A Trail Run in Pictures (and a few snarky comments)

Today was father's day, so after having a nice breakfast with my wife and kiddos (crepes...a fave!) i went to the local park for some trail running (almost 5 miles..W00T!!). It was a recovery run. Or at least it was supposed to be; I was sore from the last two nights' workouts, so naturally I sought out the steepest, toughest run ups (and may have taken a wrong turn or two...) Here are pictures of the trail (they're better than words).

narrow, steep and uphill. sums up the day.

dance floor. Steep going up AND down. You just can't see it in this pic.

running along the creekside

Oops. heading back down from wrong-turnville

But...I just ran UP this hill!

the actual turn around (a mile-ish later)

OK, this stretch went on forever. Up and forever. I kinda wanted to quit here

Lacamas Creek

How come the pictures don't show how steep this stuff really was.

A rare flat and smooth section

So each brief flat stretch was followed by either A. a long grinding uphill, or B. tight singletrack trail with STEEP run-ups. It was a good run, if muggy and warm; just a hair under 5 miles today.

I run a lot on the roads, just because it's the most convenient way to go. I feel the most connected, though, on the trails. It was a great way to spend part of my day.

True Confessions

(alternate title: Barbs, Bollocks, and Barefoot Running)

First a narcissist'sAuthor's note: I am 4 weeks away from finishing my master's and beginning the great teaching job search; look for more frequent posting after June ends (You know you're excited).

So, as a nerd, I spend an inordinate amount of time a bit of time on interweb forums and reading blogs. Mostly about running, but occasionally other stuff works its way in. On the running blog/boards, barefoot running is a hot-button topic every time it is mentioned and the shod vs. unshod slapfighting rears its ugly head.

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The barbs

On both sides, well meaning folks get VERY high and mighty about their particular perspective and spend the argument belittling the opposition instead of making the case for their own preference (or, seriously, just letting it go. Run your own race and let the other guy/gal be...Of course that is an internet impossibility, but i digress). Since I have experience on both sides of the coin I can see it both ways and will now share my definitive perspective (which is entirely subject to change...)

TWO SIDES!!
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The bollocks

From those barbs comes the arguments. Shod runner says 'if we were meant to run barefoot we'd have more padding, tougher skin, etc.' OR 'if barefoot is better, why aren't any elite runners winning races in bare feet?' This is bollocks because running bare does spur your body to give more padding to your feet (it's a pretty cool process to experience, really) and the soles and structures of your feet get stronger with use. 

The barefooters are no better. Citing incomplete and inconclusive research as if it were Newtonian physics they assert EVERY. SINGLE. Runner would be better off without shoes (I know you all don't do this, and many of my barefoot brethren/sisters are totally reasonable. BUT, the dogmatics tend to dominate these discussions and drown out the voices of the reasonable middle ground dwellers). Dogmatic Barefoot Purists (DRP) will blame every injury of a shod runner on the shoes, the *shudder* orthotics, or the evil heel strike that 'foot coffins' FORCE the shod runner into. Last is my personal favorite: 'shoes will NOT allow anyone (ANYONE) to run naturally.  This one kills me as I had to do more manipulation and compensation barefoot than I ever have in shoes (this is just for me. don't take it as gospel). In shoes I just let my foot hang at the end of my leg and land as I bring it forward for the next stride. I can't say it gets more natural than that. FOR ME, running in shoes allows me to run naturally, relaxed and tension free. 

***of course, these are the extreme examples. I'm not talking about you, reader:)***

The Bare feet

I tried barefoot running. For nearly a year. There were many benefits: I improved my running form immensely, became much more in tune with my body's signals about general well being, and enjoyed running for the first time in a long time.

Then I got hurt. In a 100%, only woulda happened barefoot sort of way. I had to wear cushioned shoes during the first phase of recovery (after I got the boot of death off, that is...) and couldn't run at all for two months. When I came back, I tried barefoot and minimal shoes, but ALWAYS had pain. Since mileage was low I decided to try the shoes. Surprisingly, I ran mostly pain and issue free while (mostly) maintaining my barefoot form. As I got stronger I kept trying to re-introduce barefoot and minimal running in some small way. It was awful every time. 

