Rain on its way

Distance 39.9km [total: minimalist 136.5km: Barefoot 1412.4km] Week 20

Only just over another month to go before we hit the shortest day and I can then celebrate as the days get ever so slightly longer again, or rather, the daylight hours.
Of course that doesn't mean an improvement in the weather, the coldest part of the year is over the other side of the shortest day, anyway enough of wishing my life away.


Monday, 16-May. 9.4km
I've been looking for a course to run that is more road based rather than beach as the sand is going to get colder and in darkness more treacherous. I decided to run from just beyond the Grange sailing club where I park my car to the West Beach surf life saving club, I wasn't sure of the distance but I would go off time in this out and back run.
My splinter problem seems almost fixed now, whatever it was has either stopped irritating as it has come out or else the caustic pencil that I used on it has worked.
The distance from my park spot to the River Torrens outlet is about 3km, this is where I usually turn around and run up the beach. This time I continued over the bridge and along the walking path on the foreshore.
The ground was pretty cold and my feet were getting a bit numb underneath. When you are not getting good foot feedback you are never sure if you are rubbing up blisters or not, I was a bit worried as my foot felt a bit tender.
By the time I got to the turnaround point at nearly 30 mins the sun was was down, it would have sunk into the sea in the west but the clouds were blocking the view.
After a quick check of the feet I set of back, the feet were fine. I got back in a slightly quicker time. It was dark when I got back.
It was a good route to run as there are not many cars around and it is fairly easy to see glass and debris on the path as it is concrete. I measured it on Google and found it to be about 9.4km.

Wednesday, 17-May. 5km
A nice warm 21C today, that would keep the run a bit warmer under foot. The tide was high, sand soft and not much beach. I ran one direction on the soft sand to keep the balance skills up then came up onto the foreshore path to run back. I picked up some good speed in the last 0.5km and just collapsed onto a bench at the end gasping for air. It's hard to describe how good it feels to run at speed barefoot, you just feel so light and springy. It is something I couldn't have ever even imagined a couple of years ago.
So, while the debate still rages between podiatrist and advocates of more natural running about who has to prove their case all I can say is that the evidence I have discovered is that barefoot running is far better for me than running is padded shoes. I have learned how to run properly and I am now free of the injuries I suffered from for years. Of course it takes persistence and learning from mistakes but once you learn, it is like riding a bicycle, you don't forget. It is as liberating as running itself. With running, distances are not daunting, now to be able to do it barefoot is on another plateau again.

A last gasp of warm autumnal weather this week with temperatures in the mid 20's but the wind of change is blowing outside and with it comes the cold and wet weather so I decided to put as many kilometres in as I could before the wet weather arrives.

Friday, 19-May. 10km
I ran my all road route from Grange to the West Beach holiday park, unlike last time there was a bit of warmth in the ground with made the run far more enjoyable.
I extended to the run I did last time covering exactly 10km. As I managed to escape from work at just after 4pm and arrive at my start point by 4.45pm I had the sun out for over half the distance.
I was running through semi darkness in the last kilometre so I had to keep my eyes on the ground in front of me, scanning for potential sharp bits

Saturday, 20-May. 15.5km
It was due to reach 26C today and be blowy with the change coming in by evening. I did my usual beach run and covered a distance of 15.5 km by adding some extra distance at the beginning and end.
The northerly wind had not gained strength as I set off, there were bits of rain in the air and it was a little chilly early on.
On the way back I took a different way, running first on the foreshore pathway then behind the houses that back onto the beach. There is always a strip of land that is owned by the council between the houses and the sand dunes. The home owners sometimes like to give the illusion that they own the land (which they do not) and grow plant in the area. I just ran straight through and it was a good trail, grass and sand and trees that offer shelter from the wind. It also takes away the long distance you can see when you are on the featureless beach so that is good.
I gave the lower legs a good soak in the now chilly sea when I got back to squeeze out any stiffness.
I will rest now for a few days while the wet weather comes in and see what conditions are like towards the end of the week.

Neil