All-Terrain Run

The frequency of posts doesn't quite match the frequency of running lately, but closely enough to be really disturbing....
Mileage has been down (I've been getting out with the Kid quite frequently, but only for a couple of k's), so when I've had the chance, I've been enjoying testing the feet out on a wider variety of surfaces. I never thought I'd say it, but I am coming to enjoy the rougher stuff better - I'd even go so far as to seek it out a bit rather than the regularity of the old faithful river path run.

This's me, that couldn't tippytoe across a carpark 2 years ago. Ha!

The best thing is that, according to the (late) Caballo Blanco's mantra of "Smooth, Easy, Fast", it's getting fast again. Nice.

Today I dropped the Kid off and wandered through 10k on a range of surfaces. It took about an hours, since I stopped so much to take photos, but it was a real nice day out. The following panel is a montage of the key terrain changes during the 10k. It was predominantly flat, with only a slight lift on one of the deep-sand paths and a downhill on the tussocky grass.

Only the rough asphalt gives me trouble now - I still get a bit scared and lose form - leading to poor landings or a twist / toe-off, which hurts. The metal grids are included here as an experiment - I could only last a few steps on them. I don't reckon anybody could deal with them - the gaps are a little too wide and the top profile just a little sharp. Still, it's all out there to be travelled.
Happily, the gravel, small rocks and sticks all went by with no trouble. The lumpy grass and the deep sand, which used to be tough on my ankles is now a pleasant challenge. I'm still not sure that there's a half marathon in my soles, but for the general getting around, I reckon shoes might be history.

Unless it's real cold and wet................

On that, you'll have to keep watching.

change and a holiday

There's been a bunch going on these last weeks - the blog hasn't gotten a look in whatsoever - but now, with a moment to take stock and restart, I can fill in some highlights.

The Kid's TRYathlon was a fun day out. She had a good go, didn't stop, and finished with a smile. Confidence in the swim wasn't high, so she waited right till the end of the age-group pack, leading to some anxious moments amongst the support crew. Soon enough, though, those long legs were rolling around the bike course and the run.
 

She's "not sure" if she wants to do another, but is keen to run more with me and swim with friends or Rita - so I'll keep an eye out for more. Of course, I'm happy to keep it up, so today we went for a little barefoot run together - about 2.5k on the smooth paths - with me yet again impressed at the smooth style that seems so common to young kids.
Good to be out there doing something healthy and having to push a little.

With a little taste for racing, I jumped into a city 10k fun run as my barefoot "coming out" - the first time I've tried to "race" barefoot. I ran the first half with friend Mandy and came in somewhere around 50 minutes, with no discomfort and no rubs. This was a good test for keeping the technique under control in crowd conditions.

The big news just recently, though, has been the momentary return of Rita, en route to racing the next IM and starting a brand new job. We got through a string of runs together both in Perth and in Exmouth, which is about half-way up the Western Australian coast.

Now Perth is a remote place. Head north, however, and remoteness is in the extreme. Indian ocean on one side and a continent of desert on the other. Exmouth exists for two things - oil platforms off the coast, and tourists bobbing about looking at the reefs and the whale sharks that collect there. We took a whale shark tour and, amongst the berley I was throwing over the side of the boat, we had a good sighting.

A walk and a hike through the gorges, some snorkelling and general wandering around on the beaches made for a good trip, with the highlights exclusively amongst the time we spent alone.

Yardie Creek Gorge, and Rita, sheltering from a relentless sun.

Returning to Perth, we peeled off a volcano-hardened ride to Freo, some paddleboarding and a pretty solid 8km run - no doubt faster than my 10k race of a couple weeks previous - and still feeling good. The chap behind us was clearly not (Tee Hee...).

With Rita climbing back aboard a plane, I found myself at a loose end, so the Wednesday WAMC run beckoned. This was a social jaunt, till the last kilometer, where I wanted to give it a real good squeeze. The pace felt bloody wonderful, and the technique held even at 3:20/km. Perhaps, as the late Caballo Blanco suggested, "first smooth, then easy, then fast" is coming true. Yahoo!

Coming back to earth  with the first day back at work has been tough, with the realisation that the next few months' work will be truly hellish. Somewhere in here, I hope, will be my first barefoot half marathon and some solid plans for an amazing future.

