333 Miles - Biggest Barefoot Month Ever

Hello Barefooters,

Rachel's new kitty friend from Red Bird

I am really enjoying my summer and getting in some great daily long runs.  I've been travelling quite a bit (more than I like) but have been fortunate to still get in my morning run no matter where I lay my head.  The month started out down in Kentucky at the Red Bird Mission in Beverly.  This was our church's third trip down here and this one didn't disappoint.  We had 20 missionaries from our church (including my entire family) and we divided ourselves up into two different teams.  The first team worked on campus to complete a deck on the girl's dormitory while the off campus team worked at the home of a local woman, Stella Wagers, and completed a plumbing project and a flu pipe installation (with hook up of a wood fired cook stove).  Stella blessed us all week long with her sense of humor and "Mountain Wisdom" and she was very grateful for the work we did.  As with most mission trips, the blessings go both ways!

Team Signing of New Red Bird Trailer

This year was especially nice for running, since the county paving crew was finishing up putting down brand new asphalt on the main road leading to and from Red Bird.  On Monday, I ran the two newest miles of fresh pavement (still warm!) and got in a 5 miler to start the week.  I increased my miles each day (as they increased the length of the new pavement and by the end of the week, they had the entire Clay County portion paved (7 miles) and I had turned in 62 miles, culminating with a 16 miler the day we headed back to Indiana.

The next week I stayed in Indiana the whole time and even with the rainy weather, got in 13+ miles each day.  This turned into my biggest week of the year so far at 81 miles...not to shabby.  I wasn't really planning to run my biggest month ever but did start to ponder the hows (and whys!)  I was sort of nursing my left Achilles by the end of the week so I decided to "take it easy" the next week.

Lutes Family Back Home in IN on July 4

The following week I also stayed in Indiana and the weather started to dry up a bit.  I "only" ran 72 miles after going a little shorter on Mon and Tues with a 11 and 10 miler those days (now relatively short distances!)  I finished the week with 12s and 13s and on Saturday was actually shooting for a 16miler when I went up a hill and felt a twang of pain in my left groin muscle...it almost brought me to a walk...and I immediately turned around and limped the 1 mile back home, feeling lucky that I was that close to home.  I sort of attributed this groin pull to the overcompensation of the recovering Achilles on the same leg. 

The nice thing about barefoot running is the short duration of injuries.  I mean even after each of these otherwise "devastating" injuries to my Achilles and groin muscle, I took only one day off (the Sunday I would have taken anyway) and then ran a shortened recovery run, first one 11 and the second one 7, but not necessarily short by most people's standards.  I feel that this is because I seem to be more in tune with my body and can tell what my limits are better when barefoot than when wearing foot coffins (er, shoes!)

The next week had me out in Temecula CA for training for work.  I stayed in my usual hotel and did multiple laps each day in the industrial park where my company is located.  All these runs were done with the headlamp each day so that I could still get to the office on time.  I got in an 11, 8, and 13 mile run that week in CA with the last one being particularly challenging timewise...I had a 6:25am flight from San Diego so got up at midnight to do my 13 miler, so I still had time to drive from Temecula to the airport...it helped with the jet lag on the other end since I normally get up at 3am anyway (which is midnight in CA!)

Steel Fragment from I-275 Metro Trail
Thanks Detroit!!

This past week had me up in Michigan, both Livonia for training and St. Joe for a customer visit.  I continued the long run streak each day with a 12 or 13 miler each morning.  On Tuesday morning I added another FBO (Foreign Body Object) to my list of "things I've pulled out of my foot" with a particularly nasty piece of sharp rusty steel picked up on the I-275 Metro Trail.  The Metro Trail is nice because there are no cars, but it does have some debris which is definitely the downside.  I only run on it for about a mile and a quarter until I reach the Mahle parking lot which offers a nice half mile loop on freshly sealed pavement.  This steel was picked up witin the first mile of my run so I definitely felt blessed to still be able to continue on and finish my 13 miler for the day.

The next couple of days were over in St. Joe.  This time I didn't venture down to the beachfront but carved out a nice 2 mile loop from the hotel, using the smooth Whirlpool parking lots and the nice white stripe on the edge of Lakeshore Drive returning to the hotel.  I was able to get in a couple of 12 milers and run without much traffic as long as I ended by 6am when the Lakeshore commuters take over the road.

