Back home again after the nice visit to my childhood home. I never thought I'd say this, but I kind of miss the asphalt.
I'm starting to understand what "The Barefoot 2nd Mile" is going to be about. For one thing, "The Barefoot Mile" is contained within the "Barefoot 2nd Mile." In this case, The Barefoot Mile can be either the first of the two miles, or the second, or both, actually.
What I mean by that is that the first of the two miles is like the money in the bank. "The Barefoot Mile" that has been "conquered," in a sense. That mile now seems to serve like a little warmup or prelude. It is familiar and it is well-trod and it feels really good, but at the same time it's not what it was because it kind of knows that another mile is to follow.
But "The Barefoot Mile" is also like the second mile. The second mile is like beginning to run again. It's kind of the way "The Barefoot Mile" used to feel, when I was first starting out, only it has some advantages that the beginner barefoot mile does not have. For one thing, it has tougher soles of the feet, and it has better knowledge of form. It has a lighter step, and it has more cardiovascular endurance. It has a little experience.
It is very interesting. The second barefoot mile is really "The Barefoot Mile" all over again with a longer warmup beforehand.
I was thinking as I ran along about how this is like the tedious preparatory work of laying the foundation for a good result that is a principle which applies to many endeavors. I specifically thought of painting a room.
Sometimes, when I have wanted to paint a room, I've read about all the preparation of the surface, and in an immature, childish, and impatient way, I've glossed over that preparatory part, just so eager and anxious to see the new pretty color on the wall.
What happens when you do that is that you get a kind of lumpy look from all the nooks and crannies and cracks in the wall, and sometimes the paint doesn't adhere for very long because the wall was dirty before the paint was put on. And sometimes the color of the paint is not as brilliant as you hoped for because you slapped it on right over the old color, and did not do a prime coat with a white base paint.
My natural tendency has been to want to skip the first steps and get to the good part. But it's always the first steps, boring and uninteresting and tedious, that ensure the beauty of the final product. In fact, this article here says that the preparation is 80% of what will make a good paint job. Clean the wall well, spackle it and fix the cracks first. Put on the prime and base coats and let them dry. Your living room looks like a big mess during this phase, but an experienced painter will recognize that it is going to be beautiful once it's done, even though it will take longer and you'll have to live in less-than-aesthetically-pleasing surroundings for a while longer than you would like to put up with.
Well, I feel that "The Barefoot Mile" was the mile where I spackled and filled in the cracks and made the wall smooth. The next couple of miles are going to be priming it and putting on the skim coat. I've got to make sure I let mile 2 set firmly into my muscles before moving on. It will be almost as redundant and "boring" as establishing the first barefoot mile, but so-o-o-o-o worth it in the end. All I have to do when I am getting impatient is remembering the results I got when I wasn't patient and that horrible horrible plantar fasciitis from last year.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
38, 39 ... not quite 40 Barefoot Miles -- and a Dose of Humility
I learned something today! It is not a good idea for a beginner barefoot runner who is developing her soles and feet to run 2 barefoot miles on the day she is going to walk around for hours with her family at The Great New York State Fair.
I'm still visiting the hometown I grew up in. I ran my 2 miles this morning before the Fair. It went so well. I felt so good during and after. The asphalt was feeling smoother and softer.
I did succumb this morning to a curiosity I've had about how fast -- or should I say "how slow? -- I have been running. So, today, I decided to just look at my watch before I went out and check it at the end of mile number one and again at the end of mile number two.
I had, of course, been very aware that I am quite slow. Years ago, when I was something of a distance runner, I had been a steady 10-minute-mile pace all except for one period of time after I had lost 30 pounds and had the surprising experience of my pace switching to 8 minute-miles automatically without having done a thing, trainingwise, to run faster.
Well, gaging how I had always been a slow 10-minutes-mile runner, up to this point I have been "guestimating" that these days I might be doing, say, 14, 15, or 16-minute miles now. I really honestly could not tell.
Well, now I know. My first mile was 17 minutes and my second one was 18. I felt a little discouraged and disappointed about this for about 10 seconds and then I immediately adjusted, because it truly does not matter to me. I will stick with what I can do for as long as it takes. I'm not in any hurry. I'm happy.
(But -- whoa! -- is that slow!!)
So, I figured after resting for the hour it would take to drive over to the fair, I ought to be fine to walk around for six or seven hours.
Well, I'll tell you, it was not easy to walk around the fair. I felt like I was in some kind of endurance test. The place we ate at for lunch was way on the other side of the fair.
At certain points my ankles and arches ached so much thoughts of renting a wheelchair entered my mind. That would be so ridiculous. What kind of ambassador for barefoot fitness would I be? Needing a wheel chair to go around the fair with my family. No!!! I wanted to tell everyone who may have caught a glimpse of me limping along that I had run two miles that morning.
Thank heavens we found one of these things:
These machines are amazing. After I got off, it felt like I had a brand new healed pair of feet. Except that the effect wore off in about 100 steps or so. Still, it felt really good. They should have these at certain spots along a marathon or something. No, never mind -- forget that thought.
I don't know if I'm going to be able to express this well in words or not, but I realized that at my level I was experiencing a kind of endurance test today. When I wanted to abandon the walking around, find some little place in the shade to sit, and send my family off to do whatever they wanted while I rested my poor feet, all those ultrarunners and endurance athletes who inspire me came to mind. I thought of the human spirit and it is this will that keeps us going. I've read people's accounts of running in those long 100-mile races in the heat, or the cold, or the rain. Surely they get to the point sometimes where they are feeling pain, and putting one foot in front of the other, trying to find the best way to step on their feet so they don't injure themselves like I was now. I always dream of doing something that requires that kind of endurance some day, but -- well -- maybe I was doing something like what they all were right now!
