Hyannis Marathon - Race Report

I knew this marathon was going to be tough, but I have to admit it was tougher than I let myself believe. As it turned out, this was my slowest marathon to date, although it was not my worse, that still belongs to the Myrtle Beach Marathon a year ago. The difference between Hyannis and Myrtle Beach is that I had the benefit of experience this time around. This time I managed to keep an overall positive attitude. I had expected to complete this race faster than my time at Myrtle Beach, which turned out to be overly optimistic, but even as things started to fall apart, I managed to take it in stride. 


I started out with a race pace of 10:30 min/mi, and for the first 5 miles I was quite pleased with how well I was maintaining that pace. After 5 miles however, my pace just continued to slip, which surprised me as I felt as though I was maintaining a steady pace. When I decided on a pace of 10:30 min/mi I knew, in the absence of my planned training, even that pace might have been a bit optimistic. The plan had been to adjust my pace as needed, but it turned out that my pace just continued to slip, 11:00 min/mi, 11:15 min/mi, 11:30 min/mi, 11:45 min/mi, all by itself. Reflecting back, I don't believe starting at an even slower pace, such as 11:00 min/mi, would have made enough of a difference to carry me through to the end at a steady pace. The issue wasn't pace, it was a lack of the conditioning required to successfully run 26.2 miles. Had my error just been running too fast in the beginning, I don't believe it would have become apparent after 5 miles as it did. I had also started to feel the fatigue set in well before the halfway point, which I believe is also an indicator of poor conditioning.


The wind during the marathon was between 18-20 mph, but other than that, it was a beautiful sunny day. The weather forecast predicted temperatures in the low 30s (°F) at the beginning of the race then warming to the upper 30s throughout the day. Dressing for this race was a bit complicated due to the wind speeds so I made my best guess and went with warmer, at least for the beginning. The course is a 13.1-mile loop that those running the full marathon would simply run twice. This halfway point provided a convenient location for my sister to meet me with some lighter gear if I felt I needed to dress down. Just after the point where the half marathoners peeled off, I met my sister as planned and I swapped out my running jacket for a vest and my skull cap for a visor cap. It wasn’t that I was burning up by the halfway point, rather it had became obvious that fatigue was setting in, so I figured at worse, a little cold might help to fend off the fatigue. I remember feeling a sense of dread at the midway point, I already felt drained and I had to run the whole loop again. I changed, buckled down, and just told myself to "get it done." Somewhere around 19 or 20 miles, as my body was giving out, I reflected on my training leading up to the race and I realized just how ridiculously unprepared I was for this race. From 20 miles on it was a constant struggle to keep moving forward, my legs were shot and I started walking/running, which slowly became more walking than running. The closer I got to the end, the further away it seemed to get. It must have been somewhere around 23 miles when I transitioned to mostly walking. I'd walk and then try to start running again only to get a few steps, I was spent and everything hurt. I tried to walk as quickly as I could, which I actually think helped loosen up my legs a bit. After many more false running starts I was eventually able to get the legs going for the last half mile to the finish line.


Despite this being a grueling race for me, I managed to keep my spirits up and cracked jokes with the race volunteers saying things like, "Am I winning", "Am I gaining on the leaders", "I'm getting ready to make my move any minute now", etc. I've only seen a few pictures so far, but I was really glad to see myself smiling in a lot of them. My sister even commented that she was surprised to see me in general good spirits at the 26-mile point and at the finish. I also made it a point to thank the volunteers as I knew they were hanging tight for us stragglers, and they were great and encouraging all the way to the end. I actually did have a good time, even while I was in agony. I found it all to be quite amusing and found myself chuckling quite often. I even laughed out loud at one point when my legs just refused to run. I was just not prepared to run this, yet there I was.


This race was very well organized and the course was not only beautiful, but it was just a great racing course in general. I know that if my training went the way it was suppose to, I would have PR'd on this course. What struck me about this event was the stark contrast between this one and the Smuttynose Marathon at Hampton Beach. I felt that they were more or less the same size, and just assumed that these smaller marathons didn't have the same perks found in larger ones, such as at Myrtle Beach. However, the Hyannis Marathon proved that assumption wrong. First, the Hyannis Marathon actually had a mini race expo, Smuttynose didn't have anything like this. Second, all the amenities I had expected to be at Smuttynose, but weren't, were available at Hyannis, such as a bag-drop, drink stations where they were suppose to be (cough), post race food was abundant and available for us stragglers, and the traffic control was excellent.


The course itself was just better than Smuttynose. A big problem with the Smuttynose course was a severe road pitch to the right, which is really difficult to run on and resulted in me and several other people I talked to during and after the race having some IT band issues. The roads at Hyannis were nearly perfect in regards to pitch, something I was very happy for. Smuttynose also claimed on their website that they are the flattest course in New England, but I don't believe they have a right to that claim. First, my Garmin, as imported into my runkeeper.com, shows an elevation change of about 1,100 feet at Smuttynose, but only 800 feet at Hyannis. Second, it just seemed less hilly, and the hills that were on the course were gentle climbs.