This morning back in Indiana I ran my shortest run of the week of 11.72 miles to finish the month of July with exactly 333.33miles which beats my previous record of 281 by over 50 miles!  This was a solid month of 60, 70 and 80 miles weeks with a daily average of 12.3 miles not counting my Sundays off.  Who would have ever thought this could be done without shoes!

I definitely feel blessed to have this amazing body God gave me...a body which continues to heal and strengthen the more it is used.  He definitely knew what He was doing when He made the human body...what an amazing system of muscles, tendons, bones and ligaments...no man-made design even comes close!! 

KEEP RUNNING!

Barefoot Dan

July Mileage = 333.33 miles
(new all-time record, with or without shoes)

Barefoot in the Philippines + 72 Mile Barefoot Week

Happy Summer Barefooters,
I hope everyone is enjoying your Summer out there and getting in some nice long runs.  I absolutely love Summer since I'm not limited on distance by the colder weather.  I'm increasing my distance as the weather continues to warm up and making up for some of the shorter weeks back in January and February.  I'm now "almost" caught back up to my pace for a 2000 mile year.

Sunset over Lake Michigan - St. Joe

I'm publishing the blog a few days early early since I will be travelling down to Kentucky on a Mission Trip over the next week (with little or no internet)...it will be nice to be "un-plugged" for a few days.


Speaking of travel, I had three business trips this month so I got to experience barefoot running in a lot of different places...and time zones!  The first trip was up to St. Joe Michigan.  I got in a nice long run on the beach in St. Joe.  The morning meeting dictated an early morning headlamp run, but it was nice and peaceful and deserted.  I got in a nice 7.5 mile run from the hotel, down to the beachfront area and even ran out to the end of the concrete pier before turning back. 


The following week I spent some time in Livonia MI (on the other side of the state) and got in some good early morning barefoot runs on the I-275 Metro Trail which runs right behind my hotel.  I usually connect this trail with several loops around the Mahle parking lot which has some nice smooth sealed pavement.  This is a nice break from the otherwise VERY rough roads in Michigan.  A few of the days I had to deal with rain showers so my runs were shortened a couple of times.  This wet weather also affected the timing and length of several of my runs back in Indiana as well.


Then finally I had a week long business trip to the Philippines.  This was my first trip ever to the Philippines and I stayed in the Manila area in a place called Alabang which was very nice.  The hotel and business district of Alabang were relatively small, but I did manage to carve out a 0.9 mile loop and also a 1.65 mile loop which gave me a good way to get in some decent mileage.  The weather was a hot 81 degrees each morning (this was the "cool" of the day).  After getting off the plane I got in a quick 1 miler (with headlamp) just to get the "lay of the land."  Then the next morning I got in a 4 miler before going to the plant the first day.   Each day I got progressively longer and enjoyed an 8, 10, and 13 miler the next three days.  The pavement was "ok" and ranged from semi-smooth to pretty rough but after doing the loop a few times I was able to find the smoothest path possible.




Jose Rizal's Footprints

I took the Sunday off from running, as always, and got in some sight-seeing on both Saturday and Sunday.  On Saturday I took a 3-hour Manila City Tour which highlighted the cities cathedrals, the US-Manila cemetery and Ft. Santiago which housed Dr. Jose Rizal up until the time of his execution just prior to the Philippine independence from Spanish rule.  The sidewalks commemorate his final "death march" to the firing squad by tracing his foot prints (in metal) while being led from his cell to the front of the fort.  

Ahhh...Fish Spa!

Jellyfish

On Sunday I enjoyed the Manila Ocean Park tour which offered a nice aquarium walk through, a trained seal show, jellyfish exhibit and the highlight of the day, the "Fish Spa."  The fish spa consist of a pool of calf deep water with small minnows/fingerlings that massage your feet while they groom your toes and eat the dead skin off the sides and soles of your feet.  It tickled while they worked on your feet and the neatest part of the whole thing was sitting there and watching other peoples reactions as they stuck their feet in the water and got the first sensation of the nibbling on their toes.  Some people really enjoyed it for a long time while others were "in and out" rather quickly.  It was a novelty and something I'm definitely glad I got to enjoy.


