Wearing shoes again

So after the Half I did what I always do after a race- I completely stop running.  I can see I improve over the months & years but I would probably improve a lot faster if I didn't lose all motivation to run every few months. I ran 8 miles a few weeks ago and 3 miles today.

The 8-miler a few weeks ago ended in quite literally, bloody disaster.  I ran on a really rough trail (cheap and seal asphalt) after having done little barefoot running in the month or so before that.... because I ended up running my 16-miler and half in Merrell Trail Gloves and what do you KNOW when you don't condition your soles you can get blisters when you run 8 miles on rough surfaces.  I looked like an idiot hobbling, whining, EXTREMELY slowly for the last 2 miles to the end of the trail after I totally thrashed my soles.  Some other British runners who my running partner and I had passed even got to see my shame and suggest, "Maybe wear some trainers next time?" Yes.  Probably next time I will wear some "trainers".  I wanted to yell at them that I had run nearly twice this distance with no pain before but its useless... but once you're the insane barefoot runner who runs until her feet are slinging blood splatters all over your ankles there isn't much you can say.

You see, I've only been running for a few years. I am by no means a running expert.  I started running in Vibram Fivefinger Sprints with the Couch to 5k program in March 2011... by the time I was running ten miles I had some pain in the tops of my feet (where the straps were) so I took my shoes off.  It felt great.  I learned about barefoot running and decided to see how far I could take it.  In August 2011 I started building up to 3-4 miles and I had blisters. I read about form... a million things... high cadence, soft feet, relaxed legs, lean forward, etc... and it got better.  I could run 6-10 miles easily barefoot for a couple of years. I stopped wearing shoes.  I still got injured.  A few times I bloodied my big toes and though about putting shoes back on but even the minimalist Vibrams weren't as comfortable as being barefoot.  Even my everyday walking around shoes became uncomfortable... anything with a structured sole or the slightest heel was uncomfortable.  It wasn't that big of a deal.  I wore ballet flats and flip-flops and continued to run barefoot.

I also continued to have bad experiences.  My first half marathon was a trail race.  Filled with sticks and tiny rocks and root and slabs of rocks and more roots.  By mile 9 my feet were bruised to hell and I put on my Vibram Bikilas to finish.  It was not a fun race.  I decided to at least wear minimal shoes for trails longer than 10ks.  Trails weren't always miserable barefoot- mud and soft pine needles on dirt are actually quite wonderful to run on barefoot.  I broke in minimal shoes on the road and started running more 50% shoes and 50% barefoot.  My last half was in shoes and it felt great, physically.  I don't think they are quite the right shoes (Merrell Trail Gloves) because they give me achilles pain I don't have when barefoot but I also don't have to constantly be looking out for surface dangers that I would need to be wary of when barefoot.  I ran my 3 miler today in Vibram Bikilas and it felt pretty good.

I feel like the barefoot running community is not as upfront about the injuries that come along with it.  Sure, you probably won't have shin splints or as many knee problems and for me it was the most comfortable way to run for a long time.  But after the blister fiasco from the 8 mile run a few weeks ago I have to wonder if I'm just trading some injuries for others.  I think I will probably always do some mileage barefoot because I still enjoy it but my running goals aren't based around that anymore.  I want to go farther and faster.  I am about to start training for my first marathon- Big Sur 2014.  I'm sure I could do it barefoot; I think I might have a little more fun and achieve loftier speed goals if I put some (minimalist) shoes on. So that's what I'm doing for now.

Out for a week + Mileage ending 9/22/13

I fell on that awesome Wunderlich trail run the other day when my foot caught a root and although I ran about 2 more miles after that, I ended up taking a week off because I mildly sprained my knee on the fall.  I was limping for 4-5 days the first week and even this last week took it VERY light on the mileage. It feels fine now- no pain on short or long runs- and I hope to be back to building mileage this week.