So, I saw my trekking around the State Fair under these conditions as a kind of endurance event. One custom-designed for my own level of fitness. Just like the way it felt trying to walk through the subways to get to the bookstore at the end of the 8 mile run with Chris McDougall.
Something else to bring a similar point home happened. We were eating dinner across from a booth run by the National Guard. They had a pushup challenge going on and if the men could do 50 pushups they got this cool Tshirt and if the women could do 25, they would get one. As we sat there eating dinner, I watched different people come up and take the challenge. Many of them had really horrible form, not even going through the entire range of motion for a proper push-up, but they got T-shirts anyway because they did the requisite number of push-ups.
I have been working on pushups in Kung Fu for a while now. I've had to start with knee push-ups, which I feel, because of my weight, have been as much as a challenge for me as someone lighter tackling the full push-ups. I have been proud to get to the point where I can do 3 sets of 25.
So, I wondered if they would give me a T-shirt if I could do my 25 knee push-ups. I felt that I would be sorry if I left the fair without checking it out.
Well, the National Guard guy told me that knee push-ups would not count for the challenge.
Like the way I felt a tiny sting of disappointment in the morning when I learned how slow I really was running, I felt that little sting again when I found out that my hard-earned 25 knee push-ups don't count for anything in the eyes of the world.
But like the little sting I felt in the morning, it did not last long. Some accomplishments are not for recognition by the world. They are personal accomplishments and only the one who struggles knows what he/she has done.
I wanted to write about it because there might be other people out there who read this and have these little personal accomplishments and no one will ever know what they go through to endure and achieve the little that they do achieve and I want people like that to know, like me, that it is really significant, even though it may not be worthy of any kind of T-shirt.
I'm still visiting the hometown I grew up in. I ran my 2 miles this morning before the Fair. It went so well. I felt so good during and after. The asphalt was feeling smoother and softer.
I did succumb this morning to a curiosity I've had about how fast -- or should I say "how slow? -- I have been running. So, today, I decided to just look at my watch before I went out and check it at the end of mile number one and again at the end of mile number two.
I had, of course, been very aware that I am quite slow. Years ago, when I was something of a distance runner, I had been a steady 10-minute-mile pace all except for one period of time after I had lost 30 pounds and had the surprising experience of my pace switching to 8 minute-miles automatically without having done a thing, trainingwise, to run faster.
Well, gaging how I had always been a slow 10-minutes-mile runner, up to this point I have been "guestimating" that these days I might be doing, say, 14, 15, or 16-minute miles now. I really honestly could not tell.
Well, now I know. My first mile was 17 minutes and my second one was 18. I felt a little discouraged and disappointed about this for about 10 seconds and then I immediately adjusted, because it truly does not matter to me. I will stick with what I can do for as long as it takes. I'm not in any hurry. I'm happy.
(But -- whoa! -- is that slow!!)
So, I figured after resting for the hour it would take to drive over to the fair, I ought to be fine to walk around for six or seven hours.
Well, I'll tell you, it was not easy to walk around the fair. I felt like I was in some kind of endurance test. The place we ate at for lunch was way on the other side of the fair.
At certain points my ankles and arches ached so much thoughts of renting a wheelchair entered my mind. That would be so ridiculous. What kind of ambassador for barefoot fitness would I be? Needing a wheel chair to go around the fair with my family. No!!! I wanted to tell everyone who may have caught a glimpse of me limping along that I had run two miles that morning.
Thank heavens we found one of these things:
I don't know if I'm going to be able to express this well in words or not, but I realized that at my level I was experiencing a kind of endurance test today. When I wanted to abandon the walking around, find some little place in the shade to sit, and send my family off to do whatever they wanted while I rested my poor feet, all those ultrarunners and endurance athletes who inspire me came to mind. I thought of the human spirit and it is this will that keeps us going. I've read people's accounts of running in those long 100-mile races in the heat, or the cold, or the rain. Surely they get to the point sometimes where they are feeling pain, and putting one foot in front of the other, trying to find the best way to step on their feet so they don't injure themselves like I was now. I always dream of doing something that requires that kind of endurance some day, but -- well -- maybe I was doing something like what they all were right now!
So, I saw my trekking around the State Fair under these conditions as a kind of endurance event. One custom-designed for my own level of fitness. Just like the way it felt trying to walk through the subways to get to the bookstore at the end of the 8 mile run with Chris McDougall.
Something else to bring a similar point home happened. We were eating dinner across from a booth run by the National Guard. They had a pushup challenge going on and if the men could do 50 pushups they got this cool Tshirt and if the women could do 25, they would get one. As we sat there eating dinner, I watched different people come up and take the challenge. Many of them had really horrible form, not even going through the entire range of motion for a proper push-up, but they got T-shirts anyway because they did the requisite number of push-ups.
So, I wondered if they would give me a T-shirt if I could do my 25 knee push-ups. I felt that I would be sorry if I left the fair without checking it out.
Well, the National Guard guy told me that knee push-ups would not count for the challenge.
Like the way I felt a tiny sting of disappointment in the morning when I learned how slow I really was running, I felt that little sting again when I found out that my hard-earned 25 knee push-ups don't count for anything in the eyes of the world.