On the Monday evening after walking in the plant audit all day and after running my 10-miler that same morning I decided to get a massage once again at the hotel.  As I prepared to go to dinner I rubbed the kindof sore spot on the ball of my left foot and found what I thought was a thorn or piece of glass.  I didn't have my handy-dandy Swiss army knife tweezers (left

Piece of wire pulled from left foot - 13 miles next day

at home so they didn't get the TSA toss into the garbage) so I pulled out a pair of nail clippers.  After much pushing, rubbing, praying, pinching and tweezing I was able to pull out the offending FBO (Foreign Body Object).  It wasn't a thorn at all but a piece of wire about a quarter of an inch long! Wow, that was my second truly "Foreign" FBO since I had the piece of Canary Islands glass back in January.  As soon as I pulled it out I felt immediate relief and even ran my longest Philippine run the next morning of 13 miles before yet another LONG plane ride home.


Once I got back this week, I continued with some longer distances after dodging rain/lightning to get in a 16-miler on Friday and then a 17-miler just this morning.  That 17 miler caps off a 72 mile week which started in Manila and included a "wire injury" and jetlag and rain shortened runs of 8 and 7.3 miles.  The 72 miles represents the biggest week of the year so far!  Even though I still have 2 running days left in the month of June, I will go ahead and publish the blog since I won't be able to do it from Kentucky next week.  I hope to get in some long runs in Kentucky but as I recall from 2 years ago, the pavement is pretty rough so we'll see.  We have 20 from our church going to Red Bird Mission and this will be the third time we've gone.  Our projects include building a deck, plumbing a bathroom and installing a flu-pipe.  Fun stuff!


Happy 4th of July (soon)!


Barefoot Dan


June mileage = 252 miles (not counting June 29 & 30)

Shiprock DNF Reflections

Hello Barefooters,



Shiprock Selfie



I hope everyone is enjoying the start to summer and getting in some good barefoot mileage.  I have been enjoying some longer runs in the early mornings before dawn.  Nothing like a good 12 miler with the headlamp to get the day started right!



 As many of you know, I started my month out in Shiprock NM where I was attempting to run the Shiprock Marathon in under 4 hours barefoot.  But it was not to be.  I suffered my first ever DNF ("did not finish") and will have to return at some point to capture the state of New Mexico for my 50Sub4 quest.  I say "suffered" but actually, I was more than happy to get on the bus at mile 10 and end my day.  The course was just not "barefoot friendly" you could say and I think many different things came into play with the DNF.  



DNF - done at 10 miles



Now that I've had some time to reflect on the day, I would have to say these things all conspired against me to end my day early:

1. Rough Road - rocks
2. Heat
3. High Altitude
4. My Mindset
5. "Ease" of quitting



VERY Rough Road



This list is in order of importance and I will explain each one.  The "Rough Road - rocks" was the most important factor by far.  The race was run on the Navajo Indian reservation with spectacular views of Shiprock for the first 20 miles.  The road however was very old asphalt, like macadam, and the rocks in the asphalt were like granite.  The gap between stones was noticable and it definitely slowed me down.

The "Heat" was also very much a factor.  The day started off at 61 degrees with a predicted high of 85 which was at least 10 degrees warmer than normal.  The race started at 8am and ran primarily west to east which meant we were running straight into the rising sun...not a great feeling when the temp is rising.

The "High Altitude" wasn't expected to be much of a factor, but I believe it surely took it's toll as well.  Linda and I bought a case of water and began drinking as soon as we arrived in NM but I'm not sure I drank enough to counteract running at a 6000 foot altitude.  I maybe didn't give this factor enough consideration after successfully running both Colorado and Wyoming last year (both above 1 mile high)




Driving the Course - "Testing" the Pavement

 

The next factor was "My Mindset" which actually had two different components, neither of which was good.  The first problem was that Linda and I went to drive the course the afternoon before.  Usually driving the course the day before is a good thing and instills confidence in the runner as you begin to "see yourself" on the course and visualize a good event.  Just the opposite happened this time.  As I viewed the course and kicked off my sandals to test the surface I was horrified to find out how rough the road was going to be.  I began to dread the next day.  All the positive thoughts didn't seem to help.  I prayed for calm nerves and asked for help to sleep well that night.  I tried to remember that this could be just like any other run, once I got started, and just needed to get myself to the starting line. 



