the barefoot 10k

This week I let up a bit on the miles as I decided to do the Santa Monica 10k barefoot. On race day I woke up at 6:30am without an alarm which is shocking to me. So I had some toast with some jam on it and some green tea and a banana and was off. We got at the race site with only 15 mins. to race time and I hadn't registered yet! So Amy let me out of the car and I ran to the starting line. I got there and apparently registraion wasnt at the start, there are a ton of people I am wading through. I am getting nervous about not making it in time. So as I am scanning for the registration I walk straight into a tire spike strip and totally SLASH and gash my left foot between the big and 2nd toe!! It hurt and was bleeding quite profusely. I finally find the registration stand and I am off to the starting line with blood foot. How the hell am I gonna run 6.2 miles in barefeet? But no way did I come here to cut my toe off and go home to the ER. I came to run and run I shall! I am lined up at the back of the pack at this point. I don't have a time goal anyhow, I have done exactly zero speed training.

BAM! We are off and I am happy to be moving, albeit at a turtle like pace. The first mile was a circus like sea of waddling folks. It must have been a 10 minute pace at best. I said ok I'm having fun and happy my body feels ok. Mile 2 comes and I see another barefooter, I give him a hollar as I pass him by. Mile 3 comes and At this point I decide it's time to get up and go. Body is feeling surprisingly good, I can't feel any pain in the blood foot. I start cranking up the pace and I am passing people left and right, one good thing about starting in the back, I never got passed once! I see Sammy Kosgei running straight at me at around mile 3.5 as he has made the turn around and is running like a deer! I screamed for him as he flew by in his Nike Free's. mile 4 is just after the turnaround and I am now running faster than I have in like 6 months. The surface of the streets were surprisingly nice on the feet and I am really enjoying the awareness of my body in my first barefoot race! Mile 5 comes and I up it one more time, down ocean ave. I let fly! This mile has to make up for the horrendously slow 1st mile. And it does. I am running all out from this point to the end. I don't think I have ever un this fast barefoot. Mile 6 I can see the finish and I now enter my sprint to the finish. I finish happy in 50:21. This was my first official 10k ever. I have run faster than this in training in shoes but never ran 6.26 miles this fast in barefeet. I am ok with this time, though it will undoubtedly be improved upon next time. I also will not start at the back and cut my foot off before the next race. Now as I wait to find out my time my foot started to really rebel. The gash was not happy and it started some gross inflammation and puffiness. This is gonna take awhile to heal as it looks like someone tried to amputate my toe with a hand saw. God willing I plan to run the malibu canyon trail 10k barefoot in Oct.!

















Mon. -1:10 Easy in Lunas and bf on the trails next to the tracks in the desert. ALso some laps on the concrete loop bf.
Thurs.- 1:00 Easy barefoot in da hood. The homies said "yo that is good for your organs!" and " yo that is hardcore" in response to my barefeet.
Fri.-1:00 Hills barefoot felt great...my technique is really coming together. I weighed myself today..I am at 171lbs...I started a bit of a diet to get down to 160lbs. We'll see how that goes. I am hungry!
Sun.- RACE 1st barefoot race and 1st 10k ever.