Yesterday I went up to the track for some speed work. With a 5K race next weekend I was needing some speed. Speed work always seems to loosen up the muscles that get so accustomed to tempo runs, long runs and easy runs. I mean, we're talking about airing it out. Ahhhhhhh.
I did my warm up mile jog then started with a hard paced 1600m. It felt great and I had a sense that I had adopted my barefoot running style that has a way of minimizing the impact of the foot and heel. I land on the rear outside side of my foot and roll over and through to push off with the inside ball of my foot at the front. An amazing awareness came over me. So did some idiocy as I managed to erase the lap time on my watch.
I next did a 1200m and was smart enough to look at the watch at the end which read 5:45, a PR. Again I discovered a new way to erase it unintentionally; and I did it as I was starting my 800m which bummed me out and I didn't put in quite the effort as I crossed in a pedestrian 4:02.
For the final 400m I was raring to go and just kill it. A neighbor jogged onto the track and chatted me up as I approached the start line. I said it was time to roar and said bye. I always do better with an audience and smoked it in 1:36.5. My previous PR was 1:46.6. Bring on some fasty runners. I'm getting better at the same time I'm getting older. I am feeling good!
5.14.2005
5.11.2005
Barefoot Rules
I am amazed at how well my legs, especially my calves and knees, survived 7+ miles barefoot running on the variated beach surfaces on Sunday. There is no soreness, tenderness or anything to complain about. If anything, I think my foot steps and gait benefited from the forced natural mechanics of running barefoot. I am now a big fan.
Today I ran 4 miles thinking it would just be an easy run but the legs and lungs just wanted to air it out. So I played the legs like a Churchill Downs jockey would. I just let out the reins and let 'em run. I pushed 82% HR which is a fair tempo rate. My time and splits were competitive so I have to log this as one of the good days.
Next time it will be some speed work at the track. 1600/1200/800/400. There's a race next weekend (the 20th?) and I am aiming for a PR despite the rising humidity and heat index.
See you on the track.
Today I ran 4 miles thinking it would just be an easy run but the legs and lungs just wanted to air it out. So I played the legs like a Churchill Downs jockey would. I just let out the reins and let 'em run. I pushed 82% HR which is a fair tempo rate. My time and splits were competitive so I have to log this as one of the good days.
Next time it will be some speed work at the track. 1600/1200/800/400. There's a race next weekend (the 20th?) and I am aiming for a PR despite the rising humidity and heat index.
See you on the track.
5.08.2005
Barefoot Long-boy
Happy Mothers Day. That salute to all you hard working overwrought mommy runners out there in Bloggyland. If you didn't have a good day today there is something seriously wrong going on and you need to make it known.
My Day. I performed all the obilgatory good deeds today to keep me a father/husband in good standing. I fixed banana pancakes with bacon and organic drip coffee for everyone. We drove to the beach (actually the 17 year old drove to the beach; his first foray on the big highways). I read the paper while being driven so that I would not freak out and overcorrect every driving indiscretion. That's what moms are for, no matter what day it is.
Before the beach we stopped for vittles from Publix - a trio of Ultimate sub sandwiches. Once at the beach we picked a nice quiet spot where no voices overrode the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. We ate fairly soon since it was midday. After a spell I suggested a walk.
Shuttle Still Standing. We walked a mile+ down to the steel cable fence on the beach within a half mile of the Space Shuttle Discovery. The bird was supposed to go up in about 10 days but has been postponed until July when I'll be up north. She was still on the launch pad and looking like she'd be taking the shuttle shuttle back to the Vehicle Assembly Building fairly soon. It is still a way cool site to see, sitting there pointing to where few of us will ever go.
By the time we reached the shuttle my lunch had digested and so I bid adieu to the mother and son to take my barefoot long run.
Barefoot Long-boy. It was 10 minutes back to our chairs so I dialed in my mind to go for a 30 minute north and back jog for a total of 70 minutes. I set that as my goal. Having never gone that far barefoot before I was wary but feeling the call of fellow RBFers to set high goals and overachieve them.
