tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41176711233957952492024-03-28T03:27:06.036-04:00Barefoot ChroniclesThe barely-coherent ramblings of barefoot ultramarathon runner Jason RobillardJason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.comBlogger171125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-43927693970384374532010-10-31T04:52:00.000-04:002010-10-31T04:52:22.419-04:00Blogging has moved and The Barefoot Running Book has a new home!<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">As I mentioned in a previous post, I have moved my blog to the <b><a href="http://barefootrunninguniversity.com/">Barefoot Running University website</a></b>. The Wordpress format gives me more freedom than the Blogger format here. Please update any links or blogrolls to reflect the move. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Also, The barefoot Running Book now has a dedicated website: <b><a href="http://tbfrb.com/">http://tbfrb.com</a></b>. Go there to take a look at the <b><i>first 52 pages of the second edition for FREE!</i></b></span></span></div>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-49002353491845448572010-09-10T04:55:00.000-04:002010-09-10T04:55:11.875-04:00New Post- Migration to New Blog<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I have a new post, but it has been added to my new blog at <a href="http://barefootrunninguniversity.com/">Barefoot Running University</a>. To those that are following this blog, please migrate to the <a href="http://barefootrunninguniversity.com/">BRU</a> site as I will be posting all new articles there.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Also, don't forget to add yourself to the <a href="http://barefootrunninguniversity.com/2010/09/06/the-barefoot-running-book-second-edition-giveaway/">Google Friend Connect</a> at the new site! It's my preferred method of selecting winners of my various contests.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Thanks!</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">-Jason</span></div>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-27187583713159935422010-09-06T06:14:00.001-04:002010-09-06T15:26:53.458-04:00The Barefoot Running Book- Second Edition Giveaway!<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">To celebrate the new <a href="http://barefootrunninguniversity.com/">Barefoot Running University</a> website, I will be giving away a copy of the second edition of <a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theultrstor-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0615376886&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr">The Barefoot Running Book</a>! All you have to do to enter is become a friend of the <a href="http://barefootrunninguniversity.com/">Barefoot Running University</a> site using Google Friend Connect. The Google Friend Connect box is located in the far right column:</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCIOjNf9ZwnpVuuxFskYowpWT1WH7XjYDf2wRHFX7axnzAj91piSYHiv29fupbwxguD25rFY2RUx1OD05XmlFPL1ccqcWKRf0eNMyHZB0k9sS0Yx8geUe6zORca5icrVhAUU_LmNw02c/s1600/BRU+friend+join.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCIOjNf9ZwnpVuuxFskYowpWT1WH7XjYDf2wRHFX7axnzAj91piSYHiv29fupbwxguD25rFY2RUx1OD05XmlFPL1ccqcWKRf0eNMyHZB0k9sS0Yx8geUe6zORca5icrVhAUU_LmNw02c/s320/BRU+friend+join.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The winner will be randomly chosen this Saturday, September 11th. Best of luck!</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Also- the Barefoot Runners Society is now open to the public!</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://barefootrunners.org/">http://barefootrunners.org</a></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></span></div>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-12667960646553558622010-09-05T03:58:00.001-04:002010-09-05T03:58:42.122-04:00New Website!<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: left;">I am in the process of integrating this blog and my website (<a href="http://barefootrunninguniversity.com/">http://barefootrunninguniversity.com</a>). The ultimate goal is to combine both sites at that address. The process will likely take several days, so please be patient. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: left;">If you were redirected here from the Barefoot Running University site, those resources should be online by Monday evening.</div>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-62221928376676024752010-08-30T09:11:00.003-04:002010-08-30T09:25:17.351-04:00The Greatest Ultramarathon Finish Ever! And a few more stories from the North Country Trail Races...<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The <a href="http://www.northcountrytrailrun.mirunning.com/">North Country Trail Races</a> held in Manistee, Michigan proved to be a memorable experience. Personally, the race was an abysmal failure (more on that later). Despite my own poor showing, this was a weekend filled with great stories.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>The 50 Mile Finish</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The headline HAS to be the finish of the 50 miler. <a href="http://jscott87.blogspot.com/">Jesse Scott</a>, my occasional training partner, pacer at <a href="http://burningriver100.org/">Burning River</a>, and friend was running his first-ever 50 miler. He battled with Brad Hinton over the last miles of the course that culminated in a neck-and-neck sprint at the end. See the video here:</div><br />
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<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">After some delay, Brad was awarded first (Brad in white), <a href="http://jscott87.blogspot.com/">Jesse</a> second (shirtless). In my biased opinion, I think Jesse crossed the finish line first. Unfortunately the officials (I believe the decision was made by Bart Yasso) ruled in favor of Brad. Both <a href="http://jscott87.blogspot.com/">Jesse</a> and Brad were absolute class-acts and perfectly epitomize the sport of ultrarunning.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The finish was even more dramatic as Brad had went off-course very early in the race. Apparently a marker had been pulled where we were supposed to make a turn. Most of the field missed the turn, including Brad. A small group of runners had familiarized themselves with the course or looked at the map posted at the turn and took the correct route. Jesse was among this group.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">For the record, I was among the group that missed the turn. I was following another runner. When we came to the intersection, he actually asked me where we were supposed to go. Since there was no marker in sight, I assumed we continued on. It did not occur to me to check the map. Needless to say, I am not a good trail racer. :-) The fact that Brad had to run more than 50 miles to catch Jesse for this finish was VERY impressive.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">A dark shadow was cast over the moment by another runner that dropped out of the 50 miler earlier in the day. Moments after the finish, this individual started yelling at the officials. the gist of his rants revolved around Brad having went off course, therefore he should be given the win. Moments after barking at the judges, the same individual got in Jesse's face and told him he had to concede because Brad went off course. It was one of the most despicable sights I've encountered in an ultra. I would give this individual some latitude for being caught up in the moment, but the same individual was repeatedly yelling at his crew and volunteers in a another recent race we both participated in. I can accept acting like a tool on occasion, especially in the heat of the moment. I can't accept someone being a douche globally.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Anyway, it was truly an awesome moment. Jesse confirmed what I have long-suspected... his early successes in the ultra world were just a preview of things to come. It was entertaining to listen to the rest of our "cabin crew" after hearing of Jesse's 3:45 split at the haf-way point. I think most people underestimated his abilities... maybe because we often refer to each other as "hobby Joggers". His progression as an ultra runner has been a huge inspiration for me to make a serious attempt at becoming a more competitive runner.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>The Marathon</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The marathon was won by Sam Darling, who was staying with us at a cabin nearby. He produces a dominating performance of 2:55 on a fairly technical trail in hot, humid conditions. I got to pick Sam's brain after the race... he gave some good advice that should help me in my quest to become a faster runner.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Alex Poulsen, another person camping at the same cabin, placed second. Alex and Jesse often train together. Alex is definitely a talented runner as this was his longest run <i>ever</i>. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">One of the perks of DNFing so early- I got to see <a href="http://shoelessshelbell.blogspot.com/">Shelly</a> finish her second trail marathon in two weeks. I am very proud of her accomplishments! Here's the video of her finish:</div><br />
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<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Our "cabin crew" had many other great finishes, including Mark Robillard's time of 4:27. While lounging around and catching up with many of my runner friends, I had the opportunity to see many people finish including Liz Bondar, Phil Stapert, Tim Adair, and Andy Grosvenor. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>My Own Race</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">As I mentioned before, I DNFed after the first loop. While I would like to say I suffered a catastrophic injury, I simply didn't feel like continuing. Physically I was okay. Mentally I was shot. I will be spending some time assessing <i>exactly </i>what happened, but I think I am just severely overtrained. My decision to run so many long runs over a relatively short period of time has taken a toll. Here's a rough breakdown of my long runs:</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">July 3rd -36 miles</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">July 8th- 68 miles</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">July 31st- 101 miles (Burning River)</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">August 14th- 26.2 (Fallburg marathon)</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">August 28th- NCT- (26.5 miles since I went off course)</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">There were several shorter runs thrown in there, but it was the long runs that took a toll. I felt very strong prior to Burning River, but that race really wore me down.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I will be spending the next month or two running some easy, short runs to maintain fitness while recovering. I will have the opportunity to test three or four <i>new </i>minimalist shoes over this time, so that will become a major focus. I will also work on distributing the <a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theultrstor-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0615376886&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr">second edition of The Barefoot Running Book</a>.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Of course, school will start tomorrow, which will take a chunk of time. This gives me an opportunity to switch to non-running mode for awhile to give myself a mental break. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://crossfitendurance.com/">Crossfit Endurance</a> for awhile. All of my short race PRs came after following their daily programming. In the absence of a speed training group, CFE should be an adequate template.</span></div>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-41371226413665267502010-08-27T03:11:00.000-04:002010-08-27T03:11:15.681-04:00Barefoot Ted's Luna Huaraches: A Review<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">For a barefoot runner, I spend an inordinate amount of time testing shoes. Even though I prefer to run barefoot, there are times when the protection of shoes is a welcome luxury. Sometimes shoes are an absolute necessity. My philosophy of shoe use is simple- run barefoot when you can. If you need the protection of shoes, use the most minimal shoe for the job. The only way to assess the best shoe for any given situation is to test all options repeatedly. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGlP9kAy61xk8GXX75aoRa-PYG5P3P3KlGzyuA-sWC_MtQITchV51YLKjS0-0ZOuAf-DKsgntQB1RtqvMEguDfzpZrQUVwElpJLtkEXHLw2Os-RLU-FLRCV6jCtRu4e4s8L0iqtc2m68/s1600/luna+huaraches+1+jason+robillard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGlP9kAy61xk8GXX75aoRa-PYG5P3P3KlGzyuA-sWC_MtQITchV51YLKjS0-0ZOuAf-DKsgntQB1RtqvMEguDfzpZrQUVwElpJLtkEXHLw2Os-RLU-FLRCV6jCtRu4e4s8L0iqtc2m68/s400/luna+huaraches+1+jason+robillard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Over time, huaraches have proven to be a great catch-all solution for almost every situation requiring shoes. The genius of the huarache sandal is the simplicity of function. It is a piece of material suspended below your foot with a piece of binding material, usually leather or twine.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">With every other minimalist shoe, some element of the shoe design interferes with foot function. Vibrams unnaturally separate your toes and fit can be an issue as your foot must conform to the predetermined shape. EVOs are snug around the ankles which limits some movement. Racing flats tend to prevent your toes from splaying. Reduced shoes like the Nike Free raise the heel. Newtons have a very thick sole that prevents good ground feel. Huaraches suffer <i>none </i>of these problems. In essence, it is the <i>perfect </i>minimalist shoe.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I've been using huaraches for about three years. The first pair were homemade. They were complete garbage. I used them about once a month just for variety, but I did not enjoy the fit or feel.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Earlier this year, I reviewed a pair of huaraches from another manufacturer. The quality was improved over my home made version, which made a huge difference in function. I used these huaraches for a series of long runs with <i>great </i>success.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">About six weeks ago, <a href="http://www.barefootted.com/">Barefoot Ted McDonald</a> started selling the production model of his latest huarache sandal- the <a href="http://www.lunasandals.com/">Luna</a>. I have been following Ted's fascinating adventures since his days of <a href="http://barefootted.com/2006/08/athlete-of-1890-study.html">training for a triathlon using 1890's era equipment</a> and setting a <a href="http://barefootted.com/2008/06/june-14th-24-hour-ultraskate-iv-world.html">world record for skateboarding distances over a 24 hour period</a>. He has been producing huaraches for years. Ted learned the craft from the Tarahumara themselves (as told in <a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theultrstor-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0307266303&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr">Born to Run</a>), and has been diligently working for years to improve the design. The <a href="http://www.lunasandals.com/">Luna</a> is the culmination of these efforts.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The <a href="http://www.lunasandals.com/">Lunas</a> have several available options. They can be ordered with or without a suede foot bed. They can be ordered with leather laces of various colors, or with hemp laces. The sandals are sold in standard US sizes and customizable for sizes smaller than 6 or larger than 14 (men's sizing). The sandals can also be custom-made if you provide an <a href="http://barefootted.com/shop/footprints.html">outline of your foot</a>. I opted for the suede top with both sets of laces. <a href="http://shoelessshelbell.blogspot.com/">Shelly</a> also ordered a pair with the same options.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPw44FMwPJef1so5YLgFUS2WcpUbUO4P_4rPccuY0jTw8FKaZKWTJDe5dPiI7fSeYZp8nx8Du8_snfZVgZSUQ4Doo81j0XXwhvHU-yQO3UOYiScXGhlo6H4l8Jy32or1yBwJ41F34Ngc/s1600/shelly+in+luna+huaraches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPw44FMwPJef1so5YLgFUS2WcpUbUO4P_4rPccuY0jTw8FKaZKWTJDe5dPiI7fSeYZp8nx8Du8_snfZVgZSUQ4Doo81j0XXwhvHU-yQO3UOYiScXGhlo6H4l8Jy32or1yBwJ41F34Ngc/s400/shelly+in+luna+huaraches.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Yeah... they're kinda sexy, too.</div><br />
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">They arrived after only three days. My first impression was positive. The craftsmanship was far better than I expected. The Vibram sole material was meticulously cut. The suede foot bed was securely bonded to the rubber sole material. The lacing holes were perfectly cut and symmetrical. The sandals were laced with the leather cord, so I tested that first. I laced them on my feet using a slip-off method and wore them around the house.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>A Note About Tying</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Tying Huaraches is an art. It took a fair amount of experimentation to find the exact amount of tension needed on the various parts of the sandal. One loop expends from between your first and second toes to the medial side of your foot. Another loop extends from the medial side, around your ankle to the lateral side of your ankle. The final loop extends from the lateral side of the ankle and around the original loop. In essence, the three loops form a triangle that suspends the sandal below your foot.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b> </b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">If the tying is too tight, the cord will cut into the skin between your toes. If it is too loose, the sandal will fall off. It takes practice and experimentation to find the perfect fit. Once discovered, the sandals are easily and quickly tied. Unfortunately some people do not take the time to find the ideal tying tension and prematurely abandon huaraches as a minimalist shoe option. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.barefootted.com/index.php?q=/">Ted</a> provides directions to tie <b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adS1hCuiTe4#t=2m30s">here</a></b> (slip on method- more or less what I use) and <b><a href="http://barefootted.com/shop/howtowear.html">here</a></b> (traditional- what Shelly uses above). </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Back to the Review</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">My early tests around my house and yard was pleasant. The suede foot bed felt great, the laces worked well, and the sole material provided a good combination of protection and ground feel. My first attempts at tying were a bit too loose. After some reooling, I found the sweet spot. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSwF2aDJ-8C6D1jo0B8dYFtk7cyTYb03HPUIyx3jkfn7o47XMHl0vb6TkpcimDORn5RAqafsIb6ZdaoDwcrL0zfBVmnlyu8Lkd-pztZFeF75ZIAh0lI8ZexWXtOykYk8g4ZzjPPRQ1nUY/s1600/luna+huaraches+2+jason+robillard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSwF2aDJ-8C6D1jo0B8dYFtk7cyTYb03HPUIyx3jkfn7o47XMHl0vb6TkpcimDORn5RAqafsIb6ZdaoDwcrL0zfBVmnlyu8Lkd-pztZFeF75ZIAh0lI8ZexWXtOykYk8g4ZzjPPRQ1nUY/s400/luna+huaraches+2+jason+robillard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Since I was recovering from the Burning River 100 Miler (<a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/2010-burning-river-100-mile-endurance_05.html">where I ran 2/3 of the race in huaraches- read my novel-length race report</a>), I had to wait a few days to take them for a run. I was curious about the leather laces; my other huaraches have nylon lacing. My first attempt at running was not too successful. The slip-on knot I used was not tight enough to keep the sandals on my feet. I tried re-tying, but I was running with a group. I didn't want to hold them up longer than necessary while I experimented with various tying methods. I finally took them off and ran the rest of the route barefoot.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">My second attempt was <i>much </i>more successful. I swapped the leather laces for the hemp laces. Not only did the hemp remain snug, but it did not rub quite as much as the leather lacing. The huaraches performed exactly as expected. The sole material was pliable and allowed for exceptional ground feel. Foot proprioception was excellent. <br />
<br />
Performance on hills was better than expected. The soles do not provide tremendous traction, but the design allows you to recognize if your foot begins to slip going uphill. This allows you to subtly shift your weight to maximize traction and energy expenditure. <br />
<br />
I have been using a slightly different downhill technique lately, which involves bending my knees slightly more than my previous method. The <a href="http://www.lunasandals.com/">Lunas</a> performed well on down hills, also. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Some people have commented about the suede foot bed would become too slippery when wet. I purposely chose a route that would take me through a stream and mud. Much to my surprise, the sandal performed much better than reported. The foot bed did become more slippery, but it did not dramatically hinder performance. Even hills were easily traversed with the wet, muddy foot bed. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">If I were using the <a href="http://www.lunasandals.com/">Lunas</a> for an ultra, I would probably use <a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theultrstor-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000J26CZ6&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=if">Injinji toe socks</a> to reduce the chances of irritation from lacing. I have previously used this combination for very long runs with great success. I think the design of the <a href="http://www.lunasandals.com/">Lunas</a> may allow me to abandon the socks, but I haven't had the opportunity to test this yet. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Conclusion</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">It is immediately apparent that Ted designed the <a href="http://www.lunasandals.com/">Lunas</a> as a performance sandal. Being a barefoot and minimalist shoe ultrarunner himself, his sandals MUST be built to withstand the rigors of prolonged running over difficult terrain. His craftsmanship is readily apparent. The <a href="http://www.lunasandals.com/">Lunas</a> are both aesthetically-pleasing and designed to be rugged workhorses. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I am often asked for minimalist shoe recommendations. This is somewhat difficult as each runner will have specific preferences. Having said that, the <a href="http://www.lunasandals.com/">Lunas</a> are as close to the ultimate barefoot alternative as I have found. Simply put- <i>they are my minimalist shoe Nirvana</i>. The <a href="http://www.lunasandals.com/">Lunas</a> simply give you <i>some </i>protection in exchange for a minimal reduction in ground feel. Foot function is <i>not </i>affected. Every other shoe on the market today will provide some protection in exchange for a loss in ground feel, but they also interfere with the foot in some way. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31LdlVp0MZDguqK3q1aDzmgx_4cPH9zR9DIX7VuJkBvOxfhN2eG8KG_XQIJrZNhIpF7i8oreqgzsLZsPw6QVSNATb3O3hwwzZqQwTM4dJST6bKmV4ef6Rt3PGxGW5-IND2YDrs258RL4/s1600/luna+huaraches+3+jason+robillard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31LdlVp0MZDguqK3q1aDzmgx_4cPH9zR9DIX7VuJkBvOxfhN2eG8KG_XQIJrZNhIpF7i8oreqgzsLZsPw6QVSNATb3O3hwwzZqQwTM4dJST6bKmV4ef6Rt3PGxGW5-IND2YDrs258RL4/s400/luna+huaraches+3+jason+robillard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Compared to other huaraches, the <a href="http://www.lunasandals.com/">Lunas</a> stand alone. Their quality of materials, craftsmanship, and aesthetics are superior to every other huarache available today. I have been using this sandal as my primary casual shoe since they arrived. The best part- they felt great in the beginning, but get more comfortable as they conform to your feet. When I begin the school year (I'm a teacher), this will be my footwear of choice until winter arrives. When I require the protection of a shoe for running, the <a href="http://www.lunasandals.com/">Luna</a> is my current leading choice.<br />
<br />
Ted has developed a more rugged version- the <a href="http://www.lunasandals.com/">Leadville</a>. The Vibram sole is thicker (10mm) and has a more aggressive tread pattern. Ted wore these for this year's Leadville 100 Miler. They also feature a 10mm wide specialty lace. I will be testing these in the coming weeks. I am very excited as these may prove to be an excellent winter running option. Stay tuned.</div><b><br />