Since this race is in February, the weather from year to year varies dramatically, which has resulted in the cancellation of the race in the past, so it's a hit or miss year to year. Nonetheless, I can definitely recommend this event if you're looking to run a well organized marathon in the northeast in February.


I have it in my head not to run another marathon at the end of the winter season. I ran Myrtle Beach last February, which ended up having temperatures in the 70s on race day, which doesn't really workout when you train in temperatures below 40°F. This time around I just couldn't seem to avoid injuries, which I think, in part, had to do with the colder temperatures. Here in New England, daylight is limited, which I've found just makes training that much more difficult. Oh, and lets not forget about snow, which increases road hazards and/or sticks you on a treadmill for most of the season.


When my calf got injured for the third time, I debated whether or not I should participate in this marathon. I had decided to go forward partly because the odds at that point just seemed against me which just made the challenge that much more appealing. To my amazement, I managed to show up to the starting line, I finished the marathon, and I managed to do it with a good attitude. It was a good experience and I'm glad I decided to go for it. I learned a little more about running and about myself. Nonetheless, I don't believe I would run another marathon if I don't feel I'm property trained to complete it. In the future, if I find I'm just not ready, I’ll know that when I decide not to run a marathon it'll be because I "won't" rather than I "can't". I didn't PR at Hyannis, but I beat "can't" and that's an experience that'll stay with me and maybe even carry me through to my next PR.


My thanks to my sister Natascha who hosted me over the weekend and provided the much needed logistical support to get me through this race and just committed to being there before, during, and after, and to her girlfriend Saraphina (@saraphina) who despite having a ton of work this weekend managed to come out and support me. To my parents for their continued support as I trained, a great dinner the night before, and for freezing their butts off during the race. To my sister Michelle who help me edit this post and has always been a support for me.


I also want to thank my running friends on Daily Mile with special thanks to Alan (@basicbare) and Alyssa (@alyssarun) for their encouragement and support through these last four months, visit their blogs at http://barefootjourney.org and http://notarunner.com, respectively.

Yes, No, Maybe, I Don't Know

The correct answer is:  I don't know.

My calf issues is definitely the same issues that's arise before.  I've taken off last week and plan to take off this week at least until the weekend.  The schedule calls for a 10 mile run on Saturday and then 20 miles on Sunday.  According to the schedule, this would be my last 20 mile run (or in my case, my last attempt at 20 before Hyannis), the last three weeks have progressively fewer miles leading up to the marathon - the taper.

I've been using ultrasound therapy on my calf for about a week and I really think it's made a difference.  If, as I suspect, the recurrence of this injury is related to built up scar tissue in the calf, this should be effective in reducing that.  The first time this injury occurred, it took about two weeks to heal up, the second time took closer to three.  I'm not really sure why it took longer to heal the second time around, but it may be because my calf didn't fully heal the first time around - although one has to wonder how I would have been able to run all those miles, including a 19 mile run, between the second and this last injury if it indeed did not heal up fully.  It may be that this scar tissue just persisted and it was just a matter or time, or may be my calf was stressed just the right way when running on snow and ice covered roads on the Sunday before the injury occurred (January 21st).

As I see it, my options are as follows:

1) Attempt to run the 20 miles this Sunday, with a few miles on Saturday if not the whole ten to prep for it.
2) Throw out the schedule, continue to rest for another week, and run the 20 miles the following weekend (February 11th or 12th), with maybe a few miles before to prep the legs.  I would still get my two week taper in before the race.
3) Switch to the half marathon and just rest longer.  I'm not concerned about not being able to finish a half marathon.
4) Just forget the whole thing and move on.

The smart thing would probably be the latter, but I'm not quite ready to call it quits right now, and I'm not all that interested in running the half marathon - I think I'd have a bit of a sour taste in my mouth and just wouldn't enjoy it - that be especially true if I did run the half and felt I could have kept going.

The goal is to make it to the Hyannis Marathon and complete the marathon, with all things considered, option #2 seems to be the best chance I have to reach that goal.  On the other hand, my calf is feeling a lot better today and might be set to go this coming Saturday/Sunday.  I suppose one other option would be to blend options 1 and 2, I could try a few miles this weekend, run some light miles during next week, then attempt the 30 miles on the weekend of February 12th.  If I run this weekend, I'll know right away if the calf is not ready, that's is how it's gone before.  I'll continue to do the ultrasound therapy, stretching, and Epsom salt's soak, and try to get in some weight training for the legs too.

So, I still don't know, and I guess I really won't until the the middle of February.

Training Note from Mudsville :/

Things are not going well.

Below is what I posted to DailyMile.com just a moment ago:
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Not good. Went out for my scheduled 6 mile run and started having some right calf pain. This seems to be lower than what was plaguing me at the beginning of my training. I wasn't sure if it was the beginning of pull (as before) or if it just needed to loosen up, I was able to kinda hobble-run back and for a moment I thought maybe it was going away, but then it came back maybe a little more painful.

