Run #2

Today I was a bit worried that the pain in my foot would get worse during my run, but amazingly enough it actually got better.  After some nagging pain following my 8-miler last Saturday I don't want to rush the transition to barefoot running, so I'm sticking to my new training plan of 4 miles, rest, 6 miles, rest, 4 miles, etc. for the rest of May.  The first few steps felt very stiff, but around the one mile mark my feet were feeling great in my Bikilas.  By the time I hit the turnaround point at 2 miles my feet felt as though I were stretching them, just as if I were stretching any other part of my body.  It felt great!   After finishing my run today my feet feel far better than they did before the run.  I took it really easy and I averaged a little over a 10-minute mile pace, but I was also pushing Thumper in the stroller and had Bambi on the leash.  I figure there will be plenty of time to work on speed in the coming months.  For now, I need to show some restraint and not push too hard until the muscles in my feet and calves are ready for it.  With the exception of some minor foot soreness, due to my eagerness to run like I used to last Saturday, I haven't experienced any other pain since switching to the Fivefingers, and I'm LOVING it!  The true test will come when I do my first 15-20 miler barefoot, but for now I am extremely optimistic.

After finding a marathon to do in October, the Monster Mash, I turned my sights toward finding my first ultramarathon to run in India.  To my astonishment, there is an ultra trail run every November near Bangelore, which is a short flight from where we'll be living in Hyderabad.  I plan to register for the Bangelore Ultra 100k in November 2013.  It's still a year and half away, but it feels wonderful to have worked out the logistics for a marathon before we leave and a 62 miler in India.