Story of a Barefoot Runner

The Journey to a Barefoot 50-mile Endurance Run - Week 9 of 18

2012-02-07T22:40:00.000-08:00

Well, I have reached the halfway point in my training. I did my Tuesday and Wednesday runs without incident. Thursday was a little short on miles. I was dogsitting for my parents. I figured that their border collie would love a nice 8 mile run. However, being in a new neighborhood with all those new smells turned out to be too much of a distraction. We ended up stopping every 50 yards or so. The 8 mile run turned into about a 5.5 mile run/walk.

The good news was that the cough was nearly eliminated by Friday and I felt things were looking up. Saturday morning, I was a bit sluggish on my warm up run before my training group. However, during the group run, I did manage to push my pace down into the 6-minute range for the first time that I could remember. I was able to hold it for a good half-mile to catch my front running group. That was the good news.

Sunday, though, turned out to be bad news. Cough, mostly gone, but aches and chills hit. Damn - some kind of flu bug hit me just before noon. By Monday morning, I was miserable. I called it quits after a half day of work. I slept pretty much all afternoon and night. I managed to get back to work on Tuesday (today) and run with my group for almost 4 miles. I was even able to break back into the 6-min/mile range for steady bursts of time.

So, I'm feeling cautiously optimistic about my training right now. I know I need to get some serious weekend miles in if I could just shake the various illnesses. Fortunately I still have most of 2 months to go for training. Still time to rack up some good trail miles and hills.

Training for this week (if I can manage)
T/W/TH - 4/10/8 S/Sun - 22/10

Oh, another bright spot this week - I published my latest minimalist shoe review at www.barefoot-running.us. The shoe is the SKORA Base. Take a look!

Why We Run: Independent film about the Tarahumara

2012-01-31T23:41:00.000-08:00

Independent filmmaker Tara Golden of Tara Golden CustomVideos is hoping to travel down to the Barracas de Cobre (Copper Canyon), hometo the Tarahumara, to make a film about their culture and to find out why theyrun. The filming will take place before,during, and after the Copper Canyon Ultramarathon made famous in ChristopherMcDougall’s book Born to Run.

Here’s the catch. . .

You have only 3 DAYSLEFT to help. Tara is tryingto raise the funds needed to make this film by this Saturday, February 4,2012. She has raised nearly$10,000 and is in need of an additional $7,000 or this film will not be made.

I asked Tara what inspired her to make this film.

“I read the book Born to Run and I was thrilled with thecolorful descriptions of both the Copper Canyon and the Tarahumara Runners.”

Like many of us barefoot runners, Tara loves the connectionshe feels with the earth by being barefoot.

Tara has created a page at www.kickstarter.comto raise funds for this film. Sponsors can donate as little as $1. However, larger donations will earn you a prized award suchas photos from the filming or an authentic Tarahumara outfit. Got more dough? How about a rare Tarahumara rug/blanketor having your own custom video made? Know a starving musician who needs a music video made? Tara can be yours for the right price.

But in all seriousness, many of you, like me, startedrunning barefoot after being inspired by the stories of Christopher McDougalland the Tarahumara runners. Thisis our chance to learn more about this mysterious tribe of ancientrunners. Without your help, thisfilm will not be made.

Sponsors to the project get an inside look at the “nuts andbolts” as well as the “ups and downs of the creative journey,” says Tara.

So, if you want to see a film made about the people whohelped inspire the barefoot running movement, check out the promo video at kickstarter.

A Note about Cadence

2012-01-30T22:59:00.000-08:00

(Originally published on www.myfivefingers.com)

One of the key components of successful barefoot/minimalistrunning is cadence. It is anelement that is probably the overlooked or misunderstood in itsimportance. Almost anytime I amout running and something doesn’t feel right – yep, it can most often becorrected by cadence.

The magic number is 180 steps per minute. Of course, if you can manage a highercadence, you’re doing great! Toget an idea of what this “magic number” is visit the following (or any other)metronome site www.webmetronome.com. Set the slider bar to 180 beats perminute and hit start. Count off inyour head to the beat . . . one, two, three, four. (One cautionary note, don’t emphasize the first “beat” oryou may find yourself driving your left foot into the ground on every “one”count.)

When I first started barefoot running, I would often countoff in my head “one, two, three, four” over and over. Another trick you can do (for you math whizzes out there) isto count your steps for 15 seconds and multiply that number by 4. If you get a number 180 or greater,then you are on the right track.

So, as I mentioned at the start, when something doesn’t feelright – pounding through my body, excessive noise from my minimalist shoes(slapping), hot spots developing (in minimalist shoes or barefoot)- I check mycadence. More often than not, Ihave slacked off on my cadence.

Why does cadence matter so much? Well, if your cadence is below 180 steps per minute you arelikely striding out, pushing off or being inefficient in one way oranother. A high cadence requiresyou to significantly shorten your stride. By shortening your stride, you tend to run lighter (no pounding orslapping shoes) and you are less likely to “push-off” (no blisters).

A couple of final notes – running with a higher cadence doesNOT necessarily mean increase your pace or “run faster”. It simply means increase the number oftimes your feet touch the ground. Also, keeping your knees bent helps with lighter impact. Lastly, think “lift your foot, liftyour foot” as you run. This willreduce the likelihood of blister-creating “push-offs”.

So, when you’re out on your next run and something doesn’tfeel right – check your cadence.

The Journey to a Barefoot 50-mile Endurance Run: Week 8 of 18

2012-01-30T22:55:00.000-08:00

Well, the cough hung on for one more week. It is now about 95% gone. I only have a few coughing fits throughout the day and they are very minor. With that - it's time to get training again!!!

I managed a 2.5 mile run last Tuesday with my training group. On Saturday, I ran a barefoot 1 mile in 33 degree weather before putting on my to-be-named minimalist shoes that I am reviewing and ran an additional 5 miles. (That article should be posted soon on www.barefoot-running.us in the next few days.)

So, the plan starting tomorrow is T/W/TH 4/8/8 and S/Sun 22/10. I've been feeling pretty good and very anxious to get back on my mileage. I think this will be the week to do it!

Also, check out my next post (a re-post) of my article published originally on www.myfivefingers.com.

The Journey to a Barefoot 50-mile Endurance Run: Week 7 of 18

2012-01-24T22:47:00.000-08:00

So goes the cold or allergy or whatever is hanging on to my chest. . . as a result this week's post will be short.

As stubborn as I am, I finally gave in and took a week of needed rest. I ran the 2.4 miles with the group I am training last Tuesday and an additional 4 miles on Saturday morning. I did not run any other mid-week runs last week nor did I run on Sunday. In fact, I spent most of the weekend sleeping. This week has gone a little better with the illness. I'm still coughing ferociously from time to time, however, it seems less intense and farther between bouts of coughing fits. I ran this afternoon with the training group. I don't know if I will run again tomorrow. I'll see how things go through the day.

On a more positive note, I got a new article published on www.myfivefingers.com regarding running cadence. Feel free to check it out. I'm also going to re-post the article here on my blog in another day or so.

Plan for the week (if all goes well):
Today: 2.4 miles
Wednesday/Thurs: 8/6
Saturday/Sunday: 10/6

Have a great week everyone.

The Journey to a Barefoot 50-mile Endurance Run: Week 6 of 18

2012-01-16T23:04:00.000-08:00

Despite the fact that my cold is still hanging on and has developed into a cough, I still managed to hold onto the majority of my training schedule this week. This week was also the first week of the half marathon training group that I started at the school where I work.

The week started with a shorter 2.4 mile run with the group on Tuesday. It was a nice and easy 30-minute run. It was warm enough that I was able to do this run barefoot. It's so much fun training with a group. There were 7 of us, including myself running along a creek-side bike path. While the group is not running barefoot, they all participated in a short 50-yard barefoot run along the sidewalk prior to our 30 minute run. My goal is not to turn them all into barefoot runners. However, I do try to emphasize the importance of good running form for reduced risk of injury. I was proud that they all stripped off their shoes despite their misgivings and enjoyed the short jaunt down the block.

By Wednesday, my cold had really taken hold. Congestion and an overall feeling of lethargy kept me in that morning as well as that evening. Last winter, I developed quite a cold and cough that caused me to tear an intercostal muscle (rib muscle). That put me out of commission for a good month. Not wanting a repeat of that situation, I've been struggling with trying to balance running with some rest.

Thursday night, I decided that I was up for the planned 6-mile run. While on the return leg, I was feeling pretty tired (probably due to the cold). My hope was that by putting myself through a good sweaty workout I might be able to break through the cold's grip. Also, I had just received a new pair of minimalist shoes to review and I wanted to take them for a spin. I won't mention the name of these shoes just yet (they have not been released). I will have my review up on www.barefoot-running.us at the end of the month or early February. (The review will be reposted here on my blog afterwards.)

Saturday was the second day of training for my group. For me, I was scheduled to run 18 miles. The group was running 50 minutes. I arrived early and did a quick 4-mile along the route the group would take. Upon my return, the runners had begun to arrive. It was a brisk 31 degrees out, so we didn't hang around too long to chat. I was very proud to see all of my group make the 3.7 mile trip.

After the group run, I headed out to the Cosumnes River Preserve where I like to do my "trail" running. It's basically flat, but it allows me to get my feet on the dirt, leaves, and twigs. I did the first 2 miles or so in my new minimalist shoes. By that point, my feet were screaming for me to let them have at the trail. I had to cram the shoes into my small Camelbak hydration pack (not easy to do) by putting one inside the bladder pouch and the other tucked behind the pocket webbing. Basically the shoes were sticking out all over the place with the flap bouncing along the remainder of the 2 miles.

I had made the mistake earlier that morning not to eat too much breakfast. I paid for it by mile 11 (for the day). I was pretty spent and didn't have any gels or Clif Shot Bloks to munch on. I made it back to my truck to finish the day with 12.25 miles.

Sunday turned out to be a crazy day of events to attend. So, being that today (Monday) was a holiday, I went out to the delta island for a second round of wind. I'm a stubborn one, you can say. My Chinese zodiac, after all, is the Ox. Apparently the last trip out to the island of the wind wasn't enough to deter me. This time I planned to go in the opposite direction around the island. First of all, the wind was about half what it was the last time. However, what it lacked in strength, it made up for in chill. The temperature for the day was 45 degrees, it felt like it was in the 30s with the wind-chill - stubborn me wore shorts and a short-sleeved running shirt.

I cut across the center of the island (almost 2 miles). I headed around the northern half of the island before turning around and backtracking (about 9 miles). When I reached the midpoint of the island I continued on along the western edge of the island and down around the southern edge back to my truck. Total for the day 12.75 miles. A little short of the 16-miles I was hoping for. However, I did get lots of opportunity to practice the true runner's skill of "snot rockets". I read someone's blog once about skills or qualifications to be labeled a true runner. One was something about pissing in the woods on a run and another was the snot rocket. I can't recall the other 2, but I know that I had done them. So, I guess I'm qualified as a true runner now =)

Total miles for this week: 33.4

Plan for the coming week: T/W/TH 6 miles apiece, S/Sun 20/10.

Have a great week!

The Journey to a Barefoot 50-mile Endurance Run: Week 5 of 18

2012-01-08T22:57:00.000-08:00

The week started out very promising. After two weeks of holiday run-around, I had high hopes of completing the training mileage for this week. Things were going great all week . . . until early this morning when I woke up sick with a cold. On a more positive note - I bit the bullet last night and officially entered the American River 50-mile Endurance Run! It gave me a feeling of real excitement mixed in with the fear of "what the hell did I just do?"

As I mentioned in last week's post, I ran my longest, nighttime barefoot run of 14 miles on Monday as a "make-up" run of sorts. It was a great run and really gave me high hopes for a good high-mileage week. The week continued to be promising with me hitting all three of my mid-week runs of 4 miles, 4 miles and 6 miles (T/W/TH).

On Saturday, the goal was 16 miles. After a breakfast of oatmeal with chia seeds, I headed out to Shima Tract, which is a farming island on the San Joaquin Delta. There are several ways to run the island - a 4 mile loop or an 8 mile loop if you do the whole island (there are various paths to criss-cross the island, but basically the mileage is the same). The road is a gravel levee road, so I wore my Sockwa G2s to take a bit of the edge off the gravel. The first couple of miles were uneventful. Then when I reached the western edge of the island, the road turned north and I was blasted with a full-on headwind. My pace dropped quickly from a steady 9-minute mile into the 10s. I thought that the wind wouldn't hold up once I reached the northern end of the island and turned to the east. Wrong. By the time I reached the northern end of the island the wind had grown stronger. My pace was fluctuating between 10 and 12-minute miles. Even when the path turned out of the direction of the wind, I had to fight to stay on a straight track.

I managed to get back to the starting point at 8 miles. I was feeling a bit of nausea, so I popped a couple of Hammer Electrolyte pills and sucked down some water from my hydration pack. I nearly heaved as the first pill went down. I think it was more that I was feeling bloated or something and my body wanted to exhale when I tried to swallow. I managed to compose myself and take a relaxing breath and swallowed the second pill and headed off down the road again.

As I rounded the first turn toward the west, the wind had picked up even more. On the first loop, the wind had not even been an issue at this point (approx. 1-mile into the loop). I passed a dog-walker who commented, "You're in for a workout today!" Little did she know that I had already been through this once already.

At this point, I noticed my legs were tingling a bit. I had no idea why. I watched as a 5-foot diameter tumble weed rocketed across the farm and disappeared into an irrigation ditch. A few moments later, it shot out of the ditch, up the levee, across my path and into the water. At about 9 miles, I finally realized why my legs were tingling. They were being stung by tiny bits of dirt being blown across the farm.

By now, I had turned north again, directly into the wind. I was being pushed back. My "running" pace dropped to nearly a 15-minute mile. I felt as if I were running uphill. When I reached a cross-island road at mile 10, I decided that I'd had enough of being pelted by small rocks, twigs, leaves and other junk. I called it a day and headed back across the island. Even dropping down 10 feet below the top of the levee didn't protect from the wind. I could hear it actually howling across the island. Amazing!

I made it back to my truck at about the 12 mile mark - 4 miles short of the goal. No worries, I thought. I'll just make it up tomorrow.

Little did I know that the cold my family had been subdued with all week and I had been fighting to not succumb to was about to hit. Five o'clock this morning, my alarm buzzed for my run. My throat was on fire. Damn! I hit the snooze and went back to sleep. When I awoke a couple hours later, I was completely congested.

After my shower, I felt dizzy (a symptom my wife had with her cold and ear infection). I held out for a possible night run. By this evening I had crashed out on my couch while my kiddos played. I kept napping in 20 minute increments hoping that I'd feel the energy to go out and run. No dice.

So, for the week not counting Monday: Total miles - 26. Actual miles for the week 40.

Plan for this week: 4/6/6 (T/W/TH) and 18/10 (Sat/Sun).

Here's hoping for a short-lived cold. I start training some co-workers for an April half-marathon this week, so I hope I get lots of time on my feet to compliment my training schedule.

My 2-Year Barefoot Running Anniversary

2012-01-04T22:30:00.000-08:00

January 2, 2012 - Two years ago, I began this journey as a barefoot runner. It's really been quite an amazing journey thus far. And on this 2-year anniversary, I spent the evening on my longest, barefoot nighttime run of 14-miles. It was an incredible feeling to celebrate this milestone in this way.

For those of you who have followed my blog some of this is old news. I began this barefoot journey quite by accident. I had been a shod runner for about two years. After my third marathon I took a two-year hiatus from running. There were multiple factors that contributed to this hiatus - illness and recovery time, family and work obligations, and a loss of motivation. In two years and three marathons, I had not been able to hit the goal of a 4-hour marathon despite all the training that pointed toward that mark.

In a desire to find inspiration, I asked for the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall for Christmas in 2009. When I opened that book, I had no idea that it had anything to do with barefoot running. On January 2, 2010 I went on my first barefoot run - 2.5 miles of energy filled fun!

Since that time, I have logged 592 miles running mostly barefoot with some miles in minimalist shoes. In 2011, I logged 458 miles. My goal, once again, this year is to hit 1000 barefoot/minimalist miles. You can keep a tab on my progress on the right side of this blog.

Looking back over the past two years blows my mind when I think about the changes that I have experienced. When I was a shod runner, I ran because I had a race to run. I didn't always enjoy it and it was a chore. Now, I seek out opportunities to run more. Additionally, my attitude toward long distance running has radically changed. I used to think that ultramarathoners were runners who had gone insane. I didn't understand it and I sure as hell didn't want to do it. As I became more adept at running barefoot, I found that I enjoyed, no, loved running. After running several races barefoot from 5K to half marathon and on road and trail, I started to seriously consider the realm of the ultramarathon. I jumped from the half marathon distance to a 50K ultra and was hooked.

This past year had another milestone for me. I beat my shod half marathon PR by nearly a minute this year. My previous shod PR for the half marathon was 1:50:05. My new official barefoot PR for the half marathon is 1:49:22 (1:49:09 by my watch). Keep an eye out for my race report for this race (St. Joseph's Half Marathon), I'm a little behind. The race was in October =)

Now I find myself in the midst of training for my first 50-mile endurance run and I am loving every minute of it. Does it have its struggles? Absolutely. Do I always enjoy my runs? Yes. I take every moment on the run as a challenge to push myself toward that limit. When I have a bad run, I use it as a learning experience on what not to do, eat, or whatever might have challenged me that day.

