Family Fun 5K Run

Family Fun 5K run on 2011-04-16 | Running Log | MapMyRUN

Have to share with you my first race/run that happened this past Saturday. My first race running barefoot that is!! And I start out small.......not jumping into half or full marathon yet!! It was a 5k run put on by my church and for the community. It was titled “Family Fun 5k Run”. This is its 4th year and I have run this event shod before. But this time since I have started running barefoot, I wanted to do this event as such. I was a bit nervous, because most of the people I know at this church, and even fellow runners in the community don’t know that I run barefoot. Some have seen me, but never let on they know. ;) I was nervous because I wasn’t sure what comments I would get knowing that I would be the only one barefoot(at least in my community).
I am familiar with the route since it hasn’t changed much from previous years. Another reason I was nervous was because most of the country roads that we run on are chip seal and rough gravel. I usually avoid those roads on my running routes. And this 5k route wasn’t any different. So I was mulling it over in my mind what I should do. I came in wearing my huaraches sandals as many people see me wearing them all the time. I could use them for part of the run on those spots that are just too much for my feet to bear. But I don’t like holding them for a long run. I will just bite the bullet and do it and see how it goes. If I couldn’t stand the rough terrain on the roads then I would walk that section. Many thought I was going to run in them. I stated that I was going to go barefoot all the way. That got some gasps and questions of WHY. I explained my reasons for getting into barefoot running. Most thought I was crazy, but still excepted me as I am.
The day of the 5k run was a chilly 43 F degrees with misty rain and no sun....Not anyone’s favorite time for a run in our case. And last weekend was so gorgeous and perfect, I think we expected this weekend to be the same. Don’t know why????? It is Spring. Very unpredictable! This resulted in not a big crowd as in other years.

The start of the race was on the main road that is smooth and I run on this road quite often. So that was easy peasy. Slowly it became clear who the fast runners were and who were there just to run for fun. So the already small crowd started dissipating and we seem to run in little groups or alone. Not much chatter going on! I kept my form/stance and pace as normal and found that I even passed some other runners. I was expecting to be slower than most. I wasn’t doing the race for time.....just for fun. The next turn went on one of the many chip seal roads I avoid. My brain was preparing for it. About a quarter of a mile of running on it and I began to think that really it wasn’t that bad. I could feel everything, but I was more concerned with the big cracks or stones. I was gaining some ground actually and came up on this girl runner who looks to be quite experienced in her form and our cadences matched. She was busy listening to her iPod, so no chatter there. A fun moment was this kid that would run up and pass us and then get easily winded and walk a bit until we passed him. Then he would run past us again and then walk. This would go on for at least a mile or so. I had a good chuckle to myself.
The roads bent and curved on more chip seal roads(which I have run before, only shod) and I was doing ok. The part that really worried me was at the beginning of the last third of the run. It was very large gravel and the weekend before I had tested my feet out on this road(knowing that it was the route the race was to be) and I just could NOT stand to even walk on that section. Didn’t know what I was going to do. I wanted to do this run totally barefoot and since I decided not to take my sandals, no turning back! Could be in part of my pride showing and didn’t want to feel any more like a fool than I was HAHA. So when I got to this section, there was some slope in the ditch with grass and I ran on that for the distance. There were lots of rocks scattered in the grass and I had to take extra care not to hurt myself. The last mile was a breeze and much more to my liking. They made a trail in the pastures leading up to the church and finish line. It was muddy, wet with lots of puddles. OH SUCH GOOEY mess and I enjoyed running on that every minute!! Especially having to endure the chip and seal roads and gravel from the other miles. Felt like butter! The race coordinator stated that if any runners that didn’t want to get their shoes muddy, could run on the road that was marked from previous years. I am thinking to myself.....well then......they should just take their shoes off!!! There were a few shod runners that took the muddy trail into the finish.
My finish time was about 29 minutes. Not that great since I usually do a 23-25 min 5k. But I had some obstacles to overcome. But I must say that my feet held out just fine and they didn’t hurt after the run and no blisters. So I guess my form was good. Now that the race/run was over and I went in to pick up my fun packet, I got to hear more comments and be asked all kinds of questions about how the run went, what it was like to run barefoot for that length, what my feet feel like....yadda yadda yadda. Now I was experiencing a lot of the same comments that I read about from all of you during a race! I even got an interview with the church videographer for the website!!! I did a brief explanation and he pans down to my grassy wet feet as I explain what barefoot running means to me and why I do it. I gave a few people that were really interested the websites to look up. One person in particular was interested because she has had some recurring problems with her knees and hips. So hopefully I will have recruited some more barefoot runners in my area and I won’t feel alone!! Would be great to have a club start! But I will be happy that there is just more people out there enjoying the benefits and to see that there is more to running than just speed and distance.