</b>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-14347708559258908482010-08-25T12:56:00.000-04:002010-08-25T12:56:03.163-04:00The Changing of the Guard: A Sociological Analysis of the Barefoot and Minimalist Shoe Movement<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Human behavior fascinates me. Human behavior in relation to barefoot and minimalist shoe running fascinates me even more. I have been in a position to observe the progression of this phenomenon for a number of years. The entire movement can be framed within the context of the sociological/anthropological concept of the <i>diffusion of innovations</i>. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The concept outlines the progression of any given innovation within a society. It is somewhat odd to consider barefoot (BFR) and minimalist shoe running (MR) as an "innovation", but it does represent a significant change in our society's collective thoughts on running. After all, we ran barefoot or in minimalist shoes for tens of thousands of years. The modern running shoe has been around for thirty. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The idea of framing BFR/MR within the context of the diffusion of innovation came from repeated discussions with individuals within the running shoe industry. Over the years, I've had the opportunity to discuss BFR/MR with shoe marketers, designers, sales representatives, and retailers. My interactions with the general running public confirms what I've learned from the running shoe industry... we are in the midst of a significant paradigm shift.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">For years, running form took a back seat to shoe design. The idea was simple- runners did not have to bother learning good form, they just ran. If they had serious biomechanical deficiencies, shoe manufacturers would design a shoe to correct the problem. It is through this process of correcting imperfect running gait that we developed the neutral, stability, and motion control shoes that define the current running shoe industry. We developed a set of criteria (wet test, pronation control, fancy gait analysis software,etc.) that allowed retailers to fit runners with their "ideal shoe". </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This idea that technology can be used to solve problems is pervasive in our society. In general, if we have a problem we would prefer to purchase a solution than resolve the root cause. If we are depressed, we don't resolve the underlying issues. We prefer to pop a pill. If we are overweight, we don't try to reduce our caloric intake or increase our level of activity. We have doctors remove our excess fat via liposuction. If we have a wicked slice, we don't work on our swing. We purchase a 1,200cc driver that resembles a globe on a stick. Shortcuts are our specialty.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Why? There could be many causes. Humans are inherently lazy... generally speaking, we save energy where we can. It is easier to buy a solution than take the time and effort to go through a self-improvement process. We could blame our capitalist society. From an early age, we are conditioned to have a positive response to purchasing "stuff". Many of us spend our lives collecting "stuff" because we get a little bit of a rush. To repeat this rush, we work hard to earn more money. The result is a cycle of consumption that fuels our economy. We could also blame our love of technology. Maybe this is a result of our meta-cognitive skills. We have the ability to plan, assess, and contemplate the future. The drive to advance seems to be hard-wired in our brains. We're a relatively weak species. Our cognitive ability is our best survival tool. We have a belief that technology can transcend our biological limitations. That belief is what allows our species to survive.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The BFR/MR movement represents a shift in thought. For years, most of us were comfortable with the "let's not bother learning to run, we can buy a shoe that will correct our deficiencies" paradigm. This solution <i>seemed </i>to work for the vast majority of runners. As we are beginning to learn, this paradigm is imperfect. Some runners would experience injury despite using the latest and greatest shoe. The idea that their running form may be flawed was not considered. Instead, we sent them to specialized doctors that develop customized devices to correct their poor form. Again, we're caught in the trap of searching for easy fixes versus solving the underlying problem.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">A handful of these statistical outliers that were not helped by the modern running shoe took a radical step... they ran <i>without </i>shoes. This forced a change in their running form. Unsurprisingly, better form eliminated their injuries. The barefoot running movement was born. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>The Innovators</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The diffusion of innovation concept defines the stages of any given innovation. This small group of "radicals" are what we call <b>innovators</b>. These are the people that are the risk takers of our society. They are willing to disregard social norms in favor of finding improvement. These people blaze the path through uncharted wilderness.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">In the barefoot running movement, I consider <a href="http://therunningbarefoot.com/">Ken Bob Saxton</a>, <a href="http://barefootrunner.org/">Rick Roeber</a>, and <a href="http://barefootted.com/">Ted McDonald</a> to be the innovators. There are others I would place in this category, such as barefoot runners Victor Palma and Preston Curtis or researchers <a href="http://www.stevenrobbinsmd.com/">Dr. Steve Robbins</a> or <a href="http://www.quickswood.com/my_weblog/2006/08/athletic_footwe.html#more">Dr. Joe Froncioni</a>. These people have been barefoot running for many years. They were willing to disregard the prevailing opinion of the running community. They took incredible risk. They also developed a foundation of knowledge that reacquainted us with barefoot running. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>The Early Adopters</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The next wave of barefoot runners followed the lead of the innovators. Early adopters were generally unhappy with modern running shoes and found a solution in barefoot running. This group did not have to take the risks of the innovators because the path had been blazed.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I consider myself to be a member of this group. There were a bunch of us that wrote about our experience on our blogs or websites, we participated in <a href="http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/RunningBarefoot/">Ken Bob's Yahoo group</a>, and we communicated via email. We did <i>some </i>innovation, but mostly relied on the teachings of those that had done the "heavy lifting". We helped expand the ideas of barefoot running, and we helped set the stage for the rapid expansion we see today. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The tipping point in the BFR/MR movement came with the publication of <a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theultrstor-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0307266303&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr">Chris McDougall's "Born to Run"</a> in early 2009. This engaging book presented a convincing argument that the modern running shoe was fundamentally flawed. "<a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theultrstor-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0307266303&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr">Born to Run</a>" was the conduit for the information gained by the innovators and early adopters to the larger running community. It planted the seed that would bloom into a discussion on the nature of running shoes. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Interestingly, I think Nike could be considered among the early adopters. The Free line came about prior to the wave of publicity generated by <a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theultrstor-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0307266303&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr">Born to Run.</a> While I do not think the past or even current Free lineup qualifies as true minimalist shoes, Nike DID begin exploring this market well ahead of their competitors. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The end of this stage was marked by the widespread creation of online communities. There were a handful prior to Born to Run (<a href="http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/RunningBarefoot/">Ken Bob's Yahoo group</a>, <a href="http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/barefootrick/">Rick's Yahoo group</a>, <a href="http://groups.google.com/group/huaraches?pli=1">Ted's Huarache/minimalist shoe group via Google</a>, etc.) I consider the creation of the <a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/community/forums/index.jsp?plckForumPage=Forum&plckForumId=Cat%3aRunner+CommunitiesForum%3a887b8e6c-ecb8-4ae7-a3ef-0f12bf559034">Runner's World barefoot running forum</a> to be a watershed moment in the movement. Runners World, long known as the champion of the modern running shoe, took a leap of faith and created a haven for barefoot runners to connect. Unlike the existing communities, this community drew tremendous traffic from non-barefoot runners. TJ Gerken, the person responsible for initiating the creation of the forum, deserves tremendous credit for this initiative. This particular forum became the meeting place for the group, spearheaded by TJ and Cameron Guthrie, that eventually created the <a href="http://barefootrunners.org/">Barefoot Runners Society</a>. This national non-profit organization has already proven to be an instrumental force within the running world, and has become a valuable resource for new barefoot runners that make up the next wave of innovation.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This stage also brought about the greatest degree of criticism of barefoot running. Since the theories were largely untested, many of the "old guard" took the offensive and criticized barefoot running as a dangerous, foolish endeavor. The arguments were mostly topical and often entertaining. Who can forget the CEO of Road Runners Sports warning of the grave dangers posed by pea gravel?</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>The Early Majority</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This wave seems to have begun around summer or early fall of 2009. Traffic on my website and blog saw a significant increase. Sales of minimalist shoes like Vibram's Five Fingers began accelerating at a rapid pace. Interest in barefoot and minimalist shoe running was spreading like wildfire.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Prior to this wave, new barefoot runners tended to be injured runners looking for a solution after the more traditional routes failed. While many in this new wave fit this category, it also attracted uninjured runners, runners bored with their normal routine, and novices with no running experience. The BFR/MR movement began attracting people that had more aversion to risk than the innovators and early adopters. The numbers of barefoot runners enjoying the benefits began to swell, which was enough to convince more to begin experimenting. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">By this point, many people were aware of barefoot running as a viable option. <a href="http://barefootrunninguniversity.com/barefootresearch.html">New research</a> was being conducted. Shoe manufacturers were working to develop "minimalist shoes". News stories about barefoot running were widespread. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Criticism continued, but some of the former critics began to shift their understanding. The shift in opinion of some of these thought leaders brought about an even greater acceptance of BFR/MR. Of course, critics remain. The content of the criticism has shifted, however. No longer are most critics blindly attacking BFR/MR with silly arguments. The critics have initiated logical, intelligent discussion on the merits of barefoot running, minimal shoe design, and the role of the modern running shoe. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I believe we are still at the early stages of the "Early majority" phase. Clearly, the <i>majority </i>of runners are NOT running barefoot. However, a sizable number of runners are beginning to experiment with some barefoot running, trying more minimal shoes, or at least doing their own research on the practice.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The current state of BFR/MR is debatable. Some would say this is merely a fad that will end soon (usually those most aversive to risk, having a financial stake in traditional running shoes, or the cohort of runners that firmly believe running form is not important as long as you have shoes to correct the problems). Some will say this will remain a small subgroup of the larger running community. Finally, there are those that believe the BFR/MR movement will cause a wholesale change in the way we think about running in general and the role of shoes in particular. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I am firmly ensconced in the latter category. I have considerable contact with the running community. I also have contact with many individuals that have tried BFR/MR and enjoyed considerable relief from chronic injuries. While I think we need to continue dialogue and research on the exact causal relationship between shoes and injury, the evidence that the gait used by the vast majority of BFR/MRs helps reduce injury is becoming progressively more indisputable. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The shoe industry is taking notice. Almost all major manufacturers are developing or have already released at least one generation of minimalist shoes. Some are good, most are bad. The key, however, lies in their willingness to develop and market these products. Over the last six months, I have been contacted by several manufacturers seeking input. I see that as an incredibly positive sign. The old guard that continually churned out clunky "high tech" shoes is losing momentum in favor of the "new guard" that is actively investigating the role shoes play in running injuries. This new guard understands a deceptively simple idea- shoes that allow good form will always out-perform shoes that inhibit good form.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Evidence of this shift in manufacturer design is apparent throughout the industry. The single best example may be this article published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Pete Larson did an excellent job of assessing this research, check it out <a href="http://www.runblogger.com/2010/07/pronation-control-paradgim-is-starting.html">here</a>. Essentially, one of Nike's researchers coauthored a study that cast doubt on the "old guard" method of shoe design. Is Nike preparing a wholesale abandonment of the neutral/ stability/ motion control paradigm? I believe they are. Nike is in an excellent position to be the innovator of the shoe manufacturers. The marketing geniuses in Beverton, Oregon could be preparing to position Nike as the leader in true minimalist shoe development. If this happens, I believe we will see another substantial wave of runners exploring the BFR/MR movement. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This next wave will signal the fulfillment of the "early majority" phase. We could see up to half of all runners using a true minimalist shoe within a year. Once that shift occurs, it will user in the next phase- the <b>late majority</b>. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>The Late Majority</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">If the Nike prediction comes true and we see a wholesale shift in the shoe market, other manufacturers will follow. Market forces will dictate this shift. Those that follow will likely survive. Those that continue to cling to the Mesolithic "old guard" ideas of running will die a slow, painful death. <br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">By the time the late majority phase is in full swing, research will have thoroughly explored the issue of running gait. We will likely have found a strong correlation or causal link between injuries and the "old guard" style of shoes. Most of the critics will have accepted the new ideas based on overwhelming empirical and anecdotal evidence. A few critics will remain as they will be unwilling or unable to abandon their antiquated beliefs. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The incidence of running injuries will go down as we begin focusing more on prevention than reactive treatment. The BFR/MR paradigm will have infiltrated the medical ranks led by a cavalier group of physical therapists, podiatrists, and other such specialists. While this industry will be somewhat slow to change, they will ultimately accept and internalize the principles of the importance of proper form over corrective shoes and inserts. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">By the end of this stage, the vast majority of runners will be using true minimalist shoes. We will probably see most using some barefoot running as a training tool, but full-time barefoot runners will remain a small minority. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">There will be a tiny group that stubbornly clings to the archaic "old guard" way of thinking. Maybe they were the most vocal opponents of the BFR/MR movement. Maybe they represent a shoe manufacturer that refused to change. Maybe they have a very strong aversion to change. Regardless, they will eventually come around.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>The Laggards</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This is the group that were using rotary phones in the early 1990's. They refused to purchase a computer until 2008. They still have mullets. There will always be the group that refuses to change despite being presented with overwhelming evidence that their way of thinking is undeniably wrong. These people exist in the running industry. Maybe it is the CEO of a shoe company that continues to produce heavily-padded foot casts. Maybe it is a track coach that enjoyed success in his glory days anchoring the community college relay team while wearing Nike Shox. Maybe it is your neighbor that still has orange counter tops, olive green appliances, and Marmaduke wallpaper. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Some of this group will eventually come around. Some will not. Those that do not will continue to loudly voice their criticisms of the BFR/MR movement. Unfortunately for them, their rants will fall on deaf ears. The rest of us will be having too much fun smiling, laughing, and running injury-free.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Conclusion</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Maybe this analysis and subsequent prediction is a pipe dream. I could be wrong. The BFR/MR movement could fade as quickly as it surged. Those of us that have worked to develop and fully understand the BFR/MR movement could be wasting our time. It's a chance I will take.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I sincerely believe the "old guard" way of thinking is fundamentally flawed. I sincerely believe the BFR/MR movement will continue to be the impetus of change within the running community. We will continue to see more and more people explore a new, less injurious style of running. We will see manufacturers quickly shift development and production to meet a growing demand. We will see a surge of injured former runners returning to the sport after being disappointed by the offering of the "old guard". The perception of running will change from a painful, difficult activity only enjoyed by a minority of "biomechanically gifted" individuals to a healthy, fun pastime enjoyed by the masses. Who knows, maybe this is the potential cure to the obesity epidemic currently plaguing our society. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I love running. My only goal is to spread that love to as many people as I possibly can. It saddens me to see so many people that have a love/hate relationship with this wonderful sport. Hopefully the BFR/MR movement can fundamentally change the "old guard" way of thinking. Hopefully others will rediscover the simple joy of running without the specter of pain and injury. </span></div>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-51408079832161497442010-08-24T02:46:00.000-04:002010-08-24T02:46:16.541-04:00Zensah Leg Sleeves- A Review<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Over the last year or so, I began seeing more and more runners sporting various leg and arm compression sleeves. I tend to shy away from things that appear to be fad-like, which is where I placed compression sleeves.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">My opinions changed after <a href="http://shoelessshelbell.blogspot.com/">Shelly</a> purchased a pair of matching pink arm and leg sleeves. She bought them for the UV protection aspect, though I'm sure the aesthetics of the pink color swayed her purchasing decision. She tried them on various runs and wore them for a few races. She praised them often, but I wasn't convinced.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmDbESRC8roQMFWC2qqJxMgdYru_HyIV97ga3AH2xhPPu3lj0vtjXy4eFNn31V2v449cuyePYmayPYocQ5dW8P6X9_BLOkFgu2Gsj1fSm5FbJcoUc9ZIRtqqMZjDVabQAB44HnQzlrtJM/s1600/shelly+before+fallsburg+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmDbESRC8roQMFWC2qqJxMgdYru_HyIV97ga3AH2xhPPu3lj0vtjXy4eFNn31V2v449cuyePYmayPYocQ5dW8P6X9_BLOkFgu2Gsj1fSm5FbJcoUc9ZIRtqqMZjDVabQAB44HnQzlrtJM/s400/shelly+before+fallsburg+2010.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">During a long run, she commented that she felt faster when wearing the sleeves. Hmmm... that piqued my interest. I was considering giving them a try, but couldn't quite pull the trigger. The clincher came when I read a <a href="http://www.trekoblog.com/?p=50">blog post</a> by my friend Dr. Scott Hadley (the physical therapist that gave my the <a href="http://www.trekoclinics.com/free-fix.php">calf-rolling self treatment from his TrekoClinics</a> site). He discussed an article that appeared in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. The runners in the study were able to run longer, farther, and faster when wearing calf compression sleeves. While a single study is but one data point open to debate and replication, it gave me enough reason to begin experimenting.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Admittedly, I was also fascinated with the idea that compression sleeves could be a solution to my kilt dilemma. In my opinion, the kilt looks A LOT better with kilt hose, but they are socks. That's an obvious problem for the barefoot runner. Compression sleeves could be a barefoot runner alternative to the traditional Scottish attire.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I contacted <a href="http://www.zensah.com/compression-leg-sleeves.html">Zensah</a>, the same brand Shelly uses, and they graciously agreed to send me a pair for testing. They arrived after two or three days. Since I was recovering from the Fallsburg Marathon, I did not have any runs scheduled. I was eager to try them out, so I wore them around the house the rest of the day. And at night. And the following day. I even wore them when Shelly and I joined our running crew at the local Buffalo Wild Wings that night. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRvHXYcFTCvbd-En0WXfUEmvFfj2v0aNaP5-207BZM6MVI6FR-ycnFsLoqm0StzzgmO5QG4Uf2zKoT3hMLchWCSQebONUHCM2oohLUTaRzthQuQgKFuQya3ob5D6dQsYiDjKi2YsdTws/s1600/zensah+leg+sleeves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRvHXYcFTCvbd-En0WXfUEmvFfj2v0aNaP5-207BZM6MVI6FR-ycnFsLoqm0StzzgmO5QG4Uf2zKoT3hMLchWCSQebONUHCM2oohLUTaRzthQuQgKFuQya3ob5D6dQsYiDjKi2YsdTws/s320/zensah+leg+sleeves.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">When worn casually, the feeling was familiar. They felt much like my compression pants I wear during the winter, only isolated to my lower legs. I feeling was pleasant, though I did not experience any positive effects. I <i>did </i>seem to drink beer faster at BW3's, but I suspect that was <i>not </i>an effect of the sleeves.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I didn't get an opportunity to use them for a run until several days later. The real test came from a vigorous workout. Shelly and I planned a hill running session. The course starts up a 150 foot sand hill at a 20° grade. Once we reach the top, we immediately run a quarter mile down an asphalt hill at a 10° grade, run about 100 yards on flat ground, then back up another asphalt road of the same length and incline. Once we reached the top, we ran down the same sand hill. We would repeat this route four times. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The sleeves felt good, but were not really noticeable... until I started running. For the first time ever, I was able to run to the top of the sand hill. I usually make it about 2/3 of the way, then power-hike the remainder. The run to the bottom of the asphalt, back up, then finally down the sand hill went well. I could feel the gentle compression the entire distance. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Much to my surprise, each "lap" seemed easier than the previous one. After four laps, my legs felt strong. I kept the compression sleeves on for about an hour after the workout ended. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">These results were repeated in two more shorter training runs. I am still undecided if the compression sleeves are actually causing physiological improvements, or if it is some sort of placebo effect. If it is a placebo effect, it is nonetheless improving my performance. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The true test will come this weekend during and after the <a href="http://www.northcountrytrailrun.mirunning.com/">North Country Trail 50 miler</a> in Manistee, Michigan. I will be running a distance that normally induces considerable fatigue, soreness, and swelling. I will give a full report after the race. Until then, I am tentatively giving <a href="http://www.zensah.com/compression-leg-sleeves.html">Zensah's compression sleeves</a> a resounding thumbs-up! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">For those readers in the West Michigan area, <a href="http://www.zensah.com/">Zensah's</a> products are available from <a href="http://www.gazellesports.com/refine-1/G4O456-zensah-performance-apparel.html">Gazelle Sports</a>. Gazelle has retail locations in Grand Rapids, Holland, and Kalamazoo.</span></div>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-88420525926870353622010-08-21T16:41:00.000-04:002010-08-21T16:41:51.493-04:00Common Question: Should My Heel Touch the Ground?<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">When running barefoot, the foot strike (I prefer the term foot "kiss") often receives unnecessary focus. New barefoot runners will spend so much time trying to master the nuances of the "perfect" foot strike, they will ignore more important elements such as posture, relaxation, etc.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I routinely instruct people to do whatever feels natural. The idea is simple- if you follow my advice of starting on a smooth, hard surface, foot strike will take care of itself. If you land with a heavy heel strike or overstride, pain will ensue. Giving detailed instructions cannot account for the natural variation in anatomy. We're all different. As such, our foot strike will look slightly different. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I land on the lateral side of my sole and roll my foot inward. Others land more towards the center of their midfoot. How you do it is mostly inconsequential as long as you can accurately react to the feedback from your feet.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">There is one issue that arises repeatedly. many new barefoot runners (or minimalist shoe runners) have a tendency to tense their calf muscles throughout the gait cycle in an effort to prevent their heel from touching the ground. Generally speaking, this is bad. By keeping your calf muscles actively engaged, you put undue stress on your Achilles tendon and the musculature of the calf. The result can be a damaged Achilles, damaged soleus (or other calf muscles), bone spurs, or plantar pain that is often misinterpreted as plantar fasciitis. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Biomechanically, your feet and legs are not designed to keep the heel off the ground through the gait cycle. Doing so eliminates the effectiveness of the longitudinal and transverse arch, quickly tires the calf muscles, and as previously mentioned, unnecessarily increases the chances of injury. Early on, it will also place added stress on the metatarsal bones of the foot.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Simply put, your heel <i>should </i>always softly touch the ground with each step. The exception to this rule is running fast. As speed increases, there will be a slight natural forward shift in weight that keeps the heel off the ground. The Pose method of running explains this phenomenon especially well. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">If you're new to barefoot or minimalist shoe running, please heed this important advice!</span> </div>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-65978436626009316082010-08-18T09:56:00.001-04:002010-08-18T09:58:34.755-04:00News and Notes- Wednesday, August 18th<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">With so many things happening, it is impossible to write a single post about each. Instead, I will occasionally write a quick summary of current happenings.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>The Barefoot Event at Schuler</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Thanks to everyone that attended the <a href="http://www.schulerbooks.com/">Schuler Books</a> barefoot running event in Grand Rapids last night! We had a great crowd! Thanks for Dr. Dave Asselin of <a href="http://pt360.net/">PT 360,</a> Tiler Webster of <a href="http://gazellesports.com/">Gazelle Sports</a>, and Emily Stavrou of <a href="http://www.schulerbooks.com/">Schuler Books</a>! I had the opportunity to meet a lot of great people.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>The Seven Day Minimalist Challenge</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Beginning today, I am going to start a seven day challenge to continue my journey to a more minimal lifestyle. I'm still in the "getting rid of junk" phase. The difficulty is allotting the time to cull my possessions. This challenge will help towards this end. Here's the plan:</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Over the next seven days, I will throw out, donate, or recycle 100 of my possessions each day. Hopefully this will seriously reduce my clutter. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Update on the Paleo Diet</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">So far, so good. Shelly and I have been following our version of the diet for about five or six weeks. The results have been very positive! I am still surprised the cravings for bread-based carbs have all but disappeared. It is also shocking that eating any sort of wheat-based food makes me feel absolutely horrible for about 24 hours. I'll be writing more on this in the near future.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>The Barefoot Running Book: Retailers Needed!</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Now that I have the <a href="http://barefootrunninguniversity.com/barefoot_running_book_2.html">second edition</a> of the book on-hand, I am beginning to reach out to retail establishments that may be interested in carrying the book. If you own or work at a retail establishment that may be interested in carrying the book, please contact me at robillardj "at" gmail "dot" com! I'm offering very good <a href="http://barefootrunninguniversity.com/wholesale2.html">wholesale pricing</a> and a low minimum order (10). </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>North County Trail 50 Miler</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">On Saturday, August 28th, Shelly and I will be running at the <a href="http://northcountrytrailrun.mirunning.com/">North Country Trail Races</a> in Manistee, Michigan. We know a lot of people that will be at the event. If you are planning on attending or will be in the area, say hi! I'll be the dude in the kilt. :-) </div><br />