So, maybe ultramarathoners are runners who have gone insane. But I have joined their ranks and I'm loving it!

More recently I have begun training co-workers to run distances up to the half marathon and the experience has been fantastic! I love seeing people who never considered themselves runners now identifying themselves as a "runner".

I truly look forward to my third year as a barefoot runner and all of the joys and challenges that lie ahead. Here is a brief look at some of my hopes and goals for 2012:

American River 50-mile Endurance Run
The Relay for Life (hope to run the full 24-hours)
Pacer for a Western States runner
A 4-hour marathon

Here's to a great 2012! Happy New Year everyone!

The Journey to a Barefoot 50-mile Endurance Run: Week 4 of 18

2012-01-03T20:55:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012!!! I hope everyone had a happy and safe New Year's celebration.

This past week was a challenge for training. My brother and his family came up to celebrate a belated Christmas with my parents. We also worked on a 2 day (turned into 3 day) remodeling project of our parent's home office. The good part about that running while tired is that my body is forced to learn how to deal with it. One of the reasons for back to back runs both midweek and on the weekends is to run with no rest between runs to simulate running long distances without having to run individual long mileage runs. Well, after a long day of construction, paint, and other remodeling activities my body was tired. Additionally, I tended to not go out for my runs this week until at least 8:30 p.m. followed by a relatively early rising to get back to the remodeling.

So, for the mid-week runs I ran 4-miles each on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. I skipped Thursday's run because I was too exhausted from a very long day of construction. The first night was interesting because I ran on a stomach that had feasted on a fabulous bourbon beef tenderloin prepared by my sister-in-law. It was a little tough going, but I ran 4 miles (in Sockwas) instead of the planned 2-miles to try and make up for lost mileage last weekend and give me a leg up on the week. Good thing I did this since I lost mileage on Thursday. Wednesday's run went quick and nothing really interesting to report. I did manage to run barefoot that night. My feet were telling me that they needed to be let out of shoes and feel the ground again. So, I obliged and didn't have any issues with the cold.

After not running on Christmas weekend I was looking forward to keeping to my run schedule for New Year's weekend. Yeeaaah, wellllll.... not so much. I spent most of New Year's Eve running some errands, fixing up details in my parents new office, and lounging around with the family (we really hadn't had much time for that during the vacation). Then, staying up til midnight with the family proved very challenging possibly due to feeling slightly ill (or perhaps age is getting to me). That meant sleeping in for the first time in ages on Sunday morning. Spent the afternoon/evening eating too much food again at my in-laws and hanging out fairly late.

In a last ditch effort to end the weekend and my vacation (I'm a teacher) with some decent mileage I went out last night (Monday) for a nice, long 14-mile run in the dark and barefoot. It was fantastic! The first 2-miles were a bit challenging as usual as my mind tried to tell me that I was too tired. Once again, as I reached 4-miles I found my stride and pace. Unfortunately, likely due to the New Year's weekend, there was LOTS of glass on the sidewalks and streets along my route likely deposited there thanks to all of the under-age and other drunk "glass-holes". "Glass-holes" is my new term for people who smash bottles along public walkways instead of throwing them in the trash. Lucky for me, I have become quite adept at spotting glass while running in the dark (even if it's at the last possible second). By the end of my run, I was feeling quite tired. At about the 11.5-mile mark I was feeling pretty fatigued. I almost took the shortcut home, but convinced myself to turn down the planned route away from the house to add in the final 2+ miles.

My hope is that with the holiday season behind me that I will be able to focus more on training and not miss these weekend long-runs. Not the greatest start to the training schedule, but what are ya gonna do about it?

Mileage total for the past week (including the Monday run): 22 miles

Plan for this week: T/W/TH = 4/4/6 and S/Sun 16/10

Have a great week everyone! Watch out for those "glass-holes" out there!

The Journey to a Barefoot 50-mile Endurance Run - Week 3 of 18

2011-12-27T09:33:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope all my readers had a fantastic holiday. Ours seemed crazier than usual with lots of food to be prepared and gifts to wrap. Lots of fun was had by all, way too much food was consumed, a giant Nerf gun war, and lots of karaoke singing. As for gifts, I managed to score a reflective running vest as well as a blinking runners light - now I'll finally be visible on my evening runs!

Last week I had assumed even as Christmas approached I would be able to get in most of my miles for the week. The plan was T/W/TH = 2/2/4 and 12/8 for Sat/Sun. Well, that really didn't work out too well. I managed one midweek run of 7 miles on Thursday evening. As for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day - well ... yeah, that didn't happen either.

The one midweek run I did was pretty decent. I held a good pace (just over 8-min miles) for most of the 7 miles. I did have to play mind games at the beginning of the run. My favorite game that evening was shadow-running. I watched my shadow to keep an eye on my form. Minimize the bouncing and concentrate most of my energy to drive me forward. This kept my mind occupied for the first 3 miles as I was trying to keep myself motivated to get to at least a 3.5-mile turnaround point.

On my return I had my first ever near fall. Driving my left foot hard into the sidewalk, I nearly did a forward slide across the concrete. I managed to catch myself and maintain my run. Something to say for quick cadence???

So, apologies for nothing exciting this week.

The plan for the coming week is to tack on a few extra miles on the week: T/W/TH 4/6/6 and S/S 14/8. Have a great week, everyone!

The Journey to a Barefoot 50-mile Endurance Run - Week 2 of 18

2011-12-20T09:58:00.000-08:00

Week 2 has been an interesting week on a number of fronts. As you all probably are experiencing, the stress and bustle of the Christmas season can get pretty crazy sometimes. Our family and extended family had a wide range of events that happened all in 4 days - everything from the joy of a baptism to the funeral of a loved one and a college graduation. Additionally, there were Christmas parties to attend. Despite all of this rushing around and emotional roller coaster of it all, I managed to get almost all of my mileage in.

I managed to get two of my mid-week runs running barefoot despite high 30s nighttime temperatures. I have been doing a most of my miles in my Sockwas because of the cold, but this week I decided I would just deal with the cold so I could have the joy of having my feet actually in contact with the ground. I had no problems running in the cold. That being said, the concrete of the sidewalk is much colder than the asphalt of the street. Another interesting thing I noticed with my bare feet was the temperature gradients as I passed various landscaping features. There were noticeable temperature changes (colder) in the first 5 - 6 inches off the ground as I passed areas of plants. The grass areas were slightly warmer. Extended periods of running on the sidewalk made the balls of my feet slightly numb so I would try to switch up running on the sidewalk with periods of running on the street.

My third mid-week run was skipped due to one of the aforementioned events.

This weekend I had to switch my Saturday and Sunday distances. Saturday morning I headed out to Cosumnes River Preserve for a quick 6-mile on a trail. The temperatures were a very frosty 32-degrees. After 5 miles, I tried pulling off one of my Sockwas to see how cold the ground was. It was very cold and wet too. So, I decided against running at near freezing temperatures with wet feet.

A cold, frosty start to the morning - just before sunrise

The leafy path and fog

Sunrise across the Cosumnes River Preserve

The temperature was about 40-degrees as I went out for my 10-miler late last Sunday night. I started off in the Sockwas and switched to barefoot for the second half of the run. The run started off rough. As I always tell people, running is about 99% mental. At about 3-miles my brain started to complain that I was too tired to finish the run. I had to debate myself out of stopping or turning around. By the time I reached 4.5 miles, I had found my groove and was floating down the road. At about 8 miles, my body started to protest all of the food I had eaten over the past 48 hours - 2 Chinese multi-course meals, various cocktails, and a Christmas lunch from that day. I managed to make it home without any incidents and just over 90 minutes for the run as a whole. So, I was fairly satisfied with the run.

The thing I have been learning to do lately is how to run on a relatively full stomach. I've always been a weak-stomach runner. Before races I used to only manage a slice of toast with peanut butter. I had a breakthrough last summer with the Skyline 50K that taught me that I could eat a lot of different stuff without adverse effects. This week was definitely no different. Wednesday night, I had eaten a very healthy bakers dozen or more of chicken nuggets about an hour before my run. If that didn't put a damper on my running, then I don't know what would.

For this coming week, the running plan is 2/2/4 on T/W/TH and 12/8 for Saturday and Sunday. The challenge will be that this weekend is Christmas. I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to manage the weekend miles. I guess you'll find out when I post next Monday!

The Journey to a Barefoot 50-mile Endurance Run - Week 1 of 18

2011-12-08T17:19:00.001-08:00

This is the first of 18 weekly installments as I train and prepare for my first 50-mile ultramarathon. This will be the longest distance I have run with or without shoes and of course, I plan to do it barefoot.

My goal race is the American River 50 Endurance Run on April 7, 2012. This week (of December 5, 2011) marks my first week of 18 weeks of training to come. Each week I plan to write a short summation of my training for the week and a look toward the week to come.

My training for this race is based on the schedule produced by the Santa Clarita Runners website for ultramarathon training. It is a schedule based on successive days of running. I will be running Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Long runs are back to back on Saturdays and Sundays. It's a fairly simple plan, but definitely rigorous. I used a similar plan from their site when training for the Skyline 50K. However, I lagged a bit while training for that race and did not complete several of the longer runs.

This time around I don't believe I will able to "fake it" or just "dig deep" for a 50-mile finish. So, I intend to hit as many of the runs as possible and keep the missed runs as close to zero as I can.

So with that introduction. . . Here is Week 1 of training. . .

This past week (Dec. 5 - 11): Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday - 2 miles each; Saturday 8-miles, Sunday 6-miles.

I officially started my training on Tuesday, December 6th with an easy, evening 2-mile run. Even though it was quite chilly out, I wanted to be sure to start out on the right foot (a bare one). The air temperature was hovering in the upper 30s (F) and the concrete sidewalks were definitely closer to freezing! I remembered reading something about a barefoot snow-runner dunking his feet in hot water before snow running to get the blood flowing and feet warm before going out. I gave it a shot - well sorta. I ran the hot water in the tub over my feet for a couple minutes - then headed out.

One thing about cold-weather running for me is that I run much faster. So, cold-weather runs = speed workouts for me. I managed an even 16-minutes for the 2 miles. I varied my run between asphalt and concrete. I had been taking some time off of running in November so I wanted to get my feet stimulated.

The ground was cold, but not unbearably so. I was concerned because I did have an incident last January in which the tips of my toes had swollen following a run on sub-freezing concrete. There was no problem with that this time. However, I did notice that the couple times I skirted across the grass from street to sidewalk that the spray of dew across my feet caused a considerable temperature change. This happened about 3 times during the run, the last one unintended due to a person walking their dog off-leash.

The next two nights I chose to wear my Sockwa G2s. These shoes are awesome! They are so thin (1.2 mm) that you can really feel the ground but keep your feet comfortably warm. On Thursday, I was having issues with my Garmin not syncing with the satellites and spent a good 5 minutes standing on the cold sidewalk - even the G2s couldn't keep my feet warm. I finally gave up, since I knew the exact distance I was running and just took off using the stopwatch only.

Saturday morning came and I chose to get a good 8-mile trail run (as it turned out I ended up doing about 7.4 due to avoiding wildlife photographers). I headed out to the Cosumnes River Preserve. The ground was very frosty and the bridge heading over to the trails was iced over. Thankfully, I chose to wear my G2s again. Being back on a trail was heaven! I love the feel of the ground, rocks, gravel and well, no mud this time. In the coming weeks, I am hoping to mix up minimalist/bare trail runs to maintain good running form. I have managed to run cold-weather for two years barefoot. I think I'm just being prissy this year.

I closed out the week this morning with a quick 6-mile run (about 55 minutes). So, that is my first week of training - a total of 19.4 miles.

The mileage plan for the coming week: T/W/TH at 2/2/4 and Sat/Sun at 10/6

Stay tuned. . .

Sockwa G2 Minimalist Shoe Review

2011-11-15T10:50:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published in the blog section of www.barefoot-running.us. Enjoy!

As a barefoot/minimalist runner, I run over 85% of my miles barefoot. I am very particular about any “shoes” that I wear for a run. In extreme weather (hot or cold), I will run in huaraches. For very rugged trails or gravel levees I might wear Vibram KSOs. The Sockwa G2 offers something in-between.

When the Sockwa G2s arrived, my first thought was that they were basically water shoes. One of my co-workers that I train with runs in water shoes. Her shoes and the ones I examined in the local mega-store have fairly thick, inflexible soles. Water shoes are difficult to fold in half. The Sockwas can be rolled into a small tube. There is also a noticeable weight difference.

The first evening I had them, I wore them around the house. They are very comfortable. They quite literally feel like you are wearing socks. I made sure to trim my toenails. Because of the snug fit, I was concerned that any sharp nails might wear quickly on the neoprene uppers.

Construction:

The G2 has a ultra-thin 1.2 mm TPU sole. (For comparison, my huaraches are 4 mm.) The snug neoprene uppers offer some protection from debris that might be kicked up on the road or trail. The top of the shoe has a breathable spandex-type material.

Fit:

Like the name implies, the Sockwa G2 fits like a sock. It is snug, but very comfortable. Due to the ultra-thin sole, the shoe is extremely flexible. I was concerned that the snugness of the upper material would inhibit toe splay. However, during my runs my feet did not feel restrained.

Footbed:

The foot bed has a very thin layer of neoprene material. It is cushy, but not overly padded.

First Test Run:

I took the G2s out for their first trial on a 10-mile morning training run. My intention was to only wear them for about a mile. They turned out to be so lightweight and comfortable that they stayed on for the first four miles. At that point, I felt a slight hot spot developing on the tops of my two smallest toes on my right foot. I removed them for 2 miles and then I tried them again for another mile. Another light hot spot developed under the inside ball of my right foot. So, I figured that was enough for their first trial.

Additional testing:

A couple days following the first run, I took them out for a 4-mile night run. I wanted to determine the cause of the “hot spot” issue. I started out with a quick mile (7:45 pace – fast for me). Next I did 2 miles very easy (12-minute pace). I closed out the run with another fast mile. Not once did I sense a hot spot developing anywhere on either foot. It appears that the initial “hot spot” issue on my toes could have been from some rubbing against the stitching toward the outside of the shoe. However, there were no issues on this and subsequent runs with the stitching.

In addition to my first two runs, I took them out several more times on runs as well as wearing them for an afternoon at work. They provided protection from warm/hot asphalt on an 80-degree California afternoon. You can feel the warmth of the asphalt or concrete through the soles. The G2s are very comfortable to wear at work if nobody minds you wearing moccasin/sock-like shoes.

The G2s can give a slight measure of protection from chip-seal asphalt. The chip-seal that these were tested on was pretty horrific and barely tolerable in bare feet. Since the Sockwas have excellent ground feel, you definitely feel the gravel. However, the shoes give some relief from the really sharp stuff.

I did receive one blister on the ball of my foot during testing. However, in all fairness, I must state that the blister developed after I finished running a barefoot half marathon. I had gone back to run some friends to the finish during the last mile. The G2s had gotten wet and my feet were already slightly tender.

Pros:	Cons:
Extremely lightweight Ultra-thin, flexible sole Comfortable feel	Possible blistering

Overall, I feel that the Sockwa G2 is an excellent addition to a barefoot/minimalist runner’s arsenal of shoes. They allow for excellent ground feel and are extremely flexible – both musts for a barefoot runner. The G2s offer a thin layer of protection from general abrasions during road running.

If you are a regular road-runner who is looking for minimal protection from the surface and are not satisfied by the weight of other minimalist options, you will likely be pleased with the Sockwa G2. For those who are not ready or able to make the barefoot leap, this might be just the to get that maximum barefoot-feel without being truly barefoot.

Made the local paper again!

2011-10-24T19:26:00.001-07:00

So, yesterday I raced in my 3rd barefoot half marathon - Stockton's inaugural St. Joseph's Half Marathon. Also in the race was my mom, racing in Vibrams, as well as two of my co-workers who I trained for this race - Jeannie & Jessica.

My mom and I made the paper as the "mother and son" team. Enjoy the article... race report coming soon!

Why They Run - from The Record newspaper

My First Barefoot Ultramarathon: The Skyline 50K - Part II

2011-08-20T10:45:00.000-07:00

So, I left off with me heading out from Skyline Gate realizing that I had not even bothered to grab my drop bag. I was mildly concerned whether or not I would have enough shot bloks to last the remaining hours of the race. Being only a half hour ahead of the cutoff, I chose to push on because it was likely that I had enough to get me through.

About a mile or two down the trail, I started to realize that my head was really getting down in the weeds. I was starting to feel like crap and my focus was poor. My fingers had begun to swell and were starting to look like red sausages. I felt like I had mild tunnel vision. I swung my pack around and pulled two Hammer Electrolyte pills out and downed them with water and Gu2O. After about 10 minutes, my head cleared up and I felt incredible. Even my fingers felt a little less swollen.

I starting moving steadily down the single-track trail through the gorgeous redwood forest. This was some of the best trail running I’ve done to date (not that I’ve done a lot). The ground was soft with the dirt and needles from the trees and it was gorgeous. I felt like the guy from the trail running video from movenat.com, effortlessly gliding across the trail, over rocks, down shallow dips, surrounded by redwoods, ferns and creeks. It was truly my favorite part of the course.

