Barely Running did a 5k
I did my first semi-official 5k today. I was a bit upset with my time, and I wonder about the accuracy of the distance measurement. I just measured a loop with my car odometer, then ran it and I was around 16.5 mpm. Today I was 17.25 mpm! I don't think so! I felt good and did not have much trouble with the hilly trail near my office.
It was a diabetes awareness run/walk with 145 participants who went out any time during the day. I went at 9 in my VFF KSOs and the sidewalk was already getting hot. I decided not to barefoot any of the distance, although it would have been a fun time to do it... prove the my office friends that I really do run bare... After a shower I noticed that I forgot to bring my regular shoes... duh... I do not like wearing shoes without socks and my Injinji's make my KSOs to tight... so I did the day in my regular socks! Really impressed my boss during my quarterly review...
I have seen 3 recent videos to encourage and chalange me!
-- This "Birthday Shoes" site has a great, short intro to Chi Running -- http://birthdayshoes.com/an-introduction-to-chirunning
-- This site shows the recent force plate results by Dr Daniel Lieberman, the Barefoot Professor. He is a strong proponent of the pursuit hunting theory of human evolution... I am a creationist, but I have no problem with adaptive selection working in a population. I think the original design was good and included change mechanisms that allow quick adaption with no need for millions of years. We have almost exactly the same foot and leg structures as the earliest human fossils they have found. The designer built adaptation into the system! This is a strong support for why barefoot is good! -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jrnj-7YKZE
-- This link has come around on the minimalist running site several times. The female runner, Jacky Juni, is so incredible in her running form! It shows a slow jog and a faster run at full speed and slo-mo. Watch the ball strike, watch the heal travel path, the knee and hip motion, watch the high cadence, watch the nearly level movement of the torso. -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CERyUWwWkOc&feature=related Think she can't run fast... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XU7Sddlqis&feature=related... shod and in minimal shoes - screamin'!
I also just spent 1/2 hour watching my grand kids run around. Their form is so perfect too! What a joy to be...
Barely Running
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
First 20 mile week!
First 20 mile week!
Barely Running over 20 miles in a week (actually 21.4!) may not seem like much to many of you, but to me it is a major accomplishment! I used to walk way more than that when I was training for the Portland Marathon (walking). Near the end I was doing something like 6 mile walks on Tuesday and Thursday then 18 on Saturday, so that is 30 miles a week and some weeks were even more. I know, some of you may go out and run 30 miles for fun... but not me. 20 miles in a week is a major event for me!
I started running on August 5, 2009, a day after I decided to give barefoot running a try in my back yard... In the middle of BTR ("Born to Run"). I loved it so much! And, it did not hurt! The next day I grabbed my flat soled Velcro sandals and hit the bike trail while my daughters were at swim practice. I only ran 2 miles, and it felt great! I could not believe that I could run up hill easier than walking up! Since then I have logged 225 miles, went from an average rate of 18.5 min/mile (mpm) t0 16.4 mpm today... barely running... I also went from 265 lbs to 254 pounds... not fast weight loss either I guess, but like running, I will take it!
This week we were in a beautiful setting over looking Nottingham Lake in Avon Colorado. I paced it off around the lake at .67 mile. So, I either ran 4 laps plus some barefoot to finish the 3 miles, or I just did a 5th lap bare, giving 3.35 miles. One day we "wogged" along the Eagle river trail. That was about 4 miles, so I counted 3 of them. All of my times were estimated because I forgot my digital watch and my phone was almost dead... and I brought the wrong charger! Ya'think I was escaping from tech??? Anyway, I just decided to do the milage and let the time pass. Tonight's run was a reward though. I was home and timed it - I did the last 3 miles at 16:41... not bad for me!
I did develop a sore back this week. That often happens when I am on a different bed anyway, so I do not think it was the extra runing. Actually, since high school I have had constant bouts with lower back pain. The best relief I have had was by being active! When I used to commute by bike a few days a week to work 12 miles away, I had almost no back pain! Since I started running I have no back pain while running (which used to kill me when shod-style running!) and most of the time I have much reduced back pain... guess I should just keep running! I was a bit afraid of it this week because it was the first time I ran consecutive days... I ran at least 3 miles every day this week! About 1/4 was barefoot on chip-seal bike path and some grass.
