Since you asked…

… I’ll tell you what doesn’t hurt.

Knees, Hips, Back.

Sweetness. I normally have some knee pain after every run. None. Nada, Zilch after my barefoot runs. The soles of my feet are a bit tender, but I think that is to be expected because I run without my shoes now.

I have now run over 11.1 kms barefoot and I am now the most accomplished barefoot runner that I know (not including the internets people). Now that I am an amazing and time tested barefoot runner I am going to set up some barefoot workshops, to share my secrets of my successful barefoot running. We will meet in a couple weeks, and by then I’ll have reached the magical 20km mark and will really have some amazing stories of my journey to barefootdom.

Topics will include:

• How to tie your shoe when your not wearing shoes.
• What do you do with all the extra time, now that you don’t need to look for your shoes.
• Top 10 things you can do with a unused running shoe
• how to deal with the racist “no shirt no shoes no service” issue we all face.
• and as a special treat we will burn our shoes in effigy at the end of the seminar!

Classes will cost the same price as the shoes you aren’t going to buy after this amazing seminar. Take care and goodnight now!

Workout…

I thought It was going to suck, running BF with the stone bruise from the spray park, and while it was an annoyance, I still enjoyed my run tonight. 4.5k in about 30 minutes. I worked on shorter strides and lifting off instead of pushing off and it seemed to help. The hotspot on my right big toe did develop a blister, but there were no hotspots anywhere else. Also, I felt like the tightness in my interior and superior extensor retinaculums was non existence this run so I think a bit of an improvement is evident.

The pathways were pretty busy tonight so there were a lot of people looking down their noses as I approached them, looking at my bare feet. It’s pretty funny, I'm not sure how I should respond. For now it’ll just be “What the F&*k are YOU looking at!!! Jackass!

First Barefoot Injury…

… and I got it here…

Ffs, I stepped on a stone that was on the concrete at this spray park. Feels like a freaking bone bruise.

Feeling the effects…

… a bit. little stiffness in my ankles, a bit of a hotspot on my right big toe and under my 5th Metatarsal. And a bit of tightness in both my interior and superior extensor retinaculums on both feet, neither of which is better or worse than the other. I have no calf pain to speak of and absolutely no PF issue, where I normally have a bit of a tug there after a shod run.

I will try lifting more than pushing off during the next run (Sunday) to see what that does for the hotspots. I will also alter my post run stretching routine to include more lower leg and feet stuff.

Other than that, I feel great today! Thanks for the support from the BF community. I figured announcing my arrival to barefootery is akin to registering for a future race. It’ll motivate me to train! if not, it’ll embarrass me if I don’t follow through… so I'll do it. I’m ok with that.

I probably chalk the hot spots up to the ‘social’ run we were on yesterday, as I paid very little attention to the form of my run, and just went with the flow. The run itself, upon reflection, felt amazing and relaxing, so I must have been doing lots of things right...

onward!

Ol’ tenderfoot

Not really though. I ran 3.45k today completely shoeless. It was my first night of barefoot training. I have tried it before, as a lark, but never before because I meant to. I meant to tonight. there, I said it. I have now started barefoot training. My baby soft soles need a little toughening up, but other than that, I feel really good. My pace was 7min/km. It’s a nice easy pace for me to get started.

I want to be called Barefoot Zee.

Is that too corny? I’m Neil, should I be Barefoot Neil? Can I be Barefoot Zee? That kinda makes me a loser doesn’t it, making my own new nickname.

Nope. I’ll be Barefoot Neil Z. ok

On July 13th I start a 12 week program culminating in a 1/2 marathon. For the next few weeks, until the official training starts, I will be practicing and toughening. Does anyone have some extra carpet tacks I can run on? Maybe a hot bed of coals…

wish me luck in my new barefootery ninjanery.

Race photos…

Here they are! Great stuff!

View Full Album

Race day!

Here is the pile of stuff that makes up an awesome 50 person road race!  

And since it’s Saturday… here is the shirt!

I don’t think anyone racing will look at this before they get here today.

Followers

My followers count went down by one today. How the frick does that happen? Some jerk named ‘southofthecliff’ pulled his membership from this awesome journal of my amazing running achievements and sometimes funny escapades. Sooooo… southofthecliff… what is SOOO much better in your life that you didn’t have ANY more room for my friendship, what, you are all FULL up? All I had in life was my 16 followers (thanks mom, don’t leave me, I love you) and now I only have a craptastic 15. I was SO excited when Keith, Tom and Gene signed up, to get me to the SWEET 16, that I bought myself a new pair of running socks. now every time I wear them, I’ll think of what a failure I am, and I’ll wonder if it is worth it to carry on this seemingly insignificant repository of my innermost thought.

goodnight.

Wanna see it?

Our new club shirts that is. sicko.

Well… the only way to see the shirts before Sunday, is to be registered in the upcoming super awesome 2k4k6k Fun Run. These fortunate souls will get first viewing and first opportunity to buy while they still have the new car smell on Saturday. On Sunday, we’ll open our trunk to the general population, and for 30 dollars, you can be the envy of the neighbourhood, and entitle yourself a “Cool Kid” . Congrats!

Not running…

… much these days. Ran last Tuesday, 6k with Caroline. Totally enjoyed it, but just haven’t ran anything else. Feel myself getting fatter and slower. I have however been making good use of my time.

     

That was all in the last 3 days. Life.is.good.

Nether Regions…

So a club runner had an unfortunate condition during the half marathon a couple weeks ago. Her butt cheeks chaffed. Early in the race. yeah.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say most of us runners have chaffed somewhere on our bodies during a run and we know that it isn’t pleasant. I’m also going to go out on a limb and say that there are some bodily nether regions that we need to cover with the body glide, but would rather not talk about, or more importantly you don’t want to ‘taint’ your expensive stick of the slippery stuff by rubbing it directly… well… you know.

Ok, here’s what I do with my bodyglide before a long run.

I first rub it on all the non awkward and non-gross areas. Then, (and this is my awesome advice) take a wad of toilet paper, rub liberal amounts of the body glide stick on the toilet paper, then rub the toilet paper on all the awkward and gross spots. flush.

You’re welcome ;o)