9/17- 3 miles
9/22- 10 miles

Pictures from my run out and back over the Golden Gate Bridge yesterday:

Skirt 'n Dirt 10k Race Report

This Saturday I ran a really fun trail race called the Skirt 'n Dirt Trail Run in Redwood Regional Park in Oakland, CA.  I ran the 10k distance but there was also a 25k and 50k distance.  I was running with my good friend Liane, it was her first 10k and she did GREAT! It was an all-women's race with a companion race called Stud 'n Mud that ran with us but it was mostly women.  The race organizer, Inside Trail Racing was awesome and I would highly recommend any races organized by them for several reasons:

1) The trail markers were vandalized and volunteers got up super early to fix this so we could have a safe and fun race.  What nice people, right? 

2) They had lightly flavored or unflavored electrolyte drinks instead of Gatorade. They also had plenty of yummy snacks.

3) SWAG. I got a hat, a shirt, a wine glass (right?) and medal. For a 10k this is pretty awesome bang for your registration buck. 

The race is in the Oakland Hills which I have run before during my half-marathon last year during the Cinderella Trail Run.   They are absolutely beautiful trails and also have plenty of rocks that make barefooting not the most fun. So, I strapped on my Vibram Fivefinger Bikilas and intending to enjoy the scenery of towering Redwoods instead of picking my way around rocks on the trail. The Bikilas worked well enough except for a weird bruising in the joint of one of my toes. I'm looking around at other trail shoes without toe pockets.

I arrived a little later than when I had agreed to meet up with my friend so I warmed up running around between the check-in table and the bathrooms before I found her.  We started off at 8:30 am. after the 25k and 50k runners started at 8:00 a.m. This might have been a little late for a summer run but 90% of the run was in delightful heavy shade.  I had checked out the elevation profile and was a little intimidated- it was "only" 850 ft. elevation change for the 10k but 600 of that was in the first 2.5 miles and the 500 ft. climb from mile 1.5-2.5 was... challenging to say the least.  I need to run more hills.

Took a couple of blurry pictures with my phone while catching my breath on the climb. 

However, after that initial beast of a climb it was mostly downhill from there!  It was a pretty small race so I was running alone most of the time with just a couple glimpses of a person in front of and behind me.  There were a lot more roots on this trail than on my other trail runs and that proved to be my quite literal downfall in the last mile of the race.  My right foot caught a root and I went down on my hands and my right knee.  I hopped up and hobbled the rest of the way not sure how bad it was hurt.  The medical technician wrapped it with ice and although I've got a nasty bruise, a swollen knee and a slight limp today it is not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I think walking around after the race helped the potential stiffness.

My time was 1:14:06- not a personal best of course but my personal best for 10k was on a flat road and this was a hilly trail so they're really not comparable.  I did come in 3rd in my age group which was my first time placing in a race!  Great race overall and it is getting me pumped for my Fall Halfs! 

Weekly Mileage ending 8/25/13

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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!

A couple of runs

Saturday 5/4- 3.1 miles

Monday 5/6- 3.1 miles

I'm back after the rib injury and being busy with some volunteer work.

Injured

I've taken the last week off because I strained a rib muscle coughing so badly I got an X-ray to make sure I hadn't broken a rib.  Unfortunately, this was the week I was supposed to start training for the SF Half Marathon.  I am going to re-start training this weekend and see how it goes but I may skip that race and plan for a trail Half in July. It hurts to breathe deeply and when I twist my torso but I am hoping that I can keep my bouncing to a minimal while running and be able to continue my training without prolonging whatever I've pulled in my rib cage.

Temporarily grain-free

I'm doing South Beach-ish style eating right now to lose the 12 pounds or so I gained over the holidays and also because I'm gluten intolerant and shouldn't be eating lovely, delicious breads and other gluten-filled things, anyway.  I say South Beach-ish because in the 4 days since I've started, I've broken down and eating half a milk chocolate bar and have had 2 iced lattes from Peet's.  So I haven't stuck to the no-sugar part.  However, I have not had any grains and have been eating a lot of good protein and vegetables.

