Return to The Potawatomi

Diving more seriously into my harebrained idea of completing a half-marathon on the Poto in under 2 hours, I manned up and made the trek out there today for a practice run. Being my first real run in two weeks, it took some time to wake the legs back up. And it was one hell of a wake up call.

I’m always gripped with nervousness en route to the Poto. Is it because I perceive it as the only somewhat technical and challenging trail in the area? Compared to my regular haunts, it is a complete step up. Elevation, terrain changes, miles upon miles of rocks. A few miles into the trail, though, and I recognize that it’s all worth it. It’s also among the most scenic runs I’ve found within driving distance of Detroit – and I’m looking forward to a handful of return trips over the next few months (and probably into the winter).

The good news: I took it slow today. Mild run for 8 minutes, walk for 2 minutes. Walked all hills. Stopped to take pictures when necessary. I wore FiveFingers, which I personally think are a ballsy idea for such a rocky trail (as evidenced by the three inch bruise on the bottom of my left foot). All this said, I still did the loop only slightly slower than my racing pace from the last time I did the trail half marathon. Hopefully, slapping some New Balance 790s onto my feet next time for a little rock protection, cutting out the walks and holding a nice, brisk pace will help me reach my goal.

Also, and somewhat tangential: I forgot how much it sucks running with a Camelback. I noted today there are various “watering” stations along the route – basically a spot to pull up well water. I think if I run with powdered Accelerade in one bottle I can keep refilling and mixing the other. We’ll try that next time.

Pre-order Vibram KSO Treks (Warning: Not Inexpensive)

It seems there’s a way to pre-order the latest offerings from Vibram; the KSO Treks, Mocs and Performa. A little googling for more info on the KSO Treks took me to a post over at Birthday Shoes, which in turn linked me over to Kayak Shed.

I’m interested to see how the new additions to the lineup hit. One of the things I’ve most enjoyed about my trusty KSOs over the past year has been their ability to run through rain, straight through puddles, streams, creeks, and whatever else the trail had to offer. You get them wet and they remain almost weightless and, conditions permitting, they’re dry within the next mile. How will Kangaroo leather hold up? Are we going to see a chamois cloth effect that gets bogged down with water? How will they breathe? I’m a little skeptical, but will of course give the benefit of the doubt.

Just incase: Dear Vibram – can you please make a KSO Trek out of the lightweight mesh I’ve come to love?

But, oh. . . $130! Yikes.

Getting Stronger

Lakeshore Park
10 Miles in 1:42
Vibram FiveFinger KSO

My first 10 mile loop of Lakeshore this season. The run itself was amazing. One week into a vegan diet and my energy levels feel much, much higher. Was running most hills, fast-walking the breaks and sprinting at some points. No fatigue until mile nine, when it became so dark I couldn’t see and kept tripping over roots and branches. Despite the thrill, I found myself a little discouraged and (embarrassingly) kind of scared. Lakeshore has a tendency to confuse, and I’ve been lost there more than once in broad daylight. Can’t imagine being stuck there after dark, lost with no torch.

Around late dusk I was in Loki’s Loop – a heavily wooded section of the trail. My feet hitting the ground must’ve been waking the bats from their sleep, because they seemed to “eek” and flutter out of the trees along with me as I made my way back to the trail head. This was kind of surreal, and one of those strange moments that makes trail running so much more meaningful than sidewalks and streets.

Dusk came pretty fast, and the last two miles of the trail were run mostly in the dark, since I didn’t anticipate needing a headlamp. The last half mile was run in almost complete dark, and my strategy was to more or less aim for the blurry, white line which seemed to be the path.

Got to the trail head and it was dark out, but all in it was a great, tiny adventure to cap off the weekend.

My running pace must have been pretty solid, since I was running 8 and walking 2. To average out to a 10 minute pace I must have been going pretty strong on the running sections. I’ll wait to see how I feel tomorrow before calling it a success. If I’m good, I’ll consider this a promising training run for the Woodstock Hippie Half Marathon next month.

Gear
The Forerunner 405 continues to absolutely shit the bed when it comes to trails. This is a 10 mile loop, and the GPS is coming up short of 9 miles? On streets, it’s fine. On trails, an expensive let-down. Additionally, the buttons and bezel often fail to work/respond to touch when they’re wet with sweat. But hey, at least it looks cool, and can double as a real watch.

