I have run 2 other half marathons, both in 2010 and with conventional runners. I was pretty injured during and after those two races and decided to give running a rest for awhile and see if I could get a handle on my injuries.
After a few weeks of rest I joined a different running group, the Calgary Road Runners to see if perhaps my training was not what it should have been. They were a nice group of people, but WAY too fast for me, I felt like a turtle compared to them. I learned about heart rate training, km repeats, track drills and other interesting topics that were news to me. I learned that I need to push past my threshold at times in order to see gains in endurance and strength. I enjoyed my time with them but had to stop going to the runs because once again I was sidelined with injuries.
My injuries were just the usual runner injuries, plantar fasciitis, IT band syndrome, runners knee pain. The worst one was the PF. It felt like I was walking on broken glass in the mornings when I got up, and at other times during the day. It is just so frustrating to be injured and not be able to do the sport you love to keep fit and be able to eat. No run, no eat lol.
I also had various issues with my asthma, and had to learn to be more consistent with taking the inhaled corticosteriods every day, not just before runs, which was a habit I was getting into. I don't like having to take these drugs, and when I feel good, I 'forget' to take them.
The year 2011 arrived and I wasn't running much. I decided to try some 'minimal' shoes to see if that might help with my chronic injuries. I bought some Nike Frees to transition into a more minimal shoe, and began to go on short 5k runs with them. They felt ok, but as soon as the mileage got up there again, past 12k, I was in pain. I was toying with the idea of going with Vibrams, having read so much about them, and of course the book Born to Run. I didn't really like the look of them, and they were another expense I couldn't afford, but when I saw a pair of thin leather hot pink Vibrams at a sports store in Montana, I decided to give them a go. The pair I bought was for indoor only, as it's very delicate leather with a black rubbery footprint on the bottom. They really gave you the feel of being in bare feet, there was absolutely no cushioning or support and it felt very strange to run a couple hundred metres in them on the running track at the gym. At least they were footwear, as the gym, YMCA has a strict footwear policy..
In Feb. of 2011 I began to run a few hundred meters at a time a few times a week, and increased very gradually. After 8 weeks or so I was up to 5k, and had bought my first pair of outdoor VFFs, the Komodo Sports. I bought the mens pair because I wanted them to be slightly too large to allow a sock for cold weather. I'm a size 10 ladies shoe, and the Komodos were a size 42 in the mens. I felt some weird pains here and there with the Komodos, mostly on my toes and the bottom of my feet. My second toe went numb a few times, and this seemed to be connected to something on the ball of my feet. I couldn't really determine what it was, some type of neuroma but it went away after each run. I'm sure it was caused by me landing so much on my midfoot and not bringing my heel down.
I kept reading about barefoot stride, and trying to concentrate on fixing what was wrong with my stride. This was a constant effort that didn't make running very much fun. I shortened my stride, tried for 180 cadence, and made sure to bring my heel down with each step, and not to run on my 'toes' Over the spring and summer I ran as much as I could, keeping the runs below 10k and really trying to listen to my body and not overdo it.
I couldn't even fathom at this point running a half marathon in Vibrams....
I did a Disney Half Marathon Relay in early October with some friends, and even tho I ran as fast as I possibly could, I felt burned out and in pain after 13k. I kept running slow, and focusing on feeling good after each run. For now the PF and IT problems were a thing of the past and that was great news!
In mid October I decided to join the Glenmore Running Room in Calgary for a half marathon clinic, and hoped that the gradual regular training with other people would help my body and feet and legs adapt to the stress I was putting on it. The body can adapt to anything as long as you give it enough time and don't do Too Much Too Soon (TMTS)
Of course October is the start of winter and I knew I was in for some challenges as far as the weather was concerned; how would VFF's be in deep wet snow, cold, wind etc. What about ice and wearing ice grips like I normally do for winter running...they feel fine on cushioned soles, but they can't be worn on VFFs or other thin soled footwear.
The weather mostly cooperated over the 17 weeks of the half clinic, and there were only a couple of oatmeal runs, and I wore the nike frees for one of them (with ice grips) and my new aqua shoes for the other, with no ice grips. Forget the Frees, they're hopeless, and I feel crappy after wearing them. The aqua shoes are called 'Deep See Walkers' and are like scuba shoes, they have a zipper at the ankle and go up past your ankle. I got a mens size 10 and can wear a huge thick 100% wool sock in them so my feet stay toasty, and believe it or not DRY! They're not especially slippery, and I just need to be extra vigilant about icy conditions. Our two weekly run classes are in the evenings and it's pitch black out, except for street lights, so we rely on headlamps to light our way and watch for ice. Running minimal has made me very aware of where I place my feet all of the time, not just while running.
The goal race for this clinic was the Hypothermic Half Marathon, and has never been on my list of races to do. Just the name makes me shiver. Plus there have been stories of running in a foot of snow, and minus 30C conditions. Not ideal for running a half mary. I decided to wait and see how I felt at the 20km mark in the training plan as to wether or not I would run the goal race with my fellow clinic members.
The 20k training run came and went (I ran 23k, just to see if I could) and it felt great overall. The last km was painful, a pain in my knee on the outside and radiating under the knee which seems to happen after the 19-20km mark. It got so bad at some points that I was thinking my knee was just going to buckle under me and I'd fall flat down on the trail. I wish I knew what that knee pain was, and what it is caused by. I'm thinking just lack of training at above 20km distances. Haven't given my body enough time to adapt to running that distance. Haven't done that distance enough times. Who knows.
After that long training run I decided to sign up for the race and worked on buying a bib off someone thru the forums, as the race was sold out. I managed to get myself a bib, and I ran the race with a personal best time! But that is another story!!
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