Ran my first half marathon!

[Smelph]

Well, half marathon distance anyway.

Went out in my VFFs due to very wet roads. My training group was aiming for 13 miles but I said "you're all going another 0.1 of a mile and we'll call it and "unofficial" half marathon"! I had my nikes with me with the intention of putting them on at 9 miles, but they give me horrid blisters without socks, which I accidentally left at home, so I decided I'd rather be a little sore after the run than have horrible blisters.

End result: 13.1 miles in VFFs! While my ankles were pretty worn out afterward, it sure felt great! Still have 2 months to the marathon, so I'm optimistic about my barefoot abilities!

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Congrats on the 13.1!  Are

Congrats on the 13.1! Are you running the 26.2 barefooted or in VFFs?

 

[Smelph]

Thanks!As long as conditions

Thanks!

As long as conditions are dry I'm planning on BF. Originally I was hoping to do half of it BF/minimalist (as conditions dictate) before switching to "normal" shoes for support for my feet and ankles in the second half, but after how well today went I'm optimistic I'll be able to do the whole thing BF.

One observation from today was that I was way easier if I stuck to the gravel shoulder or in the grass just off the pavement. The softer surface was much easier on the joints.

 

[Barefoot Gentile]

Nice job smelph!   From now

Nice job smelph! From now on do all your runs barefoot, even in rain or wet conditions. Be fully prepared on marathon day because who knows what the weather will be like. Good luck!

 

[Smelph]

Thanks Adam!I get nervous

Thanks Adam!

I get nervous when the roads get wet because about a month ago I went our and did 5 miles on pretty we roads and came home with a couple huge blisters. Not sure if it was the wet itself or if it was the wet + road salt + sand, but it's made me leery ever since.

 

[mokaman]

Nice run !!!Adam is right on

Nice run !!!

Adam is right on the mark there...stay barefoot as much as possible till the race.



20 miles of hope...6.2 miles of reality !!

 

[C. Beth Run.]

Wooo hooo! You've conquered

Wooo hooo! You've conquered that half marathon distance! Great job!

 

[JosephTree]

Good deal!  Enjoy every

Good deal! Enjoy every step. It's just going to get nicer and you're just going to get stronger as spring progresses.

 

[Smelph]

Thanks again everybody! I'm

Thanks again everybody! I'm getting super excited for the race in may. I'll keep pushing BF as much as possible from here on out. Any tips on handling wet roads? I just don't want to get the huge blisters again and be out of commission for more than a day or two.

 

[mokaman]

I know some barefooters have

I know some barefooters have trouble with the wet pavement but I can't really tell the difference wet or dry. I think it must be some kind form issue really about putting your feet down without twisting, sliding or maybe try a faster cadence. See the race course ahead of time to check how rough the surface is...run on it wet if possible. I like picking out some training courses that are a little rougher than the race course.

Run in a bucket of gravel...just kidding on that !

 

[Smelph]

good things to think about!

good things to think about! fortunately for me my house is on the course, so I do pretty much all my weekday running on an 8 mile stretch of it.

you may be right about twisting and sliding though. it's a little fuzzy, but I think I may have been scraping the balls of my feet a little that day, which is where all the blistering happened (and most of it just on one foot). I'll have to give it a shot on my next run and see if I can start correcting it.

 

[NakedSoleNate]

it's a form issue ...I love

it's a form issue ...I love running on wet roads :-D...make sure you are lifting your feet, not pushing off.

 

[sole_foot]

Keep up the good work!

Keep up the good work!

 

[Smelph]

Thanks Nate! That's where

Thanks Nate! That's where I'll start on my next run.

 

[khyricat]

WOOHOO..  congrats.. which

WOOHOO.. congrats.. which marathon you running? I need to start getting outside, but I don't have minimalist shoes that fit me yet and my road hasn't lost its coating of compacted snow/ice yet... the bad part of living on a road that is never plowed in MI.. I tried walking out to the mailbox barefoot after running indoors one day last month and I just don't handle the cold on my feet well enough to do that.. if it was dry it would have probably been better.

 

[Smelph]

Well I'm beginning to doubt

Well I'm beginning to doubt that the blisters came from the wet roads now. I went out and ran the same area this morning with dry roads and came back with what feels like chemical burns on my feet (did a lot of rinsing in the tub when I got home). The section of road I ran on appeared to have a LOT of road salt on it, but not in the nice, visible hunks I can dance around. It was like the roads were dusted in salt like a powdered donut. Not sure if it's very safe to be running barefoot down there until we get a good rain or until they clean the roads for the spring.

I did get some good work on lifting my feet better today, so I'll keep at it and improve that part of my running.

Oh, and I'm in the Kalamazoo marathon on may 8, khyricat. They originally planned on 300 participants and interest has been so strong they've had to raise the limit 3 times already (500, 750, and now 1500). The event also includes a half marathon and a 5k, and might den have a 10k, but I might be imagining that one

 

[khyricat]

hrm..  once things settle out

hrm.. once things settle out a bit more around here, I may look into a 5 or 10 k around then.. though there are several on this side of the state, less driving on a race day... but until I can run outdoors (and salt is why I've been avoiding it when I'm in Battle Creek or driving somewhere with cleared roads/sidewalks here in A2) I need to see how my feet hold up... I may need to take a bit of time to build the distance up outdoors bare..



I can definitely see road salt causing some MAJOR issues... it can eat away at cars.. I can't imagine what it would do to skin..

 

[NakedSoleNate]

never had a problem on dry

never had a problem on dry roads after a snow or ice storm....I do wash my feet after a long run...and I've run through salt on otherwise "slushy" sidewalks, although if it's a longer run, I avoid it if I can since it's that much colder...the only time I felt a bit of a chemical "burn" was walking (barefoot 24/7/365, not just in runs) on a side walk outside the local courthouse where they spread those little multi-colored pellets in a 1/4 inch snow....was walking slowly with friends (who were shod) and felt the heat as soon as we got to that section, I tolerated it for a few moments, then just said I need to keep moving guys ;-)....I did have a very slight chemical burn from that stuff...but never from running. NOW, when I increase speed or distance there is always a bit of "heat" that is generated on my soles for a day after....just like "soreness" in other muscular development, but slightly different. It's like I can feel the plantar skin abrasied and knowing that's what makes it thicker, stronger, tougher....

I don't think those feelings that you had are "bad" necissarily, blisters, however, come from "rubbing"...but "heat/soreness" is a sign of growth. Soreness is NOT the same as pain/injury....learning the difference is important.

 

[Smelph]

Hmmm good food for thought.

Hmmm good food for thought. When I had the burning sensation I immediately assumed it was all the salt. The surface I was running on has kind of a tar and chip texture, so it's possible the "burning" feeling was from my feet getting back into shape after a winter of running mostly in VFFs or Merrells...

The feeling was mostly gone by yesterday evening and today my feet seem in good shape, so you may have he answer. I have another run planned for tomorrow so I'll have to see how it goes and maybe revisit that area a bit.

 

[Dirtbag]

When I get that burning

When I get that burning sensation I feel like, "Really? Again? I just got this checked. Damnit."