Winnipeg barefoot Runners

Ice Donkey 2012 From The Perspective Of A Mother

2012-02-20T14:36:00.000-08:00

I am posting this link to another blog that Gail writes, it has her accounts of the race that was Ice Donkey. I am doing this because I think there is a story to be told and read, of the mother who watched and supported her daughter through a difficult race with all the emotions that go along with it. I believe it is a fantastic telling, and I hope you will enjoy it as well.

http://livinglightlyinsuburbia.blogspot.com/2012/02/ice-donkey-2012-how-it-went-down.html

Kudos again to Gail and her daughter.

Canadian Death Race 2012 - A Family Affair

2012-02-17T11:05:00.000-08:00

When we started this adventure, Nicole and I were planning to make a family vacation out of the trip to Grande Cache. This of course would include our eleven old son T and our soon-to-be 5 year old boy C. Of course the logistics of not only watching our kids but also keeping them entertained while mom and dad ran their designated legs of the race was going to take some serious planning and coordination.

Even though we have not completely got all the kinks out yet, two things have been determined so far, first we have finalized our pit crew for the race (with the help of the mom or dad that is not running at the time) our boys are going to be involved in the transition areas to not only ensure the next runner gets out but is all prepared for the leg that they are running. Involving the kids in this will not only keep them occupied but will also give them that feeling that they are part of the team as well. I am not completely sure how this will work yet, but I am almost positive that both the boys, especially the youngest will be all over this. Thus the training will begin for the boys on what they will need to do, including making sure packs are ready, water bottles or camel backs are full, headlamps have new batteries, etc. The biggest issue I see is convincing C that he cannot run with the runner when they head out, but I do expect a lot of cheering and excitement, because who doesn't like a cheering squad as you head out on a hard run.

This is where the second item comes into play, the boys are all signed up for the CDR Kids Race, a great little event held after the main event has finished. I just have to include the promo write up that is on the website, I think it not only clever but gives you a good indication of what fun they will have:

'THE KIDS RACE: Never Too Young to Cheat Death! '

'This the best way we know to introduce kids to the sport of adventure racing. The Kids Death Race takes place on the Sunday of each August long weekend, and is one of the highlights of the weekend. The course is approximately 5km long on wilderness trails, with one big mud pit, which everyone must wade through, and one big hill that comes near the end of the course. Anyone making the cut-off time (90 minutes for 5km) is a winner and will receive a Kids Death Race finisher’s medal! The course is closely supervised by adults.
Parents may accompany their children on the wilderness portion of the trail, but kids are required to carry their own food and water for the entire race - there are no aid stations. Children must start and finish the race to the greatest extent possible on their own, although some very young children and kids with special needs may need parental assistance. Over the years the kids’ death race has become quite popular and very, very competitive. Parents be advised that smaller, less competitive, or slower children must go to the back of the starting line. We provide the barf buckets, but parents... please use common sense when fueling your little racer before the event! Check out the family fun happening at DeathFest over the weekend!'

Although I do not expect to have to help T out during this race, especially when he finds out there is a cool t-shirt and a medal at the end for bragging rights. I am on the other hand, expecting that I will be running beside C, even if he doesn't want it, just in case. I know he will be going full out trying to keep up with his brother, who will be going full out trying to keep up with the other kids, just a vicious circle. The mud pit is going to be interesting, I am fully expecting C to go head first in, not being able to give the opportunity to get dirty, and T will be a little more tentative looking for a potential way to avoid going in. This is going to be an experience that I hope they will never forget, and will hopefully spur them on to run for the love of running. What kid would not want to tell all their friends that they ran 'The Canadian Death Race' and they didn't even die, check out my cool shirt and medal with the skull on it.

So it is set, this is going to be a fun and crazy summer for the family, Nicole and I will be treading into territory not previously entered, the boys will have a experience that I hope they will remember for a lifetime, and we will grow some more as a family.

The only question unanswered and we will have to see how it pans out is,

will C run barefoot like his dad, or will he put shoes on for this endeavour, only time will tell.

The Canadian Death Race 2012, All Signed Up and Ready To Roll

2012-02-13T20:52:00.000-08:00

I have never really been one for nicknames, yes I do have a hasher name and a lot of people have affectionately started calling me 'Barefoot Bob' or 'Barefooting Bob'. But the one nickname that has intrigued me over the last couple of years is 'Death Racer', I don't know why it just sounds like a really cool moniker to put after your name, "Barefoot Bob - Death Racer", or the affiliation, Barefoot Bob D.R. (the letters should go after the name don't want to be confused as a Doctor or something) . It just oozes cool, right. I thought so.

If you are unfamiliar with the moniker, then what hole has your head been stuck in for the last 11 years (just kidding your head could of been stuck in a paper bag too I guess, I am not out to offend anyone here). The 'Death Racer' is the moniker given to the few who have ran one of the hardest ultra marathons in Canada, 'The Canadian Death Race', a 125km trek through the mountains around the sleepy town of Grand Cache, AB every August long weekend. This race consists of extreme mountain trails, three mountain summits, 17,000 ft of elevation change, one major river crossing and the ever constant possibility of encountering wildlife in their natural habitat (including grizzly bears, cougars, etc), remember we are entering their domain not the other way around. This run is a premier event and will test the best of the best to their limits, and has been on my bucket list as a 'One Day' since I started running. Well, that 'one day' has happened, Nicole and I along with another friend (Dan) have signed up for the relay event this summer. It's kind of a interesting story how it all transpired, two weeks ago, I never would of guessed we would be planning our trip to Grand Cache this summer to take part in this awesome event.

It all started last week when Nicole mentioned that it would be fun to see if we could put a team together for the CDR relay, now I will admit at the time I did not take her to seriously because the Death Race is a huge endeavour to undertake without a lot of commitment. Of course, I said yes we should look into that, half thinking that the idea would dissipate in a few days, but to my surprise Nicole kept bringing it up and there was obvious research being done. Suddenly by the weekend, I was picking the brain of a friend who had partaken in the event last year, we were making arrangements for my parents to watch the kids while we attended the training camp in June on Monday, we were scheduling vacations around June and the race event in August by Tuesday, crap this was turning into more than a possibility the anticipation was becoming pretty intense. Suddenly Nic and I were frantically trying to find some more crazies who wanted to get in on our little adventure lined up. I'm not sure whether the majority thought we were kidding or something because we did get some interest then they researched a little further and the maybe's quickly became no's. This was kind of expected, it not easy to get past the thought of running this event with all the challenges that you would face, but then I got a message from a fellow hash house harrier, with a short and sweet, "I'm in". I did a double take, and quickly sent a response back to Dan to confirm if he was serious, he was, and suddenly we were three. With this confirmation I jumped to the computer and the application process was on. Hoping that we would get another interested party prior to me sending in the application and making payment to round out our team, but not really expecting it, I felt we could not wait any longer, because there was only limited spots and I didn't want to miss out on getting in.

So on Wednesday night I signed us up as a team of three, called "What Were We Thinking?", consisting of Nicole, Dan and myself. It was a good thing I did not wait to long, because low and behold Thursday morning early the run was sold out, now all that remained were some lottery spots, and we did not have to leave it to chance, cause we were in. Now the funny thing with all this, was once you are registered with the numbers of your team you cannot change the numbers, so our team of three could not add a runner, nor can we delete a number. This was ironic because I was contemplating signing up a friend who I did not hear back from before I hit send just in case but figured it would not be a good idea in case he did not want to run. I didn't want to be stuck with three members in a registered four member team. Of course as luck would have it, I hear from our friend the next day and he wants in on the race, not only him but I hear from 2 other friends that would like to run it as well. Crap, wouldn't you know it, I was stuck telling these guys that they were two late, maybe next year. I felt bad, but honestly not for long as the smile grew onto my face once again, I'm going to run the Death Race.

Go Death Racer, Go.

So here we were three runners from Manitoba, going to tackle one of the hardest Ultra Marathons in Canada, no pressure. The description of the legs as defined by 'The Canadian Death Race Website is as below, as for the sequence of runners it follows:

First leg, 19 km: The Downtown Jaunt

Approximately 6 km of pavement initially, followed by trail and 3.5 km of gravel road. It includes a net elevation loss of 500 feet, rolling hills with flat sections, several creek crossings and one significant downhill. The course will start in downtown Grande Cache and the race officially begins at the 5 km mark, after passing the Grande Cache Saddle club. It then continues past Grande Cache Lake and Peavine Lake, mainly on quad trails and including a section along a ridge with a spectacular view of Peavine Lake and the mountains of Willmore Wilderness Park. After crossing Washy Creek and skirting the north end of the CN rail yard through a deep mud bog, enter the first full aid station and relay exchange zone. Cut off Time: 12 Noon

This leg will be ran by me, I will be running this barefoot at least that is the plan as it stands.

Second leg, 27 km: Flood & Grande Mountain Slugfest Includes about.1 km of pavement. The rest is dirt trail with rocky and swampy sections, and approximately 6 km of hard packed dirt road.. Net elevation gain is 500 feet, but the total elevation change is well over 6000 feet. This leg of the race is characterized by long sustained climbing with about 3 km of very rough terrain and two creek crossings. The trail from the summit of Flood Mountain to the summit of Grande Mountain is the roughest piece of trail in the Death Race. The power line down the front of Grande Mountain leading back into town is the most dangerous part of the entire course. This is due to the steep, rocky drop-offs and unstable footing while running downhill. The Slugfest is the most technical section and is rated the second hardest leg of the Death Race (although many rate this leg as the hardest of all). Cut off Time: 6 pm

This leg will be ran by Dan, he will be our anchor to get Nicole to the downhill portion.

Third leg, 21 km: Old Mine Road (or “City Slicker Valley”) Includes 5 km of pavement: the rest is dirt road with several creek crossings. One creek runs right down the trail as you descend the first part of the Mine Road., making for very slippery, rocky terrain for 30 meters. This section passes through the lowest point in the race, hitting the very bottom of the Smoky River valley floor, with knee deep water for 25 meters. (If it’s a wet summer, it's worse.) With a net elevation loss of about 1000 feet, this section is the fastest and easiest of the race and one of the most beautiful, offering stunning views of the Smoky River valley. Cut off Time: 7 pm

This leg will be ran by Nicole, with the expectation that she will be able to pick up some time on the downhill portion, because I am going to need it for the next leg.

Fourth leg, 36 km: Hamel AssaultThis is mostly dirt trail and hard packed gravel. While the net elevation gain is zero, the total elevation change is well over 6500 feet, which comes practically all at once. The ascent of Mount Hamel (elevation: 6,986 feet) is broken into two very long climbs, with one small reprieve as you gain the shoulder of the mountain at the mid-point. You will pass the Hamel Escape station where racers can bail out if they've had enough. At the forestry tower on the summit of Mount Hamel runners check in and then continue toward the spectacular cliff bluffs at Hell's Canyon, where they must retrieve a prayer flag as proof they have made the turnaround point. The descent is strewn with boulders and deep ruts. The downhill is not that technical, but any falls will be on very unforgiving ground. (Read the waiver section about being in remote areas and not being rescued in time to prevent serious injury or death.) This entire leg is fantastically scenic. Cut off Time: 4:15 am

I will be tackling this leg, I love running hills, it tests the core to no end. Now I know this is a mountain and not just a hill, but I will be running this with a smile from ear to ear. And yes, I will be wearing shoes for this one, probably a pair of Minimus (I am going to throw some plugs to some friends to see if I can get a pair to test, shhhh don't tell anyone).

Fifth and final leg, 24km, The River CrossingIncludes 1 km pavement, 6 km gravel road, and a river crossing. The rest dirt trail, grass, and single track. Net elevation change of over 2500ft. This section runs from the Northwest end of the Hell’s Gate Access Road southward to the Sulphur Gates Road, across from the Hell’s Gate emergency aid station. It crosses the Hell’s Gate road and heads down to the Boat Launch road . Runners will be ferried across the Smoky River. There is an emergency aid station on the west bank of the river. From the raft crossing, racers will proceed up the east shore of the Smoky River and follow the trail to the Sulphur Rim trail. The course passes the Firemen's park, heads up Firemen's Park Road and continues to the Finish line in the Grande Cache town square. Please note: For most runners this leg will be completed in darkness with much of the trail under a heavy canopy of trees, so eye protection is required. Although this section is well marked with reflective markers, flags and signs, we recommend you bring a halogen headlamp with brand new alkaline batteries. Daylight training on this part of the course is highly recommended.
Last boat: 6 am End of Race: 8 am Course closes: 9 am

The last leg is going to ran by Nicole, she really wants to do the Smoky River Crossing, my only concern is she will be running this at night. But I know I will be so proud of her when she crosses that finish line.

Just to give you a true picture of what the elevation changes are like take a look at the following:

Death Race Course Elevation/Distance Profile

Doesn't it look fun.

Anyway, training for this run is going to be very important, we are going to need every advantage, so we are also signing up for the Death Race training camp in June, so we get a first hand look at what we are getting ourselves into. Over the weekend we will see every inch of the course either with mountain bike, running it or hiking it. All valuable knowledge, because to come not prepared to a race like this is a recipe for a DNF. While just being involved with the race is going to be great, I am not going to settle for anything less than a finish time, because that is just how we roll. Look out Grande Cache we are coming to see ya this summer.

Also want to send a shout out to another Winnipeg runner, who I had the pleasure to run with last summer. Mark will be tackling the Death Race solo, how about that, and you thought we were crazy. This will be his first visit to the Death Race, I know he is going to kill the course.

On that note, I want to leave you with some outtakes from the 2010 race for your viewing pleasure. This will be a prelude to the pictures and video taping I hope to be doing throughout the race. I am hoping to borrow a friend's strap on video camera for the race, and if I can manage it I hope to take some good footage along the way.

Happy Running and

Go Death Racers!!

ICE DONKEY 2012

2012-02-12T19:48:00.000-08:00

My Ice Donkey RaceReport

This is going to be a bit different today, because today wasa bit different.

Wow what an incredible day! Today I took the opportunity to joinsome friends and run (and bike, snowshoe and skate) Ice Donkey! An awesomeevent put on by some great race director/ and officials, and how do I evenbegin to tell you about the volunteers? Maybe I should mention that we were thevery last team out there, we did not make the finish time, in fact by the timewe finished we were 45 minutes over what the posted time was; andthey were still there!(SMILING!) There was some thought of closingthe course, but they chose not to after seeing how much work and effort thisteam was making. They let them finish. The team was made up of two strong,young ladies (12 & 13 years of age!)Their team was called ‘Young Pups’;they were followed along by ones’ father, ones’ mother, and a friend. When the event was finished by this team andthey finally made their way into the area of the forks where the awards hadbeen held, a crowd was there to greet these young ladies with applause for their finish.It brought tears to their mothers’ eyes! What an awesome day! (This is one ofthe things I love so much about running, the heart of other runners!)

In following this bunch I was amazed at what lessons Ilearned! Today I was a student being mentored in many things by both theparenting skills of my friends and undertaking of this event by their children.Here are a few that stand out to me:

1. When you fall down, get back up! Every time! (After a displayof this skill I also had the chance to put it into practice! Yes, I practicedseveral times)

2. Perseverance,…. Keep going, sometimesit is just one foot in front of the other, until you are done

3. Endurance; the thesaurussays- staying power, survival, fortitude, continued existence (I saw every definitionof these words on display today as I watched the parents and the girls providean awesome example of this)

4. Encouragement; I watched twoparents encourage their children down a very difficult road (covered in ice,and snow) with grace and elegance, putting their own competitive spirits onhold to let their children feel out their abilities and find their own competitivespirit

5. Patience as their childrenwere discovering their abilities

6. How to have fun with your children

7. How to coach your kids, and then let them find their ownway!

8. Wind breaking. Did you know that the one, whorides their bike first in line, breaks the wind for those behind? Well I do now,great job parents! Apparently it also works for skating I found out later inthe morning!

By the way, when it was all done, that was 16 miles theseyoung ladies pulled out of their hats, and they only signed up last week!

Later I will get into the race itself, you know, the funnystuff… like the comment, ‘I don’t ever look at the map in the city race, there’salways someone to follow’ hahahaha. The grueling stuff…. Biking on snow andice?! Oh, and the burrs! (You know those round prickly seed things that stick toyou when you’re in the forest) The touching stuff….. Seeing the parentsencouraging their children to an awesome finish.

I would like to sendout a HUGE thank you to all who organized this race and all who volunteered. A greatand amazing job you all did.

Have a great day; you never know what you’ll learn if you’reheart is open to it.

Nicole

The 120 Day Running Challenge - A Focus on Healthy Exercise

2012-02-12T08:26:00.000-08:00

120 Days of Consecutive Running
Challenge - 2012

Nothing like starting off the new year with a different type of challenge, typically it has been all about the mileage or getting ready for an event. This one on the other hand is more to ensure that I get out and get a little bit of physical activity everyday. Now, I know its not like I am a couch potato or anything but there are days where I would rather just do nothing at all. I am also using this opportunity to get others moving as well, so far quite a few people have jumped on with the idea, and I think that is great, with all the technology these days it is really hard to convince some people that they need to get out and partake in life in general. In short, they do not know what they are missing, and life will pass them by.

Now I was not the originator of this little idea (I am not smart enough for that), I first heard of this through some online friends of mine, Vanessa, Shacky and Jason, who were taking the ball and running with it so to speak. It is kind of interesting how it developed, first it was run a mile for 30 consecutive days, then it was a mile for 90 days, which finally developed into 1 or 2 miles for 120 days. Now I have never been known to shy away from a challenge, so of course I jumped on board with the high end of things, because that is just how I like to roll (go big or go home), we will see how smart I was by the end of this.

With the intent of getting people out and moving everyday, and this being for fun the rules are pretty loose, running, walking, biking, swimming, martial arts, weight-lifting, cross-fit training, pushups, burpees, yoga, hey even rolling down a hill will work (I would not recommend this for a mile or two though, I would be so sick from being dizzy, woooh). You can break it up over the day, take your kids or the dog (or if you are my mother the iguana) out for a walk, whatever you want as long as you get out and get your butt moving.

Have you seen a 60 year old woman walking
a 6 foot long iguana?

The important thing is to just get out there and partake in some physical activity. Obviously running, walking, biking is easy to measure your miles of completion. The others will take some creativity on your part for the measuring aspect. Just remember if you want to do more, go for it, nobody is going to chastise you for being the eager beaver now.

Nicole and I have 8 days in the books with 111 to go as of end of day Saturday (one of my days included 2.2 miles of mountain bike riding as I tested out my new ride, pretty sweet with disc brakes for those big downhill runs).

New Mountain Bike for my CDR training.

Gail is well on her way as well, with I believe 5 days in the books as well. So come on join the challenge and get your family and friends involved as well. It means less video games and more experiencing of life, which to me is a Win-Win situation.

For all you Facebook Users, there is a group called the 120 Days of Consecutive Running which has been formed where you can post your daily mileage and how you achieved it with optional entry in the form of a haiku (believe me some of them are pretty interesting and worth joining the group for). Please be warned, this group is all about fun, so sometimes the language is a bit off the wall or colourful, but if you go in with a open mind, you will laugh with the rest of us.

Happy running everybody, and I hope you achieve your goals.

On on.

5K Virtual Run for Sherry Arnold

2012-02-11T16:00:00.000-08:00

Here we are at 6 am in -36C temp in front of the stainless steel Agassiz ice sculputure at the entrance to Assiniboine Park. Nicole said a nice biblical verse (Hebrews 12:1-3) in the car before venturing out.

