Let's have your PR's!
- Thread starter Joshh
- Start date
In high school, my PR was
In high school, my PR was 16:57. I haven't done very many 5ks since then and not many barefoot either. During a Thankgiving Day turkey trot in Lansing, MI (the day after a snow/ice storm and lots of salt and water on the roads), I ran an 18:20. I had been running barefoot for almost two years. I know I can hit a 3:30/km pace and hold it for 5k on my daily runs, but I am not sure about during a race. I don't get to participate in too many races and if I have to take a day off from work, then I would rather run a marathon and make it worth it.
In high school, my PR was 16:57. I haven't done very many 5ks since then and not many barefoot either. During a Thankgiving Day turkey trot in Lansing, MI (the day after a snow/ice storm and lots of salt and water on the roads), I ran an 18:20. I had been running barefoot for almost two years. I know I can hit a 3:30/km pace and hold it for 5k on my daily runs, but I am not sure about during a race. I don't get to participate in too many races and if I have to take a day off from work, then I would rather run a marathon and make it worth it.
I teach English in Kaohsiung,
I teach English in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Work is every evening M-F and Sat from 9am-6pm. I go to church on Sundays. Most races are either Sat or Sun. There are not many in the city I live in, though it is a very big city. I don't do any of the races on Sun. So if I do a race on Sat, I usually have to leave the city and since they are usually at 7am, I need to spend the night in or near the city of the race. That means I would have to take Fri and Sat off which would be half a weeks paycheck. Plus I would have to pay for the whole family (wfie and 4 sons) to go with me and hotel room. So there goes the other half of the week's pay. So it is starting to get a little expensive. Plus, Sat is our busiest day and it is hard to find someone to sub for me. So that is why if I run a race, especially out of town, why I try to do only marathons. I try to always do the Taroko Gorge Marathon. It is in Nov and near the shore and up in the mountains, so the race is usually cooler than the rest of the year when I run. That's the other thing, the weather. It is too hot to have any sort of race in June, July, Aug, or Sept.
I teach English in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Work is every evening M-F and Sat from 9am-6pm. I go to church on Sundays. Most races are either Sat or Sun. There are not many in the city I live in, though it is a very big city. I don't do any of the races on Sun. So if I do a race on Sat, I usually have to leave the city and since they are usually at 7am, I need to spend the night in or near the city of the race. That means I would have to take Fri and Sat off which would be half a weeks paycheck. Plus I would have to pay for the whole family (wfie and 4 sons) to go with me and hotel room. So there goes the other half of the week's pay. So it is starting to get a little expensive. Plus, Sat is our busiest day and it is hard to find someone to sub for me. So that is why if I run a race, especially out of town, why I try to do only marathons. I try to always do the Taroko Gorge Marathon. It is in Nov and near the shore and up in the mountains, so the race is usually cooler than the rest of the year when I run. That's the other thing, the weather. It is too hot to have any sort of race in June, July, Aug, or Sept.
Wow, thanks for the
Wow, thanks for the explanation. Sounds like you are working really hard. I ran a couple of times when I lived in Tahiti so I know what you mean about the heat and humidity. You kind of get used to it but for sure cooler temps are much easier. In your picture it looks like the person behind you is BF too. Friend of your's?
Wow, thanks for the explanation. Sounds like you are working really hard. I ran a couple of times when I lived in Tahiti so I know what you mean about the heat and humidity. You kind of get used to it but for sure cooler temps are much easier. In your picture it looks like the person behind you is BF too. Friend of your's?
That's Ken Bob at the
That's Ken Bob at the Bayshore Marathon. It was my first barefoot marathon and I think I nearly made him DNF becuase we were just running and talking and not paying much attention to pace.
That's Ken Bob at the Bayshore Marathon. It was my first barefoot marathon and I think I nearly made him DNF becuase we were just running and talking and not paying much attention to pace.
5k in 17:37 barefoot (1st in
5k in 17:37 barefoot (1st in Masters' division)
Half marathon in 1:21:18 in Vibrams (2nd in Masters' division)
NY Marathon in November, so will update on that time....
All of which is to say that you can be barefoot and fast, in fact, barefoot makes you faster: my last shod half was 1:27:30
5k in 17:37 barefoot (1st in Masters' division)
Half marathon in 1:21:18 in Vibrams (2nd in Masters' division)
NY Marathon in November, so will update on that time....
All of which is to say that you can be barefoot and fast, in fact, barefoot makes you faster: my last shod half was 1:27:30
Dang! Where's the little
Dang! Where's the little icon of the guy bowing down??