I am done with it.

The Unholy Trinity
From left: Long Slow Day, Speedy, and Dirt Devil

I have returned to full-on shod running, and am super happy I did. I'm getting more miles, I don't hurt any more than I did while barefoot (knee twinges once in a while, sore shins or calves if I overdo it), and I love, no, NEED my runs. My whole goal when I began this running experiment a year ago was to run healthy and enjoy running, rather than seeing it as a 'fitness chore;' I have achieved that goal, and continue to pursue higher degrees of that joy. My new quest is to get fast(er), you know...relatively speaking. I have two big races on the horizon for the back half of the year. One of them is a trail half-marathon, the other a 220 mile team relay through central Oregon (I'll rack up well over a half marathon's mileage in that weekend. And lots of hills!). I'm so stoked, but this will be my last post about barefoot running. It's great for some, not for others. It could be for you, and it could not be for you. I'm not you so I don't know. I'll gladly discuss it and answer questions based on my experiences, but that'll be it. 

Apparently not posting in a while created some pent up issues I had to get out...sorry for the super long post.

milestones

I'm six weeks away from finishing my Master's in Teaching (But I still have 10 weeks worth of work to do).  So that's milestone one; I should be a fully certifiablecertified teacher by the end of June. W00T!!

milestone 2: I ran five(5) miles today. Double W00T! And it wasn't even all that hard. Yes, thank you experienced distance runners who may read this blog, I know it really isn't that far. But for me, crossing the five mile barrier was a big mental block. Honestly I could have easily clipped off six miles today,  I felt so good at the end of my run.

Best part of today's run? pacing! Before I make you all laugh at my slowness let me assure you: I know I am slow. but, I am improving. My average pace over the five miles (my first five miles in I can't remember how long, I remind you) w.as 9:23. Not stellar, right? But when you break it down, I ran the forst two miles in sub-9 times (8:53 and 8:52 respectively). The only "bad mile" was mile 4. Of course, it WAS literally all uphill, and subsequently a 10+ mile. Taking the slow slog up the hill out, I averaged 9:06 for the first three and the final mile. Not too shabby, since I know I'll be getting faster.

The best part was seeing the last mile's split. It was as fast (a tad faster, actually) than the mile before "hill mile." Knowing I had some left in the tank and could finish with some gusto felt amazing! I am re-energized and motivated as a runner. I'm already thinking about half-marathons this fall....

We'll see.

Anyone out there with a running breakthrough moment? What excites you or motivates you to keep putting in the miles?

Haiku

I am overwhelmed
I am so frustrated. Thus,
I am off to run

Still here...still buried

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Hi to the one person left who may still be clicking this pitiful excuse for a blogReader(s).I know I've been a terrible (turrible, if your Charles Barkley) host lately and for that I apologize. Here's the latest:

1. Still student teaching. Which means I have like 5 jobs (dad, husband, student teacher, research troll, hoop jumper) and still only so many hours in the week. So, the blog loses out most weeks.
2. Still running. My foot has gone back to almost normal, as long as I don't wear tight shoes, which means I have two pairs of shoes I can wear (student teaching doesn't pay...) without being hobbled. I'm trending back toward a more minimal running shoe approach lately and it seems to be working a treat. I've also been sneaking in some very short barefoot runs. Those have not gone as well; my metatarsals still get a little angry if I go too far (more than about 1/4 mile). I'm pretty content to be a minimalist runner, though. My pace has stayed on par with my "real shoes" runs and I feel better, with no knee/hip aches and pangs. Average pace these days is about 9 minutes/mile. I've got my eye on the 8's, but i need to get more mileage in before that'll happen.
3. Still a nerd. Research troll mode is tedious, but it suits me. I've restarted my thesis research 2 or 3 times now because I wasn't satisfied with what I've been finding. The challenge of finding just the right search terms is so fun for me (Yes. I realize how nerdy that sounds. bite me). I finally got a good stack of articles, read them and organized my thoughts. Now i just have to write the darn thing...tomorrow...because tonight I have to write up my Assessment lesson sequence and associated drivelanalysis so I can check that off this week (hoop jumped!).

