I've finally done it. For all this recent talk of 'barefoot' running, you will have noted - and several have - that I'm not actually barefoot. I wear shoes. What a con. Well it's not really a con, as I hope I have explained before. But true enthusiasts do lose the shoes at any opportunity.
Having put in a a good 2 and a bit miles at 6:40 pace - felt great to be stretching out a bit - I was finishing around the field as I usually do. As the sun shone down on the thick green carpet of grass beneath my feet I felt the urge. Take off your shoes. Be really free.
So I paused on the bench, paused my Garmin too (important) and removed my shoes. The great thing about these shoes is that they weigh next to nothing. So rather than have to stash them somewhere I could just roll them up and carry them. And I proceeded to run a lap with bare feet. Naked as a the day I was born - from the knee down at least.
How did it feel? Much like it had in the shoes, but wetter. The ground didn't look wet but with rubber barrier removed I became aware of a faint seep with each step. I could feel one or two twigs as I ran, slightly conscious of needing to be a little more ginger. But I didn't care. I was bare. I got completely carried away and ran that last lap at 5:30 pace. And I loved every minute of it. I was a barefoot wonder.
Sunday 26 May 2013
Day 40 - Australians, Italians, and Pianos
Rest day. Lazy day. Very lazy day actually, by the end of which I had to go out for a walk and get some fresh air. There's a malaise that sets in when a day has been too lazy and you need to do something to break out of it.
The evening was excellent, however. Relatives visiting from Australia. Members of the family who had been on an italian cooking course demonstrating their skills for a delicious dinner. Rounded off by singing and dancing around the piano into in the early hours.
Day 39 - 2.3 miles faster
A bit of a pattern is developing now. A standard route of about 2 miles, mainly on road, running on a few grass verges and a short track, finishing on the cricket field with a lap or two to make up the distance. Calves still start to hurt around 3/4 mile, but usually by the end of mile 2 they feel much more comfortable.
Today I tried pushing the pace up a bit, to just over 7 minute miling. Still not especially fast, but more like my usual pace on a club night. It felt quite good, I might try going quicker next time.
Today I tried pushing the pace up a bit, to just over 7 minute miling. Still not especially fast, but more like my usual pace on a club night. It felt quite good, I might try going quicker next time.
Day 38 - It's easy for extra rest days to creep in
There was no real reason for today to be a rest day. The runs I'm doing are very short, usually over in 20 minutes, so they ought to fit in anywhere throughout the day. But somehow today I just didn't get round to it. When this happens - as it often does for runners - it's usually because the free time in the day doesn't fall in the right place. Your 45 minute window for a run and a show appears, but it's immediately after lunch, so no good. Or you've just had a shower got dressed and ready, and realise now is the time. But you don't want to waste the time you've just spent getting clean, so instead you waste the time you could have spent running. All these things happened today, so let's call it a rest day.
Thursday 23 May 2013
Day 37 - Less achey everytime
I'm discovering two things:
1) My legs begin to complain on every barefoot run I do, after about 1 mile. I'm hoping this threshold will gradually increase.
2) On rest days, my calves feel less achey every time, as they get used to the exercise.
I'm also starting to eye up other shoes. Once I've got this technique into my system, and I'm looking at doing slightly longer, mid-range runs, I think I'll need a different pair of shoes to allow me to use the many trails that start close to our house. I'm also thinking about some shoes that will give me a bit of cushioning and allow me to compete in the summer league races.
If I got both of those I'd have three pairs of shoes. That's a lot of shoes for someone who claims to run barefoot.
1) My legs begin to complain on every barefoot run I do, after about 1 mile. I'm hoping this threshold will gradually increase.
2) On rest days, my calves feel less achey every time, as they get used to the exercise.
I'm also starting to eye up other shoes. Once I've got this technique into my system, and I'm looking at doing slightly longer, mid-range runs, I think I'll need a different pair of shoes to allow me to use the many trails that start close to our house. I'm also thinking about some shoes that will give me a bit of cushioning and allow me to compete in the summer league races.
If I got both of those I'd have three pairs of shoes. That's a lot of shoes for someone who claims to run barefoot.
Day 36 - How to avoid hills
This morning Rhiannon and I stepped out for a run in Salcombe. If you know Salcombe, you'll know that it's on the side of a hill, leading down to a natural harbour - we're staying in a newly built holiday cottage at the top of that hill.
One of the rules of barefoot running, as a newbie, is that you avoid hills for as long as possible. The whole activity puts enough stress on your calves without the added burden of a steep incline. So you stay flat, and soft if you can manage it. But this morning that option wasn't really open to us. So, instead, we had to find the flattest looking stretch of road that we could, running back and forth on it in 400m sections. We'd run one together, Rhiannon would rest while I did another, and then we'd run again. That way she completed 0.75miles and I was able (with a little extra) to get my 2.15miles in.
I supposed it's not unlike what we do on club nights sometimes, finding a flat bit of road and doing 400m reps on it. But, once again, it feels like training, not running. I miss running.
