The Portland Rock & Roll Half Marathon

Here I sit, on Saturday, the evening before the Portland Rock and Roll Half Marathon thinking about all of the training I've been doing in my bid to improve on my Boston Qualifying time so I will have a better chance of getting into the 2014 race but wait!.........ooh......................... sorry I got distracted by a super crappy movie that Jen has playing on Netflix. OMG, this is the worst movie ever.............OK, there is some girl who's uber hotness get's her the attention of rich, powerful men, men who have either hidden bad intentions or hearts of gold but she has no long range contingency plan in case they should meet with an early demise and then damn! Either they turn psycho or are suddenly dead. Wow, didn't see that coming a mile away, nope......... Damn it! Why do I even try to write blog posts? My apologies and I am moving away from the TV sound radius and............OK, back to the blog.
  Boston 2014 is my goal and with my measly 35 seconds under the BQ time, I need to improve and improvement is what I've worked towards for lo these last cold, wet 6 months.

Tomorrow is the Portland Rock n Roll Half. The question is how to run it? In my training plan I'm scheduled to run a 17 mile long run so after reading internet stuff in which I found a very scant amount of advice for this situation I have decided to run it at marathon heart-rate for the first 9 or so miles and then turn on the after burners to the finish followed by an additional 4 miles at recovery pace. Let's see how this goes.


Race Report:

For any of you that have read my blog before you'll be surprised to know that I did not arrive late which always leads to a desperate round of pin the number on in the start corral. Nope, I in fact arrived at about the right time to get into my corral and even chat with a couple of other people. Mostly about my lack of shoes which, though I deny it is the reason I run. BTW, If you are lonely it's a great way to start a lot of conversations. So I was talking to a guy about my age but a bit faster than me (currently :-/ ) so I of course had to stay with him for the first couple of miles thinking that I would be sure and keep it easy so as to "not leave my race on the training run." which I considered this to be. Well the sad truth is that I started out running about 20 seconds per mile faster than I had intended and it wasn't until 3 miles in that I finally slowed down but what harm was there in that I ask you? A measly 3 miles and the whole rest of the race to slow down and have fun. Well that's just  sorta what I did. I mean I did have fun and high fived everyone that looked high five-able then ran fast to the next group of high fivers. It was great and I even ran an extra four or five blocks; once to get a photo with my niece and once to alert Portland P.D. that there was a runner down just out of sight two blocks away. All in all a great time. I do think I may have over done it but not way too much. Hopefully I don 't pay the price in my A race in two weeks.

I came in at 1:40:00 which was a good bit faster than I thought I would before I started and I know I could have run this race faster....maybe five minutes, I'm not really sure but definitely faster. I did learn a few things that I previously didn't know never having run a half before;

  1) You can really run hard in a half marathon. It's gives you a much shorter window to use all of your muscle glycogen which means a lot more intensity can be utilized. If this sounds like a good thing to you then you are a jerk! Well, that may be a bit harsh, what I mean is I think you're a jerk. I have a loathing for speed work and that translates into a self loathing as I believe that I need speed work the most but just can't make myself do it so I loathe all who do it, especially those that hate it as well but make themselves do it. You people make me sick and no, I don't admire you. Call me petty but unless/until I conquer speedwork I will just not like you very much.

  2) If you are running for fun instead of a time it is still satisfying but only if you have an A race staring you in the eye so that you have an excuse not to run too hard. This is true only for me and people like me but it is something I learned. I know for a fact that if I ran this the same way and hadn't had the Newport Marathon just ahead to give me an excuse to go slower than my best I would have been bummed at the finish. I was very nearly there as it was. Perspective, perspective; got to work on that.
 2 3) The finish of the half marathons look pretty much the same as the finish of the marathons. I mean, people are coming in looking just as tired and worn out or racing to get that last couple of seconds off your time. It was really exciting to see. Oh, and I was also surprised to see how much the 1:40 finishers and the 2:30 finishers looked alike. I'm not an elitist by any means. I love the fact that you can run against yourself and feel the same accomplishment that the winner does (but without prize money) and so respect all runners who are out there. It's what makes running a great sport in my eyes but I really expected to be able to see a general physical difference between the faster and slower groups. I didn't. Keep in mind that I wasn't seeing the sub 1:30's. Maybe they all look like super humans but they were gone by the time I got there.


