Heart Breaker Half Marathon

Third time's the charm.

And here it comes again, Heart Breaker half marathon, one of my favorite annual challengers.
2 years ago I had to refuse the challenge at the very last moment because of a stress fracture from doing "Too Much Too Soon".
Year later I felt strong and confident and went for it full speed. Had a blast (full story here Heart Breaker 2012 ).

The race course was an easy one, mostly smooth paved downtown roads.
This year they have moved it out to the countryside and made it more challenging for a skin-to-ground runner. One more reason to go.

Saturday 8 AM, race day
Painting feet is one of my pre-race rituals. Today's paint job = rainbow shoes. At least my idea of it :-)

Morning is cold, overcast, with light drizzle and quite wet. I was expecting sun, that's what the weatherman was claiming last night. But I take it, it is winter time after all and running barefoot in 2 feet of snow somewhere else on Earth would be probably less fun.

Big crowd of runners. Nobody around is barefoot and I don't see any Five Fingers among half marathon people. Only Jen and David running 5k and 10k are in Soft Star moccasins. My choice of footwear attracts attention. In a good way, people are curious.

I know most of the course is going to be chip and seal roads with some sections of gravel. Five Fingers strapped to my arms give me a good feeling of some added security.
I finish my slushy Chia seeds cocktail and feel ready to roll.

Mile 1
Smooth pavement. Nice beginning, relaxed. I am still cold, feet are cold too, a couple of toes go numb. I know this is going to pass soon.

Mile 2 to 12
Chip and seal roads, some up and down hills. Under a nice old railroad trestle.

Feet warm up. Hands not so much. I shouldn't have left the gloves in car. Damn.
I find out pretty soon going downhill on this rough surface is the most challenging part. At mile 3 there is a short half mile section of a crushed gravel road. I go very light, knees bent, feet relaxed to allow just mold over the gravel. I have to run this twice (there are two loops here for the half marathon) so I am also scouting the terrain for the best second approach.

People spread up more now. After passing a couple of lonesome warriors I catch up with an interesting couple. The guy is all naked running only in a short leather loin cloth (and shoes). 
"What a nice pair of shoes you have!" he starts with a big grin.
We stay together for about a mile chatting so the time passes faster.

My forearms are frozen hard now. I can hardly bend my wrists. I should have known, that's a beginner's mistake. Looking at the bright side, Chia does its magic and keeps me hydrated so I do not have to stop at any water stations and can just keep running like Forest. 

Soon after mile 10 I start feeling the effect of wet roads. Pads are getting softer, pavement harder. Running on painted center lines is not helping much. Somehow the paint on a chip&seal is rough too.

"Do not run through pain" I hear my less competitive half.
But there is no pain, just soreness and it is only 3 more miles to the finish. I guess Five Fingers can stay where they are and just enjoy the rest of the ride.

The last mile's nice smooth pavement gives me a welcome relief. When sprinting to the finish line and looking at the timer with 01:53 I feel really good. 3 minutes faster then a year ago and all that barefoot on a much more challenging surface ! 

There is no visible damage on the bottoms of my feet and besides the pads soreness and frozen hands I feel very good. Another fun race with a bit of challenge, couldn't be better. Loving it.

Soles right after the race

Race stats:

Distance  13.1 miles

Time  1:53:59

Pace   8:42

Placed   23 / 39 in my AG

            157 / 474 overall

Course map

Aerial photo

Course profile

The Aftermath

Balls of the feet get really sore in the next two hours after the race. To the point I can only walk in a pair of thick cushy socks for the rest of the day. I soak feet in hot Epsom salt bath to reduce the inflammation. The next day is much better. Two days after the race some deep tissue blisters show up but the recovery is really fast. I can run barefoot again in four days. Considering the run conditions I take it as a success. Human body has amazing adaptation capabilities.

Pads one day after the race

Pads two days after the race

Foot shape change

Back in June 2010 when starting running barefoot I was reading a lot of about how to transition properly and what changes to your body to expect. I also stumbled upon an article about structural changes happening to your feet when running barefoot by Tellman Knudson.
5 Structural Changes to Expect in Your Feet


A short list:

1. Spreading of the toes.
2. Bones becoming unfused in forefoot.
3. Loosening and flexibility of the toes.
4. A wider, more muscular foot.
5. Inability to Be Comfortable Wearing (Any) Shoes.

It got me really curious to find out if any of that would really happen so I took a camera and shot a couple of pictures of my feet from different angles and took a couple of pictures of my soles too.

