Barefoot Leap Day (and High Mileage February)

Happy Leap Day Barefooters,
I hope everyone is finding SOME good warm days to run, even though it is still February.  Surprisingly it seemed there were several nice days even though we did continue to get some really cold weather and more snow and ice.  I usually waited for the "heat of the day" and ran after work but before dark (a narrow window!)  And then other days, it was warm enough to run before work so I got out early with the headlamp and logged a few short runs.  I was able to get in between 30 and 40 miles each week so overall this was a pretty big February. 



Nice Place to Run!

The other nice thing was that during the 2nd week, which was the coldest of the month, I was blessed with a 4 day business trip out to California.  The first day of the trip I was at my company location in Temecula and got in a nice 10.5 mile run before going into the office.  The rest of the trip I was down in San Diego since we took our customer to visit our operations in Tijuana Mexico.  I was staying in a place I hadn't stayed before so I knew I would have to scout out the new area when I got there to see if there would be any good places to run.  I got there in the late afternoon in time to walk down to the park close by (in shoes...it was actually too hot to barefoot run at about 85 degrees!)  I quickly found a good place to run so I was very happy to be able to get in some more long runs while in the warmth.

I stayed near Mission Bay and Sea World in San Diego and found a really nice path to run on each of the two mornings I was there.  From my hotel I could run about 3/4 of a mile and into Mission Bay Park which has a beautiful wide concrete bike bath all the way to the back of Sea World (about 4.5 miles total) and with some extra spurs got in 11 or 12 miles each day.  I extended my miles each day in California knowing that it was single digits back in Indiana and maybe wouldn't have gotten in any miles at all back here.  The path was completed deserted when I went out each morning at o'dark thirty and the temps were always in the mid fifties, perfect running weather wherever you are.  The path hugged the coast of Mission and went through the Hilton complex on the way to the backside of Sea World.  The path turned to gravel at that point so I didn't venture far down it.  I ran part of the Sea World parking lot as well, but it was VERY rough and not worth the effort with the nice patch of concrete calling me back toward the hotel.  I enjoyed the peaceful warm morning running under the stars, which are also had to see this time of year back in Indiana!  The path was much smoother than what I had run on up in Temecula so I figured I would be able to get a nice one in on my last day there as well.

Ouch!
  Note to Self:  "Don't stub toe while running barefoot!"

On Friday morning before flying back at 6:15 am I went out very early so that I would have enough time to still get in a long run and then sleep on the plane back to Indiana.  I went out and did basically the same route but added a few more out and backs on the section down by Sea World.  I was on one sort of circular turn around (maybe a parking/camp site) and as I turned to go back I stubbed my toe HARD on a curb and heard a loud CRACK!!  I was sure I had broken my toe.  When I looked down, I was shocked to see my toe bleeding like a stuck pig.  But it didn't feel broken and I could move it.  Since I was using my Iphone (Map My Run) as I forgot my Garmin charger back in Temecula, I used the camera to snap a photo of my foot (sorry, I know it's gross.)  I was more than a little panicked at that point since I was still 3.5 miles from my hotel!  I said a quick ,desperate prayer that my toe would be alright and kept running.  I kept praying (breath prayers) the whole way back that I would get it infected (with some weird Vikka virus) running through the puddles from the sprinklers along the trail.

Looked a little better back at the hotel,
but still throbbing.

Since I had extended once again and decided to get in a 12+ miler before turning in the rental car and jumping on the plane, I kept praying hard that I could keep up my pace and not have to start walking or limping.  He again answered my prayers and I made it back to the hotel in time to take a quick shower, put some Neosporin on the toe, wrap it in a tissue and stuff it in the sock and shoe.  It did keep throbbing on the plane ride home but not too bad.  I did make it back to Indiana and then decided not to run on it the next day which was still nice and cold anyway.  By Monday it was better and I did run on it again without any problem.  The rest of the month did have some bad weather but there were enough good days in between that I was able to keep the mileage up.  I finished off the month this morning with a 7.2 mile headlamp run to top the month at 150 miles (my biggest barefoot February ever!)  I'm also celebrating my 7th Leap Day with Linda (we've both now had 7 Leap Days with and 7 Leap Days without each other...wow, what a milestone!)
Hopefully the weather will continue to warm and I can keep this mileage pace going in March.  Looking forward to Spring Break in about a month with a little beach running.  Hope everyone out there is enjoying the mild winter and if not, don't worry...Spring IS coming soon. 

Stay Warm Out There,
Barefoot Dan
February Mileage = 150.7 Miles