Pausing for a pic among the redwoods

For reference, Skyline Gate is roughly the furthest point out on a figure-8 course from the start/finish line. The beautiful redwood section runs about 6 miles as it winds its way back towards Big Bear aid station through and across many intersecting trails. The race officials had really taken care to mark the course well considering the many trails that seem to crisscross the parks in the area. Yellow ribbons were present to reassure you that you were on course. At every possible trail intersection there were white chalk arrows for the correct trail and a line with the word “NO” across the front of the wrong path. They also had race officials seemingly in the middle of nowhere to point out the correct course at certain junctions.

As the morning wore on, there were more and more hikers on the trail – many of them had dogs. I can’t remember the last time I ran around so many dogs. Fortunately the dogs were all well trained and did not seem to pay much attention to the runners. There was one section of trail where I passed a few people running the trails with their dogs. The dogs got ahead of them and started running along with me. As they called back their dogs, the dogs looked back with a bit of confusion. They joked that the dogs must have thought they were running with their barefoot pack leader.

Later on, a couple of runners caught up with me and said, “We’ve been following your foot prints, but I thought you were in Vibrams not actually barefoot!”

I came back out of the redwoods just before lunch – crossing the road and hitting the Big Bear aid station for the second time that morning. I had run just over 20 miles at this point. I was reaching my furthest distance ever run barefoot (20.41 miles). I popped a couple S! Caps to keep my head clear. After refueling at the aid station I headed back onto the trail. The trail passed back through the parking lot at MacDonald gate staging area. This parking lot is gravel and now my feet were beginning to feel a bit tender. I navigated through the parking lot without too much trouble since it was maybe 30 yards across.

A long way down to the trail below

From here there is a 500-foot climb over about a mile before the long downhill to the finish. I believe this was the point in which my quads went from a bit tired to completely trashed. I pushed myself to keep a 15-minute pace on the climbs, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. As I crested the ridge I thought I was out of the woods. It actually became the point at which I started to realize that the last handful of miles (mostly downhill) might actually be more difficult than I had envisioned.

I reached Bort Meadow at 23.3 miles and chatted with the volunteers there as they filled my pack with water. After they filled it, I tried to take it back to close the cap. My fingers were still slightly swollen and I had no real dexterity to put the lid back on. Fortunately, one of the gentlemen there told the gal with my pack to take care of it so I could get some food and get out of there. It reminded me of when I volunteered at Western States, taking care of bottles and packs for the runners. The reason we were instructed to do this all made sense now because the simple things like twisting bottle lids becomes more difficult.

While I was eating a conversation broke out among the volunteers about my running barefoot. They asked the usual questions about how long I had been running barefoot and if I had been barefoot the whole race. Then one lady made the funniest comment I had heard on the trail that day.

“I don’t know whether to be impressed or horrified,” she said.

I had a good laugh at that as I threw my pack back on and headed out across the parking lot. The gravel and paved sections were pretty horrific but not too long. I wanted to get back onto the dirt fire roads. My feet were becoming increasingly tender which made the little rocks more painful and annoying than the larger ones. I made sure to run through every mud puddle I could find. This served a dual purpose – first, a nice cooling splash of water on my heated feet; second, and more importantly, it was FUN!

As I had mentioned before, I had realized that the last miles were going to be difficult going even though it was mostly downhill. My trashed quads were becoming weaker as the miles wore on. I was quickly becoming unable to run slow or fast downhill due to the fading strength in my quads.

Despite the soreness that was building in my quads, I actually felt great. I knew that I had about 5 miles to the finish. I had basically run a marathon at that point. I downed a couple more hammer caps and the last of my shot bloks. Even though I had no doubts in my mind whether I’d be able to complete the 50K, this was the point at which I became excited at the reality that I was going to finish my first ultra and barefoot!

As I came out of the forest and up onto the ridge before Honker Bay, I got my first glimpse of Lake Chabot. This was a real morale booster. I knew that all I had left to do was to make it around the shoreline to reach the finish! I was hiking slowly up a hill when I saw the Honker Bay aid station. I broke into a steady run as the hill leveled off. I remembered this intersection of trails from my day of mountain biking the trail. This would be the last aid station before the finish. It was also the top of a 300-foot descent to the lake’s edge.

First view of Lake Chabot on the return

When I reached the aid station, I pulled out my water bottle. I had downed the last of my sports drink about a half-mile back and was seriously wanting more. I passed it to a volunteer who dutifully filled it and passed it back to me. I distinctly remember eating quite a bit at this aid station. I had 4 chunks of banana, the equivalent of a snickers bar that had been cut up into cubes, and a handful of M&Ms. The volunteers informed me that I only had 3 miles to the finish.

The time was a little after 1:30 and the fog had rolled back and the sun was warming the ground. I headed down the wide dirt fire road. This last downhill proved to be extremely difficult. I ended up walking most of the half-mile downhill. My quads were thoroughly trashed and my feet felt every tiny pebble as if they were needles. Once I made it to the bottom, I took off at a steady run. I was able to get down to between a 10 and 11 minute pace. I was quite amazed that I had the ability to gain that pace. I really needed it though, since I had fallen back during the second half of the race.

While running along the lake a lady in Vibrams caught up with me. I think her name was Joan. We chatted and ended up running most of the final 2 miles together. I told her about the BRS. She told me about her transition to Vibrams.

Source: Skyline 50K Website

When we reached this bridge just under 2 miles from the finish, I was worried. On my biking trip, I had scouted this bridge. The metal steps on the far side have oval holes with vicious looking teeth. The bridge, or more precisely the staircase, was the main reason I was carrying my huaraches. I told Joan I didn’t want to lose time getting my sandals out when we were so close to the finish. So, I braced my arms on the handrails and stepped down lightly and evenly on the step. It worked! I maneuvered my way step by step, putting most of my weight on my arms while balancing myself with my feet. I gained the top of the stairs with lots of stares from the numerous hikers and bikers at the top.

I had done it! I had reached the final stretch. Joan and I continued to run reaching the paved path that would take us to the finish. There were a few steep switchbacks, which we walked and then resumed running as soon as we reached the top. With less than a half mile to go, Joan’s knee started bothering her. She told me to go on ahead.

As I rounded a small peninsula on the lake I could see the marina. The excitement really started to build inside me.

“Keep running.” I told myself. “Less than a quarter mile to go!”

As I approached the picnic areas, I saw orange fencing material.

“That’s the chute!“ I thought to myself.

I sped up. When I reached the fencing, I realized it was only there to keep people off the bank of the lake.

Damn.

Upon passing the misleading fencing material I saw two signs pointing to the right. I looked and saw the final bridge crossing. I heard a cowbell ringing! They were calling me in!!!

As I crossed the bridge I saw my family standing at the finish line. My wife and my mom had their cell phone cameras up snapping pictures. Amazingly, I started sprinting for the finish. Thirty-one plus miles and here I was sprinting.

I crossed the finish line and walked about ten feet past it. I bent down and put my hands on my knees and exhaled a deep breath and stood back up.

Approaching the finish line

I had just run 31.65 miles! I couldn’t believe it. I had completed my first ultramarathon and I’d done it barefoot!

Official time: 7:23:55

Post-race update:

My feet post race (next morning)

I hobbled around my house for about 2 days. Unfortunately for me my house has stairs. It was quite a feat to maneuver up and down the stairs the first day or two. My feet did remain somewhat swollen and tender for about 4 days. I had pictures of the wasp stings, but they did not come out too clear. However, nearly 2 weeks have passed since the race and I still have itchy traces of the bites.

I have to say that I really appreciated all of the runners and volunteers at the Skyline 50K. They were all very positive and supportive of me running barefoot. I did not get one ill comment the entire day. Most people were excited to see me and cheered me on. It really made the day all the more memorable.

I’m truly amazed that I finished a 50K ultramarathon. Five years ago I would have never guessed that I would be at this point. In fact, if you had asked me if I’d run an ultra, I’d have told you that you were crazy.

Next stop 50 miles!

My First Barefoot Ultramarathon: The Skyline 50K - Part I

2011-08-15T23:07:00.000-07:00

The Skyline 50K is a trail run held the first Sunday in August in Castro Valley, California. I knew it might be a tough one. First of all, I knew that the course was very hilly. Second, I live in a flat town. There are no hills in the immediate area in which to train regularly.

A few weeks prior to the race, I headed out there with my wife’s cousin to scout out part of the course on mountain bikes. I realized quickly that there were some steep hills. Reviewing the course profile, I realized that there were some stretches that lasted a mile or more. So, after seeing the course first hand and reading about other ultramarathoners strategies for racing, I decided that my plan of attack would be to walk as fast as I could on the uphills and make up time on the downs and flats.

In the weeks leading up to the race I had fallen behind on my training due to the general demands of life with a family. The longest training run I was able to manage was 20.5 miles mostly on flat asphalt. (I was supposed to hit 24 miles as a peak run.) I tried to work at least one run a week on trails. However, the trail that was closest to me was, again, basically flat.

Despite my training flaws, I was feeling confident that I could complete the 31.65-mile course in under the 8-hour time limit. I did have a secret goal time, but we’ll get back to that later.

I had officially signed up for the race the Tuesday night before the race. Up until that point, my nerves hadn’t really kicked in. After registering I felt a looming presence every time I thought about the race. Fortunately, I was able to overcome those feelings with positive visualization of me completing the race.

The day before the race I organized my gear. This was my first race where I’d be allowed a drop bag (stay tuned for more on that). I packed my second bandana, extra salt caps, pretzel sticks, and CLIF Shots. I also made some bags of Cytomax powder to mix on the run just in case the course sports drink wasn’t agreeing with me. Lastly, I threw in my VFFs. This last-resort precaution was in case the trail became truly barefoot unfriendly.

That night, I was still running around the house making sure everything was packed in the right bag. Then about bedtime, I realized I had not repaired and re-tied my huarache sandals. I pulled up a couple of videos from InvisibleShoe.com and got them situated. My huaraches were my immediate backup if sections of the trail where I suspected gravel were un-bare-able. These I placed in the slip pouch of my hydration pack.

Considering my normal sleepless night before a big race, I slept pretty well. I woke up at 4 a.m. without any grogginess. I showered, applied generous amount of Body Glide in all of the necessary areas and then some – then tossed it in my drop bag, just in case. I cooked some oatmeal and tossed in a bit of chia seeds for good measure. I packed up the remaining goodies, pulled my water bottle, containing Cytomax, out of the fridge, loaded up the car and headed out.

The drive to the race took just over an hour. As I was exiting the freeway I began to feel a bit nauseous. I started wondering if I was going to toss my breakfast before the race. I arrived at the park without incident, parked, then headed over to the check-in table in picnic area. After I got my bib, I noticed something that I had seen at Western States – many runners had folded their bib to a small rectangle bearing their number only.

“Hmm . . . Is this how the ultra-crowd does it?

Next headed over to the restrooms to . . . well, we’ll skip that part.

I head back to my car to get my gear. I did one last check of my bags to make sure everything was there. I put on the hydration pack and my water belt.

Hmm . . . Now where to affix my bib?

The area on the front of my shirt was now crowded by the shoulder straps of the pack and my water belt covered my waist. I did see someone attach the entire unfolded bib to their shorts. That looked way too awkward as the bib practically covered the entire front of one leg.

“Well,” I thought, “if I’m going to become one of these ultra guys today, maybe I should fold my number.”

The folded number looked much more manageable on my shorts, so I kept it that way and headed back to the staging area with my drop bag.

While waiting for the start of the race a gal named Micky asked if I was going to run in my huaraches.

I said, “No, I’m taking them off for the race.”

“You’re going to race completely barefoot.”

“Yep.”

“That’s great!”

That was probably the first time at the start of a race where someone was not completely puzzled by my racing barefoot. This was actually a sign of many great conversations to come along the course.

I wandered over towards the grass area by the marina and awaited the start. A couple more people asked me about racing barefoot. And then, after a few minutes of chatting someone stood up on something near the front of the pack and said, “GO!” It was kind of anti-climactic. I was expecting an air horn or some RAH RAH speech over a bunch of loud speakers before the start like at most races.

So, we were off.

The first couple of miles of the Skyline are along Lake Chabot on a paved bike path. The start is fairly smooth but it deteriorates the further away you get from the marina. It never breaks down to something completely barefoot unfriendly, but it does not maintain a consistent surface. By the time you reach the dam, the asphalt has turned into something more like chip seal, but again nothing unmanageable. (Note: I have run barefoot on 9 miles of pretty rough chip seal during a previous half marathon – this wasn’t that bad.)

As I mentioned before, my strategy for the race was to walk, fast, up hills of any significant length while bombing down the hills and across the flats. In the opening few miles, there were a few moderate hills that many people chose to walk. The good part about this was that even though I was fresh, I was able to maintain about a 15-minute pace while conserving energy, then blast down the other side.

Not long after crossing the dam the thinning group moved onto a nice dirt fire road and trails. While running on the Goldenrod Trail, I noticed several people stopping and shouting about something. As I passed by I realized wasps or bees had stung them. Just as I made this realization, a fiery sensation sunk into my left shoulder.

Damn! Wasps!

This happened to me the last year at my first barefoot 10K trail run in an area not too far from here. I started running faster to move out of the area where they were apparently swarming. After I had gone a hundred yards or so, I slowed down to check my shoulder. I found a nice half-inch welt at the top of my shoulder.

“Great!” I thought. “I’m only at something like mile 3.”

And as I was thinking that, another fiery sensation hit me in the outside of my right thigh.

Shit. More wasps!

I started running faster again. A few others around me were dealing with the same thing. Throughout the rest of the day I spoke with others who had been stung on their arms and legs. One poor guy had gotten stung or bit multiple times on his back.

As things settled down, I reached the first aid station, Grass Valley at 4.3 miles, with water and Gu2O only. No problem – oh wait, no cups, they were only filling bottles. Well, since my pack and bottle were still full, I plowed ahead. I think at this point I was chatting with a guy named Gary, I think he was running with TNT. As we were quickly running down a hill towards a cattle gate, I realized that there was a patch of large gravel at the bottom before the gate. With a quick shifting of lanes I managed to maneuver around Gary and the gravel and arrive safely at the gate. After another mile, the trail opened up to some nice rolling, grass-covered hills.

Gary was running a pretty good pace, so I dropped back on a hill so we each could run our own race. This part of the trail was quite nice to run on – mostly dirt and only about 300 feet of gradual gain in elevation. It was also the shortest section between aid stations - about 2 miles. Bort Meadow was the first full aid station at 6.29 miles into the course. I approached the Bort Meadow aid station I was greeted with a very broken paved path and the gravel parking lot. The path and parking lot were manageable since my feet were quite fresh.

I dumped the last quarter of my Cytomax and had my bottled refilled with Gu2O. As I headed down the trail again I swung my pack around and pulled out some shot bloks, quickly downed a few, packed the rest into my belt and got moving again. I was very conscious of staying hydrated and keeping my electrolytes balanced. This always seemed to be my challenge in marathons and I did not want it to ruin my shot at my first ultra.

Leaving Bort Meadow the trail begins one of the steeper climbs – about 400 feet in just over a mile. For someone who had not trained on hills, it seemed like a never-ending mile. Along this section of trail, I chatted with a guy named Doanh. He had done the course before and didn’t seem to be in too much of a hurry. We took turns leading and falling behind for the next few miles. I fell behind more, but caught up with him at Big Bear aid station.

I reached Big Bear a little over an hour and a half into the run. As I was getting my bottle filled and downing some bananas, the gal there asked us if we needed any S!Caps. I had a stash of Hammer electrolytes in my pack, but didn’t want to dig them out. So, I took my first ever S! Caps and headed out of the station and across the road to the trail. My hope was that the S! Caps and Hammer Electrolytes would be the answer to my weakness during distance races – the dreaded dry heaves.

The first two miles out of Big Bear were a lot of nice single-track trail. However, there was a section of gravel-strewn path that ran through a couple of gravel parking lots leading to the Canyon Meadow Staging Area. It was more annoying than painful to run across and I was happy to get back onto the dirt fire roads leading out of Canyon Meadow. Well, mostly happy. The fire roads leading out are the start of a 3-mile, 750+ foot (that’s net) climb to Skyline Gate.

As I was approaching Skyline gate, the foggy mist was wafting over the trail. I was looking down into one of the canyons. I popped out my camera to take a shot. It was then that I realized that the orange fencing along the left side of the trail was not just any fence, but electrical fence holding back a large herd of goats. This lapse in focus actually was the hint of something more to come.

I made my way past the goats and their goat-herder’s trailer. At this point the trail became mostly gravel as it was leading to the paved path into Skyline Gate. I looked at my GPS watch and it said I had gone about 13.7 miles or so. Skyline was supposed to be at 14.4. Later in the race I realized that my watch was losing count on miles due to heavy tree cover. However, at the time, I couldn’t get my head wrapped around what was happening.

I heard someone shout, “Welcome to Skyline Gate!” as myself and a few other runners were entering the area. I wandered up to the table and again grabbed some bananas. I also popped a salted potato for good measure (I had seen these at Western States and was curious). Next I got my bottle filled.