The first mile was the toughest. The sand was soft and full of shells. The tide was starting to come in so I had to run sideways on a steep grade. I didn't mind the occasional wave washing over my feet; in fact, that was a highlight. Dodging the occasional 2-4 year old was tricky and keeping an eye out for the fishermen's near-invisible nylon lines out into the surf offered another hazard. Once I passed the populated beach zone I was into an area that was virtually vacant. Last summer's hurricanes had rendered the boardwalks impassable so no one could get there without a long walk. I had flat firm sand and nothing but sunshine and surf. It brought up memories of the barren beach that is a haven for plovers across the dunes from Quonochontaug Pond in Rhode Island.
Anyway, I was cruising along and ran into another patch of people and soft sand. The camber was not so bad and I started imagining how my legs, knees and feet would feel when I turned around, changing the stress points on my muscles and joints.
At 30 minutes out I did a U-turn and was pleased to be running into the breeze now. That would be good for perspiration evaporation. The change I felt in my legs et al was immediate on the new slope. I went tenderly for awhile to let them adjust. When I hit the wide open stretch on the way back I was moving along like the world was all mine. The last mile in the shelly, sloped soft stuff was not as fun. My lower back ached from the soft footing adjustments I had to make. When I got back to my part of the beach I was very pleased to have made the distance without sanding my foot and toe soles down to the quick. My legs were a little stiff but I stood in the waves drinking a bottle of water and let the waves massage my calves. Once I recovered fully I lay down on the bedsheet and closed my eyes. The sound of the waves was enough to wash all negative thoughts from my head.
Gone Home. Unfortunately the mom and son were tired of waiting around for my return and wanted to go home. So we did. Once there I fixed burgers on the grill and had a nice cold beer to wash it down.
The grand finale: a heaping bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
How was your day? Can you top mine?
My Day. I performed all the obilgatory good deeds today to keep me a father/husband in good standing. I fixed banana pancakes with bacon and organic drip coffee for everyone. We drove to the beach (actually the 17 year old drove to the beach; his first foray on the big highways). I read the paper while being driven so that I would not freak out and overcorrect every driving indiscretion. That's what moms are for, no matter what day it is.
Before the beach we stopped for vittles from Publix - a trio of Ultimate sub sandwiches. Once at the beach we picked a nice quiet spot where no voices overrode the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. We ate fairly soon since it was midday. After a spell I suggested a walk.
Shuttle Still Standing. We walked a mile+ down to the steel cable fence on the beach within a half mile of the Space Shuttle Discovery. The bird was supposed to go up in about 10 days but has been postponed until July when I'll be up north. She was still on the launch pad and looking like she'd be taking the shuttle shuttle back to the Vehicle Assembly Building fairly soon. It is still a way cool site to see, sitting there pointing to where few of us will ever go.
By the time we reached the shuttle my lunch had digested and so I bid adieu to the mother and son to take my barefoot long run.
Barefoot Long-boy. It was 10 minutes back to our chairs so I dialed in my mind to go for a 30 minute north and back jog for a total of 70 minutes. I set that as my goal. Having never gone that far barefoot before I was wary but feeling the call of fellow RBFers to set high goals and overachieve them.
The first mile was the toughest. The sand was soft and full of shells. The tide was starting to come in so I had to run sideways on a steep grade. I didn't mind the occasional wave washing over my feet; in fact, that was a highlight. Dodging the occasional 2-4 year old was tricky and keeping an eye out for the fishermen's near-invisible nylon lines out into the surf offered another hazard. Once I passed the populated beach zone I was into an area that was virtually vacant. Last summer's hurricanes had rendered the boardwalks impassable so no one could get there without a long walk. I had flat firm sand and nothing but sunshine and surf. It brought up memories of the barren beach that is a haven for plovers across the dunes from Quonochontaug Pond in Rhode Island.
Anyway, I was cruising along and ran into another patch of people and soft sand. The camber was not so bad and I started imagining how my legs, knees and feet would feel when I turned around, changing the stress points on my muscles and joints.