Tonight, on my first segment I noticed that I was hitting my heal fairly hard, which has almost never happened with barefoot-style, and that was sending waves up my leg to hurt my back. I can only figure that it was from the back pain throwing off my alignment. So, I slowed down (even more...) and concentrated on form... I was prepared to stop, but did not need to. I was able to get away from the heal strike. When I went bare for the last segment, I was totally free from both back pain and heal pounding... good thing! I also developwd a crack in my heal later in the week. That is not unusual either, and again I think it was not caused by the running. Actually, it hurt quite a bit while walking, but did not hurt at all while running with the forefoot strike... cool!
btw... Another highlight of my week was some grassy, barefoot interval runs. I had to estimate distance and time, but by my reconing I hit a 10 mpm rate, which is my Holy Grail. I only laid out a .06 mile course near the condo, but hay, I loved it! A cool thing I noticed was a huge stride length difference. In my "long distance" shuffle mode I have developed from a 48" pace (right foot to right foot) to a 50.1" pace. However, while running at the 10 mpm rate my pace length is about 71.7"! That is a 43% increase! The real reward was from my 15 year old daughter, a naturally gifted runner. All she had to say was "Hey Dad! I saw you! You were really running!", and I melted... For a moment I was not
Barely Running
Barely Running over 20 miles in a week (actually 21.4!) may not seem like much to many of you, but to me it is a major accomplishment! I used to walk way more than that when I was training for the Portland Marathon (walking). Near the end I was doing something like 6 mile walks on Tuesday and Thursday then 18 on Saturday, so that is 30 miles a week and some weeks were even more. I know, some of you may go out and run 30 miles for fun... but not me. 20 miles in a week is a major event for me!
I started running on August 5, 2009, a day after I decided to give barefoot running a try in my back yard... In the middle of BTR ("Born to Run"). I loved it so much! And, it did not hurt! The next day I grabbed my flat soled Velcro sandals and hit the bike trail while my daughters were at swim practice. I only ran 2 miles, and it felt great! I could not believe that I could run up hill easier than walking up! Since then I have logged 225 miles, went from an average rate of 18.5 min/mile (mpm) t0 16.4 mpm today... barely running... I also went from 265 lbs to 254 pounds... not fast weight loss either I guess, but like running, I will take it!
This week we were in a beautiful setting over looking Nottingham Lake in Avon Colorado. I paced it off around the lake at .67 mile. So, I either ran 4 laps plus some barefoot to finish the 3 miles, or I just did a 5th lap bare, giving 3.35 miles. One day we "wogged" along the Eagle river trail. That was about 4 miles, so I counted 3 of them. All of my times were estimated because I forgot my digital watch and my phone was almost dead... and I brought the wrong charger! Ya'think I was escaping from tech??? Anyway, I just decided to do the milage and let the time pass. Tonight's run was a reward though. I was home and timed it - I did the last 3 miles at 16:41... not bad for me!
I did develop a sore back this week. That often happens when I am on a different bed anyway, so I do not think it was the extra runing. Actually, since high school I have had constant bouts with lower back pain. The best relief I have had was by being active! When I used to commute by bike a few days a week to work 12 miles away, I had almost no back pain! Since I started running I have no back pain while running (which used to kill me when shod-style running!) and most of the time I have much reduced back pain... guess I should just keep running! I was a bit afraid of it this week because it was the first time I ran consecutive days... I ran at least 3 miles every day this week! About 1/4 was barefoot on chip-seal bike path and some grass.
Tonight, on my first segment I noticed that I was hitting my heal fairly hard, which has almost never happened with barefoot-style, and that was sending waves up my leg to hurt my back. I can only figure that it was from the back pain throwing off my alignment. So, I slowed down (even more...) and concentrated on form... I was prepared to stop, but did not need to. I was able to get away from the heal strike. When I went bare for the last segment, I was totally free from both back pain and heal pounding... good thing! I also developwd a crack in my heal later in the week. That is not unusual either, and again I think it was not caused by the running. Actually, it hurt quite a bit while walking, but did not hurt at all while running with the forefoot strike... cool!
btw... Another highlight of my week was some grassy, barefoot interval runs. I had to estimate distance and time, but by my reconing I hit a 10 mpm rate, which is my Holy Grail. I only laid out a .06 mile course near the condo, but hay, I loved it! A cool thing I noticed was a huge stride length difference. In my "long distance" shuffle mode I have developed from a 48" pace (right foot to right foot) to a 50.1" pace. However, while running at the 10 mpm rate my pace length is about 71.7"! That is a 43% increase! The real reward was from my 15 year old daughter, a naturally gifted runner. All she had to say was "Hey Dad! I saw you! You were really running!", and I melted... For a moment I was not
Barely Running
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