Out Like a Lamb...

Happy Easter Barefooters,

March turned out to have a few weather challenges but overall was a great month with some high running totals -- over 100 miles for the month which puts me well on my way to a 1000 mile year.  The month started with the Amboy 5K Race in Amboy IN.  This was a great little Sat. morning race and I brought along my 12 year old daughter Megan to challenge the out - and - back course.  What I didn't remember (from my shod days) was how ROUGH the middle mile of the course is...sort of Chip and Seal on steroids which made for a slow and painful middle mile of the race.  But hey, it was a BPR (that's Barefoot Personal Record!) at 25:17 or an 8:09 pace overall.  This was good enough for 2nd in my age group (Male 45-49).  After finishing I ran back to cheer on Megan and ran the last half mile in with her as she captured 1st in her age group (Female 14 and under)!  

It's always nice to bring home hardware!

Megan got a BIGGER trophy!

Afterwards we enjoyed the post race pancake breakfast (the best part of Amboy!) and chatted with other Kokomo Road Runners as the awards were handed out.  It was great to share this experience with my daughter and also break the 5K BPR I had just set back in January on the trail run (Night Flight 5K).  As the month progressed we had a couple more snows but God always provided enough sunny and dry days in between that I was still able to get in several good training sessions.  I was able to run 4 or 5 days each week in March even though a few runs were on wet pavement.  On March 5th, I completed my longest run of the year so far at just over 11miles, followed by a couple of 8 mile runs later in the month. 

I finished out the month with yet another BPR at the Westfield Underground RR 5K on March 23rd.  This race commemorates the fact that Westfield IN was once a stop on the infamous Underground RR network back in the days of the civil war.  This race is run on city streets with about 3/4 mile on the trail in Asa Bales Park near the end.  While there were a couple of rough patches, this course is much smoother than the Amboy course and as a result much faster for us barefooters.  I started near the back of the pack (maybe too far back!) but enjoy passing the other runners early on, and actually continued to pass runners the entire way.  The last quarter mile or so was very interesting as I passed one individual who turned out to be a podiatrist.  He kept surging and trying to re-pass me as we neared the tape but I had plenty left in the tank and kept turning it on to fend him off.  Afterwards we laughed about it and he told me he just HAD to pass me since he was a podiatrist and I was barefoot!  I thanked him for speeding me up...turns out (according to my Garmin) that I ran the last 0.1 mile at a pace of 5:26min/mile! 

Overall, this was again a BPR of 23:40 at a 7:38 Pace which was good enough for 64th out of 429 participants and 4th in my age group.  Since they only went 3 deep in the trophies I finished just out of the hardware, although the runner just ahead (my friend Bill Kirsch) and just behind (my new podiatrist friend Dave) both recieved hardware in their age groups!

After another nice snowstorm (10.5 inches!) and some sunny days immediately after, I got in several nice long runs for the week, just in time to head south for Spring Break with the family.  This year's plan has us stopping in Maggie Valley NC to visit my pastor friend Laura Jones and then heading over to my sister Jill's house in North Myrtle Beach.  Hopefully the weather will continue to improve and we'll get in some beach time with the kids.  And hopefully a few early morning runs on the beach which will be a big change from the Indiana snow!

   


Enjoy the warmer Spring temps!

Barefoot Dan

March Mileage = 106 (New Monthly Barefoot High Total)