Running for Sherry. Courage. Strength. Grace. Nicole and I often run in the early morning or late at night, not because we are crazy but because we are moms who find this is often the only free time we have. Sherry's last run was at 6:30 am. We imagine she was trying to fit in a run in her busy day.

I think we both tried hard to stay positive on this run and do it with grace.

It was not too cold to stop and get the chocolate I stashed in this plant a few weeks ago.

Except someone beat us to it.

Just as we were running by a lady opened up the gates to the Leo Mole garden and said we could run through it.

Finished with a quick warm up by the fire place before heading back.

We were honored to do this run in memory of Sherry Arnold.

Virtual 5K Run saturday February 11th

2012-02-09T16:26:00.000-08:00

We will be doing a 5K run at Assiniboine Park in memory of a Montana woman who was murdered near her own home while out on a morning run. We'll meet at 6 am at the Agassiz sculpture at the Portage Ave entrance to Assiniboine Park. See Shut Up + Run blog in our blog list for further details. I have been following this woman's blog ever since coming across a ridiculous picture of her in a swim cap and a Speedo with granny undies sticking of the legs of the suit ( she is a gifted runner and very funny writer). It is this woman's cousin that was murdered. we encourage you to check out her site, print out a bib and join us.

2012 Goals Or A Midlife Crisis - We Shall See

2012-01-29T17:52:00.000-08:00

So I started writing a post just after New Year's on the goals that I wanted to accomplish this year, but the more I got into it, the more I wondered if I was crazy. I started thinking I was going through a mid-life crisis or something, most guys want a nice new sports car or a Harley, me on the other hand I want to run a 72 hour timed race in December (note it is in Arizona so getting away from the snow would be cool), with a goal of running at least a 150 miles over the 3 days. Could it be a bit of a stretch, maybe, but I have been inspired more and more by the writing antics of some of my favorite bloggers including Vanessa, who wrote about blog here not listening to the experts to try things for yourself, and Jason who is currently writing a book about Ultra Marathon Running with a cool blog that will revolve around the process as he progresses (what a great idea). Further to this Jason has another great blog on the subject (and it can relate to many areas of life), see here . So currently I am trying to figure out how I can accomplish the lofty goal of taking part in "Across the Years", and not fall flat on my face. Considering that I have only been really running for a little over 2 years at this point, why can't I run 150 plus miles over 3 days in the desert?

I am starting to think this might be more achievable than my other brainfart of a goal that I set in motion in November, running an Ironman next year. The running part, not concerned about, the biking, yeah if I focus I can definitely train for that, the swimming on the other hand. I thought I was progressing nicely over the last couple of months, I was able to get an additional pool length into my swim almost every couple of weeks, that was until they did the unspeakable. They dropped the floor of the pool, yeah you heard me, for the first number of weeks I have been able to touch the bottom of the pool in a emergency (for example a leg cramp) not that I have used that safety blanket but it was good knowing it was there. Well I arrived at the pool this week to the sight (or no sight) of not being able to see the pool bottom. Crap, here I thought I was progressing with my little phobia of deep water, well that went down the drain so to speak. Even though the pool was only 8 feet deep, that is a LOT taller than I am, so all those fears suddenly reared their ugly little heads once again. Can I tell you I don't like this feeling, seriously, I have no issue running barefoot on anything (gravel, snow, ice, glass, whatever) but put me near deep water and it spooks the hell out of me. But further to my comments above, I am not going to let my fears win, I decided I would make the plunge and jump in, now I will admit I did put on a floatation belt (it was kind of funny to see a grown man full of tattoos putting a floatation belt on, the tough guy that I am), one step at a time, albeit a small step, it is a lot further than I have gotten in 40 years. So I stuck to my guns and swam for 30 minutes in water that there was no way I would of gotten into last year. So my Ironman goal lives on, and I am not going to give up on it, although next year might be a bit of a stretch, I will continue to work at the swimming and hopefully break the fear in lots of little itsy bitty pieces.

Anyway back to goals for 2012, Nicole and I have a big May coming up, first there is the Winnipeg Police Half Marathon (it so happens to fall on International Barefoot Running Day, going to be planning some interesting stuff for that one) on May 6th. Following up on the 12th with the 2nd Attempt of the Inaugural Manitoba Trail Marathon and 50km (we are running the 50) which I know Duane and his crew are going the extra mile to make it into a fantastic event. Lastly on May 27 we are heading south of the border to run the Med City Marathon in Rochester, MN. This one is going to really cool because there are a lot of people I am looking forward to meeting who are also running that day including Vanessa, Shacky, MGBG, Katie, Dama and I am sure a few other surprise runners that will be showing up. This is going to turn into a Barefoot Running Society meetup and I expect it to be a complete blast, all that barefooting power unleashed on the City of Rochester they will not know what hit them.

So with all this in mind and all the miles my bare feet are expecting to partake in this year. I decided I should sign up for a Marathon clinic, figuring it should motivate me to get a few extra miles in during the weeks leading up to May. So I have been running with City Park, doing some intervals, tempo runs, long runs and core workouts to hopefully get me where I need to be. Between this and Carolyn taking me through the paces at the gym, I think it will be a good year.

I am not looking to far beyond May at this point, but the plan is to throw a 50 miler in there sometime this summer and if the swimming keeps progressing and the fears subside maybe even a 'Try an Tri'.

All I can say is, No mid-life crisis here and who needs a sports car anyway, when my two feet can carry me where ever I want to go, and at this point they are itching to go far.

Long Run Saturday Night

2012-01-29T08:31:00.000-08:00

We have gone to the dark side. There is something nice about starting a run in the darkness and seeing the sun rise, but we are too darn tired to do it anymore. Tonight we start off with a sliver of a moon and 1 star to guide us.

Running on the path beside the perimeter highway. Nicole is exhausted and isn't sure how she if feeling about a long run for tonight. Originally she wanted to run Harts Trail and I know she needs this run as much as I do. I tell her this is our survival run and we have to do it or else we will die. She doesn't question me. Maybe we are both insane. I don't flinch as 3 semi trucks fly by. All it would take is a little slip on the icy roads and......never mind.

We arrive at the end of Dale Street and see nothing but blackness speckled with a few stars. We fumble about for our lights which will be needed for the trail and quickly catch a chill doing so. This is a bit of an omen. We dressed for -20 but it felt colder when we stopped. Our bodies are cold but our feet are toasty. Nicole is wearing her mukluks and I am wearing beyond-throw-in-the-garbage running shoes with a few hot shots stuffed at the ends. Nothing like a chill to keep you from dilly dallying. I quickly put the camera away as we start the trail portion of the run. We quickly warm up again. Whew.

The pictures taken on the trail turned out completely black. Our headlamps lit up the trees immediately on either side of us and a bit of the path in front. Occasionally I would see a a car light in the distance and the way it threw the light made me think we were running to the light...the light at the end of the tunnel and all that.

Eventually we leave the trail and turn onto Grant Avenue to head back towards home. This is when the wind slaps us in the face and doesn't let up for the remainder of the run. We are quite chilled after 45 minutes of running head on into the wind. I begin to wonder how I could be so stupid to leave the house with only a thin pair of gloves. My hands are beyond cold. We start to plan on sharing a glass of red wine for the last bit of our run...just to warm up. To take our mind off Nicole's sore legs and my freezing hands we count our steps by the 100s. It takes 500 hundred steps to get to the wine.

Thats how we ended up at Smitty's Lounge on a saturday night. After thawing out we realized we were quite famished. Nicole got us a glass of wine as I prepared our post run snack of majool dates, homemade granola, and pepperoni sticks. What, does this sound disgusting? It went great with the wine. I think the bar staff took pity on us because they let us eat our own food without saying a word. I decided to get us one more glass of wine to share before finishing up our last 1 1/2 miles home but the bartender told me it was cheaper to buy a carafe. The result of this economical decision was running home a bit tipsy...in the cold...in wet clothing.

We survived and that deserved a bit of celebrating. Tonight's running time: 2 hrs 53 min. Next Saturday we run for 4 hours.

Long Run, Sunday becomes Saturday

2012-01-07T14:17:00.000-08:00

Looks like our Sunday morning run is going to experience a change this week. To fit in any run at all this weekend, we are going to run Tonight, Saturday January 7th instead. So we will meet at the Tim Hortons on Grant Ave. (close to the forest) at 10PM for a night run. Hope you can join us for a 5-10 miler on some trail, bring a headlamp if you've got one!

Nicole

2011 - The Year In Review

2012-01-04T11:04:00.000-08:00

Well, what can I say the year 2011 was a great year in many ways for me, I had some pretty substantial accomplishments that I am very proud of achieving like:

First Barefoot Marathon completed (Manitoba Marathon) - Here
First Gravel Half Marathon completed (Treherene) - Here
First Barefoot 50km Ultra Marathon Completed (Vulture Bait) - Here
Barefoot Runs In Temps Below -20 degrees C: Four including one at -29 degrees.
Ran Across Lake Winnipeg (Polar Bear Run) - Here
My First Article Published - Here
Winning my first race in my age category (Buffalo Runners Half Marathon) - Here
Setting up the Winnipeg Division of the Canadian Chapter of the Barefoot Runners Society
Breaking my personal bests in the 5km, 10 km, Half Marathon and the Marathon distances.
Putting my face in the water and attempting to learn to swim for the first time in like ever.
A new position at work complete with a promotion, who says being a little different and not trying to be someone you are not at work hinder your ability to advance your career. I go to work in VFF's and occasionally dispose of the footwear all together during the day around the office. Everybody is generally interested in my barefootedness, they have accepted me for how I am and judge my performance on my work abilities not my idiosyncrasies.

With this there is always a few areas or goals that fall short, but if life was like a run in the park all the time there would be reason to push ourselves and persevere. This is a list of items and or happenings that were either not achieved or were a low point in my year:

I had a goal of completing 1,000 barefoot running miles in 2011, well I did come up a little short at 926 miles for the year starting Jan 1, 2011 and running to Dec. 31, 2011. I will be trying this again in 2012 to see if I can achieve and or exceed this lofty goal.
My first running injury occurred during the WPS Half Marathon, where I pulled my groin bad enough I could not run for 2 weeks and not comfortably for 3 weeks following.
I encountered a breathing issue during the summer which did not allow me to run as much or as far as I wanted, and forced me to carry a ventilator for 3 months (it subsequently just gone away).
Our family suffered a great loss, when our favorite girl, Jeannie passed away in October at the age of 13. Jeannie left us to join her brother Jersey who passed on the previous year, to run and play together once again. Rest in peace, for you will both be missed dearly.

RIP Jeannie - Aug 1998 - Oct 2011

But with all the adversity of the missed goals, injuries and loss came a bright star, and that would be the search for new goals for the upcoming year. I have decided to take on some new challenges this year which I will be touching on in a future post.

I have also decided to keep track of all my mileage this year and I am challenging my two partners in crime (Nicole and Gail) to do the same in the form of the Mileage Tracker on the side of the blog. I haven't quite decided what I will use the final numbers for, maybe a charity donation calculation. If you have any ideas that you think will be fun and worthwhile put them in the comments, and we will see what we can come up with.

I hope everybody has a great year, I know I will be looking forward to see what interesting sights and experiences are in store for me this year.

On on

Bob

Starting 2012 Off On The Right Foot, Then The Left, Then The Right ......

2012-01-01T18:25:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful Winnipeg morning for a Barefoot Run at the Park

What can I say I decided to start the year off with a bang for 2012. A yearly tradition of some of the more crazy of the Winnipeg running community (which I understand I seem to fall into) is to take part in a unsanctioned fun run on New Year's Day. The run has a few names like the 'Frosty Nipple Run' or the 'Frozen Nipple Run' or what I think is more appropriate 'The Polar Bare Run'. Basically it is very quick loop around the Formal Gardens of Assiniboine Park (approximately 700 metres) and then another quick sprint back to your hopefully warm and waiting vehicle. This is all done in as minimal of clothing as possible, I call it the runner's version of the Polar Bear Dip. When I say minimal clothing I mean it, the majority of the runners were decked out in bathing suits (bikinis for the girls no I was not looking I'm a happily married man thanks as well as speedos for the guys), there was also an assortment of other minimal wear as well as myself and another gentleman who were dawning the mighty kilt. In true spirit of the event, I was also going to run it barefoot as well.

Now to set the stage,

It was 7:00 am on January 1st, 2012 and I woke up with a start,
because I was to go on a run to do my part,
as I looked in the closet it was soon determined to be found
that I had no running clothes anywhere around
so with a grin and a smile my mouth did so built
I pulled out my trusty HHH tartan Sport Kilt
For I knew that I would be running almost nude
and because no one there was a prude
my trusty boxers left behind would be defermental
to me running true Scottish style regimental
also the look would not be complete
if I had any coverings for my feet
so barefoot I went for that scamper in the park
and boy I was sure glad I was not running in the dark
So around the Formal Gardens we ran
only two sleeping friends were missing that would be Ed and Dan,
With a kick of my heels and with a sparkle in my eye
I picked up the pace and no I am not going to lie
My barefeet were rather toasty, for that matter quite warm
and yes I do know this is not the norm,
but as this run is best know as the 'Frosty Nipple'
I was sure looking for the opportunity to get my hands on a nice warm 'tipple'
Happy New Years Everybody.

Sorry for the corny poem, but it has been one of those kind of days. The Frosty Nipple Run was a blast and I look forward to doing it again next year. I think I shocked a few people this morning but I do believe go big or go home. I did get a few comments including the usual ' I wonder if he is wearing underwear under that'. 'Of course not' was my answer with a smile that would not be very Scottish of me now would it. As usual the 'Holy crap he's running barefoot' comment was running rampid but that is ok I get it more times or not, whether it is cold or not. By the way for the record it was a balmy -7 degrees Celsius with a windchill that was dropping it down to about -20 degrees Celsius, not my coldest run but definitely my coldest run with little to no clothing.

I have to sent a big 'hello' to my friends and running partners, Cathy and Aldo who braved the cold to run as well. Also to the other runners who have made a tradition of this, I look forward to next year. Hope to see you there, it was a blast and a great way to start off a new year.

Cheers and Happy Running.

Cathy and I posing after the run, yes it was a tad chilly but well worth it.

Also note Cathy's hair blowing in the wind there was crazy swirling wind

that almost blew my kilt up and gave the girls behind me a free show. Who says the full moon cannot come out during the day.

The Natural Movement of Barefoot Running

2011-12-31T18:43:00.000-08:00

This is one of the most comprehensive videos on what you need to learn to run barefoot properly. Dr. Mark Cucuzzella MD is an accomplished marathon runner as well as a proponent of Natural Running. Take a look and enjoy.

So What Did You Do For Your Birthday?

2011-12-18T10:21:00.000-08:00

Nicole and Gail showing the pearly whites prior to heading out

When Nicole told me she had a crazy idea to ring in her 39th Birthday, I was thinking ok, this should be interesting, what could it be. A few thoughts ran through my head (a couple I cannot post because this is a family friendly blog), maybe take in Teemu's return to Winnipeg hockey game, maybe crack a bottle of wine open, etc.

Should I have I been surprised when with this little sly smile, she says, "Let's go for a midnight run tonight, maybe 15 miles or so." Well, let me tell you, numerous thoughts ran through my head as I contemplated this suggestion. It's December, in Winnipeg and running at midnight, sure why not, this could be interesting. So with this in mind, we secured a sitter for the kids, Nicole got a hold of the other crazy in her life, Gail and the planning commenced.

The plan, I would go get the sitter between 10 and 10:30, so we could be on the road by 11:00 to pick up Gail for our little adventure. Well great plans always come with some adversity, and I am a firm believer in "Go Big or Go Home", so in all my wisdom I headed out to pick up D or HashBoy as he is so warmly known by in the WH3, with only my faint recollection of where he lived. This would normally be ok because if I didn't recognize the house, then I could just pull out the cell phone and call home to have Nicole confirm the address, well that would be perfect if I remembered my phone. So as I cruised down his street, I thought to myself, I think the house number is 30, well let me tell you that was wrong. As I was sitting outside number 30, I suddenly thought to myself, no this isn't right, the front of the house doesn't look right and I'm pretty sure they don't have a white truck. Great, their going to think they have a stalker sitting outside there house, and the blue and red lights are going to be showing up any minute. So with this in mind, and to ensure there was no bars and guy's named Bubba in my future, I figured it would be safer for me to make the 10 minute drive back home and get the right address before our outing turned into something other than what we had originally foreseen. By the way I was close '38' could be taken as '30' couldn't it.

Anywho, once the sitter was secured and settled in at the house and Nicole all decked out in her Birthday present, a Nuu Muu running dress (not sure why this is important but it sure put a smile on her face and it did look good on her), we headed off to pick up Gail for the run that was serving a couple of purposes. Not only was this a Birthday Run celebration for my wife, but also I deemed it the Inaugural Winnipeg Division of the Canadian Chapter of the Barefoot Runners Society (man that was a mouthful) Group Run. Even though none of us were actually barefoot (I was sporting my ZemGear 360 split toes, Nicole her Minimus Trail Shoes and Gail her trashed Asics), we were going to see where the trail took us on this beautiful December night.

Starting off in the Tim Horton's parking lot at about 11:30pm, we must of looked like three weirdo's to the people inside who were huddled over the Canadian alternative to crack cocaine (Timmies coffee) as they peered outside at us. I can't see what the big deal was, one guy with funny looking reflective shoes, running tights and a head lamp with two hot women also sporting head lamps heading out on a run. Nothing to see here folks, and no officer we have not been drinking, honestly.

Just leaving the starting point who would of thunk

so much attention would be raised by some runners

on a December night run

That almost looks like a Nan Noo, Nan Noo wave from Nicole.

As we headed up the road, smiling, laughing and joking about how people thought we were crazy, I'm sure we were getting some interesting looks as the cars passed by. I say, if you can't have a little fun along the way, what is the point, life is to short not to let loose. We got to the entry point of the Assiniboine Forest with good time and proceeded through the closed gates (oooohhh, aren't we the rebels) and had a quick discussion on what the plan was. Both Gail and I chimed in with, "It's your birthday, its your call", so after a couple of quick photos, the turning on of the head lamps we were off.

Nicole and I at the start of the Assiniboine Forest Trailhead

It has to be the most surreal feeling to run trail in pitch blackness with only the light from a headlamp to guide you, even with three you can usually see about 10 feet in front of you at best. This really makes you focus on your running form and enhances the rest of your senses to compensate for your lack of sight. Even though Assiniboine Forest is in the middle of the city, it is populated by numerous deer, skunks, many different varieties of birds, the occasional fox, coyote and sometimes a cougar (and I don't mean the ones stalking young prey at the local watering holes) if you believe some of the stories. So some of the sounds that come from the deep dark woods are interesting, you have the creak of a tree branch in the distance, a shaloof of snow falling from a tree, then a crack as Nicole runs into a tree, then followed by laughter as it registers what she has just done. I will elaborate more on this later.

It always is an adventure when I run with these two, it is definitely not about speed nor about distance (at least not always), it is more about the adventure and to see what new twist they can throw into a morning or night run. This one was no exception, as we ran along the trails through the woods towards one of the clearings and a little hillock which would in turn become one of Nicole's areas of pure enjoyment, the ever elusive and endangered downhill run (remember we live in Manitoba). The downhill run to Nicole is like me finding a ice cold beer conveniently bagged and tucked away on a Hash House Harrier Run, it turns her into a giddy little school girl. She starts giggling and laughing as she picks up momentum and pulls away from everyone. Gail and I looked at each other, and all I could think at the time is, typical with a smile and laughed. At this point, I did not see it but a reliable resource has informed me, that in her bravado, Nicole turned around and started to run backwards and 'crack' right into a tree. When we arrive Nicole is standing there slightly dazed but laughing and smiling as she was rubbing the back of her head. Who ever said running was boring, obviously has never run with these two. All I could do was snicker and make sure she was ok.