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Upcoming Barefoot and Minimalist Shoe Running Clinic</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Next Tuesday (August 24th), I will be conducting another barefoot and minimalist shoe clinic at Crossfit Grand Rapids (<a href="http://crossfitgr.com/">http://crossfitgr.com</a>). The clinic will be a hands-on workshop where I will teach the basics of barefoot running. We do some running and drill work, so come dressed appropriately! The clinic only costs $10 and promises to be a good time! To register, email Brandon Armstrong at </span><a href="mailto:contactus@crossfitgr.com" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">contactus@crossfitgr.com</a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">, or call him at 616.916.7210. Space is limited, so please do not hesitate!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-87505389317786579872010-08-16T17:49:00.002-04:002010-08-16T17:56:00.044-04:00The Second Edition of The Barefoot Running Book: Availability and a Giveaway!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The second edition of The barefoot Running Book is now available! For those that pre-ordered, the books should ship on Wednesday. They are currently available on the<a href="http://barefootrunninguniversity.com/barefoot_running_book_2.html"> Barefoot Running University</a> website. For those of you that prefer Amazon, they will be available very soon (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615376886?ie=UTF8&tag=theultrstor-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0615376886">see page here</a>). </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisu-HshJcUDRKX_bUDhoerAdy3jUCYDXU6_d446rtNmey47ouOHH25g08V07t8rbKI1jc2DWx76Gr_f2L9RDL5jfB3fJkFTriHzbCzFFiS9NJNFGEeqKltX4dFvbrF0hULA8EL2oibKFs/s1600/cover+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisu-HshJcUDRKX_bUDhoerAdy3jUCYDXU6_d446rtNmey47ouOHH25g08V07t8rbKI1jc2DWx76Gr_f2L9RDL5jfB3fJkFTriHzbCzFFiS9NJNFGEeqKltX4dFvbrF0hULA8EL2oibKFs/s320/cover+image.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The cost is $14.95. I kept the price the same as the first, but it expanded from 61 to 188 pages. Check out the <a href="http://barefootrunninguniversity.com/barefoot_running_book_2.html">BRU book page</a> for more information! </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">To celebrate the finished project, I am holding a contest to give away <i>two </i>books. Here's how it will work:</div><ol style="text-align: justify;"><li style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Think of your best barefoot running tips.</li>
<li style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">List each one as a comment under this post.</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I will send one copy to the person that lists the </span><b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">most </b><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">legitimate </i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">tips, and I will send one copy to the person that left the </span><b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">last </b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">tip when I wake up tomorrow morning. For those of you that like strategy, it will help to know about what time I normally wake up. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/robillardj">Facebook friends</a>, you may have a bit of an advantage with that one... :-)</span></li>
</ol><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Good luck! </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Barefoot Workshop/Talk in West Michigan</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">If you happen to be in the West Michigan area tomorrow (Tuesday, August 17th), stop by Schuler Books on 28th Street in Grand Rapids!</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.schulerbooks.com/event/barefoot-runners-society-workshop-28th-st"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">http://www.schulerbooks.com/event/barefoot-runners-society-workshop-28th-st</span></a><br />
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</span>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com63tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-84129502054538082292010-08-15T03:06:00.001-04:002010-08-15T07:51:30.723-04:00The Best Worst Run of My Life: Know When to Hold Them...<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">August 14th, <a href="http://www.fallsburghalf.8k.com/">Fallsburg marathon</a>, Lowell, Michigan. I set a personal worst for the marathon distance. I experienced things in this race I have never experienced before. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Cramping. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Dead legs. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Extreme nausea.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">To top it off, I missed a turn and ran an alternate route for about a mile. I have a seriously painful bruise on the arch of my left foot. My body feels the cumulative effects of being beaten up repeatedly, and is not responding well.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Despite all this, Fallsburg proved to be one of the most fun races I've had the opportunity to participate in. I got to watch Shelly finish her first marathon (<a href="http://shoelessshelbell.blogspot.com/2010/08/fallsburg-marathon-race-report.html">read her race report here</a>), which she totally rocked! I was exposed to an entirely new set of trails I had never run before. I got to catch up with several people and meet many more.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqiTVeOApmmodAlRYaLOGesCIOeicCN34uo0X1NC4o6mCc23dVpAuWuCwmCem6D1q_ASW6g_pD__uNOeJPAKRh8F0ujECog1XCRT6D2cMXw36ZdAbS-Q00NT1TxGIDcYbz6jq-qhpyio/s1600/shelly+finishing+fallsburg+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqiTVeOApmmodAlRYaLOGesCIOeicCN34uo0X1NC4o6mCc23dVpAuWuCwmCem6D1q_ASW6g_pD__uNOeJPAKRh8F0ujECog1XCRT6D2cMXw36ZdAbS-Q00NT1TxGIDcYbz6jq-qhpyio/s400/shelly+finishing+fallsburg+2010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Shelly and Jen Jordan finishing</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Before the race, I was able to chat with a bunch of people including fellow Hallucination 100 finisher Tim Adair, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#%21/group.php?gid=330583511139">Barefoot Runners Society Michigan Chapter</a> president Andy Grosvenor, Katie Swords from the <a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/community/forums/runner-communities/trail-running">Runners World Trail Running Forum,</a> and Matt Plecher, a fellow barefoot/ minimalist shoe runner from Grand Rapids. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFKzwo7csfeSDbHCMhDvoZjc5dOZkt77M5T8DfR-upGJUaTg_zwGadiCODqAUxB9z_eTJsQgRiEbKnfS2MK3mbNOVB71rjp1VITNZvRydMUBs3oknLBQ7L73bB2rCh53A_W2z-8JFu2hA/s1600/shelly+before+fallsburg+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFKzwo7csfeSDbHCMhDvoZjc5dOZkt77M5T8DfR-upGJUaTg_zwGadiCODqAUxB9z_eTJsQgRiEbKnfS2MK3mbNOVB71rjp1VITNZvRydMUBs3oknLBQ7L73bB2rCh53A_W2z-8JFu2hA/s400/shelly+before+fallsburg+2010.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Shelly before the race</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">During the race, I chatted with many of the great aid station volunteers. Many were interested in barefoot running, which is always my go-to conversation starter. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUOEDPWexCqrOrvDaDH7wROCMzUPFJUgL56yY98AOgy2v0AC9f-T2juE3aIQYlSaEk-U-bS63S_Ljyym6V5VCo999J9PQsQriPOprhzKbGGR66RjUjGRyogl11ROOBBwaFNxJ-IbADSA/s1600/jason+at+start+of+fallsburg+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUOEDPWexCqrOrvDaDH7wROCMzUPFJUgL56yY98AOgy2v0AC9f-T2juE3aIQYlSaEk-U-bS63S_Ljyym6V5VCo999J9PQsQriPOprhzKbGGR66RjUjGRyogl11ROOBBwaFNxJ-IbADSA/s400/jason+at+start+of+fallsburg+2010.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Me before the race</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">After the race, I milled about and talked to a few others, including Joel Pennington, Katie's husband, marathon winner Ben VanHoose, Andy again, Mark, a fellow minimalist runner who's last name I cannot remember, and a few other great people.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqR42eaec4rM56DicAwghaqkxvWPEsQYOOt1I4ZINtN6kSzuMCkoBWePYyxToed7QASfKYi22y0KvdPitcUDpK1DKtl7qeQeva8ICc4CfCvQ4Ie5z6e1XBUDzWO1Jk-EWgiCvgB60lk0/s1600/andy+g+finishing+fallsburg+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqR42eaec4rM56DicAwghaqkxvWPEsQYOOt1I4ZINtN6kSzuMCkoBWePYyxToed7QASfKYi22y0KvdPitcUDpK1DKtl7qeQeva8ICc4CfCvQ4Ie5z6e1XBUDzWO1Jk-EWgiCvgB60lk0/s400/andy+g+finishing+fallsburg+2010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Andy finishing</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>The Race</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">So the race... while I could write a complete, detailed recap, I'll spare my readers the painful details. Here's the quick synopsis:</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The race started well. The first 5 miles (fairly technical trails) went exceedingly well. Around mile 7 or so, the course hit a gravel road. It hurt. A lot. The wheels came off at that point as I hit a serious low. The next 19 miles were a cascading cycle of negativity interspersed with occasional bouts of not-quite-as-bad negativity. I've never run a race where the actual running part elicited so little intrinsic joy. I did not want to be out on the course. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_UCVgn3uPPq8yYq8WgN6fNQwnVIqyJoFXTJ1fZsrZezH72pwD-fGtBR-ocAX72pteQgK9rtCgDGTJzIqDz5E1JETsBMRYcZjBK0C07_WKRZiZljfPd6mfHYlIhccuxfuVob21glyxEw/s1600/jason+during+fallsburg+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_UCVgn3uPPq8yYq8WgN6fNQwnVIqyJoFXTJ1fZsrZezH72pwD-fGtBR-ocAX72pteQgK9rtCgDGTJzIqDz5E1JETsBMRYcZjBK0C07_WKRZiZljfPd6mfHYlIhccuxfuVob21glyxEw/s320/jason+during+fallsburg+2010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Me during the race. Note- I felt good at that point.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I reverted to "ultra survival mode" for the majority of the race. I reduced my running gait to my slowest ultra shuffle and slogged through the mileage while conserving as much energy as I could. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Around mile 24, I missed a turn. After about three quarters of a mile, I realized I hadn't seen a course marker in some time. I backtracked about a half mile, but still did not see any markers or other runners. Not knowing where I was in relation to the actual course, I turned around and continued on. I knew I was off course, and I knew how to get to the finish line. At that moment, I was content with a DNF (did not finish). </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">After about a mile, I came to the course. I jumped on the trail and finished the last mile. The rough day seemed almost comical as I trudged to the finish line to collect my DNF. When I emerged from the woods to the cheering of a few onlookers, I felt a mix of relief (the run was almost over) and guilt (hey, I cut the course... I didn't deserve that adulation).</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">As I approached the finish line, that dichotomy of emotions grew. I entered the chute and crossed the finish line. A woman (I think it may have been RD Dan Droski's wife) congratulated me. As Dan handed me my finisher's towel (awesome finisher's reward, by the way) and medal, I tried explaining that I had missed a turn and about a mile of trails. He said it was okay since I hadn't placed in my division. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I couldn't in good conscience take the finishers' medal. I checked my Garmin. With back-tracking, I had run 26.22 miles. Still, my peers that stayed on the course ran an extra mile of trails instead of the asphalt and gravel roads I had. I didn't accept the medal. Dan wouldn't take me off the finisher list.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">As I talked to people at the finish, I finally understood why. About half of the people I talked to had wandered off the course at some point. Early in the race, I saw Shelly running in the opposite direction as me. A group of people she was running with took a wrong turn and ran a loop in the opposite direction as the rest of us. To make up for that, the entire group had to run an extra quarter of a mile. A handful of people ran a lot longer... some as much as 31 or 32 miles. Others had cut several miles off their race. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Apparently the problems stemmed from last-minute changes to the course. One of the bridges we were supposed to run across was out and the local officials had assured Dan that it would be fixed. It wasn't. This forced the organizers to completely reroute the first half of the course. Even though it was very well marked, there was some confusion between volunteers on the course. <i>My </i>mistake was my own stupidity... I was in a mental funk and ran past the trail marker. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Despite that, I still have a hard time accepting this as an official finish. For all those that <a href="http://www.fallsburghalf.8k.com/rich_text.html">finished after me</a>, consider your place to be one position higher. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Know When to Hold Them...</b></div><blockquote><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>"You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,<br />
Know when to walk away and know when to run." -Kenny</i></div></blockquote><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I ran this race barefoot. It was <i>not </i>as barefoot-friendly as I remembered from last year. The first section of gravel elicited an internal debate about barefoot running. It was the exact same discussion I had during the especially harsh section of Burning River... <i>why do I keep doing this? </i></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Just like Burning River, I feel I could have done much better in this race had I worn some type of shoe. The gravel forced me to slow my pace considerably. It took a toll on my feet, which translated into a less-than-enjoyable experience once I got to smoother trails. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">For years, I've run barefoot in conditions that were not barefoot-friendly. That includes gnarly gravel. It includes sub-freezing temperatures. It includes hot asphalt. It includes chip-and-seal asphalt. It even includes broken glass. You name it, I've probably tried running on it barefoot. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Why did I do it? I wanted to push my own limits. I wanted to find out what I could tolerate. Also, I wanted to hone my technique. Nothing builds skills like rugged, pain-inducing terrain. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">There was also part of me that wanted to prove that you can run barefoot pretty much anywhere. You don't need shoes... they're just a useful tool to be utilized in some situations.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">After doing this for a number of years, I've learned my limits. I'm now faced with the dilemma of wanting to test my limits of speed and endurance, but I'm being held back by my insistence on foregoing shoes. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I still love running barefoot... when conditions are favorable. The issue arises when conditions are not favorable. I think I am going to start using my stable of minimalist shoes for more than just workshop props. I think I am going to start using them for racing <i>when being barefoot is a known liability</i>. In almost all cases, huaraches will be my preferred shoe. I may break out my EVOs or KSOs, and I may even pick up a pair of Treks. I may even consider one of the new shoes the bigger manufacturers are producing. The rule- <i>use the most minimal shoe for the job.</i></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I will still test my limits... I'm stubborn like that. I will reserve my "testing my limits" runs to training. This realization is both personally disappointing yet liberating. I'm sure I will have to say on this matter in the future. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For now, I must make a decision. I will be running the North Country trail 50 miler in two weeks. Fallsburg was humbling. My body was not ready for a marathon two weeks after a 100. NCT will be tough. Even with two full weeks of rest and recovery, I doubt I will be at a physical peak. I was planning on running barefoot. I know the course... it is <i>much</i> more barefoot-friendly than both Burning River and Fallsburg. Still, huaraches <i>may </i>improve my finishing time. What to do, what to do...</span></div>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-57034658450196958122010-08-12T08:47:00.000-04:002010-08-12T08:47:54.047-04:00Fundamental Ultraruning Skills: The poo in the woods<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">My good friends over at Ted's Google Group started a thread on paleo wiping. This reminded me of several questions I've received over the years regarding the delicate issue of pooping during ultras. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I am always a little surprised this question does not come up more often. Here's the situation- you're thirty miles into a 50 mile run. You're surrounded by nothing but untamed wilderness. You have to drop a #2. Since there are no porta-potties for another 20 miles, you are left with no choice but to drop drawers and let loose. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I always assume everyone has the benefit of being raised in the sticks. I sometimes forget my suburbanite friends have probably never had the opportunity to hone their wilderness bowel movement skills. I am also somewhat surprised at the amount of anxiety some people feel at the thought of dropping a deuce outside the friendly confines of the plastic vertical coffins neatly lined up at the start line of races. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">My first bit of advice- practice. Don't wait until race day to attempt a torpedo launch in the woods. Next time you're out on the trails, find a secluded spot and give it a go.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">So how do you actually go about jettisoning some excess weigh? Instead of explaining the process in detail, I'll refer you to this video posted in the Google Group:</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><object height="405" width="500"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zwmwxkD86Ec?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zwmwxkD86Ec?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="405"></embed></object></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Here are some additional pointers not covered in the video:</div><ul style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><li>When actually squatting, it can be beneficial to hold your cheeks apart. Sadly, I have to credit Mtv's The Real World for this tip.</li>
<li>Keeping a small piece of biodegradable toilet paper in your pocket can help with the final cleanup procedure.</li>
<li>When choosing a location to squat, most people simply wander a fair distance from the trail. Make sure you don't inadvertently walk too close to a different trail or road.</li>
<li>Know what the local poisonous plants... don't squat in them.</li>
<li>Avoid plants with thorns, too.</li>
<li>Same deal with bees.</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Experienced wilderness dumpers... have any additional tips to add? </span></b></div>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-32873672406515246472010-08-10T08:53:00.001-04:002010-08-10T09:12:28.306-04:00A bunch of randomness...<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Over the last few weeks, I've been busy with my various adventures, then documenting said adventures. There are a lot of happenings occurring in the very near future, lots of news to share. Let's begin!</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><u><b>My Achilles Injury</b></u></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">When running in the <a href="http://burningriver100.org/">Burning River 100</a>, I tweaked my left Achilles. As of last week, it was still sore and inflamed. My plan was to simply rest in preparation for the <a href="http://www.fallsburghalf.8k.com/">Fallsburg Marathon</a> this upcoming weekend. Late last week, I was emailing Dr. Scott Hadley, a barefoot running friend of mine. He had read my <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/2010-burning-river-100-mile-endurance_05.html">race report</a> about Burning River and suggested I try a self-treatment he developed on his <a href="http://trekoclinics.com/">TrekoClinics</a> site. I felt a bit foolish; I had forgotten I had access to one of the leaders in the field of diagnosing and treating. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Based on Scott's recommendation, I used the treatment he described in the <a href="http://www.trekoclinics.com/free-fix.php">sample video</a> on the site's main page. After three days, the Achilles feels perfect! The tightness and pain I had felt completely disappeared. I tested it with a four mile tempo run yesterday at a 7:20 pace. This would constitute one of my two training runs before tapering for the marathon. The Achilles was 100% both during and after the run. Bottom line- the treatment worked.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><u><b>Barefoot Track Meet</b></u></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">My friend, occasional training partner, and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#%21/group.php?gid=330583511139&ref=ts">Barefoot Runners Society Michigan Chapter</a> president Andy Grosvenor is helping to organize a barefoot/minimalist shoe track meet this Friday in Rockford, Michigan. The idea is simple- it's a fun event to help raise the awareness of barefoot running. I'm still working on my schedule, but am planning on being in attendance. I'll be running the longest event, but doing it very slowly. I'll be happy to answer any questions people may have about barefoot or minimalist shoe running. Additionally, there will be at least a few more VERY experienced barefoot runners in attendance. It will be a great opportunity to learn.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">All are welcome! Here are the details:</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span id="profile_status"><span id="status_text"><br />
<b>WHEN</b>: Friday, August 13th, 7pm<br />
<b>WHERE</b>: Rockford North Middle School Track,<br />
397 E Division Street Northeast, Rockford, MI<br />
<b>WHAT</b>: 440, 880, 1mi, 2mi, and 3mi in nothing but the bare of your barefeet [or some interesting MINIMAL footwear, if your feet can't take it...]<br />