I'm really not sure what I'm going to do at this point. I'll stretch, roll, soak, etc. and see if it loosens up, but if it is the beginnings of a pull, then I think I need to start considering just bagging the mary on Feb. 26th. If my training up to this point had been solid, I'd just take the time off before the race to recovery, but my training this time around has just been plagued with issues.  This week was/is a step-back week, next week (Feb. 5th) will be my last scheduled 20 mile run - i.e., my last chance to get this distance under my belt before the 26th.

As I'm writing all this down - reading what's going through my mind - I'm thinking the smart thing to do is just to bag it and let my issues heal up. Maybe I'll do the above recovery things and take off from running until Saturday, then see how my two weekend runs go (6 mi and 12mi) before I make that call.

Things are looking grim in Mudsville.

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I'm really not sure what I'm going to do.  There are several alternative options, such as, switching to the half marathon if I can or maybe look for another marathon a couple of months later.  I need to mull over it all some.

Update on Foot Injury and Road to Hyannis Marathon

My foot is doing fine.  By Tuesday morning, that bright reddish spot, shown in the previous post, seemed to have dissipate across the top of my foot and the color was close to my natural skin color.  By Wednesday, unless I pointed it out to you, you would not have noticed it at all.  There was some tightness in the foot, which I only really noticed when I flexed my foot.

I saw my bone doctor this morning for a follow up.  He did his exam and he thinks it is/was a bone bruise and he said I should build up the running slowly and at a slow pace (he knows I'm running a marathon at the end of February).  I did some more internet searching this morning and I'm not convinced it is a bone bruise (though it could be).  From what I found online, I think it could be Bursitis, and I think the same treatment recommended by my doctor for a bone bruise applies.

I'm not sure what the cause was in either case.  I've been running minimalist/barefoot for 2.5 years and this has never come up.  I have a suspicion that it might be related to doing some of my running in Merrell Sonic Glove trail shoes this winter, which are a minimalist shoe, but unlike the Vibram Fivefingers, which are best described as a foot-glove, the Merrells are definitely shoes.  While my injury occurred while wearing my V5F Speeds, I can't help but wonder if my form had gotten a little sloppy as a result of wearing the Merrells.  Specifically, I'm wondering if, without the feedback I get while running barefoot and in V5Fs, was somewhat muted and started to land harder on my forefoot.  I did actually notice a similar pain at the same location while wearing the Merrells on a run weeks before, but that pain seemed to go away by the time I reached the end of that run.  I should also point out that I really only suspect that running in the Merrells as the cause as it's the only thing I've been doing different recently.  It could also be that the cold has something to do with it (as indicated in the "Who is at Risk" on the Bursitis Page).

I don't have another follow up with my doctor and the pain is gone.  I have about 40 days before the Hyannis Marathon.  I have a 20 mile run scheduled for this Sunday.  In fact the remainder of my training schedule looks like this:

Monday  |  Tuesday  |  Wednesday  |  Thursday  |  Friday  |  Saturday  |  Sunday  
Cross      |  5 miles    |   10 miles       |  5 miles      |  Rest     |  10 miles   | 20 miles -1/22
Cross      |  5 miles    |   6 miles         |  5 miles      |  Rest     |  6 miles     | 12 miles -1/29
Cross      |  5 miles    |   10 miles       |  5 miles      |  Rest     |  10 miles   | 20 miles -2/5

Cross      |  5 miles    |   8 miles         |  5 miles      |  Rest     |  4 miles     | 12 miles -2/12
Cross      |  4 miles    |   6 miles         |  4 miles      |  Rest     |  4 miles     | 8 miles   -2/29
Cross      |  3 miles    |   4 miles         |  Rest          |  Rest     |  2 miles     | Marathon-26th

Right now, I believe my biggest challenge will be to completed the remainder of my training and make sure I can run on the 26th.  That means that if I need to reduce milage or even eliminate runs from my training schedule, then that's what I'll do.  What I don't want to eliminate is the two remaining 20 mile runs as I feel more than anything else, it's these runs that get me ready for running a marathon.  I may have to shift things around to get these done.  Tomorrow I'll attempt to run the scheduled 5 miles, what happens on the following day that will depend on how that goes, and so on.

UPDATE!
1/17/12
I successfully completed my 5 mile run today (Tuesday) - no issues what so ever.  Ironically, I actually ran in my Merrell Sonic Gloves, but I focused 100% on form.  I had to make several corrections to my form several times during my run, even as I attempted to maintain a constant state of awareness regarding my form - if that makes any sense ;)  I discovered three key deficiencies in my form that I believe snuck into my running form due to a muting of the sensory feedback I get when running barefoot or in V5Fs.  Once I ponder it some more I'll write up a post about it.

