would rip up his feet!

A barefoot marathon! That is so impressive. My max so far is 10 miles. My skin held up fine, but the nerve endings in the soles of my feet were getting a little cranky by the end. I have a ways to go before I can try something quite that awesome.

Barefoot Run: 3.12 miles with Alec on dry asphalt

Weather: Overcast, breezy, muggy. 62 degrees. Gear: Bare feet, shorts, T. Fuel: Post breakfast.

I delayed my morning run today to get a bit more sleep (loud neighbors partied to the wee hours), and had an 11-year-old want to go out with me as I did some barefoot laps. He ended up doing just over three miles barefoot - a distance record for him - with only minimal walking.

I hadn't expected to have a partner out there, so I eased way back on the intensity to make sure he could run the whole distance. It gave me a chance to practice relaxing and letting it flow. I thought he was going to stop after two miles, but he decided he just *had* to be with his dad, so he went for the extra mile.

We were doing 12-13 minute miles, so in the last hundred meters or so, I challenged him to sprint it in, and I had a hard time keeping up! He dropped into the 6-7/mi range, even if only for a short distance.

Average HR for the entire run: 123

Low HR Run/Walk: 8.32

Weather: Overcast, cool (61), humid (97%) with some drizzle at the start. Gear: Altras, shorts, T, jacket, hat. Did not need jacket or hat. Fuel: Post breakfast. Had 1 pb granola bar before, gu during.

What a horrible run. I was planning to run 10-12 miles today and didn't even make it to the turnaround point for 10 when something inside me said I needed to hit a U-turn, pronto. Before that, I started having a hard time holding my HR in the proper zone. I made it less than a mile after that before the bottom fell out. I lost all energy and motivation and started walking. Of course, I was four miles from home. Oy.

It was a long walk. My left foot (the one I hurt last year) starting complaining, but I had no choice but to keep walking home. I tried to run a few times, but didn't get very far before ennui took over. I took a slight detour on the way home to check out an alternate route to my main way to the greenway area, hoping to find a road a little more conducive to barefoot (it looked better).

Back home, I ate some lunch, took a shower and flopped on the bed. My calf was unusually sore this morning, but I didn't take the clue and failed to realize/accept that my body wasn't on board for this run. Sheesh. I wonder if I'm trying to go too far, too soon, in these Altras. Of if running in Altras is so similar to going barefoot that doing a barefoot run followed by a run in Altras is too much?

Whatever it is, I didn't enjoy it. Though about 1/3 mile from home, I peeled off the shoes and started walking barefoot, tremendously confusing some kid waiting for the afternoon kindergarten bus. He just couldn't understand why I wasn't wearing shoes because, well, you *have* to wear them! Why do you need to wear them? I asked him. Because! He said. Because why? Well... because your feet get dirty! At least he had an explanation.


Average HR for whatever you'd call this train wreck: 118

We all have imploded runs from time to time, Mark. I wouldn't let it be a cause for concern. After all, it takes 3 to make a trend.

Mike MacLellan wrote:We all have imploded runs from time to time, Mark. I wouldn't let it be a cause for concern. After all, it takes 3 to make a trend.

Yes, very true. It's been a while since it's happened, so I should be thankful.

And maybe I should be more thankful than I am... because those sorts of things have been happening during races.