<b>WHY</b>: because we can, to raise awareness of barefoot running, and for a groovy homemade medal!</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><u><b><span id="profile_status"><span id="status_text">Book Signing/ Barefoot Workshop</span></span></b></u></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span id="profile_status"><span id="status_text"> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span id="profile_status"><span id="status_text">I will be leading a discussion on barefoot running at <a href="http://www.schulerbooks.com/event/barefoot-runners-society-workshop-28th-st">Schuler Books in Grand Rapids on Tuesday, August 17th at 7:00pm</a>. I will be joined by physical therapist Dr. Dave Asselin and Gazelle Sports. The workshop will be more topical than my usual workshops due to time constraints, but we will have ample time to answer questions from the audience. The event is free!</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span id="profile_status"><span id="status_text">This will also be the first opportunity to purchase the <a href="http://barefootrunninguniversity.com/barefoot_running_book_2.html">second edition of my barefoot running book</a>. Twenty percent of the proceeds will be donated to the <a href="http://barefootrunners.org/">Barefoot Runners Society</a>!</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><u><span id="profile_status"><span id="status_text"><br />
</span></span></u></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><u><b><span id="profile_status"><span id="status_text">Barefoot Running Workshop</span></span></b></u></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span id="profile_status"><span id="status_text"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span id="profile_status"><span id="status_text">I will continue my series of regular barefoot/minimalist shoe running workshops at <a href="http://crossfitgr.com/">Crossfit Grand Rapids</a>. The next workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, August 24th from 7:30pm to about 9:30pm. This is a comprehensive hands-on (of feet-on) workshop that involves actual drills and running. Cost is $10 and you can reserve a spot by contacting Brandon Armstrong at </span></span><a href="mailto:contactus@crossfitgr.com">contactus@crossfitgr.com</a> or 616.916.7210. Spots are limited and fill up rather fast, so it's usually best not to wait until the last minute.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span class="skype_pnh_print_container">616-916-7210</span><span class="skype_pnh_container" dir="ltr"><span class="skype_pnh_mark"> begin_of_the_skype_highlighting</span><span class="skype_pnh_highlighting_inactive_common" dir="ltr" title="Call this phone number in United States of America with Skype: +16169167210"><span class="skype_pnh_left_span" skypeaction="skype_dropdown"></span><span class="skype_pnh_dropart_span" skypeaction="skype_dropdown" title="Skype actions"><span class="skype_pnh_dropart_flag_span" skypeaction="skype_dropdown" style="background-position: -4499px 1px ! important;"></span></span><span class="skype_pnh_textarea_span"><span class="skype_pnh_text_span"></span></span><span class="skype_pnh_right_span"></span></span><span class="skype_pnh_mark">end_of_the_skype_highlighting</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><u><b>Paleo Diet</b></u><br />
<br />
Shelly and I have been following a quasi-paleo diet for about a month now. This will be a topic of a future post, this is just a quick update. It is going VERY well. Effects noticed:<br />
<ul><li>No intense food cravings, especially cravings for breads or sugary foods,</li>
<li>Decrease in body fat percentage despite no reduction in caloric intake,</li>
<li>Even energy levels throughout the day</li>
</ul>The results are striking enough for me to continue with the experiment. Again, I will write more about this in the near future. <br />
<br />
<u><b>Fallsburg Marathon</b></u></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">As mentioned before, I will be running in the <a href="http://www.fallsburghalf.8k.com/">Fallsburg Marathon</a> this upcoming weekend. I will be joined by at least two other barefoot runners (Andy G., the organizer of the barefoot track meet and Shelly, my wife). The course is relatively barefoot-friendly, and they do have a 5K and half marathon option. If you're in the neighborhood, check it out! My goal for the race- beat my marathon PR of about 3:55.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><u><b>North Country Trail Ultra</b></u></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">On August 28th, I will be running the <a href="http://www.northcountrytrailrun.mirunning.com/">North Country Trail 50 miler</a>. I'm looking forward to this event as it will reunite Shelly and I with our road-trip crew of Mark Robillard and <a href="http://jscott87.blogspot.com/">Jesse Scott</a> (among a lot of other friends). This is a VERY barefoot-friendly course. We will have at least six or seven barefoot and/or minimalist shoe runners, possibly MANY more. If you plan on being there, look for me (I'll be running in my <a href="http://www.sportkilt.com/">Sport Kilt</a> again). My goal for this race- complete my trifecta of PRs (100 mile, marathon, and 50 mile) in one month by running a sub-10:20 time!</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><u><b>Woodstock Running Festival</b></u></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://shoelessshelbell.blogspot.com/">Shelly</a> and I are planning on attending the <a href="http://runwoodstock.com/">Woodstock</a> races this year. My tentative plan is to crew/pace for Jesse. Shelly's plans are still up in the air. Like the North Country Trail races, there should be a fairly large contingency of barefoot/minimalist shoe runners on hand. This is another great event with a large range of races from a 5K up to a 100 miler... if you're in the area, check it out!</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><u><b>Reviews</b></u></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">In the very near future, I will be reviewing a variety of products. I will continue to document my experiences with running in the <a href="http://www.sportkilt.com/">kilt</a>, I will give a few review of <a href="http://www.lunasandals.com/">Barefoot Ted's Luna sandals</a>, and should be reviewing a pair of <a href="http://www.golite-footwear.com/">GoLite</a> minimalist shoes, <a href="http://www.inov-8.com/">Inov-8</a> minimalist shoes, and eventually some <a href="http://www.newbalance.com/">New Balance</a> minimalist shoes. I may be reviewing some <a href="http://www.zensah.com/">Zensah</a> compression sleeves, too.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><u><b>Life Simplification</b></u><br />
<br />
I haven't posted much about this topic lately, but I am continuing to simplify my life by purging excess material "stuff". My goal is to eliminate half of my possessions by the end of summer. I am about 75% done. The long-term goal is to reduce my family's possessions substantially (down to about 25% of our current possessions) by the end of spring 2011. Part of this process is culling our crap. The other element is being EXTREMELY selective on new purchases. So far, so good.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Workouts</b></u><br />
<br />
If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you know I am a HUGE proponent of weight training as a form of crosstraining. I have been training with Brandon Armstrong and <a href="http://johnkdevries.com/">John Devries</a> of <a href="http://crossfitgr.com/">Crossfit Grand Rapids</a> for about six weeks, and have been training with my friend <a href="http://kemmefitness.wordpress.com/">Pete Kemme</a> for several years. Pete recently added a <a href="http://kemmefitness.wordpress.com/exercises/">HUGE list of exercises and accompanying videos</a> to his site. I credit these workouts for my ability to finish 100 milers despite a relatively low number of running miles (average about 40 miles per week over the last three months). If you are a runner, you should seriously consider this style of workouts as cross training. It's tough, but I guarantee you will not be disappointed.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Finally...</b></u></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I mentioned it earlier, but the </span><a href="http://barefootrunninguniversity.com/barefoot_running_book_2.html" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">second edition of my barefoot running book</a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> will be officially released in two weeks. The book is available for </span><a href="http://barefootrunninguniversity.com/barefoot_running_book_2.html" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">pre-order</a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> right now at a discount ($9.99 versus $14.95) and should ship in about two weeks. Once it is released, it will be available via Amazon. For those that prefer Amazon, I will post the link as soon as it is ready!</span></div>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-51540235063206427102010-08-09T07:41:00.004-04:002010-08-09T07:45:45.266-04:00Burning River 100 Mile Race Report: Part VI<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Part <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/2010-burning-river-100-mile-endurance_05.html">1</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/2010-burning-river-100-mile-endurance_06.html">2</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-endurance-run.html">3</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-endurance-run_07.html">4</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-endurance-run_08.html">5</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-race-report-part.html">6</a><a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-race-report-part.html"></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Merriman Road to Memorial Parkway (3 miles, 96.3 total)</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This was a mostly flat section comprised almost entirely of tow path. Shelly was now pacing me. We walked a lot. I peed a lot. Apparently I was hallucinating a lot... I repeatedly asked <a href="http://shoelessshelbell.blogspot.com/">Shelly</a> if she had said something. She had not.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">When she did talk, she told some more stories of the crew experiences throughout the night. I really don't remember any of them. We were passed by a handful of runners at this point, including a pair that were running. I marveled at their ability to run at this point. We were also passed by a few runners unaffiliated with the race. All seemed aware of the race as they congratulated me for making it this far.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://shoelessshelbell.blogspot.com/">Shelly</a> reminded me of all the vomit piles during this section. She could identify them as Burning River runners based on the partially-digested aid station food. It was pretty gross.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">We were passed by one dude that was still running... I yelled out "Great job running at this point!" He looked down at my huarache-clad feet and exclaimed in a douchey-like voice "Thanks, it's my shoes." </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This section took us over an hour, but we pulled into the last aid station- Memorial Parkway- a little before the 27 hour point.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">When I arrived at this aid station, <a href="http://2snshoes.blogspot.com/">Shelley Viggiano</a> recorded me for a minute. (See Jimmy's video <a href="http://2snshoes.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-video-report.html">here</a>). I really didn't remember what I said until seeing the footage later. I was still a bit out of it. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I knew if I hurried, I could still walk in to a PR. I ate quickly, got my water bottles, and Shelly and I were off.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Section pace: 23:00</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Memorial Parkway to the Finish Line (4.8 miles, 101.1 total)</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">As far as I know, <a href="http://shoelessshelbell.blogspot.com/">Shelly</a> and Jesse never discussed the kick idea. I don't think I discussed it with Shelly, either. Regardless, as soon as we started this section, she said "Let's try running a bit."</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">There were orange traffic cones marking the path through the early part of this loop. <a href="http://shoelessshelbell.blogspot.com/">Shelly</a> challenged me to run to the cone about fifth yards ahead. I managed to break into a labored, plodding trot at a breakneck 15:00 pace. As I neared the cone, I asked her if this was the one she was talking about. She said no, the next one. I did it. It didn't feel horrible.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">We came to a hill, which I walked. Once we crested the top, Shelly told me to try running again. To my surprise, I was able to run downhill fairly well. The pace was still hovering around 14:30, but it was faster than walking. Shelly was running ahead of me and I was trying to keep up. We crossed a road and headed into some trails. Or pace slowly crept up. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">14:15.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">14:00.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">13:45.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Damn, I was starting to feel pretty good. The pain went away. The stiffness went away. I took the lead ahead of Shelly. I sped up to a 12:00 pace. It felt as if I were flying!</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I don't think we had passed any other runners at that point. We came to the first set of dreaded stairs. By instinct, I sped up. I LOVE running both stairs and hills... there's no greater feeling than pushing hard on hills. I took the first few steps harder than I should. I could feel the high beginning to crash, so I dialed it back a bit and power-hiked upward. When I got to the top, I broke into a run again.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Eventually we came to the second set of stairs, which I galloped up a little faster. Once we got to the top, we ran into several small groups of runners. With each group, the killer "catch the person in front of you" instinct kicked in. I had an even greater surge of energy! We had a long, flat section of trails along a power line. During this section, our pace was steadily in the 10:30 range and occasionally flirting with 10:00.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I did not remember how long the section was, but I knew the rest of the crew would be meeting me with one mile left. After flying over the trails for what seemed like only a few minutes, I saw Art and <a href="http://jscott87.blogspot.com/">Jesse</a> in the distance. As we approached, I could hear them yelling. When Shelly and I passed them, they took off with us. Picking up these two really caused an adrenaline spike.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I picked up the pace to about 9:00. <a href="http://jscott87.blogspot.com/">Jesse</a> commented about me sandbagging. He walked 30 miles with me throughout the night with our pace never exceeding 16:00s. Now Shelly got to do all the running.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Shortly after, an obese lady driving in a van yelled for me to get on the sidewalk (I was running on the shoulder of the road). That bitch. Had I not been in such a zone, I would like to have yelled something back. Later we laughed about it.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I managed to keep a sub 9:30 pace until we had about 3/8 of a mile left. At that point, my pace started to slow. I was actually out of breath. Push as I might, I could not muster the reserves to maintain the sub-10:00 pace. Until I saw the finish line.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">We came over a small hill or turned a corner... I really don't remember which one. All I remember is seeing the clock in the distance. I picked up the pace. With about 100 yards left, it was as if my body suddenly became weightless. I just relaxed an ran.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5ErLog3nrJgmuSfeQCBbUqPh_xKJFkCemLd9VTTccKnq9CNS7zN5tCWU8Ate-zPzMluXZyy_ZiYwCbKKhS6MmX7Xqd9xvblmMeacUPIcT8MyZzmk9h12uNdoiYBww6Wi9VfGkQBfgng/s1600/jason+at+finish+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5ErLog3nrJgmuSfeQCBbUqPh_xKJFkCemLd9VTTccKnq9CNS7zN5tCWU8Ate-zPzMluXZyy_ZiYwCbKKhS6MmX7Xqd9xvblmMeacUPIcT8MyZzmk9h12uNdoiYBww6Wi9VfGkQBfgng/s320/jason+at+finish+1.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXEdveq1-P9ObBV2t-NuwoRG_rxR1Nhvd3tv6uvuaU7vIz-K7eYzVhxH65lpFRBhqW-llUOcEzThVh9JGTRfAXHuMzVAyZxjmCaR4Z8wgYEjcUdPp6TZgZqFQK7vHf3b8XUU9B7quBUg/s1600/photo+from+Laurie+Colon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXEdveq1-P9ObBV2t-NuwoRG_rxR1Nhvd3tv6uvuaU7vIz-K7eYzVhxH65lpFRBhqW-llUOcEzThVh9JGTRfAXHuMzVAyZxjmCaR4Z8wgYEjcUdPp6TZgZqFQK7vHf3b8XUU9B7quBUg/s320/photo+from+Laurie+Colon.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I don't remember exactly when I crossed the finish line, but suddenly I was aware that I had stopped. Joe Jurczyk, the race RD, was shaking my hand. I also remember Shelly placing the medal/belt buckle over my head and hugging me. My crew was surrounding me. There were pictures being taken... I think we posed for a few. I hugged Shelly. It seems like I talked to a few other people, but I really don't remember.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcC7G0BEf_IY_1dmnap9UUSXeNxg45EIy8P8kiOLpNxRm2_pqrwmD6ixAfYuby0VV-d-fQH9hlro1KLCkLdtqvcReRvPNZkB5PsBgkfPnaJhubYHKbeAFPOrRb4Z1LsqcjYCmd7aTPFgk/s1600/jason+at+finish+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcC7G0BEf_IY_1dmnap9UUSXeNxg45EIy8P8kiOLpNxRm2_pqrwmD6ixAfYuby0VV-d-fQH9hlro1KLCkLdtqvcReRvPNZkB5PsBgkfPnaJhubYHKbeAFPOrRb4Z1LsqcjYCmd7aTPFgk/s320/jason+at+finish+2.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrZB4kBhCyWdG2RqeleGQIhEWglhPfsGhLigNW9M36X1K3t9pGkzpGAl3a3emfE8JEH8czoyyz50dPU_V_-AEHdiQgJEGbyK3AoTZY0vHwuXpNe1joEpc9cffPUr52E_4WFQCSqCDtIzo/s1600/shelly+and+jason+at+finish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrZB4kBhCyWdG2RqeleGQIhEWglhPfsGhLigNW9M36X1K3t9pGkzpGAl3a3emfE8JEH8czoyyz50dPU_V_-AEHdiQgJEGbyK3AoTZY0vHwuXpNe1joEpc9cffPUr52E_4WFQCSqCDtIzo/s320/shelly+and+jason+at+finish.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I do remember stopping the timer on my <a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theultrstor-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000CSWCQA&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr">Garmin</a> and noting the average pace for that section... 12:00 flat. Damn. Turns out I was capable of this mythical ultramarathon kick, too. I would have to wait until later that night to find out my pace over that last 100 yards.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB12g_HghlaaxM9cCXzaHXQM1W_teQ4BFo2NWhLZap8MVKniNtiZF8pM3CY5EHTYBgdme6mcZvAacTLbe9OT5ROltz_0Pq-9BARMos_X1BL8nUXzDc2PmDV7rf_XoIiFXw0u_LQQ9HkG0/s1600/crew+at+finish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB12g_HghlaaxM9cCXzaHXQM1W_teQ4BFo2NWhLZap8MVKniNtiZF8pM3CY5EHTYBgdme6mcZvAacTLbe9OT5ROltz_0Pq-9BARMos_X1BL8nUXzDc2PmDV7rf_XoIiFXw0u_LQQ9HkG0/s320/crew+at+finish.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I think I may have drank some water, then collapsed on a grassy spot near the finish. The next hour or so was a blur of sleeping, cramping, and congratulating other runners.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hoMyT3hE-pzVA0W8jG8CBXM2UsjBWMjHxL8rE-fI8MQWJerwSDKduRJABdbCTuPzyYz-TdCg66Ev5R45Zas57Pn_hvaFlCyDTLlOpdIbktfYRPU7hQiFa2JLFILHAKGHcQshjKWN-kw/s1600/sleeping+at+finish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hoMyT3hE-pzVA0W8jG8CBXM2UsjBWMjHxL8rE-fI8MQWJerwSDKduRJABdbCTuPzyYz-TdCg66Ev5R45Zas57Pn_hvaFlCyDTLlOpdIbktfYRPU7hQiFa2JLFILHAKGHcQshjKWN-kw/s320/sleeping+at+finish.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">It is difficult to describe exactly how I felt. In my previous 100 mile finish, I didn't feel great joy or a sense of accomplishment... I was just happy to be done. I wanted to get off my feet and sleep. This race was much different. I was very excited about the burst of energy I had over the last 4.8 miles, but the enormity of having just ran 101.1 miles didn't really set in at the time. That came in the following days. I <i>did </i>feel a sense of relief that the Burning River monkey was off my back after the 2008 DNF. Mostly, I was just absorbing the atmosphere at the finish line. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I saw <a href="http://2snshoes.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-video-report.html">Jimmy V. finish</a>, followed closely by Rachel. It was so proud of both, though I couldn't move to congratulate either. I also saw a few other people I ran with finish., including Scotchkee from <a href="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/list/31">Kickrunners</a>. It was awesome to be able to spend even a small amount of time at the finish. Seeing people finally reach the end of something so enormous was very cool. It was a bit strange... almost as I I had dissociated from the fact that I had just run it, too. Seeing this STRONGLY reinforced my desire to get involved in ultras as more than just a participant.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmx4e-7RCixA3-byTfMCW1KvUKuI9tMRtiXr1w_ZY_Rxkhfa6f2u1WmXbEhnGzGioeS0E51h4VDMd24cvKnkPU_Bq_u95V1gWViW6M1qr8lQSCrl8EVfq1uCE9DBOwMIyq3EgJVBEF0c/s1600/foot+at+finish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmx4e-7RCixA3-byTfMCW1KvUKuI9tMRtiXr1w_ZY_Rxkhfa6f2u1WmXbEhnGzGioeS0E51h4VDMd24cvKnkPU_Bq_u95V1gWViW6M1qr8lQSCrl8EVfq1uCE9DBOwMIyq3EgJVBEF0c/s320/foot+at+finish.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">After awhile, we slowly made our way back to the car, packed it up, and headed home. The road trip back went very fast on account of me sleeping the majority of the way. After we arrived home, unpacked the car, and picked the kids up from the babysitters, I finally relaxed at home. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYmtgOpN335VQC0fhDmrUwqpNytyGtrshvReAuio1-YISqWWh9ZOx9xyPNPSofYOS9LT6vZEcEPJHdy62_5lPLJuqZJxQnXZQP2iyCOD6Pxb8i6PFK_HtetiW372r5sSs8YybUaAF5agw/s1600/packing+up+to+go+home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYmtgOpN335VQC0fhDmrUwqpNytyGtrshvReAuio1-YISqWWh9ZOx9xyPNPSofYOS9LT6vZEcEPJHdy62_5lPLJuqZJxQnXZQP2iyCOD6Pxb8i6PFK_HtetiW372r5sSs8YybUaAF5agw/s320/packing+up+to+go+home.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Still eager to find my pace at the end, I dug out my <a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theultrstor-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000CSWCQA&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr">Garmin</a>. I connected it to the computer, uploaded the data, then took a look. I managed to hit a <i>6:45</i> pace over the last 100 yards. I WAS capable of a kick at the end of an ultra! I did not reach my initial goal of running a 100 miler barefoot, but I did rekindle a dormant competitiveness. My short and long term goals will center around lowering my 100 miler times. My next goal- sub-24 hours.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Final time: <i>27:47:45</i></b>, 118th place out of 166 finishers. Hardly a notable performance, but it set my 100 mile PR by about 77 minutes. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I could not have done this without the unconditional support, expert crew leadership, and great pacing from <a href="http://shoelessshelbell.blogspot.com/">Shelly</a>. She has made all this possible. I also could not have done it without Jesse. Not only did he do a great job as a crew member and pacer, but also as a training partner on most of my long runs in preparation for Burning River. I also could not have done it without Art. His precision and attention to detail as a crew member gave me confidence that each aid station stop would be fast and worry-free. I am habitually blessed with the greatest teammates in the world. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Epilogue</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Now that it has been over a week since the race, I am 95% recovered. The time after a major race is always a let-down... the lack of exercise can be somewhat depressing. I've had plenty of activities to fill my time (impending release of the s<a href="http://barefootrunninguniversity.com/barefoot_running_book_2.html">econd edition of my barefoot running book</a>, <a href="http://www.gazellesports.com/events/20100817/1737-barefoot-runners-society-workshop-grand-rapids-mi.html">book signing later this month</a>, <a href="http://crossfitgr.com/">barefoot/minimalist shoe running workshop planning</a>, reviewing a variety of products including Barefoot Ted's <a href="http://www.lunasandals.com/">Luna sandals</a>, etc.), but nothing replaces the excitement of racing. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPuTdLPD6-nuRrholyvrXp7K-4GIYGis-0J5WsHwkjjbcQ_5BcT-JUuGa0rBrjmjXoYHj9CmHWCYY5ohef6x8dSvdd7iVeogSP1I5GR4qsci4ecZ5LMgn8w1GUupdZPorvoHgqmhOyqg/s1600/the+day+after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPuTdLPD6-nuRrholyvrXp7K-4GIYGis-0J5WsHwkjjbcQ_5BcT-JUuGa0rBrjmjXoYHj9CmHWCYY5ohef6x8dSvdd7iVeogSP1I5GR4qsci4ecZ5LMgn8w1GUupdZPorvoHgqmhOyqg/s320/the+day+after.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I'll be running the <a href="http://www.fallsburghalf.8k.com/">Fallsburg marathon</a> in a few days, and the <a href="http://www.northcountrytrailrun.mirunning.com/">North Country Trail 50 miler</a> in a little under three weeks (I'm planning on running barefoot and in the kilt in both). In both races, I hope to set PRs (3:55 and 10:20 respectively). I'm eagerly awaiting the North Country Trail trip as many of my running friends (Mark, <a href="http://jscott87.blogspot.com/">Jesse</a>, Andy , Phil , Stuart, Rick, Tony, Jeremiah, and a slew of others). Shortly after I should be helping <a href="http://jscott87.blogspot.com/">Jesse</a> run his own 100 miler. I am extremely excited about this... I finally get to serve as a crew member and/or pacer.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">As far as the barefoot 100 miler, I think I will put those plans on hold indefinitely. Todd Ragsdale, the recent world record setter for total barefoot miles in 24 hours, is planning on taking a crack at the record in September. I have a feeling he'll be able to do it, and I will be rooting for him the entire time!</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">As far as long-term, I'll leave it up to fate. Burning River qualifies me for the <a href="http://www.ws100.com/">Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run</a>, and I will be entering the lottery. Last year, I had about a 16% chance of being chosen. If I get picked this year, that will become next year's goal race. If not, I'd still like to run a mountain ultra in the Western US. The most appealing race at this point- the <a href="http://www.tahoemtnmilers.org/trter/trtindex.html">Tahoe Rim Trail 100 miler</a>. Michael Helton, one of my pacers for the <a href="http://runwoodstock.com/">Hallucination 100</a>, successfully ran the 50k earlier this year. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">As far as the rest of life, we'll see. I will continue my quest to greatly simplify my life. I will also continue to experiment with my pseudo-paleo diet. Both adventures will be documented here. Of course, I will continue to educate people about barefoot and minimalist shoe running; it has become my passion. A major part of that will be to continue to document my own adventures, shamelessly promote the <a href="http://www.barefootrunners.org/build2/">Barefoot Runners Society</a> as THE leading organization supporting barefoot and minimalist shoe runners, and continuing to review products relevant to us. I will also continue to persuade people to get involved in ultrarunning by running, crewing, or volunteering.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">For those of you that have yet to take the plunge in barefoot or minimalist shoe running or even ultrarunning, give it a shot. I think you will find it to be a life-changing journey. If you do, I would urge you to start blogging about your adventures. Your own shared experiences will inspire others to adopt a more healthy lifestyle and add to our collective knowledge base. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Best of luck! And thanks for reading. Okay, bye now.</span></div>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-15354006527367703462010-08-08T11:05:00.004-04:002010-08-09T12:48:06.973-04:00Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run Race Report Part VPart <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/2010-burning-river-100-mile-endurance_05.html">1</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/2010-burning-river-100-mile-endurance_06.html">2</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-endurance-run.html">3</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-endurance-run_07.html">4</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-endurance-run_08.html">5</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-race-report-part.html">6</a><br />