Equipment for this run was my trusty Garmin Forerunner 305, my Reebock shorts, (they were the first ones in the drawer), I chose to wear the Mountain Hardware short sleeve that I got in the Hagg Lake Mud Run 25k and it was awesome as usual. I love Mountain Hardware stuff. For shoes I wore nothing and at the pace I was running on the very rough Downtown Portland streets 13.1 miles was just about the farthest I would want to go. Nothing too worn but my second toes got blood blisters on the toe pads on races. This is easily stopped by using Moleskin just around the toes but I didn't today; not that big a deal.

The finish and after race activities were a cup of Stanford's Chowder witch was a very small cup but still good. All of the Muscle Milk you can grab, Gatorade or something like it and snacks. There was a live band at the end featuring some new age easy listening guy that I think they thought would appeal to the old and young but I found boring in the extreme. This is the Rock & Roll Half guys.......Rock & Roll! How's 'bout some..... you know.....Rock & Roll!!! I'm 51 and can say that the music I grew up with makes me impervious to "easily offended" and we're in Portland Fucking Oregon. (Trying not to rant here as it's off topic and really unimportant but c'mon!) There are so many deserving musicians in this city alone and I'd think if you are calling an event Rock & Roll anything, rock & roll music should be the music being featured especially for the headliner. Excuse me for a minute; I need to go play some Melvins to right the ship.

Conclusion: Melvins are a soothing balm. All in all I had a great time and will likely do this again in-spite of the exorbitant price. The after race stuff was pretty decent though not as good as the Portland Marathon and definitely not as good as the Hagg Lake Mud Run by which I now measure all other after race stuff. The course was slightly hilly but nothing too terrible and it was nice and scenic running through neighborhoods and Downtown. I did get stopped by a train for over a half of a minute and there was no time correction for that. I think that is something they should have been more aware of. I did write to ask if they accounted for that and they said no so keep that in mind if you're going for a time in this race. The crowd support was decent though again not as many as the Portland Marathon however this is only their second year in Portland. the organization was really good and I felt that everything went smooth with plenty of port-a-pots to go around. Thanks for reading!

Todd

Barefoot Running? Yeah, I do that.

Even my front walk is pebble embedded cement

!

People are fascinated to learn that I run barefoot. Well, either that or incredulous or mystified or instantly bored and couldn't care less. It usually starts with something like this:
Person: You run barefoot? Doesn't that hurt?!
Me: No, well yes, on gravel but mostly no.
Person: (pause) Aren't you afraid of stepping on a hypodermic needle?
Me: I watch where I'm going to avoid things and I've never seen a hypodermic needle lying on the ground when I've been running. Are they a big problem where you run? (OK, that's a smart -ass response I'll admit but I have another one that I suppress that I heard in a YouTube video by Christopher McDougal..... I'll share it here; "I use these high tech gadgets called eyes." Not very nice but really people this should not come as a surprise.
Person: What about at night?
Me: Shoes.
Person:  Oh so you're not really a barefoot runner all of the time!
Me: OK, I guess you're right. I am not a barefoot runner all of the time in fact I carry some sort of shoes with me on my long runs in case I need them and the purists think that is a crutch and is not cool.
But still, running barefoot feels awesome most of the time and I prefer it most of the time but I am not doing it as any kind of statement or for attention. I feel a bit self conscious about it but ignore the looks and run. I just like it. Another plus is that because of the gross factor I am now more aware of stepping on worms and I think that many worms lives have been spared since I've switched over to barefoot. (This may be a Pacific NW thing as it rains a lot here and when it rains the worms try to migrate over pavement.......Oh c'mon! I know I can't be the only one out there who's seen a worm in dire straights and just thought, "You are the luckiest son of a bitchin'est worm in the world as you pick it up ...with a stick or a leaf, and place it somewhere safe. Kind of makes you feel god like.) I also have to say that when it does feel good running barefoot is the best, even minimalist shoes feel constrictive, hot and heavy after just a little time without anything on your feet. It also changes the way you run.

