hey there
I ran a little over 10k in straight-up barefeet yesterday and the feedback from my puppies was so positive that I felt the need to mention it here!
Barefoot for me means pavement and pavement is something I've avoided like leprocy for quite a few years now, so this is a transition in more than one way.
Started out easy, 3.5 miles at a 10:20 pace, loose knees, high turnover, images of KenBob's beard swimming before my inner eye...
Then I decided to fool around with the pace a little and did roughly the last mile in 7:48, the fastest I've run BF by far (with Huaraches in the woods, I've done a few 6:45-ish intervals already).
Like I said, it just felt fantactic, positive feedback all around, and no trace of pain anywhere this morning. Which got me to thinking during my run today (Huaraches, back to the forest) that I'll do Berlin this September. Barefoot. 42.195km
I finished last year already planning to either run Berlin for time or my first real Ultra in the Fall this year. My BF/MF transition has had me thinking of dropping both goals, though. However, I do think it's realistic that I could do the city race BF, just not anywhere near the pace I'd be looking at with shoes.
That's my one real concern - it's not the distance, it's the time out there, BF on pavement. If I hadn't picked up the BF/MF habit, I would start a training plan for a 3:15 (with the goal of breaking 3:30, that's just how my mind works), but that kind of work isn't realistic without shoes, not for me, not yet.
So... Maybe looking at a four hour BF run? On pavement. In the expected heat. With a LLLLOOOOOOT of spectators...
Sounds like a challenge!
PS - the 10k from yesterday at Garmin Connect:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/36141487
I ran a little over 10k in straight-up barefeet yesterday and the feedback from my puppies was so positive that I felt the need to mention it here!
Barefoot for me means pavement and pavement is something I've avoided like leprocy for quite a few years now, so this is a transition in more than one way.
Started out easy, 3.5 miles at a 10:20 pace, loose knees, high turnover, images of KenBob's beard swimming before my inner eye...
Then I decided to fool around with the pace a little and did roughly the last mile in 7:48, the fastest I've run BF by far (with Huaraches in the woods, I've done a few 6:45-ish intervals already).
Like I said, it just felt fantactic, positive feedback all around, and no trace of pain anywhere this morning. Which got me to thinking during my run today (Huaraches, back to the forest) that I'll do Berlin this September. Barefoot. 42.195km
I finished last year already planning to either run Berlin for time or my first real Ultra in the Fall this year. My BF/MF transition has had me thinking of dropping both goals, though. However, I do think it's realistic that I could do the city race BF, just not anywhere near the pace I'd be looking at with shoes.
That's my one real concern - it's not the distance, it's the time out there, BF on pavement. If I hadn't picked up the BF/MF habit, I would start a training plan for a 3:15 (with the goal of breaking 3:30, that's just how my mind works), but that kind of work isn't realistic without shoes, not for me, not yet.
So... Maybe looking at a four hour BF run? On pavement. In the expected heat. With a LLLLOOOOOOT of spectators...
Sounds like a challenge!
PS - the 10k from yesterday at Garmin Connect:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/36141487