Annapolis 10 Miler 2010 Race report

This was my second year running the Annapolis 10 Miler, I really enjoy this race. It is very challenging, plenty of hills, is typically very hot and the finishing premiums are always top notch. The first year I ran A10 was 2009, it was a very tough year with many injuries, shin and calf problems and I finished with a respectable 1:39. This year I made some changes, first off, after the 2009 A10, I lost the shoes. I decided that I had enough of injuries and once I lost the shoes, I had a year of injury free running. And second, I decided that I was not racing the clock, although I knew I wanted to do well, my intention from the start was to have FUN! In hindsight, I had a blast but it took hindsight to say that. Here is the story.

Leading up to the race I had really pushed myself to get in top shape. I made sure that I ran a good number of long runs and achieved a level of fitness and weekly running that was far ahead of any other year. I am averaging 25-30 miles a week with long runs in the 12-16 mile range. I am in shape. About 50% or more of my running is barefoot and the rest is minimal footwear like VFF’s or Huaraches. I am finally over that hump of 6 miles being the max I could run without shoes. The weekend prior to the A10, I ran 12 miles barefoot on some pretty nasty roads and sidewalks. I was ready for my first official race barefoot. The week leading up to the race I started a nice taper. Sunday was the 12 mile barefoot long run, Tuesday I ran a nice fast 6 miles barefoot and Friday I ran 2 miles at a very relaxed pace. Nothing could stop me.

The night before the race I was very jittery. This taper crap has got to go. I was like a heroin junkie in need of a fix. That is a pretty scary analogy but I think it is accurate. I needed to run. I also knew I needed to get some good sleep since morning would come early and I had to be up at 4AM to head out. My habit is to go to sleep at midnight so I ate some spinach and cheese ravioli fought sleeping and it was nighty night at 9PM.  All is well; I slept right up to the alarm at 4AM.

For breakfast I wolfed down several cups of coffee, some Gatorade, an apple fritter and headed out the door. I picked up my running buddy and we headed to Annapolis. I was so excited. I had butterflies and was feeling the pre-race (adrenalin) jitters. Oh, and maybe some jitters from the coffee. We arrived about an hour before gun so we hurried over, grabbed our numbers and I was impressed how quickly the process flowed. It only took me about 2 minutes to get my number and head back to the car. My buddy beat me by a good minute. This was easy. The A10 staff has this race down to a science, it is a well-oiled machine

Well, it’s almost gun time and I am standing in the masses with no shoes on my feet, two Gu’s in my gut and I am bopping around like a speed freak. Let’s get this show on the road. As I am standing there I looked around and there was one guy wearing VFF’s and another kid wearing, what looked like, Invisible Shoes Huaraches. I tapped the kid on the shoulder and gave him a fist bump. He wasn’t sure why then he looked at my feet and said “Right on dude”. Another guy noticed my bare feet and said “Hard Core”. That was about the time the girls tapped me on the shoulder and one of them said “That is totally sexy” as she pointed at my feet. OK, I was a convert to Barefoot but now I am sold. It’s Sexy!

The temperature was a decent 74 degrees, there was a slight fog or haze and I could tell in about an hour it was going to be hot, real hot and humid, REAL humid. I was right and it turned out to be a scorcher. After the race the temps flew into the mid 90’s.

The Annapolis 10 Miler 2010

7:45 AM and the gun went off, and I wasn’t moving. You could see the crowd sort of shuffling up ahead but even after 3 minutes, we were only at a walk. Then it started, we were running and we crossed the mat. I reached to my Garmin 305, pressed the button and the race was on. I was finally running after a miserably long week.  As we left the stadium, it opened up enough that I could start passing a few people and get a pace going. We had been standing in the crowd for about 45 minutes and suddenly I realized I had to pee. Crap, that doesn’t work. My buddy was right behind me and another friend said he had to go too so all three of us along with about 30 new friends hit some bushes. Back on the road, we started passing through the crowd and making pace when I realized I was blasting the best pace of my life and I wasn’t even feeling winded. Allan, my friend, started making comments how much I had improved, How great my form looked and even joked that he might not be able to keep up with me. I know he was joking about not keeping up with me but the complements felt great, I felt strong.