My foot at my corner...scary huh?

The big myth (in my opinion) is that you are barefoot running if you are in minimalist shoes. Don't kid yourself, I have yet to wear anything that doesn't allow me to cheat in my form. Even my Moc 3's which are far and away the  closest to wearing nothing that I've worn will allow me to fudge on my foot falls. There, I said it! I'd like to hear back from other barefooters out there about what they think. I belong to a barefoot runner group here in Portland, Oregon (geek alert!) and they are all over the place on what they wear or don't and where they'll run and won't and what they can or can't stand to run on. For me, I can't stand running for very long on gravel. I've tried and tried over that past three years and just can't develop the soles to tough it out. I'd be curious to know if there are others out there who've figured out how to get there and how they did it. (I really hate the gravel a lot and often dream about being impervious!) I dream of being able to run over gravel and rocks and shit, well not shit. (I would definitely avoid shit) Just floating along like a person wearing shoes but freer without the foot coffins....did I just write that? Damn, I'm a zealot! What next; fanatic!? Then follows extremist and the next thing you know I'm sketching out plans for a violent overthrow of Nike or Adidas or something. Why God WHY!?!

 But I digress......... where was I? Oh yeah; how do those of you who can, do what you do? Give it up my brothers and/or sisters. Clue me and the rest of the barefoot cool cats in on your secrets.

My other street, yes I live in the city limits.

Part 2: ( Oh yeah, I forgot that the last part was Part 1)

I prefer running barefoot on pavement by far over most trails and I take a lot of shit for this preference from my local barefooter buddies but it's true. For me pavement is so much friendlier than are trails. Likely it's because all of the local park trails around here are maintained with a healthy dose of gravel every other year or so and you already know how much I hates me some gravel. I think another possible reason is that I am in training for marathons and I feel that when running barefoot I can run faster when I'm not in pain and dancing around big rocks and sticks and stuff or doing the "deep knee bend shuffle" to get over the gravel.

This is my street, yes it is that rough.

Also have you ever noticed that the nerve endings in the bottoms of your feet have their own idea of how long and what type of surface you can tolerate and that it's different on any given day? I can run on some shitty road surfaces for a decent amount of time and finish the run just hunky dory but then on a different day it's more than I can stand to do 100 feet on so so asphalt (tarmac for the British, Kiwi's and I think Aussies) and the thought of going for miles seems impossible. At these moments I grab my Soft Stars and head out because though I've tried to endure it thinking that the nerves and soles will eventually yield to my force of will, they don't. Maybe I just need to practice breath work.......(guffaw) who am I kidding? The breath work thing may work but I am nowhere disciplined enough to find out.



Person: "But Todd, surely you must wear shoes in the winter?"

Me:  Sometimes.........usually.

As stated before, I live in Portland, Oregon and it does not get crazy cold here very often but too cold for comfortable barefoot running; yes. I have a limit and that limit is 50 degrees wet and 45 degrees dry. I find that below those temperatures in those conditions I loose feeling in my feet and therefore am able to do harm to myself without really knowing it until the thaw happens. That has happened to me a couple of times and it was not pleasant. I mean consider that I am a slow learner and it still only took me twice to not do it again and you know it must have been very uncool. 

 The last thing here is this; Chics dig barefoot runners. Oh sure they all may give you the, "You are crazy and a weirdo!" look but deep down you know they are completely impressed with your uber coolness; I know I would be. I have to admit the attention is probably the main reason I run sans shoes. Well that and all of the "feeling at one with the Earth" stuff that I'm supposed to be aware of. (Confession; all I've ever felt is pavement, or dirt or mud or pain/gravel, fyi)

That's right, chics dig the barefeet

 If you have thought about running barefoot or know someone who is thinking about it here is a list of reasons why you can't from various shod runners I've spoken to.......completely informed I'm sure......... I personally think it all boils down to number fifteen.

