Standing On Top

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

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Running | Scott Schneider | August 29, 2010 10:47 am

4 Comments

By Sherilyn, August 29, 2010 @ 12:17 pm

You are amazing!! I would have quit! I am so proud to call you my brother! I hope the ankle is OK and just needs some rest! Love ya!
By kevin, August 29, 2010 @ 4:20 pm

what was your time?
By Scott Schneider, August 30, 2010 @ 10:17 am

Finish time on the Garmin was 1:48:06
The time at 5 Miles (1/2 point) was 0:46:02 which was on par for a PR but, that didn’t happen.
By Kevin, September 1, 2010 @ 3:19 pm

Well, for what’s it worth, you were only 13 minutes behind me, and I didn’t have an injury.

Nice running.