Preparing For Treherne Marathon

So it has been a interesting couple of weeks, I have been running more and more barefoot, and just carrying my shoes in my hands just in case. I continue to get weird looks from numerous people as I stride down my running route of the day, minus the foot gear. I can only imagine the looks I will be getting when my new running gear comes in from the States (I might just cause an accident or two). I am hoping they are here by the end of the week (and no I am not saying anymore nor giving any hints to what they might be!).

As we get closer to the Treherne 'Run for the Hills' Marathon (just over 2 weeks away), I have been trying to increase my milage so I will be ready (I have been also dragging out G as well as she is running it as well). This being my first marathon, I am going in with no expectations, other than the desire to finish, as this is also stepping stone to the next first, which is a 50 km ultra in October (more on this in another post). This has been a year of firsts for me, I have been officially running for one year in October of this year, I have completed my first 5 km, 10 km, city half marathon, and rural half marathon, and this past week I finished my first official trail race.

In the last couple of weeks I have completed the following milage barefoot, trying to prep for Treherne:

Monday August 8: 3.0 miles (Hash House Harriers) Fountain Run downtown
Tuesday Aug 9: 6.5 miles (Downtown to St. James Street)
Friday Aug 12: 6.5 miles (Portage Route)
Sunday August 14: 17.5 miles (Grant /Wellington Cres. & Portage Avenue route) with G
Monday Aug. 15: 3.5 miles (Hash House Harriers - trail run)
Friday August 20:6.5 miles (from Polo Park to home)
Saturday Aug. 21: 7.5 miles (Try a Trail 12 km trail race) with N & G
Sunday Aug. 22: 10.0 miles (From Running Room Grant Ave to St. Norbert) with N & G
Monday Aug. 23: 4.0 miles (Hash House Harriers) St. Boniface

Total of 65 miles barefoot in the last 2 weeks, not to shabby.

My original plan for Treherne was to do the entire marathon barefoot, but it appears that the entire run is on gravel, so I am a little tenetive to commit to this. I am very happy with my performance on gravel, but 26.2 miles on gravel might be a little to much at this point. So I expect I will start the run in my VFF's and do portions barefoot as I evaluate the course. I hope to do as much as possible without, but over that distance I can expect some nicely bruised feet, but who knows.

On, On

Bob