Okay, back again with an update on 9/22/09. First I'd like to give my apologies to the barefoot running community. I wimped out and did not run barefoot on my 5K on Sunday the 20th. I didn't know if the course was all paved, and they had this weird timechip thing I wasn't counting on. These are pretty much excuses, I should've gone for it. In good news, I wore my Vibram's and won first place in my age group. I was 12th overall out of 406. About a 6:40 pace, but the course wasn't official, so whatevs. I won a rosebush!
Today, the 22nd, I set a new distance record and completed 4 miles barefoot with pretty much no pain at all. I have a little pain later on, but it usually seems to go away, just in time for the next run. I'm sticking with 2 barefoot and 1 Vibram run, and no days off. I have had no injuries since starting the barefoot/vibram only regimen. The Vibram's hurt my toes, and I may just dispense with them altogether if that doesn't improve. Today's 4 mile pace was about 7:20 (4 miles @ 29:31). I wish I could get back to jumproping, it's just hard because everywhere I go pebbles get underfoot. Anyway, that's all for now - 2 or 3 more days of 4 miles, and then we go for 4 1/2 or 5 next week!!!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Slowing down
Okay, this is the barefoot running entry for 9/17/09. I did 3.5 miles again, and will probably move up to 4 miles on my next run. Still getting some blisters, peeling, etc. but hopefully this will subside. Any day now!! Been running barefoot for a month, and it still pretty much hurts like hell every time!!
As far as pace, my last two 3.5's have been depressing: 26:47 and 26:35 today. It's not a terrible pace, about 7:35 but still slower than what I was doing. My PR at 3.5 miles is 25:47, which is what I did the first time I tried it. grrrr.
A couple things changed, I stopped jump roping before runs and I started riding my bike to the park. So maybe those two things are hurting me. To get my speed back I've started doing 2/week speed & long runs in my Vibram's. I basically run 7 days a week now, but at this low mileage it's not hurting me any.
On the positive side, I have no knee/leg pains at all, and I will be trying my first barefoot 5K on Sunday morning the 20th. I hope for a time better than 23 minutes. My PR is 20:52 and if I could do that, it would be wonderful!!
As far as pace, my last two 3.5's have been depressing: 26:47 and 26:35 today. It's not a terrible pace, about 7:35 but still slower than what I was doing. My PR at 3.5 miles is 25:47, which is what I did the first time I tried it. grrrr.
A couple things changed, I stopped jump roping before runs and I started riding my bike to the park. So maybe those two things are hurting me. To get my speed back I've started doing 2/week speed & long runs in my Vibram's. I basically run 7 days a week now, but at this low mileage it's not hurting me any.
On the positive side, I have no knee/leg pains at all, and I will be trying my first barefoot 5K on Sunday morning the 20th. I hope for a time better than 23 minutes. My PR is 20:52 and if I could do that, it would be wonderful!!
Monday, September 14, 2009
barefoot running blog
Wow, it's hard to keep up with a diary. It's hard on paper or electronically, I guess! Well, since the last entry, I've moved up to 3 miles barefoot, and today I just did 3.5 miles barefoot for the first time. My times have decreased a bit, but I've been riding my bike a couple miles to the park before running, and I suspect it's tiring me out just a little bit. Today I did 3.5 miles in 25:47. The first half was 13:12, and the second half 12:35. So that's a 7:22 pace, a bit slower than before. I think I'm getting slower because of the drop in miles run each week. I should come back, as I build up to 7 miles a day again.
In other news, I got my Vibram Fivefingers, and tried them out. Long story short, they are great for running gravel trails. I would stick with barefoot for asphalt & road races. I think in the Vibram's I did 3 miles in 21:43 a couple days ago so a 7:14 pac which actually sounds pretty good right now! My new routine will be 2 days barefoot, with 1/2 mile increases every week, and instead of taking a day off, I'll run a 5 mile run in the Vibram's and increase that by a mile a week. So in a month, I should be up to 5 or 6 miles a day barefoot, and 8 or 9 miles a twice a week in Vibram's. Let's hope!!!