On the other hand, the FiveFinger KSOs continue to impress. Over a year old and hundreds of miles logged, with little sign of wear and tear. The small tear in the cloth that recently developed can be fixed with a needle, thread and some goop in a matter of minutes. My feet are getting stronger, and I felt absolutely great all the way through the loop. I’m looking forward to the KSO Treks, but am on the fence about them due to their Kangaroo Leather upper. Aside from the ethical considerations, I wonder if they’ll feel as light and if they’ll be able to handle puddles and moisture as well as the KSOs or other “topless” models. I guess we’ll see. Maybe I can ask Barefoot Ted when I see him in a few weeks.

Clif Bars and Accelerade seem to be a working combination, but I’m going to start moving to real food, and will likely swap out the sports drink with Green Magma in the near future.

The Buildup

Perhaps a bit reckless, but nothing extraordinary comes from ordinary actions. Last weekend I attempted my first 10 mile trail run absolutely barefoot. Having not run Lakeshore Park much this year, I forgot what the terrain was like in the more distant sections of the park.

First few miles were fine. By the time I got to mile six I was on the verge of throwing up from the pain. Had to chicken out and grab the FiveFinger KSOs for the rest of the run. The difference is amazing, though. Just adding some protection almost revolutionized the way I ran. More fearless of roots and rocks, the pace dropped by over a minute per mile. I don’t necessarily see this as good – just something to note.

Going to keep working at it, still hoping to do a barefoot trail marathon before the season is up.

Despite the pain in my feet, I’ll keep at it. The ultimate purpose is still in place – I’m running with better form, gentler and more in tune with my body. Actually listening to my body. The knee is fine, with soreness and stiffness working itself out in a matter of a day or two – not months.

Back to Lakeshore Park, Barefoot #2

This should have been a longer run, but I didn’t feel like emptying the tank. It’s both bogus and sad to me that 4 miles was all I did on this fine, beautiful, near tropical Sunday. But the dismay is diluted with pride in the fact that I ran these slippery, muddy miles barefoot, and that my legs feel wonderful, and that I feel like I could have gone twice as far.

Maybe I’ll try stacking on more miles in the near future. I’m just enjoying it right now.

This was my first post-snow run at Lakeshore for the year. I almost like it better when its frozen; the general pestilence like mosquitoes, horseflies, and Oakley-clad, shirtless frat boys on mountain bikes aren’t there in the winter.

They were out in full force today.

Still, Lakeshore is one of my favorite trails. Not too much climbing, though rife with rolling, gentle ups and downs. The trails are soft on the feet and perfect for barefooting. No huge stretches of wood chips, and maybe only a few spots of sharp gravel – nothing to really ruin your day though.

Great trail, and a great run today. I can’t wait for the summer. Especially once Max gets his mileage up.

Congrats to Dirty and Brian on conquering Trail Marathon today. Hope I can join you next year.

More Thoughts on Rainy Trails and FiveFingers

After working more than 60 hours since Monday and not really having a weekend to speak of, today’s rainy, empty trail was especially timely. Perhaps one of the best parts about running is the absolute catharsis you feel from only 45 minutes of time alone in the woods. At least for me, anyway.

I set out intent on barefooting it, knowing full-well that I need to work up some good pads for October’s marathon. As I pulled into the park, tough, the temperature dipped to 49, which is below my threshold for any shoeless adventures. I chickened out and wore the FiveFinger KSOs. But hey – they still feel great to me.

Heritage Park was empty, aside from two vinyl-poncho clad hikers with crampons and ski poles and two stoned teenagers sitting by the river with their feet in the water. Both were surprised to see me, but more so the high-ons. Days like this are some of the best for running. I love having the trails utterly to myself, and the sound of the rain falling through the trees sets a rhythm that kind of Zens you out and drives you forward. It’s too easy to get lost in your thoughts, and that’s a good thing.

I took a rest at my favorite portion of the trail, which is also the highest point of the park with the best view. As trail runners, we’re exposed to a lot of outdoor beauty, but stopping to reflect and observe gives you a much more in-depth experience than just running past it. You don’t often think of Suburban Detroit as having spots of breathtaking beauty, but I’ve found a few.

More thoughts on FiveFingers

This was my first run in them this year, after a long respite for the winter, and I’ve got a few new observations.

