2012 Med City Half Marathon Review

About a year ago my wife and I were walking around a city park pushing son #1 in the stroller.  She was pregnant with son #2 and I had been running about two months.  The 2011 Minnesota Warrior Dash was about a month away and we were chatting about it.  I was surprised about how much I had improved already and I mentioned that maybe a half-marathon would be possible in the future.  It was a thought that would have been impossible not long before.

Fast forward to May 27th, 2012 and I'm in the pack for the Med City run, along with a few other barefooters (Christian, Katie, Jane, Nicole, and Bob)!  This would be my longest run ever, on a hot day, when I was already dealing with a little pain in my foot.  Here we go!

The Med City starts in Byron, MN and follows a hilly county highway to Rochester where you hop on some blacktop trails of varying age.  Some as smooth as butter, some not so smooth.  At mile twelve the half marathon and marathon routes diverge.  As hot as it was that morning, I was glad to take the right turn to the finish, rather than the left turn for another 14 miles.  Let's not get ahead of ourselves though.

Standing at the start was a little chilly, but the skies were clear so the sun would be on us soon.  Christian entertained us with his Schwartzenegger impression and we discussed the finer points of peeing in the woods.  We also stood and chatted with some other runners about barefooting and one lady was pretty interested.  She told us that she had a pair of Vibrams but her feet were very sore after her first run.  After we found out that she went two miles her first time out in them, we gave her some tips and ideas to get her started right.  I hope she tries them out.

We got started and were sticking around a 10:20 pace for the first miles.  By one mile in, the heat was already on us.  We kept at an easy pace and headed out into the open countryside.  I was feeling good, with just a little pain in the top of my right foot.  The weird thing about it was that it didn't hurt all the time.  I had it taped with Kineso Tape, trying to ward off extra pain and swelling.  Even though that tape is usually magic, it didn't provide much relief in this case.  The other thing I was wondering about was my food intake before the race.  At my last race (a 5K in February) I had eaten some oatmeal pre-race and it sat in my stomach like a rock, eventually leading to stitches in my side that forced me to walk.  Pretty lame for a 5K.  For this run, I tried a banana, Snicker's Marathon bar, and a Red Bull.  It was a lot of sugar, but seemed to be OK.  No problems with side pain and no stomach upset from the sugar.

We had a little break at about three miles while Katie and Jane hit the porta-potties and we were off again.  The first seven miles are pretty straight but a little hilly.  After mile seven, the course is nearly flat to the finish.  I was feeling fine at the first water stop so I skipped that one.  Not sure if that was good or bad.  I had two or three cups at each stop after that, but I still ended up five pounds lighter at the end of the race.

Nicole ran ahead down the last hill around mile 7 and took a picture of four running hobos with no shoes. (L to R: Me, Bob, Christian, Katie)

Responses to a pack of four with no shoes on were varied, but mostly supportive.  In fact I only heard one negative comment the whole time.  Usually people would shout their support and approval, and then follow it up with "I could never do that!"  Funny, I used to say the same thing.  No one even mentioned Bob's kilt.  I guess kilts are mainstream.

By about mile six we fell in with the 2:30 pacer group and alternated passing them and getting passed.  At about mile nine, my feet started to get a little tender on the bottom.  I wasn't hitting many rocks or other debris, but the pavement was warm and starting to get rougher and I was getting a little tired.  I got a bump of energy at about mile 10.5 when we passed my wife, my boys, and a few in-laws who were waiting to cheer me on.  It was this point in the race that I knew I would finish with no trouble, but I was ready to be done!

About mile 10.5

We hit the mile 12 aid station and stopped for a picture before Bob and Nicole headed for the second half of the marathon.  Katie, Christian and I walked about 100 yards and took off for the finish.  My feet were pretty tender by this point, but I didn’t have much trouble as long as I kept moving. 

Mile 12 Aid Station.