Fairy steps

"Rogaining" - noun - the result of agreeing to go for a short walk with one's boyfriend and his parents, only to find 8 hours later that they carry headlamps and a second page of maps - being an intense scowl and complete inability to notice that others somewhat faster than one's indignant plod might want to overtake on a narrow path.
(Disclaimer: if, in fact, we read this situation wrong and that charming lady out on the Bibbulmun is tragically afflicted with a grotesquely angry facial disfigurement, then we apologize unreservedly.
Thanks for letting us past, stupid cow.

So, today we took the chance on a Bibbulmun front-end adventure IN FINGERS!

To set the scene, I ran 14km last night barefoot, and decided that it was admirable* to push through the distance, though the hotspots started appearing after kilometer 2. Sigh.
(*not so bright)

Back to the Hills!

We left the Kalamunda pub with high hopes of a triumphal return in daylight. The trails felt remarkably good in the fingers - not nearly as painful as I expected, and much, much more nimble than in shoes. Still, with ants as long as one's forearm waiting patiently beside the trail with napkins, it was best not to stop.
Alas, multiple encounters with the rogainers (including a group who appeared to have misplaced their dungeons and dragons 20-sided dice) and a minor loss of two our our party slowed us down a little.

In my defense, I didn't think that the espresso gel would make it THAT much fun that I got away. My sturdy compatriots, having lost sight of their tour guide in fading light on unfamiliar trails, carefully backtracked to check the trail markers, while the panicking tour guide raced first back to where I took off, then to the top of the trail, then back again, figuring there's no way that a short cut could've gotten them that far ahead.

The run thus ended as a stumbly walk back to the pub, illuminated by the comforting glow of mobile phones, but was nonetheless a solid workout. The feet feel a little beaten, but not in any way damaged. The technique is to keep the rapid fairy steps going, uphill and downhill, keeping a good blast in the pack pocket for the occasional open spaces.

I could be said that today's run ended badly. But fear not, dear reader, it could've been far, far worse, and indeed, it almost was. Remember way back in "It's like fishing", I mentioned an issue that afflicts me (and indeed every other runner)? Well, in the car on the way back home, one of my uninitiated compatriots fed me chocolate........

Luckily we survived that intake. Getting home, though, and removing the fingers, was an entirely different matter.

So it as been a good day.

Tomorrow is the Kid's first Triathlon - a huge day for doting dads. I'm immensely proud of her for having a go at something completely new. I suspect a blog post will document this one.

Tough

Ran tonight with new friends, plus the kid on the bike - real good fun. Good talks and easy dinner with beer afterward - this is what running is meant to be!

And the title? Well, tough relates to two observations from today, both from runs (I'm not going to get too explicit, here, you'll just have to stay with me and try to figure it out for yourself.)

First, a patch of thoughtful conversation this afternoon coincided with a particularly spiky stretch of road surface. Either I was sufficiently distracted ( and therefore usually a wimp), or my feet are acclimatizing to rougher barefoot surfaces, because rather than the "dance" that normally accompanies hurty bits, I cruised over it and it actually felt quite good.
I suspect most of the discomfort originates in the wet grey bit upstairs.....

Second, superfoods. Chia seeds, flax seeds, goji berries etc. plus raisins and other whole foods. Are they super because they are super-indigestible? They go in, but, if you look carefully ( and anyone over 50 should be, by the way), they seem to mostly make it through unscathed......

Sigh. I have mercifully refrained from illustrating tonight's entry.

Running on Mars

Note: For some reason, no matter how I rotate or un-rotate images, they like to appear on their side. 
Tilt Yer 'Ed. 
Today I returned to the Bibbulmun, thinking that the worst of summer may be behind us. Sure, it wasn't so hot (though I was out just before dusk), but the dryness was incredible.


The trails have weathered summer badly - many sections have turned to sand, and the remainder are strewn with sharp rocks no longer held together by the soil. In the afternoon sun, the open areas look like pictures from NASA.

expanses of red rock

normal trail condition - this ain't Fingers territory!

I ran the first section of the track (the hardest bit - stupid!) - 10km out to the powerlines and back. The trail beyond this point eases off dramatically to smoother rollers, but today, the sharp hills were death on legs.
I gave the race shoes a spin today, figuring that they were the most snug protection I have, but they still don't offer enough side protection - lots of scuffs and stumbles. I wonder if the numerous stubbed toes and near falls are a result of having a rubber sole under my foot for the first time in a while.