One of the rules of barefoot running, as a newbie, is that you avoid hills for as long as possible. The whole activity puts enough stress on your calves without the added burden of a steep incline. So you stay flat, and soft if you can manage it. But this morning that option wasn't really open to us. So, instead, we had to find the flattest looking stretch of road that we could, running back and forth on it in 400m sections. We'd run one together, Rhiannon would rest while I did another, and then we'd run again. That way she completed 0.75miles and I was able (with a little extra) to get my 2.15miles in.
I supposed it's not unlike what we do on club nights sometimes, finding a flat bit of road and doing 400m reps on it. But, once again, it feels like training, not running. I miss running.
Day 35 - Skipped the race
I feel quite virtuous today. The draw of the West End 8 was a strong one. There were points on offer, a league position to be defended. And I really wanted to do a long run. I'm itching. My limbs feel permanently tight, desperate to be stretched, exerted. Like a dog bothering you for a walk.
But I eventually decided that my barefoot running experiment was more important. I also hadn't factored in the rather important detail the league points are based on your 4 best races out of 5. Having run so little in the last month I was unlikely to stick with my usual running buddies so I was unlikely to get a better points return from this than any of the previous races. In that case there was little to be gained and much good work to risk undoing.
So I went to church instead, and then drove down to the picturesque Devon town of Salcombe with Rhiannon for a couple of days with her family.
But I eventually decided that my barefoot running experiment was more important. I also hadn't factored in the rather important detail the league points are based on your 4 best races out of 5. Having run so little in the last month I was unlikely to stick with my usual running buddies so I was unlikely to get a better points return from this than any of the previous races. In that case there was little to be gained and much good work to risk undoing.
So I went to church instead, and then drove down to the picturesque Devon town of Salcombe with Rhiannon for a couple of days with her family.
Day 34 - Rest day, not so sore this time
I'm pleased to say that today my calves are aching nothing like as much as they did after the previous run. That's good news.
Now here's the dilemma. Tomorrow is the West End 8 - the last race of the Leicestershire winter league. It is, of course, the middle of May, but that's just how things have panned out. The dilemma is that I'm actually doing quite well in this league for my club, currently being the leading the male Barrow runner. So I don't really want to let this slip by allowing some other clubmates to steal a march on me tomorrow. But I'm also concerned that I might undo all my good work retraining my brain to run differently (I couldn't possibly do it barefoot so I'd have to switch back). What's more important?
Now here's the dilemma. Tomorrow is the West End 8 - the last race of the Leicestershire winter league. It is, of course, the middle of May, but that's just how things have panned out. The dilemma is that I'm actually doing quite well in this league for my club, currently being the leading the male Barrow runner. So I don't really want to let this slip by allowing some other clubmates to steal a march on me tomorrow. But I'm also concerned that I might undo all my good work retraining my brain to run differently (I couldn't possibly do it barefoot so I'd have to switch back). What's more important?
Saturday 18 May 2013
Day 33 - 2.1 miles testing out the muscles
Today I ran the same route as day 28. This was the all-road route that had left me with really sore calf muscles for the following two days. I commented at the time that it didn't feel like damage, more like the soreness that you get when muscles get stretched and strained in a way they're not used to. Normally, after a few days with that kind of soreness, you do the same exercises again; it hurts a bit but the soreness doesn't recur the following day as it did before. So this was the test. I can confirm that it hurt a bit, but did loosen up as the run went on. How will I feel tomorrow?
Friday 17 May 2013
Day 32 - Mrs Payne joins the barefoot revolution!
I like to think she was inspired by my by my witty and insightful blogging style. Or my air of running wisdom. Whatever the reason, Rhiannon has gone and got herself a pair of barefoot shoes! They're the same model as mine - Merrell Vapor Glove - but the ladies version. Tiny and pink.
As you can see, they are a vibrant pink, far more exciting than my black ones. Rhiannon looks delighted with them! Similar to my men's version, they are a bit on the long side. Rhiannon's big toe just about reaches the rubber on the toe-end of the shoe. This seems to be quite typical for this model.
We ordered them from Feetus.co.uk who deserve an honourable mention at this point for excellent service. Lee Firman responded to my email asking about the shoes with a thorough, friendly and thoughtful reply. They were already at an excellent price, but I was able to use an additional discount code (given during earlier correspondence) to go with the free delivery. And when they arrived we discoverd a bag of Haribo and a free Buff-style hood/scarf/thing slipped inside the box. Very impressive service.
I was on a rest day, so we nipped off down to the village field where I - the experienced barefoot running coach that I am - could put Rhiannon through her paces. I have found that the single biggest factor in changing my style, shoes aside, is the cadence. Upping it to 180bpm means it's next to impossible to run as I did before. So I asked Rhiannon to do the first of three 400m laps, concentrating on this cadence. The easiest way we found was for me to sing the first few lines of Take That's Shine before she set off and hummed it to herself all the way round. I don't really know the words, so I had to make them up, but it did the trick.