 Well I can't run barefoot because I have_____________.
The list:
1) high arches
2) flat feet
3) bad knees
4) bad hips
5) arch supports
6) shin splints
7) feet are way too sensitive
8) one leg is shorter than the other
9) bad back
10) wide feet
11) narrow feet
                                                    12) over pronator
                                                    13) under pronator
                                                    14) the flu (OK, this one is legit but only for a limited time!)
                                                    15) I am adverse to trying new things and prefer the comfort of the same old, same old regardless of whether it works or not.

Let's face it, if you are running barefoot you are very likely a person who is open to trying new things and to that I say you are my kind of weirdo.

I'm just a sole who's intentions are good, Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood,

Todd

Odé to My Garmin Forerunner 305 (My Precious)

I loves my Garmin Forerunner 305 like someone who really loves something would love a thing that was beloved. (Yep, that much) I haven't run without it since I got it two years ago and I don't plan on running without it anytime soon. OK, now is the time where I listen to all the "naked runners" chime in about running free like nature intended, no iPod and no electronics of any kind....Well screw you! Screw you and the horse you rode (naked) in on cause that ain't gonna happen unless of course they leave comments on this blog that convince me otherwise (hint, hint.) or pay me money to run with something else. (HINT, HINT)

Some of you may say that this makes me a hypocrite because I'm all, "Barefoot is best and anyone who runs in shoes is ignoring the way nature intended us to run." Sorry, that's not me. I never said any of that and likely never will. (Uh oh, soapbox time.) I run barefoot and minimalist because I like it better than running in shoes. It works for me and I can run injury-free, at last. It may be better for the rest of you as well but that's not for me to say........just to imply.
You the Reader: "Oh no you di-n't! See, right there, you did just what you said you'd never do. The hypocrite at last reveals himself!"
Me: "Ha, I fooled you because what I wrote is that I would never SAY it and even if I did imply (write) such things, I actually never wrote that I, um, where was I? Oh yeah: you are wrong and I am right because I am a BAREFOOT RUNNER and that means I KNOW IT ALL, now bow before me!!!"
You the Reader: "I can't really follow what this guy is writing but I agree he is a know-it-all?"
Me: "Damn! Hoisted by my own petard!

As you can see, this is a no-win scenario, and so back to my Odé:

   To my Garmin 305,
   I love you so and that's no jive.
   Whether trail run or urban street,
   The icy cold, or searing heat,
   Average pace or speed or climb,
   Oh won't you be my valentine? (Sorry, I know this line is lame but I needed a rhyme here)
   My OCD, you feed and nourish
   By making tenths of miles flourish
   O Garmin 305, please charge
   So tomorrow's run won't seem so large,
   Then home we'll go and upload the data
   Where I can see all things that mattuh

No this is not my arm or Garmin as I don't shave my arms and my
Garmin is way beat-up but this is what they look like.

 And now the serious stuff:
The Garmin Forerunner 305 was introduced in January, 2006, as an upgrade to their 301 model and, though it has some flaws, it is in my opinion the workhorse of the Garmin line. Durable, readable, reliable, with lots of options plus the ability to transition to the bike as well as other sports, according to it's own specs. This watch does so many things that I am including a link here rather than taking up more space and boring myself to death.

Yes, there are more expensive Garmin models, and other brands, but this baby has it all. 

Getting to know my Garmin 305:

