Bare My Sole

It was nice to run in 14 degree weather again on Friday afternoon with Bev.  Compared to the 0 degrees and blowing snow on the previous Monday’s Pub Run it actually felt really warm.

Last Monday’s Pub Run was another 10k.  This time the wind was calm and no snow, but the temperature was -3 degrees.  I found those 3 degrees made a big difference in how my feet felt.  This time they had some numb spots and were a bit sore for a short time when warming up back at the store.  When I inspected my feet a little closer I noticed that I had a tiny stone half imbedded in one of those numb spots on my left foot.  I removed it and suffered no ill effects.  The next day I couldn’t even find the spot on my foot.  However, this made me realize that I really have to be mindful of what I am running on when I am experiencing any numbness in my feet.

On Wednesday we had a fresh covering of snow on the ground.  At 6pm I felt drawn to the fluffy white powder as it sparked under the street light.  I went for a short jaunt in the neighborhood.  It was less than a run or even a jog and I was really just enjoying the feel of it.  It had a cold but fresh invigorating feeling and left tracks in the snow for anyone coming upon later to ponder.

Friday and Saturday were just too cold (below -5°C) for me at this point in my conditioning.

After several days of rest, the skin on the soles of my feet actually feels thicker and more resilient.  I have found that much like a hard workout with weights, its the more uncomfortable conditions that make you stronger.  The trick is not to cross the line that results in injury.

I realize this post seems a little outdated, but since I had already written a summary of  the MAD 10k, I felt it was a good opportunity to use it as a measure of my progress over the last two months.

MAD 10k

 Saturday September 13, 2008.  I got to Squirrel Creek Park at about 9:45am.  The fog had just lifted and the air was humid.  After getting registered and my race number I checked out the start times.  I was in the Men 35-39 group and my first thought was to keep pace with the slowest one.  Once we started the race I knew that plan was not going to work.  My run out of the park was a little slower than the first few kilometers on the road due to the loose gravel.  On the road I was able to stay on the white line most of the time so I could better spot debris and have a smoother surface to run on.  I tried to body sense as best I could to keep good Chi Running form.  The km markers seemed so far apart I thought they must be wrong.  I was so glad to see the water station, but found it was harder to run and drink from a paper cup than I expected.  I had already passed a couple of walkers and was now gaining on a few slower runners.  As I was coming up to the 5k turn-around I recognized the runner now in front of me as Lori who I had run with before.  I knew her pace would be pretty close to mine so I tagged along behind.  At the water station we were both in need of some walking paces.  After a minute or so we were back to a slow but steady running pace.  I had to keep telling myself “just a few more steps” for the last 2k.  As we reached the gravel I was so focused on the finish-line and our quickening pace that I barely noticed the change in texture.  We were in an all out sprint before I knew it.  I was now using my calf muscles and pushing hard from the balls of my feet (opposite to the Chi method).  With the risk of passing out I pushed to finish a stride ahead of Lori at a time of 1:05:30.  Now I knew I needed to cool down slowly so I continued with a slow jog through the wet grass followed by a walk to the water jug.  Walking and sipping the water had me back to myself in no time.  Although my time was nothing great, I felt good about finishing a 10k race barefoot.  My plan now is to continue to increase my running frequency and distance.  I am also trying to stay barefoot as much as possible so that my feet will not be the limiting factor on longer runs.

 Tuesday November 11, 2008.

 My Plan is working out well so far.  Last night at the Pub Run I ran the 10k route in 50 minutes.  The increase in speed could be attributed to trying to warm up in the blowing snow or that Curtis was setting the pace, but the fact that I could do it without the same sense of exhaustion as I felt after the MAD 10k gives me encouragement that I am making some real progress.

Last year Bev was telling me about the running she was doing.  I was interested in a new challenging experience so I started looking up information about running and specifically barefoot running.  My main concern was about injury, since pretty much any runner I had talked to in the past had been injured and had to stop running.  I read a book called Chi Running by Danny Dreyer (www.chirunning.com ).  Danny is an ultra marathoner and his running form uses concepts from tai chi.  It is promoted as an effortless injury-free running technique.  It does not require the runner to be barefoot, but does involve a mid-foot landing that is more easily achieved with minimal footwear.  I found barefoot and chi running to be a good match. As of the spring of 2008 I have tried to stay barefoot as much as possible in order to keep the skin on my soles thick. My goal now is to maintain my barefoot running through winter.www.barefootrunner.org

http://runningbarefoot.org

I have taken up Dave’s challenge and put $10 on myself getting through the winter without resorting to the evil shoes.  Having said that, my priority must continue to be the health of my feet.

When I was a child I enjoyed going barefoot but my feet were soft and sensitive.  Unfortunately this meant I would wear shoes more than I wanted.  I found that I would sometimes get sores just from rough surfaces in the early summer but by the fall my feet were tougher, just in time to be wearing shoes permanently again.  It seemed like a never ending cycle.  As I got older I realized that I would have to go barefoot more in order to be more comfortable when barefoot.  I started by being barefoot in the house all of the time and then as much as possible in the summer.  I found that I was becoming more comfortable without shoes and my feet were getting tougher.  A few years ago I searched the internet for information on the benefits of being barefoot.  I found a few good sites (more are popping up now that more people are discovering the benefits).

http://books.google.com/books?id=FzoFbVwpci0C&pg=PT21&lpg=PT21&dq=healthy+to+go+barefoot&source=web&ots=_mSPUE0Fak&sig=K9zWCpllmszc6KDJx3UJHiY7LJM#PPT18,M1 

http://www.symbioseweb.de/barefoot.html  http://nymag.com/health/features/46213/

http://www.barefooters.org/

One site I found promoted a book about barefoot hiking (http://www.barefooters.org/hikers). I bought the book and decided to try that.  There are a few rules to barefooting safely and you either learn them the easy way or the hard way. RULE #

1. Start with a few steps on a soft surface then build up from there, walking further and on rougher surfaces gradually.

2. Always look where you are going to step.

3. Step straight down, don’t scuff or drag your feet.

I was enjoying the hiking and the muscles in my feet were getting stronger.  I noticed that my feet seemed more aware.  The changing surface textures and obstacles were not only thickening my soles, but also awakening a part of my brain that had been suppressed by wearing shoes.  I also started to feel the spiritual Earth connection I had read about.