Quick Barefoot Running Update (9/10/2007)

This update is actually for last Friday's run. I finally broke my 18-minute mark. My actual time was 17.48 minutes. Calves were a bit tight the next day but massaging and flexing throughout the weekend took care of it. The balls of my feet, especially that darn left foot, was a little tender afterwards but it was gone the next morning.

I ran a little faster than my normal speed somewhere in the middle and noticed that I started to pound a little more than usual. I tried to focus on being light on my feet and that helped a bit. But true to my younger years, I'm more of a sprinter than a distance runner. I didn't last too long at the faster speed. But the progress was still good because I was able to maintain a .5 mpg increase than my last run.

It's now been a little over a month since I've started running barefoot. In this time, my feet have built up some callouses. I noticed that the more consistent I am in my speed during a run, the less sore I am overall. My feet start to pound when I get tired and really need to concentrate on form. When I started, I was doing a 30-minute mile. First goal was a 20-minute mile, then 18-minute mile. So in 5 weeks, I went from 30-min down to 17.48-min. At least I'm progressing. The next goal -- a 17-minute mile.

One last thing. A product that I really like to treat joint and muscle stiffness is Salonpas. I grew up with it, something my family have always used to treat symptoms of joint and muscle aches, like stiff necks. Back then, only the patch was available. There's all sorts of different Salonpas products now, although I have only seen the patches in non-Asian stores. Costco carries the patches.

The Mister really likes the gel. The gel is really good for muscle tightness or if you need to treat a larger area. It creates a cold/hot feeling. The patch is good for isolated areas. I've used the patch on my neck, shoulders, ankles and hands. It can even help reduce bruising. I find that it works best on bruises if you apply it immediately after the getting the injury. DON'T use a heating pad when you're using Salonpas. DON'T put it over an open wound (duh, that would burn!). Also, for those who are allergic to certain types of adhesive, use the gel instead. If you haven't tried these, I highly recommend them. I think it's much better than BenGay.

That's it for this Monday morning. Have a wonderful week. Now go and eat (and run) well.