But like the little sting I felt in the morning, it did not last long. Some accomplishments are not for recognition by the world. They are personal accomplishments and only the one who struggles knows what he/she has done.
I wanted to write about it because there might be other people out there who read this and have these little personal accomplishments and no one will ever know what they go through to endure and achieve the little that they do achieve and I want people like that to know, like me, that it is really significant, even though it may not be worthy of any kind of T-shirt.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Mile 36 and 37 Back in the Town Where I Grew Up -- and a wee bit of gravel
Two days ago, we packed up, got in the car with our dog, and drove the long long car trip to come to the house where I grew up. I had wanted to get my barefoot run in on that day before we left, but there was too much to do.
But one of those funny things happened. We stopped at a mall halfway on the trip. I decided to take our dog for a little walk before putting her back in the car for another couple of hours.
I started walking on this sidewalk on the mall, and that's when IT happened again. The urge to just run. To run for fun. I ran my dog around the perimeter of the mall. Again -- like the other day in the park -- I didn't need my special running clothes or my special running shoes. I just ran. Ran in my regular clothes and the Teva sandals I had on.
It was fun. Running is fun. I can't believe it took me so long to realize that it is fun. Barefoot running has made me learn this.
Waking up the next morning I made sure that I got out for my new 2-mile Barefoot Run, even though we were planning to play nine holes of golf afterward. I was a little worried about whether I would manage the 9 holes after running barefooted. I grew up in a golfing family and I played lots and lots of golf when I was young. Back then it was nothing for me to zip around 18 - 36 holes in a day without feeling it a bit.
But that was 30 years ago when I was golfing regularly -- daily. Golf has since left my life. There is nothing but the remnants of time dedicated and devoted a long time ago. I play when I come to visit my dad, and we see a nice shot here and there, but my game is gone. I always make this resolution after I go around in the summer with my dad that I am going to get to a driving range regularly, so that when I come in the summer I can do a little better, but I never get to it. I guess I am busy enough with my singing, running and Kung Fu that I can't quite fit the golf habit back in.
Anyway, my plan was to run two miles barefoot with my dog in the morning, and that I did. This was mostly on asphalt because my memory of running in this neighborhood was not one of running on sidewalks ever, but in the road.
With my new lighter step, the asphalt was very manageable and even felt good in some places,
But there were many gravel driveways here. In fact, I had to step through our own gravel driveway to get to the road. I do remember as a kid walking across this same driveway without too much problem, but ouch, it hurt today.
But even worse than the actual driveways was the area in the road surrounding the driveway. It was in these spots that the little isolated pieces of gravel that had been displaced by the car going in and out of the driveway hid themselves in the nooks and crannies of the asphalt, making it hard to see when you were going to hit one of them.
So, this was new.
Also new was something I had forgot about this little town I grew up in. Sometimes the dogs are loose in the yard. Daffodil and I passed one of them and it was a little scary as the big white dog came barking and bounding up to us. But the owner had the dog under control. I was going to avoid that street on the second loop, but decided to "face" it. The dog was back inside the second time so it was peaceful then.
The two miles really did not feel difficult at all. My feet were not sore afterward, and I felt very good.
But then the challenge of going out for nine holes of golf came. Even though we planned to go around in the carts (we never used carts when I played years ago, and I way prefer walking), I still knew that being on my feet that much after stretching myself to two miles barefoot was going to be taxing.
On top of it all, I had not brought golf shoes, or running shoes or sneakers of any kind. So, the only thing I had to play in were my Tevas.
Now, I'm truly not trying to copy a new-found barefoot blogging buddy of mine, Neil Z, who wrote about playing a round of golf barefoot a few posts ago. I really did go golfing with my family today and I really found myself in the situation of not having golf shoes and wearing my Tevas.
Many years ago, I had a quirk about my golf game, and of course this quirk is coming back to me as I do all this barefoot contemplation these days. As a teenager I was incredibly concerned about getting a funny golfer's tan (white feet), so I golfed barefoot all the time. Thinking back, I can't really believe that I got away with this at the country club where I golfed. I definitely was not self-conscious about it. It was my thing.
Now, however, all grown up, I would feel very self-conscious about it -- and about not wearing the right golf look.
But I had not brought proper attire, and it was either go out as is, or not golf at all. I was not going to miss this opportunity just because I didn't have the "right" clothes.
So, I went out the best I could. I did not play too shabbily, but I did start feeling a bit fatigued by the 5th or 6th hole. That, of course, is because I'm not used to it any more.
Here is me, out there golfing in my Tevas:
But one of those funny things happened. We stopped at a mall halfway on the trip. I decided to take our dog for a little walk before putting her back in the car for another couple of hours.
I started walking on this sidewalk on the mall, and that's when IT happened again. The urge to just run. To run for fun. I ran my dog around the perimeter of the mall. Again -- like the other day in the park -- I didn't need my special running clothes or my special running shoes. I just ran. Ran in my regular clothes and the Teva sandals I had on.
It was fun. Running is fun. I can't believe it took me so long to realize that it is fun. Barefoot running has made me learn this.
Waking up the next morning I made sure that I got out for my new 2-mile Barefoot Run, even though we were planning to play nine holes of golf afterward. I was a little worried about whether I would manage the 9 holes after running barefooted. I grew up in a golfing family and I played lots and lots of golf when I was young. Back then it was nothing for me to zip around 18 - 36 holes in a day without feeling it a bit.