Have been running for over two years now so decided to take a shot of my forefoot again for a comparison.

Forefoot shape change over 28 months of running barefoot

It is quite amazing to see the change. Not only the toes are spreading properly but the whole foot becomes more muscular and the transverse arch is more prominent now.

I am hoping in the next couple of years the pinky toe will realign to its proper position as well to get even more stability in my feet.

Heart Breaker Half Marathon

Cold February Sunday morning, 6 AM.

Hot shower, banana and some water.

The usual pre-race ritual.

Rolling calves on my water bottle. Spreading a little Vaseline on my feet, putting ankle warmers on and heading out, barefoot.

It is brisk outside, a windy 35 degrees.

....

..

.

Heart Breaker Half Marathon story

About a year ago, first week in January 2011, I signed up for the traditional Portland's winter half marathon - Heart Breaker Half. I was feeling great, ready for my first half.

That was week 26 of my transition to barefoot running and I ran 35 miles in it.

Too much.

Too soon.

My right fibula did not like the pressure and cracked. Stress fracture just six weeks before the race. That reminded me I was still in my early transition to barefoot running and to take things slowly. The dream of running a half marathon did not happen at that time.

A year has passed.

I got stronger. Faster too. Somehow lost interest in running on pavement anymore. Have been running mostly trails.  A trail freak - some friends call me. Ran my first trail half marathon last year in July and did pretty good.

However a road half marathon is still somewhere on my list.

.

..

...

6:55 AM

All this is in my head as I am walking slowly to the race registration booth feeling the cold pavement under my feet. Sun is still down but it is getting lighter outside. Downtown streets are calm and quiet and the only busy area is around the World Trade Center where the race starts.

Lately I have been feeling really good on my runs. It feels like I finally got over all the growing pains in my transition so last night I decided to grab the opportunity. I am going to find out how a road half marathon tastes like and run it today.

I strap my Five Fingers to my arms as emergency shoes and I am ready to roll.

7:30 AM sharp and off we go. A pack of about 500 runners slowly spreading out. I start somewhere in the middle. 35 F. It is cold but the pavement is dry so feet will warm up in no time. It is the perfect running weather.

At the start

Mile 1 to 5

All flat. I am quite familiar with this section. I have run it twice before at 10k races so I know what to expect and where. There are some rough pavement areas so I occasionally stick to the nice, soft, painted line saving feet for later. At one aid station they are offering fresh strawberries which is nice so I grab one and save it for later too. You never know.

Mile 5 to 10

Climbing up 600 feet. At the beginning I quickly eat my strawberry convincing myself the fructose rush is going to help me to conquer the hill. The placebo effect works its magic. I am really enjoying running uphill. All 5 miles I keep passing the runners in front of me.

Mile 10 to 13

Fast downhill all the way to the finish line. Pavement, pavement and more pavement. My feet get bored and I have to find a way how to entertain them somehow to compensate for the missing trail elements (mud, sharp rocks, slugs). I start running on raised curbs wherever possible trying to keep balance as long as I can and when that is not enough I run zigzagging the road. It is nice to have some fun on a run.

Finishing

Strawberry is long time gone but adrenaline still works so let's sprint to the finish line.
Done.
My time right under to hours is about the same I had on my trail half marathon but the feeling is different. 6 months ago after finishing the trail race I had to massage and roll my calves heavily to deal with cramping and balls of my feet were sore for the rest of the day.

Today I feel great. So great I go playing soccer right afterwards. This is the way running should be. Easy, comfortable, relaxed and FUN !

Hopefully I inspired some people :-)

Race stats:

Distance  13.1 miles

Time  1:57:09

Pace   8:56

Placed   23 / 39 in my AG

            182 / 464 overall

Course map

Aerial photo

Course profile

Sole conditioning at 18 months

Sometimes the human body adaptation still amazes me.

I have been running barefoot for 18 months now. Although I started on pavement, last 12 months my runs were primarily on forest trails. I have been experiencing some changes to my feet along the way, mainly spreading of the toes, loosening and flexibility of the toes and a wider, more muscular foot.

I thought it would be interesting to do a sole conditioning photo comparison so I went through some old photos I took early after starting running barefoot. I found one I took at about 1 month and tried to shoot a new one from about the same angle.

This is a sole conditioning comparison of my foot at about 1 months and 18 months of running barefoot. I think it is pretty interesting to see the adaptation capabilities of a human body.

