My first minimalist race since kicking the Mizunos to the curb. This is a yearly run that I do on vacation but typically it's a leisurely stroll but I was really determined to PR on my first run since losing the shoes. Plus, it's flat and fast and I knew it would be a good one to go hard on. I ran with my husband (who smoked me from the gun) but I tried to hold my pace and not keep up with him.
The Nantucket Firecracker is a surprisingly large race- probably about 550 runners and it's a competitive group- particularly in my age group. I saw SO many runners in Vibrams. There must be a huge MA chapter! But noone bare. I wore my Evos and had a few comments. Lots of people realized they were minimalist shoes but had never seen them before. I actually purchased them because they looked normal so I was shocked that anyone would even remark. I guess this minimalist/ barefoot movement is really making it's mark.
My race went well. I felt strong and could have probably gone a bit faster. I PR'd with a 23:19 Garmin time. My official race time was 23:34. This placed me 8th in my age group/ 99th overall. They didn't have timing chips and it took me a bit to get to the start as I didn't line up in the front. Fortunately I had no ailments going in as all my TOFP had abated a couple of weeks before. BUT, boy was I sore after. I suppose my form went out the door because my calves were a mess and that's not something that I've had to worry about much during my transition. It was difficult to walk up and down stairs for 3 days. I did the shuffle first thing in the morning, too. Had to warm up the stems before I could walk around without looking silly. I feel pretty good about my race even if I had a lofty goal that I couldn't attain (I was secretly hoping for a sub-22- one day I'll get there!). Overall, a great first race.
The Nantucket Firecracker is a surprisingly large race- probably about 550 runners and it's a competitive group- particularly in my age group. I saw SO many runners in Vibrams. There must be a huge MA chapter! But noone bare. I wore my Evos and had a few comments. Lots of people realized they were minimalist shoes but had never seen them before. I actually purchased them because they looked normal so I was shocked that anyone would even remark. I guess this minimalist/ barefoot movement is really making it's mark.
My race went well. I felt strong and could have probably gone a bit faster. I PR'd with a 23:19 Garmin time. My official race time was 23:34. This placed me 8th in my age group/ 99th overall. They didn't have timing chips and it took me a bit to get to the start as I didn't line up in the front. Fortunately I had no ailments going in as all my TOFP had abated a couple of weeks before. BUT, boy was I sore after. I suppose my form went out the door because my calves were a mess and that's not something that I've had to worry about much during my transition. It was difficult to walk up and down stairs for 3 days. I did the shuffle first thing in the morning, too. Had to warm up the stems before I could walk around without looking silly. I feel pretty good about my race even if I had a lofty goal that I couldn't attain (I was secretly hoping for a sub-22- one day I'll get there!). Overall, a great first race.