Before heading out, I pulled out my cell phone to text my family my location. I had given a chart to my wife to calculate splits for 10-minute, 12-minute and the cut-off 15-minute miles for each aid station. The idea was to be at the finish with our kids and my parents at the finish when I got there. The time was just before 10 a.m. - which put me about a half hour ahead of the cut-off. To this point, I had been averaging about a 12-minute pace. I had hopes for 10-minutes, but satisfied with 12s. In my head, I guesstimated that I would be finishing over 6 hours, but in under 7. Having sent out my message, I headed out of Skyline and back onto the fire-road.

Like I said before, this was the first race I’ve done that had drop bags. However, I had been so preoccupied with getting some food in, bottle filled, and pondering what the hell was going on with my watch that I failed to get my bag before leaving Skyline. It was about a half mile down the trail that I realized my error. I decided that there was no way I was running back to the station. I quickly catalogued in my mind what supplies I had in my pack. I figured I had just enough shot bloks to get me to the finish. Worst case, I had some Jelly Belly Sports Beans and there was always stuff at the aid stations. With that I settled back into my run.

My First Presentation on Barefoot Running & related news article

2011-07-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

Last Monday, July 18, 2011, I gave my first formal talk on Barefoot Running at the local REI in Stockton, CA. There was quite a good turn out. The room was pretty much full and had a handful of familiar faces - my parents (of course), my wife's cousin (who is now training barefoot with me), a couple of my old shod training buddies, a neighbor, and the father of a buddy of mine (both of whom are runners. It also turned out that one of my high school PE coaches was present in the audience. He approached me after the talk. That was pretty cool.

Going into the presentation I was worried that I would not be able to fill the time slot of an hour plus. In the end, it was perfectly timed. I had intended to video the presentation and even had the camera set up. However, in my nervous state just before the talk, I forgot to turn on the camera!

For the presentation I gave a brief introduction of how I came to BFR, a little about the Barefoot Runners Society, a brief history of BFR, how to get started in BFR, and a discussion of minimalist running. I had planned to show a couple of short video clips of Barefoot KenBob, Last Place Jason, and Lieberman's video of impact forces, however, due to a technical glitch in my powerpoint I was unable to play the videos. Nonetheless, the night went fairly well and people seemed to enjoy the talk. I hope that the local barefoot running scene picks up, since it would be nice to have some local runners to train with.

I may offer to do a class on the actual implementation of BFR next time rather than just talking about it. All in all, I had fun.

This is the link to the article that The Record did on barefoot running in advance of my presentation last Monday night at REI in Stockton. Enjoy!

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110718/A_LIFE/107160313/-1/A_LIFE

2011 Western States 100 Endurance Run

2011-07-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

What an experience!!! What else can I say?

I have been a runner for the past 5 years. In those years I have never volunteered at a race. So, for my first volunteer experience I thought I'd help out at a little known race - the Western States 100-mile Endurance Run. I spent the day at the Forest Hill Aid Station at mile-62 of the Run.

My day actually began earlier in the morning at the Run 4 Independence in Elk Grove, CA. I had trained several staff and parents from the school I work at to run their first 10K. So, the first part of my day began with me cheering on my runners. I also bumped into fellow barefoot runner, Running Romeo, and his son who were racing in the 5K. Romeo (aka Rob), running barefoot, and his son, in Vibrams, had an exciting sprint to the finish with Rob edging out his son at the line. Congratulations to Janice, Jeannie, Jessica and Kathy for completing their first 10K! Additional note, Jeannie ran the race in water shoes.

Running Romeo & Son at Run 4 Independence

My 10K Runners and I at Run 4 Independence

After the 10K race was done and congratulations and water were passed around. I headed up the hill toward the little town of Forest Hill. I made a quick call to my wife to check the latest information coming from the race. The leaders were about a third of the way along the course. "Amazing," I thought.

When I arrived at Forest Hill, the town was buzzing with spectators, volunteers, and crews all over the tiny town. Cars were lined up and down the street. I walked up to the volunteer booth and checked in and got my "Race Official" T-shirt.

My job - "Greeter". Now, when I first found out this is what I was going to be doing, I thought, "Oh great, I'm going to be directing spectators and answering questions all day." My wife joked (in a very jovial, sarcastic voice), "Did you stand around all day saying to the runners, 'Hi, my name is Terry. How are you today?'"

My actual experience that day was as far from those scenarios as you could get. I got to run alongside runners as they arrived at mile-62 and guide them through the aid station. I made sure they made it to the weigh-in station with the doctors, took their bottles and packs and got them filled with whatever they needed, made sure they had an opportunity to eat, guided them to their crew or dropbag and made sure they got checked-out of the aid station.

I was standing by the entrance to the aid station when the front-runners, including winner WS100 Killian Jornet, came racing through the aid station about 2:30 in the afternoon. I was fortunate enough to run fellow barefoot/minimalist runner "Last Place Jason" Robillard through the station and hang out with his crew for a short time. I was even standing by when THE MAN, Gordy Ainsley, passed through the aid station that night (unfortunately Gordy dropped there at Foresthill).

Switching out shoes and clearing blisters

Jason and his pacer leaving Forest Hill

When Jason was coming through the aid station, he asked about the 24-hour cut off. I had to break the news to him that he was 45 minutes behind the cutoff. However, he was safely inside the 30-hour cutoff time. Jason took some time with his crew to change out his shoes and lance and clear a few blisters. Then, Jason and his pacer headed back out onto the course with hopes of clinching a silver Western States buckle.

One of the most amazing things I noticed that day was how strong so many of the runners appeared as they arrived at the aid station. I mean, really now, you just ran 62 miles over snow, through canyons and over mountains and you look like that? Many of the runners were in high-spirits. They were smiling and waving at the crowds. They were grateful and courteous to the many volunteers at the station. Several runners entered the station holding up digital cameras to record video of the scene at Forest Hill. One video, made by James Elson from London, England shows the approach to the Forest Hill aid station (you can see me at about 50 seconds on the right side of the screen escort him into the station). Others had their children running alongside as they approached the station. It was quite an eventful day.

I am truly impressed by the dedication and organization of the aid-station captain Lon Monroe. That man knows how to run a ship. Watching Lon work was amazing. Everything had a clear plan. Though Lon had extremely high expectations for everyone and everything at the aid station, he ran the crew with humility and a sense of humor. At our pre-opening meeting, Lon would sometimes answer a question with a humorous comment as if he had no idea what we were all doing there. You could often find him checking on individual runners (he seemed to know many of them) to see how they were doing.

Most of the runners I saw were strong through mile-62, a few were badly beaten. I saw one runner who had so many blisters on his feet they ended up removing the skin on the bottom and replacing it with tape, powdered his feet, put on dry socks and shoes and sent him on his way - AMAZING!

At about 30 minutes to closing, an official blew an airhorn 3 times. Minutes later a crowd of bobbing headlamps could be seen charging up the hill toward us. This happened two more times at 20 minutes and 10 minutes - each time a small crowd rushing toward the aid station to beat the cutoff. The last runner I escorted through the aid station was a Swede who wanted to call it quits. He entered the station with less than 5 minutes to the cutoff. Many of us volunteers encouraged him to pick up a pacer and get out of the aid station gate (he had less than 2 minutes before the last cutoff). He managed to continue onto the next aid station 3+ miles down the trail before ultimately dropping.

After the final horn, the volunteers broke down the aid station and packed away all of the gear. It was pretty quick work - about 45 minutes or so. I headed down the road to Placer High School to see what was going on at the finish line. Cars lined the streets surrounding the school. The football field was covered with tents. I found a parking spot and wandered over to the field. When I asked an official at the runner info tent, I was surprised and delighted to hear that Jason had picked up about an hour of time and was likely to finish under the 24 hour cutoff. With that I called it a day and hopped in my truck for the long drive home.

The Finish Line for the Western States 100

View from above the stadium

As it turned out, barefoot/minimalist runner, Jason Robillard did manage to pick up just over an hour of time and finished at 23:39 to receive the coveted Silver Western States buckle! Congratulations, "Last Place Jason". It was truly a privilege to be present at such an awesome race - what an amazing experience!

Western States 100

2011-06-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

So, it's official! I'm working at the aid station at mile 62 of the Western States 100!!!!

I am very excited to be a part of my first ultramarathon. I have been training for the past month gearing up for my first ultra, the Skyline 50k at the beginning of August. So, to get a glimpse of these hard core ultramarathoners is going to be a real treat!

I'm hoping to meet "Last Place Jason" Robillard author of The Barefoot Running Book: A Practical Guide to the Art and Science of Barefoot and Minimalist Shoe Running.

Good luck to all runners racing this coming Saturday for the Western States 100! See you there!

Avenue of the Vines Half Marathon

2011-06-07T23:49:00.000-07:00

My 2nd barefoot half marathon is officially done! That being said, I should probably change my name to "Stubborn" Barefoot Terry.

Why, you may ask?

Well, let's start with being under trained for this race.

For some reason, the Avenue of the Vines Half Marathon seems to come at a time when I'm not fully trained up for the distance. I've run this race twice now - the first time was the inaugural race (I was still running shod). I had run the California International the previous December and had not put in much serious running since. Yet, I was compelled to run this race because it was the inaugural race and the most local half marathon around at the time. I suffered for my lack of training and ran/walked the second half of the race. I finished at 2:22:49. Not bad, but easily a half hour over my PR.

If you've been following my journey, you know that a couple months ago I had a terrible cough/cold that put me out of commission for two months. Prior to getting sick I had completed my first barefoot half marathon and was working my way toward a 50K race in March. Since recovering from my illness, my training miles have been sorely lacking. I've been lucky recently to get out a couple days a week at best for short runs, but nothing very long. In fact, since coming back my longest run was a 10K for International Barefoot Running Day on May 1, 2011.

The day before the race I was feeling very much "off". I had slight nausea, dizziness, achiness, and let's just say issues in the bathroom. I tried to sleep it off through the day and missed a family baby shower. My goal in sleeping was to be able to attend my son's first communion and dinner that night. I made it through dinner but was not feeling great and likely a bit dehydrated. My son, however, must have had something similar because he vomited twice that evening before we managed to get home.

I informed my parents that I was unsure if I would run the race the next morning. Both of my parents were going to be running in this year's event - Dad in the 5K and Mom in the half marathon (wearing VFFs). Since they were planning to drive me to the race, I told them to text me in the morning.

Strangely, sleep came pretty quick that night (I never manage to sleep early or well before races). However, I slept very lightly and got up a few times during the night. I woke at 5 a.m. to be ready to leave by 5:45. I showered and went down to get some breakfast. As the oatmeal was cooking, I found myself doubting that I would be able to stomach anything. I managed half a bite of oatmeal before my parents arrived. I grabbed my water bottle, belt, and huarache sandals and headed out.

After we had parked, I headed over to the winery to get my bib.

A very tall gentleman stopped me and asked if I'd be running in my sandals.

"Nope," I said. "I'll be running barefoot."

Like most people who inquire of us barefoot runners, he was amazed. We wished each other luck and I headed off.

After I had retrieved my number and timing chip, I wandered outside to find my parents again. Dad was running around getting warmed up. My mom however took to pointing out the various clusters of runners who were pointing and talking about me standing there in my sandals.

A couple of ladies approached me to ask the usual set of questions -
   - Are you really running like that?
   - So, your feet must be really calloused, right?
   - Can we see the bottom of your feet?

I chatted with them and answered their questions. Then one asked, "But, doesn't that hurt?"

I've been reading Barefoot KenBob's new book, Barefoot Running Step By Step, and thought it was the perfect time to use one of his responses.

"Don't those hurt your feet?" I asked, pointing at their shoes.

The ladies laughed and took the point graciously.

My parents and I caught an event photographer to take our picture before the races started. Then my mom and I headed over to the starting area. My father went to wait for the 5K (which would start 15 minutes behind us).

My mom and I lined up for the race. I could see a few clusters of people chatting and pointing at my feet (something I've grown accustomed to). A few last minute announcements about the race sponsors and beneficiaries, then the horn sounded. We were off!

Now for reason #2 for possibly changing my name, two words - chip seal.

Last year, I had run the 5k as my first barefoot race. The course, as I remember it, was fairly smooth asphalt - and it was. For the first two miles, anyway. Almost as soon as we passed the 2-mile marker, the street changed from smooth asphalt to fairly rough chip-seal. No worries, I thought, hoping that the course would not be all chip-seal.

As I made my way down the course, focusing intently on my form, one of the cycling-medics passed by and shouted, "You're running barefoot! You are a stud!"

"Thanks," I said. "But this chip-seal isn't the easiest to run on."

The next couple of miles were fairly uneventful. I had my huarache sandals tucked in my belt just in case of rough asphalt. However, as I said at the beginning - I'm stubborn.

As we came off the country road and onto a more major road, the asphalt became very smooth. The course passed several choice-smelling dairy farms. The roadway was spattered with - well, let's just hope it was dirt from various farm machinery.

I entertained several questions about barefoot running, the book "Born to Run" and whether or not the asphalt hurt my feet. I was quite pleased with the current smoothness of the roadway after running for two miles on something that left something to be desired.

We made a turn about the 6-mile marker at the furthest corner of the roughly rectangular course. This again was more rural road - a single lane road with even rougher chip-seal asphalt. I took a deep breath and focused even more on my form. Fortunately, I've been reading Barefoot KenBob's book "Barefoot Running Step by Step". I had even begun to experiment with running on the gravel on the edges of roadways in my training. In my mind I was saying, 'lift the foot' and trying to keep my cadence high.

Somewhere around mile 7, I decided that I was getting tired, so I began alternating running and walking. This is about the same point that I fatigued five years earlier on this course (having been undertrained as well). One lady (I think she was a teacher), in the brightest neon green shirt I have ever seen, and I began a series of short chats and turns racing ahead and falling behind. She began calling me "Tough Toes Terry" to whomever was around at the time.

By mile 9, I was pretty fed up with the chip-seal. The asphalt was rougher here than it was between miles 2 and 4. I kept thinking about the huarache sandals flapping on my back. The stubbornness in me kept saying - no, you're going to run this half marathon barefoot even if it causes blisters. I did happen to check a couple of times and happily found that no blisters were forming.

By the time I reached mile 10 or 11, my thoughts turned to - hmm, what was my mom's goal time? I was hoping it wasn't 2 1/2 hours. I kept checking my pace and time on my Garmin. I knew a PR had long since passed me, but I did have a shot at beating my course record. However, the thought of my mom catching and/or passing me was something I couldn't bear. (I do love my mom, but I'm also very competitive.)

After making the final turn at about mile 12, I focused on the task at hand. I tried running the entire last mile, emphasis on tried. I ran about a quarter mile, then walked some more. Once I got within about a half mile, I buckled down and was determined to finish with a strong run.

I crossed the finish line at 2:20:01 - 2 minutes and 48 seconds faster than my shod run at the inaugural Avenue of the Vines in 2007.

After finishing, I found my dad, who had taken 1st place in his age division (70-79). We wandered around while waiting for my mom to come in. The clouds were moving in and the wind was becoming unbearably cold (especially in running shorts and a microfiber shirt). We finally spotted my mom as the rain started to fall. She crossed the finish line at 3:10:10 sporting her VFFs. Way to go MOM!

While it was not my best half, shod or barefoot, I did finish. Undertrained and with a healthy helping of stubbornness mixed in, I completed my second barefoot half marathon after running 9 of the 13 miles on rough chip-seal. I don't think the chip seal mattered as much to me as being undertrained. The chip-seal was challenging, but with proper barefoot form it was manageable. I ended the race with not so much as a blister on my foot. However, they did feel tender for the next few days. I don't know if I'd run this course again barefoot, but then again, I'm pretty stubborn.

International Barefoot Running Day - San Francisco Area

2011-05-03T00:11:00.000-07:00

Team Barefoot Runners Society 2011

Danville, CA - May 1, 2011 – After a late night at a wedding, I was quite exhausted. However, I could not get to sleep. Pre-race excitement always gets me amped up the night before. That night was no different, except the Workday Devil Mountain Run was going to be the race event for the San Francisco Area Chapter’s participation in the first annual International Barefoot Running Day.

The Workday Devil Mountain Run is a fundraising event for Children’s Hospital Oakland in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our chapter had formed Team Barefoot Runners Society for the race. By race day, our team had grown to 11 members and had raised over $3200. An amount only surpassed by one other team – the race sponsor’s team – Team Workday. However, their team had over 113 runners at last count.

I rolled over and looked at the alarm clock – 4:30 a.m. Fifteen more minutes until the alarm buzzed, I thought. I’m not going to get any more sleep tonight. I turned off the alarm and started getting ready. I had an hour before I was meeting Rob, aka Running Romeo, to make the trek over the hill to the race.

I managed a breakfast of oatmeal and chia seeds, though I was not in the mood to eat anything. I gathered my stuff and headed over to meet Rob.

Chatting with Rob made the hour drive go by fairly quickly. Arriving at the race site, we headed over to the pre-arranged meeting spot to await the arrival of the other 9 members of Team Barefoot Runners Society.

One by one, we met Barefoot Pablo, Trinh, and DRL. After some chatting, Rob and I had to go ditch our jackets and shoes at the car, so we wished everyone good luck and headed out. We made it back to the start line just in time for a couple quick pictures and the countdown. Rob and I were fairly far back in the pack - not my favorite place to be at the start of a race.