The half marathon course follows around Silver Lake in Rochester before heading South to the Civic Center for the finish. As you pass Silver Lake you cross over 7^th Street.  It was at this point that someone on a bike wearing a vest rode past me on the course.  The vest said “Lead Biker”.  I thought to myself, “Huh.  I guess maybe there is more than one lead biker, and this guy’s shift is over.”  That’s when I was overtaken by a flash of red as the Marathon winner ran by me.  Embarrassing?  No.  Humbling?  Absolutely.  I guess I need some more practice.  He finished the marathon three minutes ahead of me.

Coming in to the finish.

My family made it from the park to the finish line to wave me in and I finished in an official time of 2:31:12.  My longest run ever by one mile and my first half marathon.  I grabbed a handful of orange slices and a bottle of water and stood around chatting with my barefoot compatriots.  There is really nothing like orange slices after a run in the heat.  Christian was pounding muscle milk and discussing his work capacity across time and modal domains.  You should ask him about it sometime.

I found my family and made a mistake.  I sat down for a couple minutes.  My feet were ungodly sore when I stood up to walk to my car.  No cuts or bruises, just really tender.  I hobbled to the Jeep and made it home for a nice Memorial Day weekend with the family that included a little Gatorade, a lot of water, a large amount of green salad, pork loin on the smoker, drinking beer, brewing beer, and generally lazing around.

Still smiling at the finish.

Me and my boys.

No post would be complete without telling you what I learned so here it is.

1.      Hydration.  Even though there were aid stations every two miles I really could have used an extra drink or two in-between, especially towards the end.  Next time I might bring some extra with me if it is going to be so hot.  Also, don’t skip an aid station.  Just grab a drink and go.  I also learned the “fold the cup” technique so the liquid goes in your mouth instead of down your chest.  Very handy.

2.      Pre-race food.  I think my banana, Marathon bar, Red Bull combo worked nicely.  Plenty to get me through the distance, but not so much that it was sitting in my gut.  I usually drink coffee in the morning, but that didn’t sound good pre-race.  Plus, I hear that Red Bull gives you wings.

3.      Run with a friend.  It’s more fun and the miles go quicker.

Run on, Runners!


*Edit:  I forgot to say thanks to all the volunteers staffing the aid stations!  You folks are awesome!

Minnesota Barefooters Unite to Form An Unstopable Group of Running Superheros

Ok, maybe it wasn't all the Minnesota barefooters, and we did stop a few times, but Superhero is certainly an apt description.

Sunday was my first official group run with the Minnesota Chapter of the Barefoot Runners Society.  What a great time!  Seven of us struck out from the Maplewood Community Center and headed down the Gateway trail.  It's a pretty flat route and was a nice run.  The trail was asphalt/chipseal and helped us "build character".

Here's an official recap from our fearless leader the Maple Grove Barefoot Guy.

At a distance of about 6 miles this was technically my second-longest barefoot run since my longest was the ill-fated 7 mile "get lost on a trail" run back in August.  The results of this one were much better!  I didn't end up in pain after this run and I probably could have squeezed out another mile if I had wanted.  The thing is, I'm trying to prevent those overuse injuries from ever happening again so I wouldn't have pushed it another mile.

All in all, it was a great time and I look forward to more group runs in the future.  I got some news from the MGBG that the Med-City Marathon in exotic Rochester, MN next May could turn into a real barefoot fest!  Looking forward to that in a big way!  I won't drop the names he did since I don't want to put anyone on the spot (not like they read this anyway, but still).  I'll just be doing the half-marathon, but that means I get to hit the after-party first!

If you are interested at all in barefoot running, I really encourage you to find a Barefoot Runners Society group near you.  Homebrewers and barefoot runners are the people I like to hang out with and both groups consist of the same laid-back people.  These group runs are a great place to get a little instruction, camaraderie, and confidence in your barefoot running endeavor.

Are you running the Med-City next May?  Are you going to run it barefoot?  Is anybody still reading?  Leave a comment below or on Facebook and tell me all your hopes and dreams!

