3 miles up, 3 miles down

More like 4 up and 4 down, but that doesn't sound nearly as cool. I found myself back in my element at the On the Rocks Trail Run in York, PA today. And there were literally many Honda Elements in addition to mine in the parking lot. Trail runners are a different breed all together. Much friendlier and much less pretentious than strictly road racers; even the really fast runners are nice. Everyone is just a bit crunchy.

I ran this race in honor of everyone involved in Jumping for Heroes this weekend in Upottery England. JFH is raising money for the Richard Winters Leadership Project which is funding a memorial to be constructed at Ste. Marie-du-Mont in Normandy, France. The memorial will feature Maj. Richard Winters (then captain) and honor all junior officers who served on D-Day. The JFH crew organized a skydive event to raise money for the project and many of the actors who portrayed Winters and the other Easy Company men in the HBO series Band of Brothers are participating. Since I cannot go to England or the L.A. for the stateside jump, I'll continue to support them with donations and telling everyone who will listen about it. Also, this awesome kid is selling wristbands to support the foundation too.

*Sigh* I wish I could just pick up and go places and do cool stuff like that.

While training at Camp Taccoa, GA in the early 1940's, the 506th Infantry regiment of the 101st Airborne Division ran 3 miles up and 3 miles down the nearby Mt. Currahee. They ran the formidable mountain often multiple times per day in full gear. "Currahee" became their rallying cry. I thought of those brave men a lot while I ran. They don't make them like the Greatest Generation anymore.

"Wild Bill" Guarnere and "Babe" Heffron. Two awesome reasons to support Jumping for Heroes

Anyway, back to the run. This was by far the most technical trail I have ever run. I am SO GLAD I did not stick to my goal of running in my Pace Gloves. I would have been out by mile 3. "On the Rocks" was no joke. It was hilly too, and not rolling hills, but sharp ascents and descents that left even the front runners hiking instead of running. Everyone was so friendly and encouraging, telling you to be careful on the upcoming stretch or telling you you CAN keep running up the hill. I miss this in road races where you're more likely to get stomped on or spat on.

Barefoot techniques really helped fight leg fatigue and I only had two near-spills towards the end when it got difficult to pick my feet up enough over the rocks. Trail running for some reason feels easier, even with rough terrain. Maybe it's the fact that you can't see the end.

Life's a beach

Today is my second full beach day and the weather is great! That wind turned around to the East yesterday afternoon, driving the green flies away and stirring up the surf.
Yesterday morning we sojourned with little E up the the pier and back (about 4 miles total) which is WAY more tiring while lugging a 16+ lb infant, so I'm considering that a decent workout.

Today I ran in Manteo for just a little bit, maybe 3 miles or so, partially in my Pace Gloves, but no more than 1/2 mile. Even while running in my Brooks I'm focusing on a mid-foot landing and a faster cadence.
Tomorrow will be an off day because Sunday is the 5K beach race! Better load up on some beer for carbs and B vitamins. Lots of B vitamins...

(taken from my phone)

Slow down there...

Unfortunately I'm taking a few days off from running, and most other exercise for that matter. I thought I was pacing myself with the transition to minimalist shoes, but my version of starting slow is a bit too fast. I'm experiencing some pain on the top of my right foot beyond the normal soreness. I don't want this to develop into a stress fracture so I'll be taking it easy until the OBX Sandbar 5K next Sunday.

In the meantime, here's an impending thunderstorm viewed from my deck.

Running for Two

Anytime the phrase "for two" gets thrown around someone assumes you're pregnant, so let me be the first to clarify that is NOT the case. Today I took my nearly 5 month old son E on his first run. We went about 3.5 miles around the neighborhood and he either slept or chewed on this mesh thing that holds and ice cube. Before anyone calls child protective services on me for having a baby out in this heat let me add that the sun was not up and there was a breeze. I did receive several disparaging looks from other runners, walkers, and drivers.