Off she went and... my goodness, what a difference! Rhiannon had been progressing really well in the club up to a year ago, moving up through the groups with apparent ease (and some considerableeffort) but one thing that was always obvious when watching her was that she didn't bend her knees anywhere near enough This lack of efficiency in form was going to hold her back from really stretching out and running quickly. But give her a pair of barefoot shoes, sing a bit of Take That to her... and something happens. I tried to take a slightly arty shot with the moody sky and verdant foreground, which means Rhiannon is a small yellow shape in the bottom right corner, but you can see enough.
Either I am the world's best coach, transforming a runner's style in one session... or there is something in this barefoot running.
Day 31 - Reflections on 1 month of barefoot running
Today I've reach day 31, the end of my first month of barefoot running. In celebration I headed down to the field and put in a few laps for a 2 mile run. I've been trying to up the pace a bit, to see how that affects my running style, so I hovered around 6:55ish. Having done so little running for the last month, that pace was disturbingly hard work, but at least it felt like work. I've not really been exercising aerobically for a while so it was good to feel my lungs getting involved. And the softer surface was perfect for stretching out that sore muscles and they complained very little, clearly enjoying the exercise.
Having reached the end of my first month, I'll try to look back and reflect a bit. Has it lived up to expectations?
I've run less than I expected
If you break the month down into a run every two days, I should have done 16 by now. As it is I have done 12. This is partly due to a cold later in the month, but also due to several extra rest days to give time for muscle soreness to subside. 12 runs doesn't sound like very many and I suppose I'm a bit worried that I've not done enough. I'm expecting - hoping - that, now my muscles are getting used to this kind of running, I will need fewer extended rests.
Progress is good but it feels slow
My plan - in my head or on paper, I can't remember - was to try to reach 6 miles in 3 months. This might be a bit ambitious, but it's the magic number that means I can start back running with my club. I'm itching to do that. According to that plan, I'm bang on, making good progress. But it does feel very slow indeed.
I'm hankering for a long run
This is increasingly true. I just want to get out there and run. At the moment I'm training, I'm not running. Running is when you throw your shoes on and head off over hills, along woodland tracks and round reservoirs. Running is being out in the pouring rain and freezing wind, watching through windows at others trapped by central heating, while you revel in your freedom. Running is moving from feeling okay to feeling alive. I really want to get out and run 10 miles. I suppose I could - I could put the old shoes back on and run in the old style - but will I then hamper, even undo, any progress I've been making? This is the hardest part.
It's starting to feel right
When I first started trying to keep to a 180pbm cadence it felt hurried and unnatural. I had to concentrate hard on where my feet where landing, the line of my back, and so on. But it's actuall beginning to feel very natural. Where I'd been used to carrying around big clumpy trainers, my feet now are weightless - I actually feel like I'm running in barefeet. Especially on rain-soaked grass where nothing keeps the water out, but nothing keeps it in either, so it's just a cool, natural sensation of empathy with the elements. It feels right, I feel weightless, and I like it.
Summary of the first month:
Having reached the end of my first month, I'll try to look back and reflect a bit. Has it lived up to expectations?
I've run less than I expected
If you break the month down into a run every two days, I should have done 16 by now. As it is I have done 12. This is partly due to a cold later in the month, but also due to several extra rest days to give time for muscle soreness to subside. 12 runs doesn't sound like very many and I suppose I'm a bit worried that I've not done enough. I'm expecting - hoping - that, now my muscles are getting used to this kind of running, I will need fewer extended rests.
Progress is good but it feels slow
My plan - in my head or on paper, I can't remember - was to try to reach 6 miles in 3 months. This might be a bit ambitious, but it's the magic number that means I can start back running with my club. I'm itching to do that. According to that plan, I'm bang on, making good progress. But it does feel very slow indeed.
I'm hankering for a long run
This is increasingly true. I just want to get out there and run. At the moment I'm training, I'm not running. Running is when you throw your shoes on and head off over hills, along woodland tracks and round reservoirs. Running is being out in the pouring rain and freezing wind, watching through windows at others trapped by central heating, while you revel in your freedom. Running is moving from feeling okay to feeling alive. I really want to get out and run 10 miles. I suppose I could - I could put the old shoes back on and run in the old style - but will I then hamper, even undo, any progress I've been making? This is the hardest part.
It's starting to feel right
When I first started trying to keep to a 180pbm cadence it felt hurried and unnatural. I had to concentrate hard on where my feet where landing, the line of my back, and so on. But it's actuall beginning to feel very natural. Where I'd been used to carrying around big clumpy trainers, my feet now are weightless - I actually feel like I'm running in barefeet. Especially on rain-soaked grass where nothing keeps the water out, but nothing keeps it in either, so it's just a cool, natural sensation of empathy with the elements. It feels right, I feel weightless, and I like it.