Running Romeo

The crowd shuffled forward, continued shuffling through the start line, and began a slow jog a block or so past the start. Within a couple blocks the course split 5K runners to the left and 10K runners to the right. There was a volunteer with a bullhorn shouting “10K Right! 10K Right!” I joked to Rob, “What’s that woman protesting?”

Between miles one and two, we caught up with Trinh who was moving smoothly and steadily down the course in her invisible shoes. We cheered her on for a moment then continued down the road. The course was still pretty crowded at this point and we had to jockey for position in the mass of runners.

The first two miles were a little rough for me as my feet were cold from standing on the asphalt for the past hour. I felt a familiar knot in my left foot like I had stepped on a rock that wouldn’t let go. Fortunately, that feeling faded as the race progressed. Rob had taken to running on the centerline paint, dodging the big orange cones dividing the roadway.

We crossed over the freeway at about mile two and continued another mile to the turn that would take us to the bike path for the return route. The few blocks to the path were on a well-worn street of chip seal asphalt. Rob immediately took to the smooth sidewalk. I tried to navigate the street -dodging potholes and badly worn asphalt before surrendering to the sidewalk myself. Fortunately, the chip seal section was short-lived and we made it to the Iron Horse Trail.

The trail was nice, well-paved asphalt. In addition, there was a wide swath of over-grown grass along side the bike path that had a well-worn dirt path through it. Rob and I quickly took advantage of the change in surface and began running on the dirt and grass. I switched back to the path while Rob continued to relish in the dirt-trail.

As I made my way down the path, a shod-runner started heckling us.

It started with “Hey, your shoes are untied.”

I responded jokingly, “Not again! I hate when that happens.”

He followed quickly by, “That guy was in such a hurry this morning he forgot his shoes” and some comment about the recession.

I tried a couple of times to humor him, but he just started getting annoying, so Rob and I just left him in our barefoot dust.

As we approached mile-4, Rob pointed ahead – another barefoot runner!

I shouted to Rob as I came alongside, “Let’s see what this guy’s up to over here!”

As I approached, the runner turned and shouted “Hey! Barefoot Runners!”

This gentleman turned out to be fellow BRS member Barefoot Pete. Introductions were made and we continued together down the course. We chatted about our barefoot experiences while fielding the usual questions from the shod-runners that we were passing.

Of all of Pete’s responses to the various runners, my favorite was when someone would ask, “Why do you run barefoot?” Pete would often answer, “Why not?”

The last two miles went quickly. As the finish line came into view, Pete burst out into a dead-sprint for the finish. Rob and I quickly joined chase and came alongside. The three of us entered the chute side by side. The announcer noticed our blazing approach and started to do a play by play until he realized something that got his tongue all tied up – we were all barefoot!

His play by play sounded something like this:

“And here come 3 guys into the. . . well, . . . but. . . there’s 3 . . . umm. . . and. . . bu. . .”

We passed the announcer and as we crossed the finish mat he finally blurted out, “There’s 3 barefoot runners crossing the finish!!!”

That was my favorite moment of the day. The three of us stride for stride crossing the finish with a dumbfounded announcer.

We followed the crowd down the path back toward the starting area. As we entered the parking lot with all of the vendor tents, we bumped into C-Dog, and Matt sporting their Vibrams. They had both just finished the 5K barefoot with C-Dog’s wife, Amber.

We met up again with Barefoot Pablo, DRL, and Trinh near the stage where they were announcing the awards. We were trying to see if we could locate the final 2 members of our team, but were unsuccessful.

As it turns out, Matt won a medal for his 3^rd place finish in his age-group for the 5K. While we were waiting for Matt to return with his medal, we held the raffle for the two Barefoot Running: Step By Step books, courtesy of Barefoot KenBob and his publisher. Matt scored again with a win of the book. I scored the second book.

(Yes, the drawing was random. I did not stuff the ballot box and I did not draw my own name. There will be no re-count.)

Matt Mullen expressed what I believe most of us felt at the end of the day, “Devil Mountain race was a blast!”

The race being done, raffle held, and conversations had - Team BRS decided to call it quits for the day and we parted ways with a promise to see each other again soon. The day had been the first significant meet-up for our chapter.

The ice had been broken. We had discovered that we were not lone barefoot runners in a shod world. There are others like us. There are others who find fun and enjoyment in running barefoot. Hopefully, for this group of runners, International Barefoot Running Day turns out to be a starting point of many future runs together on road and trail.

To my Team BRS members - I would like to say thank you for making the day a great success. Five - barefoot runners, two – Vibram runners, one – invisible shoe runner, and the shod-runner wife of a BFR made for a great Team BRS!

Special Note to Andrew and Becky: I’m sorry we missed you at the race. I hope you had a great race and some fun along the way. I hope to meet you at a future BRS run!

From Left to Right: Running Romeo, Barefoot Terry, Trinh, Dillon (DRL), Barefoot Pablo, Barefoot Pete, C-Dog, Matt

Barefoot Running Meets Mercedes-Benz

2011-04-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

A man runs through a forested area.

“I am addicted to the road…any road,” says the runner.

The scene cuts to his feet. Something is different about this runner. He has no shoes!

To us barefoot runners, this is nothing unusual. We’re used to it. This is what we do. However, this is not a TV show about barefoot running, it’s a commercial for the Mercedes-Benz SLK. What does a barefoot runner and the SLK have to do with each other? I contacted the producer of the Mercedes-Benz commercial to discover the inspiration for this unusual commercial.

Gernot Schaffler is a producer with Sabotage Films. In addition to film production, he is a triathlete. About 15 years ago he moved to Los Angeles from Austria and began running barefoot on the beach as part of his training. “Running in deep sand was the best way for me to strengthen my ankles and it enhanced stability in the lower body,” Schaffler states. “It helped a lot with muscle tone in the feet – preventing injuries.”

Schaffler enjoys the triathlon combination of swim, bike and run. He especially likes the longer races because “you always have to expect the unexpected.”

The idea for the commercial came to Schaffler while running on the beach at low tide. He explained to the director what happens to one’s mind on a long run along the beach comparing it to a “long lasting yoga lesson.” From there, they took the idea to the screen to give Mercedes the comparison to being in touch with the road. The actor, Chris Whelan, is shown running across a variety of surfaces – streets in the city, leaves, and a meadow when he happens upon a Mercedes parked alongside the road. Whelan is an actor, not a barefoot runner. I was unable to get in contact with the actor before publishing this article.

While I don’t drive a Mercedes, I know how a luxury car drives. I suppose some parallels can be made to barefoot runner’s connection with the ground and that of a Mercedes. Though I imagine most of us would argue that barefoot running is obviously more basic and primal than driving any car.

I enjoyed the commercial. Most people probably wouldn’t even notice or make the connection between the Mercedes and our way of running. Does it mean barefoot running has gone mainstream? I don’t think so. However, the commercial was a cool way to put barefoot running in the public eye.

The commercial ends with a shot of Whelan’s feet, toes gripping the asphalt – “I am reborn. I’m an addict to the road.”

Aren’t you?

International Barefoot Running Day

2011-03-22T16:55:00.000-07:00

A plug for International Barefoot Running Day on May 1, 2011 as well as my little plug for fundraising.

For those who are not familiar, International Barefoot Running Day events will be held all around the country and the world. Check out the Barefoot Runners Society website and click on the IBRD tab at the top to find an event near you!

On May 1, 2011, I will be running as part of team "Barefoot Runners Society" in the Workday Devil Mountain Run in Danville, CA. I will be running the 10K barefoot. Our team is participating as part of our International Barefoot Running Day as well as raising funds for a great cause - Children's Hospital Oakland. Our team goal is to raise $5000. I'd like to see our team surpass that goal. With your help we can do that! Any amount is appreciated no matter how big or small. It all goes to a great cause. Please consider a donation in support of our team's efforts to help the Children's Hospital.

Thank you.

"Barefoot Terry"

Go to the link below and click on "Support Terry"

http://chfo.convio.net/site/TR/Run/General?px=1144310&pg=personal&fr_id=1140

(NOTE: If you're in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area/Sacramento or Central Valley, consider joining our Chapter and maybe even join us at our race. More info can be found at the BRS site. See the California - San Francisco Area Chapter. Thanks!

BRS Group Run (Consumnes River Preserve)

2011-03-15T18:19:00.000-07:00

On the morning of March 6th, I headed out to meet with fellow barefoot runners from the SF Area Chapter of the Barefoot Runners Society at the Consumnes River Preserve for a group run. The no-show rain that had been forecast earlier in the week finally made its appearance. During the 20-minute drive out to the preserve there was a steady rain. Upon arriving at the preserve, I noted only one vehicle and it was parked on the roadside not in the visitor parking area. As I pulled up I noticed why - the gate was still locked. I hopped out of my truck and walked over to the other car. It turned out to be Running Romeo.

Since we were both a little early for the run, we decided to take shelter and chat to get to know one another - not to mention, the rain was still a steady drizzle. We chatted about our paths toward barefoot running and stories about barefoot races we had run. After talking awhile, we noticed the rain had let up. We decided to leave our cars parked alongside the road and head over to the trail.

A short hike across the locked parking lot and a bridge and the trail began. The trail started out very slick. The dirt here was likely hard pack. The surface was glistening wet and slick as ice. We managed to get moving down the trail with one or both of us slipping and sliding at any given moment trying not to eat the trail. The prediction - at least one of us would kiss the ground before the run was over.

As we headed down the trail, things got better - the mud got deeper! The trail was fantastically barefoot friendly. Even if there had been no mud the trail would have been all dirt and grass. There were virtually no rocks to speak of the entire run.

The preserve trails were undergoing some maintenance due to flooding and other maintenance repairs, so the plans for a 4-mile, figure-8 loop run that I had envisioned were shot. However, the mud was so AWESOME that it really didn't matter where we were running! We ran south about a mile to a gate across the trail, backtracked our way to a levee path, then east toward the railroad tracks and then south again. Another closed trail. No worries. Why? We had to backtrack through a fantastically flooded mud "pond" - EVEN BETTER! We continued north to the wheelchair accessible paved path and ran that out and back. Back to the mud! We reached the levee path again, we had put on about 3 miles or so and we decided it would be about time to head back - then it happened. Someone kissed the mud! (The identity of the mud kissing runner shall remain nameless to protect the innocent.) ;)

No problem, up and running again all the way back to the bridge. We rinsed our feet in various puddles as we trekked our way across the parking lot. Just as we reached our cars, two other cars arrived to unlock the gate! Oh well!

Thanks, Running Romeo for a great run! Hope to catch you again soon on the road or trail!

Mercedes Barefoot Runner Commercial

2011-03-10T17:21:00.000-08:00

Mercedes Barefoot Runner Commercial

Hey all! Enjoy this new commercial from Mercedes featuring a barefoot runner!

Call of the Wild

2011-03-05T10:57:00.001-08:00

This past week I took a small group of students up to science camp for 3 days of fun in the coastal mountains north of San Francisco. It was supposed to be raining the entire time we were there, but instead we were pleasantly surprised with sunny, warm days. Now, it has been six and a half weeks without running due to a bad cough and pulled intercostal muscles. My body has been screaming to go for a run for a while now. On day 2 of the camp, we went for a hike through the gorgeous redwood forest. Almost the entire time I was scanning the trail imagining how great it would feel on my feet - all the soft needles, the mud, the leaves. In my hometown, there are basically NO trails to run. I could hardly stand it. I could have stripped off my hiking boots and just walked the trail barefoot, but I'm not sure if that would have been the best role-model for my students (considering I'm responsible for their health and well-being while they are away from their parents).

By the time we got back from the hike my body was dying to go for a run. I asked our naturalist if there was any "camp rules" about running the trails. She said no. That was pretty much all I needed to hear. I decided that an early morning trail run was going to happen. I informed the other chaperone that of my plans for the next morning.

Our first morning at the camp was very quiet, but that second morning the natives in the cabin were quite restless. I laid in my bunk contemplating the chill of the morning and whether it was light enough yet. Finally, I just committed and got up, threw on some sweat pants, my beanie hat and headed out the door.

The first quarter mile or so was easy, nice smooth asphalt. The water streaming across the roadway in a few places was quite cold, but refreshing. Then I hit the trailhead - FANTASTIC! Up the hillside I ran. There was a spot just up the trail where we had experimented in making animal tracks in the deep mud. Well, I smiled as I planted my 10 toes right up the middle of the mud and standing water wondering if the next group of kids would notice that there were footprints that did not belong to a four-legged creature.

Then, just beyond the wonderfully soft mud it got tough! This trail is actually more of an access road - nice and wide - but covered in some serious gravel in places. I had noticed the gravel the day before, but thought it was more manageable than it turned out to be. I hobbled along trying to find the best places to put my feet. Not terrible, just hmm more technical than I had planned.

Beyond this point, it was better. I mixed my running between the center of the path and along the edge. The edge had nice cool, wet leaves from fall and grass. The one problem was that the grass and leaves tended to hide larger rocks. I made it down to the creek access and decided it was best to start heading back - the natives would be waking soon.

As I reached our cabin, I came across a couple of people who gave me a bit of an odd look. I just smiled and headed in.

When I entered the cabin, one of my students was awake and began to question me. The conversation went something like this:

Student: "Where did you go?"
Me: "I went for a run."
Student: "But you don't have shoes."
Me: "I know."
Student: "Where?"
Me: "Remember the place where we went to the creek yesterday. There."
Student: "Why'd you go there?"
Me: "Because I don't know anywhere else to run."
Student: "But you're not wearing any shoes."
Me: "I know, that's how I run."
Student: shrugs and his face says 'whatever'
I just laughed.

It was only a quick run. Just a chance to experience a trail that I might not get to try again. A mile to mile and a half at best, but I could not resist the temptation of the Call of the Wild.

Upcoming Runs and other stuff

2011-02-25T20:16:00.000-08:00

So, after 5 and a half weeks of a pain in the ass, hacking cough. I think it's finally on its way out. I've had to ditch my plan to run the Diablo Trails Challenge 50K Ultramarathon in March. I lost way too many training miles to make that happen.

I've been focusing on getting the San Francisco Chapter of the Barefoot Runners Society up and running with group runs. Also, I've been looking for a place for our chapter to participate in the upcoming first annual International Barefoot Running Day on May 1, 2011. I have a few ideas, so if you're in the area stay tuned for an update.

The SF Chapter of BRS also has a new Facebook page so, check it out too if you're on Facebook.

On that note - BRS SF Chapter will be having a group run on March 6, 2011 at 9 a.m. at the Consumnes River Preserve. On March 27, 2011 at 9 a.m. we will have another group run at the Crab Cove Visitor's Center in Alameda. Come join us for a 3 to 5 mile run on either day. Run barefoot, minimalist or even shod (if you're just curious and want to see what it's all about).

Since I dropped my plans for the 50K run in March, I started looking around for other 50k ultras in the area. I happened to pop onto Barefoot KenBob's website and found what was, in my opinion, the most AWESOME race I can think of - The "Born to Run Ultramarathon"!!!! Unfortunately for me, I have more important family obligations that weekend, but I thought I'd let you all know about it.

The Born to Run Ultramarathon is a race being held in the mountains near Santa Barbara. There are several races being held simultaneously - 100 mile, 100k, 50k, and 10 mile. There will be a Barefoot Division! To make things even better - Barefoot KenBob is the guest speaker the night before the race! Check it out if you are free the weekend of May 13- 15th.

Well, that's about all for now. . . I'm dying to get back on the road/trail again after my 5 week hiatus! Will keep you posted about how things are going.

More bad news. . .

2011-02-09T21:21:00.000-08:00

So, as I mentioned in a recent post on my blog, I've been sick with a horrible cough. Well, it has lasted 3 weeks as of this Thursday (tomorrow). The worst part is that I have strained, torn, or otherwise injured my intercostal muscles on the left side of my chest from the violent coughing fits that I have had. For those who are unfamiliar, these are the muscles in between your ribs.

I don't have bronchitis or pneumonia - just a mostly dry, hacking cough. This injury is what put me out of running 3 years ago. I took several months off to heal and then couldn't get back in the saddle on running. Fortunately, my return to running led me to barefoot running.

I haven't run in 3 weeks. Tonight I was itching for a run. I thought, I can run with a little rib pain. Well, that lasted just over a half mile before I was back at my house. An injured intercostal feels like a knife is stuck between your ribs. It hurts to breathe, it hurts to cough, it hurts to lift your arm, and to try and run - well, it's very uncomfortable.

So, now that my cough is almost gone, I'm stuck with this stupid injury. I'm worried that the time I need to take off will put me out of the Diablo Trails Challenge in March. Fingers crossed, but I'm missing miles...

Stockton Half Marathon - A Newbie's First Barefoot Half Marathon

2011-01-27T17:25:00.000-08:00

November 14, 2010 - While tossing and turning through the night wasn’t anything new to me the night before a race, this time the race was the Inaugural Stockton Half Marathon. What was so different about this race? Well, for starters, it was my first barefoot half marathon. Additional stress was coming from the fact that this race was the first half marathon being held in my hometown, which meant that I would likely see friends both runners and spectators – some of whom I had trained with as a shod runner. Lastly, I was racing alongside my brother-in-law, his girlfriend, and my mother. Yep, my mother was racing too! It was to be the first half marathon for all three of them.

