Barefoot running practice

Here I am with my running and swimming coaches. Emily never really wears shoes and when I ask her are you in your running clothes she always says yes, doesn't matter what she's wearing. That says a lot, children just run, they don't need special clothes or shoes.

I have learnt heaps and reinforced lots of my research about swimming by just watching Emily and Cameron learn to swim from an early age.

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The plan to Ironman

Second barefoot run today - photos to follow but our new camera(Teresa won it) won't download on my old computer.

I am planning to do New Zealand Ironman the year I turn 50, I turn 44this March so it gives me 6years . It is held the week of my birthday 1st of March the race is 5 March. I have never been one for the log bike ride so I plan to set a target of increasing my Sunaday ride by 2 weeks before my birthday each year, this will follow the plan for ironman. This year is 50mile, I haven't done that or longer since about 1996. And I'll increase the length by 10miles each year. I have to be really comfortable mentally and physically for longer rides and I have always thought that many people rush into longer events without putting in the aerobic miles and rely on eating the whole way on the ride. I have memories of me in the early 90's riding for 60miles with a bottle of water and a single banana. Not fast but fit aerobically.

The long approach will mean I can save up the money , gradually replace gear and the children will be older and My run technique which I'm working on now will be sorted. The goal will be to get around comfortably under my time set in Lanzarote in 1994 which was 12.06 - Lanzarote was/is a really hard course so I should be okay.

In the mean time I will race locally until I decide I am good enough on the swim and bike to have another go at travelling the country to Olympic distance - I just don't see the point of paying out all the money to race if I'm not going to be reasinably conpetitive - been there done that.

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First official barefoot run

Swim-I've been too busy and lacking the motivation for blogging. Training has become almost automatic and regular over the last few months that I lost interest in posting about it.

I've been swimming 5 times a week - 2 in the pool and 3 in Pandora's Pond. The pond sessions have been intervals between the bouys. 3 different sessions of hard timed intervals in all conditions. I know I can swim the distances but my problem was/is having the confidence swimming them hard. And what can I say it is working, I feel really at home in the water - I swim hard and when I feel I can't keep up the pace - I do.

Bike - I have been dealing with a pain on the outside of my left knee , which I think was caused by twisting my cycle shoe from my new pedals and the realise tension was set too hard. And I have what feels like a thigh strain both of these don't stop me from cycling but I would stiffen up when sitting down and when in bed. They are both almost better. I planned to race the swim and bike and try the run even though I hadn't run since last March. But these problems stopped that which was probably for the best. I'm not going to race at all this summer just keep on working getting better and better in the water, on the bike and run.

Run. I have been doing a lot of barefoot walking but have been having problems with the really rough footpaths near my house. So this week I had a few test jogson smoother concrete sections and it felt good so I thought I try an official barefoot run. So this morning I went down to the concrete bikepath on the ocean front, that has smooth concrete and goes for miles, with Emily and ran barefoot for about 5min which was enough because I could feel my arches a bit, there is no rush to do loads so I am going to do it 3times a week and add a little bit each time. It was very enjoyable and I had to make myself stop and not over do it as I often do with new activities

I've revised my triathlon plans and the goal is to aim at the Ironman but that is my next post

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Relearning how to run

I've been spending the last few years to relearn how to swim from scratch and I'm doing the same with running. Going without conventional shoes. Going from running , walking with custom orthotics and supportive shoes has been a lot harder than I thought it would be, suffering with painfuls ankles. However I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. When this discomfort stops I can learn to to barefoot run with the help of this video.

Learn to Run Barefoot with Lee Saxby and Terra Plana from GTB Goodtruebeautiful GmbH on Vimeo.

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I've been busy

I am still here. I've been engrossed in training, life, family and exciting work. And to tired to spend extra time at the computer. But large project finished got a couple of easy ones before my next big one so I can get some posts done..soon!

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.