myfootprint

Barefoot Running Blog

My actual footprint --->

July 27, 2010 (Tuesday) [5.1 miles]

With the triathlon behind me, I am now free to try experimenting with longer distances, and different terrain. Still waiting for the weather to get hot. San Diego's has had it's coolest July in decades. I am wanting to try running on hot asphalt but it hasn't been hot yet.

July 25, 2010 (Sunday) [3.0 miles]

The dismount area for the bicycle portion was like 200 meters away from the transition area, so the barefoot run started early, as I removed my feet from my bicycle shoes to allow them to dry off near the end of the bike ride. My feet were quite moist during the bicycle portion, as they started wet from the swim, and I was sweating during the bike. The transition from bike to run went very fast, but there wasn't any split time for the transition in the race results. There were four TriClub members who ran barefoot, only one who I actually saw on the run course. The spectators were very encouraging, probably because they already saw at least two women and another guy running barefoot before me. The road conditions were actually smoother than what I had been training on, so I had a great run averaging a 8:44 minute per mile pace. Compare this to what I did in the Solana Beach Triathlon five years ago with shoes at a 9:50 pace. I was able to pass up several guys in my age group, and finished strong.

July 22, 2010 (Thursday) [4.1 miles]

After finishing my 3.1 miles this morning, I decided to go for another mile even though the drizzle was starting to get the ground moist. I could feel my soles getting wet, and could feel small rocks sticking to my feet. I tried swiping my feet several times, but the softer skin kept picking up more debris. After I got home I noticed the bottom of my feet were very dirty from the asphalt. A good shower will clean all that off, so I thought. It turns out that my skin was moist from the moisture on the street, and the skin is stained a tint of asphalt color. I'm sure the color will go away as the skin wears down, or the next time I swim.

July 20, 2010 (Tuesday) [3.8 miles]

The daylight length is getting shorter. I had to start my run a little later this morning to allow for the daylight to appear. I have been noticing that I recover much faster from stepping on things than I have in past. I remember several months ago, after I stepped on a small rock that the spot would hurt for the rest of the run. Now, it's just a minute or so. I'm still trying to take it easy before Sunday's Triathlon. I will probably get one more run in this week before then (likely Thursday).

July 18, 2010 (Sunday) [4.2 miles]

It took a few days for my hamstrings to feel better, so I rested my legs more than normal. My feet are definitely getting used to running in the dirt path around the local park, and I will begin my trail running after the triathlon next Sunday. I also did nearly the entire run today on the asphalt, and my feet felt great afterwards.

July 15, 2010 (Thursday) [3.0 miles]

This evening aquathlon was a final test before my upcoming triathlon in 10 days. Since I was recovering from a sore left calf, I took the first lap of the beach run easier than normal to see how my muscles felt. The final few 100 years was a sprint to the finish, thanks to some of the other people around me. Afterwards, my hamstrings were sore, but my left calf was not, so I am finally fully recovered.

July 11, 2010 (Sunday) [2.1 miles]

One thing really nice about going barefoot, it that you never have to worry about loosing your sandals at the beach, because you don't bring any. A day at the beach; the weather could be warmer, but then there would be more crowds. I ran on the sand until my left calf started hurting at bit, then waited for the sun to come out before swimming in the ocean. I have to remember to take it easy because there's only two more weeks left before my triathlon. I probably won't run again this week until Thursday for the TriClub Aquathlon.

July 08, 2010 (Thursday) [2.2 miles]

The morning marine layer have been particularly strong the past few days, resulting in a light drizzle, and some moist (slightly wet) roads in the morning. I decided to run during my lunch break at work, and tried out some off-road trails at the turn around but only for about 500 meters or so. The sun didn't actually show up, but at least the drizzle was gone, and the roads were dry. My left calf is still not 100 percent, but only slightly sore after my run. I guess the real test will be next week at the TriClub Aquathlon.

July 06, 2010 (Tuesday) [2.0 miles]

Time to ease back in the intensity. I'll probably run every other day, until next month. I did manage to run entirely on the asphalt this time, so my feet are OK, I just need to condition the rest of me.

July 04, 2010 (Sunday) [2.4 miles]

After swimming about a mile in the ocean this morning, I ran down the cement boardwalk with my wetsuit still on to warm back up. Once warmed up, I was able to run down the beach for a short run. My left calf was a bit sore afterwards, but hopefully it will feel better tomorrow.


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History

I first began running barefoot when I was doing a swim-run event with the TriClub of San Diego, and accidentally brought two right running shoes. I knew the only way to complete the run was to go barefoot, as some of the other club members do. The soft sand beach run actually felt good, and the lack of shoes made my feet feel very light. I have been doing the swim-run events barefoot since (about four years).

I often see club members running barefoot on the street, which seemed rather brutal on the feet, but then some people say the same about running barefoot on the sand. After reading several articles about barefoot running, I decide that 2010 is the year of the bare feet. One of my main purposes is to avoid injury. I haven't been about to run weekly for a whole year in over twenty years. No major injuries, but just minor pain in joints that takes the fun out of running and forces me to rest to recover. Another reason is to try to minimize the calluses on the ball of my foot (3rd metatarsal bone) and my big toe. A properly aligned foot should have pressure evenly distributed, and running barefoot will help strengthen the muscles of the foot. My goal is to do the run portion of a Sprint Triathlon running barefoot.

Running Background

I wasn't much of an athlete when growing up, being the shortest kid in class until high school. I played some tennis in high school, and always enjoyed riding my bicycle around the neighborhood. In October 1987, I decided to run a marathon on a dare. I had been riding my bicycle for two years, completing several century (100 miles) rides. I figured I was in good shape, and even though I never did any distance running in the past, running 26.2 miles seemed easier than riding a bicycle for 8 hours.

My first "run" in October 1987 was for 4 miles in tennis shoes at a 10 minute/mile pace. My 2nd run the next day was for 6 miles. In January of 1988, I bought some running shoes, and began my training for the Long Beach Marathon on May 1, 1988. In March and April, I was logging about 100 miles a month. I completed (barely) the Marathon in 4:42:59 (the first half was under 2 hours) and didn't run again until the next month.

I never did run another Marathon again, but did many Half Marathons all under two hours. Most of my running was during short triathlons, but I did do a 10K in August 1991 @ 46:20. My fastest one mile time-trail was on October 24, 1991 at 5:55. By 1994, due to family commitments, my exercise was reduced to bicycle commuting. It wasn't until 2005 when I decided to get back into triathlons that I started running again. In 2007 I was able to complete several training runs at a half marathon distance. Injuries never allowed me to run longer distances every week, and often I would have to rest for several months before running again.