At mile one, we were screaming and broke out on the main road. The map below is a little old, 2003 I believe, they have slightly changed the course and the 1 mile point is at the intersection of Rowe Blvd and Melvin. It was a slight downhill all the way to downtown Annapolis and the pace quickened. I dropped into a groove, was running around an 8 minute pace and just let my head take in the beautiful morning, the great scenery and the sound of everyone talking about the crazy dude running barefoot. Yes, there was constant chatter behind me. Some thought it was cool, some thought it was stupid or foolish but most were simply amazed and impressed. It was a great feeling and a good morning for a narcissist LOL.

Map of the Annapolis 10 Miler

As we entered downtown Annapolis, the curbs were crammed with people; they were cheering, shouting words of encouragement, giving us high fives and are a great bunch of spectators. The Annapolis 10 miler or A10 as it is affectionately called, is ranked as one of the top ten 10 Milers in the country and I think the spectators probably have something to do with this. They love the race as much as the participants. Running on the brick and Cobblestone roads was a great experience barefoot. I highly recommend that surface. It feels good, keeps you sharp and is just plain cool. People all through the town were shouting and pointing at my lack of shoes.

As we made the turn downtown towards the Navy base and Mile 3 there was a water station. I always thought they were every two miles but I guess they just put them where they are convenient. Anyway, I remember running through the station and slipping on a paper cup. I made a strange move and was able to keep my balance and continue on. There was no pain and I reminded myself to be more careful. I grabbed water and on I went. As I turned the corner towards the bridge, I remember noticing a strange and dull ache in the area of my Achilles and thinking to me, that doesn’t feel right, now isn’t the time to have a problem. I continued on focusing at the matter at hand, the bridge. This bridge is the nastiest bridge on the planet. Luckily it doesn’t happen until mile four so you are good and warm and not tired. Last year I walked up the bridge, this year I ate it like it was gummy bears. I blew up that bridge with a fever and did so to the cheers of many spectators and people all around me. I remember one guy said to another, now that is how to run, barefoot and free. I smiled to myself. That is exactly what it was; FREE!

Now I headed down the back side of the bridge and that nagging pain was on and off. It wasn’t bad but I knew it didn’t feel right. I look the right turn and into the neighborhoods I went and again was faced with a monster hill and the mile five marker; I blew up the hill like I was on fire and I was Half way there.

Once in the neighborhoods is where the Annapolis 10 miler gets its charm. The people are AWESOME with a capital “A”. They have sprinklers going to cool you off and many yards are playing music, handing out water and one group must have 3000 oranges they cut up and hand out. I doubt they get funded for this; it is just the good people of the town. At first I thought, Oh no, I don’t want to get my feet wet and take a chance tearing up the bottom of my feet then I realized that I was there to have fun and I, like the rest would blow through the sprinklers and get a refreshing cool down. Suddenly my ankle started to hurt worse, it went from a dull ache on and off, more off, to a stab every time I stepped. I dropped down into my knees, leaned forward and focused on form, I went from smiling an joyful to very focused and serious; I knew I was in trouble.

Mile six marker came and I stopped to walk. This is an intersection and some lady was yelling, run right through, here is your 30 feet of flat road. Man was she right, this race is either uphill or downhill except that 30 feet of road and she wasn’t going to let anyone forget it. Walking was much better, the pain would go right away and I rested the foot, gave it some gentle stretches and started a slow methodic pace. I knew the PR was gone and now I had about a half mile to decide, do I DNF the race and walk back at the 7.5 mile bailout or to I run it to the end and take whatever time I take. Even when I was walking, people were cheering for me, “Hey, you can do it”, “you’re barefoot and the only one so far, you have it licked”. Nothing but positive, it gave me strength and I passed the bailout point to the Richie Highway and pressed on to the seven mile turnaround. I think that was a big mistake because when I made that choice, I could walk and there wasn’t pain. By the time I hit the right turn towards the Richie Highway on the second pass, pain was no longer an option, it was a constant reality. I was in trouble.