Lots of broken glass and debris



The other problem with "My Mindset" happened in the first 1.5 miles or so of the race.  I was running along minding my own business, and trying desperately to find some smooth pavement in the early stages of the race (which was uphill).  I was running to the right of the centerline and "sort of" found some smoother pavement when from behind a guy starts shouting at me to get over to the left with the other runners.  "Come on man, you're blocking traffic" he said, after I had already gotten over to allow a race official and a baggage trailer around me (on the otherwise closed course there were no "other" vehicles).  I told him I was looking for some smooth pavement but he was having none of it and made it his personal responsibility to get me to run on the left side of the road.  I was not in a very good mood already, and this guy was not helping.  Words were exchanged, which I won't repeat but which I immediately regretted.  Once the situation escalated it got ugly...a shouting match between the two of us.  He finally relented, and took off running leaving me to stew and fume and oh yeah, pick my pace up because I was already running slightly above my needed 8:35 pace needed for my BPR.  I couldn't believe I'd let him get into my head but the damage was done.  No matter how I tried I couldn't seem to pull the pace back down to 8:35.  I'd run 76 marathons all over this country and had never "gotten into it" with another runner...what had just happened?...I was at a loss to explain my action and my over-reaction to this rude intrusion into my race.

This brings us to the final factor:  "Ease of quitting."  They just made it way to easy at this race.  This was a relay race so every 5 miles there was a relay exchange station and a set of busses waiting to take runners back to the finish area.  My decision to stop came very suddenly at about mile 8.  Up until then I hadn't even thought about stopping but suddenly it seemed like the only thing to do.  I looked at the aid station at mile 8 and thought, "Well I at least need to make it to the bus at mile 10 so I kept slogging along.  When I stopped at mile 10 I had actually picked the pace back up a little and had a 9:12 average going...but still not enough for a BPR or even a sub 4 hour time at that point.  I was very relieved and even happy to get on the bus and off of that awful pavement.



Free Roaming Horses in NM



After the bus ride back I was happy and relieved to find Linda and made to to the finish line to watch the half marathon winner come across the line.  I made it to the massage tent and was happy to find almost no line!  Linda and I made our way back to Farmington and enjoyed the rest of our day by attending a New Mexico film history presentation that afternoon in Farmington.



Shiprock



The trip was still very enjoyable and not a bust at all.  We got in some great hikes in Choco Canyon and Angel Monument.  We had a great little 4-day weekend while Grandma and Grandpa watched the girls for us back in Indiana.  I won't be too disappointed to have to come back to NM to re-run this one since there is a lot to see and do here.  I'm looking at the Albuquerque Marathon which looks to be very flat and smooth.

Have a Great Summer Barefooters,

Barefoot Dan

May Mileage = 167 Miles

High Mileage April - 205 Barefoot Miles

Hello Barefooters,
Another April has come and gone and I was happy for the break in the weather.  I finally was able to get in some decent mileage this month.  My preparation for the Shiprock Marathon is coming along nicely due to some great long runs in the month of April.

The two highlights would have to be:  1. Spring Break - running on North Myrtle Beach and 2.  The Graffitti Fun Run

Our annual Spring Break trip was the first full week in April and we once again went to my sister Jill's house in North Myrtle Beach.  She was so gracious to host us for the entire week and we thoroughly enjoyed the accomodations and the close proximity to the Beach.  Each morning I could get up and run a short 2 blocks to the beach and then simply pick a direction (North or South) and begin my daily run in the surf.  Myrtle Beach is so nice to run on since it is flat as a pancake and has a huge smooth area to run on especially at low tide.  My favorite route was turning North to run all the way above Cherry Grove Pier to the end of the peninsula.  I just loved running down in the surf and watching the shod runners avoiding the waves and the pools gathering on the flat parts of the beach.

The next highlight of the month was the Graffitti Fun run at the Indiana State Fair Grounds.  Twelve of us from my church ran this race including my entire family.  I say race but it wasn't even timed...just a lot of fun to get colorized by the packets of exploding colored corn starch all around as well as the color canons at the color stations.  A good time was had by all.

The picture here is of my daughter Sarah who thoroughly enjoyed the colorization.  She stood directly in front of the color cannons at the "after party" and the transformation was pretty dramatic.

Now I'm hoping my big month of April didn't take too much of a toll on my feet for the marathon on Saturday.  I spent the week in Michigan and the gravelly trail has taken its toll...hoping the feet can recover a lot over the next 36 hours or so.  Off to Shiprock tomorrow morning with Linda.