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Pine Hollow #2 to Covered Bridge #1 (6.6 miles, 80.8 total)</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This section started innocently enough. I drank a Red Bull at Pine Hollow, and it definitely picked me up! Within about two minutes of leaving Pine Hollow for the second time, I felt a surge of energy that I hadn't felt since mile 20. I felt very good physically and mentally. My legs were still stiff, but the only pain radiated from my left Achilles. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Jesse and I were making great progress. I don't remember if I ran at this point, but I was definitely hiking faster than I had over the last few sections. I'm pretty sure this was about the time Jesse and I started discussing his Mind the Ducks 12 Hour performance. At the end of the race, Jesse ran one half-mile loop at a blistering 5:20 pace. It was the fastest lap anyone ran all day... <i>after </i>he had already run over 64 miles. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I have also witnessed Jesse exhibiting this kick on some of our long training runs. On our now-famous 68 mile training run, he stopped to take a leak. Mark Robillard (the same Mark now played by the Ken doll) and I continued on. We covered about a quarter mile before Jesse sprinted to catch up to us. This was at mile 60.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Anyway, we talked about the body's ability to squeeze out more performance even when you think you are on the brink of death. I have always been fascinated by the idea. Dr. Tim Noakes talks about his "central regulator" theory in "<a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theultrstor-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0873229592&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr">The Lore of Running</a>". The idea is simple- fatigue is merely a mechanism your brain employs to prevent maximal effort. It is your brain's method of keeping something "in the tank" in the event of an emergency. Even at the end of a 100 miler, your body <i>should </i>be capable of more than a slow shuffle. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">That conversation planted the seed. At this point, even though I felt better than I had for hours and hours, I could not fathom the idea of a fast run to end this race. Still, I knew I should be capable of a kick. This idea brewed for the next 25 miles.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Just as I was silently imagining what it would be like to cross the finish line in a sprint, my <a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theultrstor-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001H4MW7W&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr">Fenix handheld</a> died. Since it is a regulated light, it doesn't dim before dying... it just dies. At first I thought I may have accidentally clicked the on/off button, so I clicked it back on. After ten seconds, it died again. I stopped and fiddled around with it. Jesse tried the same. No luck. It wasn't a disaster; I still had my headlamp. Jesse was also sporting to lights, and he had both of his. We continued on.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I was silently questioning whether I had reminded the crew to change the batteries after the start. I brought the handheld with me way back at the beginning and dropped it off at Polo Fields. I was supposed to tell them to replace all batteries to make sure they didn't die during the night. A sense of dread slowly built as I realized I had said nothing. My Red Bull-fueled train of thought went something like this:</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>"Okay no problems I still have one light and Jesse still has two the aid station is only about five or six miles away let's see at this pace that works out to be about two hour damn two hours is a long time if one already died oh my god what will happen if they all die how will we navigate to the next aid station in complete darkness shit shit shit this is how it could end Jesse and I will be lost wandering around the wilderness for hours..."</i></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Maybe the Red Bull had something to do with the paranoia. Maybe not. About five minutes later, Jesse's handheld died. This was a bad omen. I could see his headlamp was dimming, also. Okay, this was about to get really, really bad. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">My headlamp was still fairly strong, but I knew the batteries hadn't been changed since my last 100 miler last September. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">It was then that I remembered my impulse buy from a week earlier. Shelly and I were buying some race supplies at a Meijer (Midwest department store/ grocery store). While waiting to check out, I saw a display of LED keychain flashlights that were reduced to clearance prices. I immediately thought back to many race reports I had read where a runner's light had died. I remembered harrowing tales of wandering through the wilderness by the light of a cell phone or attempting to navigate via stars while surrounded by complete and total darkness. I picked one up. Sometimes I over-prepare. Sometimes it saves me.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I had clipped the keychain light inside the pocket of my water bottle sleeve. I dug it out and gave it to Jesse. It was a bit of a nuisance to use as it required continually pressing the "on" button, but it was surprisingly bright. This three dollar life saver would be just enough to allow us to make it to the Covered Bridge aid station.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The rest of the section was uneventful. I believe we continued talking about a lot of ultra-related topics, including Jesse's own 100 mile race he plans on running very soon. The time went by faster than it had in previous sections, and our pace was better than it had been in a long time.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">After some time, we came to a field with parked cars in the distance. I remembered the layout from my previous attempt in 2008. Rich, my pacer, had paced someone else after I dropped out. Jason (my other crew member) and I had slept in the Covered Bridge parking lot. Anyway, we ran through the parking lot and into the actual covered bridge.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This aid station was quite a sight. it was illumined with Christmas lights. It appeared to be heated, though than may have been some sort of psychosomatic effect. About half of the thirty people in the bridge were sleeping, the others looks a little like zombies. My crew still looked alert. We gave Art our lights to change the batteries, and Shelly immediately rattled off the food available at the food table. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I stopped drinking the Mike's at this point as I was worried it would make me too sleepy. Instead I drank the chia with only water. Note- water-only iskiate... not good. I also drank another Red Bull hoping to capture the magic from the previous section. I think I may have eaten some solid food, too. Art gave us an update on our pace and relayed what to expect on the next section. This was a 4.7 mile loop, then we will end up at Covered Bridge again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Jesse and I re-affixed our lights, grabbed our water bottles, and headed out. The last section was fast; I wanted to continue that trend. We were momentarily held up by a group of people at the end of the covered bridge. They were asking for pictures of Jesse and I. Being polite, we stopped. I vaguely remember our crew physically pushing us out onto the trail.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Section pace: 18:15</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Covered Bridge #1 to Covered Bridge #2 (4.7 miles, 85.5 miles total)</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Someone at the aid station mentioned this section was easy. By now, I should have learned to ignore such advice. We were immediately met with a fairly large climb. This section essentially contained three substantial climbs and three equally-large descents. The climbs were no problem; the descents continued to be painful crawls. I'm sure Jesse grew tired of my incessant complaining and my vow to solve my downhill running issues.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This loop was fairly uneventful. It was relatively slow compared to the last loop. We ran with Rachel Sterk and Phil Stapert, our friends from Grand Rapids for some time. Rachel seemed to look much better than I did. Eventually we lost them when Rachel stopped to stretch.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">We also ran with an older gentleman that was being paced by his daughter. We caught him at the top of a large climb. He was vomiting at the top. Jesse asked him if he was okay. He responded with some nonsense. He was clearly in rough shape. As is the case with most pacers, his daughter feigned concern and kept him moving forward. She was playing music through an iPod, but was not using headphones. We could hear her music from a considerable distance. It was odd to hear music playing in the middle of the darkness.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">About this time, I started hearing frequent footsteps behind us. I would turn and we'd be alone. Ah, the joys of auditory hallucinations! I would also hear occasional voices, but Jesse assured me he heard them, too. Either our hallucinations were syncing up is some strange shared sleep-deprived state, or there were actually people on another part of the trail just out of our line of sight.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">After what felt like an especially long section, we came back to Covered Bridge. I was feeling better than expected, but still very tired. I spent a little longer in the chair than planned, but it was a welcome break. I ate my usual aid station fare, re-taped my hands, applied some lube, and rested momentarily.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">My crew informed me that the rest of the course would be very easy. Their source- our friend Phil. He had finished the race the previous two years. I learned a valuable lesson in the next hour or so... Phil's idea of "easy" is significantly different than my idea of easy.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Section pace: 23:50</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Covered Bridge #2 to O'Neil Woods (3.3 miles, 88.8 total)</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This section started on an asphalt road. In the first few hundred yards, I think I stopped to pee twice. This is a trend that started a few miles back. For whatever reason, I see to urinate frequently late in 100 milers. The urine frequency and volume seems to be out of proportion to the amount being consumed. The urine is clear and I have no other symptoms of dehydration, hyponatremia, or other kidney issues. It's a bit of a mystery...</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Anyway, the section started with a sweeping climb uphill. The road then flattened out as we passed multiple horse ranches. About half way through the loop, I had to stop to take a #2. It was a little tricky as there was no good cover... only a few bunches of trees in the ditches. Luckily I found a bunch that offered decent concealment. I left a little lighter afterward; I'm sure it helped my performance. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">With about a mile left, he hit trails. Hmmmm.... I thought it was supposed to be easy. As it turns out, the trail section of this loop sucked. It was comprised of several large climbs. Our pace took a beating, but we finally came to the O'Neil Woods aid station. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">We arrived to blaring music and glow-in-the-dark jewelry everywhere! It was a pretty surreal atmosphere given our state of fatigue. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The aid station volunteers took the reverse route of the other aid station volunteers. They immediately noticed our attire:</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>Girl at aid station</i> (to Jesse): "Are you wearing a dress shirt?!?"</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>Jesse</i>: "Yeah, it's like a fancy Nathan vest. See? It has pockets."</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>Girl </i>(to me): "Are you wearing sandals?!?"</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>Me</i>: "Yeah, the course was to gravelly to run barefoot any more."</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>Girl</i>: "Is that a kilt?!?"</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>Me</i>: [I have no idea what I said here]</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">After spending too much time eating and procrastinating, Jesse and I prepared to head out. I asked the girl about the section ahead. She said "It's pretty easy. You'll start on some easy trails with a few steps, then hit the tow path." Perfect.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Section pace: 19:41</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>O'Neil Woods to Merriman Road (4.5 miles, 93.3 total)</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I was very confident heading into this section. With only a little over 12 miles left, I knew I could slowly walk to the finish. All I had to do was keep moving. It sounds easy, but this is the point in a 100 miler where your body has long-since rejected the idea of responding to your demands to move. The pain is analogous to getting a tattoo. At first, it hurts as lot. Then you get into a groove and just accept the pain. Eventually the persistence wears on you. The pain builds and builds. You cannot ignore it. You cannot embrace it. You simply tolerate it.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Fatigue grips your body in ever-increasingly violent waves. Even routine tasks like avoiding pissing on yourself become arduous. Bouts of sleepiness hit you like a hammer. You will be alert and fully wake one moment; catching yourself falling off the side of the trail the next. Sleep comes in quick, involuntary spurts. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This was my state heading into the trek to Merriman Road.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The girl at the aid station lied. Or wasn't a runner. Or had never run this section after previously running 88.8 miles. After exiting the aid station, we were immediately treated to a very long decline. According to the elevation charts, the decline was only 400 feet. It felt like a mile plunge into the depths of hell. It started with a series of stairs. I gingerly sidestepped each one. At the bottom, we were lulled into a false sense of accomplishment as we hit flat ground. That lasted about twenty feet before we plummeted down another steep downhill section. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Eventually we hit flat asphalt. I think. My memory of this section is very blurry. Jesse was obviously as sleepy as I was. We met up with two other runners for awhile, and three of us missed a turn onto the tow path. Luckily the fourth saw it and we were saved the pain of having to backtrack. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The towpath was very surreal. The sky was lightening as dawn crept in. I could not wait as I knew it would help ward off the overwhelming sleepiness that was taking control of my psyche. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Even though the tow path was only about two miles long, it felt like ten. I was wavering in and out of consciousness. Our conversations ceased. Jesse would be running ahead of me on the left. The next instant, he'd be on the right. At one point, I opened my eyes a fraction of a second before crashing into a rock retaining wall that ran along the path. At another point, I saw what I thought was the bridge that marked the end of the tow path. I blinked and the bridge moved 100 feet down the path. Shit. A hallucination. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The only solid memory I have from this section is the compost plant. Everyone warned us about the smell. Having grown up in close proximity to a dairy farm, I was accustomed to offensive odors. Or so I thought. As we neared the plant, I smelled a slightly offensive odor. "Hey, this isn't so bad!" I remarked. I'm not sure if that was a thought or I actually said it to Jesse. As we advanced, the smell grew. It was as if you started with decaying plant matter, added some spoiled milk, maybe some turkey shit, then a dead body, and finally you tossed in a pile of vomit that crept under you car seat in the summer after a weekend keg party in college. It caused immediate and uncontrolled gagging. I'm not quite sure why I didn't vomit; I wish I had. The good news... it only lasted about an eighth of a mile.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Eventually the tow path came to an end and we wandered into the town of what I was assuming was Cuyahoga Falls. Since it was Sunday morning, the town was deserted. We passed a gentleman taking pictures. We saw the car wash that served as the aid station. We saw Art and Shelly. Finally, we could rest for a moment.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWZGaZamBDDEaCQ3sNGITTC3XN7nW3NsCIGQ-ibbeE_hHDNU9mwMz5tXF8FYWSkKMdymKmT_j80VKDaknvK9npJVFPKGLpPv4X2i5GCm793Hsk-BLmIvo-NaQUtefwvDY8C06WczNWPM/s1600/jesse+art+and+jason+coming+into+merriman+road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWZGaZamBDDEaCQ3sNGITTC3XN7nW3NsCIGQ-ibbeE_hHDNU9mwMz5tXF8FYWSkKMdymKmT_j80VKDaknvK9npJVFPKGLpPv4X2i5GCm793Hsk-BLmIvo-NaQUtefwvDY8C06WczNWPM/s400/jesse+art+and+jason+coming+into+merriman+road.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This aid station went pretty fast, or so I remember. I drank some Slim Fast and Red Bull and ate some ramen noodles. The Red Bull magic never returned, so I will likely use it as a one-time booster for future races.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMHD2HVb0NtvaKuQwWokF-Lser9nnYNTqwesTXoy8V_mWcitBPrv71zJArDpSXHOqfl9991qVOY3k-434dFfGHyUiL3SgrayxDYWGxmOlvK7OCoDOGzVuEa9lGxN4KgwReP_ZEDjNSyU/s1600/jason+at+merriman+road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMHD2HVb0NtvaKuQwWokF-Lser9nnYNTqwesTXoy8V_mWcitBPrv71zJArDpSXHOqfl9991qVOY3k-434dFfGHyUiL3SgrayxDYWGxmOlvK7OCoDOGzVuEa9lGxN4KgwReP_ZEDjNSyU/s400/jason+at+merriman+road.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Later Shelly said both Jesse and I looked like train wrecks. Shelly asked Jesse if he wanted her to pace me. before she got the words out of her mouth, Jesse enthusiastically yelled "YES!"</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Shelly would be pacing me for the last two sections, so we quickly got ready and headed out. As we were leaving, I couldn't help but think about that kick. How could I possibly have the energy to move faster than this slow crawl? </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Section pace: 19:06</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-race-report-part.html"><b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">To be continued....</b></a></div>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-56690025264807201012010-08-07T18:32:00.002-04:002010-08-09T07:44:55.301-04:00Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run Race Report Part IVPart <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/2010-burning-river-100-mile-endurance_05.html">1</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/2010-burning-river-100-mile-endurance_06.html">2</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-endurance-run.html">3</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-endurance-run_07.html">4</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-endurance-run_08.html">5</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-race-report-part.html">6</a><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Boston Store to Pine Lane (4.1 miles, 58.6 total)</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This section was filled with memories. In 2008, I was on a death march. It took me about two and a half hours to navigate this 4.1 mile section. This year, I was feeling immeasurably better. I had Shelly to keep me company. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The trails were pretty gnarly, including an incredibly root-laden stretch. This section was a net gain in altitude, so I powered uphill more than down. We tried to stick with the 10/2 ratio, but our efforts were thwarted by the hills.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Shelly gave me the run-down of the crew's experiences throughout the day. As I expected, their day had been spent frantically rushing, relaxing, and laughing. She told tales of goiters, the dude that had his crew spray him down with Axe body spray, a side-trip to a gourmet deli at a local grocery store, Jesse fixing our car (the guy really is the jack of all trades), Art's unnaturally-large big toes, and some other assorted shenanigans (some cannot be printed to protect the innocent... or not so innocent). Also, it seemed as though NE Ohio does not open until later in the morning. McDonalds doesn't open until 7:00?!? A grocery store that doesn't open until 9:00?!? WTF?</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The conversation and fun terrain took my mind off the 55+ cumulative miles I ran to this point. We quickly approached Pine Lane, the next aid station. This was the aid station where I was pulled from the course in 2008. I had bitter memories of slinking back to the minivan my crew had at the time, my head hung in defeat. Still feeling as good as I did was a huge moral boost!</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The volunteers had A LOT of questions about he kilt. One of the gentlemen had previously run a 5k in a traditional kilt. Needless to say, I was impressed! Another lady asked her friend "Is that what I think it is?" in a not-quite-quiet enough whisper. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I think I ate a grilled cheese and a few Gu packets. I refilled my water bottles, Shelly refilled hers. We said some goodbyes and were off!</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Section pace: 18:18 </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Pine Lane to Happy Days (5.5 miles, 64.1 total)</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I would like to say this section went as smoothly as the first. I would also like to say I stumbled upon a briefcase full of unmarked fifties.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The section started well. There were a few trails that gave way to a bike path. I was trying to maintain the 10/2 ratio, but it quickly broke down. This was my first and most severe low point of the day. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Unfortunately, Shelly has never been with me through a low like this. We went for being very talkative to dead silent. When I go through a serious low, I tend to focus inward. I monitor my body at this point being very careful to meet all my needs. I know the low will pass, but it can be a very dangerous time IF I were to stop eating or drinking. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">As if by some intuitive sense, Shelly handled this rough patch extremely well. She reminded me to keep eating Gu, keep drinking, and keep taking the occasional electrolyte capsule. This section felt like it took forever. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">At some point, Ben passed us, as did Liz Bondar (Movingon). Both looked as if they were in much better shape than I was. Eventually, we entered a large field and could see the aid station at the other end. Just as we began crossing the field, I began to perk up. What horrible timing!</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VFniiuvoCXCAOcJoFNRwXRt_GGAISQ7UZIoqJLXE7Wqt36ez_3WzWGgpg6l6UoI3KQZ3x-OswreutjJWtYqKB-fjc-AOQVUJlyCGGpoQL_jPsMscngIUtgBiWcLmljppTjcysItO2-c/s1600/jason+and+shelly+coming+into+happy+days.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VFniiuvoCXCAOcJoFNRwXRt_GGAISQ7UZIoqJLXE7Wqt36ez_3WzWGgpg6l6UoI3KQZ3x-OswreutjJWtYqKB-fjc-AOQVUJlyCGGpoQL_jPsMscngIUtgBiWcLmljppTjcysItO2-c/s400/jason+and+shelly+coming+into+happy+days.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Jesse and Art were waiting. They took my water bottles and exchanged them. They led me to the chair and I eagerly plopped down. Being off my feet was definitely a relief at this point. I drank my Mike's iskiate and a Starbucks Frappuccino. After gathering my lights, I checked out the aid station fare. They had a great selection, including ramen noodles. They gave me a cup and I immediately took a big gulp. Bad idea... the noodles were scalding hot! I asked for a few ice cubes and the obliged. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvDLpuYBqSFSvJqTJT9hZzLcwbSCVjHU7dZ2jrZPTC-mUO48QO5qQ9Cwr5c6L3Dz_W2IfCw9Fz81HjndwU_vJtSi5drRr4IC2XzNGnexFf290TeG3WHr5tNWXJA0giDA5b68bG4Q4wFA/s1600/shelly+and+I+in+Happy+days+from+Barefoot+Johnny+o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvDLpuYBqSFSvJqTJT9hZzLcwbSCVjHU7dZ2jrZPTC-mUO48QO5qQ9Cwr5c6L3Dz_W2IfCw9Fz81HjndwU_vJtSi5drRr4IC2XzNGnexFf290TeG3WHr5tNWXJA0giDA5b68bG4Q4wFA/s320/shelly+and+I+in+Happy+days+from+Barefoot+Johnny+o.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">At this point, I was just stalling. Jesse was going to be pacing throughout the night. I could sense his anticipation as we chatted with the aid station workers. I answered the requisite kilt questions, but declined the request to show everyone what I was wearing underneath. None of us needed that, especially Jesse. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeFJrOBFEQbdSHtca0wIQEvzz75HKncZNPM6QIzZPv87mka7tRXVf-XFZCgEY1-eXJeyzuJH2mONpEK20SL4nNkfbpjKJ9yjne9kxK0mC-B9tFQehF6n4a7_eLGI0qNg8CGofoWP3G0c/s1600/jesse+and+I+at+happy+days.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeFJrOBFEQbdSHtca0wIQEvzz75HKncZNPM6QIzZPv87mka7tRXVf-XFZCgEY1-eXJeyzuJH2mONpEK20SL4nNkfbpjKJ9yjne9kxK0mC-B9tFQehF6n4a7_eLGI0qNg8CGofoWP3G0c/s320/jesse+and+I+at+happy+days.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Barefoot Johnny O was working this aid station, also. The last two pictures above were taken by him. He was a HUGE help as he was able to give us specific advanced recon for the next section. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">After another minute or two, Jesse and I headed out.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Section pace: 18:33</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Happy Days to Pine Hollow 1 (6.8 miles, 70.9 total)</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">We were immediately greeted with a small climb which brought us to a sheer rock face. For the next half mile or so, we followed this trail along the wall<b>.</b> It was one of the more scenic sections of the entire trail. I was very happy we managed to see it in the daylight, though the darkness was beginning to encroach around us. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I switched on my headlamp, though it was still too light to make much of a difference. Jesse and I idly chatted about the events of the day. I relayed my physical and mental state, along with my rough plan for the rest of the race. He in turn entertained me with several crewing stories from the day. Some were very funny, though the memories have faded due to the fatigue of the time.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Jesse and I seem to be remarkably similar personality-wise. From the onset, he instinctively knew when and how to effectively motive me to keep moving. I don't respond well to pretty much any "firing up" methods. Call me a wimp, make fun of my mother, threaten to kill my dog... it won't make me go faster. It just annoys me. My motivation is 95% intrinsic... I will run when the mood strikes. This is the reason I like Shelly so much as a pacer, and I was glad Jesse was of the same mindset. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">My specific memories of this section are fuzzy, though I remember Ben passing once again. A few more runners passed us. At this point in any ultras, my "start fast" strategy puts me relatively far ahead. This is the point where the more conservative and consistent runners begin to pass. We would be passed on a fairly regular basis throughout the night. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">As darkness fell, I switched to my trusty Fenix handheld, my most valuable piece of gear. I prefer the handheld to the headlamp because shadows cast from waist-level make it easier to discriminate between flat obstacles and obstacles requiring me to pick up my feet. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">We twisted through some trails, ran through some new-growth fields, and eventually came to the Pine Hollow aid station. As we approached, we could see the runners ahead of us climbing what appeared to be a very large hill. I remembered from reading race reports that there were two climbs up to Pine Hollow. Even though I was still able to climb hills with relative ease, the downhills were becoming pathetically slow.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Upon arrival, I had been running for somewhere in the ballpark of 17 hours. It definitely felt like it. Art and Shelly looked amazingly alert, as did Jimmy V.'s crew. My abilities to estimate time had long-since passed, I could only guess it was somewhere around 2am (it was really only about 10pm).</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OnOmMnsgttThfSJbuRtn0uVZQcofswRBYtmaJ61KBPfxXfHENNBB2yDo5EKc0cuy_OHqGcd7BJl2n2HTEp0RaypXMbOAluZLxfFsZvsS1FAYhNXYfcpsKPq22YqQTJYmEdGNA46892w/s1600/art+at+pine+hollow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OnOmMnsgttThfSJbuRtn0uVZQcofswRBYtmaJ61KBPfxXfHENNBB2yDo5EKc0cuy_OHqGcd7BJl2n2HTEp0RaypXMbOAluZLxfFsZvsS1FAYhNXYfcpsKPq22YqQTJYmEdGNA46892w/s320/art+at+pine+hollow.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I ate a grilled cheese and some Ramen noodles, pounded some Mike's iskiate and Slim Fast, applied a little lube, and reapplied the tape around my knuckles. I had tried this earlier as a means of preventing knuckle chafing from my water bottles... this is the black tape that can be seen in many of the pictures. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZ6IccpJ6VRY0xueEHZxqH0qJcnZZ2zESsdbEhBzin6-sh8ZAo2DN99VCGjSAFWPGxoXNlQRgWPUaYTQWJBwR3Grcc12oJ_EjVSNb8ZB-k4VLIVCe1D24UPCzSUIIBhPokSo7OjZag6w/s1600/jason+at+pine+hollow+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZ6IccpJ6VRY0xueEHZxqH0qJcnZZ2zESsdbEhBzin6-sh8ZAo2DN99VCGjSAFWPGxoXNlQRgWPUaYTQWJBwR3Grcc12oJ_EjVSNb8ZB-k4VLIVCe1D24UPCzSUIIBhPokSo7OjZag6w/s320/jason+at+pine+hollow+1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Eventually Art and Shelly got me out of my chair and Jesse and I were off! This next section was short- 3.3 miles. I expected it to be a breeze. I was wrong. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Section pace: 20:35<br />
<br />
<b>Pine Hollow 1 to Pine Hollow 2 (3.3 miles, 74.2 total)</b><br />
<br />
To say this was my worst section would be a huge understatement. It was my mental low point for the race. I knew I still had a long way to go, I had little energy, and the darkness and fatigue were working their voodoo on my head.<br />
<br />
The section started with a downhill over a grass-covered hill. I carefully hobbled to the bottom. Looking at the section elevation chart, this section looks quite innocent. It appears as if there is a steady descent down to a low point near the river, then a climb back up to the aid station. Simple.<br />
<br />
In reality, this section felt like a never-ending series of mountains. Up, down, up, down, up, down. I was barely walking this entire section. I distinctly remember the aid station workers telling us this was a very easy loop. It very well may have been, but by mid-section, I was cursing them as sadistic liars.<br />
<br />
More people passed us. I vaguely remember some being pretty cheerful. Me... not so much. I'm sure Jesse and I were engaging in some grippingly-fascinating conversation, but I was probably just mute. Eventually this Hellish loop came to an end and we ended up at Pine Hollow for the second time.<br />
<br />
I think this was a relatively fast stop, but my time perception was pretty skewed. I don't remember any details other than pounding a Red Bull and leaving. As Jesse and I were about 50 feet from the rest of the crew, I realized I forgot to ask them when they last changed the batteries in our light.<br />
<br />
I could lie and say I was in too much of a hurry or running too fast to go back and change the batteries. In reality, I didn't want to have to travel an extra 100 feet. So we slogged on towards the next aid station... Covered Bridge. Turns out that was a really, really bad decision.<br />
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Section pace: 24:33<br />
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<b>Jesse and Art having fun while Shelly was pacing me:</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahjEreN_5X8sD76wniN_Mx7ZJRSEw94obvUVZYobpQThWqWtI3_8fn2a0XIs3ax5SgGBi69QNANxKWOKbzBGB4-ole0LiiNPXzbRlNr4rvYqP1YxztF6oyw-vyfFZecU43L0elpkp_cw/s1600/mark+and+duct+tape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahjEreN_5X8sD76wniN_Mx7ZJRSEw94obvUVZYobpQThWqWtI3_8fn2a0XIs3ax5SgGBi69QNANxKWOKbzBGB4-ole0LiiNPXzbRlNr4rvYqP1YxztF6oyw-vyfFZecU43L0elpkp_cw/s320/mark+and+duct+tape.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Mark and a roll of duct tape...</b></div><b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2NjSpqbyODJy4o-edU5KvztuNWhggXySRPng0sWocvDnmMA0QJ-8LcUVuA8RcmlyvMxZ2paIVqKbPDlljTcguSQtuHcT6h4MpIjQLiXYI23PlS-yi7ZsAxF5JyyNGCDQ9PwvPQOK6Vo/s1600/mark+and+lube.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2NjSpqbyODJy4o-edU5KvztuNWhggXySRPng0sWocvDnmMA0QJ-8LcUVuA8RcmlyvMxZ2paIVqKbPDlljTcguSQtuHcT6h4MpIjQLiXYI23PlS-yi7ZsAxF5JyyNGCDQ9PwvPQOK6Vo/s320/mark+and+lube.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Mark and a tube of lube...</b></div><b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXmrp2P4KKzWDQQIE8SUbWHDnlamgEyNbojdf_mIGevRS9G0isLSqjaEphL3En9gVK6uFRRBWF32pvq86CT2r2q0stWWkw88o6rijSJRvV5iiRTpt1ysqFJJ7tK6qrYgkcxeLibDfbPI/s1600/Art's+spider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXmrp2P4KKzWDQQIE8SUbWHDnlamgEyNbojdf_mIGevRS9G0isLSqjaEphL3En9gVK6uFRRBWF32pvq86CT2r2q0stWWkw88o6rijSJRvV5iiRTpt1ysqFJJ7tK6qrYgkcxeLibDfbPI/s320/Art's+spider.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Art's poisonous spider</b></div><br />
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<a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-endurance-run_08.html"><b>To be continued...</b></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-26909514847353272272010-08-07T16:15:00.000-04:002010-08-07T16:15:50.353-04:00Barefoot Ted's Luna huaraches... a first look<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">They just came in the mail today! I'm pumped; these are of excellent quality! After running the last two-thirds of Burning River in huaraches, I decided to make these my go-to minimalist shoe for most conditions. They can be purchased <a href="http://www.lunasandals.com/">here</a>. Here are some initial pics:</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjpJUGwFbc6KVKj0Vf32oLATA4agvNKwtUEBVUIW4lcSIgwjZ8YzBZXlFR2lvZYsosg2gixslgNA7Bk3GoaKrz4xC2KAZiRC6Et93uwt6y_mLWs-UdyNAXFrZiWZU0j0Ajwi5NB_MuE0/s1600/lunas+top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjpJUGwFbc6KVKj0Vf32oLATA4agvNKwtUEBVUIW4lcSIgwjZ8YzBZXlFR2lvZYsosg2gixslgNA7Bk3GoaKrz4xC2KAZiRC6Et93uwt6y_mLWs-UdyNAXFrZiWZU0j0Ajwi5NB_MuE0/s320/lunas+top.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbUdJNTaJo6xgSiLzpokWHugKDD0BZJxZtdKe6b6GPNTOAiCDOvWLD_FIECvRgKnjF4wwdg0eNB7WLcK9FiqddSLhVBvlmPNkLajji9DxSJHyMffCPZdh2yBkWm0UBZhS1USjYU6-w3k/s1600/lunas+side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbUdJNTaJo6xgSiLzpokWHugKDD0BZJxZtdKe6b6GPNTOAiCDOvWLD_FIECvRgKnjF4wwdg0eNB7WLcK9FiqddSLhVBvlmPNkLajji9DxSJHyMffCPZdh2yBkWm0UBZhS1USjYU6-w3k/s320/lunas+side.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRf46FjyYVwxiagixC9KWovqBCycH_bg_dTDlnH5zndpVe_pATgxq692hevqQPLG-SsSk78v6S_iG09e6BAfCh2NS4QEr6sN46NUQYQSLLkL8M3cauGhciLh3WBa9zR-th2p8cuxtN9LU/s1600/lunas+back+quarter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRf46FjyYVwxiagixC9KWovqBCycH_bg_dTDlnH5zndpVe_pATgxq692hevqQPLG-SsSk78v6S_iG09e6BAfCh2NS4QEr6sN46NUQYQSLLkL8M3cauGhciLh3WBa9zR-th2p8cuxtN9LU/s320/lunas+back+quarter.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I'll be doing a full review, possibly after the <a href="http://www.fallsburghalf.8k.com/">Fallsburg Marathon</a> next week.</div>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-78876248058606088982010-08-07T07:03:00.000-04:002010-08-07T07:03:34.264-04:00Burning River 100 Interview with Crossfit Grand Rapids<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This is my interview with Brandon Armstrong of <a href="http://crossfitgr.com/">Crossfit Grand Rapids</a>, the location of my barefoot running clinics:</div><br />
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<object height="405" width="500"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IIt_m0Y4tAw&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IIt_m0Y4tAw&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="405"></embed></object><br />
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<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Check out their website for more information!</div>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-32727443208400946652010-08-06T11:28:00.003-04:002010-08-09T07:44:32.675-04:00Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run Race Report, Part IIIPart <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/2010-burning-river-100-mile-endurance_05.html">1</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/2010-burning-river-100-mile-endurance_06.html">2</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-endurance-run.html">3</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-endurance-run_07.html">4</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-endurance-run_08.html">5</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-race-report-part.html">6</a><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Egbert Shelter to Alexander Road (5 miles, 28.4 miles total)</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I took a deep breath as I left the Egbert Shelter aid station. I knew this part was going to get dicey. In 2008, this is the section that forced me to don my one-size-too-small Vibram KSOs, which ultimately led to a host of foot problems. I was ready, though. Through training, I forged by body and mind into a fearless gravel-running barefoot ninja. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The loop starts out smooth. Hard-packed dirt mixed with an occasional rock... as my daughter would say "It was easy-peasy!" That false sense of security vanished quickly. The gravel starts out fairly smooth. Then you hit a climb. It took a little evasive hopping around, but it was still doable. At the top of the hill, the rugged trail REALLY began.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">My thought process:</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The first 100 yards as I am still running: <i>"Damn! This is more rugged than I remember."</i></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The second 100 yards, still running despite stepping on at least ten VERY large, sharp rocks: <i>"Okay, this is a lot harder than I anticipated. Be cool, Jason, be cool. Just relax and float over the trail..."</i></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">By the 1/4 mile mark, now walking: <i>"What the Hell was I thinking? This shit is impossible to run on!"</i></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">By the one mile mark as about twenty runners have passed me and my pace has slowed to a 30 minute/mile tap dance <i>"Oh my god, what am I doing?!? If there's any chance of finishing this race, I'm going to need some protection! I think I packed my huaraches. This was the stupidest idea I've ever had! I have almost nine more miles before I see my crew!</i></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">After the two mile mark, the trail smoothed out to allow some occasional running. The damage had been done, however. My average pace shot up like a rocket. I was passed by what seemed like forty runners. My feet were badly bruised from the relentlessly tight-packed sharp rocks. I tweaked my left Achilles on a particularly rocky climb. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I had to make a decision. Do I continue the race barefoot and accomplish a long-standing goal, or do I change to my huaraches and dramatically increase the chances of finishing. At that point, I seriously doubted I could run another 70 miles or so on bruised feet over terrain that will be just as rugged in select sections. I agonized over this decision for the next seven miles or so.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">It's worth noting- many of the runners that passed me commented how brave I was for running this barefoot. I have to be honest... if I saw someone doing what I was doing, I would think they were idiots. There's a fine line between bravery and stupidity... I think I overshot that line by a safe distance.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Eventually I came to the Alexander Road aid station. Barefoot Johnny O was one of the volunteers here, so he was a welcome sight. I know I didn't represent barefoot runners very well as I'm sure I did a lot of whining and complaining about the rocks. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Johnny and the rest of the volunteers gave me a very good description of the next section. I'd be on relatively smooth trails for two or three miles before hitting the crushed limestone towpath. I could handle this...</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Section pace: 14:12</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Alexander Road to Station Road Bridge (4.9 miles, 33.3 total)</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This next section was a breeze compared to the last. The trail was comprised of hard-packed dirt with large, flat shale-like stones protruding in various places. It took some focus to avoid tripping, but this section allowed for a MUCH faster pace than the last. I ran as much as possible to make up for the time lost in the previous section. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Eventually I hit the towpath which follows the river (Cuyahoga I'm guessing). This was a welcome change. Even though crushed limestone can be somewhat tough on bare feet, it was like a relaxing shiatsu massage compared to the meat grinder rocks of the previous section.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Since I was more or less on auto pilot this section, I did a lot of soul-searching. I still had to make a decision about the huaraches. I knew I was in great condition to PR the course despite my bruised feet and tweaked Achilles, but I would need to be able to run over the rough gravel sections. I couldn't afford to walk. My competitive side kicked in and I made the decision to go with the sandals.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Towards the end of this loop, I ran into Buzzie, a fellow <a href="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/list/31">Kickster</a>. We chatted for a minute, she was looking strong. Two runners in from of us had missed a turn. She shouted out to them. Good thing... I didn't notice the turn either. I would have absent-mindedly followed those two.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This aid station seemed to have more activity. As I turned the corner and crossed a bridge, I saw Jimmy V.'s crew waving frantically. I thought they were cheering for me, which made me feel great! As I got closer, I saw my crew right next to them. All three were breathing hard. Later, I found out they had just arrived. Shelley V. and crew were waving at them to signal I was coming in. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-TowRg9KwgwP-5K4NNUqhQYcNExd48AjnQh_P29AUcRhRIDX1JWylKMgOMZ8uo8a6UZfIyxeTvtLN4HCZLajTABjTniXhhz50A0CC7Zvaxw6O1ga5_oNW_Oul98YMhYtt08s2qFBj9s/s1600/jason+coming+into+station+bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-TowRg9KwgwP-5K4NNUqhQYcNExd48AjnQh_P29AUcRhRIDX1JWylKMgOMZ8uo8a6UZfIyxeTvtLN4HCZLajTABjTniXhhz50A0CC7Zvaxw6O1ga5_oNW_Oul98YMhYtt08s2qFBj9s/s320/jason+coming+into+station+bridge.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I immediately asked for my Injinji toe socks and <a href="http://www.invisibleshoe.com/">huaraches</a>, which they did not have. I knew the huaraches were in a Rubbermaid container that was still in the car. The Injinjis were in a black duffel bag, still in the car. I think Shelly may have replied "But they're not here." </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">All four of us silently stared at each other. I didn't want to be rude, but I needed the shoes. I fully expected one of them to go to the car and get them. Jesse piped in "I'll get them!" and sprinted off. I went through my normal routine of eating what I could. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilsymrk9kZOE_Uoc0oglppYPLNo4N2ihJ3k4G0bnibECuPpJcjncEjwOU7X4L6sp_MPJ_G5g4p-Dok1C21mVK5XrBTanYPqiIlXWDFyKcQfvwjUy_OSTy1HICPRe2bLg7nUO4zIhx9Tkg/s1600/jason+putting+on+huaraches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilsymrk9kZOE_Uoc0oglppYPLNo4N2ihJ3k4G0bnibECuPpJcjncEjwOU7X4L6sp_MPJ_G5g4p-Dok1C21mVK5XrBTanYPqiIlXWDFyKcQfvwjUy_OSTy1HICPRe2bLg7nUO4zIhx9Tkg/s320/jason+putting+on+huaraches.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The crew had bought me a Wendy's hamburger, so I ate that. I think I may have drank another Slim-Fast, which worked very well. I started applying some lube and wondered where Jesse was. Damn, I hope I did pack the huaraches...</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">He came sprinting back carry the large bag. The socks were in there, but the huaraches were in the large rubbermaid container. When I came into the aid station, I told the crew the socks and huaraches were in the bag. Jesse took off again as I put on the socks. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Amid this chaos, I briefly saw Lloyd Thomas (Roots) from <a href="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/list/31">Kickrunners</a>. He's this aid station's captain and does a wonderful job.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">A minute later, Jesse came sprinting back with the huaraches. I put them on, thanked the crew, and was off!</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">It wasn't until later that I learned the car was actually parked about a half mile away. Jesse had actually sprinted about two miles trying to recover my shoes. Thank you, Jesse. :-)</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Section pace: 12:02</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Station Road Bridge to Ottawa Point (6.3 miles, 39.6 miles total)</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This next section went very well. The huaraches made a world of difference. This section consisted of some paved trail interspersed with long sections of hard-packed dirt trails. It would have been very easy to run barefoot, but the huaraches allowed me to run a little faster.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Admittedly, the pink-laced <a href="http://invisibleshoe.com/">huaraches</a>, black <a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theultrstor-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000MB8VNK&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr">Injinjis</a>, and <a href="http://sportkilt.com/">Sport Kilt</a> looked a little ridiculous. If I would have planned on using them, I would have opted for the black laces. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">About two miles into this loop, there was an unmanned water stop. I topped off my bottles as a precaution. The day was beginning to get warm, and my increased pace was causing a fair amount of sweat. I also began to closely monitor my electrolyte intake.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">One third of the race had been completed. I was well below a 24 hour pace, which is exactly where I wanted to be. A sub-24 hour finish was a pipe dream, though. I knew my pace would slow considerably after dark. Right now, I was just riding the good feelings.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">At some point I hit the Ottawa Point aid station. This was a quick stop. I changed shirts, ate a bit, took a leak, and was off. My crew was beginning to really gel at this point. This stop felt very smooth.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGul9TBi2rnS6_knXNUIW_GMiAp47_Ohe9sP6svt9xK9EnfH0HnzywHrhEadLWkyRpI714FLRVA0pRVtvoUVVEbozx8TipAjOlcmYxP6PlXTcyQ_Qi0L7pikTQHwjMLWD3yr2kz3ONuEE/s1600/Jason+at+ottawa+point.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGul9TBi2rnS6_knXNUIW_GMiAp47_Ohe9sP6svt9xK9EnfH0HnzywHrhEadLWkyRpI714FLRVA0pRVtvoUVVEbozx8TipAjOlcmYxP6PlXTcyQ_Qi0L7pikTQHwjMLWD3yr2kz3ONuEE/s320/Jason+at+ottawa+point.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3yE9YsQPtapeT69GMoe29vluiErwfGxgUxBG4NOATLWIVJAyrpkWZuYsGp3jxlZ4tw_R13xYfi5OAkgE241qhD05kAKrtzcm6yEPzalftJ6VRpB9eVz1UXw5_kQ-3x0Oa473tMIBAvM/s1600/crew+at+ottawa+point.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3yE9YsQPtapeT69GMoe29vluiErwfGxgUxBG4NOATLWIVJAyrpkWZuYsGp3jxlZ4tw_R13xYfi5OAkgE241qhD05kAKrtzcm6yEPzalftJ6VRpB9eVz1UXw5_kQ-3x0Oa473tMIBAvM/s320/crew+at+ottawa+point.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Section Pace: 14:36</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Ottawa Point to Snowville (4.2 miles, 43.8 miles total)</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This section was also mostly forgotten. Except for a single bizarre. I was cruising along around mile 40. I was feeling pretty sore at that point, so I was likely running at about a 13-14 minute pace. Suddenly, I felt an incredibly sharp, shooting pain in my right heel!</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">My immediate thought- "Oh my god, my Achilles tendon just snapped!" A second later, I realized it was a bee sting. A few years ago, Ava (age 4 at the time) and I were stung multiple times by wasps in our backward. In a panic, I took off sprinting as fast as I could. According to the <a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theultrstor-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000CSWCQA&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr">Garmin</a>, I hit an 8:00 mile for about 400 meters. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Once I thought the coast was clear, I stopped. I looked down at my right ankle AND THE BEE WAS STILL THERE! It was trapped in my huarache strap. I beat it a few times with my water bottle, then flung the sock and sandal off. I looked for a protruding stinger, but found none. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Once I put the sock and sandal back on, I took off again. The pain interfered with my gait, but subsided by the time I reached the next aid station. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The Snowville aid station was pretty busy. About five or six runners all came in at the same time. I think I ate some bananas and drank a lot of Coke... maybe a few gels, too. The aid station workers asked a lot of questions about the kilt, including the now-common "What do you wear underneath?" :-)</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Section Pace: 14:32</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Snowville to Boston Store #1 (5.3 miles, 49.1 total)</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This section starts with a large climb. As I was climbing, I was surprised my legs felt as good as they did. After 40+ miles, my only problem was my tweaked left Achilles. Everything else felt great! Fatigue was setting in and my knees were getting a little sensitive on downhills, but there was little muscle soreness. The <a href="http://crossfitgr.com/">crosstraining</a> I do was clearly paying off.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This section has a lot of hills... 2000ft.+ of elevation change. I was still running the flats, power-hiking the hills, and gingerly navigating the downhills. I was traveling at about the 24 hour pace at this point.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Like several of the earlier sections, I do not have too many memories here. I do remember following a group of about four guys. I would catch up on the up hills, they would pull away on the downhills. I passes a few people that were hiking... most stared at my kilt/pink huarache combo. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">As I neared the aid station, I could hear the voices and music. At least I remember music. As I crossed the bridge, my crew was easy to spot since they were still dressed in their blue and orange "Crew" shirts. I think this was the first aid station I sat down to actually rest. The juxtaposition next to the road gave it a pit stop-esque feel.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zWZljFUxi3LU6zM74dBhQuFDBZ3ZOCu8FjVMKhq03bJ6PY5XwBw9COJ68cgAOplMaT6TDCaqs28M9FgXoGVXqgzyygcNNL2jC4BvYh0zw93ZK7qT-FgvOJ6ZQcvNrJBnd5DAiOi9THA/s1600/jason+coming+into+boston+store+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zWZljFUxi3LU6zM74dBhQuFDBZ3ZOCu8FjVMKhq03bJ6PY5XwBw9COJ68cgAOplMaT6TDCaqs28M9FgXoGVXqgzyygcNNL2jC4BvYh0zw93ZK7qT-FgvOJ6ZQcvNrJBnd5DAiOi9THA/s320/jason+coming+into+boston+store+1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> I sat down and my crew jumped into action. I'm not quite sure who did what, but Art, Jesse, and Shelly efficiently swapped my water bottles, refilled my electrolytes, gave me a cup of Mike's Hard Lemonade and a cup of chia (I mixed the two to create an iskiate-like mixture), a can of Slim Fast, and a gel or two.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOii3Te7QiMoQT-gzbqTnOa4ZZMhOQ0FO2Gkq8SRr8YqzzcYFe7uDvtVmrvj4LjCFwui6hu_uOWTzatAZgRY6_dRDw5ujAs4LQcmUR4bunf-Z6DJV67wQsOm5ummCwbaGZYkMZTUR5CA/s1600/boston+store+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOii3Te7QiMoQT-gzbqTnOa4ZZMhOQ0FO2Gkq8SRr8YqzzcYFe7uDvtVmrvj4LjCFwui6hu_uOWTzatAZgRY6_dRDw5ujAs4LQcmUR4bunf-Z6DJV67wQsOm5ummCwbaGZYkMZTUR5CA/s320/boston+store+1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">There were tons of people surrounding us on all sides. This made lubing somewhat difficult, but Jimmy V.'s crew acts as human shields. Thanks guys!</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">After resting and chatting for a minute, I meandered over to the aid station table and downed a few cups of water and Mountain Dew. At this point, I was draining both water bottles regularly. The little extra hydration would really help. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I wandered back over to the chair and Art firmly told me to get going. For the first time, they had to kick me out of the aid station. I'm glad, otherwise I would have lingered even more.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKlpUIi8GeDQ1XR7aEY_-DcEXtDhUkyxJlbpiW9r2c3AfZ22dxATYysAgrlwR3X4wB5Xre054811-4OP9wHxTr8Ih6Fw_tr_roS6RgZrsRzZnbAJ8zZTHbldflJskDR6uf9GCUJPGNhIw/s1600/jason+leaving+boston+store+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKlpUIi8GeDQ1XR7aEY_-DcEXtDhUkyxJlbpiW9r2c3AfZ22dxATYysAgrlwR3X4wB5Xre054811-4OP9wHxTr8Ih6Fw_tr_roS6RgZrsRzZnbAJ8zZTHbldflJskDR6uf9GCUJPGNhIw/s320/jason+leaving+boston+store+1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Section pace: 14:20</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Boston Store 1 to Boston Store 2 (5.4 miles, 54.5 miles total)</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This section is a loop. At the end of the loop, I will be able to pick up Shelly as a pacer. Since I was near the half-way point, I would begin a 10 minute run/ two minute walk strategy. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I was definitely feeling the effects of around 10-12 hours on my feet. The walking sections were a welcome relief, and it was somewhat difficult to get back to a respectable pace once I began running. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This section starts with a flat bike path, jumps to a pretty cool trail, past some waterfalls I decided not to stop and admire, back to trails until reaching Boston Store again. During this loop, I chatted with a few runners, but mostly ran by myself. I was eager to get back; Shelly would provide some much-needed company and distraction. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This section had some relatively tough climbs, but it was the downhill sections that were really slowing my pace. This was the section that caused me to completely break down in 2008. I was pleasantly surprised to find I still felt good mentally. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Eventually I came back to Boston Store. I really don't remember much from this stop other than a brief discussion about lights. Based on the pictures, i also lubed my feet for the first and only time. I wanted to take my headlamp, but Art insisted we'd make it through the next 9.6 miles well before dusk. I hesitantly agreed, grabbed a few things from the aid station, and Shelly and I headed out. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Iyv3dlHzbuVRhlGrVd8VA781g69ptgtxXPCEgLTqwCC3oIqwbZFtw-BBiB8ymGI0HIzJNI4SMoGent2io99sPazMI2pPFemHnbMZ3KHw-GcICa5rdxjNZQE3yu8TexzaBUi-PA2qDpE/s1600/boston+store+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Iyv3dlHzbuVRhlGrVd8VA781g69ptgtxXPCEgLTqwCC3oIqwbZFtw-BBiB8ymGI0HIzJNI4SMoGent2io99sPazMI2pPFemHnbMZ3KHw-GcICa5rdxjNZQE3yu8TexzaBUi-PA2qDpE/s320/boston+store+2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_8r82P2DJsxD3NLzQYoe0MoF_RCmumCBRKPTvplQ45XZbhfk4mVmEoMiMy8i4t_xSr2fj-HO5UbB24G1f4ISuMN0woLKLZyIK38QHZ0v3Iu_eMhxMy9W6hNaxZRgIQvqV_cE0eNKDFA/s1600/boston+store+2+II.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_8r82P2DJsxD3NLzQYoe0MoF_RCmumCBRKPTvplQ45XZbhfk4mVmEoMiMy8i4t_xSr2fj-HO5UbB24G1f4ISuMN0woLKLZyIK38QHZ0v3Iu_eMhxMy9W6hNaxZRgIQvqV_cE0eNKDFA/s320/boston+store+2+II.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxyHVw3Fht3Mlq0eREVWgUkPLrBaJioj4Zgf8qvnzcP99oajkJjzNZEwFQC9YdtgzdCvS5RzQbmwcrvP000M_GtDxuKLpwe7b0zMJCNLqLTZP0zo8cNdcJJc175twbOtVeHau8xXuf1s/s1600/leaving+boston+store+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxyHVw3Fht3Mlq0eREVWgUkPLrBaJioj4Zgf8qvnzcP99oajkJjzNZEwFQC9YdtgzdCvS5RzQbmwcrvP000M_GtDxuKLpwe7b0zMJCNLqLTZP0zo8cNdcJJc175twbOtVeHau8xXuf1s/s320/leaving+boston+store+2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Section time: 16:18</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-endurance-run_07.html"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">To be continued...</span></b></a></div>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-26346125241836727342010-08-06T06:32:00.003-04:002010-08-09T07:44:07.579-04:002010 Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run Race Report Part II<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/2010-burning-river-100-mile-endurance_05.html">Part </a><a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/2010-burning-river-100-mile-endurance_05.html">1</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/2010-burning-river-100-mile-endurance_06.html">2</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-endurance-run.html">3</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-endurance-run_07.html">4</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-endurance-run_08.html">5</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-race-report-part.html">6</a><br />
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Before I dive into the race, I should explain my sometimes controversial race strategy. In the past, I've tried a variety of methods. Most race strategies involved starting VERY at a VERY slow pace to conserve energy. This idea was manifested in a run/walk strategy. My favorite was an "eight/ two" ratio: run for eight minutes, then walk for two. Additionally, I would walk all uphills and run all downhills.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This strategy presented two major problems. First, it never felt good. I never felt like I was able to find a groove. The transition from run to walk and back again was too distracting. Second, it was too slow. From the beginning of the race, I would be close to the cutoff time. The conservative nature did not suit me well.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I found a new strategy thanks to Jeremiah Cataldo, my ultrarunner friend mentioned in the first part. He would run as long as possible, then switch to a more conservative run/ walk ratio. Given that he is a MUCH better runner, I listened. Through experimentation, I found it suited me well.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">For Burning River, this was my plan:</div><ul style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><li>Run at a comfortable pace for the first 30 miles, likely between 10 and 12 minute miles, and walk all hills;</li>
<li>From mile 30 to 50, slow down as needed, maybe to 12 to 14 minute miles;</li>
<li>From mile 50 to 70, implement a 10/2 run/ walk ratio</li>
<li>Walk from 70 to finish, run when possible.</li>
</ul><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">For the most part, this is what I did. If I had more training mileage, I am confident I could move the mileage back at each level. This plan was realistic, however. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>The Race- Start Line to Old Mill Road (4.8 miles)</b><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b> </b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">A stampede of runners made their way across the dew-covered open field. A few people commented about having to run in damp shoes. I smiled as my bare feet would be dry within minutes. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">After a few hundred yards, we turned onto the asphalt road that would carry us for the next nine or ten miles. This section was uneventful. A lot of runners were engaging in conversation. I answered a myriad of questions about the kilt are bare feet. I settled into a comfortable 10:30 pace for this section.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">As we neared the first aid station, darkness gave way to dawn. This area of Ohio is quite striking with what appear to be large horse ranched dotting the countryside. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The aid station at Old Mill Road was a very fast stop. I refilled my lone water bottle with HEED and quickly headed out. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Old Mill Road to Polo Fields (4.8 miles, 9.6 total)</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Section two was nearly identical to section one. The entire section consisted of rolling hills on asphalt roads. There was at least one fairly long road that required walking, and it showed in my average pace which dropped to 10:40. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I met up with Scott Handley, a fellow Kickrunners forum member and Michigander. He had recently finished his first 100 miler at Javalina late last year. He would go on to finish the race shortly after me. I also met a gentleman from Sacramento, CA. Since that area would be one of my dream destinations for future relocation, I asked him a ton of questions. He graciously answered them all. As it turns out, he had also considered moving to Auburn, CA, the finishing point of the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run. Western States is the highest profile event in ultrarunning.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">At the end of this section, I met my crew for the first time. The Polo Fields aid station was quite busy as the runners were still fairly close together. This would also be my first experience with the spectators cheering for "the barefoot guy in the kilt". The reception was definitely warm and welcoming.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJx2AgDn446PfMraDQOaocpozP_yx_ERJqk7DDzIsk6Hig4UIkyp7scMRN5uZiXcX2txreeAxABVrPMS3awHE5eLqwZKRpIAeoMPcRy2dKUGm4izLkPhIRlEHG1h30IUN47ZAOtyosz4E/s1600/Polo+Fields+aid+station.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJx2AgDn446PfMraDQOaocpozP_yx_ERJqk7DDzIsk6Hig4UIkyp7scMRN5uZiXcX2txreeAxABVrPMS3awHE5eLqwZKRpIAeoMPcRy2dKUGm4izLkPhIRlEHG1h30IUN47ZAOtyosz4E/s320/Polo+Fields+aid+station.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">My crew, despite this being their first aid station, quickly and efficiently exchanged my water bottles, replaces my supply of electrolyte capsules, and had a large selection of food waiting. I chose a pint of chocolate milk and a handful of Pringles from the aid station. The crew offered my a Toronado from the local gas station, but I declined. I had asked them to get me a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich from McDonalds, but they were closed. We should have learned our lesson during the Mind the Ducks trip; we should have checked closing and opening times for area stores and restaurants. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I said goodbye to the crew and headed out to the bridle trail that made up the next section.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Polo Fields to Harper Ridge (5.8 miles, 15.4 miles)</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The first half mile of this section was a bit rough as the chocolate milk did not sit well. I normally do not have this problem, but it could be the result of this being the first dairy product I had eaten in three weeks. Regardless, the problem resolved itself quickly. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The bridle trail was relatively smooth. It was mostly gravel-covered, but it was easy to dodge the injurious rocks. It was uneventful as I chatted with the occasional runner and focused on maintaining a steady pace.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The slightly rough terrain and a net altitude gain of almost 500 feet slowed my pace to about 11:25 miles. I was still feeling great at this point, though I was anticipating a mini-crash at the end of this section.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I was in a zone for most of this section. I missed a turn at one point. Thankfully, another runner yelled to warn me. Luckily I had only run about 50 yards. I have no idea how I missed the turn, it was VERY well-marked. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Harper Ridge to Shadow Lake (3.2 miles, 18.6 total)</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This next section was quite uneventful. The trails were easy; there were no significant climbs. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The most significant event was the aid station- I met my crew for the second time. When coming into the aid station, I got the same applause and cheering due to the kilt and lack of shoes. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwu3GgAyJQpJhx-vjwjVyTuZMlP94ibaa0HhjbHuqTgDog-QYqoBgg-ikqfH8W9Bi2OAXVmGOZeBF_EPKsd6cjthb9azm9IzOH-PDLMWs0cXWmDAEvGZSxFYPuUT-zOqb2BXl3ARDJwOQ/s1600/Shadow+Lake+Aid+Station.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwu3GgAyJQpJhx-vjwjVyTuZMlP94ibaa0HhjbHuqTgDog-QYqoBgg-ikqfH8W9Bi2OAXVmGOZeBF_EPKsd6cjthb9azm9IzOH-PDLMWs0cXWmDAEvGZSxFYPuUT-zOqb2BXl3ARDJwOQ/s320/Shadow+Lake+Aid+Station.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This aid station went even smoother than the first. My crew was becoming a well-oiled machine! This time, my crew found an open McDonalds. They managed to score me a Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit and hash browns. I think they may have also had an orange juice. I decided to drink another pint of chocolate milk along with the OJ. I'd carry the sandwich and eat it on the run. I declined the hash browns. Lucky me. My crew showed me this picture later after the race:</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBm8uovn-zRREMf9a_HkBdK1aSNeecfmt0nBTIjJNHlmTiP_O8pj01GNm0mgiDF0GbCZfE0aAau-PugoeMnC5p1W0cVWB0fThrxjz4PZ8rx9HhQRzG-8L08fYR2DsHqztWAdZp3-lJWc/s1600/Mark's+ass+hashbrowns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBm8uovn-zRREMf9a_HkBdK1aSNeecfmt0nBTIjJNHlmTiP_O8pj01GNm0mgiDF0GbCZfE0aAau-PugoeMnC5p1W0cVWB0fThrxjz4PZ8rx9HhQRzG-8L08fYR2DsHqztWAdZp3-lJWc/s320/Mark's+ass+hashbrowns.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Since the temperature was increasing, I'd begin carrying my second handheld water bottle at this point. With two water bottles and a Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich in hand, I hit the trail. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Section for pace: 11:15 </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Shadow Lake to Egbert Station (4.8 miles, 23.4 total)</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This section was equally uneventful. There were some short but frequent climbs which slowed the pace, but they did not provide any problems. Feet felt good, legs felt good. I was drinking and taking electrolytes on a regular basis. I was urinating about every 90 minutes or so. Sidebar- <a href="http://sportkilt.com/">kilts</a> have many advantages, one of which is ease-of-access.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">As it turns out, I didn't eat the sandwich. I tossed it in a ditch after about a mile. At this point, solid food was not palatable. I wasn't worried, I still had a huge supply of Slim Fast, Frappucinno, Mike's Hard Lemonade iskiate, and Red Bull. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The Egbert Shelter aid station did not have crew access, but the aid workers were great! I got the usual questions about barefoot running. A few of the volunteers had recently tried Vibrams so I gave them some advice. I didn't stay long, as I knew what was ahead. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">My big worry: the next section. Based on my 2008 attempt, I knew the next section included some VERY gnarly gravel. This was the beginning of the end to my attempt that year. This section gave me nightmares. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I was ready, though. I trained on the roughest trails I could find in West Michigan. I ran on chip and seal asphalt. My feet were as tough as they have ever been. My gravel-running skills were honed to perfection. I was ready... or so I thought.... </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Section pace: 12:18</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-endurance-run.html"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">To be continued... </span></b></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Crew pictures... this is what they do when not tending to my needs:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<b> </b>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-30871576384545238232010-08-05T04:43:00.006-04:002010-08-09T07:43:40.974-04:002010 Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run Race Report<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b> </b>Part <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/2010-burning-river-100-mile-endurance_05.html">1</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/2010-burning-river-100-mile-endurance_06.html">2</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-endurance-run.html">3</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-endurance-run_07.html">4</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-endurance-run_08.html">5</a>, <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-race-report-part.html">6</a><br />
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<b>Back Story</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I used to be a normal guy. I liked watching TV. I exercised in moderation. I ran in the same attire other runners utilized. I wore shoes. Then I caught the ultramarathon bug. Shortly after, I also caught the barefoot running bug. The last five years of my life have been spent learning how to intertwine these two passions. For the last five years, I have been working towards a goal of running a 100 mile race without shoes. Completely barefoot. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Most people were skeptical. Even dedicated barefoot runners expressed some hesitation. I was determined to prove them wrong.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I started with a 50 miler in aqua socks. Next was a barefoot 50 miler. In 2008, I thought I was ready for the barefoot 100 miler, so I signed up for <a href="http://burningriver100.org/">Burning River.</a> I made it to about mile 23, then ran into some of the most rocky trails I had ever encountered. I happened to be carrying a pair of <a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theultrstor-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001JYIM1A&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr">Vibram Five Fingers</a> in the unlikely (so I thought) event I would need them. i ended up swapping between barefoot and the VFFs for approximately 64 miles before DNFing. I was the first race I did not finish. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I regrouped and decided to put the barefoot 100 miler on hold. I had to learn how to conquer the 100 mile beast first before attempting it without some protection on my feet.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">In 2009, I ran and finished the <a href="http://www.runwoodstock.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=29">Hallucination 100 mile run</a> in Pinckney, Michigan. This race taught me many things about running this distance. Most importantly, it gave me the confidence that I CAN finish a race of this distance.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">After perusing the ultra calendars, I decided on the next race... the <a href="http://burningriver100.org/">2010 Burning River</a>. Not only would I have the opportunity to finally reach this goal, but I would get some redemption for my failures in 2008. I could get this monkey off my back.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The next ten months would be spent planning and preparing to take another stab at my longstanding goal of running a barefoot 100 mile race. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Early on, I had my doubts. I remembered the bitter taste of failure from 2008. I remembered being alone in the dark on the trails of Northeast Ohio... feeling completely helpless as my body refused to move down the trail. I remembered the feeling of mentally giving up shortly after. When you set out to test your limits, most of us probably expect to surpass them. I found out what it was like to find your limit. It was not pleasant. Did I really want to do this again?</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">In the fall of last year, while contemplating my future, I had the opportunity to meet my ultrarunning hero- Scott Jurek. He was in the area to talk at a local running store. The store had organized a group run prior to the talk, so I had the opportunity to actually run with him, too. During the run, I was able to participate in discussions with Scott regarding all aspects of ultrarunning. One of the topics he discussed was the difficulty to ultras. He candidly revealed that the elites go through the exact same feelings of self-doubt; they go through the same internal struggle to quit or continue on. Jurek's discussions renewed my enthusiasm to continue chasing this goal.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Over the winter, I maintained a fairly ambitious workout routine. I ran once or twice a week on snow-covered trails to maintain my endurance base. I continued crosstraining two or three days per week. The goal was to simply maintain fitness. By the time spring rolled around, I was in better shape than I had been in years following my winter offseason. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The training took a significant upturn when my wife Shelly (<i>spoiler alert</i>: <a href="http://shoelessshelbell.blogspot.com/2010/08/burning-river-100-mile-crew-report.html">read her race report here</a>) and friends Mark Robillard and <a href="http://jscott87.blogspot.com/">Jesse Scott</a> traveled to Rochester, New York in May to run the <a href="http://mtd12hour.org/">Mind the Ducks 12 Hour</a> ultramarathon. I managed to run approximately 54 miles barefoot, though the mileage was split between relatively smooth asphalt and grass.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Over the next few months I would continue to test and train. I would continually work out methods to deal with the looming challenge that lie ahead... the brutal gravel that forced me to DNF Burning River in 2008.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I spent many hours training on the most technical trails in the area. I ran up and down sand dunes. I ran on hot asphalt. There were significant setbacks; I developed blisters that forced me to take a week off. My schedule, which revolves around my three young children, made it difficult to coordinate training runs. Luckily, Shelly is wonderful about working out plans that allow me to train.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I found many allies in this journey, starting with Shelly. She is an excellent training partner as she has the ability to push me when I am down. I also had Mark and Jesse as occasional training partners; they allowed me to push for longer, faster training runs. I had a few others, also. Some of my occasional training partners included Jeremiah Cataldo, who was also running Burning River, Phil Stapert, a two-time finisher of Burning River, Andy Grosvenor, a local barefoot/minimalist ultrarunner and frequent participant in my favorite running communities, <a href="http://kemmefitness.wordpress.com/">Pete Kemme</a>, my crosstraining partner, and a host of others including Roger Bonga, Brandon Mulnix, Dave Wier, and Shannon Mitchell. My <a href="http://crossfitgr.com/">Crossfit</a> trainers <a href="http://johnkdevries.com/">John DeVries</a> and Brandon Armstrong also helped build my strength and endurance. All played some role in making me a better runner; all played a role in preparing me for this adventure.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>The Forming of the Crew</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">As the race neared, I began the process of forming my crew. For me, ultras are essentially adventures. I try to wrangle as many people as possible to share the adventure with me.