Ubertons Resolution Run 2012

Saturday 10 AM, Cook park, Tigard, OR

My first race this year. In addition to the usual pre-race excitement I am also really happy my wife Zdenka and my son Lukas (6) are joining me today. Lukas really wants to run the Kid's race today and Zdenka agreed to work as a support team.
Weather is looking good, around 50F, ground is soaked and wet after the last night's rain and sun is occasionally peeking through the grey cloud cover.

It has been raining solid for the whole past week. Nothing unusual for our west of Cascades region this time a year but rivers are already overflowing.

Barefoot and minimalist runner

This trail race was originally planned in a beautiful Champoeg State Park but because that area is now flooded, Ubertons moved it to this small city park at the very last moment.

I have never been here before and after seeing a nice smooth concrete trail weaving through the trees I am really hoping there is going to be some nice dirt trail section as well. Running on a smooth pavement in not my idea of a trail race.

The rest of our Barefoot Runners Society team is showing up. There is Jennifer, Kevin with his little one in a stroller and Jim.

Our whole group, only Kevin is missing in this shot

The organizers are announcing a "big dangerous slippery mud covered hill" on the course. After seeing the well maintained trail I take that warning with a grain of salt but having "better safe than sorry" in mind I clip my Vibrams on my forearms just in case and head to the start.

There are not that many runners around. About 100 people altogether, half going for 5k and half for 10k. The course is just 5k so the second group is running it twice.

Our barefoot/minimalist team starts last. We have nowhere to rush. Everyone just wants to enjoy the run. I have no plans to beat my 10k PR today. Although I feel really good and strong, my left fibula spot above ankle has been acting up on some recent runs so I will only gun it if it behaves today.

And off we go - Kevin with stroller, Jim, myself and Jen

After a quick warm up I feel like speeding up a little. It takes me the whole 3 miles to completely relax and settle into the right form. Sadly there is no dirt or gravel on the course. The "big dangerous slippery muddy covered hill" is a joke. There is however a good number of nicely sized puddles on the trail and I make sure I do not miss the joy of splashing through all of them. I realize my Vibrams work just as weights on my arms so I throw them out when starting on my second loop.

Throwing shoes out

The next three miles are great. I feel fast and relaxed. Aiming for the puddles second time, having a blast. When sprinting to the Finish line, Lukas is cheering me up in his Five Fingers anxious to run his Kid's race next.

49 minutes gone and feeling good !

Jen and Jim in Vibrams show up soon and Kevin gets a big applause finishing 5k pushing his stroller all the way to the finish at solid 9:42 pace.

At Mile 5

Joining Lukas at his 1k Kid's race

Since there are almost no kids participating in the Kid's 1k, Lukas takes home the gold medal which he is pretty happy with.

The rain starts at the perfect time, right when everyone is heading home. A good lunch with a good company is in order, time to plan some more group runs together.

Jim, Kevin and Jen

Barefoot Runners Society Oregon chapter is getting bigger and stronger !

Race stats:

Length: 10k

Time: 00:49:08

Pace: 07:55 

Placed: 8 overall (of 52), 2 in my AG (of 12)

Run Like Hell! 10k

Run Like Hell! Portland

The last week in October. The days here in Pacific NW are already short, cold and rainy. It is the perfect time for a hellish race like Run Like Hell.

Run Like Hell is a Halloween-themed race that sees participants dress out in full costume for a run through Portland’s urban parks and along its waterfront areas along the Willamette River. Run Like Hell has become a Portland Fall tradition. This year the theme of the race is zombies.

This race is very special to me. I ran it first a year ago and it was my very first race ever. And first one barefoot too. I was running in a Hawaiian man costume, it was raining and I had a blast.

Run Like Hell 2010 

Today it looks like it is going to be a bit chilly but nice sunny day. I feel good a ready for a strong run but this was not the case some two weeks ago. I pulled my calf muscle and it took me well over two weeks to get rid of it. On some recent runs my right calf has been still acting up and I am hoping today it is going to stay calm.

I pick the 10k distance again and my plan is to enjoy the run and - if the stars are right - beat my last year's time of 48:33 minutes. For a costume I need something very light that allows bare feet. Since last year's Hawaiian man worked very well I choose to do a couple of alternations and improvements and go as a Hawaiian dancer this time.

And the best part at the end - I am not going to be a lone barefooter this year, Mike as a "zombie killer" is running too.

Warm-up hula dance before the race

8 AM, 52 F.

20 minutes to start.

Waiting for the "zombie killer" to show up but he is nowhere to be seen.