Rocky Road to Hyannis

I've not posted anything lately as my training for the Hyannis Marathon has not progressed as well as I would have liked.  I've had a couple of injuries, some unexpected family obligations, and the holidays, well, I didn't really factor in the holidays when I set up my schedule.

Back in October I posted about my first injury, which was likely related to a complete lack of anything resembling a post-marathon recovery plan i.e., stretching, icing, soaks, more stretching, etc.  You can read about it here: Ouch - Post Marathon Note.  At the time, I was not overly concerned about this injury as my training was still a couple weeks off.

When my training started, I didn't get most of the runs in during the first week -  I figured it wasn't a big deal as I'd just finished running a marathon (see previous post).  Weeks two and three went alright, I manage to get in a few more barefoot runs due to some unexpected warm weather.  Week four was going OK until that Saturday, I went out for a scheduled 6 mile run and at about 1.5 miles, my right calf pain was back.  Since this had just happened to me, I immediately stopped - no trying to test it out after stretching it as I did the first time.  On the following Wednesday, I tried to head out for a short run - I got about 500 feet.  Not including that failed test, it ended up being 17 days before I ran again.  My first post injury run was 4 miles barefoot on a treadmill, during which time I was hyper aware of every little twang or twinge coming from my right calf.  I did a few more miles on the treadmill the following day, then rested for two - so far so good.  On that Saturday I ran 8 miles in my V5F Speeds and on Sunday I did 14 miles instead of the 16 as indicated on my training schedule.  On the following week I got in all my scheduled runs including a 17 miler - It seemed like I had gotten past the injury.

With 9 weeks left until Hyannis, my schedule fell apart with work obligations and Christmas preparations - I missed two 9 mile runs and only ran 5 miles when my schedule called for 12.  With 8 weeks left my week was going OK, though I moved my scheduled 19 mile run to January 2nd so I could celebrate New Years Eve and attend a New Years Day brunch, which lasted most of the afternoon.

This past week I managed to run 50 miles mostly because I ran those 19 miles on Monday.  I only ran 3 of my scheduled 5 miles on Tuesday, completely missed my 10 miles on Wednesday, which I had planned on making up on Thursday, but only had time for 7.  I got in my scheduled 10 miles yesterday and today, well, today was suppose to be 20 miles, which I was geared up to get done, but I only managed 11.4 miles.

During my run I started to have some pain in my right foot at about mile 4.  I continued to run believing that this pain would go away - I had a similar pain in the same spot a few weeks ago while wearing my Merrell Sonic Glove running shoes (another post entirely).  I had assumed it was related to running in the Merrells as opposed to barefoot or in some kind of Vibram Fivefingers as I typically do, but that pain eventually went away before the run ended.

However, as the miles passed on today's run, the pain remained persistent.  Making the decision to run less than my scheduled 20 mile run was difficult as a part of me was telling me I just didn't want to run 20 miles.  This run did feel like it required more effort than the 19 mile run had on Monday.  This is not an unfamiliar feeling, your body is designed to conserve energy and to do that it resists any kind of exertion - that's a big part of running longer distances - it takes mental focus to mute your body's desire to remain static.  Being aware of this, when I made the decision to change course I didn't really think anything was wrong with my right foot, but I knew as the pain continued it would become more and more difficult for me to override my body's desire to end this run.  I also told myself that if the pain went away by the time I got near the end (which would have been 14 miles) I could continue on to get some additional miles in if not the remaining 6.  At 11.4 miles, the pain in my right foot seemed to be overriding most other thoughts in my head and I just decided to call it.  

When I got home I started to examine my foot and, with the help of a google search, I think I've identified the area of the pain to be at the joint located between my proximal phalange and metatarsal bone of the toe located next to my pinky toe.  But, I think there's a possibility that it could be a stress fracture located on the metatarsal bone just behind that joint (Foot Bones).  I think I might be seeing the beginnings of some bruising, which, according to more google finds, appears to be a possible indication of a stress fracture.  Although that could also be from me pressing around that area to identify the pain.  I'll know soon enough.

If it is a stress fracture, well, that means more rest, which does not bode well for the remainder of my training.  I can do other workouts (x-ski, bike) to try and build up the endurance needed for the marathon, but the best training for running is running.

When my calf injury reoccurred and my training schedule was off track, I knew I would need to adjust my pace and finish time for the Hyannis Marathon, but I wasn't concerned about not finishing or worse, not even making it to the starting line, now......  Maybe I'm over reacting, but with the way things have been going since Smuttynose, well, I'm not so sure.

Update!


So here's what my foot looks like this morning.

So it could be a stress fracture, or something else.  Either way I need to let it heal which means time off (again) from running.  A poster on Daily Mile suggested alternating hot and cold soaks at 7.5 minute intervals - I'm not sure what that would do, but I've seen similar recommendations for post run recovery (I often to ice bath soaks for long runs).  My guess is that by alternating temperatures your body reacts by increasing and decreasing blood flow that has an effect similar to expansion and contraction, which in turn creates a flushing effect - like a said, just a guess.  I'll need to look into it a bit more.

