Hot February Weather

Distance 48.7km [total: minimalist 285.6km: Barefoot 4151.6km] Week 7

Monday, 11-Feb. 10km

A good running day temperature wise, it was in the high 20's today. The tide was high so it was a run along the road from Grange to West beach covering 10km. My first longer run since my rest period. I ran without a problem, my feet are back to their road handling ability. I think it will be quite a few months before I'm running 20km again, maybe next spring time.

Saturday,  16-Feb. 6.5km

A warm Saturday morning as I get out for my weekend run. I'm not going to run any distance today as it is too hot. Already at just after 9am the temperature is in the high 20's.
I found that there was a small strip of wet sand just beyond the waters edge, this would be my path for the day. It would be too hot to run on the pavements. I am still finding my heart rate is too high to be in the aerobic zone, today it is due to hot temperature. I felt pretty stuffed by the time I got back to the jetty at Grange. I had a paddle around in the water for a while before walking back to the car.

Sunday, 17-Feb. 8.2km

Another hot morning run. At around 9.30am when I was making my way around the lake the temperature was above 32C, I could feel the temperature in the concrete. In another hour it would be too hot to be running on. I tried not to over extend myself, kept a steady pace. By the end I could feel my throat drying out. I'm still getting a small amount of Achilles pain in the right ankle. I may do some more calf drops but only when I know I'll not be running for a couple of days after. I left my heart rate monitor today so could only guess how my heart rate was.

Neil

I've lost my running Mojo

Distance 48.7km [total: minimalist 285.6km: Barefoot 4151.6km] Week6

Week 5 runs. 19km

Well, after a bit of laps in blog writing I'm back. First a catchup on the number of kilometres covered in the previous week.
In all I went out 3 times the previous week. Once on the Monday where I ran 6km along the road, all untimed and unmonitored. There was no point seeing how far I had dropped off during my absence from running.
On Thursday I ran 7km along the beach, still feeling unfit but trying to take it easy and not get into feeling competitive and chasing other runners down.
Sunday. A 6km run around the lake at West Lakes, first time since my calf blowout. It still feels tight so I only ran the short loop. My feet were a bit tender as well, they hadn't been for much of a road run for a while and the soften off.

Week 6

Monday, 4-Feb. 7km

A fast beach run as I had to meet up with another runner a little later so I wanted to get a few kilometres in first. The sand was a bit soft today so it made the running harder. It got better at the lower stretch of the beach where it flattens out more and you don't have to run on a slope. I was quite tired when I got back.

Thursday, 7-Feb. 7km

Now I'm suffering from weight training leg soreness. At the gym yesterday I did whet I believed were light leg exercises but with high reps. My quads took it OK but my hamstrings are complaining.
Today was the first time I put on my heart rate monitor. What a revelation, my heart rate is much higher than I expected, and that is without doing much in the way of speed. The aerobic capacity must have shrunk completely. I attempted to keep my heart rate below 140bpm but it was hard to slow down to such a level that I could achieve that unless I walked. I feel like I've lost my running mojo for now, where oh where is it. Only 4 months ago I was running 25km on a run.

Saturday, 9-Feb. 7.5km

Once again same route and trying to keep the heart rate down in my aerobic range. The odd thing is that I do not feel breathless, I am quite able to look around and enjoy the surroundings as I run which would all be indicators that I am in my aerobic zone yet my heart rate is up around 141bpm, it should be 10 less.

Sunday, 10-Feb. 8.2km

Back on the full length of the lake. I very enjoyable run, nice and easy with just one little, tiny increase in pace to outrun a bunch of girls from the rowing club. I just couldn't let them past me, even if it did push my heart rate up to 150 or so. As long I don't die before I get to the end, that's ok.
This run made me feel like I'm on the way back. The climb up the hill has begun.

Neil

Back on the road

Distance 19km [total: minimalist 285.6km: Barefoot 4102.9km] Week4

Monday 21-Jan-2013. 6km

I got through this run without any pain in my calf which was very positive. I did a beach run while the tide was out and found it was more my aerobic fitness that trimmed my pace. I kept alert for any increase in pain around the lower part of my leg. I did feel a little tightness but I think that was the muscles being worked while running. I didn't over do it and cut my run shorter than I would when my enthusiasm was at full throttle.

Saturday 26-Jan-2013. 7km

Another run along the beach this time my full 7km run and once again I felt quite good, no tightness this time and I was running at a better pace. I stayed as relaxed as I could during the run and didn't take any kind of stopwatch or heart monitoring device with me. I have to get the enjoyment of running back before I put any kind of pressure on to run fast.