Running had become a science, how could I land on my feet and cause the least amount of pain. It was simple, perfect flat foot landing, no pronation, no fore or heel strike. I bent my knees until the thighs burned like a fire from hell, I favored the right leg as much as I could yet not damage the left and I pressed on. As I hit the Richie Highway I was running again at about a 12 min/mile pace; slow, but I was running. I was almost ready to bail and that was when the angel shown up.

She said her name was Jules and she started asking me all about barefoot running, she wanted to know everything, how long, did I use those funny toe shoes ever, that would be the Vibram Five Finger shoes or VFF’s, she was very cute and reminded me of my daughter, it was great, she kept my mind off the foot and kept me talking. There are two miracles here, the first is that I was at mile eight and was talking to someone and not out of breath, I was running, albeit not pretty, but I was running and I wasn’t trashed. Last year I would have been is much worse shape physically. Second this girl was able to keep my mind off the pain when I needed help the most. She ran with me all the way to the bridge and at the bridge I had to stop and walk, running uphill had become virtually impossible now. Thanks Jules, wherever you are. You were a life saver.

Just before the bridge there were a bunch of photographers and I figured they were the ones taking the race shots. The first group must have caught me when I wasn’t paying attention as I hit the Richie Highway; I look like I wasn’t having a lot of fun. I remember thinking the right foot was hurting, it is causing me to kill the left foot and the white line was feeling really good. Then I saw the camera and it was too late. At least I wasn’t heel striking like that poor woman behind me, Ouch!

See, I was Running Barefoot - About 8 Miles

Then I saw the photographer right at the bridge aiming at me, I gave a little smile, hid the grimace and gave him a couple of Hang Loose’s, heard the camera click and thought cool, a great shot, he cut out my feet! Damn it!

Hang Loose

When I hit the bridge there were quite a few people standing on the bridge cheering us on and offering encouragement and I had to walk? Being on that bridge now was a very hot place. It was completely exposed, almost no wind and approaching 90 degrees I’d guess in the sun. I almost felt like I was letting them down. All the effort they made to sit in that Miserable hot sun for us. As I hit the 9 mile mark on the down side of the bridge I decided it was time to run. I sucked it up and started a slow methodical plodding towards the stadium. I was missing my earlier company and mental obstruction from the pain when another woman approached me, made a comment about me not wearing shoes and asked if I live in Germantown. I told her I did and she said she sees me running up and down MD118 barefoot and really admires me for being able to do that. We chatted for a bit but I knew she wanted to speed up and I said if you ever see me again, Honk and wave. See you at the finish line, this seemed to give her permission to speed off and finish her race.

The last half mile was really a blur. I was so happy that I was going to make it and not come in last, and I knew I could crawl to the finish line if I had to, I could see the turn up the hill, onto the grass and over the mat. The goal was in sight and I was almost there. The final 200 yards is a long uphill run to the finish line which was also the starting line. You leave the road and onto a grass and cement sidewalk area and then into the parking lot, the same stretch of parking lot that, 1:48 minutes ago, I said I had to pee as I ran out. Both sides of the path were lined with onlookers and they cheered as if we, I, was the first place runner, it was loud, it was crazy and I went into a final sprint to the line. I heard people chanting Barefoot and making comments and I looked up, there was only 20 yards to go, 10 yards, soft rubber mat and a beep. Final time recorded and I stopped the Garmin and turned it off. I didn’t want to know my time. I was happy to cross and I was done.

Done, Not pretty but Done!

I grabbed a giveaway towel, another cool gift from the A10 and threw it over my head. I grabbed a Gatorade and started drinking and realized I was in serious pain and getting nauseated. Up until now the running and moving kept my mind off my stomach yet the pain was making me nauseous. I walked to the parking lot and stood. I found that if I didn’t move the pain went away. I stood there for twenty minutes, enjoying no pain. Then I had to move.

I walked over to the food and celebration area, there were thousands of people and I was looking for three. My running buddy Allan must have come in 15-20 minutes ahead of me and my wife and Allan’s wife were at the finish line cheering but on the other side of the fence. Finding anyone meant I could get the heck out of dodge, sit down, take some Advil and eat. I was hungry and needed to sit. I grabbed a banana, a bottle of water and found the wives. Sweet, that was easy. I wanted to hang around but was getting sorer by the minute so I told them I was heading to the truck so I could wash up, change and get ready to leave. That was the last time I wandered over to the tents. I waited for everyone and we left. Race Over.