• I've used the lap feature for interval training and once I figured it out I found it useful but as I hate interval training, I stopped. I mean, just looking at it gave me the cold sweats and I'd lose sleep so now I pretend that I'm just going to do some laps and if I feel like running fast I might.....I usually do exactly what my training plan says but having that escape from reality makes all of the difference.
• I also started heart-rate-based training—well, I half-assed it, like I do a lot of my training. What I mean is, I take bits and pieces of a bunch of different methods and fit them to my reality (which may or may not be based on reality—who's to say?). Anyway, it works for me, and I like the instant feedback and the ability to compare where my heart-rate is while at certain paces because I am a geek.
• Another thing I love about the Garmin Forerunner 305 is that they are all over Craigslist and cheap, cheap, cheap! I am talking $50 to $100 dollars, mostly thanks to people who are given them as presents and then finally face the reality that they just aren't going to use them and want something else, like a used WII Fit that costs around the same hundred bucks and usually has the same results.......sold on Craigslist a few months later. Who could blame them? If someone got me an un-asked-for exercise device for my birthday or Christmas,  the first thing I'd think is, "Oh, so you think I'm fat, huh? Well, you're no Jane Fonda....(Too old a reference? How about that Austin gal, what's her first name?....the one who has all of those workout videos that people buy and then use for about a week and then put on the shelf until the VHS is an outdated technology and they eventually sell them at their garage sales? Jane Austin? Something like that.) Anyway you get the point, that's where we runner-heads come swoopin' in to buy one and the love affair begins.
• The battery lasts me usually a week between charges and that's me running around 60 to 70 miles per week. This baby has a lighted display feature that you can set to stay on for predetermined intervals or until you turn it off, which comes in handy in the dark. Sweet! That does use up battery but not nearly at smart phone speed.
• Last cool Garmin feature that I'll mention is the "retrace your route" display. I've never used this and, to be honest, on the tiny display screen it looks too small to actually be useful but I imagine it could get you home eventually in the event you got yourself good and lost—unless of course you're a guy in which case you'd die of exposure, because the last thing a guy would do is ask someone for directions and after you run with the Garmin it becomes like a person to you. (Kinda like R2D2 but without the annoying whistles, plus you can't wear an R2 unit on your wrist.)
• Very last cool feature that I never use is (OK, I hear your thoughts, "How many more last cool features is he gonna list?!" Well this is the last one unless I think of another one soon. You see it's because I'm just too tired to edit right now. I ran way too hard yesterday then didn't get enough sleep and then ran way too hard this morning as well. But it's not entirely my fault, I got behind in my training program and then rather than doing what everyone and common sense says and let it go, I just couldn't. I'm way not OCD....except when it comes to running. Not sure why either. I am that guy that has to run the extra 0.01 miles to get the distance an even number. Yeah, alright: I'm the ass that will run the extra .49 miles if I must to get a nice round number. Sad you say? Pathetic you say? "Yes," I say— I am a slave to the Garmin and its instant feedback and multi-display screen with its automatic pause settings and its..........Oh for the love of Christ run! Run far away and pretend that you never read this blog post! Don't end up as I have. The horror, the horror. (I am truly sorry, I'll pull myself together now and get back on topic):  The very last cool feature I want to let you know about is a virtual running partner; it's based on your previous runs along the same route, and in theory sounds really cool but since I've never used it can't tell you if that is indeed the case. Sorry about that but it still doesn't diminish the majesty and the glory of the Garmin Forerunner 305 and I invite you all to bask in the glow of its multi-function-attudedness.

Well, thanks for reading my never-ending diatribe about all things running, when I can stay on topic that is.

(Whatever my sign-off is here, as I've temporarily forgotten.....Tired, so tired),

Todd
  

So I ran a 25k in the cold, cold mud.

OK, here's the headline: "Trail Racers Straight-Up Stupid Friendly" oh "And Their Races Are Straight-Up Stupid Fun!" and that pretty much describes the 2013 Hagg Lake Mud Run 25k experience for me.

Look, I'm a friendly guy. In fact, on a friendliness scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being Santa Claus and 1 being Leona Helmsley, I would say I rate about an 8-ish to 8.5-ish. You know, in the Micheal J. Fox to Ronny Howard area, so I must say that I felt really whelmed bordering on overwhelmed by the friendliness of the people at this event - both the organizers and the racers. Nice, nice and friggin' nice combined with helpful, helpful and friggin' helpful. Ya just couldn't ask for a better bunch. The racing part however was tough; really tough...and slippery. Yep, tough and slippery would be how I would describe this race. Oh and this, I had been told, was a "dry year." Hmph. OK, now for the race report because you must all understand just how hard I ran and how much I suffered:(spoiler alert! It was a lot.)

