5 miles today.
I am looking at races and trying to guess what I will be ready for in the spring. Definitely a half-marathon at least, but I would love to do the San Francisco Marathon barefoot. If I follow Hal Higdon's Novice 1 Marathon Plan I should theoretically be ready in time but with barefoot running its hard to tell if only one 20-miler is enough preparation to make the jump to 26.2... and I can't imagine it would be fun to cross the line hobbling instead of running. I will most likely start the plan in a couple of weeks and if my soles progress along with the program I will think more seriously about signing up for the SF Marathon once I get around 14-16 miles for long runs.
-Stephanie
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Friday, January 25, 2013
I saw another one of us today
4.16 miles today. I got the tiniest of blisters on my right pinky toe from the increase in mileage, so I know my feet need some toughening up to get to the leathery tough foot skin I used to have that could take many more miles of concrete and asphalt.
Later in the day, I drove by another barefoot runner and it brought a smile to my face! I am pretty sure I know who it was, since the community of barefoot runners is small and vocal, but it surprised me nonetheless. Hi there, fellow barefoot runner wearing red!
-Stephanie
Later in the day, I drove by another barefoot runner and it brought a smile to my face! I am pretty sure I know who it was, since the community of barefoot runners is small and vocal, but it surprised me nonetheless. Hi there, fellow barefoot runner wearing red!
-Stephanie
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Running On Glass
3.4 miles today.
It's been a long while since I've felt like I was floating instead of running and thought, "Hey, those are some damn beautiful trees." Today was one of those days.
I also ran on some rocks, over glass, around dead animal carcasses- all the fun parts of barefoot running. My favorite is running around glass because people seem to be most concerned over that particular road hazard with regards to barefoot running. I have run around and through glass many a time and haven't yet been hurt. I even picked a large shard out of my heel and didn't spare a drop of blood. At some point, your feet get tough enough that most glass you can't avoid won't hurt you. I wouldn't necessarily recommend running on a trail made entirely of glass shards, however this guy walked on some and was just fine.
If you do happen to get cut from glass or stub your toe bloody, which I do every few weeks, just practice good first-aid and clean the wound and wrap it up with some Neosporin. Then walk it off.
-Stephanie
It's been a long while since I've felt like I was floating instead of running and thought, "Hey, those are some damn beautiful trees." Today was one of those days.
I also ran on some rocks, over glass, around dead animal carcasses- all the fun parts of barefoot running. My favorite is running around glass because people seem to be most concerned over that particular road hazard with regards to barefoot running. I have run around and through glass many a time and haven't yet been hurt. I even picked a large shard out of my heel and didn't spare a drop of blood. At some point, your feet get tough enough that most glass you can't avoid won't hurt you. I wouldn't necessarily recommend running on a trail made entirely of glass shards, however this guy walked on some and was just fine.
If you do happen to get cut from glass or stub your toe bloody, which I do every few weeks, just practice good first-aid and clean the wound and wrap it up with some Neosporin. Then walk it off.
-Stephanie
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Building slowly
Another 3 miles today, making this week a total of 6 miles.
I am running on smooth concrete sidewalks and relatively smooth asphalt trails, which are slightly rougher than sidewalks and good for toughening the plantar skin on my feet. It's amazing how much the surface you run on can make a difference in conditioning. I recommend new barefoot runners start on these seemingly hard surfaces because it teaches you good barefoot form more quickly than starting on cushy grass or even a track. Even when I have built up my miles on hard surfaces, running on soft surfaces causes me some twinges in my knees... my theory is there is some micro-stability compensation you have to do on soft surfaces because they are slightly more unstable. Kind of like running on foam and having to have the lateral stability in your joints to be able to take that. Also, you have a false sense of how hard you should land because your feet can take a harder landing on grass, even if your knees can't.
For example, last year I could run 14 miles on concrete sidewalks barefoot but during my Half Marathon on a trail I encountered a much larger variety of surfaces (soft dirt with a cushion of pine needles, hard packed dirt with roots, sticks and rocks, slab rock, rocky single track, and more!) and could only make it about 9-10 miles barefoot before I finished the race in Vibram Bikilas. I definitely recommend you train on the surfaces you are racing on if you want to have a good racing experience. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the barefoot time I had during my Half, but it would have been a lot more fun if I had run more hills and trails during training and being able to finish the entire Half barefoot.