After the 'Great Tree Incident of 2011', we carried on our way through the forest towards the Harte Trail. We hit the boardwalk over the swampy area (that was currently frozen) and Gail starts mentioning that this reminded her of the story of the Three Billy Goat's Gruff, this got me into reciting bits and pieces of the story that I knew. I continued to have the story run through my head off and on through out the run, thanks Gail. We broke out onto the Harte Trail and turned to the right, or so I thought, and continued on till we hit Shaftsbury Road to the east. This is a funny thing as well as I was sure we were heading west when we hit the trail, but apparently not, this is why you do not follow me in a race as I tend to get lost just as much as Gail does. Poor sense of direction all around by the group. As we rounded the corner and started heading to the west (yes it actually was to the west) along the Harte Trail to finish the loop to Haney Street and then back to Tim's to get a well deserved coffee, tea and hot chocolate.

It was a good run overall, full of laughs, smiles and discussions about crazy bikers who talk about what to do when they fall through the ice of a lake (personally I would think you would avoid trying this but who am I to say, I run barefoot in the snow occasionally) and upcoming races and plans for next year. Nicole discussing her plan to run 40 miles for her birthday next year, because you know when you turn 39 + 1 that is the right thing to do. Overall we ran 5 fun filled miles through the dark on slightly icy streets and trails. Nicole found a new friend in a tree that was quite happy to give her a goose egg for her birthday, and I have had a smile on my face since last night thinking back on the adventure.

So what do you have planned for your birthday?

Nicole and Gail heading out

Running along Grant Avenue in Winnipeg at 11:45 pm

Getting ready to head out into the great dark unknown

Only Gail could find a tree to stand in front

of with leaves still hanging on in December

The Birthday Girl and Gail running up Harte Trail

Ahhh, coffee, tea and HC awaits at the Tim Hortons

Long Run Sunday Dec 18

2011-12-18T05:13:00.000-08:00

We snuck out at midnight to go run in the woods instead. What can I say, sometimes the urge just hits and you gotta go with it. We'll meet next week at the usual time. Hope you have a great week!

Candace Sutherland

2011-11-28T05:51:00.000-08:00

Back 2010 I blogged about this girl who was running across Canada (see June 3/2010 post) to raise money for SA, Heart & Stroke Foundation, Canadian Diabetes Association and Cancer Society. The Winnipeg Barefoot Runners are suckers for runners with spirit. This girl has a ton of it so we couldn't help but cheer her on and cross our fingers that she would accomplish her goal. Not only did she succeed but she recently travelled to Parliament in Ottawa to be recognized for her efforts. Congratulations, Candace!

Click on the link....

My million-dollar cousin

November 27th, Sunday morning run

2011-11-26T14:57:00.001-08:00

Sunday morning, We are meeting at Unicity Tim Hortons for 7am. Again we will decide time and distance on who arrives and what every one would like to run. Have a great evening.

Keeping Your Feet Barefoot Running Ready Thru The Winter

2011-11-25T10:20:00.000-08:00

As winter sets in, I have been asked quite frequently how I keep my feet ready for running in the spring. Further to this, there has been a lot of questions and conversation pertaining to this topic on what to do on the Barefoot Runners Society forum as well as on the Facebook group Minimalist & Barefoot Running. So I figured this would be a good topic to write about based on my personal experience as well as from the experiences of some other barefoot runners out there.

I do want to add a big disclaimer to this as my experiences are what worked for me and may not work for everybody out there, so take all that I say with a grain of salt or a missed tree root along your favorite trail running route. You must tread lightly or 'dip a toe' into all types of transitions into realms that you have not previously ventured.

We will start with my personal experiences over the winter last year which was the first one that I had this potential issue (or non-worry because at the time I really wasn't concerned about it).:

Living in Winnipeg, which can see temperatures consistently in the -20's (Celsius) and occasionally down to the -40's in January and February it really is not feasible to run barefoot all year (although I did get some mileage in including a 2 km jaunt at -29 degrees), especially if you want any distance runs completed. I also want to note that the most enjoyable winter barefoot run is the Virgin Snow Run, to clarify this means the first snow run of the year where the city has not had a chance to spread that nasty crap called ice melt all over the roads or sidewalks (can you say meat tenderizer, I knew you could). Therefore there definitely is opportunity to get some 'barefootin' in during the winter months to help keep that good layer of built up skin intact. But that being said, this is a quick list of things that I did to help that transition back to the blessed bare soles of the road in the spring.

I took every opportunity I could to go barefoot at home or the office, or indoors in general. Every bit of flesh contact to floor counts, the less cushion the better. For example if you have concrete floors in your basement, or tile floor in your kitchen utilize it, go barefoot, even hardwood floor strutin counts. I always hear people mention that 'there floors are to cold to go barefoot' well I say to that, hmmm, opportunity to help condition your feet to cooler temps too, perfect.
In running in minimalistic shoes outside help keep that conditioning up, by mixing up the terrain. You see a snow pile, run up it then down, and repeat. The more uneven surfaces the better, this will also help your stability and form as well. Don't just run on sidewalks and clear roads, run on trails and paths, make it fun. For that matter run across a frozen lake (see this post), it all counts. With a low drop shoe or mukluk with no foot padding you will still get some conditioning of your sole.
Avoid overheating your feet by wearing to many layers of socks, sweat will turn your soles soft and promote peeling of your skin layer.
If you do go barefoot running in the snow, know your limits and don't push it, frost bite will destroy the bottom of your foot and the built up layer that you had previously developed. It will also make them more sensitive to the cold and harm your tolerance level overall for sharp pointy stuff running. The old adage of 'Run Smart' definitely applies here. The development of frost bite and or frost nip will result in a major amount of time off for healing if it ever completely does and could seriously affect your overall barefooting experience.
This one is a important one as well, go spend sometime with your favorite foot care provider (no I do not mean a podiatrist), if you are from Winnipeg or passing thru I recommend Leyla's Skin Care, she is fantastic and she holds no punches. She will tell you like it is and do what is required to fix your feet.

With the above items in mind, when I was able to completely remove the shoes again for the year, it took me less than 2 weeks to be up to 17 miles and about a month after that I was up over 30 miles of barefoot running at a time. No issues, my feet were not sore, nor tender and my rebound after the run was literally hours.

Here are some other ideas that have been used with success by other barefoot runners, please note, I have not used any of these personally, but what ever floats your boat, I guess.

Gravel Bucket Training.

This was developed by Todd Ragsdale,

Interesting Concept and I can see this working.

Putting Sandpaper in Your Shoes

This one I am still a little, shall I say hesitant about. I cannot say I know of anyone actually trying this and what the results were but to me this is not a very good idea. Typically you are trying to build up your skin layer and subsequently toughen it up. The whole point of sandpaper is to either smooth a surface or remove/wear it down. Not sure how this will help you, also rubbing sandpaper over any surface creates friction which creates heat, I am personally not thinking this is a very good idea. I kind of do not like to burn my feet, but that is just my preference. But I am open to other thoughts and perspectives on this so if anyone out there has attempted this, please chime in, because I am a little curious about it.

Check This One Out

Really has nothing to do with foot conditioning but

just because I thought it was kind of neat.

Hopefully this will give you some ideas to help keep those most valuable soles ready for next spring, but the most important thing to remember is keep thinking up and trying new things, you might just stumble onto the next great idea in this regard.

Happy running.

Bob

First Below Zero Run of the Season

2011-11-22T11:49:00.000-08:00

Been meaning to get this post out quicker but that's just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes, and after Gail's comment about my cold weather running I figured it was time to get er done so to speak. So here it is,

Finally got my first below zero run of the winter season a couple of Thursday night's ago with a base temperature of -0.2 Celsius with a wind chill dropping it to -5 degrees. It was good to get it out of the way, as there is always the hesitancy of how the bare feet will react to the cold the first time you go out. I have found that no matter what amount of preparation you do will take those thoughts away until you just get out there and start running. I think it also solidified some of the opinions of my fellow group runners at City Park, that I am indeed a little quirky as well. But it was kind of funny, it wasn't the bare feet that got their attention (I guess they are used to it now), but the fact that I was also still wearing shorts. What can I say, I don't like overheating. The following information is something that I cannot stress enough, the number one rule of running barefoot in the winter is to keep your core warm, as long as your core is warm you will stay warm so layering is very important.

It was a good run, I went out with Elaine and Harold for a chance to catch up on the events of the last few weeks. For I hadn't been out and also because I knew they would be running at a comfortable pace and I would not have to push myself to hard to keep up with the likes of the 'quicker' group. The plan was just to do a loop of the park, so a quick 5km run which suited me just fine as I have not ran in almost 2 weeks due to one thing or another.

As we headed out into the darkness, we all realized that none of us had a headlamp to light the way through the unlit park. Oh well, form and a light step would be very critical for this barefoot runner tonight, not that it isn't at any point. As we waited to cross Portage to get over to the park, for some reason I was getting more odd looks than normal, yes I was bare from the bottom of the shorts down, is that really that strange, its only November in Winnipeg.

The concrete sidewalk was a little bit cool on my feet, but I knew once I got going that would change fairly quickly. We headed across the bridge and decided to stay on the roads to try to take advantage of the limited lighting that was available to help guide our way. This was a good choice, as when I looked over at the pathway as it hit the tree canopy vision would of definitely been a big problem. Traffic was limited so we were able to pretty much take up the entire road which was kind of nice. Not having to worry about traffic is quite the bonus when you really have to concentrate where you are planting your feet.

As predicted my feet warmed up quite quickly once we hit our stride, it was interesting my gloved hands were colder than the lower portion of my body, funny how that happens. It was a good run overall, it still amazes me how the body adapts to the situation at hand and provides you with what you require when you need it. No issues along the way, I did end up stepping on one fairly sharp rock that I did not see but that is the advantage of a light and quick step, I wasn't on it long enough to cause little more than a 'Whoops' reaction.

I did get some looks and finger pointing from traffic as we waited to go across Portage, but I guess that would be expected, yup it's the crazy guy from Winnipeg out again.

Also got out for 3 more runs that weekend before the snow started to fly, so I totalled about 25km of barefoot running in temps around the -6 degrees range. Unfortunately, I was not able to get out last week with the fresh snow, but I expect there will be lots of opportunities in the upcoming weeks.

Stay true to your running and enjoy every minute of it like it is your last..

On on

Bob

Quieting the Naysayers - Zola Budd Kicking Some Barefoot A$$

2011-11-17T20:04:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite barefoot runners of all time, a lot of people doubted her ability to run with the elite runners. This was her first televised race in the UK, how I would love to run like that.

Minimus Vs. Zems

2011-11-17T05:51:00.000-08:00

These are too tight with a thicker sock now that the colder weather has arrived. Time to say goodbye to the Minimus until next spring. This caused a bit of panic as I didn't want to go back to the old running shoes. I did that last year and found I reverted back to my old stride when it came time to change shoes in the Spring.

These are the zems from last year. Not impressed that the bottoms wore through after a few outside runs. These were made to be used in the sand so I shouldn't have been surprised.

Here is the newer running version. It accomodated a thicker sock without any discomfort. The bottom has a durable rubber so I took them for a run....

..and HOLY GEEZ WOW these are great! The tops provide much more freedom and this led to an all together better running experience. I did not realize how confined my feet were until wearing these. Zems are not going to cut it when the weather gets even colder but for now I am having much fun discovering the freedom of movement again!

Note: I have feet that get cold easily. Some of you more hearty footed people may not have to switch footwear for awhile yet. Especially Bob as I expect he will be running 'naked' until Decemer!

Barefoot Running, Blogging In General and New Avenues of Pursuit

2011-11-07T11:35:00.000-08:00

It's kind of funny, I hi-jacked Nicole and Gail's blog last year with the intent only of having an outlet or place per say to get some of the thoughts that are constantly running through my head on a run out. I was also kind of using it as personal log of my runs, including both highs and lows along my journey, so one day when I was old and feeble I could look back and see what I was up to when I was in my late 30's and early 40's.

I have been at this for a little over a year now, and it appears that as this blog approaches 15,000 page views there are people out there that not only read it, but also appear to enjoy reading it. This is honestly very intriguing to me, as I really don't consider myself that interesting of a person, and there are a number of Barefoot Running Blogs out there to choose from, so thanks to everyone who has been tuning in with me for this ride.

But that being said, I am having the time of my life, not only the running portion but also the getting healthy and trying new things aspect. In the last post, I mentioned I had ran with a bunch of triathletes who run various Ironman events, listening to them talk about the races and how much of a community feeling the participants experience has peeked my interest in maybe trying one of these in the next couple of years. I seem to be drawn to this type of environment, the barefoot runners community is very much about this, everybody is willing to share their experiences (both good and bad), and are quick to provide advise to any that ask for help. This I like, and has become my philosophy, I make a point to answer any questions that anybody presents to me to the best of my ability, because the sharing of knowledge is powerful and if I can help someone avoid making a mistake I will. This also true of the Ultra marathon community as well, I believe this is why I am being drawn to these activities as much as I am.

To further this I was sent a link to one of the most inspiring clips I have ever seen, if it doesn't bring a tear to your eye, I don't know what will.

One day a son asks his father:
"Daddy, will you run the marathon with me?"
The father answers yes and both run their first marathon together.
One day, the son asks his father if he wants to run the marathon with him again and the father answers yes. They both run the marathon together again.
Then one day the son asks his father:
"Daddy, will you run the Ironman with me?" (the Ironman is the toughest...it requires a 4km swim, 180km biking and 42km running).
The father says yes again.
This all sounds easy...but check this video.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1301819980936

To think what this man did for his son, has made me believe that you can do anything as long as in your heart you believe you can. So with this I will pushing forward with some of my goals in the new year and commence training for the Ultra marathons and start learning how to swim (yes, I do not know how to swim) and start looking into the biking thing a little more seriously. More things to write about for next year. Also I will be continuing to run barefoot as much as possible, because it is my bliss.

Until next time,

Keep smiling because life is to short not to.

A Great Day For A Run - The Innagural Scoob and Sonia Trail Half Marathon

2011-11-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

A group shot before the run. Everybody present and accounted for

except the photographer/race director extraordinaire Scott (Scoob) S.,

Sherri and a couple of pups (Bella and Patsy)

(left to right: Ted, Sherry, Sonia, Perry, Dawn, Sue, Murray, Me, Doug and Blue right out front)

What do you have when you get a combination of triathletes (Ironman junkies), ultra marathoners and a barefoot runner together on a chilly late October afternoon in Riding Mountain National Park for a run? A crazy great time had by all of course, would you expect anything less.

It was a run organized by a fantastic couple from Dauphin, Scoob and Sonia who took it upon themselves to organize a half marathon / 10 km fun trail adventure for their friends. Not a easy task at the best of times, but Scoob and Sonia are not ordinary people. The both of them are avid triathletes who have competed in Ironman events across North America, and do so for the love of the sport and no other reason. Both are active in the community and will work tirelessly for a cause or a event they believe is worth while. I have known Scoob for not quite 2 years and Sonia for much less but I can say with much certainty that it is a honour to know them both and to consider them my friends. Enough said on this let us move on.

When Scoob mentioned a couple of months back that he and Sonia were planning to organize a 'little' event in Riding Mountain National Park for his friends, the first thing that popped into my head was, I'm all in. This was going to be a blast, because everything that Scoob gets involved in turns into a great time (case in point their wedding this summer). I also thought it would be a lot of fun to run the trails up there as well especially with it being late fall with all the colours and hidden surprises that usually occur on a trail run. I decided early that I was not going to miss it, and thanks to my wife making arrangements on Saturday, I was able to make my way up. It was interesting other than Scoob and Sonia, I knew no one else who was going to be there. Sure I met a couple of the others at the wedding this summer, but really this was an opportunity to meet some new people and just have a good time. I honestly was a little nervous, here I am a guy who has been running for a total of 2 years and barefoot to boot, going to join some accomplished triathletes and ultra marathoners for a little run through the bush. Can we say intimidating, I was hoping that I would just keep up with them for a little while so I could pick up some pointers and not look to much like a idiot.

The day started with me jumping into the truck and heading three and a half hours northwest to Dauphin, of course I left later than I originally intended so I may have been going slightly faster than I should of but I was still getting passed left right and centre. This also included a semi that must of been doing at least 130 because he flew by me like I was standing still, and I really think the guy that was coming towards me was not really amused. The drive up was quite uneventful until I entered the park, as I got to about half way through I saw one of those highway signs that tell you to watch out for a particular animal for the next so many kms. You know the one, where you never actually see the animal, well this was a sign for moose. Well low and behold, not even 20 feet beyond the sign there was a bull moose standing in the ditch, it was almost like it was posing and everything because it was in the exact same stance as the sign. I really wish I had my camera so I could take a picture but unfortunately it was in the back of the truck and I wasn't stopping to find it, oh well, se la vie.

I pulled into Dauphin and got to Scoob's house at about 11:15, just enough time to throw some bags in the house, get introduced to Dawn and hop on to the bus to head back to Riding Mountain and the run. The bus, how can I explain the bus, well take a old school bus, let a bunch of kids paint and write all over the exterior of it and convert the interior into a really cool camper with all the amenities. It was called travelling in style, kind of felt like the Partridge Family without the corny music. So here we were heading up the highway riding in 'The Bus' towards the park at warp speed, bouncing along to meet the rest of the runners at the Beach Ridge Trail Head, definitely the start of a great day. We arrived at the trail head just before the approximate start time of 12:00 noon or there-abouts.

The weather was perfect for the run, a decent 4 degrees with a overcast sky and a slight wind was going to be apparent when we got into the open areas. After everybody got themselves ready to go, and some introductions were completed, Scoob went over the details of the trail and the route that both the half marathoners and the 10 k'ers were going to complete. In all there was 4 of us running the half mary (Sonia, Murray, Doug and myself), the balance were taking on the 10 km. The trail consisted of a loop around the Beach Ridges Trail Head Loop then out to Highway 10 north to the gate then south to Crawford Creek and up to the end of the trail and return back to Beach Ridges and another loop and wham, bam your done, 13.1 miles plus a little in the books. The 10 km was slightly modified but still consisted of the 2 loops of Beach Ridges and an out and back to Crawford Creek parking lot. My only concern was being able to keep up with the big dogs who I was going to be running with (and I don't mean Scoob and Sonia's canine runners though I would be really hard pressed to keep up with them for sure).

This was the map that we were provided, if nothing less
Scoob is very thorough and the running people are
awesome!!!

As I looked around a smile broke onto my face, Sonia was in costume dressed as a either a light snow storm or a blizzard, she hadn't quite decided yet, as it would depend on how fast she was running at the time.