The Hagg Lake Mud Run 25k start was in a parking lot with a large shelter which was also the finish area and as usual I got there a bit late and so, as they were giving last-minute instructions, I was pinning my race number on in that panicky way that late people do everything. Once that was accomplished I wriggled my way into the middle of the group which is about where I figured I would place and got ready (go!) the race started as I was finishing that thought and we were off and running.....up a hill....to a turnaround before running back down the hill...and into the parking lot again, where the real trail started.

 
Now I ain't sayin' that everyone went out too fast but I think a large percentage may have misjudged pace here a bit and, yes, I do include myself in that group but to be fair I was already running late and was in that adrenaline fueled, frantic, hurry-up mode so I had an excuse where as the rest of the field...not so much. (Yes, I am justifying my behavior and if someone out there doesn't like it well, they can start their own blog and take exception all they want.) So, I'm tellin' ya, by the four-mile mark I was sure I had blown it and was thinking of slowing the pace substantially (adopting a run/walk strategy) when I began talking to a guy (OK, he did the talking while I panted affirmatives), that had been pacing a few of us for a couple of miles. He was 64 and retired Navy, lean and fast and chatty, so we began to talk a bit about the race and pacing and other stuff and as the last mile to the first aid station flew by I realized that I perhaps had more in the tank than previously thought and so kept that pace and eventually increased it a bit to match another runner who passed us by at a slightly faster pace. So then, of course, follows the part where the faster pace starts to take its toll and it's here in the race that I seriously began to wish it was over. You know the place where fantasies of trail injury start to sound less of a bad thing and more heroic and even downright appealing.

 
And it's here in this narrative that we're going to take a little break from the race whilst I ponder on this blog and the weirdness of how much I like this running thing now, especially considering that until just few short years ago I looked at all you runners just like most of your nonrunning friends look at you today. You know what I'm talking about: they give you that, "You've got to be fucking kidding me - 15 miles...in one day!?! Get a freakin' life!" I could not fathom the how or the why. Seriously, why would anyone want to do something like that? I now know the answer is...um...I mean it's so obvious.......it's because it makes me feel like um.........................sorry, I got nothin' but it must be something good or I/we wouldn't do it; right?

I ran my weekly long run yesterday and had a plan to do 17 miles with 8 miles at marathon race pace. During my first 5 1/2 miles at race pace, whilst feeling the discomfort I was wondering real hard about, you know, why I love this running thing but then I noticed just up ahead a barefoot runner on the rough and shitty asphalt of the Springwater Trail and, for the love of God and all that is holy, he was going slower than I was. This was like a gift from the universe and I slowed right down to commune with my fellow barefooter and I will tell you now that we geeked out, majorly: About our barefootedness and how we never run into anyone running barefoot and the places we run that are great barefoot and the places we run that suck barefoot and all things barefoot and totally geek.

So after the mile or so break in pace and great geeky conversation I felt the love of running return and as we parted ways, reluctantly I was able to continue the last couple miles back at marathon pace, which was hardly enough time to hate running again, and now you know one of the possible reasons why I love running. (Excuses to slow down.) 

  

OK, back to the race: The field of runners were mostly a diverse group of people with a slightly Oregon Country Fair-ish type of vibe minus the weed and drum circles. They were very friendly and approachable and smiling and fun and while racing they seemed to retain this camaraderie and attitude that was really refreshing.

As I came out of the trees to the last aid station I remember thinking how the trail had not been that slippery and so, of course, that's exactly when the trail turned into the mud trail from hell, and no one was going down without a splash. It was wacky and I'll bet a video of this section would go viral on YouTube with a little Yakety Sax as background music. This pretty much lasted all the way until we came back out onto the road again but just for a brief bridge crossing and then back onto the trail for the last 1.5 miles and the finish. I had nothing left in the tank by the last 1/4 mile section and so didn't make a showy sprint in but felt as if I had. They handed me the medal and directed me to the waiting finish area which was far and away the best I've ever had the pleasure to recoup in. Covered, food, space heaters, friendly people to talk to, food, space heaters, even instant results via large TV monitors. I got 111th place and 8th in my age group. That's right, I'm mid-packer all the way. 

