Wednesday 15 May 2013

Barefoot running

So I was out of bed by 5.45am today so that I could get some housework done before heading out for a run at 7am. Leanne surfaced from her pit at about 6.45am, came down (not in running gear I noticed) and enquired
"we're not running this morning are we?"
"Erm yes Leanne" says I.
"Damn" is basically her response "but there's a dark cloud, we're not running in that are we?"
"Yes Leanne it'll be fine"
So she goes back upstairs to get changed while moaning "but I'm tiiirrrred".

I guess there are days when each one of us just doesn't fancy the run so I let her off this time. She did feel guilty about 10 minutes later and make an offer to come with me "If I need her" but I'd already decided that I'd run on the treadmill instead.
I set the treadmill distance to 4 and basically just kept increasing the speed little by little then decreasing for a bit before increasing again - I had to do something to counteract the completely mind blowing boredom of treadmill running.
On the last leg though I decided to cast off the shoes and socks and have a go at this barefoot running - ouch! I don't know what all the fuss is about this barefoot fad but all it did for me was make the usual aches I have 10 times worse. My calf muscles were burning (probably due to the forefoot strike), I had severe cramp in all my toes and friction burns on the soft padding underfoot.
I know it takes a while to get used to this running style and probably the treadmill isn't the best place to start but dang, I wanted those trainers back on so bad.

Once the 4 miles were up I checked my timing and that's when 5 seconds of confusion set in - there is no way I did 4 miles in 37 minutes. I mean I'd love to be doing 9 minute miles but there's no chance of that right now. That's when I remembered that this treadmill works with km's and I'd infact taken 9 minutes to do 1 measly km. By my reckoning that means I'm looking at 90 minutes to complete a 10k and that aint happening, no way no how!
I guess it's time to get serious so I'm going to dig out some of my old Womens Running magazines and use some of their treadmill plans to get some improvement.

Our first 10k was supposed to be in September but we've just found 2 others in July that we'd like to take part in on July 21st and the 23rd (we live in the Highlands where these things are extremely few and far between).

Anyway this is what I looked like after todays run - shame you can't see the limping from the barefoot running



And according to this I have currently lost the weight of a human skin - interesting but Ewwwww!


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