At 30 minutes out I did a U-turn and was pleased to be running into the breeze now. That would be good for perspiration evaporation. The change I felt in my legs et al was immediate on the new slope. I went tenderly for awhile to let them adjust. When I hit the wide open stretch on the way back I was moving along like the world was all mine. The last mile in the shelly, sloped soft stuff was not as fun. My lower back ached from the soft footing adjustments I had to make. When I got back to my part of the beach I was very pleased to have made the distance without sanding my foot and toe soles down to the quick. My legs were a little stiff but I stood in the waves drinking a bottle of water and let the waves massage my calves. Once I recovered fully I lay down on the bedsheet and closed my eyes. The sound of the waves was enough to wash all negative thoughts from my head.
Gone Home. Unfortunately the mom and son were tired of waiting around for my return and wanted to go home. So we did. Once there I fixed burgers on the grill and had a nice cold beer to wash it down.
The grand finale: a heaping bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
How was your day? Can you top mine?
5.07.2005
Post Posts
Yes I did run last week - twice in fact. How well did I do? Well let's just say there was serious pilot error by the guy pressing the buttons on the Polar and both times he managed to lose the file which had the details. Let's not go into how that happened. Presume I was having a Mia Goddess kind of week.
How did I feel (which is probably more to the point)? I loved running both times. I ran easily both times. I ran four miles both times. I had good vibes both times. Then ...
Thursday I stood up after a meeting and felt an immediate pain in the ball of my left foot. I've had it before and it's weird. If I try to walk normally it hurts. If I favor it it's okay. If I use my toes to grip the ground and push off it feels better and doesn't hurt as much. So I walked funny the rest of the day, went to bed and woke up Friday having forgotten my foot hurt. Strange. It went away.
Tomorrow I'm off to the beach for some barefoot running. It should be a beautiful sunny day. I hope yours is satisfying too.
How did I feel (which is probably more to the point)? I loved running both times. I ran easily both times. I ran four miles both times. I had good vibes both times. Then ...
Thursday I stood up after a meeting and felt an immediate pain in the ball of my left foot. I've had it before and it's weird. If I try to walk normally it hurts. If I favor it it's okay. If I use my toes to grip the ground and push off it feels better and doesn't hurt as much. So I walked funny the rest of the day, went to bed and woke up Friday having forgotten my foot hurt. Strange. It went away.
Tomorrow I'm off to the beach for some barefoot running. It should be a beautiful sunny day. I hope yours is satisfying too.
5.01.2005
No stop
Saturday was as hot as summer blazes down here so I was pushing to get out early. Since the rescue squad came by at 430 to attend to a neighbor, I was certainly up early enough. Lack of adequate sleep aside, I opted not to run the river again. I'll save that for another weekend and beach escape. It just wasn't the week to go for tranquil and serene. I had a mission unrelated to the environment to work on this time out.
I ran my 6-mile Lake Virginia circuit expecting to run into runners in a popular 5K race (every finisher receives a tree to take home and plant). My timing was a little off and I saw the last of the racers strolling back to the start area (it was a point to point race requiring a bus ride or walk back to the carpark).
When I began my run I thought I would go easy and forever. I had that sort of mindset: just not stop running. I followed my route and missed the 1-mile mark for lap timing while my mind wandered. I caught myself and beeped in for the rest of the markers. With the last mile ahead of me, I saw that my time was pretty darned good. I thought about Mark's POSE stride and worked to lift my legs more. I scurried on home and was pleasantly surprised to see I had set my #3 PR time for that circuit. It's always been a tough top ten PR time to crack these days. I was quicker when I was younger. Needless to say I was elated with the time while everything else in my head just bounced along for the ride.
I ran my 6-mile Lake Virginia circuit expecting to run into runners in a popular 5K race (every finisher receives a tree to take home and plant). My timing was a little off and I saw the last of the racers strolling back to the start area (it was a point to point race requiring a bus ride or walk back to the carpark).
When I began my run I thought I would go easy and forever. I had that sort of mindset: just not stop running. I followed my route and missed the 1-mile mark for lap timing while my mind wandered. I caught myself and beeped in for the rest of the markers. With the last mile ahead of me, I saw that my time was pretty darned good. I thought about Mark's POSE stride and worked to lift my legs more. I scurried on home and was pleasantly surprised to see I had set my #3 PR time for that circuit. It's always been a tough top ten PR time to crack these days. I was quicker when I was younger. Needless to say I was elated with the time while everything else in my head just bounced along for the ride.
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