I ran in my Soft Star Dash Trails and must say that they will 100% keep your feet comfortable and dry in nasty slimy mud. I stepped into mud up past my ankles a few times and always came out with dry feet. The tread on them is a 5mm Vibram trail sole which has worked great on lightly muddy and dry trails but on this kind of mud they felt slippery however my feet felt great afterwards and I still have all of my toenails. BTW they shine right back up afterward with very little effort and I do wear them out into the world because I'm high stylin', ya'll.

What I learned at Hagg Lake:
a) running two measly training runs on trails in the midst of a bunch of road running does not make you a trail racer; or at least it doesn't make me one.

b) running in shiny pewter shoes does make you more bad-ass as well as taking at least 12 minutes off your total time. (Scientific fact that I can probably prove sometime, when I have a spare moment and the motivation and whatnot.)

c) trail racers seem to smile a lot, especially when they pass you by and for some reason they all have to tell you that you're "looking good!" as they zoom off into the distance. I think they liked my shoes and I kept looking for my opportunity to say the same but these people would not whoa it down.

d) post-race area is stocked with the best post-race stuff, including grilled cheese sandwiches, soups, hotdogs with kraut and brownies, as well as muscle milk and all the usuals, plus plenty of space heaters to go around, and the last thing I expected was two big screens with live race results. (One complaint was that there was no "special" brownie option; however this is not Holland or Washington State, I get that now.)

I would highly recommend this race for anyone who likes a trail race and mud and stupid-friendly-ass people and also a great finish area supplied with food but no pot brownies. One note: I had some difficulty registering for this race online but when I asked for help on the website it was the race organizer, Todd Janssen, who helped me get squared away. It was like I was the President or something and Todd couldn't have been more helpful or kind. He even remembered me by name when I showed up to pick up my packet. It's like they were happy to have me there. I like that.

Ran in the Moc 3's in the cold. Verdict.......

Got my bright red, size 12 (you know what they say) Soft Star Moc 3's. In the mail and started immediatelyusing them on my early (5:30 am) morning runs before work for the last couple of weeks and the verdict is "love them!" Full disclosure: I am currently representing Soft Star at some upcoming fitness expos. That being said, I contacted Soft Star about representing them because I loved their Dash shoes and their company philosophy. I used the Dashes for trail running and thought they were the best shoe I'd run with when wearing shoes was needed. I have yet to run in the Dash road version but at this point I am loving the Moc 3's too much to worry about it.

These shoes were designed by Mike Friton - who currently teaches shoe design at the Portland Art Institute in the heart of the running shoe capitol of the world - and they are truly minimal. Some features are the perforated leather uppers which are sewn over a layer of Breathe-O-Prene®. This stuff is kind of like very breathable wet suit material and so far has kept my feet nice and warm without socks. The soles come from Vibram and are extremely thin at 2mm. You will feel the ground! They are made with domestic leather and dyed with food-grade dyes so they're safe to eat if you ever get really lost and are especially desperate but want to avoid eating your companions. (Wow, these guy have thought of everything) Other features that I find really important:

1. Very compactable - this comes in handy when you want to carry your shoes instead of wearing them. I do this a lot. Barefoot hardcores will tell you not to do this because it's a crutch. Screw them!
2. Very light at 5 oz. - This goes along with feature 1 for me as well as just making you faster. I don't know about you but foot-specific weight loss is really a difficult target area for me so any weight savings there is a big plus.

