Superbowl through Mardi Gras and Games Opening week of running!

[OakLeaf]

Oakleaf--I'm not brave enough to try barefoot running yet. But glad you are liking it! I've started reading ChiRunning and am working on my form. I am enjoying it so far.

I did a :

1 mile warm-up
3 x 1600 @ 9:30m/mile
w/ 800m @ 10:30m/miles between
1 mile cool-down

I did it! Yay! I've never really done consistant speed work. This is new to me. I'm always so proud of myself when I can cross a work out off my calendar

Yay lime! That looks like a tough workout. How did you feel afterward?

I've been working up the nerve to run barefoot for a long, long time. It was a combination of things that made me finally decide I was ready to try it. I've kept the orthotics in my shoes, and I definitely don't feel like I'm ready to go without them - barefoot, my feet can move freely; in shoes, with the limited range of motion, I feel like I still need correction.

Anyway, I'm not even up to a whole mile yet. And only on the beach! So far, the hardest thing about it has been last week when I took off my running shoes for a little barefooting, then didn't want to put my sandy feet back in them. I had to run across a busy road and walk the rest of the way home on my tender soles. Just a quarter of a mile - but Ow! Ow! Ow!


R&R - eeek! Be careful out there.

Jolt - hope the iron supplements work out for you. I kind of wonder whether I should try one now and then. I LOVE greens - probably eat greens four days a week - but so much of the nutritional content depends on the soil they're grown in.

[GLC1968]

I've been working up the nerve to run barefoot for a long, long time. It was a combination of things that made me finally decide I was ready to try it. I've kept the orthotics in my shoes, and I definitely don't feel like I'm ready to go without them - barefoot, my feet can move freely; in shoes, with the limited range of motion, I feel like I still need correction.

Oak - I was the same way, but two runs ago, I pulled my orthotics out of my running shoes (and replaced them with plain flat insoles from Walgreens since I'd long ago thrown out all my original insoles). As long as I pay attention to my form (mid-foot strike, light quick feet, good posture, relaxed below the knee, etc) then it's totally fine. I had highly corrective orthotics that I haven't run or hiked or played tennis without in 5 years. Two runs without them, and my feet feel 100% fine. The pain that prompted these things is no where to be seen! I don't know if it's from the barefooting or from the Chi Running efforts, but I'm thrilled!

And, the bonus? Without those things in my shoes - I have WAY more room for my toes! They can actually spread a little in my wide shoes - something they could not do with the orthotics in there.

Maybe try a half mile without them and see how you feel? It's so liberating!!

[limewave]

On tap for today:

5 miles easy with 3 acceleration strides (hopefully I don't slip on the ice!).

[indigoiis]

Got in 4.24 today at lunch, in shoes (left the VFFs at home.) It was pretty good, I tore out the insoles of the shoes. I did feel it in my ankles, though. Overall was a good run. It's beautiful out!

[Jolt]

It definitely was a beautiful day for a run today! I ran some easy trails but still did an awful lot of walking. I know this is a bit late for the thread where we were all comparing heart rates, but I wore the HRM on today's run and the numbers were as follows: minimum 112 (must've been during a walking break), max 204, average 178, and during the running portions I saw an awful lot in the mid to upper 190s. That's high even for me!