Update 2!


I've done a little online searching and my symptoms are a classic indication of a stress fracture, although I'm not experiencing the sharp pain described.  I'm probably going to have to get this looked at by a doctor, which is NOT something I want to do.  But what's worse than just seeing the doctor is that it seems it can take awhile before I can get the results of an x-ray or worse, if the doctor can't see anything in the x-ray I might need an MRI, which takes even longer to get results - what the hell.

It sounds like the minimum amount of time for a stress fracture to heal is 4-6 weeks followed by a gradual increase in activity (i.e. running).  The recommended treatment for a stress fracture is rest and avoid putting pressure on the bone.  I don't really think I need to go to a doctor to tell me to rest for 4-6 weeks.  The benefits to seeing a doctor is to find out if maybe the injury is something else that maybe doesn't require the rest period and will allow me to run the Hyannis Marathon, or worse, like an actual fracture, although I don't think it is.

As things stand right now - boy I don't like saying this - I have a stress fracture and won't be able to run my next marathon.

Update 3!

I have an appointment with a bone doctor at 4:30 today (Monday).

Last Update on this Post!

OK - The bone doc did an initial exam, asked some questions, and ordered up some x-rays, which they did there.  He said nothing showed up on the x-rays that would indicate a stress fracture, but they don't always show up right away on x-ray's or even MRIs.  But, he doesn't think it's a stress fracture, he said it could be a burst blood vessel or a bone bruise.  I have a follow up with him next Monday.  So, while not a 100% "OK", it's pretty good news.

My Hyannis Marathon ambitions - which right now are showing up and maybe completed it with a respectable finish time - are not yet dashed :)

Coasting In - Training Note

I just completed the last of three 20 mile runs on the Hal Higdon Intermediate II marathon training program in preparation for the October 2nd Smuttynose Rockfest Marathon in Hampton, New Hampshire.  Each of those 20 milers were preceded by a 10 mile run the day before, and each of those weeks totaled 50 miles.  This program has been fantastic and I'll definitely use one of Hal's programs to train for the my next marathon (Hyannis Marathon - Feb. 26, 2012).

My goal for this marathon is to come in under 4 hours 30 minutes (4:30), which "should" not be a problem as my planned marathon pace will bring me in at about 4:15.  For comparison, I finished my first marathon in about 5:20.  I had expected to run that one much faster, but for a half-dozen reasons, I wasn't even close.  I did finish, and I knew I had just completed something most people never even attempt.  So despite things not going even close to plan, when I crossed that finish line, well it's a feeling you have to experience to really understand, but it was amazing to say the least.  I wasn't as prepared for that February marathon as I had thought I was, and not having run one before, I really didn't know what to expect.

With only three weeks left until Smuttynose, I have completed over 500 training miles since June, over 900 miles for the year to date, and the benefit of marathon experience.  I've trained, I feel good, I'm confident, I know I'm ready.  I have a total of 34 miles scheduled for next week, then my official taper begins with 26 miles schedule the week preceding the marathon, and just 9 miles scheduled for the week of the marathon excluding the marathon itself.  From here there are three things I need to focus on, completing remainder of the training, continue to maintain a good diet, and not getting injured between now and then - not necessarily in that order.  Of the three, the injury part is the most worrisome as it's the one I have the least control over - three weeks simply is not a sufficient amount of time to heal properly and expect to complete a marathon.

But staying positive - I just need to be mindful and enjoy the downhill ride from here.

Happy miles everyone!

Longest Barefoot Run to Date - 12 Miles

One of my goals this year was to increase my barefoot milage, which I've done.  Today I ran 12 miles barefoot making this the furthest distance barefoot I've run to date.  I'm not planning on topping that this year, but hopefully I'll get a few more barefoot 12-milers in before it getts too cold.

Twelve miles is the distance I've had in the back of my mind as a good finale to my barefoot running ambitions for the year.  This distance is covered a few times in the latter part of my marathon schedule so it fit in very well.  That being the case, I've had my eye on today as "longest barefoot run day".  Unfortunately this weekend has turned out to be a little warmer than the past several days and yesterday and today are probably two of the most humid days we've had all summer, which made today's run something of a challenge in general, much less running it barefoot.

From the start of my run, the temperature just kept creeping up and I tried to adjust for this by slowing down.  I was also paying extra attention to my running form, which is one of the first things to go as fatigue begins to set in.  As I continued to run, my pace got slower and slower, I was struggling.  I've covered 10 miles barefoot several times now, and it's not been a issue for me, of course the weather on those days were more ideal.

My feet started to feel tender sometime before 10 miles, perhaps even as far back as 8 miles, but I'm not quite sure.  It was at  around 10 miles I definitely noticed it, but I was on the home stretch and on a newly paved road, which is heavenly to run barefoot on.  My stride was extreme short at this point, I was just crawling along, and while my cadence was much less that the 180 beats/minute, I was focusing at least maintaining an ideal barefoot running form.