My mom bought me the Cadillac of jogging strollers: a BOB. The thing is amazing. It seems like a huge heavy thing, but its very lightweight and smooth. Mine looks like this, except it's tan and not purple:

I wore my Brooks shoes today because I've noticed a little metatarsal pain and I don't want to push it with the Pace Glove shoes. I was worried the stroller would undo everything I've been working on with my form, but it didn't really at all. In fact, I think the stroller made me keep good posture because if you're not conscious of it then there's a tendency to lean forward. One thing I noticed was it was more comfortable to push it by resting my hands on the side of the handle rather than grasping it. I do the same thing on my road bike to prevent my hand from going numb. Interestingly, the stroller didn't seem to slow me down. I did walk up one of the steeper hills, but only because I felt myself leaning into the stroller. Otherwise we just cruised! Going downhill had me nervous because I've been working on picking up my cadence and letting gravity pull me downhill, but obviously that is ill-advised with a baby in a stroller. I was able to not try and slow myself by heel-striking and just go a little faster. Word of caution: ALWAYS USE THE SAFETY STRAP! Just in case you should lose control of the stroller, the strap will prevent it from getting away from you.

E will be accompanying me on my runs for the next three weeks because my husband is in the buggy, marshy, scratchy backwoods of Virginia blowing things up with the National Guard. 

On another note, I'm debating signing up for a running clinic to work on my form. It's difficult to apply what I read or am told about natural running without getting feedback. All of the clinics cost money so I'll need to decide if it's worth it.

It's that hot

Brianne Coons Carter

I believe the technical meteorological term for today's weather is hot-as-balls. Need to get this run over with.

about an hour ago · Privacy: ·  · 

• Teal Koch and Libby Kephart Hargrave like this.
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    Brianne Coons Carter So when the blazing red fireball of a sun periodically emerged from behind trees or rooftops I felt like Frodo putting on the One Ring. Sauron turned his furious wrath upon me and Nazgul screeched overhead as I fled from the Ringwraiths. True story.

    7 minutes ago · 

Oh HEEL no!

Here's what sold me on the whole barefoot-is-best notion. Try it at home:


1) Run in your running shoes, either on the road or on a treadmill. 


Odds are if you're like most runners you have a heel strike and land heel-toe-heel-toe. It looks nice, it feels nice, and it's what we've been told is the correct way to run.


2) Now take your shoes (and maybe socks) off and repeat. 


Yeah, how's that heel strike feel now? It probably hurts like crap. So after a few strides of shooting pain you've probably switched to a mid-foot or fore-foot strike to save your poor heels. 


3) Put your shoes back on and repeat. Try to maintain the mid/fore-foot strike from step 2.


Difficult, no? Running shoes, with their soft, cushiony, and elevated heel, encourage a heel strike. But take the shoes away and that's not how our bodies are inclined to run. So why wear shoes that guide your feet to do something otherwise unnatural?


Here's an interresting visual that shows the force endured by the foot in a heel strike and a fore-foot strike. Note the high initial force of the heel strike as compared to the low initial force of the fore-foot strike. Imagine that force either shooting up the back of your leg or your body weight falling over the foot strike as the force is absorbed by your bent leg. 

Part of the problem is shoe manufacturers make shoes that basically require a heel strike. Trying to fore-foot strike is traditional running shoes is about as comfortable as barefoot running with a heel strike. Either that or you feel like you're prancing. Take the ad below for example. 

A heel strike with a big stride looks sexier, or so Nike wants you to think. But land on the fore-foot or the more comfortable mid-foot and all of that force is directly underneath your body instead of thrust out in front. If the purpose of running is to move forward with as little foot-ground contact as possible, then the fore-foot or mid-foot strike is the most efficient and natural way to land.


One of the first things I cover in my World History classes is human migration. We discuss the origin of Homo sapiens in East Africa and the eventual migration out of Africa, across Eurasia, south to Oceania, and finally across the Bering Land Bridge and south and eastward through the length of the Americas. They weren't walking thousands of miles in gel-cushioned stability shoes and I'm pretty sure they weren't heel-striking.  Human evolution is a pretty incredible and we could help ourselves by not messing with it!

10 extra minutes = a world of difference

 I skip stretching. Guilty as charged. When I get back from a run the last thing I want to do is spend any more time in sweaty stinky clothes than I have to. Plus, there's usually a baby that needs changing or feeding and dogs that need letting out. In short, I have shit to do and can't be bothered.

Those are some pretty lame excuses considering a more religious stretching regimen could have saved me a lot of pain and frustration as I do battle with my natural bio-mechanics.

One of my former students sent me this video for a 10-minute yoga-based post-run stretching routine. I feel great after taking the time to do this and experience much less residual soreness later in the day. Take an extra 10 minutes to stretch, it's completely worth it.