Week 1 (partial)= 4, Week 2 = 35, Week 3 = 21, Week 4 = 20, Week 5 = 26

In Search of a Dry Road

Good Morning Barefooters,
February is in the books, and looking back over the month it was remarkably consistent.  Even though we had our share of snow, ice and rain during the month, God still provided a few dry days in between to help get in the longer runs needed to keep up the mileage.  I have had sort of an undeclared goal of trying to acheive 1000 Barefoot Miles in 2013.  For those mileage hounds out there, you know that getting to 1000 miles for the year, requires over 19 miles per week.  Since I always take Sundays off, this leaves only 6 days a week to squeeze in those 19 miles.  Either 3+ miles per day or 3 days of 6+ with a day off in between.  That is a pretty agressive schedule when you start to add in snow days.  Last year it would have been easy since the weather was so mild, but this year we were lucky to get 2 "dry" days per week.  So this requires keeping the mileage low enough on the "wet" days to not due damage to the feet and high enough on "dry" days to keep the weekly average going.
Of course the other factor with Indiana roads in the winter is all the salt and calcium chloride put on the roads to keep them clear.  Remember, salt is basically MEAT TENDERIZER so when you couple that with wet roads the feet can't do super high mileage, at least not multiple days in a row.  So it was challenging this month to watch the weather forecast and take advantage of the dry day that typically precedes the next big storm, knowing that I would have a low (or zero) mileage day following the storm.


Longest Run of the Year (so far...)

 The temperature cooperated as well and I was able to keep most of my runs in the 20s or 30s.  However, my first run of the month was also my coldest barefoot run ever on Feb. 1 at 5 degrees!  This was of course a "dry" 5 degrees, but nevertheless, a very short run of 0.41 miles, hardly worth logging!  This was my shortest run of the month while this past Tuesday allowed for my longest run of the month (and year!) at 9.62 miles.  This was a beautiful sunny day with a temp of 34 degrees and little or no wind.  I didn't actually set out to go that far but when I got to the 4th mile of my planned 6 mile run, the road back home was closed due to power line work.  So I decided rather than back tracking I would just make my loop bigger.  I turned and went down Little Chicago Road to Highway 38 and then back home.
You can see my Garmin download of the run here.  I enjoyed the smooth surface of Little Chicago and once I got to Hwy 38 I pretty much stayed on the white line which was smooth as well.  Of course the issue with both of these roads is high traffic and requires a constant watch ahead for cars.  When they don't get over, you need to be ready to dive into the weeds or the rocky edge of the road.  Most of the drivers in the area are very considerate of runners and either slow or make way as they approach.  I usually try to wear either my orange gloves or my neon green sock cap to make myself as visible as possible.
Well, the mileage is listed below, and as you can see I got in at least 3 "above average" weeks in February.  I will need to continue this trend if I'm going to make up for the 2 weeks down time from January.  Looking forward to some Spring racing, maybe including the Amboy 5K (and pancake breakfast!) this Saturday (tomorrow) if the weather cooperates.

Enjoy the rest of your winter and STAY SAFE!

Barefoot Dan

February Mileage = 81 Miles

Week 1 = 1, Week 2 = 20, Week 3 = 25, Week 4 = 20, Week 5 = 16 (weeks 1 and 5 partial)

Barefoot in the Dark!

Good Afternoon Barefooters,



"Icing" feet in snowbank after run



I'm happy to have run 19 days during the cold and snowy month of January.  However, with only a total of 40.2 miles, you can guess some of these runs were pretty short.  The weather just has not been conducive to longer runs but I have enjoyed pushing the limits to see what the feet can take with respect to temperature, and they have responded very well.  My longest run was just yesterday with a full 7 miler on the soggy pavement after strong overnight thunderstorms but with a "warmer" temperature of 49 degrees.  And then just this morning was my shortest run of the month at only a quarter mile in the 22 degree fresh snowfall. I guess I just wasn't into the cold today after the brief warmer temps the last few of days.  On the plus side, the snowy weather makes it very easy to ice the feet afterward by just stepping into a snowbank at the end of the driveway as I finish my workouts!  My coldest run of the month was on Jan. 22 when it was 10 degrees and I ran just half a mile.  Later that same week, I experienced some mild frostbite after a run of 0.6 miles in fresh snow and 19 degree temps.  It was a very mild case and after 48 hours or so I was back to normal.  I was even able to run the very next day although it was still a little tender.  The moisture was the key.  10 degrees, if dry and sunny is tolerable, but a wet 19 degrees is a recipe for disaster.  