But that was 30 years ago when I was golfing regularly -- daily. Golf has since left my life. There is nothing but the remnants of time dedicated and devoted a long time ago. I play when I come to visit my dad, and we see a nice shot here and there, but my game is gone. I always make this resolution after I go around in the summer with my dad that I am going to get to a driving range regularly, so that when I come in the summer I can do a little better, but I never get to it. I guess I am busy enough with my singing, running and Kung Fu that I can't quite fit the golf habit back in.
Anyway, my plan was to run two miles barefoot with my dog in the morning, and that I did. This was mostly on asphalt because my memory of running in this neighborhood was not one of running on sidewalks ever, but in the road.
With my new lighter step, the asphalt was very manageable and even felt good in some places,
But there were many gravel driveways here. In fact, I had to step through our own gravel driveway to get to the road. I do remember as a kid walking across this same driveway without too much problem, but ouch, it hurt today.
But even worse than the actual driveways was the area in the road surrounding the driveway. It was in these spots that the little isolated pieces of gravel that had been displaced by the car going in and out of the driveway hid themselves in the nooks and crannies of the asphalt, making it hard to see when you were going to hit one of them.
So, this was new.
Also new was something I had forgot about this little town I grew up in. Sometimes the dogs are loose in the yard. Daffodil and I passed one of them and it was a little scary as the big white dog came barking and bounding up to us. But the owner had the dog under control. I was going to avoid that street on the second loop, but decided to "face" it. The dog was back inside the second time so it was peaceful then.
The two miles really did not feel difficult at all. My feet were not sore afterward, and I felt very good.
But then the challenge of going out for nine holes of golf came. Even though we planned to go around in the carts (we never used carts when I played years ago, and I way prefer walking), I still knew that being on my feet that much after stretching myself to two miles barefoot was going to be taxing.
On top of it all, I had not brought golf shoes, or running shoes or sneakers of any kind. So, the only thing I had to play in were my Tevas.
Now, I'm truly not trying to copy a new-found barefoot blogging buddy of mine, Neil Z, who wrote about playing a round of golf barefoot a few posts ago. I really did go golfing with my family today and I really found myself in the situation of not having golf shoes and wearing my Tevas.
Many years ago, I had a quirk about my golf game, and of course this quirk is coming back to me as I do all this barefoot contemplation these days. As a teenager I was incredibly concerned about getting a funny golfer's tan (white feet), so I golfed barefoot all the time. Thinking back, I can't really believe that I got away with this at the country club where I golfed. I definitely was not self-conscious about it. It was my thing.
Now, however, all grown up, I would feel very self-conscious about it -- and about not wearing the right golf look.
But I had not brought proper attire, and it was either go out as is, or not golf at all. I was not going to miss this opportunity just because I didn't have the "right" clothes.
So, I went out the best I could. I did not play too shabbily, but I did start feeling a bit fatigued by the 5th or 6th hole. That, of course, is because I'm not used to it any more.
Here is me, out there golfing in my Tevas:
Friday, August 20, 2010
34.9 -- The Summer of "The Barefoot Mile" is coming to a close.
Well, something different is developing at last. I had a tight schedule today, and my goal all summer has been consistency. I have been very lucky that the weather has been amazing (I don't mind the heat). For some reason I have been able to consistently go out on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to run my barefoot mile.
I had dreams when I started out that by the middle of the summer I'd run a 5K - the one I ran in last year. I had visions that by the end of the summer I'd be running longer distances.
But I learned quickly that I had to have patience. Learning to barefoot run takes time and care.
So, I stuck with my "Barefoot Mile," going round and round until ... until ... well, I didn't know quite what I was waiting for, but I think I was waiting for something like today.
I had a tight schedule today because we are having a lot of celebrations this weekend.
I thought maybe I might miss the first of my scheduled running days. The first one all summer. (Or at least one of the only ones.) But I so did not want to miss it. So, I set my alarm for 5:30 and tried to make a little plan where I could get my work and preparations and packing done, and also get my Barefoot Mile in.
I was a good girl. I did not run first, and then pack. I packed first, telling myself that if it went well, I would get to run.
When I got to the end of my usual little route, I just did not want to stop. I had to keep going a little bit. And the only reason I stopped was because I thought it might be unwise to overdo it. I really felt that I had a lot more in me.
I ran 1.9 miles, I found out after checking on mapmyrun.com. I felt really great after, a couple hours after, and even now at the end of the day. Feet feel good.
That means I'm moving on to 2 miles now. It's finally time.
Okay, I admit that my feet ached when I got up to go have my hair rinsed at the salon after having sat in the stylist's chair for a while. And they also ached when I got off the bus after coming home from my hair appointment in the city after that. But no more than they ached when I first started acclimating them to the barefoot mile. And within a yard or two of walking along they felt good again.
So, it's time to say good-bye to The Barefoot Mile. I will always have great affection for that mile. That mile that formed a base. Yes, I will always remember "The Summer of the Barefoot Mile."
But now it's time to move on, to new challenges, and it's time to get to know mile number 2.
I had dreams when I started out that by the middle of the summer I'd run a 5K - the one I ran in last year. I had visions that by the end of the summer I'd be running longer distances.
But I learned quickly that I had to have patience. Learning to barefoot run takes time and care.
So, I stuck with my "Barefoot Mile," going round and round until ... until ... well, I didn't know quite what I was waiting for, but I think I was waiting for something like today.