Sonia in Costume as a Blizzard

(No Minor Snow Storm Here)

Everybody was all decked out to run including myself not really knowing what to expect regarding the weather or the temperature, I layered up a little more than I would normally. I ended up with a long sleeve tech shirt with a short sleeve over top and my wind breaking North face jacket and wearing a pair of running tights under my shorts to keep my legs warmer. I cannot for any reason run with just my running tights, I am a little consciensious of people seeing my ass and junk that clearly, lets just say I am a little modest (yet I have not issue with running like a true Scot in a kilt, go figure).I was even going to experiment with Nic's running pack to carry the camera and some extra gear just in case, this was something new for me as I am really not accustomed to running with a backpack. I was still wearing my VFF's at the time, because I wasn't sure how the trail was going to be, and I think I might of been concerned about freaking everybody out right off the start, so I decided to leave them on for at least a little while.

The trail head lots of interesting surprises
under all that leave coverage

We gathered at the trail head and Scoob with a final instruction of ,"Good luck and have fun", set us on our merry way. Sonia was off with a bang with all three dogs in tow, and I was following right behind. The trail had just been cleared of debris the previous week so the build up of leaves covering what was underneath was the only real concern. The trail overall for the first 2 plus mile loop was in great condition and even I or Gail (just kidding G) would not be able to get lost with a easy turn to the right at the fork and again to the right as you come out, easy peasy. I was keeping a moderate pace, as I was unsure of the trail, and I really am slower when I wear shoes of any type, with my foot freedom being restricted and all.

The boardwalk

I lost sight of Sonia fairly quickly as she glided along with the dogs in tow, by the time I reached the wooden boardwalk they were long gone and Ted was quickly catching up. I scampered over the
boardwalk as quickly as possible and I couldn't believe how loud I was being, I felt like I would scare any possible animal around away for miles, hmmm maybe that was not a bad thing. As I hit the trail again on the return to trail head, Ted caught up and we talked for a couple of minutes prior to Sue ever so stealthy catching us and politely sliding by, with that Ted was off and we parted way.

The rest of the trail back to the Trail Head was pretty much standard, lots of leaves, a few roots, the odd tree branch down across the trail to create either a hurdle or a limbo pole (I have discovered I am not so good at the limbo, as I fell on my ass trying to go under, my body is just not meant to bend like that). My comfort level was good, plus if I ever came across a PO'ed bear or moose, I know I am faster without the shoes then with, so it was decided the shoes would be gone by the time I hit the road. As I turned the corner towards the parking lot, there was Scoob, playing the role of photographer extraordinaire with the camera on a tripod, and all you could hear was click, click, click in rapid fire succession. With a quick high five, I headed out into the gravel parking lot towards Highway 10 and the turn towards the north gate.

All I could think of was, "must stop at the road and lose the shoes", it was a great feeling to get the VFF's off, a smile breached my face as my warm toes felt the cool gravel on the edge of the asphalt. I quickly slipped my VFF's into the backpack (I knew it would come in handy), and I happily went on my way up the road towards the gate house. There was a brisk wind coming from the south helping push me along, so my pace was pretty good and it felt like I was burning up the road (at least for me). A couple of cars and trucks passed me on the road, it was interesting to see the brake lights go on after they passed me to take another look to confirm what they saw. Yes, yes you did see a barefoot guy running down the highway, and no he was not scared out of his shoes by a bear and your lucky I wasn't wearing my kilt. I sometimes would really like to be a fly on the wall to hear some of the conversations that go on after the break lights go on, maybe something like this:

"Did you just see what I saw?"

"I did, I did, I did gosh darn see a barefoot runner, I really did!"

or maybe,

"Holy crap that guy must of been running fast, he ran right out of his shoes!"

or maybe,

"Man that looks like a whole lot of fun, maybe we should try running without shoes!" Well there is always hope isn't there.

As I made the turn through the gate parking lot and back onto the highway heading south, I hit the crazy wind that was swirling earlier. Needless to say my speed fell quicker than a newborn filling it's nappy after sucking back a bottle. I'm glad it wasn't summer still, if I left my mouth open I'm sure I would of been picking bugs out of my teeth for days the way the wind was hitting me in the face. I continued to chug along south towards the Crawford Creek trail head which was about a mile down the road when Murray and Doug caught up to me and eventually passed me. They did hang back with me for a couple of minutes to ask some questions of the crazy ass barefoot guy, which I of course tried to answer with my witty charm. As they slowly started to pull away, I figured it was the opportune time to pick up the pace to try to stay up with them as long as possible. So I kept pace but back a little bit, the asphalt surface was ok but not great, there were some areas that were pretty beat up but after some of the crappy surfaces that I have run on in the last 18 months it was really nothing to write home about. We passed by the 10km runners heading back towards the start with a wave and smile as they were on the last half of their run, everybody looked like they were having a great time.

As we pulled off of the highway and into the gravel parking lot at Crawford Creek we quickly looked around to find the trail head which was just off to the right running beside the highway before it heads off into the woods. Figuring it was the right way, the three of us headed out. The trail was quite level for the first bit then it hit a good uphill as it went deeper into the trees. We came across a couple of ladies walking back from the trail and Murray mentioned something about him being a bear, which in turn the ladies laughed. Just to ensure we were on the right trail, I stopped to ask one of the ladies if she had seen a runner (Sonia) go by, in which she replied no. That caught me of guard and made me think we were on the wrong trail, but then I thought afterwards, they were probably coming off a another trail and missed her. Or I should of asked if they had seen a blizzard fly by, as Sonia was covered in snowflakes, but she was probably going so fast they just didn't see her, yeah that's it. As we carried on, we knew we were on the right trail because we found some abandoned snow flakes that have apparently committed suicide from Sonia's costume along the way.

The trail was great all the way up to the Warming Shack at the top of the hill which pretty much had a continuous climb all the way. Murray slowly pulled away from Doug and I as we went along. It was really interesting, there was a lot of different sounds coming from the bush, Doug told me it was just the trees making noises in the wind, I know I live in a city but I have never heard a tree bray before. It's really weird hearing a noise and not being able to figure out where it was coming from. We kept a consistent but slower pace up to the top, with the occasional walk on the steeper upgrades, all part of the plan I kept telling myself, just look out when we come down. By the time we were half way up the trail, Murray was no where to be seen ahead of us, but that was ok I was having a blast. I was able to find a little bit of mud to run through, cool squishy mud nothing like it, well sort of squishy, it was cooler out. The trail was awesome with variation of terrain and elevation but clear enough that nothing was a major surprise, just the occasional hidden rock to deal with. As we got close to the top, we ran into Sonia and Murray running the other way back down, they both had huge smiles on their faces like they were having the time of their lives. It was great to see.

As we hit the top, we took a quick breather to catch our breath and started heading back down. I just let myself go, let my legs just go with the momentum carry me down. It was a great feeling, plus it was the only way I could keep up with Doug and his long legs. As we made our way down we passed a couple of hikers and a bike rider with his dogs, a couple of comments about my barefeet but nothing to crazy. I slowly started to pull away from Doug, as he was getting some grief from his hamstring, so with a see you at the end. I made it down the hill and onto the approaching path to the parking lot and decided I would stop for some water at the unmanned water station that was set up. Of course, I was as clumsy as ever and dropped my full cup 2 times before it made it finally to my mouth. Oh well, third times a charm I guess. After a quick drink (or not so quick drink) I headed back out to the highway and just enjoyed the feel of the asphalt on my feet as the wind helped push me along. Got to like it when you run about 10 miles and you feel fresh and full of energy, it just made that smile get bigger and bigger (once again thankfully there was no bugs).

As I turned onto the dirt road to the parking area and the final loop around the trail head, all I could hear was hooping and hollering as everybody was cheering me on. Some no shoe comments were blerted out and a couple of holy craps, etc. I just smiled and kept running, as I really like a good gravel run it gets all the nerve ending firing on all cylinders which is the best in my honest opinion. With a quick high five from Scoob I was on the trail for the last 2 plus miles, the finish and a big cup of coffee (home brewed, Dauphin style). As I reached the trail split I passed Murray and Sonia and the dogs finishing off their run, my first thought was wow, I'm not that far behind them, cool. With this in mind, I started stopping along the last loop and taking some pictures of what caught my eye. I hit the boardwalk and stopped to take in the scenery and snap a few shots, took a few more pictures on the last half of the loop, including a picture of my foot next to a nice present that I just missed. Also got a cool picture of a tree with one lonely leaf on it, still hanging in there. As I got closer to the finish, the dogs came ripping and roaring up the trail to lead me in, which I thought was really cool, my own barefooted posse' leading me to the finish line and a big cup of freshly brewed coffee. What's not to smile about.

Some pictures taken along the way and of course the finishing photos:

Me heading up the gravel road to the parking lot

A shot looking out into the marsh from the
boardwalk.

Ewe look what I just missed. This is one of the
only unpleasant things about running barefoot.
But at least feet are easier to wash then shoes.

The limbo tree, how low can you go?

The last leaf standing or hanging if you will

Ted crossing the finish line after 10km

Sue crossing the finish line after 10 km

Sherri crossing the finish line after 10 km

Dawn crossing the finish line after the 10 km

Sherry and Perry Finishing it up

Like those tights Perry!

Doug finishing up his run at 17 plus km

Sonia and Murray and entourage bringing

er' home after a strong half marathon

Me and my barefooting posse'

bringing it home

The event was a great success and I personally think this could turn into something great and I can't wait till next year, as I will be patiently waiting for the next email announcing the 2nd annual Scoob and Sonia Half Marathon.

My First Published Article

2011-11-03T17:37:00.000-07:00

I was asked a while back to write a article on barefoot running by the Manitoba Runner's Association for their newsletter, and of course I jumped all over the opportunity. Here is the outcome. Please check it out and let me know what you think. I value all opinions.

I apologize for the formatting I was trying to link to the actual article publication but I was unable to so I had to copy it in this way. If you want to see the original copy leave me a note and I will send a copy of the pdf.

Why Do I Run Barefoot?....by Bob Nicol

Have you ever run down the streets of

Winnipeg and or driving in your car and you look over and or down and you see this guy running happily along with no shoes? Were you concerned that a mental patient has escaped the local psyche ward and was currently heading to your neighborhood or if that poor sole was robbed of his shoes and he had no other way to get home? If you have ever thought either of those, then you have probably seen either myself or one of the other growing number of local runners who are shedding their foot coverings for a more natural running style and hopefully a more enjoyable and healthy experience.

Since I started this journey 18 months ago, I have been asked numerous times why I run this way. Well, there is no real simple answer to that question as there are many reasons why I lost the shoes and prefer to hit the trails with my soles bared to the world. Some reasons are typical of the average barefoot runner some are my personal ones that I am willing to share so you can have a perspective from my point of view.

The following are some of the reasons the average barefoot runner notes:

The most common for a lot of runners is injury prevention: This may seem a little strange but I can tell you from my own personal experience, other than a pulled groin due to a barefoot ultra trail run last year I have been injury free. Sure I have had some bumps and bruises from experimenting with longer distances and different terrain types, but for the most part nothing has kept me from amassing well over 1,000 km barefoot since mid April of this year. My explanation for this is as follows, your feet are one of the strongest parts of your body (think about the weight they have to carry around all day), and they were designed to be used not coddled in a pair of over padded shoes. Now I must also note this with a big disclaimer, you cannot just take the shoes off and assume you can run like you do with shoes. Just like when you are developing any other part of your body or if you try a new sport, you have to learn how to do it right. Can you put on a pair of skates and just start skating like a pro, not likely, baby steps - you have to learn how to walk before you can run.

A strong and healthy body: The majority of shod runners are not utilizing their feet to their full potential. It is my belief and many others share as well, that your feet were designed as shock absorbers and if used properly they distribute the force of your foot landing on the ground to your entire lower body not just isolated locations like your knees or hips. This allows you to run longer with less effort and in my books more enjoyment.

Enjoyment of the Run Experience: I have not met an individu- al yet who has seriously tried barefoot or minimalistic running who has not enjoyed the experience. It is hard to explain, but the freedom you feel and the sensations that your feet partake in are absolutely exhilarating. The biggest issue that I hear about after that initial experience is they felt so good and were enjoying the run so much they didn’t want to stop. This of course is not a good idea, once again baby steps, Too Much Too Soon (TMTS) is an acronym that I use a lot and it is a very important one. You have to build up slowly.

A couple of personal reasons why I run the way I do:

I started running about 2 years ago, and like most I was using a pair of running shoes. I found that I was only able to go for about a mile before my knees started to ache (I have had seven procedures on my left knee due to various medical issues) and I was not having any fun. That was when my wife, as a suggestion, bought me a pair of $7.00 water shoes and told me to go for a run. I was surprised, it felt more natural, my stride turned into a midfoot strike, my step got lighter, and the biggest shocker no pain. I got home and started doing some research and low and behold I was not the only one who had discovered this, there was a whole forum on the internet specifically geared to this type of running called The Barefoot Runners Society (www.barefootrunner.org ). I was intrigued so I started experimenting and off came the shoes, and the rest is history.

To Be One With Nature: this one may seem a little silly to some, but there is no other way to explain it. When I run barefoot, I just seem to go into this zone, I notice things that I normally don’t, and every sensation just seems to pop. To me going out for a run, every run is an experience and an adventure, be- cause you just don’t know what will be laid out in front of you.

I like the attention, I never would have said this a couple of years ago, I was happy to be in the background going about my business more of an observer than out front and centre type of guy. But I will admit I enjoy when people come up to me and start asking me questions, or make comments about my running style. Have you ever had random strangers take pictures of you as you run by, or stop you for a picture, it is an odd feeling but kind of fun all the same. I am a firm believer that this is the right way to go, and if someone is interested I will share my experiences and knowledge with anyone who wants to know more. On the other hand, I will not force my opinion on anyone, because this is a choice and I believe everybody has the right to choose what is best for them.

I like the challenge to see exactly how far I push the limits and to see exactly what the foot is capable of doing. So far I can tell you this, I have finished two marathons (including the Manitoba and Bismarck Marathons), ran the Treherne Half Marathon (about 12 miles of good gravel road) completed a 50km Trail Ultra Marathon and ran sporadically through the winter last year including a 2km jaunt at -29 degrees C. It’s amazing what the foot can do, and I believe we are just tapping the surface of the full potential that is available to us.

As I noted above there are a lot of great resources out there to learn more about Barefoot and Minimalistic Running, including the Barefoot Running Society, The Barefoot Running University, The Run Smiley Collective and so on. There are also some great books that can be used to start you on your path to enlightenment. You can also follow my adventures and experiences on our blog at www.winnipegbarefootrunners.blogspot.com. The most important piece of advice that I can give to someone who wants to try it out is to ‘Go Slow and Easy’, you will not want to miss a step. OTR

Published in the November, 2011 Issue of On The Run

Ted's Run For Literacy : What's Not To Smile About?

2011-10-26T21:18:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have written a post specifically orientated towards one event or topic, but in my mind Ted's Run For Literacy deserves whatever notoriety that I can deliver. When I first heard that my friend (I hope he doesn't mind me calling him that) Mike from See Mike Run was organizing this run, I decided it was my obligation and honour to help in whatever way I could to make it a success. Not only was the run for a great cause, Start2Finish, but it was in memory of a great man, Ted Swain. Although I did not have the pleasure of ever meeting Ted, unfortunately I did not take up running until after his much to soon passing. The majority of new runners within the city of Winnipeg that have ever taken a running clinic at The Running Room prior to his passing had him for a running coach. This also includes wife, Nicole who expressed her enjoyment of his classes because of his being supportive and helpful and an abundance of fun loving nature complete with his never give up attitude and endless and infectious smiles. I have heard many stories about the man who wore shorts it seemed all year long, and I really do wish I did have the opportunity to shake his hand and thank him for his display of passion for two of his favorite things, teaching and running. RIP Ted, let it be known that you are not forgotten and you will remain in our heart's forever.

The following blurb I took from The Ted's Run For Literacy website, I think it says it all:

Ted Swain was a passionate English teacher and runner. His enthusiasm for both influenced thousands of students and hundreds of runners over the years. Tragically, Ted passed away May 3, 2009. In Ted's memory we have established Ted's Run for Literacy. Proceeds generate will be donated to Start2Finish (formerly KidsFest), a charitable organization that promotes reading and physical activity right here in Winnipeg schools: a perfect tribute to Ted's passions and a fitting legacy.

In Memory of Ted Swain

Now I must begin this with a big congratulations to the organization committee including Mike Bennett, Sherri Grandmont, Aldo Furlan and the multitudes of others who took time out of their daily lives and busy schedules to help put together this fantastic event. It is not easy putting on an event of this magnitude, especially the inaugural event, where numerous details have to be arranged, etc. Let me say you all did a fantastic job, and I see nothing but this event getting bigger and bigger each and every year. I can also see Ted looking from where ever he is with a great big smile on his face.

Now of course the run did not go as smooth as everybody would of wanted with a couple of hiccups that happened during the event. But I am a firm believer that the only way to get better is if mistakes (or hiccups) happen, which they usually do, take them as an opportunity to learn from them and get better from it. That is exactly what I expect will happen and I know that everybody involved will do just that. With that I am going to list the couple of items that I noticed that could of been done differently to enhance the experience:

First of all the race kit should of included a race route map. This could of given the runner's the opportunity to review the route prior to running it and not having to rely as heavily on the volunteers to ensure they were on the correct route. Note the kit did include a map of the park but really that was not much help unless you had never been to the park before.
The walk to the start line, at least the one that I completed where I was following the volunteers took us the long way around (approx a km) when there was a shorter route through the parking lot. Normally I would not worry about stuff like this, but it was a cooler morning being Oct 23 and all. I was walking with bare feet through wet grass and puddles, not good for keeping your feet warm.
The biggest hiccup did not affect me, but it did affect some of the lead runners who ended up getting misdirected on the route to take, thus ended up not running the complete 10 km. Now a side note to this was that Mike and his team did a fantastic job of dealing with this and bringing the hiccup to light and explaining the situation to all those involved as well as taking complete responsibility. A class act move and a sign of a good race director.

Now on to the run review:

As noted above, the temperature was a little bit on the cooler side around 4 degrees Celsius at the scheduled 10 am start time, but you could not ask for better conditions. It was partly cloudy and little to no breeze, absolutely great running conditions. Nicole, myself and the kids pulled into the park at about 9:35 am, and quickly got things together, I started removing my warm up pants and jacket and got out my wool socks to cover my bare feet until closer to race time (got to keep the tootsies toasty). Nicole was running the 3km with the kids which started 15 minutes after my start with the 10km run. So as we started over to the ceremonies, I was getting some really interesting looks from other runners as they noticed my wool socks. I just smiled and continued on my way, thinking to myself, 'just wait you haven't seen anything yet'.

After the opening ceremonies which included the national anthem sang by the niece of a friend and some inspirational words, the call was announced for everybody to move towards the start line. I pulled off my socks and handed them to Nicole, to some gasps and the usual comments. Along the way I met up with a fellow running partner from the WH3 who occasionally runs barefoot, Snow Goose or Peter was currently wearing shoes, so I felt it was my obligation to convince him that he should shed the foot coffins and take this race on the way I knew he really wanted too (now I really did not expect him to do it, but he did). His words to me were"I hope I can keep up with you", this still makes me laugh, as Goose is tall and lanky and one of his legs are longer than both of mine put together. A perfect comparison is Goose runs like a gazelle while I run more like a turtle (thanks TJ for that analogy as it fits me to a tee). Goose proceeded to take off his shoes and socks and put them up against a stop sign along the road, to the shock and dismay of a number of runners as they realized what he was doing. Cool, so there was going to be two of us running this race barefoot, odd looks are best served with company. This got me smiling because all of a sudden he was getting bombarded with questions that would normally be directed at me, this was definitely a interesting perspective. I just sat back and watched him handle all the questions and comments like a pro, I helped out a little bit where I could but for the first time in over a year, I let someone else field the barefoot questions.