Summary of the first month:
Day 1: ½ mile, road
Day 2: rest
Day 2: rest
Day 4: 1 mile, grass
Day 5: rest
Day 6: 1 mile, road
Day 7: rest
Day 8: 1 mile, road
Day 9: rest
Day 10: 1.3 miles, road
Day 11: rest
Day 12: rest
Day 13: rest
Day 14: 1.5 miles, road
Day 15: rest
Day 16: 1.7 miles, grass
Day 17: rest
Day 18: 2 miles, grass
Day 19: rest
Day 20: 2 miles, grass
Day 21: rest
Day 22: 1.5 miles, grass
Day 23: rest
Day 24: rest
Day 25: ill (cold)
Day 26: ill (cold)
Day 27: ill (cold)
Day 28: 2 miles, road
Day 29: rest
Day 30: rest
Day 31: 2 miles, grass
Day 30 - Extra rest day, muscles still sore
Following the general advice to listening to your legs and wait for them to stop hurting before you do your next run, I've taken today off. It's the end of the first month tomorrow so I'll report and reflect on progress so far.
Wednesday 15 May 2013
Day 29 - Properly sore muscles
Ouch. Ow. Sore.
Following my 2 mile run on tarmac yesterday I have woken up with a genuine case of sore muscles. My calves are raging (which sounds like a revolt on a dairy farm, I realise that...). The good thing is that they don't feel damaged sore, but really-worked-hard sore. A bit like when I decide on the spur of the moment to start doing press ups every day and leap down and knock out a quick 50.* It feels good, I've worked the muscles hard, and the next day I can barely move. I also rarely continue with that particular exercise regime, despite attempted to launch a new habit.
The fiery muscles on this occasion are in both legs, in the lower outer calf. I've tried giving them a bit of a massage but I'm too easily put off by my own pain. So I believe the secret is to keep them stretched, massage when I dare, and wait until the pain has died down considerably before I contemplate my next run.
*that number may have been massaged for dramatic effect
Following my 2 mile run on tarmac yesterday I have woken up with a genuine case of sore muscles. My calves are raging (which sounds like a revolt on a dairy farm, I realise that...). The good thing is that they don't feel damaged sore, but really-worked-hard sore. A bit like when I decide on the spur of the moment to start doing press ups every day and leap down and knock out a quick 50.* It feels good, I've worked the muscles hard, and the next day I can barely move. I also rarely continue with that particular exercise regime, despite attempted to launch a new habit.
The fiery muscles on this occasion are in both legs, in the lower outer calf. I've tried giving them a bit of a massage but I'm too easily put off by my own pain. So I believe the secret is to keep them stretched, massage when I dare, and wait until the pain has died down considerably before I contemplate my next run.
*that number may have been massaged for dramatic effect
Tuesday 14 May 2013
Day 28 - 2 miles on tarmac
I've been doing a lot of my running on grass recently, so I wanted to have a go on tarmac and see how it felt. The advantage of grass is that it is quite forgiving, so you can do more. The disadvantage is that it is quite forgiving, so your technique doesn't have to be so good.
Having set off on my 2 mile loop I found that, compared to my recent runs, my heel was making slightly lighter contact with the ground. That makes sense to me - the grass allows a more mid-foot landing. I was finding the cadence very naturally, happily running in time to U2. But I was also aware that if I was landing slightly further forward, I was eventually going to feel it. The first mile was fairly straightforward, but in the second mile I was increasingly aware that I was tugging at my calves with each step. Not pain, but the growing discomfort that says you are beginning to fatigue a muscle.
I'm pleased to have completed my first, 2 mile, non-stop road run in the barefoot shoes. I'm also expecting to ache quite a lot tomorrow.
Having set off on my 2 mile loop I found that, compared to my recent runs, my heel was making slightly lighter contact with the ground. That makes sense to me - the grass allows a more mid-foot landing. I was finding the cadence very naturally, happily running in time to U2. But I was also aware that if I was landing slightly further forward, I was eventually going to feel it. The first mile was fairly straightforward, but in the second mile I was increasingly aware that I was tugging at my calves with each step. Not pain, but the growing discomfort that says you are beginning to fatigue a muscle.
I'm pleased to have completed my first, 2 mile, non-stop road run in the barefoot shoes. I'm also expecting to ache quite a lot tomorrow.
Saturday 11 May 2013
Days 25 -27 - Joel-flu (not to be confused with man-flu)
Some people get a cold and it stuffs up their nose, gives them a sore throat, and they take a couple of paracetamol and get on with life. I, on the other hand, get Joel-flu.
Let's be clear, it's not flu. It seems to me that often, when we're ill, we try to claim we have something one step worse. People with colds are the prime example - 'I think it might be flu.' That is man-flu. It is, however, a truism that if you think you might have flu you almost certainly have a cold. Flu is not an illness that leaves you in any doubt. If you have flu the only area of doubt in your mind is whether you might be dying.
This brings us back to Joel-flu. When I get a cold, I always have 24 hours or so of aches, shakes and sensitive skin. Every time, without fail. I usually go to bed and moan a bit - I'm not trying to get sympathy or claim I have the flu, I just feel quite ill for a short period. And then I quickly improve and spend the following fortnight trying to clear a persistent cough, like the rest of us.