Happy Barefooting Everyone!

Barefoot Dan

April Mileage = 205 Miles

Out Like a Lamb!

Hello Barefooters,


Rachel, Dan, Megan, and Sarah at start of Underground RR



March went out like a lamb once again, thank goodness.  We have had a VERY cold winter in Indiana (and elsewhere) and the month of March wasn't much better.  But it ended well!  Today is in the 50's and the weather is dry.  I'm enjoying being able to run either before OR after work these days instead of always having to wait for the "heat" of the day after work.  It seems a lot easier to do a headlamp run in the morning before going to work than trying to sandwich in a late afternoon run between work, conf. calls, etc.

Megan and me at Underground RR 5K Start



The highlight for the month would have to be the Westfield Underground Railroad 5K Race which was held on March 21st.  This was the third year in a row that I did it barefoot.  Once again, other family members joined me in the endeavor.  My 14 year old daughter Megan ran the 5K with me, while her sisters, Sarah (14) and Rachel (17) showed their support by walking the 3K Walk.  We all had a good time.  I was happy to place 1st in my age group once again.  Even though I was 26 seconds slower than last year, I did beat my next closest age grouper by over a minute.  1st prize was a $15 gift certificate to the local running store, The Blue Mile, so I was able to recoup some of my entry fee!

  


Megan finishing with a strong KICK!

 

This month also allow me a couple of business trips to try barefooting in some new locations.  The first trip was to Livonia, MI, followed by St. Charles, IL, followed by Marshall, IL, and finally Flora, IL.  The MI portion allowed me to get in a couple of warmer runs, one with a new co-worker and running buddy Anthony.  We started at the Livonia office and ran down to Anthony's favorite running park and back for a nice 4.91 miles at 68 degrees---warmest run of the year so far.  The next morning I did a similar run, although with a headlamp and only 45 degrees, this time 8.29 miles.  The IL portion of the trip, I was able to find some very smooth pavement down in Matoon IL and got in 19.1 miles over the evening and morning runs while there.

 



Anthony at Comache Lookout Park



Anthony plotting our course



The next week I got some even warmer weather by travelling down to San Antonio, TX.  Customer meetings in two different cities outside San Antonio allowed me to get in 4 different runs in this great city.  Again, with my new buddy Anthony, we explored the city's Comanche Lookout Park to find a good running trail after our customer meeting was over.




Comanche Lookout Park in San Antonio, TX

 

Later, we did a longer run on the city's famed Riverwalk before getting cleaned up and enjoying a steak at the Salt Grass Steak House which was right on the Riverwalk.  Excellent cuisine indeed!  The next morning I had a later flight so I was able to get in another 5 miler on the Riverwalk at a crisp 45 degrees...still very nice compared to the 20s/30s in IN with rain...it was actually SNOWING when we landed in Indy later that day...YUCK...hopefully Winter is FINALLY over!

Now I'm looking forward to Spring Break next week in Myrtle Beach, SC at my sister Jill's house.  She lives only 2 blocks from the beach so my morning routine will be to run a quarter mile on pavement down to the beach and then choose the "North" or "South" route each day to get in a nice medium to long run.  At this point I'm actually a little ahead of my mileage from this time last year, although still about 205 miles behind the pace needed for another 2000 mile year...oh well...still plenty of time to make that up...I'm still not sure if I WANT to top that big mileage from last year!  Either way, I plan on getting in some nice longer runs this month as the weather warms.  I'm preparing for the Shiprock Marathon on May 2nd in Shiprock, NM.  This will be another 6000+ ft elevation marathon but I will be attempting to pull it under 4 hours (actually shooting for another BPR of 3:49) in order to capture yet another 50<4 State (that's 50 sub 4, or 50 state marathons in under 4 hours).

Happy Springtime Barefooters!  Enjoy!

Barefoot Dan

March Mileage = 156.3 miles  (306 for the year)

Arctic February...with minor frostbite!

Hello Barefooters! 

