Total weekly miles: 26 miles.
Total BF miles: 7 miles
Barefoot Sessions: 5.
Terrain: Stayed mostly on trails this week. I did run about 1.5 miles on asphalt in the rain.
My barefoot miles are purely barefoot at this time.
Weather: Cooler week this week, but couple runs were warm. One was in the rain.
Condition of Feet: Feet are experiencing more issues. I have TOFP and sometimes they feel stiff. I have been able to keep the pain under control with limited ibuprofen (never before a run or during) and icing the feet. Will be watching them closely. Soles are fine, sometimes tenderish, but never really what you would call pain.
Comments: No comments, lots of smiles. On one run a man politely waited until I was past him and then eagerly took pictures with his phone. Norwegians are very polite.
Nasty things: I ran through a lot of mud this week as we had a few storms. I still love mud the most, even the sticky deep kind. Feet have been getting dirty all right.
Changes in Running Style: I have been concentrating on my form and this week I began to tune in more closely when BFR. I am finding it more difficult to run in shoes. My BF mileage has also increased to the point (1 to 2 miles a session) that carrying my shoes is getting to be a pain.
Injuries: Some runner’s knee left over from a very hilly route from last week. I think I overpronate in shoes. Cleared up nicely this week though. Will have to keep an eye on it.
Wisdom McNuggets: Something really clicked for me this week. When BF, I was able to find my form quite easily. It is instinctive to find it. I am not staying with my limited times anymore, but have run a couple 20 and 30 minutes BFR. I am listening to the tops of my feet closely and think I will stick around in the 20 to 30 minute range for next week.
Asphalt is still a very skilled surface for me. It doesn’t hurt and is very nice to run on, but I really have to focus on my form to prevent it from beating my feet up. Trails and gravel are easier than running on asphalt. I will continue to rotate some asphalt in and out of my routine. I am fine with slowly getting comfortable on it. I prefer trails anyway.
As I mentioned, I am beginning to dislike running in shoes. They don’t seem to fit right and it is impossible to get the laces on without it being too tight or too loose. I tried a loop this week wherein I was able to secrete my shoes and run it without carrying them. It immediately improved my running and I floated over the gravel with little pain. I was also able to keep my cadence up and unweight my feet better. This next week I am cutting out (maybe) all shoe miles and start BFR on 1 to 3 mile loops in the area. Eventually, I should be able to work back up to my normal 5 miles later this summer. This is a very difficult decision for me, so I may break down and run normal shod miles on BF days off.
I am happy that my soles are seemingly tough enough to take anything on. I am shocked by this and seldom have I been in pain running BF on anything. Well, gravel still takes concentration but I can get through it. Trails on rocks, roots and mud are easy. Asphalt is easy on my soles too, and I will usually aim for any gravel I see. Gravel roads are the worst on my soles, but it really isnt that bad. How common is this? Am I blessed?