But Rhiannon doesn't seem to get Rhi-flu. She rarely gets ill at all in fact, which I presume is genetic but could have something to do with a diet somewhat more healthy than my own. She certainly eats a lot less cookies than I do, and drinks a lot less beer. Whatever the reason, illnesses don't often strike, but when she does get a cold it usually stays in and around her head and clears quite quickly. She's usually able to manfully (womanfully?) get on with life, encumbered but unhindered. That's great and I'd like that, but I get Joel-flu. Man-flu is entirely made up. Joel-flu is real and should probably be in the medical dictionary. But it's not dangerous, so if you get it just treat it as a cold and you'll soon be better.
The result of all this is that I've extended my run-less streak to four days. Hopefully my legs will treat this as an opportunity for recuperation and, when I return, I will be twice the runner I was before.
Let's be clear, it's not flu. It seems to me that often, when we're ill, we try to claim we have something one step worse. People with colds are the prime example - 'I think it might be flu.' That is man-flu. It is, however, a truism that if you think you might have flu you almost certainly have a cold. Flu is not an illness that leaves you in any doubt. If you have flu the only area of doubt in your mind is whether you might be dying.
This brings us back to Joel-flu. When I get a cold, I always have 24 hours or so of aches, shakes and sensitive skin. Every time, without fail. I usually go to bed and moan a bit - I'm not trying to get sympathy or claim I have the flu, I just feel quite ill for a short period. And then I quickly improve and spend the following fortnight trying to clear a persistent cough, like the rest of us.
But Rhiannon doesn't seem to get Rhi-flu. She rarely gets ill at all in fact, which I presume is genetic but could have something to do with a diet somewhat more healthy than my own. She certainly eats a lot less cookies than I do, and drinks a lot less beer. Whatever the reason, illnesses don't often strike, but when she does get a cold it usually stays in and around her head and clears quite quickly. She's usually able to manfully (womanfully?) get on with life, encumbered but unhindered. That's great and I'd like that, but I get Joel-flu. Man-flu is entirely made up. Joel-flu is real and should probably be in the medical dictionary. But it's not dangerous, so if you get it just treat it as a cold and you'll soon be better.
The result of all this is that I've extended my run-less streak to four days. Hopefully my legs will treat this as an opportunity for recuperation and, when I return, I will be twice the runner I was before.
Thursday 9 May 2013
Days 23 & 24 - A little extra rest
I've taken an extra day's rest this week. Partly because it's good to do so now and again. And partly (mainly) because it lines my runs up with club nights on the track. It's much easier for me to run with the club if it's on a track night. I can stop when I want, run at my own pace, etc. And I won't lose sight of anyone.
And I've been thinking about how to present my first four weeks in a form that's easily accessible for anyone starting out and wanting a quick look at my progress. I'll do that on Day 28. I think it will also do me good to see what I've actually done, and whether it makes any sense at all on paper.
And I've been thinking about how to present my first four weeks in a form that's easily accessible for anyone starting out and wanting a quick look at my progress. I'll do that on Day 28. I think it will also do me good to see what I've actually done, and whether it makes any sense at all on paper.
Wednesday 8 May 2013
Day 22 - Mayday Challenge envy
It was a glorious Mayday. The kind you always hope for on bank holidays but never get. Except this time it happened, and we loved it. And this sunny day was also the 5th running of the Woodhouse Eaves Mayday challenge. A 13.5 mile event over the hills that started and finished in the heart of our village. In other words, our local race.
This is the first significant race I've missed since deciding to make the transition to barefoot running. And as I stood on the finish line cheering my clubmates in I had a sense of the sacrifice that's necessary to do this properly. I wanted to be out there running and, judging by some excellent results amongst my friends, I could have placed highly. Jonathan - probably the most similar to me in current form at the club - ran out of his skin to finish in the top 10. He's a pretty good gauge of where I might have placed. But he is good on hills and I'm not. So, while I like to think I'd have raced him to the end, I'm fairly sure he'd actually have beaten me by several minutes yesterday even if I was on top form.
Whatever may have been, this is the choice I've made. So while I looked on jealously at the camaraderie of a conquered course and an almighty effort in the hot sun that my clubmates shared, I hardened my resolve to press on in doing this properly.
Hours later, when all had dispersed to the sun-kissed revelry of their bank holiday barbecues, I snuck down. No heel pain, and a few quiet laps of the field. I'll be back, I thought.
This is the first significant race I've missed since deciding to make the transition to barefoot running. And as I stood on the finish line cheering my clubmates in I had a sense of the sacrifice that's necessary to do this properly. I wanted to be out there running and, judging by some excellent results amongst my friends, I could have placed highly. Jonathan - probably the most similar to me in current form at the club - ran out of his skin to finish in the top 10. He's a pretty good gauge of where I might have placed. But he is good on hills and I'm not. So, while I like to think I'd have raced him to the end, I'm fairly sure he'd actually have beaten me by several minutes yesterday even if I was on top form.
Whatever may have been, this is the choice I've made. So while I looked on jealously at the camaraderie of a conquered course and an almighty effort in the hot sun that my clubmates shared, I hardened my resolve to press on in doing this properly.
Hours later, when all had dispersed to the sun-kissed revelry of their bank holiday barbecues, I snuck down. No heel pain, and a few quiet laps of the field. I'll be back, I thought.