Canary Islands Press Photo

 

I hope everyone is surviving the cold weather out there.  It has been a VERY COLD February here in Indiana.  I have been struggling just to get a few miles per week (so far only 3 miles this week!)  I've been enjoying the downtime however and used the month to more fully recover from the marathon last month in the Canary Islands.  I recieved a copy of photos from the local newspaper in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, which were taken in the late stages of the marathon, somewhere around mile 21, I think,...of course, right when I was at my worst!  The photographer was on a motorcycle and he took both pictures within two strides of each other but one was sent in Black and White and the other in Color.  I thought they came out pretty well considering how bad I felt at the time.  I definitely wasn't feeling like posing, so the pictures show a pretty realistic image of the tight (not relaxed) upper body and the concentration and downward gaze toward the pavement.  This is what happens late in the race as the form begins to erode.  This was why the post race massage had felt so good on my neck and shoulders since they had been tensed up for the past couple of hours!  The photo does however show the forward lean of my barefoot stride as opposed to the backward lean of the heel striker running beside me.  That is the nice thing about barefoot running...even when you are tired your form can't get TOO bad because you don't EVER want to strike your heel first (because it HURTS!) and therefore the forward lean comes naturally, even when exhausted!  The black and white photo at the end of the blog shows the difference in the lean a little more clearly.




OUCH! - Glass from heel (shown on index finger)

 

After being back home for a week or so, I was able to work a piece of glass out of my heel.  I had just finished an 8 mile run after work and was sitting in the hot tub and just kept rubbing and squeezing on my heel until this "little" sliver of glass popped out.  It felt much better once it was out and the red spot healed up quickly over the next two days.  Now, I have pulled glass out before, but this seemed to be a record breaker...16 days AFTER the fact!  The body is pretty amazing in its ability to heal and recover.  I think this is also the largest piece of glass I've ever removed and I'm pretty happy to have it out!  The heel had been pretty sore so I was fairly sure there was something in there and that is why I squeezed so hard to get it out...the hot water of the hot tub seemed to loosen everything up.




Ahhh! Warming feet after 28 Degree Run

 

Speaking of the hot tub, I must say it is very convenient, and almost a necessity when it comes to running in cold weather.  When I do my sub 30 degree runs which are typically 1.5 miles or less, I run straight to the hot tub on the back porch and flip it open half way.  Then I sit on the lid and dangle my feet in the 101 degree water to bring them back up to temp.  This is usually enough to help the feet recover as long as I didn't overdo it on the run and there wasn't too much "heat robbing" moisture in the form of snow, ice or water.  And yes, I say water, because of the wonderful salt on the roads this time of year which can supercool the moisture down into the low 20s...otherwise it would be frozen ice and not so much of a problem.  I usually try to stay with my feet in the hot water for about half of the length of my run, usually about 5 minutes or so...then I go inside and take off the running gear and grab a swimsuit and cup of coffee before coming back for the full body plunge! 



"Icing" my feet after a Feb. 7th run!



I also switched my schedule over to running in the evenings after work each day in an attempt to find the warmest time of day.  However with the zero and sub-zero weather we have been having I have still taken many days off from running this month.  Last week was a business trip up to Livonia MI so I actually got in 6 miles on the treadmill at the hotel over 3 days.  I still hate treadmills, especially barefoot, but it was better than logging zeros as the MI temps were sub-zero the majority of the trip. 

Once back home the Saturday temp warmed all the way up to 23 degrees, so I got bold and impatient!  And went out I did a half mile run in the fresh snow.  Big Mistake!  I ended up with mild frostbite on 4 toes and they were tender for the next 3 or 4 days.  No blisters or lost skin, just tenderness.  I must say, I have had this issue before but sort of thought I had gotten a little smarter on the exposure time...not so...wow, only 4 minutes and frostbite...the moisture (snow) made a huge difference.  The learning continues!!  The other thing with frostbite is you don't feel it for about 12 to 24 hours later.  Even after heating up the toes in the hot tub, they usually feel fine that same day but then begin to ache that evening into the next morning. 



Late in Gran Canaria Marathon - Do I look tired?



But don't worry, I recovered by Wednesday evening and got in a 3 mile run after work when the temps got back above 30...briefly!  But it didn't last long, and now the sub zero temps are back, with another snow predicted for the weekend...Winter!  Ugh!







Stay Warm Out There Barefooters!

Barefoot Dan

February Mileage = 49 Miles (six on treadmill)


"Yo Soy Guanche!"

Hola Barefooters!

