The Running Thread

[Irving]

I never have a problem with my feet, it is always my calves. Usually my calves are very sore the next three days, and nothing else. I don't know if it is because I haven't run a lot since last year, but today my quads feel a little sore as well. That usually only happens when I do full on sprints. Last night was my first time running barefoot with another person as well.

[Rooskibar03]

Guess I'm lucky not to have any feet or leg issues. I'm just overweight and have no stamina. My heart rate get really high pretty quick so I've got to slow up and let it come down. Before bumping up again.

I know it will come down over time but man I'm outta shape. On another positive I headed back to the gym today to start working on strength again.

[Irving]

I don't have any issues other than my body getting used to barefoot running and working different muscles. Landing midfoot when you are used to heel striking is like doing hundreds of weighted calf raises. Well, at least for me it is.

[Irving]

Update on barefoot running. I've found that my calves being very sore after running seems to be a symptom of me just being a lazy runner. I regularly run with as little effort as possible. In barefoot shoes, that means lifting my legs as little as possible and only my calves are required for that. I've recently found that even if I do a normal run (5k), and run it lazy like normal, as long as I take the time to do some sprints after, it works my entire leg enough that I don't feel extremely sore in my calves over the next three days. In fact, I feel normal sore all over my body like after a good work out, and recovery is much quicker and more pleasant. Finally, until recently, at least one calf would really start to burn after about 2.5 miles. Doing these sprints and really putting some effort into a run seems to have cured that, and now I can run the full 5k without feeling like I'm hurting myself.

As of today, I've logged 49.2 miles in these shoes on runs that I've tracked and mapped. That does not count any of the messing around I do after I turn off the run log on my phone. So total miles are well over 50. I also found that for regular lazy jogging, they don't have to be very tight, but if you plan on doing any sprinting, you have to tighten them up or your feet will slip and slide all over the place like you are running on loosely fitted banana peels.

[Irving]

It's that time of year where we realize that summer is about over and we haven't done anything. We're looking to do a Mud Run 5k.
Last year we did Devil Dash up in Lyons, CO. You don't get muddy until the last couple hundred yards and the only difficult obstacle is the huge hill.
We're looking at trying the Mud Brigade up in Loveland instead. Looks a lot more muddy.

Anyone have a recommendation? Tough Mudder is what I'd like to do, but I haven't exactly been preparing for it; nor do I know when it is. I think I missed it this year. We are looking for a wife friendly mud run I guess.


ETA: 63 miles in barefoot shoes. I think after 100 miles I'll get a pair with some lugs on the soles. There is no way I could do a mud run in them because I couldn't make it up a single hill.

[BigNick73]

ETA: 63 miles in barefoot shoes. I think after 100 miles I'll get a pair with some lugs on the soles. There is no way I could do a mud run in them because I couldn't make it up a single hill.

Lugs are good for dirt but watch em on pavement. I've got the vff trek sports and love em hiking and decided to try them running (week 2 or 3 of c25K) and found the lugs create some hot spots, right at the base of my big toes where there's a ridge from the lugs. Pretty certain they'd blister if I'd stayed in them longer. Don't notice it at all on dirt.

[Irving]

Hmmm, interesting. Thank you for the heads up.

[kawiracer14]

I now have the joy of getting numb feet three miles into any run regardless of which shoes I wear/how I lace them. I've been back to Road Runner Sports twice to try out different shoes to no avail. I'm trying to not be a lazy and go see a foot specialist but for some reason being lazy always wins out.

Makes for a tough Triathlon when 1/2 through the run you can't feel your feet.

That being said, I'll likely be biking and not running tonight.

[Irving]

Interested to find out why your feet go numb. That would certainly be uncomfortable.

[kawiracer14]

Interested to find out why your feet go numb. That would certainly be uncomfortable.

Its incredibly uncomfortable. I have very high arches and they are further back than a "traditional" foot so I would imagine that the shoe is cutting off circulation to the foot.