Dipped a toe into barefoot running

Quite by accident, though.

Couple weeks ago, I got a new pair of Merrell Bare Access, to replace the previous pair that's over two years old now. I typically cycle through three pair of shoes at a time; so, two years for a pair is not as long as it may sound. Still, I do put many more miles on shoes than the commonly recommended 500 miles or so. My shoes are all minimalist, so cushioning doesn't really matter much (to me anyway). That, plus the magic of Shoe Goo! I was actually looking for a pair of my all-time favorite, Merrell Trail Glove, but the REI I went to didn't have it in stock that day. There was a July 4th sale on the Bare Access, so I got that instead. I has a bit more cushion than does the Trail Glove and is just as light, with the same kind of roomy toe box. There is, however, one problem with a new pair of the Bare Access. When the top of the shoe flexes, with the takeoff of each stride, the crease that's formed occurs just above the root of the big toenail. Thus, with each stride, the crease presses down on the toenail root. Over just the first two runs (of 5 and 9 miles) with the Bare Access this past week, the root areas of both toenails have become rather tender. Fortunately, after certain number of miles, this problem goes away.

So, for this morning's easy 4-miler plus hill sprints, I decided to try, again, a pair of sandals from Xero Shoes that I'd bought several years ago. For walking, it's great. For running, however, there is a problem. The cord that goes between the big and second toes and through the sole ends with a knot on the other side. It's a small knot. But, with a sole thickness only about 2.5 mm, the knot definitely makes its presence known. I'd only run once before in these sandals, just a couple miles; I ended that run after the hotspot that'd developed on the bottom of the foot just above the knot had became very noticeable. I suppose, with mileage, the knot eventually would get flatten enough to not be a problem. I just have not yet worked on that.

Thus, I knew I probably couldn't go the entire four miles in these sandals, even with socks. So, I stayed close to home. And, sure enough, after just a mile and a half or so, I could feel the hotspot developing. Not wanting to chance a blister, I headed home for different footwear.

I switched on a pair of Vibram FiveFingers that I'd also recently bought, to finally replace my original pair from over five years ago and after at least couple thousand miles--and a few tubes of Shoe Goo. The crease in the FiveFingers occurs well behind the root area of the big toenail. So, I thought they should be fine.

Well, no. After not even half a mile, those tender big toes were loudly complaining. Quite frustrated by now, I turned around and started heading home. But, rather than walking back in the FiveFingers, I decided to just take them off and run in socks. A few steps after that, off came the socks as well. I then ran barefoot for almost another mile (!), plus those hill sprints after the run. I felt a lot better--with a certain sense of liberation--and was smiling towards the end. :)

What about tomorrow morning's 13-mile long run? (It's the end of the fourth week of the 16-week training cycle for Wineglass in October.) It'll be a while before I could run that kind of distance barefoot. I could temporarily go back to my old Bare Access or FiveFingers. Or, perhaps I could try this pair of sandals made by Jeremy, one of the instructors at BOSS. The leather strip between the big and second toes is threaded through the sole of the sandal and then back out, so there's no knot. Plus, the 2-mm inner sole is backed by an 8-mm Vibram bottom (including the tread). I'll figure out some way to keep to my training schedule, while letting those tender big toes recover. 

Tender or not, the toe has been dipped into barefoot running, and it likes what it feels!

Three running hats and serendipity

Pretty much ever since I began to "seriously" train for marathons, back around 2010, I've worn a hat for training runs and races. Runners spend so much time outdoors that a hat and sunscreen are necessities. (See Runner's World: 1, 2.)

My first hat for running was one I'd picked up from a Sun Microsystems exhibit booth at a conference many years ago. I've worn it for almost every marathon I've run, plus most of the many other shorter races. The fit is snug, so, even without a chin strap, it's usable in all but the very windy conditions. The brim width is enough to shade the upper half of the head. From the rest of the head downward? Sunscreen! This hat has accompanied me through most of my marathon journey so far. And, it is showing some age, with a couple of small tears, from all the scrubbing and rinsing after each run.

A few years ago, after some really sunny long runs, I decided to get a wider-brim hat with a rear flap, which provides better protection for the entire head. It has a loose fit; but, with a chin strap, wind is no longer an issue--when it's used for hiking, especially in sunny regions like the canyon lands of southern Utah. The problem when used for running, however, is that same chin strap. When pulled tight, the remaining part of the strap dangling beneath would rhythmically slap my face, with each stride (left face, right face, left face, right face, ...). So, I have to place the strap behind the head when I run and, thus, can only wear it when there's no more than a light breeze.

Then, for this past Father's Day, my kids gave me a loose-fitting Under Armour hat with a chin strap that goes through and extends beyond the top of the hat. By pulling the strap tight from the outer side of the hat until the underside part is snug against the chin, there is no remaining part dangling to slap the face. When I initially tried it on, I said, wow, someone finally came up with a solution to my problem! Not long afterwards, though, I noticed that the hat is a reversible one, which would explain the chin strap extending to both sides of the hat. It'd also mean the designer at UA most likely wasn't thinking about my problem at all!

Serendipity or not, problem solved! And, I'm thankful to UA for a wide-brim hat, shading most of the head, that I can wear in windy conditions. During last Sunday's long run, I could feel the brisk-wind-caused tugs of the chin strap, with its other end contentedly bouncing behind the head, going along for the ride.