I had a tight schedule today because we are having a lot of celebrations this weekend.
I thought maybe I might miss the first of my scheduled running days. The first one all summer. (Or at least one of the only ones.) But I so did not want to miss it. So, I set my alarm for 5:30 and tried to make a little plan where I could get my work and preparations and packing done, and also get my Barefoot Mile in.
I was a good girl. I did not run first, and then pack. I packed first, telling myself that if it went well, I would get to run.
When I got to the end of my usual little route, I just did not want to stop. I had to keep going a little bit. And the only reason I stopped was because I thought it might be unwise to overdo it. I really felt that I had a lot more in me.
I ran 1.9 miles, I found out after checking on mapmyrun.com. I felt really great after, a couple hours after, and even now at the end of the day. Feet feel good.
That means I'm moving on to 2 miles now. It's finally time.
Okay, I admit that my feet ached when I got up to go have my hair rinsed at the salon after having sat in the stylist's chair for a while. And they also ached when I got off the bus after coming home from my hair appointment in the city after that. But no more than they ached when I first started acclimating them to the barefoot mile. And within a yard or two of walking along they felt good again.
So, it's time to say good-bye to The Barefoot Mile. I will always have great affection for that mile. That mile that formed a base. Yes, I will always remember "The Summer of the Barefoot Mile."
But now it's time to move on, to new challenges, and it's time to get to know mile number 2.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Feels SO good! -- Mile 33 and A Plan
I went back to Kung Fu last night after having taken 2 weeks off. So I was a little stiff this morning, especially in the hamstrings and the abs. I thought that might make me have a less-than-comfortable run, but I was wrong. It was great!
As I ran along, setting my feet down softly and picking them up as quickly as I can, the cadence of a Schubert song I was working on this morning -- Auf dem Wasser zu singen -- came to mind. It was going through my head so I tried to keep pace with what was running through my head. It was slightly too fast a song, so I had to abandon it to try to just get that rhythm out of my head. (I'll be posting my work on this song in Frescamari's Practice Room, a blog which represents my singing work, a little later tonight or tomorrow, so check it out if you want to hear.)
Anyway, as I ran along I realized that this mile was feeling darned good. I can feel that my thigh muscles have to get slightly stronger now that I am placing my feet on the sidewalk more elegantly, but based on the way they felt, I don't think that's going to take so long -- this week and next may be enough.
So, bearing that in mind, I started formulating my Fall fitness plan.
I'm on the verge of being invited to black sash training at my Kung Fu school. I've been there three years and I'm at the belt level where black sash training is next. One of the many reasons why I wanted to run was because I thought it would help me have the strength and stamina to black sash train when the time came.
I mentioned above that I took two weeks off. I will be able to Kung Fu train this week, and I hope I will work out while I am away next week. When I get back, I want to start putting a specific focus on Kung Fu.
So ....
Here is my plan.
Next Two Weeks: -- maintain and strengthen BF running gains, regain Kung Fu after 2 wks off
M -- 1.5 Mile BF run
T --- intense Kung Fu class
W -- 1.5 Mile BF run
Th -- intense Kung Fu class
F -- 1.5 Mile BF run
Session I -- Septemberish/Octoberish -- add practice days to Kung Fu and start running every day
M -- Gradually increasing BF run to 3 miles -- low intensity Kung Fu form practice
T --- Add an easy BF Mile in addition to intense Kung Fu class
W -- Gradually increasing BF run to 3 miles -- low intensity Kung Fu form practice
Th -- Add an easy BF Mile in addition to intense Kung Fu class
F -- Gradually increasing BF run to 3 miles -- low intensity Kung Fu form practice
Sa -- low intensity Kung Fu class
Session II -- OctoberishNovemberish -- If successful Bring easy 1 mi run days up to 3 miles to establish 3 miles per day running base: Possibly run in the 5K I signed up for on October 31, but only if ready
M -- BF Run 3 miles -- low intensity Kung Fu form practice
T --- Gradually increase easy mile to 3 easy miles in addition to intense Kung Fu class
W --BF Run 3 miles -- low intensity Kung Fu form practice
Th -- Gradually increase easy mile to 3 easy miles in addition to intense Kung Fu independent practice (because choir starts and can't go to class)
F -- BF Run 3 miles -- low intensity Kung Fu form practice
Sa -- low intensity Kung Fu class
Once I get this established, then I'll make Monday the "long run" day.
I'm sure the details of this little plan are boring to most, but this is my little place where I can state all these things and kind of commit to my plan.
Like all plans, it sounds reasonable in theory, but -- like the plan I made to train for a 1/2 marathon last year that sounded so reasonable -- I'm ready to adapt and be flexible and very patient to go through the plan. I'm also ready to change the plan if just attempting to do the plan teaches me something.
Notes on Today's Run:
People Encountered
I met my neighbor walking her baby out on the Boulevard. I had told her about barefoot running and she had been really interested in it (she is an open kind of person). She saw my bare feet and asked if I was out toughening my soles. I told her I was going to start running as soon as I got to the corner. She told me that she had gone out and run a little bit barefoot after we had last talked and really liked it. She said it felt like a great massage on her feet. She told me she had been a serious runner, but had to stop because she had developed aches and pains. I told her I had no aches and pains (in the usual body parts at least -- hips, knees, lower back, hamstrings, etc... ) I think she's going to take it up. I really hope she does.
