VFF Running

[balsam0]

Well I ran my typical runs over the weekend.  Today I tried a barefoot run and it was mostly enjoyable.  I tried putting the landing gear down, as Micheal Sandler describes in his barefoot running book when the terrain gets rough.  It didn't help, I still ended up with some mild blistering on both feet.  I am leaning towards the soap I use in the shower as the culprit or I am running to fast while barefoot on pavement.  It could also be both scenarios.  The reason I suspect the soap is, because I am afraid it has a moisturizing element to it.  The bottle doesn't describe it as such, but it does contain aloe.  I hope that isn't softening up the pads of my feet.  I felt like the form is getting better and I am picking up my feet rather than pushing off.

If those two scenarios are not the issue then the only other two things I could think of is, I typically take the dog with me or I am not cut out for barefoot running.  The dog is causing a slight imbalance because he likes to sandbag it for some reason which creates a pull on my left side.  I have the laziest husky/shepherd mix.  The last thing and I hope is not the case is maybe I am not cut out to run barefoot.  I highly doubt that is the case, but I want to run not have constant blisters that keeps me from running.  I probably should have waited a little longer before I went for another barefoot run.  1 week to heal blisters, in my case, didn't appear to be enough time.

[toastergirl]

Thanks for the kudos everyone!   

I ran in my sprints - as they were easier to get into and since you are timed for transition and in such a short race 10-20 seconds can loose a race for you...I lost a 3rd place AG slot by 30 seconds.  Transition is the easiest place to shave off time - without extra training!

[RayKay]

Thanks for the kudos everyone!   

I ran in my sprints - as they were easier to get into and since you are timed for transition and in such a short race 10-20 seconds can loose a race for you...I lost a 3rd place AG slot by 30 seconds.  Transition is the easiest place to shave off time - without extra training!

Makes total sense on the Sprints. You would not want to be fumbling with getting your feet and toes into Bikila's at that point.

I agree with you on transitions! I don't do triathlons, but I used to do adventure racing, and getting my team in and out of transition was always the easiest place to shave time. Some teams could be there fumbling for several minutes with canoes or bikes or the like! We actually did practice transitions!

[toastergirl]

Yes, I actually practice transitions too!  People look at me like I am nuts when I say to do that -- like new people to the sport.  I think that people are focused on getting a faster swim/bike/run time to get faster, but transitons are like free speed.  Like I said, I lost a 3rd place age group award by like 30 seconds.  I looked at my transitions from that race and I could have been faster.  My usual transitions are about 1min (plus or minus about 5 sec). My fiance video taped me in transition this past race - so i was interested to see if there was anything I could do faster or if I was wasting any time.  As far as I can see I think I am pretty efficent there. 

I wore bikilas for a 1/2 ironman race I did earlier this season, and they were pretty easy to get on actually - easier than I thought.  but a friend of mine who also wore his bikilas was struggling with getting his on.  So I thought that i better not risk it for the short race and just go with the sprints. 

[toastergirl]

ok -- for all those that are interested in tracking me in the ironman at Lake Placid this weekend....I have been posting about my running and trainin on here.  I didn't know where else to post it - and didn't want to start a spearate thread.  If someone thinks that it should be let me know.

race number: 2488
website:www.ironman.com] [url=http://www.ironman.com]www.ironman.com [/url]
Live video feed of the race and finish line all day as well as athlete tracking - just gives my splits for each loop of each event. 

For fun, I am also renting a GPS tracking device that will track my exact location while on the bike and run (won't get signal in the water) which can be seen on this site: http://www.myathletegps.com/EventTrackingInfo.html  

thanks to everyone for all their suport and kudos so far! Also, doing this in VFFs would not be possbile without the help of all on this site.  I got a lot of great info to keep me running injury free and on track with my training. 

Goal time for finishing: 12:15
[Swim - 59:59 or less; Bike - 6:30; Run - 4:30.  Yes, that adds up to less than 12:00, but they time you as you change and get ready from one event to the next, which is called transition, so I factored that into my goal]

[balsam0]

Ran 5 miles last night in sprints.  It took me 50 minutes total, but I had to stop twice to cross the street.  That is one of many reasons my time is slow.  I am hoping to run an eight minuter per mile pace. 

It was pretty hot and I really need to work on picking my foot up and landing softer.  When I finished the run the forefoot pads of my feet were pretty sore.  After I hit the 3 mile mark my form goes out the window.  I should take more time out of my day for longer runs.  It only took an extra 30 minutes from the amount of time I usually run.  Plus the upside is it wouldn't take as long if I could run it faster.

[Ardent]

4 miler tonight. Arrived. Got out the car and went. No warm up no stretch. Just go. 4m 37:13. 9:18 pace. Very happy with result. Ran at a pace that was maintainable but towards the upper part of my comfort zone maybe a little higher even.
Sometimes just have to push it to see where you are with things.

Jason. Happy enough.

[noelbodwell]

4 miler tonight. Arrived. Got out the car and went. No warm up no stretch. Just go. 4m 37:13. 9:18 pace. Very happy with result. Ran at a pace that was maintainable but towards the upper part of my comfort zone maybe a little higher even.
Sometimes just have to push it to see where you are with things.