Muddy Fun on the Oakbrook Valley Trails



The most fun and challenging run of the month was the 5K Night Flight Race at Oakbrook Valley in Kokomo.  This was a trail run at night which made headlamps or flashlights a neccessity.  My 12 year old daughter Megan ran with me wearing shoes, while I ran it barefoot of course.  It was actually a very warm day (for January) at 54 degrees with heavy rain predicted for soon after the race.  We were able to wear shorts and singlets which is very rare for a race in January!

Checking out the headlamps

 in the daylight befor the race



Megan and I had a blast running in the mud using our headlamps, although I was a little worried about stepping on something in the dark.  It turned out not to be much of an issue at all.  Other than a couple of scrapes on the tops of my feet, mostly from branches or small saplings on the trail, the bottoms of the feet came out just fine.  The rain, however, did come a little early so we got pretty wet in the last half mile.  It just made for more sloppy fun.  I really felt light on my feet and quite frankly enjoyed not dragging a pair of heavy mud-caked shoes around the course like everybody else.    

Muddy Feet with some scrapes



Yum...chili!

Being barefoot freed me up to bound around the course without having to worry about the mud "sucking" off one of my shoes as I ran.  Afterwards we got to enjoy the post race feed which included several different kinds of chili and other goodies.  This was the first year for the Kokomo Road Runners Night Flight race but I think it might become an annual tradition for us since it was so much fun.  I always like being able to run with one of my kids.  It was also nice to see all of my Club Kokomo buddies and get a race in so early in the year.  The rest of the month has been pretty cold and snowy so the training has been a little on the "light" side.  However, I am doing well in making an effort to get back to a daily routine when possible.  Back in my shod days, I would train 6 days a week, Monday through Saturday, and take Sundays off.  But, for the last year and a half, with barefooting, I have been only training every other day so this has been a big adjustment going back to daily running.    

"Amazing Grace" Wind Chimes



I have also continued to enjoy the daily aspect of training following the passing of my father at the end of last year.  Running is such a great stress relief.  Friends and family have been very supportive through it all.  My Disciple Bible Study class helped tremendously by giving me a sympathy gift of "Amazing Grace" wind chimes which I hung out by our hot tub.  Now as I soak in the hot tub after my barefoot runs, I'm able to reminisce about my Dad as I hear the wind through the chimes.  Hopefully the weather will begin to warm up soon and I can get in a few longer workouts, as I train for a race or two later in the year.  The return of dry pavement will be nice as well.  Still, I do thoroughly enjoy the 4 different barefoot seasons here in Indiana.



Stay Warm Barefooters!

Barefoot Dan

January Mileage = 40 Miles

Week 1 = 0, Week 2 = 6, Week 3 = 15, Week 4 = 5, Week 5 = 14





500 Miles Barefoot in 2012

Happy New Year Barefooters!
I hope everyone is enjoying their barefoot accomplishments over the past year.  I certainly have enjoyed getting more into barefoot running and also completing my first ever barefoot marathon last month.  I was really surprised to be able to continue to keep up my mileage after the race.  My secondary goal was to get to 500 miles for the year and with the mild weather in November and early December it wasn't too difficult.  I did several longer weekly workouts in early December and peaked with a 12 Miler on 12/12/12.
 I may have actually overdone it a little on the 12th, since I had just done a 10 miler on the 10th.  Afterward, I had quite a bit of pain in the left foot and sort of gave up on the 500 mile goal even though I only needed another 14 miles at that point.  That following Friday on Dec 14, my Dad passed away from a massive heart attack, just a few days shy of his 79th birthday.  It hit me like a ton of bricks.  Even though Dad had seen his share of health issues over the past several years, he seemed healthier than ever the two times I had just seen him in November.  His death came as a big shock to the whole family.  It was somewhat cathartic to complete my 14 miles over the next few days to take my mind off everything.  I'm sure that Dad is in Heaven and that has definitely made it more bearable.  I ran a 10 miler on Dec. 20th, just two days before the funeral which got me just over the 500 mile point.  The weather turned snowy the next day, so it has been a good time to take a break from running to rest up and recover.  Running is definitely a blessing when going through hard times.  The physical activity gives such a needed release of the stress we build up without even realizing it. 

