Final thoughts about minimalism and barefoot running

I went on to a minimalist journey already multiple times and failed miserably every single time. This time is no different. No it is not what you think. My issue is not physical. Well, it actually is, but not how you would think.
I have been living in barefoot shoes since 2008 or 9. Started with the TerraPlana Aqua and the first black-orange KSO and never looked back. I have used all sorts of brands and models for living and hiking. However for running, I just cannot get my head around the pain. The thing is that some can do it. The question is, is it worth it and what is the point ? 

I talk about foot pain. I run on terrain, what used the be the low elevation extension of the Pyrenees and Corsica. It is called Esterel. There are a couple of places around here what is very similar, but from different sort of mountains. The Calanques de Marseille is the same very painful, sharp rocky environment, but all from white rocks. It is Calcaire. Just like the St Victoire or the Créte de Cheiron. 

Anyway, it is extremely littered with rocks and stones, pebbles. You can run for hours and you don't see the ground, just these rocks. Even on fire-roads. You cannot escape them. 
When used to be running Irish fells and Canal toe paths, doing laps in the Phoenix parc in Dubin, on regular smooth grassy terrain, basically I could run barefoot. I ran actually a lot barefoot. On the Grand Canal toe path or on the Royal Canal toe path I ran endless miles with the VFFs and the lightest Inov 8 shoes. I can tell you, that when I did my couple of first races in France using my trusty F-Lite 195s my feet got destroyed. I was stumbling on everything and had post race stitches multiple times. I used to be falling a lot and used to have my feet battered.

I still run a lot and always trained a lot in minimalist shoes like VFF, Vivo or Xero and this is the N-th time, that I tried to bring over the joy of running in ultra light shoes to ultra running. I just completed my 2nd real long hike-run. The first was in the Xero Zelen and now in the Xero Aqua what is a level thicker. I ran 5h45 last weekend and 5:30 this weekend, just a little faster, with around 1500m of elevation gain. My feet are on fire. I mean it is really, not serving me. I just don't think that for my size, my weight, it is a good idea to train this way too often and to try to run an ultra on this terrain with these sort of minimal shoes. I might end up with some bone issue or nerve damage.

However, this time, I don't go for the full on change back to Altras and Topos or even regular running shoes. I have been sick for 4 months non stop, due to an infected tooth. I took this time to build strength into my legs, feet and body to train exclusively with these thin shoes. I am not going to waste this.

I will simply switch my long run to cushioned protective shoes, when on very rocky terrain and when racing. I think I am going to order the Altra Timp 5. The other days I will use the VFFs, Aquas and Zelens Exclusively. I was tinkering with the idea of adding a rockplate to the minimal shoes or getting just a touch thicker model, like the VFF KMD EVO or the Xero Scrambler, but no, it is not feasible. When 60km into a race on this terrain, you got to do 12km of descent of loosing 1200m of elevation gain on a brutally rocky terrain, I mean that would just be excruciatingly slow and painful. Not gonna happen.

At this moment I still run little, but focus on strength. Ultra runner's strength. I had my biggest lifting week so far of around 10000kgs for the week. Basically, I was training all week long my body, mind and strength, for the weekend long run. This week will be very similar and probably will be running even less, due to work commitments. It is possible that this week, I will be running only the long run. It actually doesn't disturb me.

I really started to dive into life philosophy, way of living and way of thinking. Following the way. Following mantras and metaphors. 

  • "No running !" - (it is about not running after things, but do what I have to do right here, right now at this moment; if I can run, I run, if I utilize my time better doing kettlebells or riding my bike to work, let it be. I don't care. )
  • "It doesn't matter ! "
  • "Good on you ! "
  • "This is the way !"
  • "Don't do anything useless !"
  • " No wasting time !" 

Just because of one week, I can run only once, it doesn't mean I loose a lifetime of fitness. Just because I don't do speedwork, it doesn't mean I will loose speed. I still can train 15hours. So why would I simply stress about not going for a run. I train my body, I train my running abilities by not running too. I train my joints by skipping roping, my muscles by kettlebell training, my cardio by cycling. I train my mind all the time. I am present. I am strong. I work hard and don't waste time, I don't waste a minute in a day.

This is a new thing for me. I don't focus on aerobic development. I don't focus on splits and laps, a pace and elevation gain and loss and numbers. I estimate a little and just be present. I know I have to climb and descend for this race. I just don't focus on these aspects. I simply do them. On the go. In the meantime I keep my eyes open and absorb the terrain. I had my watch with me yesterday, to not blend in so much to the terrain that I am out for 9hours and wouldn't want to come back to the family. However, I did not look at it once, until the gate of my home. Okay I did 5h30, but that is it. I like progression, I surely do a little tracking of it. I am out for love and joy, but to better myself too. Making myself stronger and better and smarter is important. There are aspects of this that cannot be measured for sure, but some of these stuff can be quantified or verbalized. That is also kind of important and part of the self observation procedure. I have to learn to be more connected and more self observant.

I know that this week was my heaviest lift week so far and that my long run was the fastest so far with 30 minutes less training time in total. I know that Thursday I was very tired on a way that I had to sleep 1hour from 18h-19h in the evening and Friday too. I know that I often don't nap, and Saturday and Sunday I did nap an hour. Despite this fatigue my body kind of turned around, so I was way less fatigued after my long run.

Dorogi Levente


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