My biggest fear - A DNF, as a barefoot runner, in front of a hometown crowd.

My alarm clock blared at 5 a.m. not that I was asleep. I got up, got dressed, and ate a breakfast of oatmeal and chia seeds. Then I downed a glass of iskiate for good measure. Surprisingly, the food helped to ease my nervous stomach. You see, before all of my other big races, I never could stomach anything more than a little toast with peanut butter. Double-checking that I had all my gear, I headed out. I drove over to my mom’s house to pick her up and we headed over to the hotel near the starting line.

As I exited my car, I immediately saw two of my former marathon training buddies. They quickly noted my Vibrams to which I responded that I was only wearing them until the race start – pointing over to the line of port-a-potties. They caught my drift.

My mom and I wandered over to the hotel and went inside where it was nice and warm. Outside it was a chilly 40 degrees. I had opted not to wear my running pants and instead was wearing shorts. After about 15 minutes or so, my mom and I headed over to the area she was supposed to meet her training group for a photo op. Her group never really materialized, so I posed with my mom for a quick pic for the local Fleet Feet owner.

We wandered over to the starting line where we finally ran into my brother-in-law, Chris, and his girlfriend, Dez. Dez was sporting a nice pair of Vibrams for the race. By this point I had shed my own VFF KSOs and had them strapped to my water belt. My mom had begun pointing out to the runners milling about at the start that I was barefoot and crazy. Gee thanks for the support, Mom!

Now, I’ve run barefoot in cold weather – I had started last January. However, I had never really stood around long on cold asphalt. The ball of my left foot had started to feel a little numb and had the feeling as if I was standing on a small, smooth rock. Fortunately the wait didn’t last too long. The announcer came over the speakers for a few last minute announcements. The start horn blew and we were off!

We all raced down the first street and I noted that I still had that lump-like feeling in my left foot. I started to worry. I had never felt this before. I kept wondering if it would go away or if it would get worse as the race progressed. As the herd approached the mile mark, I passed some more extended family members - more concern about a DNF in my hometown.

As I rounded a turn close to mile 2, the odd knot in my foot seemed to disappear. The group approached the University of the Pacific and the levee running path. I crossed the footbridge into U.O.P. and saw others crossing back from the loop through the campus. I was starting to get in a groove.

One of my fears about running through the campus was if the course might take us across cobblestone. That fear turned out to be unfounded as we ran on the concrete sidewalks through the quad area. However, upon my return to the footbridge it turned out there was not a second paved ramp up onto the bridge. Instead there was a 20-foot uphill section of dirt and gravel. I wasn’t greatly concerned since I had run a 10K trail run bare. But I was worried that there could be a sharp rock or broken beer bottle (it was a college campus after all) that could put a quick end to my race. I crossed without incident and made my way across the bridge and onto the levee road.

Now I was in my element. I had run this levee many, many times in training for shod races. The levee road was rougher than the streets that I normally run, but still comfortable to run on.

Along the way, an older gentleman asked me about the Surf City Marathon shirt I was wearing. We started chatting about various races we had done. He was on a mission to run a half marathon in every state. He had done the Pike’s Peak half marathon (a future goal race of mine).

As we ran along, a girl ran up alongside and asked, “Why are you running like that?”

I laughed and explained briefly how barefoot running teaches you to run more efficiently and quickly added that it was fun too! She dropped back to her running companions.

Not long later, the course dropped off the levee road and into town. I was approaching mile 6. Along the side of the course was a guardhouse for one of the gated communities in Stockton. In front of the guardhouse a small crowd had gathered to cheer us runners on.

As I passed the guardhouse, a man shouted, “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Where are your shoes!!!”

I looked at him, looked down at my feet, looked back at him and shouted, “Damn it, I knew I forgot something this morning!”

I continued down the road toward the intersection for the upcoming loop where my dad, my wife and kids were supposed to be watching the race. As I crossed the intersection, I glanced through the small crowd – no sign of them. Feeling a bit disappointed, I continued on down the road. By now I was approaching mile 7 and really getting into a comfortable groove.

As I was coming around the backside of the loop, a guy casually asked, “So, how does that feel?”

I replied, “I’m feeling pretty good.”

Then I received the best compliment I’ve ever received about my running.

“You look like you could run all day like that!”

I was thrilled to hear that! I really did feel like I could run all day like that.

My stride was smooth. My arms were pumping smoothly. My feet seemed to glide across the asphalt. I felt as though I was extremely energy efficient. It was like perfection.

We continued to run and chat through the rest of the loop. As we approached mile 9 and the intersection again, there was a long stretch of shattered glass that spanned about 25 yards. I kept a measured stride and put my full concentration on clearing this obstacle course of glass.

As we entered the intersection, I saw my kids playing around on camp chairs on the corner. They were both fully distracted by things other than runners. I shouted my kid’s names as I ran by, even lagging a bit trying to prolong the moment that I passed them. They looked up as I passed and we waved to each other and I was off and running again.

After passing through the intersection, we turned down the street that would lead us back toward the river levee. This was the first of two major surface obstacles that I would face on this course. This street was in the middle of a repaving. The center of the street was beautiful, smooth, freshly paved asphalt. The edges were scraped with long streaks of uneven, rough asphalt. The cones marking the run vs. drive portions of the road were right along the dividing line of the new and old asphalt. I tried running in the designated area for a few feet and decided that was definitely not a good idea. So, for the stretch of road under construction I tried to straddle the “cone line” on the smooth asphalt watching for cars as I went. When I had to, I would run on the rough stuff.

I reached the levee frontage road, which was the end of the road construction. In my mind, I was approaching the home stretch. I was about at mile 10. My feet felt great. However, my legs were starting to feel a bit sluggish – my pace had dropped down to about 10:30/mile. I redoubled my efforts and focused on my form. This picked my pace back up to about a 9-minute mile. The next two miles went pretty smooth.

Nearing the 12-mile mark, I was back to the main street that took us out at the beginning. However, something had changed. We were not running on the main road on the way back in. Instead we were on the winding walking path next to the roadway. No big deal I thought. Then it happened. I crossed an intersection just beyond the 12-mile mark. The pathway changed texture. Instead of nice paved asphalt, the path was now horrifically paved chip seal.

Now, I’ve run on chip seal before. It’s not always terrible. It just is a bit more challenging and there is a bit more “sensation” coming through the feet. This chip seal was not that kind of chip seal. The small rocks embedded in the asphalt were sharp and widely spaced. This did not provide a decent surface in which to run barefoot. So, I did what I had to do. I ran on the grass alongside the path. Doesn’t sound so bad? Well, again, not ideal. The grass was a good 6 to 7 inches high with very soft soil underneath. It felt like running through dry sand at the beach -definitely not what you want to be running through on the last mile of a half marathon. I slogged along until I reached the roadway at the end of the path. By now my feet were caked with wet loose grass. When I hit the roadway, I paused for a moment. I had been carrying a water bottle that I had not used yet. I popped the top and doused my feet shedding my “grass shoes”.

Less than a half-mile to go! I picked up the pace. The two-hour mark was approaching fast. Not going to be a PR, I thought. Oh well, first barefoot half marathon - it’s a new kind of PR!

I crossed the finish line, arms up in triumph and a smile. I had done it. A half marathon – barefoot! Official results – 2:06:17, 20 out of 27 in my division, 285/638 overall.

My mother, Chris, and Dez had somehow bumped into each other toward the end of the race. They all finished their first half marathon at 3:13 with my son and daughter escorting them across the finish.

Next stop, a barefoot marathon.

Ultramarathon Training - Part I

2011-01-24T20:33:00.000-08:00

So, I got it in my crazy head to try a 50K ultramarathon. My goal race is the Diablo Trails Challenge in March.

How did this happen? Well, it was kind of a sequence of events that got me in trouble. It all began last February with an article by Jason Robillard of Barefoot Running University. The article was "Can I Run Ultras If I'm Already a Slow Runner".

Now, prior to reading this article I always thought of ultramarathoners as crazy, elite runners who had some kind of special superhuman ability to run for a ridiculous number of miles. I had read in Born to Run by Christopher McDougall about races like the Leadville 100 and Badwater in Death Valley - not to mention the fact that the book revolves around a 50 mile race in a desert canyon in northern Mexico. My notions about ultras was built on these amazing athletes that could run all kinds of crazy distances. So, an ultramarathon, for me, was out of the question.

In Jason's article, he talks about how being a slow runner can be a positive in long distance running. Next, he demonstrates how this can be true for a person interested in finishing their first . Jason asks you to look up the cutoff time for any 50K race. Then use a pace calculator like Cool Running to determine the per mile pace you would need to run to complete in under the cutoff time. For my goal race that turned out to be 19:18 per mile. The seed was sown.

The day before running the Stockton Half Marathon (posting coming soon), my neighbor loaned me the book Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes.

After completing the Stockton Half Marathon (my first barefoot half marathon), I felt a confirmation of sorts about the barefoot training I had been doing all year. I had never before felt as good as I did post-race than I did after this race.

Now, I've heard good and bad things about Dean Karnazes. I am not going to takes sides because that is not my concern nor is it the purpose of this post. For me, the progression of events that Dean describes in his book fed the curiosity in my mind about ultramarthon running. In short, reading this book helped sprout the seed sown by Jason.

Next, I looked up a 50K training schedule online - Santa Clarita Runners. I plugged in the date for the Diablo Trails Challenge and printed out the schedule. The schedule is based on successive runs that build through the weeks. The mid-week runs are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; the long runs are split over Saturday and Sunday.

So, I was set! Or so I thought. The beginning of my training schedule started the week of Christmas. Since Christmas fell on a Saturday this year, I didn't get in my first long runs. The second week wasn't much better because this was New Year's weekend. So much for serious training.

Once I got past the chaos of the holiday season, I got down to business. While I missed a short run here or there, I started increasing mileage fast. I was feeling great - tired, but great! The purpose behind back to back runs is to run miles while your legs are still fatigued. This allows your body to feel what it is like to run long miles without having to spend hours at a time day in and day out.

All was going well until this past week. I had just finished with a fantastic 24 mile week (was supposed to be 32) - with my longest run of 14 miles. I started this past week with a 4-mile on Tuesday and a 6-miler on Thursday. I had taken Wednesday off because I was just tired. Well, Thursday night I started feeling a tickle in my throat. By the weekend, I had a full-on dry, hacking cough.

My thinking is that I had so worn down my body with more miles than I had done in a long time that I had opened myself up to illness. With two school-aged kids and myself being a teacher, I am bombarded daily with all sorts of germs. Well, one of them got me.

So, I took the weekend off and slept and slept and then slept some more. Usually when I get sick, I don't slow down. I plow right through it. However, in this case, since my body is physically spent from running, I'm actually listening to my body.

With a little luck and some more rest I'll be back on the road later this week, piling on more miles in training for my first ultramarathon.

Stay tuned for the next installment of my progress (post-illness).

Sharing an article

2011-01-17T19:26:00.001-08:00

Last Place Jason just posted this article on competitor.com First of a 4-part series...enjoy everyone!

http://running.competitor.com/2011/01/features/baring-your-soles-is-barefoot-running-right-for-you_20539

Cold Weather Running

2011-01-09T22:31:00.000-08:00

So, after Tuesday's toe-swelling/frostbite-like mishap (or whatever it was). I decided that now is the time that I have to switch to the "minimalist" side of the barefoot/minimalist runner. For some reason, I don't recall last winter being quite so cold. I started this barefoot journey last January and never once had an issue of being too cold.

On Thursday I went into my local REI and purchased a pair of injinji socks to wear inside my VFFs. I was interested in trying a pair of these socks to see how they might help with the cooler weather. My main intention in buying the injinji socks was for my huaraches that I recently bought from invisibleshoe.com. (Stay tuned for another post about my new huaraches.) However, I plan on taking the huaraches out bare for a couple runs this week before utilizing the injinji socks for warmth and any possible chafing between the toes.

I went for an 8-mile long run yesterday evening. It was an odd feeling of wearing "shoes" with socks and running. It has been a long time since I've had that feeling on my feet. However, my feet felt nice and toasty. Another benefit I found to wearing the injinji socks was that I did not get any blisters on the inside ball of my foot from my VFFs. I had previously had issues with getting a small 1/4 inch circular blister, often on my right foot, from the Vibrams.

The one downside that I experienced during yesterday's run was not shoe/foot related, but diet. Around mile 4 I started feeling a bit off in the stomach area. By mile 5 I really started to feel bloated. I started taking short 30-second walking breaks. I decided that I needed to focus on something other than the nauseating feeling that I was having. I buckled down for the next mile and a half and concentrated on running form - good arm swinging, lifting my foot, and quick cadence. I managed to make it to about 6.5-miles before the nausea took over again. I spent the last mile and a half walking more than running. I managed to complete the 8-mile run in 1:27. Disappointing since it was 13 minutes slower than my previous 8-mile a couple weeks ago.

So, back to the cold weather running. Like many newbie-barefooters, I was a purist. Now, I'm feeling more comfortable with delving into the minimalist mentality of Last Place Jason from Barefoot University - go barefoot when you can and use the most minimalist shoe for the situation. The colder weather, upcoming trail runs and other situations are making me consider my minimalist options. My preference would be huaraches, but that is still to be determined.

Until then, it's all about staying warm!

Barefoot Running Shirts and Stickers

2011-01-05T19:21:00.000-08:00

Hello all! I have designed some barefoot running shirts and stickers with more products to come. I hope you like them (and if you do, I hope you buy one or two or more!!!). I welcome any feedback.

http://www.zazzle.com/barefootterry

My Coldest Run

2011-01-04T21:46:00.001-08:00

So, yeah... tonight was about the coldest barefoot run I've ever done (35 degrees). I think my toes are still down there, though I couldn't really feel them after the first mile. I don't know how you barefoot snow runners do it. On a positive note - my first mile was 8 min with a 8:15/mi pace overall for the 2 miles. Getting faster!!!

My huarache kit is in the mail. I hope it comes soon. I don't know how my feet will keep up with these temps. Yes, to all you snow runners, I'm a wuss.

First (but old) Barefoot Running Injury...

2010-12-23T16:36:00.000-08:00

So, this is an old blog post from my Barefoot Runners Society page that I had forgotten to post on here...Was originally posted on 9/22/10...Enjoy!

So, I went out for a quick 3 mile run this evening. I had reached about the half mile mark. I was approaching a corner at the end of a dead-end street. I heard and saw the lights of a car coming from around the corner. I hopped up onto the curb to avoid being smashed by a car blindly turning right. Funny thing, there's this construction sign on the corner (passed it many times). It has square legs that are like an upside-down T. As I passed it, I managed to kick the end of one leg with my right foot just under my pinkie toe. I kept running about 3 paces thinking that it kinda hurt and that it was a damn stupid thing to do. Then I remembered that the end of the pipe leg I just kicked was an open square pipe. I stopped to look at my foot and realized I had sliced it pretty good. End of evening run.
Managed to walk about half-way home before realizing I could still run on it. Made it home, snapped some pictures and jumped in the shower to wash it off.
Bandaged and ready to run again in another day or two.

The First 100-Miles

2010-12-09T21:02:00.001-08:00

On November 14, 2010, I ran the inaugural Stockton Half Marathon. About two miles into this event marked my 100th mile running barefoot. This milestone is special to me for two reasons: first, one hundred miles run barefoot is a milestone in itself; second, the race took place in my hometown. Here is a look back at my first 100 barefoot miles.

My first barefoot run took place almost a year ago. I had received Christopher McDougall’s book “Born to Run” as a Christmas gift. At that time, I didn’t know that the book had anything to do with barefoot running. I had asked for the book because I had heard about the Tarahumara Indians running incredible distances and I was looking for inspiration. I had been out of running for about two years. Prior to this break from running, I had run a number of half marathons and three full marathons. Not long after my last marathon I pulled a muscle in my ribs from a horrendous cough and cold. After about 6 months of healing and no running, I had lost my built up endurance and with it my motivation for running.

My hope in reading “Born to Run” was to discover just a little bit of Tarahumara knowledge, so I might apply it to my marathon running. In all my training and racing over 2 years, I could never hit a 4-hour marathon. All of my training pointed to it, but on race day I could never pull it off. I had no idea that while devouring that book over 2 days it would lead me to an entirely different perspective on my running.

On the morning of January 2, 2010, I got dressed in my winter running clothes, but I left my shoes in the closet. It was an invigorating 2.5-mile run around my neighborhood. I was hooked instantly. I loved running barefoot. In the weeks and months to follow I relished in the sensations and feedback that different surfaces gave my feet. I discovered that I preferred to run on the asphalt of the street versus the concrete sidewalk. I learned that running across manholes or the wheelchair accessible metal ramps, with their inch-and-a-half circular bumps, on street corners were not fun, even in Vibrams. I even learned that the bare foot does not like kicking metal L-bars at the base of construction signs - apparently it causes large gashes that require an up to date tetanus shot. My favorite experiences running barefoot have been running in the rain, splashing through puddles like a kid; and running through mud puddles on the Cinderella Trail 10k while shod runners dodged to the sides of the trail to avoid them.