Uncle Dan with Joshua-2 and Timothy-3mo



My family is now on a trip out to Virginia to visit my brother-in-law David, his wife Beth and their family.  They have two boys, Joshua Jay-2yr, and Timothy Ford-3mo.  While here, we have enjoyed travelling out to see Mount Vernon and also visited the Natural History Museum at the Smithsonian.   I toyed with the idea of doing a little barefoot running out here, since the weather is so much better than in Indiana which now has about a foot of snow on the ground.  But I still haven't run a step and think I will just continue to rest and recover.  At this point I'll just save my miles for January...and training for the Mini Marathon...which will be my first Mini in 4 years and of course my first ever barefoot half marathon(unless I get a wild hair and do the Sam Costa in March).  It will all depend on how much "hibernating" I do during the next few weeks back in Indiana.  The wet salty roads won't be too inviting so I may have even more rest than I really want, but we'll see.


Visit to George Washington's home - Mt. Vernon, VA



I'm not big on making (or keeping) new year's resolutions but I do have a goal of incorporating even longer and more frequent barefoot runs into the schedule.  I really enjoyed learning over the past year what the body can really do, and look forward to even more discovery next year.  If there are some of you out there who never tried barefooting or tried it-overdid it-and then gave up, I invite you to give it another try this coming year.  Just go slow, do small distances and let your body be your guide.  Your feet are the two best running coaches you could ever ask for so if you give it a try...LISTEN TO THEM!



Happy Barefooting in 2013,

 

Barefoot Dan

 

December Mileage:  60 miles (included two 10s and a 12)

 

2012 Mileage:  500 miles

Marathon Recovery

Hello Barefooters,

 I have truly enjoyed the month of November.  As you know, I started off the month with my first ever barefoot marathon at the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon on Nov 3rd.  Since then I have just been taking it easy and running only what feels comfortable.

The feet have really been recovering nicely.  I have been amazed at how much I've actually WANTED to run since the marathon.  I guess I thought now would be the time to slack off and not be too motivated since the marathon goal was now acheived.  But it seems like just the opposite has happened.  With this big psychological barrier out of the way, I now feel free to go out and JUST RUN...and that feels really good...to just go out and not worry about the miles, or the pace, or even the weather that much.  To just go and run whatever feels good that day and then call it quits.  Well, that lasted a couple weeks and then by the third week, I put in a 20 mile week (two 7 milers and a 6 miler)...which is now considered "high mileage!  It was great to run that high of a weekly mileage but then I did have to back it off the following week and only did 9 this week including just 3 this morning. 



INDY STAR:  At least MY FEET made it into the local paper!



About halfway through the month I received my marathon photos and put together a little slide show.  Most of these photos are from that slide show (sorry, I haven't figured out how to post it in the blog).

I was also happy to learn that my photo (or at least my feet) made it into the Indianapolis Star (Newspaper) but it may have just been on their website...here is that photo.

Now that I've had a little time to reflect and recover, I did go ahead and sign up for the Mini Marathon in May 2013.  I've actually run this half marathon 17 times, but this will be the first attempt barefoot.  I'm thinking about the Sam Costa Half Marathon in March as well, another annual favorite. 



"Floating" above the brick street just seconds
away from the finish line.



If the temps aren't too hot by the Mini in May, I might be able to start adding in some speed by then!  I've also kind of mapped out the rest of the year and have set my sites on running a "500 Mile Barefoot Year" in 2012.  Right now I'm at 435 miles, so it is definitely within reach if the weather stays halfway decent in December. 

I had my annual physical today, and got a clean bill of health.  I sat and reminisced with my doctor about the low point of my year back in February when I came limping in to him with my stress fracture.  I told him I still blamed it on the Vibram Five Finger run the week before and think I had definitely overdone it with the shoes.  I HAVEN'T RUN IN THEM SINCE!!  And acutally, that was my only Vibram run in this calendar year.  So, for all practical purposes, I'm now fully converted to barefoot and have no plans to return to shoes of any kind, at least not in the near term.  Not sure if I want to keep doing long distance runs, but it certainly does feel good to know that I can at any time if I want to.  As you barefooters know, it's pretty much all in your head!