When we reached the starting area, Mike got everybody's attention, thanked everybody for coming out and supporting the cause and wished everybody luck prior to setting the runners loose. After a quick hi-five with Goose and Mike's Ready, Set, Go, we were off. As expected Goose was off like a shot (will be lucky to keep up with me now, eh!) and was up with the pack behind the lead runners. I as per normal started out slowly to allow my leg muscles and feet to get warmed up prior to picking up the pace. During this time, I had a conversation with another runner who was experimenting with barefoot running (I later found out this was a gentleman who also coached running clinics at the Running Room, hi Jeff, thanks for the great conversation.) He asked some great questions about blisters, etc. and I hope I provided some helpful feedback. With a quick good luck on the run, I said my goodbyes and started picking up the pace. I could see Goose galloping along ahead of me, stretching out the distance more and more, I just started to smile and shake my head. We headed around the perimeter of the park and I continued to pass runners as I was slowly ramping up my cadence which in tune increased my pace to about a 8:30 minute mile. Not supersonic but a comfortable pace to have some fun along the way. That was my intention, as I saw a number of runners and volunteers that I knew, including GP who I ran up and gave a big hug when I saw her cheering on the corner (I am sure a lot of the other runners thought I was nuts beyond the fact that I was barefoot). As we headed down by the eventual finish line where all the 3 km runners and walkers were still gathered, I started hooting and hollering and high-fiving as many of the school kids as I could. Showing them that you could have a lot of fun while you run, I think I did a pretty good job of firing up the crowd. Because is that not why we were out here to celebrate the memory of a great person, have a little fun and encourage the kids to have some fun as well. Of course I was happy to see my wife and my two boys right in the mix smiling and yelling as well, that made the smile on my face grow till it could grow no more.

As we headed out of the park and onto the roads zig-zagging towards Scotia Street, there were volunteers at every corner making sure there was no confusion on which way the runners were to go. I had to laugh it seemed like I knew every volunteer out there, and I sure some of the other runners that I was passing felt the same way, because I was calling everybody by name. I swear the majority of the WH3 were out either volunteering or running the race, because I saw a Hasher at every turn I made. The other great thing was even though this was a Running Room sponsored event, Erick, Cheryll and Alice from City Park Runners were out volunteering and Khristjan was out running and would eventually win the event. The Winnipeg running community helps each other out, that is the name of the game, it is definitely a bit of a family attitude and everybody supports each other no matter what. I was having a blast talking to runners and volunteers alike, just enjoying the day and the run. Questions were asked, and I answered as best I could at the time, I thanked everybody for coming out and taking time out of their day to help make the run a success as I went by. I spooked a few locals as I floated along the roads, , made sure I high-fived all the kids along the way and thanked the two City of Winnipeg Police Officers for helping keep the runners safe. I did get some weird looks from them both, but I assume they are not used to dealing with runners without shoes unless they are putting them into the back of their cars for one reason or another (not today I say).

At about the 4 km mark I was starting to get passed by the lead pack coming back the other way, first it was Kristjan who was ahead, then the pack and not to far behind them was Goose, galloping along almost effortlessly, he was still smiling, that was a good sign. With a high five and some words of encouragement, we headed in opposite directions looking strong and determined to finish this one off. As I headed along Scotia towards the last corner before the turnaround, I found yet another Hasher volunteer, Agent spots me coming from a distance away and she yells out On On, which I retort with an On On of my own, then she says it, the only thing that will bring a Hasher to their knees, 'Beer Near', all I could think and say was 'Mmmm foaming refreshment, must run faster.' So around the corner I go, almost in a full sprint now, and I see the turn around and the 'water stop', I hit the round about and take it effortlessly and head right to the table, thinking they wouldn't have beer here would they? The only thing i can say is, no they did not have beer, it was only water, the disappointment. Boy oh boy, to play on the heart strings of a hasher like that, Agent will pay for that with a very large down down the next time she is out. So with a quick shot of water, I was off again and heading back the way we had come, I was maintaining a good pace and was quickly catching up with another runner. I wasn't completely happy with my form as I felt I was being a little to noisy, this was confirmed when I caught up to the runner in front of me. As I pulled in line with her, she explains that she was trying to figure what was making the noise behind her. She had thought it was a loose race bib that was slapping against someone but she could not figure out why she could not hear the standard clomping noise of the shoes hitting the ground. I told her I was a little disappointed that she heard me at all, I should be in ninja silence mode right now, you should be able to hear a pin drop as I run along. She just laughed and we started talking about running both with shoes and without, pace, trail running and most of all having fun while you run. We ran together swapping stories and experiences until we reached the park, where I was slowly starting to pull away. So with a quick bit o:f encouragement for her to finish strong, I headed out to bring it home. I picked up my pace to around a 8:10 min/mile and continued to pick it up a little bit more as I rounded the corner to where my friend GE was positioned at the 9km mark (or so they believed I had a little more than that but oh well better to be more than short). Gail yelled out encouragement to me with a 'One more km to go', I just looked at her, smiled and joked back 'I should of passed that a bit a go, but who's counting.' As I rounded the last corner to the finish line, where I would of normally started sprinting, I found I couldn't quite get it into the next gear, as I started ramping up a little to early so my reserve was a little more tapped than normal. That being said, I got passed twice, I could not believe it, two shod runners passing a barefoot runner right near the end, the nerve. Well it was kind of funny because prior to those two lone runners passing me, I thought I was going to get trampled by a stampede of elephants or something. The noise was crazy as they were stomping the ground with their shoes, it honestly looked painful to watch them run past me. I am ever glad that I do not run like that, it just sends shivers up and down my spine just thinking about it.

As I saw the finish line, I dug a little deeper and pushed towards the line, raised my arms and floated into the finish with a big silly grin. I stopped my Garmin just after I came out of the chute and it was sitting at 53:36, I had to do a double take because that was a little more than 4 minutes faster than my personal best. I knew I was having a great run, I usually do when I go out to have fun, but I was not expecting that. Especially since I ran 6.30 miles or 10.15 km instead of just 10 km. I got some congratulations from Laura and Debbie (another couple of Hasher volunteers, this keeps up and people might think we are a respectable running group or something) as they take my bib number for the final timing tally. Officially I finished with a 53:30 time which was 4th in my age category, I was very happy with that.

Overall it was a great experience, and a great run, kudos to the organizers for putting it together a fantastic job all around. They were able to raise a good chunk of change on behalf of Ted Swain for Start2Finish, and I am sure Ted is smiling wherever he is.

Some other notables:

My boys did end up leaving the shoes on for the run, but both ran strong and hard and I am very proud of both of them.
Goose ran the entire 10 km barefoot and finished in a very impressive 48:36 for his first barefoot race in not ideal barefoot conditions for a first timer. He ended up with a few blisters and one that popped mid run but was still smiling at the end. He also found his shoes where he left them so it was a good day.
Kristjan finished first overall in a time of 35:55. Way to go.
The runners who inadvertently shortcutted were given honoury mentions. A very classy act by the race director and his team.
There were 122 10km finishers plus numerous 3km runners and walkers out, pretty good for a first time event.

I have attached some random photos for your viewing pleasure below,

and the following words I have borrowed from Mike but they are most appropriate in my books,

It was definitely a great day for a run.

My oldest son heading towards the finish line, he had a great run and a lot of fun

My youngest son heading down towards the finish line.

The other bare foot runner!!

Me heading out of the finishing chute.

Goose's feet after the run, just a few blisters.

Have to work on that form at high speed.

After the run bare feet shot for prosperity.

Looking no worse for wear at least top side for Goose.

Sunday October 23 Run

2011-10-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

I be thinking there will be no running for any of us early tomorrow morning. I will be taking part in the 10km Ted's Run for Literacy at Kildonan Park,to support a great cause. Nicole will be running the 3km event with our two boys, look out I see at least one boy losing the shoes tomorrow morning. Gail will be splitting herself in two to be at both events as she has apparently double booked and signed up for both the Ted's Literacy Run and the Run for Haiti at Assinboine Park at the same time. Should be interesting to see how she pulls that one off.

Anyway where ever you are tomorrow make sure you Run Smiley because running any other way is just crazy.

Also for your reading pleasure, I was asked about a month ago to help contribute to an article for LiveStrong.com on Barefoot Running. Here is the product of all the hard work done by the author Tara Struyk with a little bit of knowledge passed on by yours truely. Enjoy.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/547013-take-off-your-shoes-and-run/

Have a great weekend, and enjoy every step with a smile.

Journey of a 1,000 Barefoot Miles Km - The Vulture Bait Ultra Edition

2011-10-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

A view of Fanshawe Park close to the start line of the Vulture Bait Ultra Marathon

All I can say is, Wow what an experience, there is no other way to describe it participating and finishing your first ultra has got to be one of the most satisfying moments I have ever been involved in. Don't get me wrong, meeting my future wife, my marriage and the birth of my kids are tops in my books but holy crap this is way up there. A few years ago I couldn't even run a mile without falling over in pain, and here I am today finishing my first ultra marathon and barefoot to boot (or should that read shoe to barefoot?). Now, let me clear it has not been a smooth path getting to this point, more like a very rocky and sometimes frustrating one to say the least. If you were not aware this was our second attempt at finishing this race, last year both Nicole and I DNF'ed and it weighed on the back of our minds for the last year with the intent to rectify that wrong. Now that being said the both of us probably did not have the mindset nor the training to realistically finish last year, but it was still left a very bitter taste in the both of our mouths that we did not. I pulled my groin after 30 plus km and pulled myself from the race at 48km finally once I realized I could not go any further. Even though there was only 2 km left to finish, I did not feel doing permanent damage to my groin was worth it, at the time. Nicole was pulled after 25 km because she did not make the cutoff, she was having to much fun taking pictures and talking to everybody on the course that she lost track of time, so there were officially two wrongs to be corrected, not only finishing but proving to ourselves that we both have the ability and the drive to push through, and persevere the adversities to the ultimate goal of finishing.

It has been a year in the making, a lot of ups and downs for both Nicole and I as all our nicely laid out plans of getting an official 50 km ultra done this year was looking like a complete bust. First of all our first scheduled event in May, the Manitoba Trail Ultra at Spruce Woods, was rescheduled to August due to major flooding throughout Southern Manitoba. Then in August it was cancelled for the second time and for the year due to unsafe conditions as deemed by the Race Director and Manitoba Conservation. This is why it is so important to have a good race director, even though we were disappointed that the race was cancelled I do not want myself or anyone else to participate in a race that is deemed unsafe due to trail conditions. Also the Lemming Loop Run was also cancelled due to unsafe conditions, and finally we did not believe we had the funds to get back to Vulture Bait in London, ON to get another crack at finishing that one. But with some creative financing and some planning, we officially signed up on October 7th, for the race to held on October 15. Wow, it has been a year of late registrations, nothing like planning ahead, oh well what fun would that be right?

So the last minute preparations started in earnest, including flight reservations, hotel, car rental, sucking up to my sister so she will watch the kids while we are away (just kidding on this one, my sister is the best, she helps us out all the time with our crazy little adventures, sometimes I think the kids want us to go away more just so my sis' gets to watch them). The biggest challenge is to decide what running gear to take, the conditions were calling for cool and light rain, gear is always important in this type of race because you are out there for 5 to 7 hours, a lot of different weather conditions can happen in that time period. Oh well at least the footwear issue is taken care of, that would be none and my ZEMGear 360's as my emergency toe covers just in case. We were flying into Hamilton on Friday and then a short drive down the 403 to London followed by a quick dinner at Tony Roma's then hopefully some sleep. Well it was wishful thinking, but sleep was not going to come easy Friday night, to much anticipation and preparation of game plans swirling in my head. In total I think I managed about 4 hours, not a good thing because Saturday was going to be a long and draining day.

6:00 am, Saturday morning came quicker then the both of us really wanted, it was a slow drag of our posteriors out of bed, organization and finalization of running gear to be worn, put on BRS shirt, take off, rethink what I was wearing, put on Bismark marathon shirt, assess, no this is not right, take off, put back on original shirt, realize that I forgot to glide the nipples (very important, don't want that rub, rub, bleed effect), shirt comes back off, glide, then shirt goes back on again. I think I am ready, nope forgot my shorts, put shorts on, find my hat, Northface jacket and gloves good to go. No, wait something missing, think, think, hmmm what could it be, oh yes must find 360's, can't go to breakfast with no shoes this early in the morning they might think I was weird or something. By this time I think Nic was all ready to go and was patiently waiting for me, wow this is kind of ironic, usually it is the other way around. After a quick really awful breakfast (thankfully it was free but I still almost considered asking for a refund), we packed up the car and checked out. The weather was not the best, off and on rain, about 5 degrees Celsius and a stiff north wind, it was going to be an interesting run, that much I was sure of.

I know I will regret this but I have to explain our drive to Fanshawne Park from my perspective, prior to Nicole attempts to twist things around. Nicole asked me the night before if I knew where I was going, of course I said yes no problem, because I was quite sure I would remember the route as we drove there. Just because I didn't remember the street names that we need to turn on really doesn't mean I didn't know how to get there right? Well withholding this tidbit of information apparently was not a good idea, as Nicole didn't figure she needed to set the location in the GPS to assist in getting us to where we needed to be, well as we drove towards downtown I haphazardly mentioned that the first street we needed to turn on started with a 'D', Dundas or something like that and the next turn would be at a street that I couldn't remember the name but there was a Brick or something like that on the corner. Well this did not go over so well, so as Nicole lovingly chastised me for not relaying this information earlier she starting frantically entering info into the GPS to secure directions. That was when I spot Dundas and cheerfully mentioned, "Oops that was the street we wanted, so I proceeded up to the next street to double back. Once on Dundas we headed east and I started picking out familiar landmarks from last year. Now more confident I would recognize the street to turn towards the park on, I mentioned that I knew I would be on the right road, because I remembered a particular monster truck that was parked as a display in a customization shop. Well once again this did not go over to well, I really didn't consider that the display that was able to be moved might not be there a year after I had seen it last, hmmm food for thought. Anyway as we got closer to the turn, I spotted what I was looking for, The Home Depot on the corner (yeah I know what your thinking, Home Depot is not the Brick, that was exactly what Nicole said, but it does sell bricks does it not). As we headed up the road I saw my monster truck and this little smile creeped across my face and Nicole just shook her head, I did not say a word. After that, it was smooth sailing to the race start.

Nicole and I 'Toeing the Line' Before the Run

We got to the start, parked and headed to pick up race kits, got some comments about my shoe choice (decided to not mention at that point that I was not going to wear them for the run) and just got prepared for the race to come, also would like to note that Nicole won a door prize this year to go with her early entry draw prize last year, and I won squat. After the explanation of the rules and the all the other pre-race info delivery, we started heading down the hill for the start line.

The Runners Making Their Ways Down To The Start

Nicole and I Prior To The Start

(Still Clean)

There was alot of anxious anticipation by the both of us to get going as we milled around more towards the back of the pack. With all that nervous energy I was looking around at all the different runners and checking out the reservoir when I notice a pair of bald eagles gracefully gliding through the air just over the water. Dipping and diving, obviously looking for breakfast, it was just what I needed to calm all the nervous energy that was building in me. Appropriately we had the best fly by that could be had to start a race of this type, it was very fitting, all we needed was a vulture to appear and the day was set. I just stopped and started watching them as they floated in the sky together without a hint of effort totally free of any apparent worries, just being together was all that seemed to matter. This became my goal for the day. I was going to start and finish this race with my wife with no care of time, just finishing with my partner in life, so we can enjoy every minute of it together. With this thought, all the nervousness went away, a smile creeped onto my face as I pulled off my shoes to get ready for the signal to go.

A pair of eagles flying together over the reservoir prior to the start of the race.

(Who needs a plane flyover when nature provides one for you)

As the signal to begin was sounded there was the ever present slow movement of runners as the pack proceeded onto the trail. The conditions were going to add to the challenge of this run, with the cooler temperatures, the off and on drizzle and the gusting winds in the open areas it was going to be interesting to see what shape the trails would be in as the day went on. With a smile to Nicole, and a quick 'Are you ready', we headed off. I had some comments from some of the runners about my bare feet, but that was fairly typical at the start of any race. That was when I heard someone from the starter's area, chime in with this little dosey, "You are going to regret not wearing shoes for this." The only thing I could think of at the time was, "I would only regret wearing shoes for this." But I just let it go because nobody was going to ruin this day for me and we started to pass some runners. As the runners started to spread out, we were just enjoying the run, not trying to go to fast, but ensuring we were going fast enough. The intent was to finish the first 25 km in around 3 hours, because the cut off would be 3 1/2 hours at the half way point and if you were not finished the first 25 km by that point you would not be aloud to go any further. I was going to ensure that this was not going to happen again to Nicole.

The first 5km of the race was criss-crossing through some easy trails from one side of the access road to the other using a combination of different walking trails. The route at this point was pretty flat and easy to keep a good quick pace due to the easy terrain. The ground cover consisted of hard pack dirt, to grass, a little bit of gravel and a good carpet of soft pine needles. What a treat this was to run on, talk about varying the sensations to your feet, especially since everything was still damp due to the week or so of rain that the area had been getting. A prelude of what was to come later in the run presented itself as we entered the first real wooded area, it was a dirt single track (which turned into mud) with some areas of leave coverage. Lots of downed trees and branches littered the trail along with some good ups and downs. Let me say, after this run I have learned the importance of why to slow down to achieve good traction with barefeet, because if you go to fast you will end up skating everywhere with no control (I almost ended up going off a cliff at one point). Needless to say this area did slow us down a little bit, with gauging for traction, keeping an eye out for those ever jumping out to surprise you tree roots and rocks, and of course the occasional good hearted splash through a puddle. I had a couple more comments about my lack of foot coverings, which I quickly corrected them on by saying, "I've got a nice layer of mud developing here, does that not count." This got a couple of giggles and some strange looks, but darn it I was having fun.

A view of the damn from the first aid station

As we tromped out of the woods adjacent the dam we hit the first aid station, a rather busy place at that point with about 10 to 15 runners re hydrating themselves by grabbing water, Heed, Coke or an assortment of other good ultra sugar type treats. The volunteers were working like a well-oiled machine, as a cup of fluid disappeared another one magically appeared, no one was waiting for anything. These volunteers were awesome, they did not miss a beat, but with them being so busy I was able to sneak in and out with a coke, a chocolate chip cookie and a hand full of chocolate covered raisins to help with the refueling process.

Nicole had a glass of water and a Gu to help refuel, I was personally leaving my Gu's till a little later as it was still early. As we were getting ready to head out of the parking lot and up the gravel road to the main road, all I hear is a 'Holy crap, he's got no shoes on!". I looked around with this look on my face, and said, "Where? Oh, you mean me? My shoes are right here", as I held up my shoes with a grin and we started heading up the road. We passed by a number of runners up the road, with a couple of "Doesn't that hurt", "Wow that is crazy" and " Your the man" comments, my responses in order were, "Nope, feels great", "Not really, quite natural really" and "Thanks, right back at you!"

As we pulled out onto the road to head across the dam seen above we hit our first bit of traffic, I was getting some weird looks from some of the vehicles and thumbs up by others. This was also our first encounter with the wind as it picked up to the point that it blew the hat right off of my head, luckily it did not go over the edge so I was able to sprint back and pick it up.