The trails were real tough I'm going to try it out with the fingers at some stage - I have to feel it. Te downhills are the issue - they are so steep, it is almost impossible to not land on the heels - even letting go and rolling the legs over at a pace to match the incline gets completely out of control. I expect the Fingers would be more grippy, though - many of today's slips were just losses of friction in all the twisting and turning on sandy rocks.

Regardless of the trail condition, this is the running I really enjoy - going Yippee on the flat smooth patches between the rocks and getting the quickstep going on the rough descents.
More mileage - need to get out beyond the wier again......

No stopping

Working in the city now, as well as my own shop, so things are hotting up.
The workshop in the city is 7pm from home, so a run each way picks up some good flat miles.

Today, it was so hot on the way home that I had to put on Fingers, and my feet now feel blistered burned all over. That, plus the novelty of carrying a backpack (eating so much is a curse sometimes) made for an awkward-feeling run - all hips and knees.

Thanks to a few late nights and a small but uncomfortable hole in my sole where I just pulled out a little shard of glass, I think I'll take the silver surfer tomorrow.

Smooth, Easy, Fast

The guy in THAT book (yeah, "Born to Run"), said the key to getting form right was to make it smooth, wait for it to get easy, then it'll become fast all by itself.

I wish I'd had a clock on today, because, it started slow and smooth, stayed easy, and clicked up into a really nice pace by the end. The "float" that I've talked about before came back and stayed. The sensation is very unusual - the sensations of running used to be all about contact and impact, now it's about my knees - that sharp, quick knee lift that gets the back foot up and starts the next swing - rather difficult to describe.

Today was a good run - for the first time in a while, I got a bit cold - there was a strong steady wind (it's Perth, after all) and a bit of light rain at my back on the way home. Not enough to make the Fingens wet, which is really uncomfortable and rubby, but enough to give them a little feeling of slipping on the road surface.

I wondered today why I got a few rather bemused looks on the paths (more than usual) - looking down, I did have a particularly short pair of running shorts and a shirt borrowed from Rita (sure I asked), so I may have looked like I'd been left too long in the wash. Getting home and fronting the mirror, though, told the real story - I hadn't shaved for a week, so I was looking like I was being overtaken by a patchy fungus for starters, and the rain and headwind had pushed my hair into a twin set of mohawks - wolverine style - which was not at all pleasant. Alas, the camera didn't come out for that sight.

New rule:  Wear a hat, shave, or run at night.

Back to the office afterward, enjoying my new sport of making jewellery using wood and stainless steel. The machine is whizzing away at a new 5-axis creation right now, which should be done in the next few days. I'd like to think this is an interesting diversion between massive contracts, rather than a potential means of generating survival income, but we'll worry about that next week, eh?

Jarrah and Stainless Steel, polished or beadblasted

LDR x 3

The Long Distance Run.

All these little runs are stirring the itch to don the waterbag and head for the trails. Alas, this means it's time to crack the piggybank for a pair of low-drop trail shoes, since the kinvaras aren't going to last long on the rocks.

My feet are feeling a bit hammered this week. The 13k on Sunday added a pair of nice blisters under the 4th toe of each foot, a sign of poor landing, I think, and since then they've just felt a bit generally sore. My first time on the bike in a month reminded me of how narrow my bike shoes are, too, with pins and needles from the first few minutes. There'll be no dipping into the pig for bike shoes, though - they're part of the "volagi reward package", that will be my treat for getting my business out of financial strife.

Anyhoo.... Back to the trails - it'll be dry and dusty out on the Bibbulmun, so it may be cooler to take the historic railway trail to York instead. I need to find a suitably masochistic training partner.

Thus, the other LDR - the long distance relationship.... Rita is ploughing through major workouts gearing up for IM Brazil, constantly making a mockery of the shambles I'm calling training just now, so it's fun to hear about. The long slow process of bring our worlds together continues, with fingers and toes always crossed for the bits of good news in our work lives that will set the scene for the future. Being away sucks like nothing else, but it'll sure be worth it when we're back.