Man, that's fast. Good going Andrew. I'm curious as to how old you are and if you have any 5k times from running as a teenager? I'm interested in the comparison because I'm getting ready to challenge some old times but this time BF instead of shod.
Dang! Where's the little icon of the guy bowing down??
Man, that's fast. Good going Andrew. I'm curious as to how old you are and if you have any 5k times from running as a teenager? I'm interested in the comparison because I'm getting ready to challenge some old times but this time BF instead of shod.
I am 44 and didn't start
I am 44 and didn't start running seriously till about 2 years ago (up to then it was, say, 3 miles 3 - 4 times a week). So I don't have any teenage times unfortunately. I am pretty sure I am faster now that I have ever been because: a) I have clicked into the joy of running; b) due to (a) I run much more and much harder than I used to; c) barefoot makes you faster because you use more muscles and run more efficiently.
There is a quote somewhere in "Born to Run" that you can't really pursue speed, you get speed from loving to run.
I am 44 and didn't start running seriously till about 2 years ago (up to then it was, say, 3 miles 3 - 4 times a week). So I don't have any teenage times unfortunately. I am pretty sure I am faster now that I have ever been because: a) I have clicked into the joy of running; b) due to (a) I run much more and much harder than I used to; c) barefoot makes you faster because you use more muscles and run more efficiently.
There is a quote somewhere in "Born to Run" that you can't really pursue speed, you get speed from loving to run.
Yeah, I agree about the speed
Yeah, I agree about the speed coming from the love. It makes sense to me that we would be faster BF. I've done some races this summer and people always comment on the "smoothness" of the barefoot gait. That said, I'm looking to shave 52 seconds off my time per mile (did a trail 10K in 44+ minutes this morning). To reach my 5K goal I'm going to need to shave off 39 seconds/mile. I guess it's time to start really loving running. :bigsmile:
Yeah, I agree about the speed coming from the love. It makes sense to me that we would be faster BF. I've done some races this summer and people always comment on the "smoothness" of the barefoot gait. That said, I'm looking to shave 52 seconds off my time per mile (did a trail 10K in 44+ minutes this morning). To reach my 5K goal I'm going to need to shave off 39 seconds/mile. I guess it's time to start really loving running. :bigsmile:
TigerPaw
Guest
It's great to see some very
It's great to see some very good barefoot times in this thread. My best barefoot times are 21:59 for a 5K and 47:41 for a 10K. I am looking forward to entering the 50+ age division in a few weeks so that I might be somewhat competitive again. The barefoot 40+ year olds are just to fast for me.
It's great to see some very good barefoot times in this thread. My best barefoot times are 21:59 for a 5K and 47:41 for a 10K. I am looking forward to entering the 50+ age division in a few weeks so that I might be somewhat competitive again. The barefoot 40+ year olds are just to fast for me.
TigerPaw
Guest
Joshh, I am very glad to be
Joshh, I am very glad to be turning fifty and entering a new age group. I can see how people who don't compete in age groups could find getting older quite depressing. Entering a new age group is like getting a new lease on life.
On another note, I am actually somewhat faster in racing flats for some reason. I wish that were not the case. I have run barefoot for five years so I don't think it will change. My feet and ankles have always been my weakest link in running. No doubt barefoot running has made them stronger. I will run a race barefoot but I will no longer 'race' a race barefoot. If I want to run my best then I wear racing flats. But it is great to see others in this thread who are actually faster barefoot.
Joshh, I am very glad to be turning fifty and entering a new age group. I can see how people who don't compete in age groups could find getting older quite depressing. Entering a new age group is like getting a new lease on life.
On another note, I am actually somewhat faster in racing flats for some reason. I wish that were not the case. I have run barefoot for five years so I don't think it will change. My feet and ankles have always been my weakest link in running. No doubt barefoot running has made them stronger. I will run a race barefoot but I will no longer 'race' a race barefoot. If I want to run my best then I wear racing flats. But it is great to see others in this thread who are actually faster barefoot.
One other thing, though,
One other thing, though, loving to run isn't quite enough. If you want to run fast you have to have strong legs, and the only way to get strong legs is to do speedwork. 8 x 400 and 8 X 800m for shorter races (e.g. 5k, 10k, half) 4 or 5 mile repeats for half and full marathon. You are basically running these pretty much as fast as you can.
One other thing, though, loving to run isn't quite enough. If you want to run fast you have to have strong legs, and the only way to get strong legs is to do speedwork. 8 x 400 and 8 X 800m for shorter races (e.g. 5k, 10k, half) 4 or 5 mile repeats for half and full marathon. You are basically running these pretty much as fast as you can.