Nicole heading to the dam crossing making good time

As we continued down the road towards the front gate with some quick cuts into the woods for some more trails we were heading to one of my favorite parts of the run. Just beyond the gate, we turn into the evergreens and follow a path of soft pine needles that winds through the trees like a outstretched red carpet. It is the most surreal feeling as you enter this area, it's so peaceful you get lost in the beauty of it all, then you loose focus and trip over a outstretched tree root, bringing you back to reality.But it was nice as it lasted, but it also gets you prepared for the focus that is required for the trails to come which is the beginning of the technical trails.

Don't let the looks of the trail fool you, this is actually a treat to run on soft pine needles with the occasional stick or root to jab you in the foot just to keep you on your toes.

Once you exit this area, there is a short jaunt up an old jeep trail to another gravel road along the south part of the reservoir. This is another perfect spot to pick up the pace normally before you get into the ups and downs of the technical single track trails to come. Normally on a dry day the trails are challenging but fun because you can really fly over them, at least that was my experience last year. But this year with all the rain they have turned into a very muddy, slippery trail, especially with all the foot traffic that was trampling over it today (over 300 pairs of trail shoes and one pair of trail skin). Normally I attack the uphills and pick my way through the obstacles but with all the rain, I could not get any traction at all, so I had revise my running strategyy completely. Instead of running light and landing more on the midfoot with my toes slightly curled up, i had to had to be a little more heavy with the landing and dig my toes down in the mud to help stabilize my balance.This was definitely more of a challenge and having to concentrate more on footing and my balance through a larger twist into the run. When I mentioned skating earlier in the post I was not kidding, as my feet got muddier (at one point I had about an inch thick layer of mud on my feet) it was harder to get any traction at all and my feet continued to slip out from under me. So I went with it, where I found that the mud was the slickest, I started this skating motion with my running and concentrated on keeping my balance by utilizing my arms as stabilizing bars, it worked really well. That is until I got to a down hill portion of the trail, skating down a hill with barefeet over roots and rocks, not a good idea. This caused me to walk most downhills or find a path least travelled in the underbrush so I had traction. There was one hill in particular that led down to a bridge over a stream, last year I ran down it really quickly, this year it took me a couple of minutes to negotiate my way down. I was definitely using a lot of different muscle combinations to not only stay upright on my feet but to ensure I did not go sliding off the trail into trees or off the side of a cliff.

Me negotiating down a hill

This was a standard trail lots of mud but the

leaves actually helped with traction.

One of the hills up, this was a lot steeper than it looks

and lots of squishy between the toes mud

Last year I was proud to say I did not fall or trip once at this race, this year I was not so lucky. I hit the mud 3 times on the first lap as I tried to figure out my footing tactics, and it must of worked because I did not hit the ground again on the second lap, so what ever I did to compensate did the trick. I will admit there was a few times when it was pretty close, but I was able to keep my balance. We were still keeping a decent pace going back and forth with a bunch of runners including Raymond who was running his first 25km and Marcel our very optimistic Frenchman who keep telling Nicole, "You will finish, you have to believe you will finish!" This is very true advise, you do have to believe you can do it, any negative thoughts and that will play on you and odds are you will not finish the race.

Aid stations 2 (12 km mark) and 3 (18 km mark) were not quite as busy when we arrived, the majority of the faster runners were quite a bit further ahead of us and that was ok. We stopped for some water and some quick snacks and headed out as quickly as possible. The terrain between aid station 2 and 3 consisted of asphalt road, chip and seal, a little bit of gravel and more awesome trails. The trails were really messy, and I had to let a few runners by for fear of holding them up to much, traction was still a bit of an issue. I was definitely utilizing a different combination of leg muscles at every turn, trying to stabilize myself or keep moving forward, this was becoming one hell of a workout, but I was enjoying every minute of it. About the half way point between the second and third aid stations there is a crazy steep hill that you have to go down, normally I take it fairly slow due to the loose rocks that cover the entire single track length. But this time add the slippery mud and this was a really interesting challenge, I was actually contemplating sliding down on my butt, but I figured that would hurt more than if I tried to negotiate my way down. Once I was down I had to pick up the speed to catch up with Nicole again who scaled the hill like a mountain goat, I am still amazed at how she just cruises down all the hills with little to no trouble at all. We were still making good time, at the rate we were going we would come in at the half way point at about 3 hours, that would give us 4 hours to complete the second loop.

Between Aide stations 3 and 4 there are some more asphalt roads, single track trail, a creek crossing and my favorite area for the entire race. That would be entering an area of pines that create a corridor or a canopy over your head its so quiet you could hear a pin drop or a shoad runner clomping away at least. It goes really quiet through this area and the ground is covered with red soft pine needles that make it seem like you are running on a thick soft red carpet absolutely awesome feeling on bare feet. Its like you are running down a aisle towards the front and everybody is watching you and silently cheering you on. It is a very surreal feeling, one that I quite enjoy. I was still finding that I was skating quite a bit, so I started running back and forth between the mud trail and the areas beside the trail to see if I could find a bit more traction. It appeared to be working cause I was able to pick up some speed and make my way by a few runners. There were quite a few areas where I had to slow down and pick my way through but for the most part I was quite happy with the pace that we were keeping through this stage of the race. When we hit Thorndale Road and crossed the bridge over the river, the rain was starting to come down a bit and the wind picked up. It was a bit of a challenge through that area until we reached the trail head again at the top of the hill. But once we got back into the woods again it was smooth sailing except for the mud. As we reached the creek crossing I just smiled, everybody was complaining about having to get their feet and shoes wet and the water was higher than last year, etc. I just did a quick look for the quickest path through and jumped on in and negotiated my way to the other side. It was great, very refreshing and I was able to get most of the mud off of my legs and feet at the same time. The bigger challenge was getting up the hill on the other side to the trail because there was nothing left of the ground that would work for traction just mud, so you had to make your way into the brush a little bit to get a hold of some tree branches to help pull you up.

The creek crossing, last year you could see the rocks out of the water but not this year.

Note the mud hill on the other side not easy getting up.

This is the very scenic part of the trail, single track running along the river for most of it, including some areas where the ground just drops off towards the river. It was really interesting at corners here, because if I did not have my footing in check I would of just slipped and slid right off the trail and the cliff. So needless to say I made sure I was planting my feet on as solid ground as I could find.

By the time we reached the 4th aide station at 22 km we were quite excited because we knew the first loop was almost done and we were in great shape to reach our half way point goal. I took my first Gu at this stop because I felt it was important to start the energy boost now and not leave it to late. Everything was going good, both Nicole and I had lots of spring in our steps and were raring to 'Get er Done'. As we came out of the woods by the golf course, we ran into this volunteer who was screaming her head off, then she saw my feet and her eyes opened wide. I wasn't sure if she was surprised by my bare feet or that I was carrying a very clean pair of shoes in my hands. I was a little amazed that my shoes were still as clean as they were as well, but they were new and I didn't want to get them all messy unless I had too. There was a good group of us running towards the finish area and cut off for the next lap, and once again the majority of them veered off to the finish line, and only 4 of us veered to the left. I yelled 'Great run' at Raymond as he headed to the finish line, this was his first 25km run and he did fantastic. As we passed the mid point we were at 3 hours and a minute (plus or minus a few seconds), so I looked at Nicole and said half way there lets go finish this off. Nicole was estactic because she had made it past the half way point and she wasn't getting pulled.

With objective one done, we headed out onto lap number 2, we ran with a gentleman named Hans for the first 3 or 4 km of the second lap. What an inspiration, he is a 78 year old great grandfather who has been running numerous ultra marathons over the last few years. He was out here running the race with his grandson (who finished way ahead of us), and was going to continue to run for as long as he was able. He looked strong and had no signs of fatigue at all, I just hope I can do what he does at his age that would be awesome. The funny thing was he keep telling me he was in awe of me because I was running this barefoot, and I kept turning it back around to him, and he keep shaking it off like it was no big deal. I had the pleasure of meeting his family after the run including his wife, his son, grandson and great grandsons and they were a treat to talk too.

As we hit the first aide station again, we stopped for a bit longer as Nicole had to use the facilities and I started talking to the volunteers. One of them remembered me from last year as the barefoot runner with the kilt. It was interesting, it seems I was the talk of the course for going out barefoot again this year and with the conditions that were at hand to boot. So after some questions and answers, Nicole and I headed out up the gravel road to a bunch of good lucks and have a great run. I really like how all the volunteers are so friendly and appear to be having a good time. Its also amazing the selection of drinks and food products that they have available even this late into the run.

Everything was going great as we went along, we ran over the dam, passed the gate, ran the pine needles hit the dirt roads and boy was I smiling as we passed the spot where I put my VFF's on last year. My feet were feeling fantastic, no ill effects of running 35 kms without shoes, I could sense it I was going to finish this thing off without my shoes. That was objective two complete, now just one more to go and then the big finish, things were looking good and both Nicole and I were getting more and more confident as we progressed. Its funny one of the reasons that Nicole got pulled last year was because she was camera happy and taking to many pictures. So what do we do this year, we stop and take pictures, it seems to be a trend with our runs, we are out to finish but we are also out to just have fun.

Nicole looking relaxed, confident and

fantastic at 38 kms

The time slowly ticked away as we passed Aide Station 2 and then 3, we were still making good time but there were some areas where we had to walk up hills or down hills because the traction was not there. But I do have to say, other than forced walks due to conditions we did not walk very much at all. I was very happy with that, I felt strong for pretty much the entire run, my legs were finally starting to get a little heavy from all the extra muscle work near the end. The traction was a little better on the second lap as well on the flats, unlike the first lap where I was slipping and sliding everywhere, this lap I seemed to figure it out. Things were going fairly smoothly as we carried along the trails. I will say I did end up stepping on a couple of roots or stones that were hidden within the puddles on the trail but other than that everything went perfectly.

As we hit the 4 aide station, we had about 25 minutes to finish the last 3 or so km, so after a little bit of refueling we set off. This was objective three, last year I pulled myself out at this aide station because my groin would let me go no further, so the perma-grin attached itself to my face for the rest of the way. I was glad that there were no bugs out, because I would of been eating lots of protein with me showing all that teeth. So here we were at about 47 or 48 kms in, and only a couple more to go and we would be officially finished our first ultra marathon, who would of thunk it.

1 km to go, woo hoo!

As we hit the 1 km remaining sign, we had to stop to take a picture to commemorate the occasion, because damn it we were almost done. A little bit of gravel road, some single track and a grass run to the finish line and the nemesis that is the first ultra is done. As we broke out onto the grass to some cheering, all we hear is 'sprint the last little bit to the finish'. All I can think is, but I am sprinting can't you tell. As we got to the timing pad, Nicole and I finished like we started, we crossed the line at the exact same time, 6 hours 56 minutes and zero seconds (not the best time but for the conditions I will take it). So the last goal was completed to start together and to finish together, my partner in life and my partner in running. We did it, together, now how many people can say that, at least I know I can.

What a day, what a great weight off our shoulders, now we can move onto the next challenge.

Nicole and I after we finished, notice the nice shiny metals

and my nice clean shoes.

Better shot of my barefeet and yes we are tired but still standing.

Just a little bit dirty but the ZEM 360's are clean

They performed admirably sitting in my hands.

Vulture Bait 50 km done like dinner.

Here are my miles for the last couple of weeks lets see where we are at.

Tuesday October 4, 2011

Run Around Assinoboine Park

Barefoot: 4.06 miles

Vibrams: 0.00 miles

Total: 4.06 miles

Thursday October 6, 2011

Run From Work to Charleswood

Barefoot: 11.57 miles

Vibrams: 0.00 miles

Total: 11.57 miles

Saturday October 8, 2011

Run with City Park Runners

Barefoot: 8.79 miles

Vibrams: 0.00 miles

Total: 8.79 miles

Sunday October 9, 2011

Run with Leslie

Barefoot: 2.79 miles

Vibrams: 0.00 miles

Total: 2.79 miles

Saturday October 15, 2011

Vulture Bait Ultra Marathon London, On

Barefoot: 31.21 miles

ZEM 360: 0.00 miles

Total: 31.21 miles

Totals This Post:

Barefoot: 58.42 miles

Minimalist: 0.00 miles

Total: 58.42 miles

Year to Date

Barefoot: 698.57 miles

Minimalist: 80.20 miles

Total: 778.77 miles

Not to shabby for a total since mid April.

Have a great week, brisk and cold weather is a comin' so we will see where we can get before it gets to cold to continue with the barefeet.

May the wind be brisk to help push you along.

On on,

Bob

Heading To Vulture Bait

2011-10-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

Nicole and I are on the road (or in the air) tomorrow for a follow up encounter with Vulture Bait 50 km Ultra Marathon in London, Ontario on Saturday. Nicole is going to run in her NB Minimus and I am going to tackle this one barefoot of course and utilizing my new ZEMGear 360 split toe for my emergency gear just in case. Wish us luck, have to erase the demons from last year (DNF'ing really sucked).

Journey of 1,000 Barefoot Miles - Week Ending October 2, 2011

2011-10-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

What more can you say about the weather that we are currently having, this has definitely been a barefoot runner's dream type situation. Here we are heading into October and we are still consistently hitting the 20+ degree Celsius mark. Absolutely fantastic, I am having such a hard time controlling my giddiness about this and the desire to strip and run through the fields screaming at the top of lungs is being barely held back (aren't you glad I have some willpower left, because that would not be a very pretty sight).

Update: We hit 32 degrees yesterday if you can believe it, we were actually warmer than Phoenix, AZ at 27 degrees. All I can say is wow!

I do know one thing, when it does start to cool down, and it will (this is Winnipeg, Canada after all), I will look back at all this beautiful sunny weather we have had this year with fond memories, because it has been an absolutely perfect year for running. A lot of firsts have happened for me this year: my first and second official barefoot marathons were completed, I broke under the hour mark for a 10 km, amassed some additional PB's, completed my first barefoot gravel half marathon, ran an unofficial 50km, ran downtown Winnipeg in a red dress with a bunch of other crazy runners (and no it wasn't Halloween), amassed some major miles and learned a whole bunch about what the human body is actually capable of doing if you allow it too.

I have made some great new friends and acquaintances alike over the last year as well, it amazes me how many people are generally curious or interested in the way I run. I can honestly say, I have probably met or talked to more people this year, then I have in the last 10 years. I don't know what it is about barefoot running or running in general that allows people to throw away their inhibitions and just start a conversation with a complete stranger. It makes for some pretty interesting discussions, that is for sure.

Within my last post I mentioned that the week ending October 2nd, I was expecting to pass the 1,000 km barefoot mark for the season, and I am happy to report that I have achieved that. As of Saturday morning prior to my run with City Park Runners I was sitting at 621.19 miles or 999.70 km, I found it quite interesting that I was that close before I put my barefoot to concrete sidewalk outside the store. Basically by the time I hit the other side of the bridge into the park, I had passed the mark, even though my Garmin was not working properly I still consider that the spot.

Although this was not the original goal that these posts were about in the beginning, I am proud that I have passed this milestone and still have some time to tack some additional miles on prior to the end of the season,.Who knows 700 miles is in reach maybe even 750, only time will tell to see where I end up. But I do know one thing for sure, I will be starting over again next year more determined to eclipse the 1,000 mile mark then ever.

Does anyone else have any goals they have achieved or want to achieve next year as well? Races? Distances? Times?

My miles for the last week are as per below:

Monday September 26, 2011
WH3 Monday Night Run
Barefoot: 4.02 miles
Vibrams: 0.00 miles
Total: 4.02 miles

Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Barefoot: 5.75 miles
Vibrams: 0.00 miles
Total: 5.75 miles

Thursday, September 29, 2011
Run Home From Work
Barefoot: 13.18 miles
Vibrams: 0.00 miles
Total: 13.18 miles

Saturday, October 1, 2011
Run with City Park
Barefoot: 6.95 miles
Vibrams: 0.00 miles
Total: 6.95 miles

Sunday, October 2, 2011
Barefoot: 12.01 miles
Vibrams: 0.00 miles
Total: 12.01 miles

Week That Was
Barefoot: 41.91 miles
Vibrams: 0.00 miles
Total: 39.33 miles

Year To Date
Barefoot: 640.15 miles
Vibrams: 80.20 miles
Total: 720.35 miles

Have a wonderful weekend, and take advantage of the great weather everybody, I know I will be.

"20,000 years ago if you didn't learn to run barefoot you were eaten"

quote courtesy of Vibram

Journey of 1,000 Barefoot Miles Week Ending Sept 25, 2011

2011-09-30T10:18:00.000-07:00

all photos courtesy of City Park Runners

Have you ever had one of those moments when you were a little hesitant or unsure about something, when your brain and body are not on the same page. One of those moments when you need that extra bit of encouragement from a friend or maybe just a kick in the rear end to get you going?

Or in my case Sunday, I heard a whole bunch of comments like, "What are those on your feet?" "Ummm Bob, you forgot to take off your shoes?" Or my favorite, "Bob your not running in those are you?"

It's really interesting being known to run barefoot, its either complete shock and dismay when someone who has never seen you run before notices the non-existent foot gear, or total confusion when someone you know sees you in something other than bare feet. Yesterday I was taking part in a great little event put on by City Park Runners called 'A Run Through History' in support of Variety of Manitoba when the both of these situations happened. Lets back up a bit and I will start from the beginning.

It was going to be a great day, the sun was shining, the weather brisk and cool, a slight breeze coming out of the north, overall perfect conditions for a run. Nicole and I set out with the kids to Lower Fort Garry for the 9:00 am race start time and arrived there with lots of time to spare. I checked in at the kit pickup location and secured the race bibs for both Nicole and myself. Unfortunately Nicole was not running as someone had to watch the kids while the other ran, and this is another reason why she is the best spouse in the world for her willingness to give up her run and let me complete mine. Now Nicole did get out to run early Sunday with Gail, and I was glad for that, because if she did not I would of felt very guilty and it would of been interesting trying to figure out how to make it up to her.

For some reason, I was not feeling my usual get up and go to take off the shoes and just run. So as we walked down this nice new asphalt path towards the fort and the start line. I noticed I was still wearing my Vibrams, which I pondered was a little weird, usually I ditch the shoes first opportunity I get and stretching my legs on this new asphalt with shoes on was a little strange even for me. So with a quick head shake to loosen up the cobwebs, I took off the VFF's and started doing some quick sprints to get the blood flowing. I didn't think about the shoe thing again till we reached the gravel entrance to the fort, and I stepped onto the cold (and I mean cold) very pointy gravel. After a couple of interesting steps, I turned and looked at Nicole and said, "Hmmm maybe I will be using my Vibrams today after all." So I proceeded to put them on and carried on my little way to the kit pickup table. I ended up getting a couple of comments about the shoes that were currently covering my typically bare feet, but I was for some reason this morning I was a little leery to run without them. Strange considering I have ran over worse gravel and in colder temperatures, so this really made no sense to me.

As we gathered at the start line, more comments started coming as running friends and associates alike started to notice my shoes. About a minute before the start of the race, a friend stared at me with a look that spoke to me with something like this "What the hell are you doing mister barefoot runner, get those shoes off your feet." With a shake of my head, I suddenly thought to myself, what am I doing, why am I wearing these, I hate running in shoes. So with a smile and a grin, the VFF's came off and they were thrown towards Nicole and the kids for safe keeping. With that it seemed all was right in the world again. I got back into the running pack, with some "Alright now that is more like it!" and the standard whispers of "He's got no shoes on" and "He's not going to run like that is he." All I could think in my mind was, "Oh yes, yes he is" as a smile creeped across my face.

