glidergirl

• walked 1.5 miles to field house
• 50 minutes stair climber keeping HR above 150 to mimic a run
• some weights/core

I found one of those thingys the Biggest Loser people are always swinging around...those bell weight things, what are they called?  I tried it and did 2 sets of 30 each, no big deal.  Well now I'm super sore!!

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/98772806

• walked 1.5 miles to the field house
• 35 mins stair climber, HR 150-157ish
• 10 mins rower machine
• some weights/core
• walked 1.5 miles home

Today I spent 1.5 hours trying to decide if I could bear to run in the shoe color that I don't want, but costs $40 cheaper than the color I really want...oh the pain!!!  I went the cheaper route.  Dang you Dave Ramsey.  Luckily anyone who even looks at them will care about 0% as much as I do what color they are.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/98772813

• 1 mile pure barefoot around Research Park

Today I am starting a new plan.  Well, I'm starting over is what it is.  Back to basics, from the ground up, however you want to call it.  I'm doing this barefoot thing full throttle.  I'm kinda at my whits end.  Believe you me, I was perfectly happy running my 40-50 miles a week in shoes.  I didn't care how I did it or what I wore, I just wanted to run!  Since November, I've had one injury after another.  Something isn't jiving with my feet-to-shoe relationship.  Last fall I made what I thought were minor changes (stopped wearing inserts, slightly changed some shoes around and then started wearing custom orthodics).  That's when the problems began.  I started using the orthodics in March after my achilles injury and they have made things 10 times worse.  I feel like I'm falling off the sides of my shoes and the outer sides wear out really fast.  All things "stabilization" on my feet - be it tendons, muscles, whatever - have been injured on both feet at one time or another since November. I've tried going back to what I did before the fall, but that's not working either.  I'm always dealing with something on the lateral sides of my feet/ankles/legs.  And I continue to land more and more funny in shoes/orthodics.  So...this obviously isn't working and as I'm sure you can all understand, it is just too heartbreaking!  Run a few miles, get injured, take a week off...I can't do it anymore!  I just want to be able to run! 

I'm not saying shoes or orthodics are bad, they just aren't working for me.  And I know this isn't just a matter of running too much.  And I know my body/feet can run and this isn't something I just have to accept!  Just gotta get my feet and legs strong and in good form again.

I started this plan of only running barefoot a few weeks ago and loved it (to my surprise to be honest).  It definitely jives with my feet!  I love it.  Instead of coming home from a run dealing with aches and sharp pains, I come home and my feet feel stronger and more flexible and in control.  I had started running in my Vibram Fivefingers, but I soon found that I don't like the individual toes...it puts way too much pressure where my toes bend.  So I ordered a new pair of barefoot shoes that have an encased toe box and people say your feet can still "splay" out like they need to.  Anyway, they are the Vivobarefoot Evos.  I know, pricey, don't judge.  (I did get mine for $40 cheaper, but I had to go with the yellow vs. light blue...I'm still upset about that).  Heck, I'm not racing anyway, so I've got all kinds of extra slush fund money kicking around!  Don't be dismayed, I will still be using my Vibrams as water shoes at the lake.  They are still pretty darn comfortable and useful, that's for sure.

I want to do this the right way and I want to be able to eventually run like I used to, so I figured I've got to just clear the slate and start over with 100% commitment.  I'm convinced that most new barefoot runners get injured because they do too much too soon.  (here's just one of many good articles on what most people ignore when running barefoot)  Referring to said article, my biggest focus will be on getting my heel chords adjusted.  Here's my plan:

• 1 mile of pure barefoot running each day or every other day
• add a few minutes to each run each week as my feet will allow (hence the pure barefoot running with no shoes, not even minimal shoes, so I can get full feedback from my feet telling me when I've done too much)
• after I can run 45 minutes continuously with just my barefeet, start wearing Evo's or other minimalist shoes (anything that allows the bio feedback) 
• work up to half marathon and then eventually marathon training plans!  Yay! 

I'm thinking this will take at least 6-9 months.  So in the meantime, I really really need something to WEAR ME OUT so that I don't try to do too much too soon...it's really hard to hold back, especially if I'm feeling good and no injuries are present.  James has been asking me what I want for a graduation present and I think I have decided.  I want a 6-9 month membership to here to keep me distracted and active!  I have been looking at this for a couple months now.  I have several friends in various parts of Utah doing this right now and all I hear are good things.  It sounds like the perfect place to go and be pushed by someone and maybe have a little healthy competition. :)  I can run 50 miles a week without even trying, yet I can't go push myself (consistently) at the gym.  Ugh.  Pull my eyes out.  So I think this might help in the transition.  I'll post my amazing new *skills* on the blog each day like normal and of course my daily barefoot transition efforts. 

We're really doin it Harry!!!!  Don't forget about me!!  Just know I am still fully planning on taking you all to the curb one day!!!  :)   

• Ute Crossfit intro session
• Field house

I love Crossfit already and will probably go 6 days a week if I can!  (I say that now before I am beaten to a pulp with a REAL workout).   I was nervous to go by myself, I felt like it was my first day of 7th grade.  I felt more comfortable later on and the trainer was really nice.  It was just me and two guys there for the intro session, but there were as many girls as guys there to do the regular workouts.  Half of them were wearing Merrells or Vibrams!  I say that because I wanted to wear my Vibrams but was too embarrased; what if they laughed at me?!  Haha.  She explained the program and the goals.  Basically they focus on "not making the muscle look good, but on gaining full function."  So there aren't any weights or weight machines and we don't do crunches...it's about taking the muscle through its full motion in order to improve everyday functioning and improve whatever sport you enjoy.  She taught us how to do squats, situps, pushups and pullups Crossfit style (focusing on full range of motion/function) and then she taught us how to do the rower machine correctly.  Boy have I been doing it wrong (I'll write what I taught in the comments for anyone that wants to know).  Then she had us do our first beginner's workout:  500m row, 40 squats, 30 situps, 20 pushups and 10 pullups with the goal of 10 minutes or less.  One guy did it in about 7 minutes and me and the other guy did it in about 8.  My heart rate was about 140's whenever I looked at it, not too shabby.  The workouts are generally 15-30 minutes long.  They focus on quality, efficiency and strength rather than quantity.  By the way...I have noooooo upper body strength.  I kept wanting to say "I'm a runner."  LOL  The trainer was so incredibly lean and strong...she could pull herself doing several "strict" pull-ups without any effort at all.  Wow.  I myself on the other hand had to use a box AND I had to use a jump to help get my body up.  I'm going to be slaughtered at least for the first few weeks... 

I then went to the field house to practice my new skills.  I first walked 1 mile to work on my barefoot footing in my Merrells. No running for awhile; right ankle is still not good, so I'll just focus on form while walking.  I can't believe how much I pull my medial feet in and up which causes me to land on only the lateral parts of my feet.  How did I mess myself up so much???  LOL.  I don't notice it as much in my running shoes and in fact, now that I've been working on landing with my whole midfoot, it hurts to wear my running shoes.  They are way too bulky for me.  I wore my Merrells today and they help me land with better form and it feels much more comfortable. (I love these shoes!)  I really have to think about each step though.  I then did: 1000m row (the right way), 7 mins stairclimber to continue working on form, and some more core work.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/99529040