I don't buy fully into the restriction of "healthy" fats in the South Beach diet... I have no problem with full-fat cheeses and dairy or olive oil and even some butter.  I also prefer limited real sugar rather than fake sugar-free sweeteners.  One thing the South Beach diet does get right is LOTS of vegetables and eating low-glycemic foods in general.  So, I have been having vegetables with breakfast. As snacks. As sides. It's a much better way of eating than what I have been doing the past few months at least, which involved a lot of convenience food full of gluten.

Example of what I'm eating lately-
Breakfast: Asparagus and goat cheese omelette
Lunch: Baked cod and roasted cauliflower
Dinner: Chicken fajitas with onion and bell peppers
Snacks: Pistachios, celery with peanut butter (no salt, no sugar, just nuts peanut butter)

I feel pretty good physically eating this way and while I won't be grain-free for more than a couple of weeks, I will add back in whole gluten-free grains and fruit eventually, it is helping me to break habits of excessive sugar intake and promote eating more vegetables.

Barefoot in a Port-a-potty / 10k Race Report

I ran the Go Green St. Patrick's Day 10k in Los Gatos, California yesterday.

It was a slightly chilly  morning and my feet felt a little numb as I walked up the road to the packet pickup area. I picked up my race number and shirt and walked around to warm up my feet.  The line for the bathrooms was long, so I jogged up the hill adjacent to the starting line and looked for... a bush of some kind.  I didn't find any that were suitably secluded so I jogged back down the hill and waited in line.  I considered getting my flip-flops out of my car to enter the Port-a-Potty but reasoned that: 1) I didn't have enough time to go back to my car and 2) Really, is a Port-a-Potty floor that had just been placed there that morning that much potentially hazardous than the sidewalks and streets I have run on before? Probably not. So yes... I was barefoot in a Port-a-Potty.

Anyway, on to the race. I lined up and waited for the race to start. There was a sea of green shirts, tutus, hats, and even a guy wearing the Irish flag as a cape. We started off slightly crowded but that was completely a non-issue by the 1/2 mile mark. We were running on the paved roads of Vasona Lake Park and soon were on the surrounding streets, which were relatively smooth and not a problem at all for my soles.  A few people commented amongst themselves at my bare feet but no one came up to ask me about it. The first four miles were mostly a gently downhill and the last 2.2 were a slight uphill. Not a tough course from a hill standpoint, which is probably why I was able to pull a personal best time of 56:54.  I was elated to find that out after crossing the line with a time of 1:07:15, not realizing that the clock was from the start of the Half that was running the same day and had started 10 minutes before the 10k.

A woman taking the timing chip ankle straps at the finish line asked if my feet were Ok. I gave her an enthusiastic "Yep!" and picked up my awesome medal and headed home.

I don't have any race pictures to share because I look like I am having a serious, possibly heart-attack inducing time and not a fun time, which it was.

Weekly Mileage Ending 3/3

2/26- 3.03 miles
2/27- 3.15 miles
3/2- 3.08 miles
3/3- 8.3 miles

Total: 17.56 miles

Weekend Mileage

2/23- 3 miles
2/24- 7 miles

I just registered for my second 10k, a little over a year after my first 10k. My first 10k was the SF Chinatown YMCA Chinese New Year Run and you can read my race report here:
My first 10k Race Report. This year I will be running the Go Green St. Patrick's Day Run in Los Gatos, California.

Breathing

4 miles today after almost a week off because of a cough.  One of those hacking, non-productive coughs that keeps you up all night. I was a little nervous to make myself out of breath and bring on a hacking cough during my run but I only had a bit of coughing after.

I thought about breathing a lot during this run. Mainly on inhaling deeply and fully, which is something I struggle with even in my every day, sitting-around type of breathing.  It didn't make me faster but it did make the run more enjoyable.

Zombies, RUN!

3.03 miles today- 32:48

I am really loving a new running app I'm trying out called Zombies, Run! I am only using it for shorter runs, because there are zombies "chasing" you at points during the run and I like to keep my long runs at a VERY easy pace. You pick up supplies as you run, and... run faster when the zombies are coming.  I have only used the app on two runs so far so I am not sure how the game progresses but it is always fun to have a new running motivator to go faster and farther!