Mad woman on the bridge

Ran a lovely 6.3 miles today across the Old Severn Bridge. It's a bit noisy with the cars hurtling past on one side, but on the other side it's uninterrupted views up the River Severn.

Having said that, I spent most of the time deciding which stretch of path I might do barefoot on the way back. Most of it was fairly smooth tarmac but with a healthy spattering of gravel.  Chose the spot I thought would be best. My feet would not be visible from passing cars, and I wanted to avoid a downhill incline as I think that would be harder on the feet.

On the return leg, I paused at said spot. Looked at my feet, checked there were no cyclists approaching, and promptly bottled it! What if CCTV picked me up and saw me remove my shoes on a bridge where the barriers over the edge are nothing more than waist high railings? I'm sure they would think I was a jumper and send screaming lights after me.

So I ran on in my trainers. What a wimp I am. Will I ever pluck up the courage, or should I just stick to my trainers? After all, they've served me well so far ...

A quarter of a mile

Ran to the end of the road and back this morning, barefoot.  Went out early (with hangover in tow).  I'm still trying to overcome my obsessive fear of being spotted.

Was seen by a fellow runner having a sneaky smoke at his front door though, so I made some banal comment about not having any trainers, and then a minute later made another one on my return!

Three and a half minutes of barefoot in total.

The pavement is essentially smooth but with a sprinkling of gravel stones here and there, so a few spikes to contend with.  I concentrated on relaxing, keeping a fast cadence and relaxing again.  It seemed to work - a few sharp ouches, but nothing that bothered me too much.

I ran outside!

On Friday, my OH and I went for a 5 mile run - in our trainers.

I think I've blathered on about running barefoot so much, that when we got back, he suggested we both take off our trainers and run to the end of the next street.

It's only about 300m all in, but we did it.  I felt like a naughty school girl, running outside without my shoes on.  I tried to relax and maintain a fast cadence.  Actually, it wasn't that difficult - I naturally took very small steps, and unlike when I was running in my FiveFingers, I found that my foot went down ball first, then pretty flat straight away.  This would obviously help avoid a recurrence of my stress fracture, which I believe was caused by running on my toes in my Fives.

The pavement was fairly smooth, just little bits of gravel here and there, but they didn't hurt at all.  Not sure I'd have said the same if we'd gone much further, as it gets a lot stonier further down.

So, I've achieved my first outside run in bare feet.  I've lived to tell the tale.  I'm working on building a reputation as the mad woman who runs barefoot.  It's a start.

It's not over yet!

I haven't blogged here for a while. It's not because I've given up on barefoot running - in fact, I'm still as convinced as ever that it's the way to go.

I've been doing lots of research on the subject.  I've been doing 100-ups. And every time I go for a run in my trainers, I finish it with a series of reps up and down the side of the house in my bare feet. Ok, this probably only amounts to about 100 metres in total, but it's a start.  I've also increased my cadence signficantly.  Oh - and I should mention that I obsessively analyse every part of my running route looking for potential 'quiet' places where I might eventually be brave enough to take off my trainers and try a barefoot run in public.

What I have noticed from these small but significant changes are that I don't seem to have so many aches and pains after a run (perhaps this is down to the fact that I've only done sub 4 miles for a while).  However, today I ran the furthest I've done for a while - 6.5 miles, and I felt great.  Legs felt springy, nothing really hurting (yet) like I'd usually feel after 6 miles.  The only niggle I've got is around my ankle joints - they just feel a little tired and well-exercised.  I'm convinced this is down to my increased cadence and gentler footfall.  I've also noticed that I'm much faster running downhill - I think I'm losing that 'braking' effect from not having my knees bent enough.

Hopefully, as the weather improves, and more people are out and about in sandals and flip flops I'll feel confident enough to actually run down my road without shoes.  For now, I'll hang on to my secret squirrel technique, lurking between houses and scouring quiet country lanes!

Starting again

Yesterday I went out for 3.5 mile run - in my trainers.  I tried to employ barefoot techniques - keeping a rough cadence of 180bpm, light on my feet, 1-2-3 footfall (ball, heel, toes, in quick succession), concentrating on lift, not landing.  It was great to get out for a proper run again, and I really enjoyed it.

When I got home, I took off my trainers and ran up and down the side of the house a few times.  My bare feet felt fine (though it is only a smooth surface).  Then I realised that the neighbours opposite would have a great view of the side of the house, so I went inside.

Today, I put on my FiveFingers and did just under a mile.  I was extremely careful, being vigilant for any signs of TOFP (top of foot pain).  There was none, just a slight stretching of my achilles.  I tried to remember all of the barefoot running hints & tips as above.  I tried to run silently and effortlessly.  It seemed to work reasonably well.

I did notice that I had no calf pain which I had definitely experienced in my previous FiveFinger outings.  I think this is because I make sure the whole of my foot touched the ground, and I didn't focus on staying on my toes like I had done pre-injury.

On my return home, I once again took off my fives and ran up and down the side of the house completely barefoot.  I was relaxed, gentle footed and it felt good.  My neighbour's blinds were shut so I felt a little less silly.  I think this is the way forward for me for the time being.

First post injury run

Full of trepidation, on a cold and frosty morning, I laced up my trainers for the first time in 5 weeks. Not sure if I shouldn't wait one more week, even though I'm pain free, I nervously stepped out of my front door.

My memory held out, prompting my feet to move, and pushing away the familiar flutters of anxiety before any run, and off I went.

Of course I was scared that there would be pain. I remembered Ken Bobisms... 'relax, relax, relax', 'bend your knees', 'it's like you're cycling'. I hummed Rizzle Kicks 'Mama do the hump' - the only plus 180bpm track I've found so far, and I ran.

It was a great feeling.  Absence makes the heart grow fonder and I relished every second. I noticed a minor twinge halfway, so I took heed of Ken and walked a few metres to check it was nothing before continuing.

It may have only been 3/4 of a mile in total, but it was an epic run for me.  It marked my return from injury, my return to something I love, and to something that fills me with pride.

I will take it easy for the next few weeks, but today has been a great day for me.  I've loved, and lost, and am loving again.  How lucky am I?

Ouch, it's gravel

I'm trying hard not to become obsessed by the barefoot lark, but it's not easy.

This morning, I remembered that down the side of the house we have a thin strip of very sharp gravel between the house and the fence.  We are quite overlooked by neighbours, and there is a touch of embarassment factor that goes with wandering around barefoot (I can see the neighbours twitching their curtains and commenting on the developing madness of the woman next door).  So under the pretext of righting the garden chairs which had blown over in the recent wind, I went out with nothing on my feet and trampled around on the gravel.

Well, I say trampled.  Obviously Ken says I should bend my knees and 'relax, relax, relax'.  I tried to spread the weight of my body on my feet, but I have to confess I found it mightly difficult to relax.  It was downright painful.  This is good - according to Ken - it will help me learn to move efficiently.  I'm not yet convinced.  When I got back indoors, I simply thought 'I could never run on that'.

Maybe I'll have another go later.  PS - I should stress that in fact I only stood on the gravel and lifted my feet up and down a few times.  Trampled would be entirely the wrong word (Ken, I hear ya!).