Then there was the call of Ready, Set, Goooooo!, and we were off. It was slow going for a moment or two as the quicker runners maneuvered to the front and the runners like me made our way through everybody else. But once we got going, we got going. The gravel I was so worried about at the start was still a little cold and stabbing at the bottoms of my feet, but I just got into my high tempo running gait and 'Ninja-toed' my way through to the asphalt path just outside the gate. To explain what I mean by 'Ninja-toed', this is when I use a very light step at a very high cadence so basically the bottom of my feet barely touch the ground. As my foot starts to touch down, I am already starting to bring it back up, creating a very light and silent running stride (hence the reference to Ninja). When I run like this, you will not even hear me coming, or at least that is the objective.

As I turned onto the asphalt path which leads to River Road, I turned on the jets and just started running (some say I float along). I passed a bunch of runners and was just enjoying myself as I scanned around looking at all the trees changing colours. I actually forgot about running for a couple of minutes and just enjoyed the scenery as I cruised along until I approached the turn onto River Road. There was C my personal trainer directing the runners on where they were heading. With a Go Bob Go, and my quick response of "My core is missing it's workout something fierce" with a smile on my face, I rounded onto River Road. I continued to catch up and pass runners along the way and all I could think is wow I feel great and my legs were responding well, this is going to be a quick run. As I looked to the right, you could see the Red River through all the colour changing trees, it really was quite the sight. All I could think was this would make for some great pictures. What a great day and a great location for a run, thank you City Park for picking such a perfect venue.

I looked up the road, and could see the turn around spot in the distance as the first place runners headed by me, I figured I was only about 5 minutes behind the leaders (honestly that is not to bad for me, I was quite impressed with that).I still had a lot of umph left so I started to pick up the pace a little bit. I passed by a whole lot of familiar faces heading back the other way with a whole bunch of 'Way to go's' and 'Great run' and so ons I felt absolutely free and was having a great time. As I made the turnaround and started the trek back to the finish line, I passed a whole bunch of runners I knew including Laura, Elaine, Leslie and Erika, they all appeared to be having a great time and why not.

Heading back up the road, I was really not trying to look at my Garmin to see how far I had gone or how fast I was running, but curiosity killed the barefoot runner so to speak. So with a quick look I was surprised to see that I was just above a 8:00 minute mile and I was approaching the 2 mile mark. Wow, I was so surprised I almost tripped over my own bare feet, I had never been able to run that pace before in a race. I just started to smile, that was when I heard some whispering behind me, "I have to catch him, I can't let Bob beat me!" That was Laura, her competitiveness breaking through as she partnered up to catch me. Well I figured I would make it harder for her, so with a big grin I picked up the pace ever so slightly to make it a little bit more challenging. Now Laura is a great runner and a good friend so I have no problem if she beats me, but I was trying to not let it be to easy for her. I knew in the end she would probably pass me but I wanted to milk it for all it was worth and I did. I didn't let her pass me until we were back onto the pathway to the fort. As she did pass me, I told her to go finish it off strong because I was going to come back at her if I could. I think this motivated her to push quicker, I was just having to much fun so I let her go (I probably wouldn't of been able to catch her anyway at least not yet I am working on it).

As we rounded the corner back onto the gravel road into the fort, I heard a couple of people gasp as they noticed my bare feet. All I could think as I started the loop around was I was going to go as fast as I could and hit that finish line flying. I swear my feet barely touched the gravel as I did not feel anything (I finished the gravel portion at a 7:44 min/mile pace which is absolutely crazy fast for gravel) and then I heard Erick call out on the megaphone, "and here comes Barefoot Bob". All I could do was smile as I crossed the finish line. I finished in 25:17 officially which is still a minute faster than my personal best 5km time. I was shocked because I was only shooting to break the 26:00 minute barrier and I absolutely killed it.

Congratulations to all the runners who finished hard (Laura finished in 25:02 which is a great time and the winning time was 17:18 by QF and SK was a half of a step behind at 17:19), and to the others that finished their first official 5km run (congrats LM with a 36:48 good run). A great thanks to the organizers Erik, Cheryll and the rest of the staff at City Park Runners as well as the volunteers for Variety the Children's Charity of Manitoba for putting on a fantastic event. Of course we cannot forget about all the volunteers who took time out of their day to help make this event a great success. Last but not least to all the spectators and the fort staff who dressed in character to keep everybody entertained for the day with a little bit of history to go along with the fun. I am really looking forward to this event next year. You never know, I might be trying to break the 24:00 min barrier by then.

Some pictures for your viewing pleasure. Thanks again to City Park Runners for the photos and to putting on such a great event.

Look at those great jackets

And we are off, 'See Sheldon Run'

A beautiful day for a run

One and Two come in neck and neck

John coming in strong

Laura, how dare you beat me

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!

Lookout world you haven't seen the last of me!

Damn that is a great jacket.

He got the biggest cheer, running with a coffee carafe like that.

What a beautiful sunny day in Manitoba

Can't get any better than this.

Lower Fort Garry

Lower Fort Garry volunteers in period costume

Milling about before the run.

So after such a great run I have to end off with a great Chinese quotation:

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu
Chinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC)

or a more topic related quote could be:

"A journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one's bare feet."

To carry on with my mileage reporting for the year:

Monday, September 19, 2011

WH3 Red Dress Run 2011

Barefoot: 0.00 miles

Vibrams: 4.25 miles

Total: 4.25 miles

Note: I am sure there are some questions about the above item, let us just say I was a little concerned about what I was wearing at the time of this run to have to worry about watching for broken glass, etc in downtown Winnipeg as the sun was going down. I am going into no more detail than that, but it may lead into a future post, and yes there is pictures but I am not going to post them even if you say pretty please.

Tuesday September 20, 2011

Lunch Run at Work

Barefoot: 6.95 miles

Vibrams: 0.00 miles

Total: 6.95 miles

Thursday September 22, 2011

Run From Work to Charleswood

Barefoot: 11.60 miles

Vibrams: 0.00 miles

Total: 11.60 miles

Saturday September 24, 2011

Run With City Park Runners

Barefoot: 5.30 miles

Vibrams: 0.00 miles

Total: 5.30 miles

Sunday September 25, 2011

A Run Through History 5 km

Barefoot: 3.11 miles

Vibrams: 0.00 miles

Total: 3.11 miles

Total for the Week:

Barefoot: 26.96 miles

Vibrams: 4.25 miles

Total: 31.21 miles

Year to Date:

Barefoot: 598.24 miles

Vibrams: 80.20 miles

Total: 678.44 miles

So with the above numbers I will cross the 1,000 km (or 619 mile) mark barefoot since April by the end of this week. Even though I will realistically not reach the 1,000 mile mark this year (unless Winnipeg decides to have Hawaii type weather for the rest of the year, NOT!), this is a huge successful venture in my books. This also gives me the modivation to reach for the goal again next year.

But on that note, lets see how far I can get in the upcoming weeks before the snow flies and the city starts putting chemicals that burn the bottom of my feet back onto the sidewalk.

Until next week and the confirmation of the completed km's.

May your souls tread lightly over the gravel that is life.

On on

Bob

Journey of 1,000 Barefoot Miles - Week Ending September 17, 2011 Bismark Marathon Edition

2011-09-18T10:36:00.000-07:00

So this has been an interesting week, since last Sunday when I ran the entire Treherne Half Marathon barefoot on gravel to the dismay of a lot of people, and accepted an invite to join a friend on an excursion to Bismark, ND to run there on Saturday, I have found out alot about the resilience of my feet and body in general.

Lets start with Sunday, after I finished the half, my feet were a little tender, ok that would be an understatement they were down right sore. After running 13.1 miles on gravel (with about a mile reprieve on asphalt) that was very understandable, I figured I would have tender feet for a couple of days. I was wrong within hours my feet were back to normal, my calves were a still a little tight the next day and my big toe was still sore from my toe drag at mile 10 or so, but other than that my feet felt fantastic. Also note my toe healed up nicely in a couple of days. I was even able to do some trail running Monday night out at Kilcona Park with the WH3 barefoot and it felt fantastic, no ill effects of the race the day before.

But just to be on the safe side, I did not run the rest of the week, since I committed to going to Bismark with Mike (from See Mike Run), I wanted to ensure my feet were ready for what I was thinking was going to be a fast half marathon. Nothing like a last minute decision to run a race, within the last two weeks I have signed up for 2 runs at the last minute (Treherne the Wednesday before the race and now Bismark the day before). The crazy thing is that on the trip down to Bismarck, I was contemplating running the full instead of the half because I didn't know what I would do waiting the extra approx 2 hours for Mike and David to finish after I was done. So as we drove the 450 miles (not km's eh Mike) to Bismarck I tossed the idea of throwing caution to the wind and running the full marathon around. So here we are driving for about 7 hours to an American city, trying to figure out what race I was going to complete. We arrived in Bismarck around 6 pm and headed straight to the race pick up / registration area which was located in the mall which was adjacent the Scheel's (a really cool sports equipment store similar to MEC and REI). Still completely undecided which way I was going to go, I started the registration process and got to the run selection and checked Full, I thought why not you only live once, right?

Now lets put this into perspective for all you runners and non-runners out there:

I have not ran more than 16 miles since June 17th in one shot (only adding 10.2 miles onto of my max run, no problem).

I haven't trained for a marathon at all and definitely not at race pace.

I was still battling my breathing issues, carried my puffer through Trehere just in case and would do the same here.

There was a killer hill to tackle not once but twice (1.5 or so miles up at a 5% grade incline)

There was chip-seal on the course

There would be off and on rain throughout the run and a pretty good head wind

Of course I was running barefoot

That all being said, I was pumped to get out there and run. It was really interesting, as I was registering, one of the ladies behind the table noticed my Vibram shirt and mentioned that her son runs in them, and Mike mentioned that I actually run barefoot and would be running tomorrow that way. That was when all the hoopla started, all of a sudden they were quizzing me so they could write down my bib number, my name and contact info on a separate sheet, for at the time some unknown purpose. It really didn't hit me until the next day what it was, but I will expand on that later. I just answered their questions, smiled and we headed out to go check in at the hotel and then off to Olive Garden for some pasta and beer (a traditional pre-race feast).

With a 7:30 am start time and really not sure where were going and how to get there (thank you Garmin GPS), we wanted to ensure we were up early enough to ensure we had plenty of time. After we got back to the hotel, it was a early bedtime to try to maximize on the sleep that we would probably not get and true to form all three of us didn't get much. Pre-run jitters are common, as you start to run the course in your head and lay out and try to perfect your strategy for the day ahead (note: I have found this really never goes to plan but so be it I still do anyway). It was interesting to hear this never goes away, I found out that David who has run over 80 marathons and a number of ultras (including The Canadian Death Race and numerous other 100 milers) still has this happen as well.

Mike was up at around 5:00, I dragged my butt out of bed at around 5:20 and David fell out of bed at about 5:35, a quick shower, dress and prep for run and we headed downstairs to hit the continental breakfast and a coffee. Met some other runners from Ohio and Kansas who seemed a little over dressed to me wearing touques, tights and heavier running jackets, but they were ready to 'Get 'Er Done!' (That one is for you Mike). Here I was planning to wear my shorts, tri shirt (which is sleeveless) and my arm sleeves for the start, along with my bare feet, must be a Canadian thing, overheating is not a good thing in my mind. Anyway, we piled into the car and headed out to find the run, thanks again GPS for pointing us in the right direction. About halfway there we picked up a runner who was walking along the side of the road looking rather chilled. He in fact was from Houston Texas, and was only wearing his running gear which consisted of a muscle shirt and shorts, he was very grateful for the ride. He was unaware how far it actually was from the hotel to the start line so we were glad to give him the opportunity to warm up before running the full marathon. As we arrived we started to get ready, I took off my long sleeve shirt and my VFF's but left my Injini toe socks on to keep my toes warm, I did get some looks from other runners as I was walking around in socks (just wait till those come off, hee hee!).

It wasn't long before everybody started lining up at their posted target times, we all settled on a 4:00 goal (I say this with tongue in cheek) and positioned ourselves in that area. Off came the socks and the OMG's started with earnest and with them the questions. Now I do not think myself an expert in any stretch of the imagination (with only about a year and a half of experience) on barefoot running but I do like to pass on my knowledge if people are interested. This race seemed to be one where there was a lot of interest, I had numerous conversations and questions with runners, volunteers and spectators alike on the way i run. You would almost think this 'Barefoot Running' thing was catching on or something. After the National Anthem was sang (and she did a fantastic job), we counted down from 10 to the start, it was nice to hear everybody get louder as we approached one..... and we were off!

It's always interesting how runners always position themselves in time areas that are realistically beyond their capabilities, even at the start. I love optimism (and I will admit a 4:00 marathon for me is a stretch but I can keep that pace from the start for a number of miles), but Mike, David and I must of passed numerous runners in the first few minutes that couldn't keep up that pace at all. For some runners this could be very frustrating, if they are looking for a time or a personal best to have to weave in and out of slower runners that they really shouldn't have too. I personally say, even though it is frustrating, you have to keep a positive outlook and be happy they are out enjoying a run, because not that long ago you were probably exactly like them. Life is to short to let little things like that get to you, enjoy the day.

On to the race, let me say it was a blast, they had friendly volunteers and for a smaller race and not ideal weather conditions there was some very enthusiastic spectators along route. I kept pace with Mike and David for probably the first 10 miles or so, which was fantastic for me because they are both stronger runners than I am. The course of the start was on a bike or runners asphalt path so it was a little congested until things started to thin out, but once it did it was smooth sailing. I had numerous conversations along the run (which did slow me down a little bit) with runners along the way, either with runners that had started the conversion to barefoot or wanted to give it a try but were a little hesitant, too the runners that thought I was totally nuts but amazed at the same time. I ran and talked with a younger guy from Bismarck for about 5 minutes about how to start running barefoot and what not to do. I was amazed at how enthusiastic he was, I almost thought he was going to stop and take his shoes off right there, but luckily he didn't he still had a good 24 miles to run. I do not know what it is about running, but you can talk with a complete stranger about anything and there is no problem, no inhibitions at all everything is fair game. One girl I was talking to about barefoot running suddenly changed topic to bodily functions and noises without a bat of an eyelash. This is someone I met not 2 minutes before, where else do you get that. This is another reason I like to run.

As we trucked along the course, we started heading to "the Hill", that would be Mary's Hill towards the The University of Mary (she must of been important to have a University named after her) which was located on top of a plateau to the north side of town. This hill was very interesting, not usually on the course the race director had to change the route due to the flooding of the Missouri River, thus the hill was added (not once but twice - at mile 5 and 18). It is a on paper, one mile long at a 5% steep grade incline up towards the University (officially I would say 1.5 to 1.75 miles up to the top by the University but who's counting). This was going to be a challenge for us flatlanders but of course we were up for the challenge. Along the way to the Hill we passed a couple of young musicians playing away to help inspire the runners. It put a smile on face to see a couple of teenagers playing their hearts out in the cold and drizzle as they were. One had a full drum kit set up and was going at it like a wild man and the other was a younger teen who was strumming Smoke on the Water on his electric guitar. Very impressed that they took the time to do this, they were still going at it as I passed them for the second time on the second lap, pretty darn impressive. There was also a harpist playing at the University grounds as well, I would think her fingers were probably pretty cold strumming the strings for 4 hours, so kudos to her as well. The view at the top of the hill behind the University was really impressive, you could look into the river valley and even with the fog and mist it was still a pretty impressive sight. I of course had to stop and take some pictures, as I decided that I was going to play tourist on this little adventure and I was having so much fun. As I started up and headed towards the first Relay Transition Point, the strangest thing happened, I heard some guy on a bullhorn calling out relay numbers as they came into the transition area (not unusual) but then i heard him announce the following, " Look out folks, here comes our Barefoot Runner, give him a big cheer when he goes through!" I really didn't think much of it, I waved, high fived a bunch or spectators and runners alike, smiled and thought to myself, wow that was nice, and carried on my merry little way towards the down the hill part of the run.

As David and Mike pulled away once we got down the hill and headed back to the end of the first loop, I got once again into a conversation with a couple of runners who were running the half marathon, they were having the time of their lives and you could see it all over their faces. Not really paying attention to my pace I ran with them for a while, fielding more questions and comments, having a few laughs and just enjoying the run. They started to slow a little bit and I said my goodbyes and good lucks and slowly pulled away. My legs and feet felt fantastic, there was no sign of fatigue at all, and I was keeping a good pace somewhere around 9:10 mile, which I was ecstatic about. I then started running with this one older gentleman who was running a leg of the relay, I believe he was a city engineer as he was telling me about the earth dikes that were still along the side of the road and how they had just finished clearing some of the dikes off the course route that week, kudos to the city workers who helped get the course in as good of shape as it was. He also told me he wanted to run the half but he was out early putting all the race signs out so he decided that the relay would still give him the chance to run. Awesome stuff, I like to hear stories like this, it shows dedication, unfortunately I did not get his name but I know he finished strong.

Once again, I was coming around the corner towards relay exchange number two, when once again "I hear, "Here he comes give a big cheer for our barefoot runner, Bob Nicol from Winnipeg". I really didn't think much of this once again, just thinking that's strange why did they announce my name as I ran through with some more hi-fives, etc. As I headed to the half way point and the end of the first lap, I started thinking to myself, 'How did she know my name?' (this also happened at the rest of the Relay Stations as well, very humbling. Shaking that off I proceeded to the half way point, and came up to the only area that was really a little confusing, there was a volunteer standing on a split in the path asking the marathoners as they came through if it was their first or second time through? Me not really comprehending what he was talking about, said, "Damn only the first time, I am not that fast", thinking he was talking about finishing of my second loop. Nope, it seems the start of the second loop consisted of a loop inside a loop so you pass that junction twice in about 15 minutes or so, a little confusion but I guess it could of been worse. As I ran towards the half way point (and the finish for the half marathoners), I once again heard, " Lets hear a big cheer for our barefoot runner, Bob Nicol from Winnipeg who is running the entire marathon barefoot today!" At this point, I started wondering what the heck is going on, this is a little weird, I am no where near the front, I do have a good split with just over a 2 hour 13.1 miles but really. Then as I pass the announcer he gives me a big thumbs up and a quick reference to 'Born To Run' being a great read and wishing me good luck on finishing, as I was the only barefoot runner.