Tuesday 7 May 2013
Day 21 - Heel bruise
There is a bruise of sorts on my heel. It is about the size and shape of a strawberry and a pale grey in colour. It hurts when I walk on it, so I'm still limping when I think no-one is looking. I've got a theory that I will still be able to run on it, on the softer surface, and that it is likely only to hurt when I'm walking. I'll try this out tomorrow.
Day 20 - Stone. Ouch. Hurts.
Today I experienced an important rite of passage for a barefoot runner. I stepped on a stone. And it hurt.
I was running into the playing field off Main Street in the village as the track descended beneath a few trees, and my left heel homed in on a stone on the path. Perhaps I wasn't looking carefully. Maybe it was because I entered a shady patch after coming out of bright sunlight and didn't have time to adjust my eyes. Or it could have been the dappled sunlight across the path that made it difficult to make out the terrain. Whatever it was, I found the stone and let out the quietest yelp.
There was a time last year when I was bitten by a dog will running along a canal path. It hurt a bit but I was a good 50 metres down the path before I'd really taken in what had happened and looked back to see a rather embarrassed looking owner. So I just carried on and grumbled occasionally. This was similarly in that I felt the pain but carried on running while I decided what to do, by which time I was onto the grass and into my run.
I'd read plenty about people bruising the sole of their feet in barefoot running and getting on with the run anyway, so I didn't think of stopping. I'd read about one guy running the marathon who decided not to use his barefoot shoes - not for reasons of support or muscle fatigue but because he didn't want to stand on a stone in the first mile and have to carry that for 25 more. It seems that it's par for the course for barefoot runners and you jus live with it. I found that with my landing being mid to forefoot on the grassy surface, the pain wasn't particularly exacerbated by any more landings. I was just aware of it nagging away, so I pressed on with my 2 mile run.
It was somewhat more sore once I stopped running and walked back up the hill home. Now I was definitely heel striking and feeling it with every step. I adopted what I considered to be the most subtle limp I could manage (I was a bit embarrassed about appearing injured when all I'd done was trodden on a stone) until I'd made it through the door. Inspection revealed nothing - it will interesting to see if I have a bruise tomorrow and how much it actually hurts. These things often take 24 hours or so to really kick in.
I was running into the playing field off Main Street in the village as the track descended beneath a few trees, and my left heel homed in on a stone on the path. Perhaps I wasn't looking carefully. Maybe it was because I entered a shady patch after coming out of bright sunlight and didn't have time to adjust my eyes. Or it could have been the dappled sunlight across the path that made it difficult to make out the terrain. Whatever it was, I found the stone and let out the quietest yelp.
There was a time last year when I was bitten by a dog will running along a canal path. It hurt a bit but I was a good 50 metres down the path before I'd really taken in what had happened and looked back to see a rather embarrassed looking owner. So I just carried on and grumbled occasionally. This was similarly in that I felt the pain but carried on running while I decided what to do, by which time I was onto the grass and into my run.
I'd read plenty about people bruising the sole of their feet in barefoot running and getting on with the run anyway, so I didn't think of stopping. I'd read about one guy running the marathon who decided not to use his barefoot shoes - not for reasons of support or muscle fatigue but because he didn't want to stand on a stone in the first mile and have to carry that for 25 more. It seems that it's par for the course for barefoot runners and you jus live with it. I found that with my landing being mid to forefoot on the grassy surface, the pain wasn't particularly exacerbated by any more landings. I was just aware of it nagging away, so I pressed on with my 2 mile run.
It was somewhat more sore once I stopped running and walked back up the hill home. Now I was definitely heel striking and feeling it with every step. I adopted what I considered to be the most subtle limp I could manage (I was a bit embarrassed about appearing injured when all I'd done was trodden on a stone) until I'd made it through the door. Inspection revealed nothing - it will interesting to see if I have a bruise tomorrow and how much it actually hurts. These things often take 24 hours or so to really kick in.
Saturday 4 May 2013
Day 19 - I keep forgetting my exercises
The last couple of runs have gone quite well, with very little calf soreness. So I've not been thinking much about my legs on the rest days. I think should probably be stretching and massaging regularly - golf balls, foam rollers, you name it - but I just keep forgetting. It's much easier to remember when you've got a nagging reminder in your legs.
Friday 3 May 2013
Day 18 - Running naked in circles
 |
| A shoe's eye view of my running field. This could make for a very interesting set of photographs. |
Rhiannon and I share a Garmin watch, a Christmas present from my mum 18 months ago. A couple of months after we got it we both picked up injuries and, where I managed to come back after a further two months, Rhiannon seemed to move from one problem to another. So it's taken her a good year or so to find her way back to doing some running. During that time the Garmin has been mine. All mine. I'm a bit stat-obsessed so I time everything. And I come home and analyse my mile-splits and track the elevation and all the other wonderful things the Garmin allows you to do. I love it.
