Music of the Day

Robyn helped me through my 5 miler this morning:

You know the HB Tune iPhone holder I recently reviewed?

Well, it broke this morning. The little plastic piece you thread the velcro strap through just broke in half as I was tightening it on my hand. I will edit the original review to reflect this. I'm not going to e-mail the company because I got it for free and don't really have much interest in replacing it but maybe this information will help someone considering purchasing it. 

HB Tune

Weekly Mileage ending 7/28/13

Tuesday 7/23- 3.05 miles
Wednesday 7/24- 4.03 miles
Thursday 7//25- 4.51 miles
Saturday 7/27- 3 miles
Sunday 7/28- 7 miles

Total: 21.6 miles

Bay Trail Sunrise

Music of the Day

I know some runners are vehemently against listening to music while running. For some good reasons- listening to music with headphones and a loud volume makes you less aware of your surroundings which is dangerous for those of us that run on roads. Also, specifically with regards to barefoot running, listening to music with slower tempos can affect your cadence which needs to be pretty high when running barefoot.  I don't adhere to the "cadence must be above 180+" stance, but I do try to keep a pretty short stride and try to have soft, quick step.  I solve these problems by listening to mostly upbeat, faster music and just using the speaker of my iPhone rather than headphones. BONUS: passers-by get to listen to my awesome tunes.

I use the Pandora app and a couple of songs that I really liked running to this morning (on my M.I.A. channel) were:

Miike Snow, Animal

All the lyrics because they're all good:

There was a time when my world
Was filled with darkness
Then I stopped dreaming now
I'm supposed to fill it up with something

In your eyes I see the eyes of somebody
I knew before, long ago
But I'm still trying to make my mind up
Am I free or am I tied up?

I change shapes just to hide in this place
But I'm still, I'm still an animal
Nobody knows it but me when I slip
Yeah I slip, I'm still an animal

There is a hole and I tried to fill it up with money
But it gets bigger till your horse is always running
In your eyes I see the eyes of somebody
That could be strong

Tell me if I'm wrong
And now I'm pulling your disguise up
Are you free or are you tied up?

I change shapes just to hide in this place
But I'm still, I'm still an animal
Nobody knows it but me when I slip
Yeah I slip, I'm still an animal

Kid Cudi, Dat New, "New" (Explicit lyrics)

Favorite lyrics from this: "Blood Sweat and Tears Homie I'm made of it" and the hook "You can look all over but you'll never find/ (hot shit) like mine/ WOOP... it blow your mind".

Weekly Mileage ending 7/21/13

Tuesday 7/16- 3.09 miles
Wednesday 7/17- 4 miles
Thursday 7/18- 3.56 miles
Saturday 7/20- 3.07 miles
Sunday 7/21- 6.01 miles

Total: 19.7 miles

I ran my long run this week in Vibram Fivefinger Bikilas because I bruised the ball of my left foot at some point during the week but I still wanted to run for an hour because I hadn't done that in months!  I ran a bit faster than barefoot over a longer distance with the shoes on.  I often consider training at least part of the time in minimalist shoes because there are so many beautiful not-so-barefoot-friendly trails to run and race on in this area. For right now I still prefer barefoot but I think mixing it up helps prevent overuse injuries- I definitely run differently with shoes on.

BIG SUR 2014

BIG SUR 2014!!

Yes, I am yelling.  I just can't contain my excitement because I just registered for my first marathon. Not just any marathon, but one of the most beautiful marathons in the world. Because it is such an amazing race, it sells out quickly and long before the event. So, I have a little over 9 months to train for the April 27, 2014 race date!