I was a little taken aback by all the attention, but figured ok, lets finish this baby off. I headed out on the final lap, with a little bit of a slower pace but still good in my books. As I finished the loop I came up to the volunteer who directed me around the first time, and joked with him see you in a couple of hours, he smiled and cheered me on. The second loop was very similar to the first time around a lot of chatting with everybody, I got to see a really cool drum solo, and the guitar player was still cranking it out as I ran by. Everybody was throwing comments my way about my feet and I was having a great time. I even started playing duck, duck, goose with another marathoner as I would pass her, then she would pass me, then I would pass her. We did this the entire rest of the race. Going up the second hill I decided to walk a good chunk of it to conserve my energy for the final push to the finish, this was a good thing as there was a killer headwind as well for the entire distance up the hill. I ran down the hill with a fresh abandon, just letting go and with a great tail wind to boot, I have never had that type of energy at this stage of the run (was around 20 to 21 miles). I cruised to the bottom, and stopped for my one potty brake and a gel stop. I think the volunteers thought I was crazy because I was grinning from ear to ear and even started picking up some of the cups around the garbage can that missed (must be a Canadian thing). Off I went to catch up to my duck, duck, goose partner, when I noticed that she was slowing down quite a bit, so as I passed her I told her she had to run in with me and I wouldn't take no for an answer. She smiled, agreed and I took off ahead, so I got a couple of minutes ahead of her and started to walk to let her catch up and pass me, even though I felt fantastic and could of ran it in I was having fun and I wanted to help this runner get in. So once she got about 500 yds ahead of me, I started running again and passed her with a 'Duck', ran ahead stopped and started walking again, in which she passed me again with a smile and a 'Goose'. This happen a couple more times until we were at about mile 25 and change, this was where Valerie from Nebraska and I started running together to the finish. We also picked up Melissa who was part of relay team (who were running in support of a friend with cancer), Melissa started running a couple of years ago to get active and has lost 60 pounds since starting. She was doing awesome but I could see she was starting to falter a little, so on went my 'Motivational Speaker Cap' and I told the both of them, let's go we are almost there, and I want to both of you to kick my barefoot Canadian butt. They both laughed and the closer we got, the more I pushed them to finish. You could see Melissa's teammates cheering her on in the distance and that must of inspired her as she took off from the both of us, it was great to see and put a smile on my face. That was when I looked at Valerie and told her, now its your turn and egged her on through the finish line. She beat me by 3 seconds. Official time was 4 hours 36 minutes and 55 seconds. With a quick hug and thank yous from both of them we parted ways, it was fantastic to see. This is another thing I love about running, to see them as they crossed the finish line was priceless, and why I will continue to run.

Even though i could of shaved some time off my finish, to me it was not about that, it was seeing the looks on everybody's faces as they crossed the finish line realizing if they push themselves that little bit harder, they can do it and have done it. To cap this off I had a great time running this race and even though it was not a personal best, I will not forget the fun that I had and discovering how my body and feet have adapted. Previously, I could of never imagined running a marathon, let alone one without training for it, I be thinking this ultra marathon thing could be possible after all.

There are some pictures at the end of the post for your viewing pleasure.

Here are my miles for the week:

Monday, September 12, 2011

WH3 Run at Kilcona Park
Barefoot: 2.35 miles

VFF's/NB Mimimus: 0.25 miles

Total: 2.60 miles

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Bismark Marathon

Barefoot: 26.37 miles

VFF's: 0.00 miles

Total: 26.37 miles

Total for Week

Barefoot: 28.72 miles

Minimalist: 0.25 miles

Total: 28.97 miles

Year To Date:

Barefoot: 571.28 miles

Minimalist: 75.95 miles

Total: 647.23 miles

The drummer on course kept a good beat

Young guitarist, sorry so blurry tried to snap photo as I was running by.

This was the path were on for the majority of the race, not to wide but it was doable.

Me before heading up the hill, this was around Mile 5 .

Harpist at the university grounds, very nice lady.

A look from the plateau behind the U of Mary down into the river valley

Another view from behind the U of Mary.

Have a great week everybody,

On on,

Bob

Long Run Sunday (not really) Sept 18/11

2011-09-17T18:26:00.000-07:00

We're going to meet 6 am at Timmies by Unicity, NOT Westwood and Portage. We only have an hour to run so it'll be short and sweet. Bring your rain stuff, just in case.

Journey of 1,000 Barefoot Miles: The Treherne Marathon Edition

2011-09-13T10:36:00.001-07:00

So I want to start this post out with the following comment, "When you bring beer to a marathon for a post run celebration, do not forget the bottle opener!" I learned this lesson first hand this weekend, and it will be a lesson that I will not soon forget, nor some people will not let me forget......

As we finished the run and headed back to the truck to settle in to watch the rest of the runners come in and have a beer with some friends, I realized I forgot the darn bottle opener. Now normally this would not be a problem as most domestic beer is twist top, but on this occasion I decided the night before to get fancy and bring some imports (Samuel Adams and a European brand that currently escapes me) and these both required bottle openers. Have you ever seen a bunch of runners who just finished a 13.1 mile run try to think of ways to get beer bottles open without an opener, well I can tell you it was not a pretty sight. To top it all off, we were driving our new truck that we had purchased the day before, so standard supplies were limited. To give you a quick synopsis of substitute bottle openers used tried they are as follows; A spoon, a crow bar from my tire changing kit, a key, my round belt buckle, finisher medals, etc. Lets just say we had very limited success in opening the bottles, but we all have matching flesh wounds on fingers to show for our efforts. It never occurred to any of us until the last bottle was opened that the seat belt in the truck would of done the trick, and if it wasn't for the magically appearing Bottle-opening Fairy from Stonewall with the lighter trick that felt sorry for us struggling, we would probably still be there sitting in the field with blood everywhere trying to get them open.

Let us just say, do not have beer available and forget the bottle opener if you have a bunch of Hash House Harriers around, I will not be living this down for quite a while, I be thinking. Anyway enough of that, lets get on with the breakdown of what I consider my favorite Manitoba run. On on!!

Sunday, September 11, 2011, a day important for two reasons. One being the 10 year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington, that should and will never be forgotten. I am in awe of the strength and resolve of all the survivors, people involved in the rescue as well as the families of the victims in the face of adversity that was bestowed on the world that day. To the communities and volunteers that helped out in regards to diverted flights and passengers throughout Canada including but not limited to Gander, Moncton, Halifax, Winnipeg, Vancouver, etc. The kindness and compassion shown on that day will not be forgotten by any and all of those involved, and for that I salute you. To the victims that were senselessly murdered that day, you will not be forgotten ever, and may you all rest in peace.

Secondly, this was also the running of the 7th Annual Treherne Marathon, a great little event put on by a small town in Western Manitoba right at the base of the Tiger Hills (about 90 minutes west of Winnipeg on Highway 2). We, the Winnipeg Barefoot Runners all ran the full marathon last year and loved it, but due to training issues (none of us trained at all), we decided to run the half marathon this year instead. I was also trying to complete the entire run barefoot, and if you know anything about this race and course you will know pretty much all of it is on gravel country roads. Therefore approx. 12 miles of running gravel roads with my bare feet is pretty much my limit this year, I be thinking.

It was a great morning for a run, sunny and at the start not to hot, but we all knew that was going to change as the temps were suppose to reach 30 degrees by the afternoon. There was also no wind of any significance, just a gentle breeze at best, almost perfect running conditions. The turn out was great, not sure of the final count but it appeared there was more participants then last year, which is always good to see. I hope this run grows a little bit each year and they continue to put it on because they do such a great job, and some of the bigger races could learn a thing or two from the organizers of this event.

The first leg of the run goes from the community center located in the center of the town out to Railway Avenue and then thru some residential streets back towards the gravel road that runs past Hwy 242 towards the start of the Tiger Hills. It's great running thru the residential streets with the cheers and the sound of 'Chariots of Fire' playing on the piano coming from the window of one ladies house as you run by. Lets just say, it is very inspiring the amount of effort this little town of just over 650 people put into making this run a success and making all the runners feel welcome and important. This is one of the reasons why I like to support this run, other than the run itself. The other reason is the scenery, it is absolutely stunning watching the sun rise up over the golden fields and look out over the horizon when you reach the top of one of the hills (complete with a visual cue via sign that says 'Turn around and look at the view') it is absolutely stunning, and I personally believe that all the runners do exactly that, turn around and take a look, because I know I did.

It is also interesting to be running along the route and be passed by a farm vehicle heading out to the fields, with the driver waving and smiling at all the runners as he passes by. It brings a smile to my face as I listen to the runners around me say, "Another Hill?", yes there are a few on this course, including a couple with some pretty good grade inclines, brings that hill training into perspective (too bad I don't do much of that). I have to say, I have heard some good advise about running hills, take them slow and easy so you don't burn yourself out, take the downhills quick it will even the time loss out. Although I was not concerned about time and just wanted to enjoy the race, I was pleased at the pace I was able to maintain even through the more technical areas, my feet were handling the gravel well and I felt my form was good as well. That was until about mile 8 when the small sharp pieces of gravel started to appear all over the road, or at least when I really started to notice it. I was still running strong albeit quite a bit slower as I tried to pick my way through the rougher patches, this was quite challenging because there really was no clear areas. For those of you that are unfamiliar with running barefoot on gravel, it really is a treat for your feet normally, standard gravel roads utilize a smooth larger stone mix. But some will also mix in small man made crushed rock into the mix especially over the winter months to help with traction. Lets just say this is not fun to run on, the rocks have this nasty habit of sticking into the sole of your foot no matter how lightly you step, they were slowly starting to bruise the thick skin built up to protect my feet. So you end up doing a lot of stopping to brush the rocks off and a lot more fancy footwork to try to avoid them. I was doing a little more walking then I would normally do (usually I only walk at the aide stations while I drink water) to try to save my feet. This of course slowed my time down considerably. But that was ok, because that allowed Nicole to catch up so we could run in together to the finish line. We got to run the last 2 miles together, which I truly loved because we usually do not get to many opportunities to run together, and I cherish all the times we get too.

I also got to run with Mike from See Mike Run (a great blog that we follow, see right side for link) for a portion of the race as well. We had a great chance to talk and discuss items along the way which I enjoyed immensely. Mike also invited me to accompany him to run the Bismarck Marathon the upcoming weekend as well (more on this later). I also want to use this time to promote a great upcoming event that Mike is putting on called Ted's Literacy Run, check out the link at the end of the blog for more information. Come on out and support a great cause.

I was able to finish the run from start to finish completely barefoot, which was my goal, it was not a personal best, but that is not why I run, I run because I like to run and to just enjoy myself. I met some great people along the way and heard a lot of positive feed back which always brings a smile to my face.

We also had the pleasure of seeing and cheering the first marathoner right through to the last as they crossed the finish line and that was really cool. We had a great time, we all accomplished what we set out to achieve, me completing the run barefoot, Nicole getting her mojo back (she completed the run in her VFF's) and Gail (Midella Depac) also getting her mojo back (she finished in her NB Minimus's). With this run I believe everybody might be back on track for a great running finish to the year.

Kudo's to the race director and all the volunteers who once again put on a great event, and we will be back next year to not only run but also pose as the 'Beer Fairies' at the finish line for all that may want to stop and chat.

Here is my mileage for the last week starting from the Treherne Marathon and going back.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Treherne Marathon

Barefoot: 13.15 miles

Vibrams: 0.00 miles

Total: 13.15 miles

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Run With City Park Runners

Barefoot: 8.95 miles

Vibrams: 0.00 miles

Total: 8.95 miles

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Run From Work at Lunch

Barefoot: 7.25 miles

Vibrams: 0.00 miles

Total: 7.25 miles

Monday, September 5, 2011 (1)

Setting of WH3 Trail

Barefoot: 3.84 miles

Vibrams: 0.00 miles

Total: 3.84 miles

Monday, September 5, 2011 (2)

Running of Set Trail WH3

Barefoot: 3.23 miles

Vibrams: 0.00 miles

Total: 3.23 miles

Week Total:

Barefoot: 36.42 miles

Vibrams: 0.00 miles

Total: 36.42 miles

Year To Date Totals:

Barefoot: 542.56 miles

Vibrams: 75.70 miles

Total: 618.26 miles

Just to expand on the above notation, I will heading to Bismarck on Friday to participate in the Bismarck Marathon on Saturday. Thanks to Mike for inviting me, and I look forward to the challenge, the expected good time and the opportunity to meet many new people along the way. I am very excited to bring my barefeet to this course and hopefully share my passion for this type of running with a whole new set of fresh faces. Hope to see you there, and would it not be cool if I ran into another barefoot runner or two at the race. Well lets wait and see.

Also some more information on the Run I was mentioning above called, "Ted's Run For Literacy", it is being held October 23, 2011 at Kildonan Park in Winnipeg see link here:

http://www.events.runningroom.com/site/?raceId=6660 for registration details, etc. Come out and support a great cause.

Until next week, when I write about my experiences in Bismarck.

On on,

Bob

Preparing For The Treherne Marathon 2011

2011-09-07T17:45:00.000-07:00

Time:

Sunday September 11, 2011 at 8:00 am

Place:

Treherne, Manitoba

The Course Map

(Notice the Town of Treherne up at the top of the map)

I call this 'The Little Marathon That Is All Heart'

So here we are, last year Nicole, Gail and I all ran the Full Marathon, and this year we were not sure we were going to run this race at all. Until this week (Monday night to be exact), with a fist bump Gail and I promised to sign up for the half marathon. Nicole is still on the fence, but I am going to sign her up tonight at 11:55 pm for the half because I can. There are a couple of reasons why this race is a must for the three of us.

The first is as per the label that I put above, this is 'The Little Marathon That Is All Heart', with a population of 646 (as per their website), this town comes alive with runners which will close to double their population. The whole town appears to get involved with this event from the volunteers at the start to the aid stations and to the rest of the town that comes out to cheer everybody on. The food is fantastic, the atmosphere is electric and it is a great time from start to finish. I have not met one person yet who has ran this race who has had a bad experience or anything negative to say. The race director does a great job of organization and communication to ensure that everybody has a great experience. I must say this is one of my favorites to run.

Secondly, we made a promise to some runners last year that this year we were going to bring the beer for the finish line, and all of us being proud members of the local chapter of the Hash House Harriers, this is a promise we cannot break.

This is going to be a interesting run, because realistically none of us have really trained for any type of race, but we will be relying on our determination, good looks and charmisa to pull off a good run (Well at least two of us have the good looks down, I am a little lacking in this area). As Nicole put it, "We are going to suck!", but darn it we are going to have fun 'sucking' (now remember this is a pg rated blog so get your minds out of the gutter!)

Thirdly, I am on the Marathon Poster and the brochure (me, my bare feet and my kilt) http://www.events.runningroom.com/site/6367/brochure.pdf, I cannot not go now, what would my adoring public think if the guy on the poster was not running this event. Can't have that now, can we. Note I will be running this event barefoot but the kilt will be left at home this year, last year it ended up around my ears a couple of times with the wind and I don't want to give everybody a free show (but for the right price, maybe, no nevermind I am happily married).

So if you got nothing planned on Sunday and you are looking for a good time, head out to Treherne and join the fun, its going to be a blast.

Also just to clarify there will be no Early Sunday Run this week, as we will be running in Treherne, see you next week.

On on,

Bob

Journey of 1,000 Barefoot Miles - Weeks Ending August 28, 2011

2011-09-04T17:53:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered why most runners do the crazy things that they do?

I know I used too. I couldn't figure out why Nicole or anyone else would want to go running at 5 or 6 o'clock in the morning on a Sunday, or why she would want to run in the middle of winter at temperatures that most people didn't like to even venture outside in, run 26.2 miles or more, run while she is sick, etc. It totally escaped me why runners put themselves through what I used to believe was premeditated self-induced torture.

I just could not figure it out, that was until I found the 'Love of Running' for myself, now I see no issue with any of the above nor quite a few other examples that some people just look at me, shake their head and mumble something like, "Your crazy!" Well maybe I am a little crazy, but I have found a passion for something that is helping me keep in good shape, improves my quality of life, helps reduce stress, make some new friends and most important of all helped bring me out of my shell. Most runners don't care if I am a little bit of a nut, they just see me as another runner, all be it with a bit of a odd twist.

Anyway, I am getting off topic once again, so I will jump back into the 'Crazy' that is the runner and take you through a little trip that was called, 'My Last Couple Of Weeks Of Running'. Which truthfully did not amount to much, since I have been fighting this breathing issue for about the last 4 weeks, lets just say it has put a real damper on any serious progress.

It has been interesting, distances of between 15 to 20 miles have never been a issue for me, I have found that once I pass the mile mark and my legs get warmed up and my breathing regulated I can just put it into cruise control and run. But for the past 4 weeks I have been fighting and fighting to get enough oxygen into my lungs to keep the blood flowing to my muscles, and it has been a losing battle. I can almost say, I know what a asthmatic feels like, finding it harder and harder to maximize my oxygen intake, as it seems like 50 to 60% is the best I can achieve lately. This is most noticeable, when I push past the 6 mile mark or try to push the envelope so to speak by increasing the pace beyond my current comfort level. The harder I try to get more oxygen into my lungs, the more I start to cough and wheeze, which reduces my O2 intake, which hampers my ability to keep my muscles working properly. What further complicates things is that when I stop running, I start to cough uncontrollably and it feels like the passages to my lungs just completely close causing me to fight for any type of air intake at all. I try to make this as inconspicuous as possible, as I know that it will ease up in a minute, but I am quite sure that if someone saw me they would be thinking I was having a full out asthma attack. I get enough attention as it is with my bare feet, I don't want to add to it with this. I have started taking some Chinese herbs for this on the advise of my Acupuncturist and it appears to be helping, as well as some crazy inhaler that I have just gotten prescribed to me from the walk in clinic. Hopefully these items will help me conquer this issue and allow me to get on with running.

So as I said above, running has been limited for me lately but I am still trying to get out when I can. I even was able to run a race, all be it a 10 km run called the 'The River Run' at the Forks near the end of August. It was not my best time, but considering the temperature was hovering around 30 degrees Celsius and my breathing was not good, I will take the 57:16 time that I finished in. Kudos also go to Aldo and Ed who also ran that race and ripped up the course with a sub 40 min and a sub 45 minute run respectively (the only thing that would of made it better was if they were not running in shoes). I was the only one representing the barefoot runners but there was a VFF wearing that I am sure finished in the top 3, so I consider that a victory in itself.
As I mentioned above, my runs have been fairly infrequent, but I have completed a lunch hour trek, a couple of WH3 runs, a couple of runs with City Park and even a couple of late at night runs with no lights (very interesting and let me say your form has to be good and your steps light for those).

I do hope I can overcome this breathing issue soon, because even though my goal for this year is probably not going to happen I want to finish strongly and log as many miles as possible prior to the temperature dropping below my limits.

Here is my logged mileage for the last few weeks.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Barefoot: 4.33 miles

Vibrams: 0.00 miles

Total: 4.33 miles

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Barefoot: 11.25 miles

Vibrams: 0.00 miles

Total: 11.25 miles

Monday, August 22, 2011

Barefoot: 5.37 miles / 4.25 miles

Vibrams: 0.00 miles

Total: 9.62 miles

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Barefoot: 5.67 miles

Vibrams: 0.00 miles

Total: 5.67 miles

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Barefoot: 6.08 miles / 2.25 miles

Vibrams: 0.00 miles

Total: 8.33 miles

Monday, August 29, 2011

Barefoot: 4.75 miles

Vibrams: 0.00 miles

Total: 4.75 miles

Saturday, Sept. 3, 2011

Barefoot: 9.75 miles

Vibrams: 0.00 miles

Total: 9.75 miles

Total This Blog Entry

Barefoot: 53.7 miles

Vibrams: 0.00 miles

Total: 53.7 miles

Year to Date:

Barefoot: 506.14 miles

Vibrams: 75.70 miles

Total: 581.84 miles

Everybody have a great week, get out there and enjoy the good weather while you can, as any Winnipegger knows, the snow and the cold is not that far away, no matter how long you choose to ignore it.

On, On...........

September 4 Long Run

2011-09-03T17:19:00.000-07:00

We'll meet at 5:00 am at Timmies at Westwood & Portage. Sorry about the early time but I am presently watching Running the Sahara and figure if those guys can get out at that hour every day for 90 days then so can we (for tomorrow, not every day. Puh-lease)! We're aiming for 19- 20 km with a quick coffee stop in the middle.

Here is a little teaser of the movie.

See you tomorrow!