Despite offering little traction on muddy inclines – they’re practically weightless, they develop your leg muscles in the same way, and for my level of experience they offer welcome protection against gravel and wood chip portions of trail. That said, they do make a noticeable difference in form and technique compared to a naked foot. With the extra protection, you allow yourself to run more recklessly and do things you wouldn’t when completely unshod. The point of barefooting is to step softly, work in tune with your body and reduce stress on your bones – and that’s somewhat undermined in the FiveFingers. I think Vibram marketing them as a “barefoot alternative” is a bit dishonest, not to mention contradictory. It’s like calling a bathing suit a “nudity alternative” (or to that end, calling the Swimsuit Issue “the Hustler alternative”). You can’t really have a half-absolute.

Still, the FiveFingers have been an excellent gateway drug into minimal running, and I’d recommend them to anyone willing to give them a shot. Aside from the most important thing – making running more enjoyable – they’ve helped me rework and improve my running form. As such, I’ve fixed a lot of the knee and foot problems I was having before, running in my New Balances, Pumas and Salomons. I think it’s best to view them as training wheels of sorts, though, recognizing that they are shoes nonetheless.

Back to 20

After weeks of feeling sorry for myself on account of repeated injuries, I finally made something of myself yesterday with a 20 mile trail. Tried a few new things that might or might not be great ideas for the long haul, but at least I know now:

• Succeed S! Caps
  This was my first pill-popping long run and I must say, they made an entirely noticeable distance. The only nausea/sick-stomach feeling came when I licked my arm to test my electrolytes (salty taste=ok, bland=running low) and forgot that I had about 3 layers of OFF Skintastic dried onto my skin. Mile 17 was spent fighting the urge to duck aside and vomit, but I toughed it out. Popping one every hour worked like a charm. I also downed a Clif Shot Blok every 1/2 hour as a semi-solid intake, so we can thank them for assistance as well.
   
• Green Magma
  I drank this+water rather than the standard Accelerade. Seemed to work OK and provided enough energy, though I wonder if the protein in Accelerade helps ease soreness a bit. I read that some elite ultra runners use Magma during runs, so I thought I’d give it a shot. At $40.00 for a tiny canister though, fat chance I’d be using it regularly unless, like elite ultra runners, I got sponsored by Green Foods (another fat chance).
   
• FiveFingers
  They’ve been seamless for anything under 15 miles, total comfort and great all-around feeling. Beyond that, my feet don’t seem tough enough to handle hours of abuse from jagged rocks and sharp tree-stumps. The bottoms of my feet are mostly bruised, and miles 16-20 were spent coping with agonizing pain in the balls of my feet. I’ll keep trying long runs in them to see how my strength/tolerance builds up. On the bright side, I have no joint pain whatsoever, so they seem to be doing their trick to that end.
   

All-in-all, it was a decent run in a decent, 43 mile week. Some very solid shorter runs with (relatively) respectable times. The 20 took a bit longer than expected, but I just wanted to get the time on my feet and start working on a reasonable hike/run combo. Will try bumping the long-runs up by a mile or two each week, and hopefully be capable of a not-excruciating 30 miler by the end of August. Things seem to be falling into place again. ‘Bout time.

Celebrations, Both Easy and Difficult

It’s only 11am on Saturday and already the weekend has been eventful, to say the least. The good news, first, is that Mae ran and owned her first race – the Flirt With Dirt 5k. Though I was hoping to coerce her into pushing herself through the 10k, she made such a great showing today that I can hardly complain. Maybe as good to run a hard 5k as it would be if she ran a sluggish 10. She’s already signed up for a 10k for next month, too. Trail, of course.

First mile was a 9:10 pace, which, for someone who trains at 12 minute miles, is pretty significant. The last two miles were in the low 11’s and if not for us following some lost runners onto the 10k trail and 1/2 a mile off our course, we probably would have come in at just a touch over the 30 minute mark.

Further on the great side of things, the last two days of rain made for some lovely trail conditions, for most. Some participants tiptoed and sidestepped around the not infrequent muddy puddles, hoping to avoid tarnishing their pearly white cross trainers. We made sure to charge through these at full speed to get them with whatever splash we could. Come on – it’s a trail run!