Sunday 27-Jan-2013. 6km

I had some bad news on the Saturday. My younger brother has contracted lung cancer and it is in a more advanced stage. This has upset me greatly. Running is the only thing I can do to lift my spirits. I went for a short run around the lake at West Lakes. I am not going to think about the future anymore, I have to practice living more for now. I felt when I was running with my feet touching the earth that I could transmit some positive energy through the earth to my poor brother, probably not very scientific but then, there is more we don't know than that we do know.

Neil

Soleus pain easing

Distance 0km [total: minimalist 285.6km: Barefoot 4083.9km] Week2

Weekly distance 0km

Two weeks into the new year and I have not been for a run yet. I still have some soreness in the soleus muscle, it is gradually getting better but I wouldn't want to put too much strain on it as I feel that it could give way again.
On the Sunday I went to the field across from my house and did some very light runs back and forward, running a total distance of 7 x 100m, I could feel the tightness and was prepared to stop at any sign that it was going to worsen. It didn't and I feel that I have now started on the road back.
I was really enjoying my early morning runs, escaping the heat of the late afternoon. Still, there is another 4 months of Summer/Autumn before we get the real cold weather again and I get to run on the cold sand.
It really is amazing how much I miss barefoot running when I can't get out there and feel the ground beneath my feet. I should be conservative and let the problem heal properly this time.
I think the reason I felt what I thought was tendon soreness in the weeks before my calf went was a sign of weakness in the soleus muscle and how it wasn't controlling my landing correctly, this was then putting a strain on my tendon. Hindsight diagnosis is a wonderful thing.

Neil

Calf blow up again

Distance 16km [total: minimalist 285.6km: Barefoot 4083.9km] Week52  Yearly total 2052.2km

Monday, 24-Dec. 11km

Ah the Christmas holidays are here now so it's time to relax or rather in my case I can go for my morning run at 7am not 5.30am, so that is relaxing in my books.
Today's run was my usual along the beach path. Quiet morning this time due to the absence of early morning exercisers. Legs felt good, still have the stiffness in the right calf but that clears up after a few kilometres. I ran back along the beach and felt pretty good by the end. I waded into the water to cool off the calves after the run.

Tuesday, 25-Dec. 5km

The day of the race. My alarm went off at 5.25am. I got up, mixed a glass of energy drink and began to get things together for the race. Heart rate monitor, water, camera. The weather was perfect, the wind that was blowing yesterday had stopped and it was a calm cool morning. I got down to West Lakes by 5.50am and there was quite a crowd, bigger than in previous years.
We mumbled through a Christmas carol before setting off. My heart rate monitor refused to work, the battery must have run out in the transmitter. The watch just indicated it couldn't find a signal, oh well. I started from the back to slow my start then gradually began to reel people in as we ran along Frederick Road then turning into Trimmer Parade. I was aware of a bit of pain from my calf but nothing that has caused alarm in previous runs.
Trouble started as I approached the rowing club on the lake, the calf pain moved up a notch, I began to get worried. I slowed my pace down and mentally decided that I wouldn't be running 13km today it would only be 8km. As it turned out it wouldn't even be 8km. Within another 100m I felt a ping of pain through my calf and I couldn't run after that point. My race was over.
I was around 3km from the finish and had to limp back. It took me around 35 minutes to get back.
I felt so embarrassed about the fact that it puts the barefoot running in a bad light that I didn't hang around at the end, in fact I just walked past on the other side of the road, pretending I was not part of the event. I got straight in my car and headed home and put it all behind me.
No more running for a month.

Neil

Almost years end

Distance 43km [total: minimalist 285.6km: Barefoot 4110.9km] Week50

Monday, 17-Dec. 7km

After Sundays gym session my calves are stiff especially the left one. I did 12 x 3 sets of lunges with 30kg, I figured it would mainly hit my quads and glutes but it also got my calves.
So, running was hard work tonight. I started running along the pavement but I could feel the heat from the bricks, although only 25C today it was bright and sunny. I headed onto the beach after 1km, the tide was low so it felt better on my feet, I was determined not to burn them again, not in such quick succession anyway. My calf was tight all the way around.

Tuesday, 18-Dec. 10km

An early morning run, up at 5.25am and down at the beach by 5.40am. The calf was still tight but a bit better than yesterday. I ran along the road from Grange to West Beach. It was going to be  warm sunny day but now it was perfect, maybe 18C. The sun came up as I made my way back. I would like some more time to relax at the end of my run, take in the morning air but, no, I had to race back in the car to have a shower and some breakfast before heading off to work for the day.