Just so you don't think I've forgotten, the Invisible Shoe review is coming.  I'm hoping the snow holds off and I can go out and get some off-road running done in them on Sunday.  If not, I'll post the review with only road miles, and do a trail running review separately.  Here's a little spoiler for you:

Me, after my first run in my Invisible Shoes.  Before you ask, yes I am rocking a 1995 DHS Monarch Track and Field vintage long sleeve t-shirt.  That shirt is magical and I will never give it up.  In case you were wondering, I also have the 1994 edition at my disposal.  That's just how I roll.

Run on, Runners!

17 Weeks

Seventeen weeks ago today, April 12th, I began my latest running career.  The goal was to train for and run the Warrior Dash on July 23rd with Sara, my wife.  We had registered for it in December of last year and were really looking forward to it.  We found out the week before we were supposed to start training that Sara was pregnant with our second child. She was hit with morning sickness (lasting all day) about two days later and dealt with that for weeks.  I decided that I was going to train and run the dash anyway, and my office manager Terri ran in Sara's place.  I was disappointed that Sara wouldn't be able to run since it was something we were going to get to experience together but I wasn't just going to give up, and Sara encouraged me to get training. (Here is a re-cap of the Dash if you missed it.)

I downloaded a program from Jeff Galloway and got moving.  The first run was supposed to be 10-15 minutes.  Jeff is big on run/walk intervals so I decided that I would do three intervals of four minutes, broken up by one minute of walking in-between.  I made it, but it wasn't pretty.  I had started though, which is sometimes the hardest thing to do.  My shin splints returned immediately and I started icing my shins after each run.  I won't re-hash that whole story so go here if you need a refresher.

The main point of this post is this: at some point I have begun to enjoy running, and I'm getting pretty good at it.  I'm not good at it like some people, but I'm having a lot of fun and I think that is what makes a good run.  I still have goals, but the goal on top of it all is to have fun and enjoy it.  All of the other goals come secondary to that.  The run for fun idea is again attributed to Jason Robillard, the mentor I've never met.  After reading a post on his blog, I stopped doing intervals, and timing everything, and mapping everything, and posting each run to Facebook.  I'm just enjoying the process now.  It is the process of becoming a better runner with more strength and endurance, transitioning to all barefoot running, and hopefully inspiring someone else to believe they can do it too.  I will confess that I do still map my runs after I get home, but mostly because I get a charge out of seeing the distance increase. 

Tonight I went out about 9:00, wearing my Merrell minimal shoes due to the impending darkness and completed 2.5 miles.  Never stopping, no shin pain, no stitches in my side, no foot pain, just a lot of fun and a little time to myself.  I've come a long way in the last 17 weeks.  I finished a 5K in June.  I did the Warrior Dash in July.  I've lost 16 pounds.  My lungs and legs are stronger.  I've discovered barefoot running.  I sleep better.  I eat less.  I feel better.  The idea of going out to run excites me now, rather than annoying me.  It's just fun.

Fun or not, I still need a goal.  The spirit to complete things still lives inside me.  I love to check stuff off of lists, but I'm also a procrastinator of the worst kind.  The next goal is this: I registered for the Med City Half Marathon next May!  I registered this early for two reasons.  I figure I need to start training now, plus by registering on the first day it was open I saved ten bucks.  I'm cheap.  Thanks to Vanessa at Vanessa Runs for the heads up on the deal!  You can check her out here.  I'm also reviewing a couple of books for her as a guest reviewer so keep your eyes glued to her site for those.  (I promise I'm not procrastinating on those reviews, Vanessa! I'm 1/3 of the way through the first book.)

My plan is to do the half-marathon barefoot.  There is already a group of barefooters signed up, though I think most are doing the full marathon so I'll be on my own after 10 miles when the courses split.  I just figure that means I get to hit the after-party first!  Doing it barefoot will be a challenge.  I worry that I won't have my feet ready in time after the Winter months.  I'll just have to ask for advice from the pros and semi-pros and do what I can!  One cool thing has already come from registering for the half marathon.  I was talking with my friend Dave just before I registered about how I was planning on signing up.  I saw him a week later and found out he had registered too!  He told me I had inspired him to do it.  I'm quite influential, you know.  Now if only I could get him to ditch his shoes...