I cut way back last week because I have started back to school! It was technically supposed to be a cutback week anyway after 5 weeks of increasing mileage but really I was just exhausted and cut out two runs. Back to it this week, focusing on hills and increasing weekly mileage again. 10k trail race on Saturday!
8/20- 4 miles
8/22- 4 miles
8/25- 8 miles
Total: 16 miles
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Weekly Mileage ending 8/18/13
8/13- 4 miles
8/14- 5 miles
8/15- 4 miles
8/18- 12 miles
Total Mileage: 25 miles, all barefoot
I slacked off a little this week by not running my pre-long run short run on Saturday. I'll probably be taking it easy on the mileage, or at least not increasing my weekly mileage much, until my 10k on August 31. After that I will focus on getting to long runs in the 14-16 mile range until I have run my Fall Halfs and then its officially BIG SUR TRAINING TIME!
I also hit 1000 miles logged on MapMyRun, the app and website I use to track my runs. I started in late March 2011 with Couch to 5k. It took me an hour an a half to run/walk a 5k when I first started and today I ran 12 miles in 2 hours- so I've definitely made some progress!
8/14- 5 miles
8/15- 4 miles
8/18- 12 miles
Total Mileage: 25 miles, all barefoot
I slacked off a little this week by not running my pre-long run short run on Saturday. I'll probably be taking it easy on the mileage, or at least not increasing my weekly mileage much, until my 10k on August 31. After that I will focus on getting to long runs in the 14-16 mile range until I have run my Fall Halfs and then its officially BIG SUR TRAINING TIME!
I also hit 1000 miles logged on MapMyRun, the app and website I use to track my runs. I started in late March 2011 with Couch to 5k. It took me an hour an a half to run/walk a 5k when I first started and today I ran 12 miles in 2 hours- so I've definitely made some progress!
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Weekly Mileage Ending 8/11/13
8/6- 3 miles in Vibram Fivefinger Bikilas
8/7- 5 miles in VFF Bikilas
8/8- 4 miles in VFF Bikilas
8/10-3 miles barefoot
8/11- 10 miles barefoot
Total: 25 miles (12 in Bikilas, 13 barefoot)
I guess this week was a little bit of an experiment to see if I could easily switch between minimalist shoes and barefoot. My arches were still tender and bruised in the beginning of the week from the Sibley Volcanic Preserve trail run so I used the Bikilas until they were mostly healed. The collar of the shoes are a little tight, I'm not sure if that will stretch out and be more comfortable because I've put less than 50 miles on those shoes in the year or so I've had them. Going back to a cushioned shoe, even a minimally cushioned one like the Bikila, allows me to run faster, easier and fly down hills. It also makes my ankles hurt a little more than barefoot running and I've been having twinges in my right knee this week. I think I'll definitely still use the Bikilas on technical trails and when I want to keep my mileage up but my soles are bruise or injured. However, running 10 miles barefoot this week in Golden Gate Park felt a lot better than the short runs I've been doing in shoes. Next week is Week 1 of my Half-Marathon Training plan. I'm shooting for at least the ZombieRunner Halloween Half on November 2, but also probably the San Jose Rock N Roll Half (that will be a "training run" for ZombieRunner) and possibly the Berkeley Half before I start my training for Big Sur.
8/7- 5 miles in VFF Bikilas
8/8- 4 miles in VFF Bikilas
8/10-3 miles barefoot
8/11- 10 miles barefoot
Total: 25 miles (12 in Bikilas, 13 barefoot)
I guess this week was a little bit of an experiment to see if I could easily switch between minimalist shoes and barefoot. My arches were still tender and bruised in the beginning of the week from the Sibley Volcanic Preserve trail run so I used the Bikilas until they were mostly healed. The collar of the shoes are a little tight, I'm not sure if that will stretch out and be more comfortable because I've put less than 50 miles on those shoes in the year or so I've had them. Going back to a cushioned shoe, even a minimally cushioned one like the Bikila, allows me to run faster, easier and fly down hills. It also makes my ankles hurt a little more than barefoot running and I've been having twinges in my right knee this week. I think I'll definitely still use the Bikilas on technical trails and when I want to keep my mileage up but my soles are bruise or injured. However, running 10 miles barefoot this week in Golden Gate Park felt a lot better than the short runs I've been doing in shoes. Next week is Week 1 of my Half-Marathon Training plan. I'm shooting for at least the ZombieRunner Halloween Half on November 2, but also probably the San Jose Rock N Roll Half (that will be a "training run" for ZombieRunner) and possibly the Berkeley Half before I start my training for Big Sur.