And the last LDR? The kid kept up a good pace (and a solid conversation) for 13.5k on the bike (long distance ride? Ok. I know I'm stretching it) on the weekend, and is asking for more, with a view to one of the kids triathlons this year. That makes for a happy dad.

All is well.

Discipline

Time manamgement has never been a strong point of mine. I have fun. I get distracted. I lose sight of the looming enormities of everyday existence in lieu of something momentarily amazing.
That ain't going to get me through this year.

For survival, it's eating to a budget (in fact, often eating at all!). To nurture a long-distance relationship with Rita, it's working to a plan and making the most of fleeting moments. To grow a happy Kid, it's taking the time to do stuff and be a good dad. To avoid financial death, it's staying tight and working the hours for the jobs that earn money right now.
Everything is discipline.

This week's run bars - lots of good and a little bit of bad. Fantastic.

Keeping the running going is yet another act of discipline - often one of the hardest to pull off for me, when I'm tired, hungry, hot or anxious after work, or stuck against deadlines for the Kid (like dinner).
When it happens, though, it's a wonder that I would ever contemplate skipping it. Particularly barefoot - just touching the road is a refreshing thing.


Today's run was 13.3km across the Windan bridge and the Causeway - the old lazy loop - simple, smooth and non-challenging - great for getting the technique right and strengthening my feet. Tonight, though, it didn't go so great. Maybe the Kid on the bike was subconsciously making me go faster than normal, but I got badly rubbed by 11km and had to put the Fingens on over a couple of larger blisters - my first in a long time. These are both placed just behind my fourth toe on each foot - an unusual place - perhaps indicating that I'm twisting too much on landing again.

rotate! rotate!

Once the Fingens went on, though, the pace shot up to blast it home. One downside of this achilles trouble I've had (and almost gotten clear of) is an annoying, painless "click" in my ankle on almost every footfall. During the day, with a bit of chatter, it isn't noticeable, but at night, when I love the silence of barefoot, it's excruciating!

Sole Director

All running has switched back to barefoot, with the longer ones with the Fingens tucked in the back of the shorts. Barefoot for me seems to work much better as that pleasant meditative therapy that running ought to be right now - it's way slow, and it's gentle.

The running became a bit aimless for a while (the LA marathon plan disappeared with a surprise trip to Hawaii!), but it is starting to pick up again, as an escape from the focus of work. This year is a year of change and decision - with business, with life, with home. The change will only come with freedom, though, and that means paying off a shedload of business debt, so the night shift is alive and well, with an occasional midnight patter around the neighbourhood tossed in to clear the head while the Kid snuffles peacefully.

Tonight is about to receive one of those - short - maybe only 4 or 5 k, but soft and silent and totally alone on the paths. Stuff falls away.....

One of the midnight creations in progress - a spring-powered gyroscope car.

Learning to love it again. Again.

Every few months in the last 2 years, I seem to go full circle where I twinge a little injury, get frustrated and wonder how running suddenly became all about speed and pressure and getting it done. Then I stop, relax and restart, remembering that its meant to be fun, and it's something I love.

This time, its the left achilles - twinged while walking or doing something fun in Hawaii (that's another story). I didn't rest it, and it has steadily gotten worse.

A few days off running and riding saw the achilles ease off, so I could take a big deep breath again and start running like a newbie again.
I'm not running in LA (blow off that entry fee!), so there's no pressure. I love running barefoot - it just feels nice and the sensation of moving smoothly without the thump,thump, thump is really therapuetic. So that's where I'm going to go back to. I lost it all before Berlin, and running became hard work again.

It's also a bunch cheaper.

So, three nights now has seen me out late, in the cool, sliding along the flat, smooth path beside the river. Nothing technical, nothing challenging, just gentle technique. The achilles is still not comfortable, but it's not inflamed and it's not triggering any sharp pain, so I'm going to keep stretching it out like this. Anyone out walking to avoid the heat has been treated to a pure white wraith with brown legs pattering along silently on the path in bare feet. I've had to apologise a few times.

I'm sleeping more, I'm eating better (keeping a food diary to help me remember what works when I'm feeling tired or lazy) to keep me away from the sweety treats and reduce my pure carbs a little and I'm getting up early.
It's a shirtload of habits to try changing all at once, but, frankly, I've got nothing else to do...

Sunrise is worth it.