3. They are slip-ons - Wow, for a lazy, impatient runner like me this is huge! 3.5. They are slip-offs - Yeah, just when you thought, "What else could these shoes feature, well, here you go!
4. They work for people with toes not shaped like a Vibram Five Finger shoe - I have a borderline "Morton's Toe" more on my left foot than my right and I resent that it is a named condition like it's a malady that someone should feel sorry for me about. Soft Star doesn't discriminate against people with longer toes or shorter toes or webbed toes or extra toes or even no toes and for that I applaud them!
5. Awesome color selection - What if you're running for say....The Dutch in some local event and you want to represent? Black just ain't gonna cut it! No, you need obnoxious orange shoes to show your pride at being a cheese-eating, chocolate-loving, wind-mill-turning, leaky-dike-plugging Dutchman or Dutchwoman and Soft Star says, "Wij zijn het eens!" English translation, "Damn straight!" they have a large selection of colors to choose from and since the shoes are handmade to order in America by Americans you will get an orange pair of shoes to represent in style; American style!

My running of late has been in the early, cold mornings. Now it's not cold here by anywhere else but Southern State standards and in fact - though Portland is located above 45 degrees latitude our weather is heavily influenced by the Pacific Ocean and so we are typically above freezing all but a few days a year - but Holy crap does it rain. I can say with a smile that I don't feel any discomfort wet or dry and I like that. OK, I have to come clean here as well; as a barefoot runner I can take a lot of crappy conditions as far as my feet are concerned so sometimes I have to, "put myself in another's shoes" as it were, and with that in mind I say they are comfortable, damn it - comfortable! At this point you may be saying to yourself, "wow this guy uses a lot of exclamation points." That is true and a good observation; congratulations!
I have not run high miles on my Moc 3's as of yet but in the months to come I will, and you can count on me to report on them with honesty and lots of exclamation points! Have a good run,

Todd

My wrong paths to barefooot running

It's funny that what got me into running at last was largely due to Nike and their Nike Free Shoes. I had often thought about how much better I liked being barefoot and only if there was a shoe without so much, um, shoe, I would probably like running more than I did then Nike came out with the Free and that was it, I had to have them. I started running 3 times a week going out for a mile or so around the park near my house as hard as I could go. I began to actually like running........ a lot. In fact so much so that by the end of summer I felt pretty fast and could actually say that I, "liked running" out loud to friends.
  That Fall I was informed that running in Frees was a very bad idea and that if I didn't want to hurt myself especially now that I was signed up for the Hood to Coast I'd better get some serious running shoes and so I did. What followed was an ongoing battle with knee and shin splints but to be fair I had ramped up the distance too quickly and looking back that may well have been a big part of it. I went to a physical therapist to fix the problem but by April I was still not back to regular training without pain. I decided to try out the Vibrams and see what would happen.
  From the first few steps I knew I liked them and after a few minutes noticed that I had no shin pain at all. It was apparent that all of my running woes were over, I had found the answer! Yep, that's right, just like that my troubles were over..........er, yeah.
 I began increasing my mileage too quickly and it wasn't just on the nice flat roads; I ran hills and trails and did speed work all in a panic to be ready for Hood to Coast at the end of August.
 I don't remember all of my woes but here are a few highlights:
  Six mile run on a rolling hill route, completely barefoot: Blistered soles so badly I couldn't walk properly for a week.
  Racing at top speed at all times on all runs: I was new and never heard of building a base or increasing slowly plus I was in denial, I was special. The suffering from this is a laundry list but in the interest of those who are still reading here are the maladies I can remember: 1) calf soreness, (note that this was major and if you transition to minimalist running this will also be your fate as well), 2) Achilles tendonitis....chronic. (kinda goes with the calf thing), 3) I.T. band syndrome. Only lasted a month or so. 4) Plantar Fasciitis. This one plagued me for a long, long time. 4) Sciatica. This one was apparently something I already had but was exacerbated by over training.
  Those were the main things and all have been resolved and so with my first blog post coming to a close I would like to ask anyone who reads this a few questions.

If you've tried or want to try minimalist running:
1) What is/are your biggest worry/worries going in?
2) What is your number one question about minimalist running?
3) What can I do to help with your transition.

Keep in mind that I'm not a physician, just a fellow runner who made the transition at the age of 47 and am now 51 and running healthy, barefoot and minimal. I just finished my 4th marathon in Seattle and had a damn great experience. I was not trashed at the end despite giving a 100% effort and getting my Boston Qualifier at last.

Happy running,
Todd