Blisters
Today, after blasting the bottoms of my feet with the garden hose set on jet setting, I took a look at the bottoms and saw the white skin where what-must-have-been blisters had been located. I had not realized they were there, so they hadn't been painful.
I think -- yes, I am pretty sure -- that they were from the Harlem to Brooklyn Chris McDougall Run last week. Based on how very hot the asphalt was, and the horrible way my feet felt as I walked through the subways to the party at the end, I would say those blisters must have formed then. I don't think they're from my regular routine.
As I ran along, setting my feet down softly and picking them up as quickly as I can, the cadence of a Schubert song I was working on this morning -- Auf dem Wasser zu singen -- came to mind. It was going through my head so I tried to keep pace with what was running through my head. It was slightly too fast a song, so I had to abandon it to try to just get that rhythm out of my head. (I'll be posting my work on this song in Frescamari's Practice Room, a blog which represents my singing work, a little later tonight or tomorrow, so check it out if you want to hear.)
Anyway, as I ran along I realized that this mile was feeling darned good. I can feel that my thigh muscles have to get slightly stronger now that I am placing my feet on the sidewalk more elegantly, but based on the way they felt, I don't think that's going to take so long -- this week and next may be enough.
So, bearing that in mind, I started formulating my Fall fitness plan.
I'm on the verge of being invited to black sash training at my Kung Fu school. I've been there three years and I'm at the belt level where black sash training is next. One of the many reasons why I wanted to run was because I thought it would help me have the strength and stamina to black sash train when the time came.
I mentioned above that I took two weeks off. I will be able to Kung Fu train this week, and I hope I will work out while I am away next week. When I get back, I want to start putting a specific focus on Kung Fu.
So ....
Here is my plan.
Next Two Weeks: -- maintain and strengthen BF running gains, regain Kung Fu after 2 wks off
M -- 1.5 Mile BF run
T --- intense Kung Fu class
W -- 1.5 Mile BF run
Th -- intense Kung Fu class
F -- 1.5 Mile BF run
Session I -- Septemberish/Octoberish -- add practice days to Kung Fu and start running every day
M -- Gradually increasing BF run to 3 miles -- low intensity Kung Fu form practice
T --- Add an easy BF Mile in addition to intense Kung Fu class
W -- Gradually increasing BF run to 3 miles -- low intensity Kung Fu form practice
Th -- Add an easy BF Mile in addition to intense Kung Fu class
F -- Gradually increasing BF run to 3 miles -- low intensity Kung Fu form practice
Sa -- low intensity Kung Fu class
Session II -- OctoberishNovemberish -- If successful Bring easy 1 mi run days up to 3 miles to establish 3 miles per day running base: Possibly run in the 5K I signed up for on October 31, but only if ready
M -- BF Run 3 miles -- low intensity Kung Fu form practice
T --- Gradually increase easy mile to 3 easy miles in addition to intense Kung Fu class
W --BF Run 3 miles -- low intensity Kung Fu form practice
Th -- Gradually increase easy mile to 3 easy miles in addition to intense Kung Fu independent practice (because choir starts and can't go to class)
F -- BF Run 3 miles -- low intensity Kung Fu form practice
Sa -- low intensity Kung Fu class
Once I get this established, then I'll make Monday the "long run" day.
I'm sure the details of this little plan are boring to most, but this is my little place where I can state all these things and kind of commit to my plan.
Like all plans, it sounds reasonable in theory, but -- like the plan I made to train for a 1/2 marathon last year that sounded so reasonable -- I'm ready to adapt and be flexible and very patient to go through the plan. I'm also ready to change the plan if just attempting to do the plan teaches me something.
Notes on Today's Run:
People Encountered
I met my neighbor walking her baby out on the Boulevard. I had told her about barefoot running and she had been really interested in it (she is an open kind of person). She saw my bare feet and asked if I was out toughening my soles. I told her I was going to start running as soon as I got to the corner. She told me that she had gone out and run a little bit barefoot after we had last talked and really liked it. She said it felt like a great massage on her feet. She told me she had been a serious runner, but had to stop because she had developed aches and pains. I told her I had no aches and pains (in the usual body parts at least -- hips, knees, lower back, hamstrings, etc... ) I think she's going to take it up. I really hope she does.
Blisters
Today, after blasting the bottoms of my feet with the garden hose set on jet setting, I took a look at the bottoms and saw the white skin where what-must-have-been blisters had been located. I had not realized they were there, so they hadn't been painful.
I think -- yes, I am pretty sure -- that they were from the Harlem to Brooklyn Chris McDougall Run last week. Based on how very hot the asphalt was, and the horrible way my feet felt as I walked through the subways to the party at the end, I would say those blisters must have formed then. I don't think they're from my regular routine.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
The Body Can Adapt to Anything ...
I often mention that before I started barefoot running, I went to a beginner barefoot workshop in Central Park with Michael Sandler, author of Barefoot Running: How to Run Light and Free by Getting in Touch with the Earth
Recently, he posted on FB a link to this youtube video he made, which I have posted below. I thought it was inspirational, but I am a bit of a sucker for things like this, especially when they pick the right music to go with it. I get all emotional inside.
Another thing is that a video like this brings out my idealism. In the video you see him running in snow and icy water and on rocks up mountains. He is truly doing all that, and the idealist in me buys what he says at the end, that the body can adapt to anything if you allow it. But what can sometimes be missing is the hard journey in between to get to that point. After watching a video like this, I just want to go outside and just do what he's doing. But the reality is that the road there is tough. You have to believe you're going to get there. It's like being inspired by an opera singer, but then confronting the reality when you try to sing like that. It's going to take a lot of committed hours and dedication and mistakes and frustrations before you can do that.