So for now, I'll just keep doing what feels natural and stay connected with the earth...one footfall at a time.

Stay Safe,

Barefoot Dan

November Mileage:  63 Miles

Week 1= 26.2, Week 2= 1 , Week 3= 7, Week 4= 20, Week 5= 9

First Barefoot Marathon Ever – DONE!!

Hello Barefooters,



Pre Race Carbo/Protien Loading Breakfast



I’m basking in the glow of my first ever barefoot marathon while nursing my sore feet from today’s Indianapolis Monumental Marathon.  I started off the day early with a couple big plates of French Toast and bacon, knowing I would need lots of energy for the 4+ hour marathon (much slower than my shod pace)…and little did I know, it would be slower than that!

The day started off cold but dry although I knew by the radar that the rain would definitely be moving in later.  I just kept praying that I could at least get the first half in dry, since wet pavement is a definite “no-no” for us barefoot runners.



Pre Race Photo Op



The gun went off and I purposely held back, opting to stay in the warm lobby of the parking garage a few extra minutes.  That is the joy of having chip timing:  you can determine your own “start” time and mine happened to be 9 minutes after the gun went off.  (By the way, the chips were in the bib number which made my special purchase of a Velcro ankle band chip holder completely worthless, which I bought thinking I wouldn’t have any shoelaces to tie my chip to!)  Anyway, the 9 minute delayed start allowed me to slowly get my feet under me and concentrate on a relaxed running form which is so critical to proper barefoot running.  I also allowed space between runners to allow me to see the pavement directly ahead.  I really enjoyed these early miles and passed many people even though I was only moving at about a 10-11 minute pace.  The amazing thing was all the comments people made about my bare feet!  I knew from my training that a lot of people would comment, but it was almost over the top…everything from “@#%! You’ve got to be kidding” to “Ouch, does that hurt” to “Forget your shoes?” (the classic) to “Hey are your feet cold?”  For the most part I responded back, and talked about barefoot running and even asked them if they knew some of these Indy streets were actually warm?…it felt really good to run by one of those in infamous “steaming manhole covers” because the pavement was actually warm, sometimes hot!  But after the first couple miles I started cutting the conversations short or just giving a quick thumbs up when the comments keep coming.  Otherwise I was not going to be able to concentrate on my form.  At mile 8 we turned onto 38^th street which I knew would be a “bear” due to the slotted concrete.  I was able to jump up onto the slightly smoother concrete median to get a little relief…trouble was, there were broken beer bottles and other debris to avoid.  Pretty bad when your only choice of running surfaces is sharp slotted concrete or broken glass…oh what to choose, what to choose! 



Garmin download of my run



Still all was going well, when the light rain started.  It stayed light at first but was a warning of things to come.  I cranked my mile pace to ~9:50 between miles 9-12 and passed the half marathon point in 2:15, but then things started going downhill.  Between 13 and 14, we passed through a VERY rough section of Broadripple and my mile pace slipped back above 10 min/mile.  The pavement got a little better but was still pretty rough until we jumped back onto Meridian just past mile 14.  This 2 mile section was nice and smooth but did also have a pretty good incline and the mile pace slipped into the 11s.  The tour through Butler University was scenic but again, rough pavement!  At Mile 18 we entered the grounds of the Indianapolis Museum of Art to a downpour mixed with sleet.  The official photographers on the IMA wooden bridge told me I was the only barefooter they had seen today (although one lady had told me that there was a “Barefoot Mark” here today.  The pavement at the IMA was smooth but short-lived and soon we were back on the rough Indy streets in a total downpour.  This continued until we rejoined Meridian with “slightly” smoother pavement at Mile 23 and the rain subsided.  Linda and the girls just missed seeing me finish (my time was 5:08) but we did meet up later at the baggage tent.  It felt soooooooooo good to get my warm DRY shoes on and I was surprised that I didn’t have huge blisters. 



Minimal Foot Damage - All Things Considered



I do have a fairly good blood blister on the ball of the left foot but the right foot (blister wise) is fine.  I do have some significant inside ankle and TOFP (Top of Foot Pain) on the right foot, so I’ll be on some major Ibuprofen for the next couple of days.