10 minutes to start Mike calls me he is on his way. That's a good news I guess.

But I am getting cold fast. My grass skirt is not generating as much heat as I was hoping for.

Finally I hear the starting horn blasting from a distance so I start running towards the start line leaving Mike to his own destiny.

Really glad to be moving. The start line is a little chaotic but once the crowd gets moving, my feet are happy. I do not bother starting slow. I feel a strong urge to run like hell so I just go for it. The adrenaline works its magic, I feel great, really light and unbreakable.

Because of the "end of the pack" starting position I just keep passing runners the whole time which also adds some motivation. People around are cheering "Go Hawaiian!" and sun finally wakes up and starts to shine.

As expected the grass skirt is ventilating very well which unfortunately is not the case of my heavy wig. Sweating heavily.

But finish is in sight. I save some energy for the last 300 feet of fast sprinting and it's over. So soon, I feel like running more.

I check the time and feel some accomplishment. 40 seconds faster than last year and what a blast !

Finishing the race

I am pretty sure Mike eventually made it to the start so I am waiting and cheering up the incoming zombies. And sure enough after a while there is a barefoot "zombie killer" with a happy face approaching the finish line.

We get together and head down to the post race refreshments at waterfront. Jen with her husband from the 5k division join us and we have much to celebrate with a couple of good beers.

It was a good day today.

Myself after the race

Mike the "zombie killer"

Race stats:

Length: 10k

Time:  00:47:51 (Pace 07:42)

Placed: 15th (from 65) in my AG
             137 (from 1424) overall

Race course

Wildwood Trail Trial 10k race

Monday Labor Day.

8:00 AM

I arrive to Josh's house filled with the usual pre-race excitement.

He is already stepping outside barefoot and more than ready to taste the trail today. While waiting for our last comrade he offers me a shot of his special Chia seeds cocktail. This is the first time I am trying it and it tastes quite good.

Mike arrives so the team is ready and off we go.

We park the car near the finish line and start waiting in a long line for a shuttle to move us uphill to the starting point. It is still cold. Mike pulls up a thermos with a hot tea. It feels good.

We catch a couple of curious looks at our bare feet from a group of runners waiting in front of us.

One gets the courage: “You guys know what the trail looks like right ?”

- - -

The Wildwood Trail again.
Oh yes.
We know it more that one would think.

In the past month I ran 48 miles on it and I feel really good today. It is going to be mostly downhill so we should be flying ! Spirits are high.

The organizer - Oregon Road Runners Club - picked a great course:

"...packed earth trail with many turns. Mostly good surface but with some rocks, roots, and occasional slugs. A 650’ elevation loss in the first 5.7 miles and a 200’ climb in the last half mile. Participants start in 1 to 2 minute intervals, from 8:30 to 11:30 am, in heats of 4 or fewer."

9:30 AM

A beautiful morning forest with sun peaking through the dense canopy. The air is fresh and warming up. Four of us line up on narrow fire lane road.

Josh starts with a wild shout. Him and Mike take no time to warm up and start rolling down the hill right away. I stay behind but not for long. After 4 curves I catch up with Mike and we run and chat together for a while.
Josh is nowhere to be seen which is not unexpected. I decide to go after him. I know how fast he is but it is worth trying.

Soon I start passing some runners from the earlier starting waves.

I feel fast but comfortable and relaxed. The perfect form. The perfect day. Heel pain from the last week is gone.

I reach the lowest point of the course all alone and start running along a creek.

The trail changes to a rocky more technical section.

I am slowly giving up on the idea of actually seeing Josh's back again at the race today. 

Soon enough I register a runner behind approaching with a steady pace. It is only a half a mile to the finish line but all uphill now. 200' vertical climb zig zagging a steep stream bank.

"No way he is going to pass me here on the way up." No idea where that is coming from.

I start pushing more. Passing runners in front who just started walking up. My lungs are on fire and I am rapidly losing power in my legs but still keeping the distance between us.

Last curve and the finish line. I have no energy left for sprinting so I finish nice and relaxed with a feeling of pure enjoyment after a great race.

Me finishing

Josh finishing

Mike finishing

Race stats:

Length: 10k

Elevation change: 650’ elevation loss and a 200’ climb

Time:  00:47:48 (Pace 07:43)

Placed: 35 (from 260) overall and 5th (from 44) in my AG

Race course

Wildwood Trail Trial Ortho

Wildwood Trail Trial Aerial View

Wildwood Trail Trial Profile