The last mile was undoubtedly the hardest.  At the 11 mile mark my route took me off the heavenly road onto a road that, while actually in great shape, is probably the roughest on my feet.

This rougher road did me in earlier in the year when I attempted my first barefoot 10 miler, which only ended up being 9 miles (I did that last mile in my V5Fs).  That first 10 mile attempt was also run during a very hot day, one one on which the asphalt got particularly hot.  That first attempt got me to 9 miles, which, even though I did not get to my intended 10, was still the furthest barefoot distance I'd run up to that point.  I also got two small blisters on two of my toes that day, which was probably, in part, due to the hot road surface.

Fortunately on today's run, despite being very hot and humid, the sun hadn't heated up the pavement as it did before.  So I transitioned to the rough paved road, with one mile to go, I was fatigued and my feet were tender.  I managed to get down this road perhaps a quarter mile before I started to think about stopping and putting on my V5F, which I had packed in my hydration vest.  At about a half mile I was real close to doing it.  Having a goal in mind and being so close to it, definitely contributed to working through it mentally to get me to 12 barefoot miles.  But the largest part that got me through was a quick sensory assessment of my feet.  Attempting to reach this goal at the risk of injury would have just been stupid.

Awareness of my body, being smart about training, and not over doing it were probably among the hardest lessons I had to learn when I first started running again two years ago.  I had several injuries early on that could easily been avoided and consequently I was forced me to take weeks off from running.

So I assessed my feet: I had no indications of blisters and there were no punctures, which I chalk up to an overall improvement to my running form this year and also understanding that as I get fatigued my form often begins to fall apart.  Knowing this, I continually checked my form and made adjustments as needed.  So, with everything checking out as OK, I pushed through and finished my intended run.

I know that had the weather been a little more ideal today, my first 12 mile barefoot run would have been something of a more upbeat story.  Bad runs in warm weather is nothing new for me, and had this just been another run, I would have grumbled about it, cursed the heat and moved on, but instead, a milestone has been reached, which makes this a good run in the end.

There are 28 days left before my next marathon.  I've been considering limiting my barefoot running in the two weeks of training before the marathon to get a few more miles in with the V5F Speeds, which I'll be running the marathon with.  Before then, there'll be several more 10 mile barefoot runs and hopefully one more 12 mile run.  After the marathon it'd be nice to get in at least one more barefoot 12 miler, but that well be dependent on the temperatures.  Next spring I'll begin training to run the Toronto Waterfront Marathon barefoot.

Looking Ahead - 2012

Somewhere along the way, I got it into my head to run two marathons a year - this before I had even completed my first marathon this past February (My Myrtle Beach Race Report).  In fact, I had signed up for my second marathon (Smuttynose Rockfest Marathon at Hampton Beach, NH) even completing one.  With just over a month to go until Smuttynose and having just past a training milestone for that race, I've started to think about what my race schedule for 2012.

My requirement for an early 2012 marathon was that it had to be economical, which meant it had to be local.  The actual race registrations are generally not excessive, but add travel, accommodations, food, etc., you can spend as much as you would for any other weekend getaway.  With this in mind, I've more or less decided on the Hyannis Marathon in Hyannis Massachusetts as my early 2012 marathon.  The marathon had only 600 runners this past spring,  although there were several thousand half-marathoners, which run at the same time.  The timing of this race is also about right, it's enough time to recover from Smuttynose and then start the training program again.

My first half-marathon was the Covered Bridges Half Marathon (CBHM) in Vermont, which I ran for a charity in 2010.  This race was major milestone for me as it was also my first race since I had started running again about a year earlier.  This race meant a lot to me, so I ran it again in 2011 for the same charity.  Of the three different events I've participated in, the CBHM is hands-down the best organized and most beautiful one I've run.  I'm excited about running this race again in 2012.  The charity I ran for the first two times, and will again in 2012, is the Upper Valley Haven.

I actually choose my 2012 fall marathon before my spring marathon.  I read a post on my friend Alan's www.basicbare.com regarding a half marathon that he and some other barefoot runners were planning on running in March 2012 down in Florida.  I had been thinking about how great it would be to join other barefoot runners for some kind of running event, so when I read this I said as much.  Several replies and responses later over a handful of hours, and we decided that we would run the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in October 2012.  Alan had actually "targeted" this marathon as his first barefoot marathon, and I also had it in the back of my mind I might run my next fall marathon barefoot.  I base this goal on the progress I've made with my barefoot running this year.  It's been going so well, in fact, that I loosely played with the idea of running this fall's marathon barefoot - loosely.  As happy as I am with my barefoot running this summer, I've also not lost sight of my training objective, which is to have a far better performance at Smuttynose than I did at the Myrtle Beach Marathon (Feb. 2011).