After snapping a few photos, we went to Subway for lunch and I felt much better inside the WARM restaurant…although I still couldn’t stop shaking the whole time we were in there.



Happy and Warm in the Subway



I must say, I am very pleased overall, since I had many doubts that I would ever be able to do this distance (and some of those doubts were about Noon today!)  It is truly amazing what the human body is capable of.  If you haven't already done so, I urge you to take the time to appreciate the design of our human bodies and the painstaking thoroughness that our creator took in knitting us together. 

I told Linda afterward that I did more praying today than during any other marathon, ever.  I seemed to constantly be asking for calm nerves, avoiding injury and strength to get through the “next mile.”  Most were “breath prayers” like Phil 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who give me strength.  And He definitely provided today…I could not have done this without Him. 

God is Good!  All the time!



Freezing Cold -- But With My Girls (Sarah, Rachel & Megan)



I hope everyone out there gets the chance to experience a barefoot marathon at least once in their life!

With Feet Propped Up,

Barefoot Dan

Try a Golf Ball Exercise for Strong Bare Feet

Happy Halloween Barefooters,

I have enjoyed the restful month of October but have found it challenging to keep the feet fit.  My mileage is WAY down in an effort to get to the starting line healthy for this Saturday’s Monumental Marathon in Indianapolis.  All my runs this month have been short in an effort to “do no damage” to the feet -- callous pads, bones & tendons -- between now and race day.  I also put at least 2 rest days in between all runs, usually more.  I have been increasing my use of the “golf ball exercise” in between workouts.  The method is pretty simple.  I place two golf balls on the floor in front of me.  Then, from a seated position, I pick up one golf ball (with my toes) and place it in the opposite hand, and then pick the second ball and place it in the other hand – right to left, then left to right.  I repeat at least five times or more until the toes get tired, alternating which foot goes first each time.



Golf Ball Exercise



This can also be done from a standing position, although it requires a bit of balance.  I think using a seated position allows you to really concentrate on the flexibility of the toes without worrying about falling over.  I also try to alternate which toe is directly over the ball to give the entire foot a workout.  This is best done right after a shower when the toes are nice and clammy to give you good grip.  Some of you may need to start with smaller items, although some may be able to do more.  I know of some barefooters who are able to pick up racquetballs, tennis balls and even baseballs.  But heck, start with marbles if you have to…anything to give the toes a workout and then work your way up to the larger items.



Icing feet and ankles after a barefoot workout



Another helpful method for reducing recovery times after your barefoot runs is the use of ice.  After every barefoot run, I give my feet an ice bath.  Here you can see my favorite method:  two five gallons buckets filled about 4-5 inches deep for about 3-4 minutes.  I’m usually sitting on the edge of my hot tub during the icing, so it mentally helps me to go longer, knowing I’ll be jumping into the 98 degree hot tub right afterward.  I then usually ice the feet for about another minute after getting out of the hot tub as well.

I hope you find these tips useful.  Please say a prayer for me this Saturday morning at 8am for the start of the Monumental Marathon.  I’m still very worried about being able to do this distance and especially on these “less than ideal” surfaces.  If all goes as planned, and of course, God willing, I will run almost as far on Saturday as I’ve run the entire month of October…definitely not my most aggressive marathon training regimen to date!  I’ve also found myself praying A LOT about the weather forecast and so far it looks to be dry, although a slight chance of showers crept back into the forecast just this morning.  Still, I feel fortunate to be running in Indy and attempting my first ever barefoot marathon.  And my heart and prayers go out to the New York Marathoners as their race this weekend is still up in the air at this point due to Hurricane Sandy.  God Bless you all on the east coast as you dig out from this massive storm.  Wherever you are at the moment, take some time and count your blessings!

Enjoy the Trick or Treating Tonight,

Barefoot Dan

October Mileage:  31 miles

 (Week 1 = 11, Week 2 = 6, Week 3 = 11, Week 4 = 3.1)