Jason. Happy enough.

Nice job Jason! It's good to check in and see where your fitness is at.

[Ardent]

cheers noel.

[AlanT]

A good, easy-paced 8K run this morning, barefoot and shirtless. With the humidity factored in, it's 37C (98.6F).

I love running in this weather. I'm going to be really sorry when things get cooler.

Alan

[AlanT]

A very good 15K run this morning, barefoot and shirtless, on a mix of pavement and sidewalks. 21C and humid.

Alan

[balsam0]

I did 5 miles in sprints on Sunday.  I think I really need to let my feet fully heal before I run again.  I ended up getting a blood blister on the bottom of my left foot.  I was wearing sprints so now I am torn.  What minimalist shoes do I run in now?  I think my problem is I didn't listen to the warning signs.  I think about about mile 3 my feet were feeling the burning sensation.  It wasn't the good burning sensation either, telling me I am strengthening my pads.  It was telling me to stop asap, but I kept going.  Now I am probably going to be sidelined for a few weeks to let it heal.  I think this time I am going to let this be a lesson and not run on it till it is 100%.

[RayKay]

Balsam,

I would be shocked if it took your blood blister few weeks to heal before you could run again.
I am far from an expert, but do have lots of blister experiences. When I was big into adventure racing or when I was still in military I had to keep going when I got blisters (blood or regular) and they were part of the deal. I find as long as I give them proper care (keep feet clean and dry, cover blister area with padding to stop friction (bandaid, blister patch, or gauze and moleskin), and let feet air whenever have chance, and make sure I am not constricting blood flow), I heal quickly even as I keep running or hiking on it. It may  be sensitive for a couple days but will dry out and heal. I still do this when I have managed a VFF blister (not often) and still have pretty feet, ha.

But maybe it is because I am too stubborn NOT to run - since I am a pretty avid runner - that in your situation I would probably just wear less or non-minimalist shoes for a few days as it healed with proper foot care, as you can still focus on proper foot strike and form in most neutral shoes, or really protect the blister and wear VFFs still. It might burst but just make sure to keep it really clean and sterile. 

So, I can see taking a few days off and is probably smarter than my "keep at 'er" mentality, but a few weeks off would likely be unecessary unless you have some condition that limits healing.

YMMV, and this is certainly not medical advice, ha! I may just be a sadist or a bit obsessed with running!

[Jeepman]

ok -- for all those that are interested in tracking me in the ironman at Lake Placid this weekend....I have been posting about my running and trainin on here.  I didn't know where else to post it - and didn't want to start a spearate thread.  If someone thinks that it should be let me know.

race number: 2488
website:www.ironman.com] [url=http://www.ironman.com]www.ironman.com [/url]
Live video feed of the race and finish line all day as well as athlete tracking - just gives my splits for each loop of each event. 

For fun, I am also renting a GPS tracking device that will track my exact location while on the bike and run (won't get signal in the water) which can be seen on this site: http://www.myathletegps.com/EventTrackingInfo.html  

thanks to everyone for all their suport and kudos so far! Also, doing this in VFFs would not be possbile without the help of all on this site.  I got a lot of great info to keep me running injury free and on track with my training. 

Goal time for finishing: 12:15
[Swim - 59:59 or less; Bike - 6:30; Run - 4:30.  Yes, that adds up to less than 12:00, but they time you as you change and get ready from one event to the next, which is called transition, so I factored that into my goal]

How did it go? Hoping the best for you.

Rgs, Jeepman

[balsam0]

Balsam,

I would be shocked if it took your blood blister few weeks to heal before you could run again.
I am far from an expert, but do have lots of blister experiences. When I was big into adventure racing or when I was still in military I had to keep going when I got blisters (blood or regular) and they were part of the deal. I find as long as I give them proper care (keep feet clean and dry, cover blister area with padding to stop friction (bandaid, blister patch, or gauze and moleskin), and let feet air whenever have chance, and make sure I am not constricting blood flow), I heal quickly even as I keep running or hiking on it. It may  be sensitive for a couple days but will dry out and heal. I still do this when I have managed a VFF blister (not often) and still have pretty feet, ha.

But maybe it is because I am too stubborn NOT to run - since I am a pretty avid runner - that in your situation I would probably just wear less or non-minimalist shoes for a few days as it healed with proper foot care, as you can still focus on proper foot strike and form in most neutral shoes, or really protect the blister and wear VFFs still. It might burst but just make sure to keep it really clean and sterile. 

So, I can see taking a few days off and is probably smarter than my "keep at 'er" mentality, but a few weeks off would likely be unecessary unless you have some condition that limits healing.

YMMV, and this is certainly not medical advice, ha! I may just be a sadist or a bit obsessed with running!

I have other blisters that need healing.  I have never taken the full time to let the heal.  I figure if I take off a week or so and wait for my feet to be ready for barefoot running this will slowly become a non issue and I won't have to take breaks.  Although the weather is really nice today and I might have to see how it handles with the band aid.