A couple of hind sites; the race is an awesome race, if you ever have the chance to run the Annapolis 10 miler, I highly suggest doing so. It is awesome, the organization is out of this world and the people in the town are super friendly. Another, I think the ego of finishing may have turned an otherwise annoying injury into a longer term injury. That hour of pressing on probably costs me weeks if not months of running. In the future I might not be so inclined to press on and instead listen to my body and stop. Running this thing barefoot was a goal and although the injury probably had nothing to do with barefoot, I wanted to finish proving to myself and others that I could. And I did!

Annapolis 10 miler, a barefoot adventure

Started out as one of the best run of my life, then….. it hit the fan.
Here is the short version… long to follow.

The barefoot part of the run went off without a hitch, I was having the greatest run, at 1 mile we were just over an 8 minute pace, mile 2 was the same story, my running partners were amazed how strong I was and so was I. it was like I was turbo charged.

Someplace around mile 4 I came into a water station and turned to avoid someone that stopped and slipped on a cup. as I slipped I remember thinking, “that don’t feel right” but there was no pain and on I went. around mile 6 I started feeling some ankle pain and was still cruising to completely blow away my PR but the pain was starting to nag and I slowed down a bit, dropped a little lower in my knees to take a load off the ankles and pressed on.

By the time I hit 7 miles I was walking and in serious pain. this is an out and back so back was the only way out. I considered a DNF and getting a ride but I couldn’t do it, I started running and really working on whatever form took away the pain. I remember thinking at one point there was only 2 miles left, anyone can run/walk 2 miles. Then came the Severn River bridge. I stopped running and walked about 3/4 mile over the bridge. On the other side of the bridge I hit the 9 mile mark and started running again, at first it was excruciating, I really wondered why I was doing this but then it started to feel better, probably dopamine’s kicking in. I ran walk that last mile and was able to pull out a semi sprint to the line with throngs of people cheering about me being Barefoot.
That was the race, there were lots of great moments, funny comments and good people that I talked with while running and walking. As far as I know, and from what several spectators told me, I was the only barefoot runner so I figure I finished first in my class

As for the foot, it isn’t in good shape, something is drastically wrong. Sitting here is OK but walking is out. The pain is inside and outside right behind the ankle bones. It doesn’t feel like the Achilles and there is no palpable pain in the Achilles however pressing either side behind the ankle will bring me to tears. Probably going to need an x-ray and an MRI to figure out this mess

A Barefoot running Personal Record

The longest continuous distance I had been able to muster was 8 miles and once I did 10 but threw a mile in the middle with VFFs
This was pure barefoot running with a Nathan #020 backpack, eating my now favorite running chow
Clif Shot Bloks, Damn these things are Yummy.

Using 4MM Cord for Running Huaraches

Well, I get to take back my preference of leather straps as the perfect Huarache lace material. Over the past several weeks as I started using Huaraches in running more I have noticed that the between the toes pain and cutting feeling wasn’t getting better so I have opted to try something different than Latigo Lace Leather.

I went to REI and purchased some 3mm, 4mm and 5 mm cord. The cost was around $0.35 per foot and later I found that I could get that at 1/2 price at The Trail House in Frederick, MD so shop around. I settled for now on 4 mm but may experiment later with the 5mm. 3mm seems marginal as a thickness and might cut into the toes.

The first thing I noticed was the knot between the toes was way too large and making it small enough was going to be a challenge so I came up with this method that seems to work well. After a few days of wearing the Huaraches. The pain between the toes is greatly relieved and there is no cutting feeling.

Starting with 6 feet of cord, more than enough for any style tying, the first step was to cut the line and lightly melt both ends. One end I melted to a point to assist threading into the sandal. The other end just a slight melt so I could pull out the center cord material from the nylon sheath.

WARNING: Be careful and if you can’t be careful, have an adult help you, even if you are over 18 and think you are an adult but don’t act like one. Hot nylon sticks to your fingers and will cause burns! You have been warned.

