Saturday, March 27, 2010

Getting Longer!

I got my longest barefoot run in today! 7 miles on my concrete loop around the park, it was a beautiful day for a run. I have been taking it easy on the running in the last few weeks, as I do need to focus on my music and school. I think I ran a total of 9.5 miles this week. Not much but I did go to the gym too so I am ok.

I am really excited about the songs my band is brewing up. I love the process of songwriting, it's like a great puzzle, if you put the pieces together just right you are rewarded.

Anyhoo... today also marks the 1 year anniversary of Amy and I being together! Wow what a great year it has been in so many ways.. Love you girl and don't worry I am not running off to Texas without ya ;)

Friday, March 19, 2010

Body's need their rest..

Hey gang, I am finally resting! I am gonna give myself a much needed rest.. I have been running 6-7 days a week for the last 12 months..and now that I have transitioned to Barefoot I want to give my body a chance to heal and mend so that I have a clean benchmark to evaluate my barefoot running with. Right now I have various niggles that came from Shod running and I want them to be gone. So I'll be back with fresh legs and barefeet in awhile! Carry on

Thursday, March 18, 2010

It ain't easy

Today

1st run was 3 miles on a 1/4 mile concrete loop ..

2nd. run was 1 mile to the store..I have a new system..I have a backpack that latches around the abdomen as well for a tight fit and I put some lightweight shoes in there and some money and I am starting to run barefoot for transportation. It works for transpo and conditioning!

I lanced my blister last night that I got for foolishly horsing with my footstrike yesterday and didnt even notice it on today's run. Barefoot daily running is NOT easy, it requires constant focus for me right now, very different experience than shod running IMO. I have a long way to go..but I am willing

4 miles total for the day

The rest of my day consists of Geometry problems and later going to a photography display by a family friend.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

HARVARD STUDY ON BAREFOOT RUNNING/FOREFOOT STRIKE

This really tells the tale on the benefits of Barefoot running, and a forefoot strike.

http://barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/

The Heat is On! It's on the Streets..ba ba bah

So I woke up very late today, I had been feeling really horrible yesterday as I have a had a bug for what seems to be months. My legs and more specifically heels felt ok so i headed out for my run..Out the door, down the stairs and woa it's getting hot! Don't get me wrong I ain't complaining, I love the warmth of the California sun, however, this is a new challenge to the feet!

So off I ran around the block and to the well shaded park and gliding long it's concrete perimeter. I am feeling loose and happy to be running, so I decide to mess around with my stride, and experiement with footstrike, bad idea and I know better than this. SO I am headed on my way home and I think to my self what is stuck to the bottom of my foot. I stop and try and brush it off I though maybe I stepped in gum. I realize it is a mondo sized blister on the lateral part of my forefoot! Golly gee...the very part of the footstrike I was experimenting with. I felt great during the run and had no pains...so I am now thinking to myself..was it actually improvement and the blister is just a reult of that area of my foot not being used to friction or was it a bad idea.

Anyhow most authorities on running will say don't focus on landing, the foot strike is a result of other movement, leave the foot, ankle, everything relaxed, knees bent, lift the feet quickly under the hip and bang your running like a Kenyan. Well anyhow I got 3.55 miles in for the day. I might have to run on grass tomorrow due to this new mega blister, which will probably anger my heels because of the soft, unstable surface but I digress.

Happpy Trails

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

No Rest for the Wicked 3/16/10

I got to start by saying man my legs have been killing me..the muscles are sore in a way I have not felt since I ran a marathon with a big downhill section. It is muscular soreness, as if I have never run before..i think it's the squats at the gym coupled with no days off from running in like 62 days now. I headed down the stairs out to a beautiful sunny morning in SoCal and I told myself today I will just do a mile and treat it as a day off...I end up doing 4 miles on the sidewalks around my neighborhood..shirtless with no shoes. ha!

I really wish I would have become a full time barefoot runner long ago, I would have avoided so many chronic injuries that I am slowly overcoming now. I am feeling so light when running now, knees are bent, hips gently twisting, the shoulders countering the twist of the hips. The foot is lifted very quickly and I am slapping the ground way less than I had been not long ago. Initially when going barefoot my toes would slap, which has led to some miserable blisters..blisters teach you what not to do. I am starting to run like an Indian, silently.

Only sign of any issues is my lovely heel bursitis(once again...Nike, you suck) but not too bad at all. The heel had been bothering me less during the day yesterday and I sort of actually slept last night. I got maybe 5.5 hrs last night, I am due for a deep sleep soon or I am gonna flip out.

Ok I got to study some freakn Algebra today, i got a B on the first exam which is not good. Math hurts my brain.

Just when you think you couldnt, you can.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Sunny Mornin' in Beverly Hills

I awoke too early and said aw heck let's get it done! I did an easy 3.25 run on my park loop. I Felt pretty good today..I didnt do any stretching before the run and I felt better for it, I know, I know, I am late to the party on that. I used to do some light static stretching but lately it has caused calf blow outs on my runs. So maybe I do some dynamic stretches before the run but no static anymore.

So I started barefoot running maybe I dont't know 6 months ago...but only once a week at best, usually on Sundays and the rest of my training was in racing flats or other various useless footwear.

So I have just steadily increased barefoot into my rotation in my weekly training and have done up to 21 miles in a week barefoot whilst running the rest of my miles in shoes...and have run up to a 10k barefoot. But now the shoes are gone and I am now only running in BARE feet. So my weekly total of miles will be coming for awhile as I rebuild my base in bare feet but that's not a bad thing.

I am getting over some heel bursitis I contracted thanks to Nike and their sponge bob shoes! I have run everyday for the last 8 weeks 40-50 miles per week and 6-days a week 25-45 mpw for the last year without any major interruptions..I buy a pair of Nike lunar elites and after like 5 runs in them in my rotation I got this stupid heel bursitis. I don't have any swelling yet so I am still running daily barefoot only now...but..this crap ain't pretty. Thanks Nike. You suck.

Yea I plan on racing barefoot too.


Sunday, March 14, 2010

3/14/10

Hola friends,
So I am Burt Malcuit...I am part Musician,Student,Recording Engineer,Lover,Runner...Yogi

I am a bit of a pirate in that I tend to do things my own way and on my own terms.. I am what I am and that is that. I will be using some great qoutes from my main man Guru Singh, so if you hear anything profound it is stolen :) J/K

I am a barefoot runner as I can stand running in regular shoes. I run every day... I am currently on a 60 day streak..before that I was running 6 days a week for pretty much the entire last year. I have some lingering niggles from shod running but I am getting through the daily trial of miles.

Today I ran an easy 3.25 mile loop around my favorite park in Beverly Hills... The loop is concrete which is a preferred surface for honing in the barefoot form, I do also run on trails once a week too.


I also had band practice tonite...and man I am really stoked on this lineup of guys.. it's maybe the best band I have ever had. In case ya didn't know I am the singer/guitar player and the band is simply called "BURT". Now one may say, gee that sounds self indulgent! But really it's just more of a way to keep the songs and sound on track. I am the songwriter and band members kind of come and go so it's kind of my band, however this current lineup is special.

Ok I am starved and my girl is making a bad ass omelet.. she rules in so many ways.

Happy Trails,BURT