About mid June you can expect to see more long, boring explanations about why I suck as a runner, with jokes aplenty at my own expense. Just stick with me a bit longer....

Wednesday picture tale

hmmm...

I'm long past definitive proclamations (as I've said before), but this run felt GOOD. It was short (1.6 miles), but I did it in huaraches, with the last .3 miles barefoot...

I do have to say, that I think the last month or so of shod running has actually improved my barefoot/minimal form. For reals, y'all. I've been so worried about form whilst running in big shoes that I've been hypervigilant about it. I think I've thought more about form in the last 5 weeks than I have in the last 5 months.

More as this story develops.

Odds n Ends

Yes, I do have too much school work to do to be blogging, but I've got too much swimming around in my head to let me concentrate. I figure if I clear things out I can re-focus and knuckle down for the next few weeks' trials.

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With that said, this post will be a bit of this, a helping of that, and whatever else leaps from my brain through my fingers to the keyboard:

First, the thought that has been steeping in my brain all evening: It's when we most want to quit that it is most important to keep pushing. This thought came to my mind during what was my toughest run of the year so far (more on that down the page screen), but I quickly realized it wasn't about running at all. It was purely about my student teaching experience. I am between an internship and student teaching right now; both are I in the same classroom. I ended the internship feeling like I had made very little ground and would be entering the next phase well behind where I need to be in terms of what my program expects. I'll admit that more than once in the last three weeks I felt like throwing in the towel. It was always apparent to me WHY I am pursuing a life of teaching and this last three weeks is truly the first bit of adversity I have faced in two years of preparation. Yes; I've been extremely fortunate over that time (and worked damn hard to stay ahead of the curve). This mentor teacher, though, is tough. He's a phenomenal teacher and a great guy, but I know he is holding me to a very high standard; possibly the first to match the standard I set for myself.  It's been emotionally draining and I didn't have a grip on it 'til today. That thought above will be my mantra from here on out.

Running related stuff: I've been making great progress in running lately. My pace is improving daily (except today!) and I am recovering more quickly between runs. This means I can run more. Yeah! AND shin splints are a thing of the past (if I could find a way to make that line of text flash on and off like a neon sign I totally would)!  I think the continued ritual abuse Crossfit has helped too. It has boosted my leg and core strength for sure. I'm getting strong (again)! Which leads to the burning question...

Run Forrest! source

What about your shoe situation, barefoot boy?

There is no situation. I haven't run a step barefoot since early February, and have abandoned minimal shoes since early March. I've been running in the  Elixir 7 by Mizuno for all my miles until this weekend where I added a trail shoe in the form of the Brooks Cascadia 7. Both are the best shoe of their kind I have ever worn. The Elixir is light and quick feeling- the one thing I was looking to keep from my barefoot/minimal experience. Heavy shoes are not doable for me. The Cascadia feels like a sock when I'm wearing it and disappears on my foot during a run. I ran the toughest run of the year today in them, my first true trail run this year. My cardio couldn't keep up with my feet and legs on the hills (up/down/up/down, rinse, repeat for 3 miles). The Cascadias get a fair bit of credit for that. No foot pain at all! WOOT!!!

I know, right? they just look fast!
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Apparently I have a thing for orange...
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Today's run. Holy crapsticks. It was merciless. I haven't run this loop since nearly this time last year and forgot how tough it is. It's essentially a basin, so I run down (with intermittent REALLY STEEP ups) into the basin before being worn out and forced to slog my way back up and out of the basin (all up with a few short steep downs). It hurt, it was the slowest 5k time I've put up in a while (set a 5k personal best a week or so ago on the road), it was AWESOME! It tested me and I stood the test. This is really what helped me see I needed to push on with student teaching and not wimp out. I'm down in the basin now and have to run up that hill to reach my finish line.

does not do it justice..
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Totally doable. Knuckle down, kids. It's game on.