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://shoelessshelbell.blogspot.com/">Shelly</a> was definitely in and would serve a crew chief and partial pacer. She knew what to expect based on her experiences crewing for the Hallucination 100 the previous fall. <a href="http://jscott87.blogspot.com/">Jesse Scott</a> needed little persuasion to join the party. As a frequent training partner and strong ultrarunner, Jesse would pace me throughout the night. A few other individuals tried to make the necessary accommodations, but were unable to sync the dates with their schedules. Our final member of the crew was Barefoot Art, a friend we had met at our barefoot running meetup in May of this year. The crew was set.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Shelly and I knew Jesse well as he was one of our traveling companions on our <a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/05/born-for-fun-hidden-egg-mediocre.html">Mind the Ducks road trip</a> earlier in the year. Jesse shares our juvenile sense of humor and is not easily offended... two critically-important prerequisites for my crew. We did not know Art well, but had a feeling he would at least tolerate our silliness.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Mark Robillard, our good friend, training partner, Hallucination pacer/crew member, and traveling companion to Mind the Ducks would not be joining us as he made a commitment to run a trail Marathon on Grand Isle in the middle of Lake Superior. Mark would be sorely missed, so Shelly created a stand-in... a "Ken" doll that made it into a frightening number of pictures.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>The Trip to Ohio</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The trip began at about 8:15am Friday morning. Once Jesse arrived, we dropped off our youngest son and hit the road. Art lived about two hours away. During those two hours, the conversation jumped from various topics. Jesse told a story that would become one of our running jokes throughout the weekend.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnT2TCmRwb77L_GmR6CntBD54QC5IHS4OrWMyiPb3XJcEsq1mLf20x2CWWyMGY1rfg3WJxn1V8nTwkQO-P7GiO6Oc9glngQ7CBzBMsHwX4HfZEI6aZBfVlPATxqMwdUAWZAPFrKx0YoV0/s1600/mark+at+car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnT2TCmRwb77L_GmR6CntBD54QC5IHS4OrWMyiPb3XJcEsq1mLf20x2CWWyMGY1rfg3WJxn1V8nTwkQO-P7GiO6Oc9glngQ7CBzBMsHwX4HfZEI6aZBfVlPATxqMwdUAWZAPFrKx0YoV0/s320/mark+at+car.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The drive to Ann Arbor was pretty uneventful... lots of catching up. We picked up Art and headed to our hotel near the start line. We stopped once to use the restroom, then again five minutes later to get something to eat. Yes, that was my idea. No, I am not always a "fast" traveler. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">While dining at a local Panera Bread, Jesse was approached by a stranger attracted to his US Triathlon sticker on his car. The stranger sold athletic supplements and asked Jesse many questions. Being a good sport, Jesse humored the man and agreed to sit down with him. As the conversation progressed, the man was part of a group (still unknown) that was developing a special water for athletes. The gentleman described the water as having tiny molecules that were easily absorbed by the body. Being an exercise science major, Jesse questioned the science. The response became our oft-repeated phrase throughout the weekend:</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><blockquote style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i>"I'm not a sciencey sort of guy, but imagine if you threw a bucket of water at a chain link fence. The smaller molecules would go through, and that's what we sell."</i></blockquote><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">It was clearly pseudo-scientific BS as anyone with even an elementary understanding of molecular properties would know... but it made for some VERY funny comments at 3am Sunday morning out on the dark trails!</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">[<i>Warning- off-topic rant</i>] As it turns out, the gentleman was an Amway tool. For those that are not familiar with Amway, it's a huge network of independent salespeople trying to sell crap products to their friends and family, such as water with tiny molecules, amid promises of great wealth and power. Those same friends and family are also recruited so the recruiter will get a chunk of their profits. They refer to the pyramid scheme as "multi-level marketing", and the profits all flow to a local family that uses the money to push their ultra-conservative political/religious agenda. This pretty much sums up the company: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot31XhgE_XE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot31XhgE_XE</a>. I digress. [<i>End of rant</i>]</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQre-rOVMFrYtaS4F1utRYRNgZJb4ervjToyyyuZ3u_y5WoemCbK7YrDNXzGSYvXEQSowxJ7KQHtwy7qsdD-ICumyCr1r8x0RugR2zS0vMUzmRExrL5WPrmzMxURdSFAs7QGGE9hOKfo/s1600/crew+at+beginning+of+trip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQre-rOVMFrYtaS4F1utRYRNgZJb4ervjToyyyuZ3u_y5WoemCbK7YrDNXzGSYvXEQSowxJ7KQHtwy7qsdD-ICumyCr1r8x0RugR2zS0vMUzmRExrL5WPrmzMxURdSFAs7QGGE9hOKfo/s320/crew+at+beginning+of+trip.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">We arrived at our hotel, checked in, brought our gear up to the rooms, and relaxed for a few minutes before heading out. This was the point where I told Art he'd be rooming with Jesse after meeting him only a few hours earlier. I must have forgotten to mention that. Regardless, Art took it in stride. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMPDT3lHipPILFqcuSrTg3K68JK6gzGwTUBPbt2PgPbBEkeMtEdRQSKXwecgZOxbc5DDmYxkoBkaBn5NeRlGfmTtw_sesJXsqVqAHdLhQJxz-Ge-FcXJhUN5XfKp1Ov38LmLZTx4hQyc/s1600/mark+at+hotel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMPDT3lHipPILFqcuSrTg3K68JK6gzGwTUBPbt2PgPbBEkeMtEdRQSKXwecgZOxbc5DDmYxkoBkaBn5NeRlGfmTtw_sesJXsqVqAHdLhQJxz-Ge-FcXJhUN5XfKp1Ov38LmLZTx4hQyc/s320/mark+at+hotel.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">We stopped at the start line to see Squire's Castle, a very cool building near the start line. I knew it would be dark when we arrived in the morning, so I wanted the crew to see this before heading to the packet pick-up at the finish line. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1_9k1xui46ya9hQNG3YRxO-JBFQ-x-rQoVVn_XMHi-KOWyxrp7Y0uhFCrIQKT_ggv-yCGA_QhD7dzQKSlTKCA7y1fHceykMzkrKa6JBHYDThvmfEu6w3qgHCeH2wS4_xpzXyBdwnuEs/s1600/squires+castle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1_9k1xui46ya9hQNG3YRxO-JBFQ-x-rQoVVn_XMHi-KOWyxrp7Y0uhFCrIQKT_ggv-yCGA_QhD7dzQKSlTKCA7y1fHceykMzkrKa6JBHYDThvmfEu6w3qgHCeH2wS4_xpzXyBdwnuEs/s320/squires+castle.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The drive to the finish line seemed very long. It was a subtle reminder that I'd be running even longer as twisting trails meandered through the countryside. After what felt like several hours, we arrived at the Cuyahoga Falls Natatorium to pick up our packets. Here we met Phil Stapert, Ben Eggers, and Rachel Sterk. Ben and Phil were crewing for Rachel on her quest for her first 100 mile finish. We talked for a few minutes, then headed out to Max McQ's, a local bar/restaurant.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">We arrived at the restaurant, ordered some beer and food, and awaited the arrival of our friends. Ben, Phil, Rachel, and my crew discussed running in general while sipping their respective beers. Shortly after, our friends Shelley and Jim Viggiano (Shelley is the race director of Mind the Ducks) arrived with their crew Theresa and Patty, along with Matt Chaffin and Andy Carney. Jim, Matt, and Andy would be running in tomorrow's race. It was at this point that I casually noticed my 22 ounce glass was empty, whereas the rest of my crew barely touched theirs. Hmmm.... nerves maybe?</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMVPdj2ZGMLvIMralRktYlU1NGuvVRAyDqZYAA6VmfJa3_A_tfevo027tV-B2TM1lboXS15d-rdOyboJJeJYPABytNgeb0gfJkdu1JV3cycoGJXwt4AVcCiynCjafyBvkPE1YrOvgbufE/s1600/crew+at+restaurant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMVPdj2ZGMLvIMralRktYlU1NGuvVRAyDqZYAA6VmfJa3_A_tfevo027tV-B2TM1lboXS15d-rdOyboJJeJYPABytNgeb0gfJkdu1JV3cycoGJXwt4AVcCiynCjafyBvkPE1YrOvgbufE/s320/crew+at+restaurant.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">We caught up with our friends from New York and were soon joined by Tony and Jane Lindsey. Tony was a relatively new barefoot runner that lived near the course. He also recommended the restaurant. We were also joined by John Onder (<a href="http://barefootjohnnyo.blogspot.com/">Barefoot Johnny O</a>), another local barefoot runner. I was happy all three made it to the restaurant; they were able to give us valuable insight to the course. It's also fun connecting with other barefoot runners. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-nZHRCz8rnRhPICncICCNlg_YfwjVGDzy16j_NNTVnZA0qxHTiPiEdBTO6hVl843XkkprMh4QEEzTk9iFtqOSfeQ99ygf5VR-nKR7iKWl9i52Vgk_v7QFbPkW4io6-vIFANxRX9hckU/s1600/new+york+crew+at+restaurant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-nZHRCz8rnRhPICncICCNlg_YfwjVGDzy16j_NNTVnZA0qxHTiPiEdBTO6hVl843XkkprMh4QEEzTk9iFtqOSfeQ99ygf5VR-nKR7iKWl9i52Vgk_v7QFbPkW4io6-vIFANxRX9hckU/s320/new+york+crew+at+restaurant.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I lost track of time after finishing another tall beer. The first sign <i>should </i>have been Shelley's crew leaving to get to bed. Then Rachel's crew left. Both were relatively close to the finish line; we had a 45 minute drive. Uh oh.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">After finally saying our goodbyes around 7:30 or so, we headed back to our hotel. Again, the drive felt like it took forever. We arrived near the hotel and decided to make a pastry run for tomorrow's breakfast. We stopped at a store called Rick's or Pat's... I don't quite recall. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Upon entering the store, we were immediately met with a wall of aisles. After winding through the labyrinth of tiki torches and grocery store-quality bras, we found our mini donuts and cream cheese danishes. Shelly, Art, and I were impressed with Jesse's intimate knowledge of the caloric density per cent of many foods... it's one of the benefits of being a long distance runner living the college lifestyle. Shelly also picked up a bottle of wine for the hotel. Uh oh number two...</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">We made our way to the checkout lane, cracked a few jokes about the $80 coffee pot on the "impulse buy" shelf, and paid for our goods. I tried paying with my Visa debit card, but they only accepted Discover. I was a little shocked; even the fruit stand near my home takes Visa these days. I hadn't encountered a "Discover only" store since the mid-90's. Luckily I had cash. Not wanting a ton of change, I gave the eighteen year old cashier an extra 15 cents with my twenty. She stared at me blankly as it was apparent she had no ability to calculate how much change I should receive. I told her twice before a manager arrived and confirmed it for her. Sigh.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Back at our hotel, the four of us congregated in our room. Art brought his home-brewed beer; I was drinking some I brought from home. We talked about our regular nonsense for about an hour before actually getting to race issues. By this time, I was getting slightly drunk. I suspect Shelly was also. Art and Jesse seemed to exercise a little more restraint. As I finished walking everyone through the aid station strategies, I glanced to the table where I set my empty bottles. Four bottles?!? I checked the clock, it was 11:00. I was waking up at 2:30. I really needed sleep. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Race Morning</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I remember my cellphone alarm going off and thinking I hit snooze. Then Shelly's alarm went off. I got out of bed to shut it off. I don't remember setting her alarm, but apparently I had the wherewithal to not only set her alarm as a backup, but also set it across the room to force myself out of bed. I have absolutely no memory of this. As I looked around the room, I felt some slight spinning. Damn... I'm still buzzed a little from the beers. This would be the first time I had a vague "I'm really, really stupid" feeling.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Despite my chemical state, I went through my secret morning routine. Why is it a secret? Dramatic effect. The only unique occurrence- an odd encounter with a group of people parked near the hotel. They were parked in the road, had all their lights on and door open, and were listening to loud rap music. I walked around the corner into their headlights. All six people stopped to look at me. My first thought- "What the hell are these people doing here... this is really odd." Of course, I was barefoot and wearing nothing but a <a href="http://www.sportkilt.com/product/1071/The-Hiker-Rusty-Red-Sport-Kilt.html">kilt</a> and walking with a water bottle at 3:00am. We mutually nodded and went about our business. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7UB27mzht8PuShPxQ222dVzxu2UlD9bYjQNw5YPvm6hOsvRyWPznzTOn4ESpOYX-AMFzaIQAv0RkBWJVsTPo3H61d9RiNpOlYCE0GXW79Jj1xFmiAJIXgE2WLjZOhle4VMtDbFd93O0U/s1600/jason+in+hotel+prerace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7UB27mzht8PuShPxQ222dVzxu2UlD9bYjQNw5YPvm6hOsvRyWPznzTOn4ESpOYX-AMFzaIQAv0RkBWJVsTPo3H61d9RiNpOlYCE0GXW79Jj1xFmiAJIXgE2WLjZOhle4VMtDbFd93O0U/s320/jason+in+hotel+prerace.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">We finished getting ready, packed the car, and headed to the start line. The buzz had worn off, I was hydrated, and felt good. I was excited to actually begin the race. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xVKDI12JxRiIeSuOrw-CAeE8iqu26OnccoyfTKIcrmLje6tIqHU0R1m-KaE8JbhqjleR8bkqq9czpdxZ8GIYHTDfKsbLrfDNcBIE5Qef8p1_SVTzkpeA8i9vcG-b_Ah-ZV7TAmgAOeo/s1600/crew+at+hotel+prerace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xVKDI12JxRiIeSuOrw-CAeE8iqu26OnccoyfTKIcrmLje6tIqHU0R1m-KaE8JbhqjleR8bkqq9czpdxZ8GIYHTDfKsbLrfDNcBIE5Qef8p1_SVTzkpeA8i9vcG-b_Ah-ZV7TAmgAOeo/s320/crew+at+hotel+prerace.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">We arrived amid a flurry of activity. Darkness still cascaded over the entire start area. The sound of a loud generator filled the air. A single tent was illuminated; this would serve as the check-in point. I gathered some of my gear and we headed for the tent. After checking in, we milled about for a few minutes.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The entire area was buzzing with nervous but subdued excitement. Headlamps and flashlights would dance around in the darkness as runners and crews made final preparations. We met up with Phil, then Jeremiah Cataldo (one of my training partners from Grand Rapids). A note about Jeremiah- he finished 32nd overall in a little over 22 hours. Jeremiah also wore <a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theultrstor-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0027CSQW8&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr">New Balance MT100s</a>, which are <i>very </i>close to a minimalist shoe. We also met a guy from Pennsylvania named Ben and his wife. I would end up running with him for periods of time throughout the day Saturday. Ben finished in a little over 26 hours for his first 100 mile finish. I was extremely excited to see that he had finished! </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvGmrxhRYLuUn6zrcsik3d_SM7oW92H1k-LpfE_ef7amdEm-fBNGwByDkvEfkZjr1gV8aCIen8TPKadsYnyvZTFsM4cZwumuBqE5ptOv9HIDS61EBLcfrvcrxwioKE0x2-azrSCGJq9ZQ/s1600/jeremiah+and+jason+at+start.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvGmrxhRYLuUn6zrcsik3d_SM7oW92H1k-LpfE_ef7amdEm-fBNGwByDkvEfkZjr1gV8aCIen8TPKadsYnyvZTFsM4cZwumuBqE5ptOv9HIDS61EBLcfrvcrxwioKE0x2-azrSCGJq9ZQ/s320/jeremiah+and+jason+at+start.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Eventually the came for us to move to the start line, which is in the middle of a large grassy field. I had been receiving an occasional glance or comment about my bare feet and <a href="http://www.sportkilt.com/product/1071/The-Hiker-Rusty-Red-Sport-Kilt.html">kilt</a> all morning, but the questions really flowed as we were waiting for the race to begin. About twenty people asked about one or both. I loved answering the questions as most people seemed genuinely curious. This would be a trend that would last the duration of the race. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">We sang happy birthday to another runner (coincidentally named Jason), were treated to an excellent rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner", then waited. As is the case with every ultra I've run, I never hear the actual start. All of a sudden, everybody started moving towards the actual start line marked with glow sticks. I hit "start" on my <a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theultrstor-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000CSWCQA&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr">Garmin</a> and the race began!</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/08/2010-burning-river-100-mile-endurance_06.html"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Continue to part two</span></b></a></div>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-28507606662174078892010-08-04T15:05:00.003-04:002010-08-04T15:08:27.741-04:00"The Barefoot Book" winner!<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Using random.org, Rebecca was chosen as the winner of Daniel Howell's "<a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theultrstor-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0897935543&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr">The Barefoot Book</a>!" Rebecca, just send me an email at robillardj "at" gmail "dot" com, and I will get it out to you as soon as possible!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OmVXqU29lAvV0Rp-9J_xGoUTEivvJPcFGxWw92GQYddnm81_Ky2WhnsJgv49V5EvvmTM5k3s3gbpnq7XrwTn0PKg_ugyhVreR0n739OWSrRVQD_MDeDYKedMUKn4SnUa559WUQMV_Zw/s1600/the+barefoot+book+winner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OmVXqU29lAvV0Rp-9J_xGoUTEivvJPcFGxWw92GQYddnm81_Ky2WhnsJgv49V5EvvmTM5k3s3gbpnq7XrwTn0PKg_ugyhVreR0n739OWSrRVQD_MDeDYKedMUKn4SnUa559WUQMV_Zw/s320/the+barefoot+book+winner.jpg" /></a></div>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-66198031996011044082010-08-02T12:12:00.001-04:002010-08-02T12:14:11.699-04:00Burning River Initial Report, The Barefoot Running Book Pre-order, and The Barefoot Book giveaway!<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Burning River</b></span><br />
<br />
Well, I finished the <a href="http://burningriver100.org/">Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run</a> this weekend! While I did not meet my goal of running the entire race barefoot (I decided to wear huarache sandals after mile 33.3), I did set a 100 mile PR (27:48 or so). </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">It was an awesome weekend! Tons of thanks goes to my excellent crew consisting of my wife <a href="http://shoelessshelbell.blogspot.com/">Shelly</a>, <a href="http://jscott87.blogspot.com/">Jesse Scott</a>, and Barefoot Art. I met a ton of wonderful people, got to spend time with friends I don't see often, and experienced the full Burning River course. A full race report will be forthcoming, but here are a few highlights:</div><ul style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><li>I wore a kilt for the entire race,</li>
<li>My "Mike's Hard Lemonade and chia" iskiate worked as planned,</li>
<li>I realized drinking 92 ounces of beer the night before a race and getting four hours of sleep is a bad idea, </li>
<li>I am considering abandoning my goal of running a barefoot 100 miler and focusing on getting competitive,</li>
<li>I am very good at powering up hills, but equally bad at running down hills,</li>
<li>I need to do more back-to-back long runs to reduce the amount of walking after the half-way point,</li>
<li>I am capable of a pretty good kick, even at the end of a 100 miler. Thanks to Jesse's inspiration and Shelly's leadership, I managed to crank out a 12:00 pace for the last 4.8 miles, highlighted by a 6:45 sprint over the last 100 yards.</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7ZrD1Rja41J4n9amqrwrodvYrHEV-A5_tHkyRUOxCbh9kUicSsq5N9vAVSKZ9xqbgAdiCVZTS-HfjBcpKQ1g8MVA56uxdapKJh5Cf6VZ4_MeIBpo2729MjOA9ucXKQQpdvX3O76Yl64/s1600/photo+from+Laurie+Colon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7ZrD1Rja41J4n9amqrwrodvYrHEV-A5_tHkyRUOxCbh9kUicSsq5N9vAVSKZ9xqbgAdiCVZTS-HfjBcpKQ1g8MVA56uxdapKJh5Cf6VZ4_MeIBpo2729MjOA9ucXKQQpdvX3O76Yl64/s640/photo+from+Laurie+Colon.jpg" width="427" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy Laurie Colón</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The race report will be written over the course of this week and will be posted here. Check back often. :-)<br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>In other news...</b></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The second edition of "The Barefoot Running Book: A Practical Guide to the Art and Science of Barefoot and Minimalist Shoe Running" is almost done! I am very excited; this edition is a significant improvement over the first edition. To celebrate, I am offering it for only $9.99 + shipping and handling for about two weeks. For those that order it, the book should arrive from the printer around the last week in August. I will ship them as soon as they arrive.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The book can be pre-ordered here: <a href="http://barefootrunninguniversity.com/barefoot_running_book_2.html">CLICK HERE</a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Finally...</b></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Just a reminder- you can win a copy of Daniel Howell's excellent "The Barefoot Book" by following </span><a href="http://barefootjason.blogspot.com/2010/07/review-barefoot-book-by-dr-daniel.html" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">these directions</a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> before August 4th (this Wednesday). </span></div>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4117671123395795249.post-90451676117117541982010-07-30T04:09:00.000-04:002010-07-30T04:09:58.484-04:00The Eve of a Goal Race and the GoLite Tara Lite pics<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In roughly 25 hours, I will finally be able to end this damned taper! The Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run starts at 5am tomorrow morning. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The training has been done. The gear is packed. The directions are programmed into the GPS. The crew is ready... more or less. Now I drive. And wait. And sleep... more or less.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The day before a major goal race is always nerve-racking. I'm fidgety with anticipation. Unlike the shorter races like 5 or 10ks or even marathons, 100 milers represent such an unknown. Even though I am a relative novice at the distance, I am aware of the variability in experiences. Every race presents a slew of potential problems. Which problems will spring up tomorrow? Will I be prepared to handle issues as they arise? Today will be spend going through an endless litany of mental checklists:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Before the race... do I have my clothes ready? Check.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Light? Check.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Lube? Check.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Nipples taped? Check.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What shoes do I wear to the start? Sandals? Check.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Oh, sun screen? Check.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Aid stations... what do I do? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Change water bottles.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Replenish supply of electrolytes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Drink high-calorie drink.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Eat some solid food.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Maybe eat chia, perhaps with Mike's Hard Lemonade.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Check feet.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As I'm running... how is my pace?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">How close am I to my goal pace?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">How far ahead of the cutoff am I?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">How far to the next aid station?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">How is hydration... when did I last pee?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What color was it?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Am I getting enough calories?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">These are just a few of the thoughts that will run through my head today. It is the storm before the calm. I will be a nervous wreck. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Then tomorrow morning will come. For whatever reason, race morning is always calm... always peaceful. The nervous, frantic, obsessive thoughts are replaced by... tranquil enjoyment. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Needless to say, I cannot wait for tomorrow morning.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On a completely unrelated note: minimalist shoe junkies, here are two pics of the GoLite Tara Lite minimalist shoe to be released soon. It features a zero-drop last and some pretty aggressive tread. I haven't tested it yet, but it promises to be an interesting addition to the current minimalist shoe offerings from a variety of manufacturers.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoTlz1orxInOSzdDsa-R50I_bktcr5iICOWr0yOqkmdLTdKHv-CmJ7i79_XtveJGeP74yJaPmnNx0_iRUGOOiuZhuZUvDjC9K0rDYq7zFFAUgLaNbswm5T5ny_l7XjOxEAs468zmEFwE/s1600/Tara_Lite_Chinois_Green_Side_Left.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoTlz1orxInOSzdDsa-R50I_bktcr5iICOWr0yOqkmdLTdKHv-CmJ7i79_XtveJGeP74yJaPmnNx0_iRUGOOiuZhuZUvDjC9K0rDYq7zFFAUgLaNbswm5T5ny_l7XjOxEAs468zmEFwE/s320/Tara_Lite_Chinois_Green_Side_Left.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLV2eZ0oIbV23AGUI6ZbIInRc1ObVMAm_H5chgL2VFcexO_8JmEUUj1NElSQkZU9Ec3lwzhQnSa3q3skbRtChmIRMKIFA66GfYvgwy082ek57Ldwfd7PCah9tAOdc4iPTwlxQRHzga4E/s1600/Gaeko_Paw_Pad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLV2eZ0oIbV23AGUI6ZbIInRc1ObVMAm_H5chgL2VFcexO_8JmEUUj1NElSQkZU9Ec3lwzhQnSa3q3skbRtChmIRMKIFA66GfYvgwy082ek57Ldwfd7PCah9tAOdc4iPTwlxQRHzga4E/s320/Gaeko_Paw_Pad.jpg" /></a></div>Jason Robillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14794693267509629722noreply@blogger.com7