This doesn't mean that we can't achieve these things. But if our idealism is tickled by the ideal, then we might have to just find out if we've got the stuff in us to get there. For some it will be tougher and take longer than for others. And the funny thing is, it is not even something that anyone has to do. It's something to do if you think it's cool and if you want to find out if it's really true. You have to go on faith for a long time though.
Recently, he posted on FB a link to this youtube video he made, which I have posted below. I thought it was inspirational, but I am a bit of a sucker for things like this, especially when they pick the right music to go with it. I get all emotional inside.
Another thing is that a video like this brings out my idealism. In the video you see him running in snow and icy water and on rocks up mountains. He is truly doing all that, and the idealist in me buys what he says at the end, that the body can adapt to anything if you allow it. But what can sometimes be missing is the hard journey in between to get to that point. After watching a video like this, I just want to go outside and just do what he's doing. But the reality is that the road there is tough. You have to believe you're going to get there. It's like being inspired by an opera singer, but then confronting the reality when you try to sing like that. It's going to take a lot of committed hours and dedication and mistakes and frustrations before you can do that.
This doesn't mean that we can't achieve these things. But if our idealism is tickled by the ideal, then we might have to just find out if we've got the stuff in us to get there. For some it will be tougher and take longer than for others. And the funny thing is, it is not even something that anyone has to do. It's something to do if you think it's cool and if you want to find out if it's really true. You have to go on faith for a long time though.
Monday, August 16, 2010
The 31st Mile -- Don't Push off on Those Metatarsal Heads
After all the excitement and new adventures, I have returned today to my home stomping grounds. (Whoops -- did I say "stomp." Don't "stomp" when you barefoot run.)
I finally am getting how to step lightly and BOY DO MY FEET FEEL GREAT!. If I thought barefoot running felt good before, now that I am stepping lighter I am really impressed.
This was my official day back on my smooth terra cotta-style sidewalk tiles. They felt really good. I was excited to practice my new lighter step without pushing off on those metatarsals, which I discovered in the shopping parking lot and practiced on my spontaneous run in the park.
After 10 weeks and 30 miles of running, I feel like I'm finally getting to a point where I can say I'm ready to begin. Now I can build the foundation. I will have to go round and round on the barefoot mile to make this habitual and to strengthen the muscles that got activated when I altered my step. But once that's done, maybe over the next couple of weeks, I think I'll be able to enter a kind of stage two phase, which will be gradual building and development.
They say that your feet will teach you the correct form. I believe that your feet will give you the information you need, but it's not like it happens immediately. There are two kinds of feedback (well, maybe more than two kinds, but for right now I'll be very general). Feedback one is immediate. There are just some things you won't be able to do if you are in bare feet so they will be eliminated immediately, like slam your heels into the sidewalk.
But then there's a kind of delayed feedback that happens after you run and even the next day. There is pain or little signs that you are not stepping exactly right. Beginner barefoot runners take a day off in between to kind of recover and then go out again. But I think the aftermath feedback won't work as well if you heal too much between runs, because the pain is going to force you to step a different way. If your metatarsals are sore, like mine were, or the side of your foot, that pain is going to be there to let you know you haven't got it right yet.
I finally figured out that I was pushing off. I didn't feel like I was pushing off with my feet. The symptom I have read about that might tell you if you are pushing off was blisters. I didn't have blisters so I thought that was a sign I wasn't pushing off. I actually had to use logic -- (I know, I know, it might have been really super obvious, but I'm so dimwitted I have to sometimes reason myself over to see things that are just self-evident) -- to figure out whether I was pushing off or not.
In this case, I think my plus-size weight actually worked in my favor because the extra weight when pushing off caused the issue to come to the fore fast (or at least to the forefoot fast). I think it could be possible for a lighter weight runner to be pushing off and not realize this was wrong until they increased speed or distance.
Well, to make a long story short, I think I've got the basic step down now. There are probably many things I will find to be adjusted and refined, but the basic gross motor movement of what I'm aiming for is there and now I can get a little stronger and proceed.
Some little notes from what I thought about whlie running today:
Plus Size Running
There's not a whole lot of helpful information out there about the needs of plus-size runners. I am forming some opinions about it. I was pretty worried that barefoot running might not be for overweight people, but now I'm thinking that it can be done but some precautions are necessary. I think plus-size people have to proceed more slowly. When they read a running plan for an absolute-beginner-to-5K, for example, the plus size person should spend more time building a foundation before beginning, and take more time -- at least double the time -- if not more -- to increase distances.
Weight lifters develop their muscle strength to the point where they can lift very heavy weights, so in principle, a plus size person should be able to develop greater strength needed for tasks of a heavier weight. However, weight lifters start with lighter weights and gradually increase, while a plus-size person is starting out with the heavier weights. Having really excellent form, and doing lower reps at first, going shorter distances consistently and repetitively, IMO, will be the way for plus size to start.
I don't know if I'm totally right about this, but it's working for me this way, and it makes sense, so for now I'll think these things, until any better information comes along.
Favoring a Foot
Today after about a mile, with a half a mile left to go, I started noticing that I was landing heavier on my left foot. I remembered that the problems with the metatarsal bone pain was in the left foot mainly and I wondered why the left foot. My left foot had been my "good" foot while I was training for the half marathon last year. I wonder if I came down harder on it and pushed off harder in an attempt to spare the right foot, which had the plantar fasciitis. Could be.