I've just returned from the Canary Islands and my "Missions Marathon" trip with Athletes in Action.  It was a pleasure to escape the cold winter of Indiana in exchange for the varied temperatures of the Canaries.  While the morning temps were in the 50s the afternoons easily went to the high 70s depending on where we were located...the Canaries are known for their "micro-climates" and the variation in temperatures and precipitation is vast.  While in the islands, our small Athletes in Action team joined up with the Tenerife Running Club and ferried from Tenerife to Gran Canaria for the running of the Gran Canarias Marathon.



Mi Amigo Lawrence

All together we had about 50 persons travelling together (including family members) and while most were running the half marathon or 10K we did have 6 of us running the full marathon.  We had a chartered bus take us from the ferry landing to the Hotel Atlanta in downtown Las Palmas.  Those who could, checked into their rooms and then we made our way to the Bella Lucia Restaraunt on the main promenade for some serious carbo loading.  This was mainly pasta, potatoes and salad (with lots of olives, yum) as well as bread with the local spicy Mojo spread.





Mi Amigo Medina

Mi Amigo Pedro

After that we made our way to the main convention center at the end of the promenade for the runners expo and packet pickup.  (Name deleted) had signed me up as "Barefoot Dan" so I was once again able to proudly wear my adopted barefoot nickname during the race.  We made our way back up the beachfront area and rested at the hotel until dinnertime.  (Name deleted) and I opted for the "early dinner" which in hind sight may have been a mistake for me.  With lunch still only partially digested, here I was shoveling in another round of rice and potatos and this turned out to be the start of my gastro intestinal difficulties (enough said!) over the next 24 hours or so.  I did sleep fairly well the night before the race and we rose to a nice breakfast spread set up especially for our team at the hotel.  Oh boy, more food!  The start time was a leisurely 9am so we made our way to the starting area and did the last minute bag drop. 

My buddy Matt

Marathon women's record holder Paula Radcliffe was the voice at the starting line although I never laid eyes on her.  The race was very congested in the beginning and I had trouble erasing the 1.5 minute congestion deficit in the early miles.  Due to my early gastric difficulty I had an immediate thirst the first 5 miles of the race (not a good sign) and the waterstation seemed forever in getting there.  I took as much as I could at the first station (2 bottles) but I think the damage was already done.  My goal plan had been to run a new BPR (Barefoot PR) in 3:45 and I did hold that pace though the first 10 miles or so.  

But as I had feared, when the wheels fell off this race, they fell off BADLY.  As I began to slow up in the second half of the race I began realizing how truly horrible the road surfaces were as well.  Most of the course was well worn (and unswept) asphalt with many rock and pieces of debris everywhere.  And yes, I had noticed this in the first half,  but it was only once the half marathoners left us alone (and the orange cones were pushed to the shoulder) that I truly found myself running out of options and running on what I considered to be just a gravel road through the city!  Even though I was slowing, I couldn't force myself to eat any of the 4 gels I was carrying until way too late (1st gel at mile 21!)  One saving grace and a source of inspiration for me was the cross emblem on the back of my Athletes in Action team uniform.  The cross contains the words of Philippians 3: 12-14 which kept reminding me to "PRESS ON TOWARD THE GOAL" and to keep moving forward. 

Cross on Athletes in Action Uniform

And while in my head I never "thought" I was walking, I know any decent race walker could have easily passed me between miles 19-23 as I slowed all the way down to an 18 min/mile pace!  I must have looked pretty pathetic.  But, at the same time, I must have inspired a few others as well, since several people passed me and touched my back or shoulder on the way by, and whispered a "God Bless You" or similar encouragement.  I graciously gave back a "Vaya Con Dios" or a "God Bless You" as they passed, and tried to use their speed and energy to pick my pace back up again.  Finally, the last couple miles arrived with the much smoother pavement of the brick promenade and a nice marble accent stripe--great for barefooting!  It was beginning to rain, but I continued my favorite breath prayer, Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.  I fed off the energy of the crowd and picked the pace back up to a semi-respectable 10 minutes per mile...a far cry from my earlier pace of 8:35 but it felt like I was absolutely flying down the bricks as I approached the finish. 

As I entered the soft yellow carpet of the home stretch I extended my fingers skyward and gave the credit to the One who got me here and now had gotten me safely to the end of the race.  I was absolutely staggering away from the finish line and heard many positive comments afterward, the most poinient being a young lady who came up and asking in broken English about Athletes in Action and then told me that she too had "Run for Jesus" today in her first ever 10K race.  In this self described "Post-Christian" area of the world, it was nice to hear a real profession of faith.  I shuffled to the bagage area and got into some dry clothes and asked my neighbor to snap the obligatory "feet up" barefoot pose showing little or no damage. 