However, like many newbie barefoot runners, I did far too much too soon. I ended up struggling for months with the infamous top of foot pain (TOFP). I would take a few days to a week off and try again, but I couldn’t seem to shake my TOFP issues.

One of my early goals had been to run the Avenue of the Vines Half Marathon last May. I opted for the 5K instead of the half marathon due to continuing TOFP and a likely bone bruise. I finished in a respectable 26:42.8 (sixth in my age bracket). Afterwards I took about two months off to properly heal my foot and to learn my art.

During this time, I read up on running form, watched videos, asked questions and contemplated my running goals and how to achieve them. By August I was back! Barefoot John and I took on the 10K Cinderella Trail Run in the Oakland Hills. While my time was not fantastic, 1:35:01, I was able to complete my first attempt at a trail run barefoot.

Next stop - Half Marathon.

There are quite a few fun half marathons in my surrounding area in the fall. However, when I heard that my hometown was holding the inaugural Stockton Half Marathon, I could not think of a better time or place to run my first barefoot half marathon.

I began my half marathon training not long after my first trail race. With two young children at home, finding time to train can be difficult. Some weeks I managed to get in two runs. Some weeks I did none. Most weeks, I was able to get at least one good run. In the final few weeks to the race, my work schedule became hectic and running took a back seat. The most I had run to this point was 6 miles barefoot. The Saturday before the race I managed an 8-mile run with just under a 10-minute per mile pace. I had a quarter-sized blister develop starting at mile 5 just behind my toes on my left foot. I noticed I was pushing off and corrected for the remaining three miles. I managed not to tear the blister - an indicator of using proper form.

My biggest fear going into the half marathon was that I had not done enough training. I was fearful of what would happen when I past 8 miles. Would I get a TOFP type injury? Would I be unable to finish the race? The last thing I wanted was to be the lone barefoot racer and have a bad showing. I didn’t want to hear the “see, I told you so” commentary.

Fortunately, it appears that my feet have finally made the transition to barefoot running. Despite not having been able to complete all of my training runs, I have made up for it in focus and proper form. I was able to complete my first barefoot half marathon without any problems.

While I still feel that I have a lot to learn about barefoot running, I believe I have developed the initial foot strength and basic knowledge to take it to the next level. Having met my initial goal of a barefoot half marathon, I am now looking to complete a barefoot marathon (possibly a trail marathon). I have recently become interested in the possibility of venturing beyond the marathon and into the realm of the ultramarathoner.

Here’s to the next 100 miles and beyond!

Cinderella Trail Run 10K: A Newbie’s First Trail Run

2010-09-04T20:30:00.001-07:00

August 14, 2010 - It was a cool, misty, wet morning in the hills above Oakland, California. Costal Trail Runs was putting on a 10K, half marathon, marathon and 50K ultra. The drive to Joaquin Miller Park had been without traffic (a rarity for the San Francisco Bay Area) and I arrived earlier than expected. I walked down to the registration area in my VFFs, got my number, hit the restrooms and then wandered back to my truck to get out of the chill morning air. The temperature was about 56 degrees. Not terribly cold, but enough to chill someone in running shorts.

Being an Eagle Scout, I consider myself fairly well versed on hiking trails, but this Saturday, I dared to try something new - a trail run. Not only that, I decided to run it barefoot.

So, there I sat in my truck trying to keep warm. After about 15 minutes, I decided I was bored enough and headed back toward the starting area to look for fellow BRS member, Barefoot John. By the time I made it down the hill, John was there waiting. There was about 15 minutes until the start. We chatted a bit then headed to the growing line for the restrooms. A couple of the runners in line noticed my VFFs and asked if I was running in them today.

“Nope. I just don’t want to walk in the bathroom barefoot,” I said. “We’re both running barefoot today.”

John and I talked about our experiences running barefoot - how long we’d been running bare and what distances we were running. Afterwards, we walked back to the start area. By now, the clock had ticked down. I stripped off my VFFs and strapped them to my water belt. John had his Terra Planas tied to the back of his. We wandered into the crowd of runners milling about the start/finish area. A few last words from the director and we were off and running...well sort of.

The race began in a wonderfully soft, field filled with grass and clover. As the runners raced toward the edge of the field, the run quickly became a walk and then a stand. I guess 255 people moving in a field 50 yards across to a trail that is no more than 6 feet wide causes a bit of a bottleneck.

Start/Finish Area

For the first mile or so, John and I managed to stay together, walking, standing, and running up the hillside. The ground felt great. There was a mist drifting through the tall oaks and redwoods. The dripping trees left the ground wet that morning. There were lots of cool, squishy, mud puddles to splash through. John and I thought that it was quite humorous to watch all of the shod runners frantically running to the edges of the trail to avoid the mud, while we enthusiastically plowed through the middle of every one in our path.

After the first mile, John and I became separated by several runners. I spent a little time trying to catch up. However, I recalled my first marathon when I expended lots of energy to catch a friend after stopping to use the restroom. Not wanting to sap myself of energy at the start of my first trail run, I decided to just go with the flow.

The initial adrenaline from the start had settled a bit allowing me to slip into a rhythm and focus on the ground in front of me. A physical therapist, curious about barefoot running, struck up a conversation with me. We chatted and ran together for about the next mile. He was curious, but not convinced enough to try barefoot running himself, let alone recommend it to his patients.

A bit after the 2-mile mark, there was a bit of confusion as to whether we were to take what looked like a fire road off to the right or the trail to the left. I had been so focused on the ground in front of me I hadn’t noticed the turn marker leading up to the intersection. A group of about 15 had gathered at the intersection offering their opinions, until someone noticed a marker about 50 feet down the trail to the left. The small crowd was off and running again. By now, I was feeling great and the trail was relatively smooth and soft.

I reached the aid station at just under the 3-mile mark. I paused for a moment, trying to decide if I would partake of the refreshments. I decided against drinking the CLIF beverages since I had never trained with it. The last thing I wanted to be doing was copping a squat in the forest somewhere off the trail. I took a drink from my water bottle and headed down the fire road as some of the 10k leaders were coming off the loop and heading for the finish.

Rocky Road

Unlike the first half of the course, this section of the trail was quite exposed to the sky. The ground was dry and rocky. Gone were the cool mud puddles. The beginning of the loop was a long steady drop. As I approached about 3.5 miles, I heard a small group of runners approaching from behind. Since I was pussyfooting my way down the rocky downhill, I figured I’d step to the side and let them pass. Just as they were passing, I felt a small, but fiery pain in the crook of my right elbow. For a moment, I thought I had stupidly let my arm catch a thorn-ridden vine. I looked down at my elbow and noticed a bee or wasp of some sort stuck in the fabric of my shirt. More fiery pain. I flicked the bugger away and thought, “Oh, crap. What am I gonna do about this?”

Though I am not allergic, I have been known to have various body parts swell up from mosquito bites over the years. I figured that maybe if I got the blood flowing again the pain might subside. So, I took off down the trail at a good clip for about a half-mile. By now, the pain had subsided to the point of a dull ache on the front and back of my elbow.

As I approached mile 4, there was a long steady climb ahead. I recalled looking at the elevation map of the course, it was going to be ugly. It turned out to be about a half-mile straight up with a gain of about 400 feet. There was another runner on the hill with me training for the Tahoe marathon. We both decided that the hill was really too steep to run and decided to walk up this one.

One of the most common questions I most encounter is, “What if you step on a rock?” My usual response is, “I don’t step on the rocks.” Ironically, while barefoot “running” this course, I did fine. However, while “walking” my way up this hillside, I stepped on a baseball-sized rock at the exact center of my arch. I winced but did not let on to my hill climbing companion of the moment that I had made such a stupid mistake. This mistake later turned into a quarter sized blue patch on the bottom of my foot the next day.

I made it to the top of the hill and back to the aid station. At this point, I decided that a cup of CLIF drink couldn’t hurt me now with only about a mile and a half to go on the course. I downed a cup and headed back out on the trail. For the next half-mile or so it was nice, soft dirt and the occasional mud puddle, with little rock to trouble my feet. I quickly reached the turn off for the final loop down to the finish.

About the 5-mile mark proved to be one of the most challenging sections of the trail. It was dry, completely littered with rocks, and very steep. There was no way of running this section. I began carefully picking my way down the trail as fast as I could. A couple I had passed at the turn was now gaining on me.

The man shouted ahead to me, “Hey, did you read Born to Run?”

“Yep!” I replied.

As he shot past me down the rocky trail, he said, “Are you still glad you read Born to Run?”

“Yeah, but this section isn’t fun.” I joked.

Just before reaching the bottom of this torturous hill, I heard a noise and turned to see about 10 mountain bikers bouncing down the trail. Several of us stood to the side to let them pass.

I wanted to say, “You know, we’re kinda on a clock here. Could ya speed it up?”

I made it down the final 50 or so feet to the bottom of the hill where it intersected the final path to the finish. I recognized this section from scouting the area with my family a few days earlier. I guessed I was about a half-mile to the finish. (My Garmin had lost satellite reception a while back.) I kicked up the pace, since the trail was wide, flat and full of soft dirt. I entered the big grassy field and saw the FINISH tent and made a dash for it.

Finish time for my first barefoot 10k trail run 1:35:01. Barefoot John had made it just ahead of me with a time of 1:28:28.

Several times along the trail I had contemplated throwing on my VFFs, but I really wanted to experience my first trail run fully barefoot. With the exception of the bee sting and the bruised arch, I was thrilled to have completed my goal of running a trail barefoot!

This past week I read Jason Robillard’s blog about his recent barefoot marathon. In his blog Jason mentions the idea of using “the most minimal shoe for the job.” Having completed my first barefoot trail run, I completely understand where Jason is coming from. Having thoroughly enjoyed my barefoot trail run, I definitely see more trail running in my future. Should the trail be barefoot friendly, I will be barefoot. However, having the choice of “minimalist” options given the terrain is something I will surely consider. As a person who prefers to run barefoot, I see no reason to risk injuring myself on a trail or other surface just to be able to say, “I ran it barefoot.” But you know what? I did a 10K trail run and yeah, I did it BAREFOOT!

My post-race feet

My Muddy Toes

Barefoot John

Good As New!

2010-06-29T15:23:00.000-07:00

I'm back!
I took a hiatus for 6 weeks from running after my 5K barefoot race due to TOFP and worries of a possible stress fracture in my left foot (5th metatarsal area).

On Sunday, I met up with fellow BRS member, barefootjohn, for a BF run in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. We were hoping for a few other members, but as luck would have it there was just the two of us.

Leading up to my 5k race in May, I had been struggling with TOFP and a worrisome bruise-like feeling in the 5th metatarsal area of my left foot. I was concerned that I had pushed it too hard and had a stress fracture as a result. So, after the 5K I was determined to rest my foot. NO RUNNING. This was difficult to do. I had really gotten a groove with barefoot running and wanted to do more. However, I knew I needed to heal completely before going back to running.

As the N. California BRS group run date approached, I was concerned because although my TOFP had completely disappeared, there was still a lingering stiffness and light bruised feeling along the outside of my left foot. I did some reading on the BRS site and found some discussion of pain along the peroneal tendon. This seemed to fit my pains more than the idea of a stress fracture.

Sunday arrived and I drove out to SF. Barefootjohn and I met up at Spreckles Lake in Golden Gate Park. It's a manmade lake about half a mile around. It's quite an interesting place with a large group of people doing Tai Chi and turtles basking on a giant stone turtle in the lake. There is a paved path around the lake that varies from nice and smooth to painfully eroded. John and I took two laps around completely barefoot. On the third lap, John decided to run with his Terra Planas. After the run, we chatted a bit about running and future plans for races and whatnot.

The outcome of my first run after 6 weeks was GREAT! Of course the extremely rough pavement gave my feet a good raw feeling as well as a very tiny, quarter inch blister at the center of the ball of my left foot. As for the side of my left foot??? EXCELLENT! No stiffness and the bruised feeling seems to have mostly disappeared.

I'M BACK!!! GOOD AS NEW!!!

California Chapter of the Barefoot Runner Society

2010-05-22T20:05:00.000-07:00

Hello Barefoot Runners!!!

I would like to announce that I am the California Chapter President of the new Barefoot Runners Society!!!

From the BRS website:

"Changing the running world one odd look at a time"
Mission:

To offer resources that unite barefoot runners from around the country.
To promote barefoot running and minimalist running around the country and at race events as a competitive sport.
To educate the running public on the health benefits of barefoot and minimalist running.
To dispel the myths associated with barefoot running that negatively impact the sport.

If you are a barefoot runner, especially if you are in California, I have invites to join the BRS. I'll be organizing events in California and coordinating with the national group for larger events to come. Contact me if you're interested in receiving an invite.

My First Barefoot Race

2010-05-18T23:32:00.000-07:00

Sunday, May 16, 2010 at 7:15 a.m. I officially started my first barefoot race - Avenue of the Vines 5K in Lodi, California.

First of all, to those of you who are just finding my blog. I began running barefoot this past January after reading "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall. My goal was to run the Avenue of the Vines Half Marathon. Due to two illnesses (in the final 9 week training ramp up) and some transitioning difficulty, I decided the weekend before the race to run the 5K. Better safe than sorry.

Rewind to Friday Evening . . .

I walked into my local running store to sign up for the 5K. The lady at the table was putting together my envelope with the timing chip, race bib, etc. She was adding the little zip ties to the envelope when I told her, "I don't need those. I'm running the race barefoot." She gave me an 'odd look' (to steal a phrase from the Barefoot Runners Society) and simply replied, "Oookay."

I began walking across the store to pick up my t-shirt when I spotted the owner. I shouted across the store that I wanted to talk to him before I left. He shouted back, "You and I have nothing to talk about. You're a BAREFOOT RUNNER now!" He was joking, of course. We knew each other from several of his half and full marathon training groups I had trained with. We spoke about minimalist shoes and barefoot running. He mentioned reading my letter to the editor of the local paper about barefoot running and how I was stealing business from him. I asked if he carried the neoprene triathlon chip strap for my timing chip. He said no, but I could attach them to my SHOES! We laughed and I left the store.

Arrival at the Race . . .

I arrived about an hour prior to the race because I wanted to be able to find a good parking spot that would allow me an easy escape after the race.

Decision to make... Do I wear my VFFs while walking around for the hour or do I ditch the shoes in my truck and go barefoot for an hour? After a couple of ins and outs of my truck, I decided that I didn't want to have to find my way back to my truck just before the race to ditch my Vibrams. So, I went barefoot.

It was a bit chilly that morning and standing on cool pavement without my shoes didn't help much. I wandered around the various vendor booths and checked out the starting area. I'll admit I felt a bit odd standing around barefoot. I wasn't part of a training group and hadn't found anyone I knew yet.

The Race . . .

When people start lining up at the start, I usually find a good spot in the middle to front. I am careful about starting so far up front that I'm a pain to those faster than me and on the flip side don't want to have to dodge people slower than myself.

Being that it was my first 5K and barefoot, I didn't want to get too caught up in the adrenaline rush and start out too fast. I moved myself to at least three-quarters of the way to the back. HUGE MISTAKE. Again, being that it was my first 5K, I had no idea that there would be so many strollers, walkers and teams of walkers. This proved to be quite the obstacle for almost the first half of the race. Some teams spanned out almost the entire width of the roadway. When I used to run shod, I would just go onto the shoulder and pass. Barefoot on a country road, no way that was going to happen. There was way too much large gravel, thorny-weedy grass and other undesirables for a newbie barefooter to deal with.

By the time I reached the mile mark, things had gotten better. I had started to get into a groove at about an 8:50 pace. I was taking it easy as not to aggravate my tender left foot and I also didn't want to blow all my energy at the start. Just prior to my reaching the mile and a half marker, the lead runners were heading full steam on their way back. (By the way, it was an out and back course.)

After I hit the turn around, I had really found a sweet spot. I had increased my pace to about an 8:30. I was passing lots of runners now. I was really focusing on my cadence and stride. Then I remembered something that Barefoot Jason had written - SMILE. I was having fun, so I began to SMILE as I ran. I could hear conversations of people pointing me out. One lady still on her way out shouted, "Doesn't that hurt?" I smiled big and replied, "Nope!" By now I could hear the announcer at the finish calling out names. I became very excited. The finish line was approaching! I was about 2.5 miles in now.

I could see the race photographer. I smiled big and gave a big two thumbs up as I approached. I reached the final turn and noticed that the asphalt was very badly worn. I took the turn wide down the middle of the roadway. I could see the finish line now. I increased my pace once more for a final dash as a shod runner tried to beat me into the chute.

The running store owner called out my name as I crossed the finish line. I had finished my first BAREFOOT race! Twenty-six minutes and forty-two seconds after I had started, I crossed the finish line. I ranked 46th out of 321 runners overall. In my age bracket (30 - 39) I placed 6th out of 27.

Then came my favorite moment of the entire morning. I approached the volunteers retrieving timing chips. The high school aged volunteer looked at me, looked down at my feet, and looked back at me. He was speechless. As he looked to his friend, I said, "Hold on, I'll take care of it." I bent down, undid the neoprene strap around my ankle and stripped the chip off of the band. As I stood back up, I handed him the chip. He stood there looking at the chip in his hand as if it was from outer space or something. I smiled big and walked away to get some water. I think he stood there for a good 30 seconds after I left holding the chip in his hand.

