Greenway 2020 10K
By jjb
Well, as promised, here's my humble dispatch:
Yesterday I barefooted the Greenway 2020 10K in Los Angeles. It was a mostly paved, flat course, that ran along the LA "River" in support of turning the aforementioned waterway into 50 miles of wilder, more recreationally-minded space. It began at the Ferraro Soccer Fields, coursed along the bike path, crossed Los Feliz Blvd. and doubled back along the opposite side of the concrete wash -- I mean, LA River -- and finally wended its way through Atwater Village to end at Golden Road Brewery.
At the starting line, I saw exactly zero other barefooters. None. Just little ol' me and my tootsies. Got some strange looks, but that was about all. I carried on my back a hydration pack that I removed the bladder from so I could carry my running sandals (Shammas), just in case I hit some bad asphalt. But the bike path for the first three-to-four miles was fairly smooth and pleasantly glass-free.
(Side note: despite the lovely day, I spent much of the run zoomed in on the ground in front of me so as not to destroy my feet on something sharp. Anyone else do this and miss the scenery?)
I was feeling great as I crossed the Los Feliz Bridge and headed towards the other side of the river. Unfortunately, what had been a good surface quickly deteriorated into eroded asphalt -- cracked, broken, and super-sharp. I contemplated a stop and a switch to my sandals, but decided to tough it out. Thankfully, for part of this stretch (about a mile) there was a soft, dirt path to the right of the asphalt -- primarily for horses -- so I moved onto that. For the other half-mile, I just gritted my teeth on the tarmac and kept on.
The course map had indicated that we'd be heading down this stretch and looping back up it, before turning into the neighborhood, but when we got to the end of the line, we were diverted into the city streets. (Methinks there was a last-minute change made!)
But the newly-paved city streets were a blessing to my feet and the remainder of the run was smooth-sailing. Plus, every finisher got a free beer!
I think in retrospect what was billed as a 10K was more like an 8.5K. The half-marathoners I spoke to attested to their course being short by about .6 miles. I wasn't wearing a Garmin, so I don't know. But I also don't care.
In January 2015, I started running. Traditional footwear, too much too soon, etc. By April I had a stress-fracture in my knee.
By June, I'd finished 'Born To Run' and transitioned to a completely barefoot lifestyle (except in stores -- and then I'm minimalist). So to be able to finish this run was more than just one race. I really feel like I've achieved something, albeit a small something.
I appreciate having a forum in which to share it. Thanks for reading!
