Sandals = Glory

Before...

Ahhh Sandals!  So, the reason for my bliss is I just ran my first organised race in my huaraches, and they were GLORIOUS!  And...I WON!!!  Well the Sandal category anyway!!!  The joys of being the only enterant!  Ha!  The longest distance I had done in my huaraches to date was 8km, and this was a 10km event.  Good times!  So, I rolled up, bare foot...the only way to be, carrying my new ‘footware’!  After lacing up my traditional laces, and getting a few odd looks/comments, we began.  The wind was howling but made for an easy 5km ‘out’.  The 5km home however was tough with 25-30knot winds!  I felt a little sick (which nearly never happens to me) but I think this was from pushing a bit and the resistance from the breeze!  I finished in 49minutes, the quickest I have run 10km in in a long time!  And I even stopped for about 30sec to a minute to help a little fella that went straight over his handle bars on his pushy!  OW!

Well done to Sherry and the Bundy Road Runners for organising the series!  I take my hat off to you for having a crack and getting a club started in Bundy.  It is something that the town has needed for a long time! 

Dad and I after.

To those local runners AKA ‘slackers’ who didn’t support the event ‘just because’, where were you??? What is the problem?  I had better not hear any of you whinging that there are no running events in Bundaberg when you couldn’t even support the ones that are here!  For those with legitimate reasons, well let you off this time!  Ha!

After...note my 'still buggered
 toes/feet from my 100mile race
 four weeks ago...bloody shoes!!!

So...the report!  The huaraches were SO good!  I have been reading Barefoot Ken Bobs book at the moment and during the race I constantly focused on maintaining a good barefoot style of running (wanna find out what this is???  Do some research into it...trust me, it will be worth your while!!!).  I really felt light and felt like I was floating!  I suffered no soreness/rub, however I did finished with hot spots under my big toes.  This is obviously still because I am getting used to the new treds.  I got to have some good conversation with some other runners about the benefits of barefoot and minimal running and it was wonderful to get out at an actual event in the huaraches!  I have decided to train for and run my next ultra in them.  This will be Hares and Hounds on the second weekend in January...CAN NOT WAIT!  I am VERY excited about a future of no blisters, black toenails or injury!  From now, at least until Hares and Hounds, I aim to train only barefoot and in my huaraches!  YES! 

Update on the first week of my 3month challenge...

So, for those meat lovers and vege haters…you will be happy to know that I am off the vegetarian diet already.  This week has been pretty tough!  I have run well, and quickly for me, however been SO tired the rest of the time.  I don’t know if this has been due to the reduction in calories or not eating meat; however I am back being a carnivore.  This low energy factor seems to always rear its head when ever I drop meat from my diet and seems to be compounded by my exercise induced anaemia…sucks!  Even though I have dropped the meat free eating at the moment, it will be back, I promise!  A vege diet is surely something that I would like to convert to 100% to in the future, but while I am running like a mad man, I think a bit of meat here and there is of benefit to me. 

Further to this, in my first week of calorie counting and eating well, I have had some great weight loss results!  I am now down to 83.8kg and things are going well!  Just have to remain consistent!  Good times!

So all round, good news!  I am now kicking back a bit for the weekend and looking forward to watching the Hawaii Ironman highlights on telly today!  For those out there reading this, have a ripper weekend!  Love life, go for a run, kiss the trail (not by falling over though) and appreciate what you have!  Life is good, we are blessed!

Until next time friends...Run on!

Barefoot Ken Bob-ism for the day...

In the beginning, we were barefoot.  Then we screwed up and invented running shoes!