But now Rhiannon has started running pain-free again. This is of course excellent news, but it does mean I can no longer claim sole rights to the cherished watch. So today when, in tandem with her work colleague, she ran 6 miles home from work - not bad at all for someone who is only just coming back - it seemed only right and proper to offer her our Garmin. Which left me with the prospect of running naked. Garminless. No digital readout tracking my progress. No bleeps to tell me I'd covered another mile. Nothing but my own natural perception to tell me how I was doing. No clothes on.
Still, it needn't be a problem, I thought. I know that the field in the village has a handy circumference of quarter of a mile. So I can jog down there, do the appropriate number of laps in my barefoot shoes, and then jog home. Easy. It should have been. But I discovered today that I can't count laps of a field. I was only ever really trying to do 2 or 3 at a time, but I really could not keep track of even that. I had Marathon Talk playing on my iPod and I was swatting gnats all the way round. Maybe that accounts for it. And I had U2's One playing virtually in my brain as my tempo music (I've found I can keep up my cadence tempo by singing to myself now which is handy). Perhaps I was lost in that. Whatever it was, every time I reached the end of a lap I tried to think back over what I'd just run and I couldn't find it. All the memories looked the same. With nothing to distinguish them I couldn't count the laps.
So I may have run 1.5 miles today. Or 2.25. Possibly somewhere in between. On reflection I have to say that running naked is okay, and circles are fine, but put them together and I am thoroughly confused.
Thursday 2 May 2013
Day 17 - Podiatrists on elites switching to barefoot shoes
My cousin, Emma, is a
podiatrist, a foot expert. And she's about to complete her first half marathon in
Tewksbury. So she's been following my blog with a certain amount of
interest, and pointed me to an article in Podiatry Today.
As you can no doubt imagine, I'm not a frequent reader of this
foot-based periodical, but on this occasion it's right up my street.
They've brought together a panel of podiatry experts and asked them
about their experience of patients who are keen on
barefoot/minimalist running.
I'm not particularly surprised that they haven't really had elite runners make the switch to barefoot. When you consider that elite runners, with a natural flair for running, will tend to have a better basic form it seems less necessary for them to do something so dramatic. Also, distance runners are putting in 100 miles and more a week. The vast majority of keen amateurs will do a third of that or less, and I would think that allows the luxury of removing the cushioning and enjoying the barefoot experience. Elites are far more likely to run into problems putting in all those miles without at least some cushioning.
It's
noticeable that none of them is a particular advocate of the craze.
They don't dismiss it, but tend to give “it depends” type answers
when asked how they respond to patients who are interested in giving
it a go. Most talk about assessing the current
fitness/strength/flexibility etc of the patient, and they generally deem it
unsuitable for a beginner-runner
It
gets most interesting when they are asked whether any of their elite
running patients have ever switched to barefoot or minimalist
running. I've often noted that elite runners don't run barefoot (with a nod to Zola of course, though even she ended up shod), and
you certainly never see them in a pair of FiveFingers. But I've often supposed that elite
runners don't need these minimalist shoes. For whatever reason, they
already run in a fast, efficient style, regardless of what is on their feet. But it's interesting to hear whether any have tried. Here's a little digest of
what the doctors had to say.
Dr
Richie. One veteran
ironman triathlete made the switch, trying to find more speed. He'd apparently been injury
free for 4 years but within 3 months of changing had developed a stress
fracture. Two others have switched and had no problems, but they mix
barefoot and shod running.
Dr
Johncock. Only one, who
made a total switch to Vibrams. He ended up with a metatarsal
fracture. A number of other patients use barefoot running in their
training, but it accounts for less than 10% of their mileage. He has
noticed more elite runners moving to lighter less supportive shoes.
Dr
Romansky. Many have
switched, but few use minimalist shoes exclusively. He says they
alternate between a barefoot shoe and a zero-drop shoe. I think this
might depend a little on where you draw the line between barefoot and
minamlist.
Dr
Kirby makes the point
that all his elite patients were already
running in minimalist shoes – racing flats that is. So it's not really such
a new idea. In fact he finds it a bit laughable that anyone thinks it
is. He makes the point that there are no current world records held
by barefoot runners. But, as I said above, I'm not sure world record
holders need barefoot
shoes.
Neither
Dr Sanders nor
Dr Blake
has had an elite runner make the switch. And Dr
Johncock talks from a
runners point of view (his own) about noticing more ultra-runners in
barefoot shoes. He seems particularly pleased that none of them have
beaten him in anything over a marathon. Interestingly, he says that
did try make the transition himself, in a six-month experiment. But he
ended up with an achilles injury. However, does say that he has ended
up wearing lighter shoes as a result so clearly his style or preference has changed in someway
I'm not particularly surprised that they haven't really had elite runners make the switch to barefoot. When you consider that elite runners, with a natural flair for running, will tend to have a better basic form it seems less necessary for them to do something so dramatic. Also, distance runners are putting in 100 miles and more a week. The vast majority of keen amateurs will do a third of that or less, and I would think that allows the luxury of removing the cushioning and enjoying the barefoot experience. Elites are far more likely to run into problems putting in all those miles without at least some cushioning.