Lake Merritt

Yesterday, my friend and I ran around Lake Merritt in Oakland, California.  It's a little over 3 miles around the lake and just a couple of blocks from BART. We're running a 10k trail race at the end of August together and this was our first run together! It was a very pleasant run- sunny but not hot, live music along the path, and a variety of surfaces.  It started off as smooth concrete, but there was also packed dirt with roots and small gravel. Running on a variety of surfaces is great for conditioning bare feet.  Last year, when I was preparing for my half-marathon, I ran 14 miles in training on sidewalks and thought that was plenty to condition myself for the race. Ha! I ended up putting on my Vibrams at mile 9 or so because the sheer variety of surfaces I had run over- packed dirt with pine needles, slab rock, large gravel, roots, and rocks had done a number on my soles.  That combined with an over 1900 ft. elevation gain and hot temperatures made for a tough race. I hope to condition my feet a little better for the upcoming 10k and have a little more fun with the race as a result. Barefoot running is awesome but it is even more awesome when you can run a race pain-free!

Lake Merritt Oakland, CA

HBTune Review

*Review update 7/30/13- Plastic piece broke, rendering product unusable. See blog entry: http://barefootstephanie.blogspot.com/2013/07/you-know-hb-tune-iphone-holder-i.html*


A few months ago, while riding the lovely Bay Area Rapid Transit train, some guy on his way to the airport with a suitcase full of phone holders for running gave me one. It's called the HB Tune and it is strapped onto the hand as opposed to other armbands I have used the are strapped onto the upper arm or forearm. I only recently had a chance to run with it, and these are my thoughts:

Pros:
- The standout feature of this iPhone holder (they also make them for larger phones, for you Samsung Galaxy owners!) is the fact that you don't have to awkwardly twist your arm in order to access the touch screen. This is important for people like me that like to change their music often while they run.
- Light and comfortable
- Easy to get phone in and out of case. This has been and issue for me with other armbands. It's actually loose enough that you could have an iPhone in a super bulky case and it would easily fit in the HB Tune.

Cons:
- Not very breathable. It made my hand sweaty on the first run of only 3 miles and it wasn't that hot outside.
- Materials seem a little cheap- it's neoprene and clear plastic that's either glued or heat bonded together, not stitched like other armbands I've used.
- Slightly awkward to strap on, but it isn't bothersome while running.

Conclusion:
Not a bad device holder and I prefer it to my upper arm band because of the ease of screen access. However, for $24.99, it's priced approximately the same with other forearm bands that provide the same convenience. I probably wouldn't spend the money but I'll definitely use a free one given to me on BART!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes...

  Well, I cut my hair. I know, you're like, "This is a barefoot running blog, girl, I don't care about your hair." However, it did take me 4 years to grow it out and going from nearly tailbone-length hair to a pixie is a drastic change.  I was very attached to my hair and it is both freeing and anxiety-inducing to be rid of all of it. It was at the point where it was getting caught in car doors, it was very heavy, and I kept it up most of the time anyway so I wasn't really enjoying the length. I also bleached my dark hair blonde. Then cut it again. I'm mostly sure I'm done changing it for now.

I also started running again. I've had a not-so-great year for running... I ran a 10k and PR'd, but haven't felt as good as I did during the first two years I started running. I haven't maintained nearly the mileage I had hoped to or even had done in the past. Obsessing about mileage and times was what motivated me then but after a certain amount of time you stop progressing as blindingly fast as you did in the beginning. I went from 14 minute miles to 10 minute miles to 8 and even 7:30 minute miles (for short distances like the 5k), so why was it so hard to run 6 minute miles?

 My husband has a maxim that you need to have two motivations or reasons for doing something- because one or both of those will wax and wane with time. I haven't figured out what my other reason for running is besides competition... with myself and others. But I'm thinking about it. I registered for another 10k trail race and am getting back out there.

I ordered some Xero Shoes Huaraches and received them yesterday. I will post a review of them soon but right now I am still playing with the lacing in order to make them comfortable and secure enough to run in.

I have been doing a bootcamp class the past few weeks and it feels like all the squats, lunges and core work I've been doing have improved my running- hills are a little easier, I feel less fatigued at the end of the run.  Yet another vote for cross-training!