Final Thoughts. . .

Truth be told, my left foot was a bit sore due to my TOFP issues (as well as dropping a desk leg across the top of my barefoot 3 days prior to the race). However, it has been two days since the race and the pain had begun to subside. While I didn't get to do my barefoot half marathon, I am very glad to have my first barefoot race behind me. My plan now is to allow my foot to rest and to start back a little slower to allow my feet to fully strengthen.

Stay tuned for some exciting news related to some work I will be doing for the Barefoot Runners Society. . .

Good News. Bad News.

2010-05-08T14:19:00.001-07:00

I'm a week away from running my first barefoot half marathon.

GOOD NEWS... I had been struggling in training with being sick and TOFP. I took a hiatus for 2 weeks for TOFP leaving me 2 1/2 weeks to prepare for my half marathon. I went out this morning in my VFFs to attempt a 10 mile run to see if the foot would hold up to the mileage. When I reached about 2.5 miles, I was feeling winded. I was worried that I would not have the endurance to complete my 10 mile goal. However, by mile 4 I was moving smooth! I had found my zone and was feeling great. I got to mile 5 with no pain whatsoever!

The VFFs were giving me a little hot spot on the inside ball of my right foot, so I thought I'd take them off for the run back home.

BAD NEWS. . . I made it about a mile barefoot before the TOFP returned. I put my VFFs back on to see if they would alleviate some of the stress/pain in my foot. They did somewhat, but not greatly. I made it to about mile 7 before I was running with walking breaks.

FRUSTRATION! I'm stubborn enough to try the half marathon in VFFs. I'm not stupid enough to believe I can do it completely barefoot at this point. The question is how bad is this round of TOFP- is it a day or two thing or the 2 week kind??? Good thing is I haven't signed up yet. I might just settle for the 5K and do that barefoot. Who knows?

Possible treatment for TOFP - Alpaca Shearing!!!

2010-04-11T22:02:00.001-07:00

Hello all!
Last Thursday I ran an easy 4 miler. It was supposed to be 5 miles. However, I started to feel a little bit of that TOFP creeping back, so I cut my run a little short. When I got home and showered, the realization that I was having a relapse of the dreaded TOFP set in. Fortunately, the pain was not as bad as my previous run in 3 months ago which sidelined me for 2 full weeks. With my first barefoot half marathon looming 5 weeks away, I was fearful that another 2 week hiatus would crush my chances.
Enter alpaca shearing. This weekend I went up to my friend's ranch to help them shear 50 alpacas. To say this job is exhausting is an understatement. Try wrestling one of these beasts to the ground (some weighing up to 200 lbs.) to be shorn against their will. Then do it 49 more times. But here's the great news - my TOFP was gone by the end of the first day!
How do I think this happened? Well, in shearing alpacas you do A LOT of kneeling and bending. There are times when I was kneeling, sitting back on my feet with the tops of my feet flat to the ground. Other times I was squatting and up on my toes. These two positions forced my feet into positions that ultimately stretched the muscles repeatedly over an extended period of time. Essentially I stretched my foot muscles a lot.
My true hope is that I don't get TOFP again, but should it happen...I'll be kneeling and squatting a lot.
If anyone else has had any experiences with TOFP and was able to get it to stop with anything other than rest, rest, rest, let me know!

My response to a local newspaper article: So-called "health risks of being barefoot"

2010-04-09T20:55:00.000-07:00

So, I opened my local newspaper today at lunch and saw this article. . .
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100409/A_NEWS/4090320/-1/A_NEWS and my poor co-workers got to hear an earful from me about barefoot running.
Granted, this article is not referring to barefoot "running". Additionally, I am NOT opposed to individuals in any country, let alone a developing country, not having access to shoes. However, the article cites the "health risks" of being barefoot without even explaining what those "risks" are. Now, I can see that children or adults wading through some toxic trash heap without shoes is not healthy in any way, shape or form. However, maybe the real issue there is that there is a toxic trash heap in their neighborhood, NOT that they are barefoot. I would imagine that wading through a toxic waste dump with shoes is just as unhealthy.
I plan to write a letter to the editor to bring our message of healthy, strength building barefoot running!!! GO Barefoot Runners Society!!!

UPDATE: Letter was published on 4/23/2010. Here is the link to the newspaper. It was edited slightly, but not much.
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100423/A_OPINION02/4230307

Barefoot Running Form

2010-04-06T18:07:00.001-07:00

In training for my first barefoot half marathon, I ran 5 miles last week (longest distance to date barefoot). Unfortunately I got my first blisters after 3 months and 40 miles of barefooting. I gave my feet about a week to recover - I didn't want to drain the blisters lest I get an infection on my foot and have to wait longer to run bare.
Last night I ran just about 4 miles. I focused on two main things - putting my foot down as vertically as possible and no pushing off (my mantra was "lift the foot, lift the foot). I got back from my run without any issues. Important observation #1 - I didn't tear my blisters. I think this was my best indicator of proper running form. I figured if I got lazy like on my 5 mile run, I'd tear my blisters for sure and come limping home. Observation #2 - no hot spots. On occasion at the end of a run I would often have a couple spots on the balls of my feet that were a little sensitive. NOT A SINGLE ONE last night!!!
My conclusion is that prior to my 5 mile run, I was doing okay on form. The blisters at 5 miles were indicative of me slacking off. Focusing on proper form not only prevented the tearing of the old blisters and no appearance new blisters but eliminated all hot spots.
Lesson learned - take your time, run with attention and have FUN!!!

P.S. Saw a boat load of glass on a 20 foot stretch of road even in the dark with only a little light from the street lamps. Ran through most of it with my eyes open. Hey mom, I DIDN'T STEP ON IT! Followed the advice from Last Place Jason - made a mental map of the area and placed my feet accordingly.

Iskiate: Home-brewed Red Bull???

2010-03-17T13:35:00.000-07:00

I began training for my first marathon in January 2006. I struggled with nutrition for my runs. I generally only carry water and eat peanut butter on bread before a run. The reason being that in almost every race I've struggled with food and drink. In my first half marathon I was over-hydrated, felt bloated and wanted to vomit. In my first marathon I was dehydrated and dry heaved every other mile or so. In my second marathon I had a cold/cough. I took cold medicine the morning of the race and dry heaved from mile 7 to 25. To say I've had it rough is understating it. I freely admit that I don't have a cast iron stomach. However, I'm not one to quit.

The training groups I was a part of suggested things like Power Gel, GU, Clif Shots, and others. These supplements do not agree with my palate no matter the flavor. The only supplement that I've had some level of success with was Jelly Belly Sports Beans. I would describe them as jelly beans with Gatorade in them. One problem I did have with them was that after running 20+ miles the sweetness factor would overcome me and make me want to heave. I had to counteract the sweetness with pretzel sticks. As for drinks, I tried drinking Cytomax. Cytomax works great for me as a recovery drink, but on a run it sometimes, well, gave me the runs. GU20 is a little better, but not much.

So, what to do? Water and peanut butter sandwiches? Why not try Iskiate?

Iskiate, also known as chia fresca, is a drink that the Raramuri of the Copper Canyons in Mexico use for energy. It is comprised of water, chia seeds (yes - as in Chia Pets), lime juice and agave nectar (or sugar). Christopher McDougall describes it as home-brewed Red Bull in his book Born to Run. Couldn't be any worse than anything I'd already tried. Besides, it was natural, not engineered.

After I had begun barefooting for a couple of weeks, I got curious about iskiate. I did a quick websearch to see if there was a recipe of some sort. On the blogsite for the No Meat Athlete he discusses the recipes for both iskiate and pinole. I went to my local health food store and bought a small pouch of chia seeds. It was a bit pricey, but I didn't want to buy a large supply unless I knew it was worth it.

Prior to my next run I mixed up a small batch of iskiate and downed it. I went out on my run. I don't know what I was expecting. Was I going to go and run 100 miles like the Tarahumara? Was I going to vomit? What would happen? Well, nothing overly dramatic really happened. I felt great on the run. At the end of the run I still had a lot of energy to spare. My stomach felt fine. I wasn't weighed down by the drink. My first impressions of this drink are highly positive. The drink appears to give me energy to last my run with more to spare. It also does not appear to give me any issues with my stomach.

I plan to continue to use the drink before runs. Since my barefoot mileage is a little more than 3 miles per run, I can't say if the iskiate will prove to be a true "home-brewed Red Bull" on a long run. In the coming weeks, my mileage will be increasing due to my preparation for my first barefoot half marathon. I will keep you posted as to the success/failure of iskiate on my sensitive stomach. I also plan to start making pinole (recipe from No Meat Athlete) as a food source on my runs.

The recipe for iskiate from No Meat Athlete is as follows:

about 10 oz of water
1 Tbsp dry chia seeds
a few teaspoons lemon or lime juice
honey or agave nectar, to taste (optional)

Vibram Five Fingers KSO

2010-03-09T13:44:00.000-08:00

After I started running barefoot, I looked into the minimalist shoes that Barefoot Ted wore in Born to Run, the Vibram Five Fingers. I enjoyed running barefoot, but wanted to have the option of more protection depending on the road conditions. Being that it was just after Christmas they were VERY hard to come by.   I wanted to try on a pair before committing to buying some.

My first thought was REI - my all-time favorite store. However, they only sold them online not in their stores (at least not in my town). So, I went to my local running store. They didn't carry them - kinda figures. I searched the web for the best price, but every time I found a good price, they were out of stock for my size/color. Ultimately, I ended up back at the Vibram site and ordered them directly from the manufacturer.

When they arrived I was very excited. I stripped off my socks and began trying to work my toes into the little individual toe pockets. For me, it was almost an exercise in futility that first time. I must have fought with each shoe for ten minutes that first day. Once I got them on, I wandered about the house in my new barefoot shoes. They were very flexible.   It was strange, but cool.   The VFFs have a very flexible sole. They move very easily with every movement of your foot. I had a little discomfort with my little toe. It didn't want to follow the shape of the shoe. That discomfort faded after wearing them a few times. If you are like me and cannot find them in a store near you, be sure to measure your foot exactly as the Vibram site recommends for a good fit. They are snug, but comfortable.

I'm fortunate that I live in a temperate area of California. Generally speaking the coldest I've run in is in the 40s. My feet have been fine on these runs. If it was much colder, I'd probably wear my VFFs a lot more. Other than the cold, it's been raining a lot. I actually love running barefoot in the rain. Feels great and the feet are cleaner!

I took my Vibrams out for a 2 mile run. They were great! They offered protection from the rough road and rocks while maintaining most of the feeling of barefoot running. I took them out for another 2 mile run. Again felt great!   I was able to feel the differences in the surface of the ground from asphalt street to smooth sidewalk, to fluffy grass. It felt like the grass was actually between my toes!

The one drawback that I experienced is that the VFFs allow me to cheat slightly on my barefoot form. Since the soles of my feet are protected, I noticed that I could hear myself scuff the balls of my feet across the ground. When I scuff my feet running barefoot, the feedback is painful enough that I don't want do THAT again. Since I'm focusing a lot on developing my barefoot form, I've gone back to straight barefoot for my runs. I'll probably go back to the VFFs when I start to explore trail running later this spring or summer.

Currently, I am using my VFFs as my shoes when I'm out and about. The VFFs allow me to go almost barefoot when I can't be barefoot. My goal is to strengthen my feet as much as possible by going barefoot or near barefoot all day.   I'm hoping that this will translate into better runs. Unfortunately, I don't think my work would allow me to wear them. I want to look into the Terra Plana Vivo Barefoot Aqua shoes. I think I might be able to pull that off at work!

Too far, too fast. . .TOP OF FOOT PAIN

2010-03-05T22:47:00.000-08:00

I would imagine that I am like any other runner or person for that matter. When you get excited about learning something new, you want to practice it a lot. As for runners, when you get bit by the running bug, you want to run more. The same goes for barefoot running. Beware of Top of Foot Pain. . .

As I mentioned in my last post, I had been out of running for about 2 years. I was looking for new inspiration and found the book "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall. I never in my wildest dreams imagined I would have an interest in barefoot running. I just wanted to understand how the Raramuri could run so far and try to apply some of it to my running life. I didn't even know the book talked about barefoot running. Well, the book did what I had hoped and more. It re-inspired me to run again but the twist - run barefoot.

I started running 2 to 3 days a week about 2 to 3 miles each run. I loved it. But there was a tiny but important bit of information that I was ignoring. In the various barefoot bloggers and barefoot websites I had learned (but obviously not listened to) that newbie barefoot runners should take it slow at first. Take lots of short distance runs and barefoot walks to get the muscles acclimated. Well, I was excited. I had the bug. My runs were going well. No problems. Well, not exactly. I started to notice after some runs a slight pain on the top of my left foot. I convinced myself it was just my muscles acclimating, right. I'll just train through it like I did with the initial calf soreness (which disappeared after my 3rd run). WRONG. The pain got worse.

After running for about 5 weeks, I thought I was getting the hang of it. My sister-in-law, who was coming back into town, would be running a 7 mile training run. I wanted to get up to that distance and quick. So, one fateful afternoon I went for a 5 mile run. Well, I tried to anyway. I got about a mile and a half from the house and the dull pain that had been plaguing me for a week or two was getting worse. I got to a point on my course where I was supposed to loop or I could start to head back. I thought I would run another few blocks to and pick up the loop on the other end depending on how my foot felt. I got to that point and my foot was in definite pain. Now I was about a mile from my house, barefooted and in running clothes. Me being the stubborn type didn't want to walk home like that. So I ran.

I made it to the park around the corner from my house, when I heard a boy with his family shout, "THAT MAN HAS NO SHOES! DAD! DAD! THAT MAN IS RUNNING WITH NO SHOES!" I smiled. The dad replied, "Well, he looks like he's comfortable." I continued to smile and said, "Hi," as I passed. Doing my best to keep my form strong despite the dagger-like pain that was in my left foot. I cut straight across the park. I didn't care about mileage anymore, I just wanted to get home and off my feet. I cut across the park on the soft grass (which was a blessing) and back to my house.

After I got home and showered, I searched the blogs and websites for that little bit of information that I had glossed over. I found out more about "TOP OF FOOT PAIN" or TOFP as many refer to it. I had it for sure and had it bad. Going up and down the stairs was torture, walking around the house was torture.

For the next week and a half I perfected the art of an inside/midfoot foot strike and roll to the outside. I don't know if I looked like an idiot, but it felt better to walk that way. I was almost convinced that I had a stress fracture in my foot. I talked to my buddy who is a runner and orthopedic surgeon. He informed me that I could break a bone in my foot and not really know it. He had done it (not while running). A nurse at the school I work at had a "mini-shock" therapy device that chiropractors use for redirecting pain around other nerves. There was a spot on bottom of my foot under the 4th and 5th metatarsals that I could not feel the shock. Damn, I thought. Now I can add nerve damage to broken foot.

Fortunately for me, by the end of the second week my foot was feeling much better. I went for an easy 1 mile run. When I got home the pain was mild and disappeared the next day. I went for a second easy 1 mile run. No pain afterwards or the next day. I waited a couple days and went for a mile and a half. Beautiful! No pain. I was healed!

I learned my lesson. Take it easy. Don't push too far. Don't push it too fast. Now, I'm back in the game. This time I'm taking it a little slower.

Did you say BAREFOOT running?

2010-02-28T14:01:00.000-08:00

"WHAT IF THERE'S GLASS? BAREFOOT!!!! ARE YOU CRAZY? OH, MY GOD!" my mom said as I stepped into my house, barefoot, after a run. "Then I don't step on it," I replied calmly.

On January 3rd, 2010, my sister-in-law, who was training for her first half marathon, asked me if I wanted to join her for a run around my neighborhood. I had been engrossed in the book "Born To Run" by Christopher McDougall for the past two days and had just finished the night before. So, that morning, I put on my running clothes and stepped out the door, sans shoes.

What I experienced that first day of running barefoot was almost indescribable. I felt a huge rush of adrenaline. My senses were inundated with all kinds of tactile information. I felt the bumps and cracks of the asphalt, the flat but rough surface of the sidewalks, the soft grass, and of course an occasional small rock. It was awesome! I ran 2.5 miles that morning, but I felt like I could have run more. I was energized! Barefoot running had it's hooks in me.

It has been almost 2 years to the day since my last marathon. I have not run in almost as long. Maybe a half dozen runs up to 2 miles last summer. The running bug is back and back with a vengeance. Since that first day of barefoot running, I've run about 25 cumulative miles almost exclusively barefoot (about four miles have been run in Vibram Five Finger KSOs). I am running 2 to 3 days per week all barefoot now. I'm getting ready to train for my first barefoot half-marathon.

My mom still thinks I'm crazy for running barefoot and always asks, "What if there is glass?" When I talk to people about my training, they always do a double-take and say, "Did you say BAREFOOT running?" "Yep," I say with a big grin on my face. "I'm running barefoot."

Coming up in future posts, I'll discuss my setback with the dreaded "Top of Foot Pain" or TOFP as referred to by barefoot runners. I will also discuss my experiences with iskiate using chia seeds as a pre-run beverage. I hope you enjoyed my first blog post. Hope you visit again!