Barefoot Running in January?

After my disastrous first attempt at running in Vibram five finger shoes a few weeks ago I decided to give it another try this evening. After a good week of running and putting some miles in the bank I thought it was time to start training in earnest with the VFF's. I started with a good warm up (in shoes) on my way to the track, and then did a slow mile at the track as added warmup. After two miles I pulled off the shoes and slipped into the VFF's and ran a half mile before taking off the vibrams and running totally barefoot for another two laps. Unlike my earlier attempt I took special care tonight to run with a gentle "natural" gait. I didn't get too far forward on the balls of my feet, and also didn't land too hard on the heel. When I slipped off the VFF's and went to a totally barefoot run it was a really unique feel. I expect my feet to be cold, but they were surprisingly warm for running on a cold track surface. I found that if I took lots of little steps-as opposed to long strides-I covered the same distance and it felt great too.

The key to barefoot running is pacing yourself in the training, careful foot placement and strike, and attention to form.

More posts to come as as the (gentle) barefoot training continues.

From There to Here to There

Ultra running legend David Horton says "you're only as good as your last race or run." My oh my am I in big trouble. Hit the trails today on a January thaw with Peg and Steve (an up and coming fastie UR) The trail was mild, the weather was mild, and the first 10 mile or so flew by as we chattered about this and that. Then....the long break from any significant grabbed me by the legs and the gut and said "Whoa! You shouldn't be out here doing this mileage today!" The legs felt like lead sticks, I'm carrying too many Christmas cookies on my waist and butt, and my stomach-which is usually made of cast iron- decided to rebel just as we finished the run.

Rewind to January of '09. I was well trained, 15 pounds lighter, and had a solid base of miles in the bank going into Holiday Lake 50K. Fast forward through the next several, crazy months of job searching, buying a house, moving, starting a new job, renovating a house, trying to stay sane and...well you get the picture.

So from There to Here hasn't been especially pretty. From Here to There will be challenging to be sure. Especially considering the race schedule and my current fitness. But, today is a new day. I'm generally healthy, mostly sane, and certainly motivated to finish my BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal.)

Let's get it on!

Injury parte deux

It seems I never learn. A week ago Tuesday I ran in VFF's, and of course went too long and too hard, AND ran in them incorrectly. As a result I had a pretty good calf pull that was sore for a good number of days. So I thought after five days or so of no running that everything was good. (Even thought I could still feel the pain!) So Peg, me and and Steve went for a rather tame jaunt on the trails in county park.... Bad idea. A couple of miles in the calf seized up AGAIN, and rather than bag it I just kept hammering away-hoping against hope that the pain would magically disappear. No magic happened, we made it back to the car after seven or so miles, and I had real difficulty moving the calf muscle. So now it's been four MORE days, and I'm contemplating going to Virginia for the MMT/MLK back to back runs. However....if the pain doesn't let up by Thursday I'm going to can it and stay here in PA and do something small on the trails around here. I'd really like to do the MLK runs but it's just not worth it to really injure myself a month before Holiday Lakes and take myself out the the Beast series before I even get started.

Sheez, you'd think that I'd learn. Motto: Trail runners are stubborn AND slow learners.

Barefoot running Uh oh!

My excitement for barefoot running may have been a bit premature! I went out for my first short run in the VFF's tonight planning for a three miler at an extremely slow pace. I had studied up on the technique required for the "shoe", and literally tippy toed my way through the first mile or so when my right calf muscle seized up and I was stopped dead in m tracks. I walked a bit, but the pain was still there so reluctantly headed for home in a a gimpy trot that took most of the pressure off of the right leg. Mind you, I was still wearing the VFF's so reverting to my normal heavy heel-strike way of running was out of the question. After another half mile or so I felt like my left calf was in danger of seizing up so I walked it home in the cold.

As I sit here nursing my wounds with a martini in hand, I suspect that I was running too far forward on the ball of my foot, and not allowing any help from the heel. I'll get the hand of this....eventually. For now it looks like I'll take a few days off and let my left calf return to normal.

Next up.....29 miles on the Massanutten trails Saturday, January 16th, and then 27 more on Jamuary 17th! Let's hope I recover between now and then.......

Run gently out there!!
J.R>

"Born to Run" book review

A friend (Thanks Shelby) sent me a link about a book he thought I would be interested in. The book "Born To Run" by Christopher McDougall is-in a word-magnificent! Now most running stories or books about running/ultrarunning are brutally boring. David Horton's Book "A Quest for Adventure" is so-so, and Pam Reed's book "The Extra Mile" is downright bad. (Hey, it's my blog right?)

So what makes this book different. For starters it not just about the runners or the race. Mcdougall takes us on a journey of exploration and adventure in the Barranca del Cobre (Copper Canyon) part of Mexico, and introduces us to the Tumahara Indians who live there. For them running is not simply a sport but a way of life. They make their own shoes out of cast off tires treads and leather thongs, run farther-and faster- than most competitive ultra studs (A turamahara indian WON the Leadville 100 in 1994...wearing sandals....and he was 55 years old!)
and their diet doesn't consist of anything fancy. In fact they drink a fair amount of beer before they run. Go figure!

The book is part running science, part anthropology, part history lesson, and mostly just a well written story that pulls you along right to the end of the book. Even if you've never run a step you'll enjoy this book, but if you do run it might just change the way you think about running and training.
For a great look at the Turamahara, the Copper Canyon ultra, and the spectacular scenery of central Mexico check this out.

BHAG list posted!

2010 race list is posted! I guess this means that I have to follow through right?? Putting it out to the world is my way of saying that there's no turning back now. This race calendar is audacious, bodacious, exciting and-especially for the last race of the year- scary as hell! Setting goals, getting a focus, following through on your dreams is what this list is all about. Can I do it? I think so.... NO, I know I can. Planning, persistence, patience, and pacing are all key components of this BHAG. (Big Hairy AUDACIOUS goal)

Ring in the new year!

Ten or so miles on the horseshoe trail today. It was bitter (for PA) cold with a wind chill that just wouldn't quit. I was so not motivated, but once I got there-so often the case-I got into the swing of things and had a perfectly marvelous run. Although the "trail" isn't really a trail-more of an improved fire road-it meandered nicely through the wilds of South central PA. A possible? bear sighting made the day worthwhile and logging ten miles didn't hoit none either. I'm still focused on the BHAG so January is a critical training month. Bring it on!

The BHAG

I learned of the BHAG from my ultra friend Sophie. BHAG stands for "Big Hairy Audacious Goal," and I've got one for 2010! I'm entering the Beast series put on by Clark Zealand and David Horton, who are race directors/ultra runners in VA. The Beast series consists of six races-each a little harder and longer-that culminates with a 100K that starts at midnight in the dead of December. This is my BHAG for 2010!