Cinderella Trail Run Barefoot Half Disaster

[5t3ph4n13]

I ran a half today... the Cinderella trail run- a hilly, technical trail when I had never run on a trail before. You can imagine how it went. I ran about 9.5 miles barefoot before I put on my VFFs I strapped to my water belt. There was a fair bit of walking involved after mile 7 or so. It was also hot and I under-fueled and had swollen hands and felt like crap after. I was like 4th from the bottom of 120 or so people running the half... but the guys behind me had shoes on . I'll write up a full race report later but it was just a total beating. I did see another barefooter on the trail who wasn't running in the race. I also spoke briefly with some guy in VFFs at the starting line. It was a really beautiful scene but I didn't get to enjoy it as much because my feet weren't conditioned. More later, but here's the elevation profile for your amusement:

 

[Rusinque]

The elevation graph makes it look like a really fun race.
Swollen hands?

 

[5t3ph4n13]

The elevation graph makes it look like a really fun race.
Swollen hands?

Yes... Electrolyte imbalance. I needed salt.

 

[dutchie53]

Well Steph we shall consider this a learning experience? Congrats on gutting it out and completion of what was obviously a tough day.

 

[mokaman]

Congrats on finishing!

 

[5t3ph4n13]

Well Steph we shall consider this a learning experience? Congrats on gutting it out and completion of what was obviously a tough day.

Yeah, I'm really not broken up about it. I learned a lot and the trail was very technical even for someone wearing shoes. I saw 2 faceplants.

 

[TomM]

Congratulations on finishing! May you come back stronger on your next half-marathon.

 

[pilotrunner]

Put this experience in your bag-o-tricks for the future.

Congratulations on finishing. You had more balls than all the others by starting barefoot.

Cheers!

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I can see how you might feel your half was a disaster, but I see a lot of positives here. Congrats!

 

[JosephTree]

If it was a real disaster you'd want to hang up your shoes....but you can't do that! Ha! No, truly, from the way you're writing, you're beat, but not beaten. You've had a terrific learning experience and might just go for something a wee bit shorter next time. I find 15K just about right for my ideal trail effort. Long enough to feel excercised, but not grueling. And BFing an unseen trail in a race! that's real chutspah! How are your feet< after all that?

 

[5t3ph4n13]

My feet have tiny little bruises under my arch. I probably also will have one on the outside of my left forefoot (better than a toe!) where I kicked a root but they don't feel "shredded" like from rough asphalt. There was a huge variety of surfaces- packed dirt with a small amount of mostly avoidable rocks, gravel, dirt with lots of tiny unavoidable rocks, areas where the entire path was large rocks- smooth but very irregular and hard, huge giant root "steps" up and steep downhills, very narrow V-type paths with rocks, but also pleasant ones like beds of pine needles, powdery dirt that felt almost like sand, and a couple of mud patches. The part I just couldn't take was tiny little sharp rocks after 9 or 10 miles (my GPS failed immediately in the hills) AFTER all the other stuff had beat me up.

 

[Barefoot Gentile]

Running 9.5 mile barefoot on a trail, and new territory for you sounds impressive as is. Nice job on the race.

 

[DNEchris]

Ya done good! And you're still smiling! Congratulations.

 

[Jonny00GT]

You say 4th from the bottom...I hear 1st of the barefooters! Very Impressive!
-Jonny

 

[SillyC]

Congrats on finishing a tough race!

My feet have tiny little bruises under my arch.

This I was never able to fix with practice or better technique. What would happen to me was that as my EYES got tired, and my legs got tired, I was unable to either properly judge where the rock was, or control my legs well enough to save my arch. I was running trails in invisible shoes, though, not fully bare.

The Merrell Pace Gloves have a funky thing in the arch which eliminated this problem for me. Same trails, same distance, no more bruised arches.

 

[JosephTree]

Yeah, I know those bruises, too. I got mine wearing VFFs, and can nearly remember the steps that resulted in them. I remember saying to myself after stepping on a particularly sharp point of rock ""Oooo! That one's gonna hurt!" I think I'm better at missing them now after a few races, but there's always going to be the opportunity to bruise feet in a race on unfamiliar trails. I remember last fall especially, when the rocks were heavily obscured by fallen leaves. All good fun, though. I guess conventionally shod runners run higher risk of ankle twists.

 

[rickwhitelaw]

Sounds like a success to me, not a disaster. The course sounded tough and looked tough from the profile. Good Job.

 

[Zetti]

Tend to agree.....I'm sure it wasn't a whole lot of "fun", but what a great way to learn...and you didn't get injured either....win win situation there

 

[5t3ph4n13]

Thanks for all the kind words, guys! I actually just looked at the posted results online and I must have mis-read when they posted immediately after the race because I was 119 out of 143 at 3:19, so slightly better than 4th from the bottom! The women's course record for the Half is just under 2 hours if that gives you any more idea how difficult this course is.

My feet feel almost 100% today, my quadriceps and upper leg muscles were more sore than usual because of all the hills but my calves and ankles were a lot LESS affected than after road running... Probably from running at a much slower pace!

 

[Tristan]

Stephanie, or should I say s73PHAnI3, or 573ph4N13
I know it feels like a total disaster but as the others have already said it wasnt, and congrats for finishing! That looks like one heck of a trail run, and from the sounds of it too (face planting...).