No Damage!

Even though I knew I would be late for the 2:30 PM team lunch, I took time for the free massage and thoroughly enjoyed my massage by Jose as a couple of people came up and asked me about barefoot running.  Afterward, I "sandle"d up and limped back to the restaraunt where I felt like I must be the absolute last to arrive.  Basilio (aka "the coach") led everyone in a standing ovation and announced my accomplishment as the corredor descalzo (barefoot runner) and then asked for a speech which I (red-faced) immediately declined!  Then as several other runners entered, I realized that everyone was applauded (embarrased!) with a standing ovation from the crowd, as everyone put down their forks and beers to applaud their slower compadres.  We had a nice long slow lunch, even though I still didn't feel like eating much.  After a couple hours we made our way back to the hotel to pick up the rest of our baggage and board the bus for the ferry ride back to Tenerife.



Guanche Warrior...barefoot of course!



I was a little more brave as we walked back to the hotel in a smaller group and loudly declared "Yo Soy Guanche!" to laughs and cheers from several club members walking with me...(the Guanches were the original indigenous barefoot warriors decended from the Berber's which inhabited these islands before the Spanish arrived hundreds of years ago to take over the islands...(and some still of the Guanche descendents still want the Spanish to leave!)  We continued trading marathon war stories all the way back to the boat dock in Tenerife.  Luckily no one got sick on the boat ride back as the seas were much choppier than they had been on the way over.  We said our goodbyes at the ferry terminal although I knew I would be seeing several of them again over the next few days.  

The next day was a beach day which was good therapy for the sore feet and ankles.  On Tuesday we did a group workout which I used as a recovery run.  Afterward, (Name deleted) and I took a trip up to Mt. Teide which is the volcanic center of the island.  I took the cable car to the top of the crater which offers about a 1 kilometer hike in two different directions.  We had clear weather and I was able to see four other islands from the top.

Beach soak for feet - day after marathon

The day after we worked out once again with Basilio and a group of youth race walkers he is coaching to some of the fastest times on the islands.  I made it through about 4.5 miles before the facilities manager came and asked me to put on my shoes!  (Name deleted) explained that the facility insurance did not cover barefooters and I told him no problem, as I've heard the same thing running on tracks back in Indiana.  I simply went outside and finished my five miler on the surface streets.  This way I got in 5 different surfaces in one workout:  rubberized track, astro-turf, natural grass, concrete and asphault! 

We finished off the day watching a football (soccer!) match between Barcelona and a local Spain team and eating yet another local favorite, arrepa's, for dinner.  An arrepa is a small sandwich in which the "bun" is acually a warm deep fried shell of white corn hominy.  I opted for pulled pork and cheese, crabmeat and shrimp as my 3 fillers.  I topped it off with a mango and pina (pineapple) smoothie.  Delicioso!  

New Friends Izzy and Andy from the U.K.

While in the Canary Islands I stayed in a traditional hostel (La Laguna B&B) which allowed me to meet several interesting and unique individuals.   One was a university student, Marco, from somewhere around Venice, Italy.  He had just arrived in La Laguna to study his last year in the islands.  He was a pharmacy technology student and told me he was specializing in a particular Panamanian frog which secreated some special toxin felt to have certain healing properties in humans.  Don't hear that every day!

I also met a couple named Andy and Izzy from the U.K. (Brompton, I believe).  Izzy was interested in barefooting and had been running in minimalist shoes for quite some time.  We talked at length about sports, the shoe industry, barefooting and even the tourist sights around southern England, Cornwall and Lands End which I had visited a few years ago.  Izzy, employs her love of running well, as a member the UK national Ultimate Frisbee team, which was staying in the Canary Islands for a few days of training before returning to England.  In March her team will be travelling to Dubai for the international championship series for the sport of Ultimate Frisbee.  You don't hear that every day either!

Once back in the U.S. it was back to the cold weather of Indiana, although I did get in a six miler on Friday and then a ten miler today both at 28 degrees to finish out the month.  Looking forward to Spring!

OK Barefooters, Stay Warm Out There,

Barefoot Dan

January mileage = 100.5 miles