All my injuries since rediscovering running have been a result of over doing it.  It was probably the hardest lesson for me to learn.  If you ask anyone training for a marathon, one of the foremost thoughts on a runner's mind is getting injured before a marathon - all that hard work and time with a single goal in mind down the drain.  So with lessons learned and my goal squarely in front of me, I worked my barefoot running and training into my marathon training program.  Up until this past week week, my marathon training schedule steadily increased in milage, which just happened to be what I considered a good schedule for increasing my barefoot miles.  The outcome has been that the majority of my training miles have been barefoot.  For the most part, I've only run in my V5F - Bikila LS during my weekend long runs.  I'm not sure I had anticipated running this many barefoot miles when I set this sub-goal, but it's been so successful that I'm confident about running my next fall marathon barefoot.

So my fall 2012 marathon will be the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, which I know I'll at least be running with Alan, and hopefully we'll be able to get a few more barefooters to joins us between now and then.  This will be my forth marathon, my first one barefoot, and I'll get to run it with people who are passionate running naturally.

Smuttynose Rockfest
Hyannis Marathon
Covered Bridges Half Marathon
Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Over the "Hump"

Today I ran my scheduled 20 mile run.  I've been following the 18 week Hal Higdon Intermediate II marathon training schedule in preparation for the Smuttynose Rockfest Marathon, which is on October 2nd.  I actually started with Week 2 of the schedule because I ran a half marathon during what would have been Week 1 of the program.  The program has been fantastic and for the most part, I've done a good job of following it.  I didn't quite make the milage on two of my runs - each was on a really hot day and I was spent.

The program steadily increases the milage until you reach 50 miles in week 11 (10 for me), so I've mentally designated this week as the "hump" of the training program.  Not only did I clear the hump, if you will, but it was a solid run for me and was largely due to the cooler temperature today (~70°F).  Another big piece of this being turn out to be a great run for me was knowing that I was going to stop and take off the gloves - the foot gloves.  Prior to taking off my Vibrams, I kept thinking of running the last few miles barefoot as my "shaved knuckle" (i.e. ace in the hole), it was quite the motivator.

 If you read my "Freedom!" post from last Sunday, I discuss my grueling 19 mile run on that day thanks again to the heat.  But at around 17 miles on that run I decided to take off my Bikila LS' and finish those last two miles barefoot - it was a real eye opener, both my feet and body became reinvigorated allowing me to finish those last two mile, which, up to that point, might as well have been 10 miles.

So today, that was part of the plan.  I ran my first 16.5 miles in my Bikila LS', then did the last 3.5 miles barefoot.  Slowly but surely, as my feet felt the texture of the asphalt, they lead the way and my body followed - my running form just fell into place.  Once again, as I drew energy from somewhere, my pace quickened and I was feeling great, so great in fact that at mile 19 I really picked up the pace and ran the last mile in ~9:30 minutes and I still had plenty of energy left at the end.

I ran that last 12.4 miles on the Nashua River Rail Trail, opting to run the first part of my run on roads.  While the rail trail is a great option, I've found that it can be a little boring if run too often.  The other problem with the trail, which really irks me, is some people don't bother cleaning up after their dogs.  Which, btw, if they are too lazy or have some principled objection to clean up dog mess, they could just guide their dog off the trail to mess in the woods.  But I digress.

The advantages of the trail are no cars, and because it was built on an old railroad bed there are no steep hills.  The roads I ran on prior to the trail lacked significant hills too.  I run hills every other day, I don't really have a choice if I want to start and finish my runs from my front door, and to be honest I kinda like them, but I'm not at the point where I feel I can complete a hilly 20 miles.  The marathon is a relatively flat course along the coast, so training on the this route is appropriate.  At some point, I'll start running marathons with more aggressive elevations changes - there are plenty around here - but for now, just covering 26.2 miles in a time I can live with is the goal.

Now that I'm over the "hump", my training for the next five weeks will alternate in weekly total milage.  Since I ran 50 miles this week, I'll run 34 mile the following, then 50 again.  This program calls for three 20 mile runs done during the 50 mile weeks, with the last one done 4 weeks from race day.  At three weeks before the race I'll run a 34 mile week, followed by a 26 mile week.  On the week of the race, I'll run only 9 miles not including the 26.2 on Oct. 2nd (Sunday).

I'm feeling good, and I'm confident that my performance at Smuttynose will dwarf that of my first marathon, which I ran this past February and is a post for another time.

Freedom!

I just completed my 9th week of marathon training with a 19 mile run today.  My run wasn't pretty, my pace was erratic, and I was struggling.  Heat seems to affect all runners, some more so that other, but from what I've read about it online, even top athletes take a performance hit.  Sure, there are some people that don't seem adversely affected by heat.  Take my friend Alan T. for example, he reveals in the heat, but there's some strong evidence that his DNA has some lizard DNA in it (check out his Barefoot Journey blog - link in the Blog Roll).

