stomper
Guest
So, I was a bit unsure the Mt. Hood Scramble 6-7 mile trail race could actually be run barefoot. The course last year (fairly well represented in this video) was a roughly equal mix of forest trail, bushwacking through brush, utter muck, and many rocky stream crossings. Of course it was traverse-able, given enough hours, but could it be run barefoot?
Also, when my carpool pulled into the parking lot for the race on Sunday, there was quite a lot of snow around. I was pretty sure that I was going to wear my Zems for a bit of warmth and protection, but when I gathered with the others in the starting area, I saw so many pairs of VFF's that my pride took over. If all these people are wearing those things, I can certainly show them the real deal, I thought, rolling the Zems and putting them in my pockets.
And oddly enough, my pride did not precipitate a fall. I ran the race in total comfort. As usual, I was pleasantly surprised with what I could do in actual bare feet. I do think in this race there was a bit of a penalty in speed.
The first mile was a steep downhill on pavement, which was no problem, but I didn't bomb it like some people did. In retrospect this was probably a poor strategic decision, because this open roadway was one of the few places it was wide enough to easily pass large numbers of people.
Once we entered the woods and began a long steep bushwack downhill, then endlessly around and across marshes and rocky streams, I experienced the adaptibility of bare feet. I definitely had to pick my course through the rocky sections, which slowed me down compared to shoes, but kept me from jarring my body. The patches and drifts of snow which looked so horrible were actually not a problem, being soft and crunchy and littered with duff, and providing good traction. As long as I didn't stand in one place too long, waiting for the trail to open up (it being quite jammed with competitors) I was fine.
Of course the snowless forest floor was a total joy to run on, being springy and soft.
I found though my bare feet did not allow me to jump and push, I had total confidence in my traction. I knew exactly what kind of purchase I had on rocky stream bottoms, wet logs, and piles of brush. I could dig my toes in on muddy uphills. In fact traction felt so positive I traversed the length of a few logs instead of crossing them and running on the ground, which would have been too scary with shoes on.
I know some people thought I was "nuts" or "hardcore" , but I experienced no discomfort at all through the entire race. As usual it was my weight and aerobic fitness that limited me; I had little left for the uphill mile+ on pavement that ended the race.
In fact I am thinking that barefoot running makes me so comfortable that it takes away any impulse I have to push myself and be competitive. I am never ever in the front of the pack, but in shoes I have finished as high as the top 50th percentile of all finishers in trail races like this, or top 25th percentile of urban road races (where frankly the competition isn't anywhere near as fit as the crowd at these trail races). Last year running this race (a different, rockier course) in water shoes I was in the 66th percentile of finishers; this year barefoot I was in the 83rd.
Next time I have to remember to stop enjoying myself and pass a few people when the trail gets wide enough. I could probably move up a few percentage points -- or even better find the beer line shorter at the end.
Also, when my carpool pulled into the parking lot for the race on Sunday, there was quite a lot of snow around. I was pretty sure that I was going to wear my Zems for a bit of warmth and protection, but when I gathered with the others in the starting area, I saw so many pairs of VFF's that my pride took over. If all these people are wearing those things, I can certainly show them the real deal, I thought, rolling the Zems and putting them in my pockets.
And oddly enough, my pride did not precipitate a fall. I ran the race in total comfort. As usual, I was pleasantly surprised with what I could do in actual bare feet. I do think in this race there was a bit of a penalty in speed.
The first mile was a steep downhill on pavement, which was no problem, but I didn't bomb it like some people did. In retrospect this was probably a poor strategic decision, because this open roadway was one of the few places it was wide enough to easily pass large numbers of people.
Once we entered the woods and began a long steep bushwack downhill, then endlessly around and across marshes and rocky streams, I experienced the adaptibility of bare feet. I definitely had to pick my course through the rocky sections, which slowed me down compared to shoes, but kept me from jarring my body. The patches and drifts of snow which looked so horrible were actually not a problem, being soft and crunchy and littered with duff, and providing good traction. As long as I didn't stand in one place too long, waiting for the trail to open up (it being quite jammed with competitors) I was fine.
Of course the snowless forest floor was a total joy to run on, being springy and soft.
I found though my bare feet did not allow me to jump and push, I had total confidence in my traction. I knew exactly what kind of purchase I had on rocky stream bottoms, wet logs, and piles of brush. I could dig my toes in on muddy uphills. In fact traction felt so positive I traversed the length of a few logs instead of crossing them and running on the ground, which would have been too scary with shoes on.
I know some people thought I was "nuts" or "hardcore" , but I experienced no discomfort at all through the entire race. As usual it was my weight and aerobic fitness that limited me; I had little left for the uphill mile+ on pavement that ended the race.
In fact I am thinking that barefoot running makes me so comfortable that it takes away any impulse I have to push myself and be competitive. I am never ever in the front of the pack, but in shoes I have finished as high as the top 50th percentile of all finishers in trail races like this, or top 25th percentile of urban road races (where frankly the competition isn't anywhere near as fit as the crowd at these trail races). Last year running this race (a different, rockier course) in water shoes I was in the 66th percentile of finishers; this year barefoot I was in the 83rd.
Next time I have to remember to stop enjoying myself and pass a few people when the trail gets wide enough. I could probably move up a few percentage points -- or even better find the beer line shorter at the end.