In other news, I got my Vibram Fivefingers, and tried them out. Long story short, they are great for running gravel trails. I would stick with barefoot for asphalt & road races. I think in the Vibram's I did 3 miles in 21:43 a couple days ago so a 7:14 pac which actually sounds pretty good right now! My new routine will be 2 days barefoot, with 1/2 mile increases every week, and instead of taking a day off, I'll run a 5 mile run in the Vibram's and increase that by a mile a week. So in a month, I should be up to 5 or 6 miles a day barefoot, and 8 or 9 miles a twice a week in Vibram's. Let's hope!!!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Day 10 already
Wow I think this is the 10th day of barefoot running! Big news - I ran 3. 2 miles today in 21:27 seconds, which would put me at a 21:00 5k, which is pretty good for me. My PR in shoes is 20:52, and that was a mainly downhill course.
Now this next feature is strictly for the hardcore, but if you'd like to see what your feet might look like after 2-3 weeks of barefoot running, here are a couple glamour shots. Apparently I stepped on a cat before taking the one picture. I guess you'd have to paste this in a fresh window. God knows you don't want to see it without some work. http://tinypic.com/r/w82pfk/3 and http://tinypic.com/r/2na7k9l/3
Now there is some honest documentation!
Now this next feature is strictly for the hardcore, but if you'd like to see what your feet might look like after 2-3 weeks of barefoot running, here are a couple glamour shots. Apparently I stepped on a cat before taking the one picture. I guess you'd have to paste this in a fresh window. God knows you don't want to see it without some work. http://tinypic.com/r/w82pfk/3 and http://tinypic.com/r/2na7k9l/3
Now there is some honest documentation!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
9/6/2009
Day 6 of barefoot running blog. I ran 2.5 again today, again on the reservoir track. Feet are excruciatingly blistered in every way imaginable. Maybe I should only run this track before a rest day, or maybe, this is what will toughen my feet up! I'll see if I can do another run on this track on Tuesday. I never thought asphalt would seem gentle. Time was 18:18 for 2.5 miles. Still pretty fast at a 7:18 pace. Apparently I'm way faster without shoes. I'd love to see what I could do at a 5K shoeless!.
9/5/2009
Day 5 of barefoot running. Today I did 2.5 miles at the Reservoir Park walking path. It has a surface like a tennis court, and you can go super fast. So I did - 2.5 miles in 17'11". That's actually faster than a 7 minute mile, around a 6:50 or thereabouts. Almost pace for my 5K PR, which is phenomenal.
The bad news is this surface wears the skin right off your feet. I'm getting way more blisters and problems from this surface than anything else.
The bad news is this surface wears the skin right off your feet. I'm getting way more blisters and problems from this surface than anything else.
9/3/2009
Okay, this was day 4. Not too much but to say that I ran about 2.5 miles. Ran 19:06 barefoot. Nothing exciting.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
9/2/09
Day 3 of barefoot running blog. Still doing 2 mile runs barefoot on asphalt. Today was a banner day! 13:57 for 2 miles. Mile 1 7:15 and Mile 2 6:42. That's pretty much a record, even with shoes. I had one 5K at a faster pace, but it was mainly downhill.
This is fast, but I got a blister on my right foot, which seems to happen when I try to really burn it up barefoot. I'll take a blister for faster than 7 minute pace! Tomorrow, another 2 miles, then a day off, then I go to 2.5 miles! Maybe 3 if 2.5 is too easy. I was running 40 miles a week before barefoot, so this is quite a step down in mileage, but in about 3 months I should be back up to 7 or 8 mile runs, and they should be injury-free. Fingers crossed.
This is fast, but I got a blister on my right foot, which seems to happen when I try to really burn it up barefoot. I'll take a blister for faster than 7 minute pace! Tomorrow, another 2 miles, then a day off, then I go to 2.5 miles! Maybe 3 if 2.5 is too easy. I was running 40 miles a week before barefoot, so this is quite a step down in mileage, but in about 3 months I should be back up to 7 or 8 mile runs, and they should be injury-free. Fingers crossed.
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