Thursday, May 8, 2014

International Barefoot Running Day 2014

The morning was cool, but not cold. I took a drive out toward the San Francisco Bay Area. There were tentatively 5 of us meeting for the roughly 10K run. I had chosen Redwood Regional Park in Oakland because of the soft single-track trails that are covered with decomposing redwood needles. It is a fantastic surface to run on barefoot. I had run some of the trails in this park during my first ultra, the Skyline 50K. As I approached the park, I quickly recognized that I was indeed in the region that I had raced through a couple of years ago.

I pulled into the parking lot and recognized NorCal Will sitting in his car. I hopped out and noticed that he was already barefoot. Not long after, Barefoot Bone Rod pulled up. And last but not least, while we were chatting it up, JJHenry came running up the road.

We talked for a bit about our backgrounds and quickly determined that the 10K distance would be good for everyone. JJHenry was the only one not experienced on trails, but the distance would not be an issue.

We headed back down the road to one of the trailheads that would allow us to start on single-track trails rather than the paved path leaving the parking lot. The trails in Redwood Regional were every bit as awesome as I had remembered. We all took off down the trail in a loose grouping chatting and joking along the way.

I was actually concerned that my lack of recent training was going to hurt me later, but I've found that, for me, running barefoot is efficient enough that I can handle higher mileage than I've trained for. The only challenge that day would be the hills - and there were more than a few long, steep hills to challenge me that day.

Somewhere near the middle of our run as we peaked one of the hills, Barefoot Bone Rod and JJHenry had stopped to chat with a couple hiking the trail. They were quite intrigued by our "barefootedness" and had the usual list of questions. Bone Rod even offered a foot to be felt by the gentleman. He commented that it "was as smooth as a baby's bottom" - common comment from people touching barefoot runner's feet.

The second half of the run was challenging for a different reason - it was mostly downhill and not as soft and covered with needles as the first half. Instead the trail was a bit drier and rocky. We barreled down the hill and eventually wound our way back onto the original trail we had entered the loop on.

Once back at the cars, we grabbed our snacks and found an empty picnic table to chow down and chat some more. We talked about how little we see fellow barefoot runners, how great it would be to run together more often, and also the awesome the trails were in Redwood Regional Park.

A little after lunch, we wrapped up our little event and headed back to our lives.  Once again, IBRD was a success for our San Francisco Chapter. It may not have been a large gathering this year, but it was definitely one of the most fun!

From Left to Right - NorCal Will, Barefoot Bone Rod, and JJHenry

From L to R - NorCal Will, Barefoot Bone Rod, and ME - BarefootTerry (sporting the IBRD 2014 shirt)

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Step Back to See Forward

If you've been reading my blog, you've probably noticed that the past year has been pretty silent. After last year's American River 50 Mile Endurance Run, I inadvertently stepped back from running and racing. I was busy training a nephew (hoping to get him healthy). I coached my son's cross-country team to the championship for boys and girls senior divisions, a 2nd place win for junior division boys and a 3rd place win for junior girls. And oddly enough work stresses got the better of me as well.

I did manage to squeeze in a 5K PR at the local Thanksgiving run (my son bested his PR as well) and ran with some friends and family for 10+ mile runs.

However, for the most part, running and racing took a back seat. This sometimes happens with people who change interests or maybe incur a running injury. Fortunately, this is not the case with me. I think I needed some time to step back and reassess what I wanted to do with barefoot running "career."

In stepping back I have discovered that not only do I miss running but I miss racing. I also miss the relief from stress that comes from running, what I call, crazy miles.

Well, after my long "step back" I am ready to look forward! I have new running goals and projects in the works. I am filling up my spring/summer race schedule and am looking forward to running some "crazy" miles! I hope to share with you soon one of my big projects. It promises to be quite an adventure!

In the meantime, look forward to seeing some posts regarding my new training schedule and upcoming race reports!

Looking ahead to new and exciting adventures!

Monday, April 14, 2014

International Barefoot Running Day 2014 is coming!!!

It's that wonderful time of year again when the Barefoot Runners Society puts on International Barefoot Running Day at events all over the world!!!

This year IBRD will be held on Sunday, May 4, 2014. There are many events taking place all around the world. For a complete list check out the BRS website at:http://www.thebarefootrunners.org/pages/ibrd_local_events_listing/

Events are being added each day! So, check back or create your own event on the site.

For those of you in Northern California - particularly in the San Francisco/Sacramento region - the San Francisco Area Chapter is hosting a trail run at Redwood Regional Park in Oakland, CA. It is truly a gorgeous place to run. The trails are fantastic and the landscape is amazing. We welcome barefoot, minimalist and even shod runners (who are curious or just like to run).

Check out the San Francisco Chapter's event page at one of the following links:

BRS Main Website:
http://www.thebarefootrunners.org/threads/may-4-2014-international-barefoot-running-day-2014-san-francisco-area-chapter-oakland-ca.15875/

BRS - California: San Francisco Area Chapter Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/events/757141247630484/

Now get out there and run barefoot!!!