I have read a lot about form advice for barefoot running and kept several things in mind today that might help others in their barefoot running. It's a lot to keep in mind at once, but try thinking of one or a couple of these things while running and see how it impacts how your body feels after a run.
-Keep your legs relaxed and loose.
-Land lightly on your feet.
-Land on the ball of your foot and let your heel "kiss" the ground.
-Run with a short stride length, high cadence (how many times your feet hit the ground in a certain amount of time)
-Raise your knees.
-Bend your knees when landing.... almost like you are doing squats while running. You will be lower to the ground and be giving yourself the benefit of the natural shock absorption of your entire knee joint.
-Keep your hips forward and don't "reach" forward with your feet; Land under your center of gravity.
-Don't forget to use your hips and thigh muscles to lift your feet as the touch the ground rather than landing hard on them; Don't overuse your calves and lower legs by "pushing off" with your toes- you'll injure your calves or get blisters on your feet
There's a wealth of other advice around on what constitutes good barefoot form but the key is what helps you as an individual. Just listen to your body during and after a run and try to adjust if you are hurting or not able to increase your mileage.
-Stephanie
I am running on smooth concrete sidewalks and relatively smooth asphalt trails, which are slightly rougher than sidewalks and good for toughening the plantar skin on my feet. It's amazing how much the surface you run on can make a difference in conditioning. I recommend new barefoot runners start on these seemingly hard surfaces because it teaches you good barefoot form more quickly than starting on cushy grass or even a track. Even when I have built up my miles on hard surfaces, running on soft surfaces causes me some twinges in my knees... my theory is there is some micro-stability compensation you have to do on soft surfaces because they are slightly more unstable. Kind of like running on foam and having to have the lateral stability in your joints to be able to take that. Also, you have a false sense of how hard you should land because your feet can take a harder landing on grass, even if your knees can't.
For example, last year I could run 14 miles on concrete sidewalks barefoot but during my Half Marathon on a trail I encountered a much larger variety of surfaces (soft dirt with a cushion of pine needles, hard packed dirt with roots, sticks and rocks, slab rock, rocky single track, and more!) and could only make it about 9-10 miles barefoot before I finished the race in Vibram Bikilas. I definitely recommend you train on the surfaces you are racing on if you want to have a good racing experience. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the barefoot time I had during my Half, but it would have been a lot more fun if I had run more hills and trails during training and being able to finish the entire Half barefoot.
I have read a lot about form advice for barefoot running and kept several things in mind today that might help others in their barefoot running. It's a lot to keep in mind at once, but try thinking of one or a couple of these things while running and see how it impacts how your body feels after a run.
-Keep your legs relaxed and loose.
-Land lightly on your feet.
-Land on the ball of your foot and let your heel "kiss" the ground.
-Run with a short stride length, high cadence (how many times your feet hit the ground in a certain amount of time)
-Raise your knees.
-Bend your knees when landing.... almost like you are doing squats while running. You will be lower to the ground and be giving yourself the benefit of the natural shock absorption of your entire knee joint.
-Keep your hips forward and don't "reach" forward with your feet; Land under your center of gravity.
-Don't forget to use your hips and thigh muscles to lift your feet as the touch the ground rather than landing hard on them; Don't overuse your calves and lower legs by "pushing off" with your toes- you'll injure your calves or get blisters on your feet
There's a wealth of other advice around on what constitutes good barefoot form but the key is what helps you as an individual. Just listen to your body during and after a run and try to adjust if you are hurting or not able to increase your mileage.
-Stephanie
Monday, January 14, 2013
The Beginning (again)
I am starting to run barefoot again.
What? You mean with those funny-looking "barefoot shoes"?
No. I am running without any type of shoes. I did most of a trail Half-Marathon barefoot last year, along with an entire 10k road race barefoot.
I am starting to run barefoot again after several months of no running due to... life.
This blog will detail my daily runs, races, and experiences as a barefoot runner.
I ran 3 miles yesterday and it felt "OK". My feet felt great, no blisters like when I was first building up my barefoot mileage and learning how to run lightly and not shred my feet, but my lungs are out of shape. I was also probably a little dehydrated and running a little too fast as a I often do when I listen to music. Today, my calves are a little sore but nothing major.
Looking forward to running more this year in 2013 and blogging about it this time!
-Stephanie
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