Though I have not given the whole barefoot running craze a try as of this time, it is pretty clear that the entire notion is really sweeping the running circuit in storm. What started out as the crazy guy running the race with absolutely no shoes on and ending the race with a medal and a bloody foot has turned into a whole new racing style complete with the “barefoot” sneakers and all.

My friend Matt, who is a member of the BLUEgrass Runners out of Lexington, Kentucky, has started up his own running blog documenting his experience with the Fila Skele-toe and his running adventures giving the barefoot running a go. Make sure you sign up for his email updates on the right side of the page so you can stay up to date. Here’s the link to his website:

Bare Feet Forward: Adventures in Barefoot Running

One of the keys to running is making sure that in addition to the running that you are doing you are also keeping up on preventative care on your muscles that take a beating race after race. One of the best ways to relax on a running off day and day out of the office is to treat yourself to a massage. This Saturday, I headed to Assonet to Restoration Massage for an hour long massage. Restoration Massage is currently running a first-time member special for an hour massage for $35. Especially after last weekend’s tough trail run a massage was the perfect way to unwind and the folks at Restoration did an amazing job!

This morning I headed out to Hopkinton which is the hometown of the famous Boston Marathon’s starting line. With the marathon ready to kick off tomorrow, the town common was a great spot to visit today and the weather of 65 and sunny was ideal. Marathon runners were snapping photos around town and myself and some of the Thirsty Irish Runners took a 4.5 mile fun run. The run was on some residential roads through the town of Hopkinton and we finished back at the town common.

Have you ever completed a race and swore you would never do that race ever again? Usually it is not because they didn’t have your favorite cinnamon-raisin bagel at the finish line ready for you. Rather, it is typically because the race took its toll on you in some way that most other races could not even imagine.

I did the Blue Hills Trail Race 10 miler a couple years back and did just that. I uttered on the ride home, never again! Probably due largely in part to the fact that this kind is the kind of race that beats you up, kicks you to the ground then steals your wallet and takes the final $2 to your name that you intended to buy a post-race Gatorade with.  But this race is pretty amazing!

You have to sort of go into the race expecting that your time is going to be off but the challenge of the race is worth being off pace for. The Blue Hills overlook the Boston skyline and is run by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation.

The course is  by far one of the most challenging trail races I have ever done. There are some hills that unless your family lineage has a billy goat kicking around in it are nearly unable to run due to their straight up nature and the course is complete with rocks, bigger rocks and downright boulders coupled with logs crossing the course. By the end of the race my entire body hurt, blisters on the feet, sore shoulders, back feeling heavy.

The Colonial Road Runners organize this race and for $8 the race is a pure bargain. It’s a no frills kind of race but there are bananas, cookies, Gatorade and water and the finish line.

I completed the race today in 1:54. As stated, the race is a good one just to say you got a 10 mile race in today. I’ll work on getting the pace back on a normal road race next weekend.

As a runner, the need to replace sneakers can be a daunting task. With so many brands on the market each with their own style and specifications, walking into a store to go and actually pick out the right sneaker can be a decision that can cause sweat to bead up on your forehead and the heart beats to increase ever so slightly.

Today I headed to City Sports in Dedham and looked at the wall of running sneakers. Having read some really good reviews about Mizuno’s sneakers I sort of had my mind made up that was what I wanted. I tried on a couple different pairs but then landed on the Mizuno Wave Inspire 6. I felt as though these sneakers were lighter than my current pair but also provided me the sort of support that I look for in a shoe.
Time will tell how these work out. I will keep you posted!

A great 11AM run today in the Thirty-Fourth Annual Seagull Six down in the Woods Hole section of Falmouth. The race is a 5.74 mile course and is sponsored by the Falmouth Track Club. The race brings you through a rather hilly course through great residential neighborhoods and along the Atlantic Ocean. To call the course “hilly” is probably actually an understatement since for most of the race you are climbing up and down rolling hills and mile one is basically an uphill run the entire way. Here’s the elevation breakdown of the course.

 

The Seagull Six takes you along a lot of the same course as the famous Falmouth Road Race and the Cape Cod Marathon and both starts and finishes in Woods Hole.

Today’s race was completed in 47:41 or 8:19/miles.