Fortunately
for me I am unlikely to become an elite runner, so I
can probably continue with my experiment for now. If I find myself getting too fast I will of course review that.
Day 16 - Vince and his running shop
Today I called in to Loughborough's newest running shop. Vince Wilson, the proprietor, had been leaving messages on the Barrow Runner's Facebook page over the last few weeks and generally interacting with people in a fairly friendly way. However, the name of the shop - Sportswear Deals - didn't really fill me with confidence that it was an actual running shop. I thought maybe it would be a mini Sports Direct that happened to have some running shoes and was being cleverly marketed by Vince. But it was in my town, so I was certainly going to have a look.
When I arrived through the shop door my first impressions both confirmed my suspicions and pleasantly surprised me. It did have that slight pop-up shop look, with a reasonable but still fairly small selection of 'last-year's' stock. But it was also a running shop, no doubt about it. As if to prove the point, there was a widescreen TV above the counter showing reruns of classic races (Coe and Ovett while I was there). It seems clear that the business model is to sell bargains - last year's models, end of lines etc - but genuinely within the field of running. And the reason for that is Vince. He's an actual runner. We got chatting about barefoot running, and then running in general and it was hard to stop him talking. Phrases like 'when I was training with Crammy' were slipped in liberally, or 'when I was in Kenya and Mo was running along the street'.
It was a thoroughly entertaining 45 minutes and by the end of it I couldn't quite tell whether I'd just met a brilliant salesman with the gift of the gab or a genuine elite runner with a passion for the sport. I now can see he's both. Even if he knew nothing about what he was selling he'd talk you into it, he's just got that character. But he does know what he's talking about. By the end of our chat he'd introduced me to a new training session (the OBLA, or something like that) that he recommended I include rather than just relying on tempo runs. I'll try to explain that one some time. I did of course have to look him up when I got home - 3:42 PB for 1500m. Not bad.
Back to Barefoot
Unfortunately, I'm not quite at the stage for OBLA runs, or tempo runs, or sub 4-min 1500m runs, so I limited myself to 1.7 miles today. Most of it was on grass - I found a field in the village with a circumference of bang on 400m so I was able to do laps of that in my barefoot shoes. Again, I tried to be quite natural and let my feet land how they wanted to. This meant that I felt pretty comfortable by the end. I think, next time, I will run on grass again but shift forward on my feet a little and see how I respond. There's a club session in a couple of days that I can join in with on the grass track, so I'm looking forward to that. Though I am expecting to find the edge has come off my speed work a little over the last few weeks.
When I arrived through the shop door my first impressions both confirmed my suspicions and pleasantly surprised me. It did have that slight pop-up shop look, with a reasonable but still fairly small selection of 'last-year's' stock. But it was also a running shop, no doubt about it. As if to prove the point, there was a widescreen TV above the counter showing reruns of classic races (Coe and Ovett while I was there). It seems clear that the business model is to sell bargains - last year's models, end of lines etc - but genuinely within the field of running. And the reason for that is Vince. He's an actual runner. We got chatting about barefoot running, and then running in general and it was hard to stop him talking. Phrases like 'when I was training with Crammy' were slipped in liberally, or 'when I was in Kenya and Mo was running along the street'.
It was a thoroughly entertaining 45 minutes and by the end of it I couldn't quite tell whether I'd just met a brilliant salesman with the gift of the gab or a genuine elite runner with a passion for the sport. I now can see he's both. Even if he knew nothing about what he was selling he'd talk you into it, he's just got that character. But he does know what he's talking about. By the end of our chat he'd introduced me to a new training session (the OBLA, or something like that) that he recommended I include rather than just relying on tempo runs. I'll try to explain that one some time. I did of course have to look him up when I got home - 3:42 PB for 1500m. Not bad.
Back to Barefoot
Unfortunately, I'm not quite at the stage for OBLA runs, or tempo runs, or sub 4-min 1500m runs, so I limited myself to 1.7 miles today. Most of it was on grass - I found a field in the village with a circumference of bang on 400m so I was able to do laps of that in my barefoot shoes. Again, I tried to be quite natural and let my feet land how they wanted to. This meant that I felt pretty comfortable by the end. I think, next time, I will run on grass again but shift forward on my feet a little and see how I respond. There's a club session in a couple of days that I can join in with on the grass track, so I'm looking forward to that. Though I am expecting to find the edge has come off my speed work a little over the last few weeks.
Wednesday 1 May 2013
Day 15 - It seems to be working
So yesterday I tried to relax in my running. I tried to let my foot fall how it wanted to, rather than force myself onto my forefoot. The result was a more mid-foot landing and... painless calves the next day!
This is good, but I am also concerned to see that I develop style intentionally, so I think I will have to balance this somewhat. But it means I'll be onto another run tomorrow which is good. There's a field in the village that might make a good surface to try out going a bit longer.
This is good, but I am also concerned to see that I develop style intentionally, so I think I will have to balance this somewhat. But it means I'll be onto another run tomorrow which is good. There's a field in the village that might make a good surface to try out going a bit longer.
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