Registered at the opening, 6:30 a.m., and was pleased to hear that the fee was $5 less than advertised.
That was tempered by the explanation that they were out of the tech shirts, hence the discount.
Cotton T's I have more than enough of, but for five bucks a really cool tech shirt? I got $crewed, but oh well.
I knew from the website that the first 1/2 mile would be on the harness racing track, so I did my homework.
Turns out a minimalist/barefoot runner who raised his family within minutes of that track and a gal I know who's family used to own and race trotters BOTH assured me that it would be clay/dirt, and not gravel.
Never mind that the runner was our own Sole_Foot, and the gal was none other than my wife, but after straping on my D Chip and bib # and heading towards the starting point/horsetrack I was a little less than thrilled to find that not only was the track gravel, but that the 1/4 mile of parking lot that was the route from the track to the street was LARGE gravel chunks strewn over crumbling asphalt!
As a newbie runner, I'm used to expecting a new PR every time I head out. Once I assesed the surface conditions, my goals changed.
I decided that If I don't leave VISIBLE blood for the onlookers, I'll accept the bruises and other humiliation associated with attempting running barefoot in those conditions.
At the starting line I did not have the confidence I had grown accustomed to when answering the curious, but Sole_Foot reassured me that I would be fine.
At the start I also was spotted by one of the BRS's newest members, who accepted my invite this past Tuesday at the Buffett tailgate. An accomplished master (many first place finishes), he started his transition to BF last year, and is still playing around with it.
At the gun I started out cautiously, but when I felt no pain I picked up the pace a bit. I was so worried about injury that I had to ask myself: "What would Barefoot Ken-Bob do?"
I could still clearly visualize him running on the gravel just this past Monday at his seminar, high cadence /short strides and all, and went for it. It kicked right in,and
I have never passed that many racers in my entire (seven week) running carreer. It felt good!
Exiting the track for the parking lot slowed me down, I really did'nt want to hit a sharp rock on top of blacktop, but after that the rest was the same as always, the running was a challenge, the feet were'nt even an issue.
Ended up only 12 seconds behind my paved PR, and still finished in the first third of my age group.
Sole_Foot and family did fine as well, and to their credit-they did the 10 mile run! (mine was the 5K)
Gravel? No big 'ting Mon!
That was tempered by the explanation that they were out of the tech shirts, hence the discount.
Cotton T's I have more than enough of, but for five bucks a really cool tech shirt? I got $crewed, but oh well.
I knew from the website that the first 1/2 mile would be on the harness racing track, so I did my homework.
Turns out a minimalist/barefoot runner who raised his family within minutes of that track and a gal I know who's family used to own and race trotters BOTH assured me that it would be clay/dirt, and not gravel.
Never mind that the runner was our own Sole_Foot, and the gal was none other than my wife, but after straping on my D Chip and bib # and heading towards the starting point/horsetrack I was a little less than thrilled to find that not only was the track gravel, but that the 1/4 mile of parking lot that was the route from the track to the street was LARGE gravel chunks strewn over crumbling asphalt!
As a newbie runner, I'm used to expecting a new PR every time I head out. Once I assesed the surface conditions, my goals changed.
I decided that If I don't leave VISIBLE blood for the onlookers, I'll accept the bruises and other humiliation associated with attempting running barefoot in those conditions.
At the starting line I did not have the confidence I had grown accustomed to when answering the curious, but Sole_Foot reassured me that I would be fine.
At the start I also was spotted by one of the BRS's newest members, who accepted my invite this past Tuesday at the Buffett tailgate. An accomplished master (many first place finishes), he started his transition to BF last year, and is still playing around with it.
At the gun I started out cautiously, but when I felt no pain I picked up the pace a bit. I was so worried about injury that I had to ask myself: "What would Barefoot Ken-Bob do?"
I could still clearly visualize him running on the gravel just this past Monday at his seminar, high cadence /short strides and all, and went for it. It kicked right in,and
I have never passed that many racers in my entire (seven week) running carreer. It felt good!
Exiting the track for the parking lot slowed me down, I really did'nt want to hit a sharp rock on top of blacktop, but after that the rest was the same as always, the running was a challenge, the feet were'nt even an issue.
Ended up only 12 seconds behind my paved PR, and still finished in the first third of my age group.
Sole_Foot and family did fine as well, and to their credit-they did the 10 mile run! (mine was the 5K)
Gravel? No big 'ting Mon!
....the only obstacle is in the mind ;-).
