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
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
2011 Western States 100 Endurance Run
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.
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).
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.
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!
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 |
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!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Western States 100
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!
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!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Avenue of the Vines Half Marathon
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
International Barefoot Running Day - San Francisco Area
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.
, 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.
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| ME |
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| 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.
. 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 3rd 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.
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!
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| From Left to Right: Running Romeo, Barefoot Terry, Trinh, Dillon (DRL), Barefoot Pablo, Barefoot Pete, C-Dog, Matt |
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Barefoot Running Meets Mercedes-Benz
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?
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
International Barefoot Running Day
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!
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!
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