Lightly melt end of cord using a lighter, stove or other method – See warning above.

Pull back the nylon cord sheath and expose about 2-3 inches of inner twisted cord.

Cut away 2-3 inches of inner cord and melt the end to stop fraying

Melted end of white inner layer of cord after cutting

Pull the outer nylon sheath out over there the inner cord used to be. Make sure you grab the cord up a foot or so and slide your fingers as you pinch the line, towards the modified end. Grab the slightly limp modified cord end and give it a good tug so all the outer sheath is pulled tight. Melt the end of the outer sheath.

Now tie a figure 8 not in the modified narrow end of the line. This will create a large enough knot that it won’t slip through the Huaraches sole yet will be small enough to not be felt when wearing the huarache. I then gave the entire knot a little heat and melted it slightly. Probably not a necessary step. Once the inner cord material is removed, the knot in the outer material is very tight and won’t come untied.

The Final product. I am satisfied with how they feel show here tied in the slip on fashion.

Barefooting Trails, I am not sure I dig it | Barefoot Runners Society

I have done a lot of barefoot running in the last year. Nothing on the scale of some but heading out for a 6 mile BF run on about any surface is usually no big deal. I might get a small hotspot or some tender feet on a bad asphalt run but in general, I think I do OK. I don’t run as fast BF as I do in something minimal, I prefer KSOs, but I can usually deal with that since speed isn’t really the goal.

However, when I hit the trails there are just way too many gotchas. Sticks, Thorns, Rocks, pointy rocks and as much as I love the feel of running in soft or smooth dirt, it is almost inevitable I hit something painful. With a pair of VFFs or Huaraches 4mm cherry I can still get the basic foot workout and have just enough protection that I don’t end up slowing down and losing the FUN which is why I am there anyway.

For example; Last night I headed to a local trail. It is a very sweet trail, lots of challenges like rocks, roots, creeks, hills, snakes, ticks and general pokey things. The run over to the trail is about 1 mile and I did that all BF then when I hit the trail, dodging the clover and the bees, I went from a 9 minute pace to 13 minute pace as I ooch’d and ow’d my way along a particular gravel and rock area, then the roots started jumping out and as light faded in the shadows I slowed even more. Finally after almost running into a tree, I was busy watching every step, and dodging poison ivy too, I decided to put on the KSOs. My pace increased and although I still need to keep a very close eye on the trail, I was able to look around a bit and enjoy the run.

Now I know I am speaking blasphemy here since I am “Supposed” to be a barefooter but I have to say, it is all about the pleasure of the run and sometimes I think I get so caught up in my own ego and doing it barefoot that I forget to enjoy the run.Of course I am open for input on ways that I might improve my trail barefoot skills but I think I will stop getting so religious about it all. Here is a POV video of me dodging things

Eight years to run 16 Miles

For many, 16 miles is a warm up exercise but for me it has been a challenge and something that has eluded me for years. In 2002 I got the urge to start running again and I still remember that first run of 1 mile, I thought I would die. I think I ran 100 yards, walked some, ran again and eventually finished a mile somewhere around 15 minutes. Heck, I could have walked it faster but I was getting off cigarettes and years of unhealthy living.

Well times change, bodies heal and time rolls on and a few years passed. I was running 3 and 5 mile short runs and trying my hand at some longer weekend runs but every time I started to increase the miles. My first pair of running shoes were New Balance 880s. They were neutral and cushioned and pretty much just another ugly running shoe with no bells, no whistles and no gel pods. I really liked running in them and after two years I decided they needed to be replaced. I took them down to the local Fleet Feet store and said I like these shoes and want something close to them. They laughed and said “Those aren’t running shoes, they are trainers. you need real running shoes? And they proceeded to tell me I pronated and needed a stability and cushioned shoe. They sold me on some Asiics something or others with Gel pods, stiff rubber stability and the first thing I noticed is they had a heel.