In all, a great morning. I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

Aftermath: my trusty FiveFinger KSOs & Mae’s newly christened NB790s.

What Saint Nick does in the off season.

Mae, crossing her first finish line.

Post finish crash.

My three favorite women, all in one place: sister, mother and Mae.

* * * *

On the down side of things, we had to lay our friend Mendel to rest last night. It’s been a rough six weeks combating terminal renal failure, and we all put up a good fight – especially him. He held on as long as he could, but yesterday he affirmed ‘it’s time’. He was surrounded by family, passing away in the arms of loved ones – most people couldn’t ask for better. He will be missed.

See you on the rainbow bridge, buddy.

A Run That I Almost Hated

14.5 miles, 95 degrees and humid with vampire bugs. More detail below if you’re curious.

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Today’s big plans for returning to the 20 mile distance quickly melted due to lack of bearable temperatures.

Lakeshore Park, despite the heat, was still wet from recent storms – making for a slippery first loop. In the FiveFingers, I was able to hit puddles pretty hard and the cold water splashing up helped keep me cool, relatively speaking. I had to lose the shirt by mile 4 and, while much better, this left me open to bug bites and blazing hot sun on my bare skin.

Bugs are evil in this heat. I stopped to pee twice, got gang-raped by mosquitoes both times and had to learn to run and pee to finish it off the second one. Things turned out messy – I will leave it at that.

The first 5 miles were a bit monotonous, but 6 through 8 are beautiful and here’s where the run went its best. I worked at a 25 minute-run (10 minute pace)/5 minute-walk(15 minute pace) combo, and the heat didn’t really catch up to me until mile 9 – which is when I bonked pretty hard. Had to walk most of this, running only when the bugs found me and began their attack. I spent most of this mile trying to talk myself out of the second loop.

A quick rest in the car and a banana later, and I’m back out for loop 2. This time I left the FiveFingers and went all natural. As awful and dehydrated as I felt, I realized I wasn’t going to make it another 10 miles, but I wanted to get what I could out of the day. Running the last 4.5 miles barefoot gave me a greater sense of accomplishment, helping me cope with not hitting my mileage mark. I also earned some quizzical looks from the few mountain bikes who dared to make it out for the hottest part of the day. I didn’t hold to any run/walk combo – I just listened to my body and ran when I could and walked when needed. This was so much more enjoyable and comfortable. By the time I got back to the car I felt like I could heap on a few more miles. I’m glad I didn’t, though. A few hours later and I feel horrible – the kind of dehydration that entails headache, diarrhea and a completely pissed-off stomach.

As hard and somewhat disappointing as today’s run was, I felt I got a lot out of it. Obviously not in terms of raw mileage, but discovering some things that need serious work (namely my fluid/electrolyte intake) and getting a few good barefoot miles in to toughen up my soles. Also on the bright side, my joints and muscles feel great. This shoe-less thing is working out well.

One Rainy Wish

Ok – back on track with the 50 schedule I had. I think if I pace myself properly I can get up to 18 this weekend (mid 40’s for the week), as the schedule calls for. Decided to go to Heritage Park for today’s 6.5 miler since 1) I didn’t want to run on the street in the pouring rain, running under trees would be safer with storm clouds overhead and 2) who can pass up a muddy trail in a downpour?

Loved every second of it. Wore the NorthFace (semi-waterproof) but probably didn’t need it. Got too hot – more sweat coming out than there was rain moisture getting in. Oh well, will know better next time.

FiveFingers are perfect in the rain. Like wearing aqua sox, you can charge through deep puddles and it’s not like running with wet towels wrapped around your feet. Only downside is they have no traction, and thus get really slippery on muddy inclines. Learned to take these slow, though, and it was fine. I needed to, anyways, since I wanted to avoid hip soreness.

Clocked low 7’s pace for the last mile home. Didn’t take anything to drink or eat – hoping to burn fat and train my body not to depend on those things. Worked out well – a little hunger at beginning and end, but running fresh throughout. No walking breaks, except for aforementioned hills. Less than 5 minutes of walking total.

Runs keep getting better, but a touch of hip pain in the other leg now. Going to swim tomorrow night and take a day off my feet. Only 3 miles of speedwork are scheduled for Wed, so I don’t think I’m missing out any significant distance.

Can’t wait until my joint health catches up to my ambitions.