Monday, August 5, 2013
Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve Trail Run
Yesterday, I ran 8 miles on a trail in the Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve with Run365, a local running club.
It was a little colder than I expected, because my brain still hasn't grasped the concept of the San Francisco Bay Area microclimates, and I was underdressed for the Oakland hills and the fog that surrounded them. I strapped my Vibram Bikilas onto my water belt because I had not run barefoot on a technical trail in over a year and wasn't sure how my soles would hold up. The entire two hours we ran through a blanket of thick fog that hid the vistas as we ran along ridges with steep drop-offs.
There were a variety of surfaces- from packed dirt with layers of dry leaves to mud to rocks. The dirt and mud were easy as pie and even fun to run on but the rocks left my arches pretty bruised and made me question whether more than 8 miles barefoot on these type of trails was something I even wanted to do. I love trail running and am going to need to find a balance with possibly training in minimal shoes while running some trails and still getting in barefoot mileage on sidewalks and roads and paved trails. As with most trail running in the Bay area, it was hillier than the moderate hills I usually run on in my neighborhood - we had an elevation change of about 1000 ft. but the beautiful surroundings and chatting with running partners made the miles go by quickly and easily.
It was a little colder than I expected, because my brain still hasn't grasped the concept of the San Francisco Bay Area microclimates, and I was underdressed for the Oakland hills and the fog that surrounded them. I strapped my Vibram Bikilas onto my water belt because I had not run barefoot on a technical trail in over a year and wasn't sure how my soles would hold up. The entire two hours we ran through a blanket of thick fog that hid the vistas as we ran along ridges with steep drop-offs.
There were a variety of surfaces- from packed dirt with layers of dry leaves to mud to rocks. The dirt and mud were easy as pie and even fun to run on but the rocks left my arches pretty bruised and made me question whether more than 8 miles barefoot on these type of trails was something I even wanted to do. I love trail running and am going to need to find a balance with possibly training in minimal shoes while running some trails and still getting in barefoot mileage on sidewalks and roads and paved trails. As with most trail running in the Bay area, it was hillier than the moderate hills I usually run on in my neighborhood - we had an elevation change of about 1000 ft. but the beautiful surroundings and chatting with running partners made the miles go by quickly and easily.
I'm not sure we were actually trespassing here, as this sign was on the road gate and not on the pedestrian one. Either way, I can assure you we weren't a band of jerks littering the watershed with Gu packets. I don't eat Gu anyway.
Pictures of my feet about 3 miles into the run and again after I drove home.
Photos courtesy of my friend Dolores N., a pacer with the RUN365 group.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Weekly Mileage ending 8/4/13
7/30- 3 miles
7/31- 5 miles
8/1- 4 miles
8/3- 3 miles
8/4- 8 miles
Total: 23 miles
My long run this week was a trail run with a local running group at the Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve. I will put up a post about this trail as soon as I get pictures from my running partner! Even though the trail was challenging for my soles (mainly due to sharp rocks), it reminded me how much I love trail running!
7/31- 5 miles
8/1- 4 miles
8/3- 3 miles
8/4- 8 miles
Total: 23 miles
My long run this week was a trail run with a local running group at the Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve. I will put up a post about this trail as soon as I get pictures from my running partner! Even though the trail was challenging for my soles (mainly due to sharp rocks), it reminded me how much I love trail running!
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