I was excited to get out there and blow away my personal record of 10 miles and after a few weeks of breaking in the shoes I went after my record. I broke the record by a whopping mile and was so damn proud of myself and then it started; Leg pain. I had the worst case of shin splints and it just wasn’t going away. I went to the doc and they x-rayed the leg. Nothing seemed too wrong, just some R.I.C.E. and it will get better. After two weeks, I was ready to start again. First a few miles, then a few more and eventually I was back to my 15 miles a week and longest runs of 6 miles and I decide to go for 8 when blammo! Shin pain again.

Well this cycle continued for several years. Spring would arrive and I would start adding miles and by June I was approaching 10 miles then bingo! The legs would fail me or the knees would swell or I would get a calf pain and I was out of commission for another race season. This was ridiculously frustrating. In 2007 someone suggested I try Barefoot running but without any idea what I was doing I just made things worse and gave up. I was able to literally limp through an Army 10 Miler and DNR’d a couple more as well as DNR’d a marathon. I was getting really tired of donating entry fees.

Well speed forward to last year, 2009! Spring arrives and like a fool I decide to start running again. I have maintained a level of fitness throughout the winter and so I start ramping up miles. First some 3 milers, then some 5’s, Soon I am running 8 and 10’s with regularity and things are going well so I go for 12 and although I am getting some pain, I take a light week then shoot for 13. There it is, Pain again. The calf literally feels like it will explode when I run, the muscle feels like it will rip off the bone every step. I back off the miles and take it easy, the Doc puts me in orthotics and matters get worse. Finally the Annapolis 10 miler comes and I am at a loss. I cannot stand the shoes I have, the orthotics make life miserable and so I go and buy a pair of brand new Asiic cumulus and run the race. At the end of the race my legs hurt, I made it but I am not happy. Runners should be happy otherwise, Why Run?

Well, This is the last race I run in non minimalistic shoes. I start researching again barefoot running and minimalist when someone suggests I read Born to Run. Halleluiah, someone validates the way I think and feel and I start running barefoot. Ha Ha! I still remember that first run. I made it maybe 1000 feet and my feet were killing me, I had blisters and couldn’t hardly walk for three days. I started searching the internet and found a few web sites that talked about running barefoot and minimalist shoes. Over the past two years I had read Chi Running and as I started running barefoot I got the POSE Method DVD. Pose helped me see many of the errors in my running style and running barefoot reminded me when I was running incorrectly. Soon I was running 3-4 miles barefoot basically pain free.

Over the winter of 2009-2010 I continued to run either barefoot or in Vibram FiveFinger shoes and was able to maintain a solid 15 miles per week. Once the spring hit I was running hard and increasing my miles. One thing was different though, I wasn’t getting shin, knee and calf pain. In the early days of running barefoot I did get some calf pain as they changed to meet my new running style but now, no pain. I did decide that runs over 6 miles would be run in a minimalist shoe like VFF’s of huaraches and anything under 6 would be barefoot. Soon I was cranking out 6-8 mile runs and feeling great so I started pushing up miles.

First I tried a few 10 mile runs. There was no pain except maybe a little calf soreness, to be expected, then I went for a 12 and again, I felt great. Two weeks ago I headed down to the C&O canal towpath and decided that I would run out 7 miles and back for 14. Worse comes to worse I could walk out. Again, I finished and there was no pain. I was tired but I didn’t feel like I just ran 14 miles. Then I decided to go for a new Scooter record and on Sunday July 11th 2010 I started down the towpath with 16 miles in my sites. After 3 solid hours of running and some seriously sore feet I arrived back at the Violet’s Lock parking lot with no shin pain, no knee pain, some slightly sore ankles and a big smile on my face.

So it took me nearly 8 years to run 16 miles but I did it and from what I can tell, there are many more miles to come. If all goes well. I will get a marathon distance under my belt this year and maybe even a 30 miler.
Here I am at the end of my 16 mile run!

Need to carry tweezers on my runs

I guess I need to start carrying tweezers. Up till now I have avoided impaled objects that weren’t easy to remove. Last night I set out on a 6 mile run and at about 1.5 miles felt something in my foot stinging. I looked and saw a little area of blood but could not feel anything. I continued to run a bit and realized something was in there. I tried to get at it but was unable and turned around running on the balls of my feet only. I found some grass and sat down. I was able to finally dig it out and it was not much bigger than a grain of sand but was a shiny piece of glass.