Somone Honked
Today was the first time I got beeped at by a car. It was my husband. "Hey, how do I look?" He told me I had good form!
Light Dog Leash
Daffodil seemed to sense my lighter step and did not pull on the leash today. I was holding the leash lightly between my thumb and forefinger and she was trotting along beside me. I wonder if she sensed that something was wrong before, and now that I had the light step she could relax? You never know. Dogs key in to all kinds of states of being.
Let me tell you that my feet feel the best they have ever felt. I'm actually able to walk barefoot on the hard kitchen floor tile quite comfortably, even after sitting down to write this blog post. Usually I'm fine to walk around on my feet right after a run, but after sitting and resting a while, when I get up walking in bare feet will be a bit uncomfortable. Today -- excellent! I'm really encouraged.
I finally am getting how to step lightly and BOY DO MY FEET FEEL GREAT!. If I thought barefoot running felt good before, now that I am stepping lighter I am really impressed.
This was my official day back on my smooth terra cotta-style sidewalk tiles. They felt really good. I was excited to practice my new lighter step without pushing off on those metatarsals, which I discovered in the shopping parking lot and practiced on my spontaneous run in the park.
After 10 weeks and 30 miles of running, I feel like I'm finally getting to a point where I can say I'm ready to begin. Now I can build the foundation. I will have to go round and round on the barefoot mile to make this habitual and to strengthen the muscles that got activated when I altered my step. But once that's done, maybe over the next couple of weeks, I think I'll be able to enter a kind of stage two phase, which will be gradual building and development.
They say that your feet will teach you the correct form. I believe that your feet will give you the information you need, but it's not like it happens immediately. There are two kinds of feedback (well, maybe more than two kinds, but for right now I'll be very general). Feedback one is immediate. There are just some things you won't be able to do if you are in bare feet so they will be eliminated immediately, like slam your heels into the sidewalk.
But then there's a kind of delayed feedback that happens after you run and even the next day. There is pain or little signs that you are not stepping exactly right. Beginner barefoot runners take a day off in between to kind of recover and then go out again. But I think the aftermath feedback won't work as well if you heal too much between runs, because the pain is going to force you to step a different way. If your metatarsals are sore, like mine were, or the side of your foot, that pain is going to be there to let you know you haven't got it right yet.
I finally figured out that I was pushing off. I didn't feel like I was pushing off with my feet. The symptom I have read about that might tell you if you are pushing off was blisters. I didn't have blisters so I thought that was a sign I wasn't pushing off. I actually had to use logic -- (I know, I know, it might have been really super obvious, but I'm so dimwitted I have to sometimes reason myself over to see things that are just self-evident) -- to figure out whether I was pushing off or not.
In this case, I think my plus-size weight actually worked in my favor because the extra weight when pushing off caused the issue to come to the fore fast (or at least to the forefoot fast). I think it could be possible for a lighter weight runner to be pushing off and not realize this was wrong until they increased speed or distance.
Well, to make a long story short, I think I've got the basic step down now. There are probably many things I will find to be adjusted and refined, but the basic gross motor movement of what I'm aiming for is there and now I can get a little stronger and proceed.
Some little notes from what I thought about whlie running today:
Plus Size Running
There's not a whole lot of helpful information out there about the needs of plus-size runners. I am forming some opinions about it. I was pretty worried that barefoot running might not be for overweight people, but now I'm thinking that it can be done but some precautions are necessary. I think plus-size people have to proceed more slowly. When they read a running plan for an absolute-beginner-to-5K, for example, the plus size person should spend more time building a foundation before beginning, and take more time -- at least double the time -- if not more -- to increase distances.
Weight lifters develop their muscle strength to the point where they can lift very heavy weights, so in principle, a plus size person should be able to develop greater strength needed for tasks of a heavier weight. However, weight lifters start with lighter weights and gradually increase, while a plus-size person is starting out with the heavier weights. Having really excellent form, and doing lower reps at first, going shorter distances consistently and repetitively, IMO, will be the way for plus size to start.
I don't know if I'm totally right about this, but it's working for me this way, and it makes sense, so for now I'll think these things, until any better information comes along.
Favoring a Foot
Today after about a mile, with a half a mile left to go, I started noticing that I was landing heavier on my left foot. I remembered that the problems with the metatarsal bone pain was in the left foot mainly and I wondered why the left foot. My left foot had been my "good" foot while I was training for the half marathon last year. I wonder if I came down harder on it and pushed off harder in an attempt to spare the right foot, which had the plantar fasciitis. Could be.
Somone Honked
Today was the first time I got beeped at by a car. It was my husband. "Hey, how do I look?" He told me I had good form!
Light Dog Leash
Daffodil seemed to sense my lighter step and did not pull on the leash today. I was holding the leash lightly between my thumb and forefinger and she was trotting along beside me. I wonder if she sensed that something was wrong before, and now that I had the light step she could relax? You never know. Dogs key in to all kinds of states of being.
Let me tell you that my feet feel the best they have ever felt. I'm actually able to walk barefoot on the hard kitchen floor tile quite comfortably, even after sitting down to write this blog post. Usually I'm fine to walk around on my feet right after a run, but after sitting and resting a while, when I get up walking in bare feet will be a bit uncomfortable. Today -- excellent! I'm really encouraged.
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