With today's scheduled long-run and the forecasted humidity, I knew today's run was going to be a tough one.  One way to get through these warm days is to start out early to get your run done before the day's heat start picking up, but I seem to be having some difficultly getting out of bed early on Sundays, plus yesterday was an exceptionally long day for me.  So I didn't get to my route's starting point until 10:30AM today.  The temperature was 72°F when I started and it was very humidity, I was soaked within the first two miles.  Another way to get through the warm weather is to slow your pace - one online resource I read was to adjust your pace by 30 seconds for every 5 degrees above 60°F.  I have a tendency to start out to fast, even this morning when I was trying to go slow, I found myself having to pull back several times, at least until around mile 7, where I was just slowing down.  In addition to adjusting my pace dur to the heat, my long-run-day pace is also suppose to be slower than my  intended marathon pace, but again, this will depend on the temperature on race day.  So as I felt myself slipping in my pace mile by mile, I wasn't too upset about it.  I kept reminding myself, or at least I kept trying to remind myself, that with the heat adjustment AND the training pace, I was alright, but a part of my was telling me that would be fine, if I was running this slow on purpose.  In truth, it actually is alright, the heat does and did beat me down, and I know what my performance looks like when temps are below 70°F and lower.  So what gives.

If you've ever run a long distance you already know this.  It's mind games, it's your body trying to convince your brain to quit, it's your own personal expectations, it's your brain trying to think when your muscles are bogarting all the oxygen in your body.  You need to mentally overcome these obstacles.  It's as much of marathon training as logging lots of miles.  I was struggling, which is not unusual for me on my long-run under less than ideal conditions (i.e. hot and humid 0_o).

But something else happened today.  I wore my Bikila LS Vibram Fivefingers today.  Somewhere around 12 miles, my feet were starting to feel "tired".  As the miles went on, my feet just started to feel more and more tired, and my body brought this complaint up with my brain.  Now at no point did I ever consciously think, 'my feet are tired, I should stop', but it was, I think, an added stress on my brain, which was just trying to keep everything together and keep me moving forward.  At around 14 miles I stopped for the first time, I was HOT.  I took off my running hat then stopped to pack it away in my running vest.  I drank down some water, fueled, and took some electrolytes.  I stopped three more times with the last one being around 17 miles - 2 miles left to go.  I was spent and my feet just weren't happy, I was at that point where I knew I only had two miles left to go, and, at the rate I was going, I knew it was just going to take forever with a combination of slow runs and walking.  Things were looking grim in Mudsville.

A little background:
This year I've really worked on improving my barefoot running, both form and distance.  It's been a great year.  So far my max barefoot distance runs have been 9 miles and I'll be hitting 10 miles for the first time this coming week.  There is no better way to improve your minimalist form than kicking off your shoes and running barefoot.  (Caution: if you've always walked around in shoes, the epidermis on the bottom of your feet is probably really thin, start slow, walk around barefoot as much as possible.)  I'm at the point in my form where I can comfortably run the above distances without damage to my feet, at least on hard surfaces.  I think I could probably get away with doing a half marathon distance barefoot now, but that would be on pavement.  My form is not at the point where I feel I could go further than that and I'm a long way off from where I can run on, say, a gravelly dirt road.  Nonetheless, for the distances I'm running, my feet feel great.

Back to my run:
So there I am, facing two more miles with dread.  Somewhere before 17 miles I started to think about taking off my shoes.  (When I've run barefoot on one road surface with a consistent texture for a couple of miles, and then another road surface with a different texture, my feet seem to feel reinvigorated.)  A voice in my brain was telling me that this was a stupid idea, my feet were soaked, I had sweat frothing out of the side of one of my Bikilas.  At the same time, I kept thinking about how much better my feet would feel, to, well, feel that road.  I took off my Bikila's strapped them to my vest, and started running.

I could feel the wariness of my feet begin to fade, I was flexing my toes between strides, I was, wait, I was, that can't be right, I was actually starting to pick up my pace a bit!  My cadence had increased!  Short rapid steps, my feet were talking directly to my brain.  This was so bizarre, never had I thought of taking my V5Fs off toward the end of a long-run.  I ran the rest of the route, a little less than two miles, without anymore stops.  Somehow, it wasn't just my feet that were reinvigorated, it was my whole body.  I'm not 100% what happened, but I think what it might be, or at least in part, is that as the heat and distance started to take their toll, my form just started to fall apart, (although I didn't think it was), and that in turn further taxed my body.  As great as minimalist shoes are at sensory feedback, they, obviously, aren't barefoot.  But that's why we stick a thin layer of something between us and the ground, so when we just don't see that rock, or that very rare piece of glass, there's something between you and it.  And, having thought about today's lesson, that piece of "something", is also there because, as far as I've come with my minimalist form, I still have a very long way to go.  On today's run, my body was taxed and I got sloppy, and didn't realize it, so today, my minimalist shoes, in a sense, failed me.  At the same time, however, I've run long distances under far cooler conditions, which I would not have been able to run without them.  There's probably a lot more too all this, things that I may or may not discover as I move along, but today I learned something new, and that is, perhaps, what all of this is really about anyways.