Thursday, 20-Dec. 10km

This early morning it was quite cool, almost cold underfoot. It always takes me about 15minutes to wake my sleepy self up when I start run at this time of day. I feel a bit creaky, my feet feel more sensitive and muscles stiffer. By the time I have run a couple of kilometres I get into my stride and can start to relax. The usual Boot Camp trainees were being coaxed into action along the beach as I ran back, it must be tough not having self motivation.
I finish for the Christmas break on Friday so that means a bit of drinking then following that, on the Saturday, I have another drinking session to celebrate a friends birthday. I need to fit my running in between these events.

Saturday, 22-Dec. 16km

A warm 35C day ahead so I got to the beach around 7am. The sand was quite cold and my feet were cold for most of the outbound journey, the sand started to warm once the sun was higher in the sky. There was some firm wet sand to run on but this was being eaten up by the incoming tide which would reach it's high point at around 10am. I was still a bit creaky around the tendons, I will give them a soak in cold water once I get back. The return section of the run was better than the outbound which seemed to take ages as I have not run this far for around a month. As I'd only had my breakfast around 1 hour earlier I felt weak and lacking in energy, my stomach would have been still digesting the food.
I'll rest now until my Christmas day run on Tuesday.

Get the KM back up

Distance 35km [total: minimalist 285.6km: Barefoot 4067.9km] Week49

Wednesday, 12-Dec. 7km

With a hot Adelaide day ahead the only option for running is in the early morning. I set my alarm for 5.25am. I had hoped to get to bed early but as it was our cinema night last night I didn't get back until around 10.30pm. When the alarm went off I still felt in a daze, I got myself up and had a glass of carbo fuel. I got to the beach at 5.40am.
It was calm at the beach, no breeze and definitely no strong sea breezes that normally pick up in the afternoon. It was around 28C as I set off for my run along the small strip of wet sand left by the receding tide. The sand alternated between firm and quicksand like. I ran on the sand to spare the blisters on my foot. The sun had just popped over the horizon at after 6.05am, the hills keeping me in shadow for 10 minutes after sunrise. A good run but hot work.

Thursday, 13-Dec. 10km

Even hotter night with the temperature still around 30C outside at 12.00am. I kept my windows shut as the inside temperature was almost the same as outside. I got my fan up and running for the first time this summer. I got to bed at around 9.30pm but it was a restless night. I did feel better this morning when I had to get up. It was around 25C before dawn, slightly better than yesterday. I ran along the footpath this time as there was very little sand to run on. I was careful to make sure I placed my feet correctly at each step so I didn't take the skin of the blisters. There were quite a few runners out this morning and I used a few as targets to catch. My heart rate was higher than normal at around 145bpm, probably due to the warm still weather.
At around 1pm, during my lunch break, I took the opportunity to do some surface temperature measurements using a digital IR probe with laser targeting. The ambient temperature was 35.7C.
So the results, which I averaged over around 8 measurements were as follows:

• Brick Pavement = 54.8C
• Bitumen            = 59.1C
• Concrete           = 54.0C
• Grass               = 32.0C

I did this same experiment around 3 years ago but using a temperature probe that had to be touched onto the surface. The values I recorded were much lower and lulled me into a false sense of security.
The values I recorded 3 years ago with a hotter ambient temp of 37C were as follows:

• Brick Pavement = 48.6C
• Bitumen            = 41.9C
• Concrete           = 44.0C
• Black path         = 49.3C

Anything above 45C would be risking blisters and the temperatures measured recently shows what can be expected during Australian summer weather.

Saturday, 15-Dec. 10km

I intended to go on one of my longer runs to Semaphore this morning but found the tide at its high point for the day and any firm sand was at an angle to make running uncomfortable. So I chose my normal road run down to West Beach from the Grange Sailing club. There were quite a few runners around at this early hour for a Saturday (7.30am). On the return journey I ran along the beach from Henley Surf Life saving club as enough firm sand was now available to run on. I didn't feel particularly fast on this run and my heart rate was too fast, I need to slow down.

Sunday, 16-Dec. 8.2km

The cooler weather returned this weekend which is good from a running point of view, I don't need and early start to keep out of the sun and heat. I did my lake loop, still getting a few niggles from my right Achilles, I think I have a tight spot in the lower calf that I need to use some pressure point therapy on. The blisters are starting to come off now as well, they should be fully repaired by the time I run on Christmas day in around 9 days.