It was a bummer cause I ended cutting a 6 mile run short by 1.5 miles. When I got home I went to the Gym to meet the wife and do some upper body workouts and kicked butt for an hour and then to top it all off I ran on a treadmill for another 2.5 miles at a 6.5 minute pace. It Hurt like hell and I loved it. I had already completed 250 Ab reps that morning so it ended up being a killer workout day.

Tweezers, that is what this started about huh? I need some tweezers to carry with me.

Posterior Tibial Tendinitis – Massage and Stretch

My Buddy Oso Polar posted this on the Runners world barefoot running board. Having dealt with Posterior Tibial Tendinitis from running barefoot and doing to much to soon TMTS, I thought this was a great massage and stretching exercise for the Posterior Tibial Tendon. Even though I am basically back to normal, I still massage the muscles and tendons after a long Barefoot run and it feels wonderful.

Sit in a chair and place the ankle of the leg to be massaged on the opposite knee. You’ll be looking right at the medial side of the shin – and post tib. (All of the following assumes you’re massaging your left leg.) Place the thumb of your right hand right behind the shin bone, down by the ankle. The thumb is placed along the bone – so it’s pointing up toward the knee. The fingers of the right hand will wrap around the front of the shin. Now place the left thumb on top of the right thumb. Wrap the left hand fingers around the front of the shin. Start making small circles with your foot. You’ll see post tib contract and relax. Push your thumbs deeply/firmly into the flesh and, while making slow circles with your foot, slide your thumbs up toward the knee. You’ll hopefully be massaging that muscle and releasing any of the restricting fascia that could be inhibiting the muscle movement.

via Runners World – barefoot running – posterior tibial tendinitis.

Barefoot Interval training

I have found that Interval training / Hill Speed Work required a completely different method. In high school I was a sprinter. My events were 100 Meter and 100 Meter hurdles. All power came from the hips and legs and was transferred to the ground through the feet pushing off and driving into the ground with every ounce of energy. Barefoot, this would be a difficult task as it would shred the balls of the feet. Some form of protection is required.

Sprinting barefoot requires a much more refined approach. In my experiments I found that a gradual acceleration, straight and aligned body posture with the weight moving through the center of the body, forward knee thrusts engaging the hip flexors, solid arm swings with thrusting back motion, exaggerated lean from the ankles without a bending at the hips and a very solid mid to forefoot plant followed immediately by a strong pull are essential. Any attempt to push off barefoot ends in hot spots and torn skin. Gravity is used to accelerate the body but to increase the speed, a forward drive of the knees and a strong swing of the arms can help increase acceleration without increasing the force exerted on the foot. As you begin to accelerate and decelerate, Do so slowly as to not create accelerating and braking forces on the foot. This is a critical time in sprinting barefoot and avoiding injuries

I like intervals on hills mainly for the added intensity but it also creates a situation where it is very hard to run in bad form. To climb a hill you need a high knee step and an exaggerated knee thrust as well as a forward lean from the ankles.

I included this picture because I love the alignment through the entire body.

via Barefoot Interval training | Barefoot Runners Society.

How running changed taking off the shoes and going barefoot

This pretty much sums it up

Positive side effects of BF Running

• My balance improved, Core work helped there too
• Chronic Shin Splints went away after 7 years steady
• Calf trigger points have disappeared, better hydration may be helping as is foam roller
• Knee pain is gone. Have bad knees, meniscus tears. No pain now
• I smile when I run
• My form has dramatically improved. I am a puller not a pusher
• Oddly, my shoulders don't hurt after long runs. Probably form related
• My heart rate during running is 20 beats lower than when I wore shoes. Could be I run more now.
• Having the time of my life

Negative side effects of BF Running

• Ankles are still adjusting. Posterior Tibial Tendon still inflames occasionally but getting better. Too much too soon did some insult that is not clearing quickly
• People think I am weird, but I guess that was pre-existing

AKA Scooter- The Barefoot Buddha

via Have a medical condition or running-related injury that somehow cleared up when ditching the shoes? Please share! | Barefoot Runners Society.