Saturday, September 4, 2021

Septemberfest 5K: Fast, flat and free

Septemberfest 5K: Flat, fast and free

I’m amazed to have yet another 5K race here in little ole Rangely, Colorado, two weeks after the last one, and this is indeed as advertised: free. All one has to do is show up here in the Elks Park parking lot before 8, sign a form, and you’re given a ____ with a number. I’m second, so I get 102. How or why this is happening at not cost I’m not quite sure, but I think that the richest guy in town is sponsoring this whole three days of festivities over Labor Day weekend, which is I think ironic, but nobody really celebrates the labor part of Labor day anymore anyways. In any case, there are volunteers—a cadre of young women.

The air is chilly this morning, here at 5,000 feet, which is nice. I’m wearing my Xero sandals to register, and one of the young women says, with alarm, ‘You’re not going to run in those are you?”

‘No. It gets worse!’

‘You mean you’re going to run barefoot???’

‘Yes. I’m sorry.’

I’m not, but I’m trying to lessen the shock for her. As the start time nears, I come back out barefoot and feel the whole crown staring at me. There are about maybe thirty runners, maybe including a few walkers (much less walkers than two weeks ago, which was a fundraiser). There are some youngsters, like under ten, and looks like most of the high school cross-country team is here. So yeah, I’m not going to be anywhere close to the front of the pack. A guy I know from work says that usually there are some students from our college, like the whole women’s basketball team, who come run this, but not this year: there’s been some quarantining recently.

I do recognize a couple high school students who took my writing classes last year, though I’m not sure they recognize me, with my long hair tucked up under a hat. And the bare feet.

We all gather and one of the volunteers basically says, ‘Go!’ And we go.

Quick start, even a little downhill, and I’ve winded myself. I’m feeling more in shape this summer than in the last two years, but more in the LSD mode—long slow distance—I’ve had two major foot injuries in these two or three years. Not running related, but most recently, a year and a half ago, a torn ligament. Still feeling soreness, still taking r-x anti-inflammatories—about to run out—and it comes and goes: Two weeks ago I felt fine. Today, here, right now, I’m feeling a twinge of soreness. Not sharp pain though, so it’s ok. I’ve been upping my distances recently.

Anyways, we head west on a neighborhood road, turn left onto River Road, which does eventually parallel the White River and turns to gravel—eep!—but Rueben thinks it’ll stay pavement for this race, which is an out-and-back. The pavement is relatively smooth. As long as there are no stray goatheads, I’m good!

I slow a bit to get my wind, but then try to get a decent pace in my brain: lifting the feet on the beat to Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation,” while trying to keep a lean of any sort. Has been my problem since starting to run barefoot maybe 14 years ago: I always feel like my torso has a tendency to lean back, especially now that my buddha belly is a little bigger.

The cross-country pack are of course gone, along with the one older gentleman from last race who was one of the top three—and I think he may be older than I. But, I do catch Rueben, who wasn’t sure he could run the whole thing anyways, and Greg (I think?), maybe a bit younger than I, with whom we were talking to before the race, and there is this guy Ross, older and more rotund than all of us, who is way back there. He’s I think an executive in what remains of the Chevron oil fields offices here in town. Along with some of the wee sproggins (sp?) and their moms. So yes, I’m celebrating passing 8-year-olds. But my point is, I started at the back of the pack and I’m just gradually catching some of the quick-starters. This looks like it though: I don’t think I’ll catch anybody else. There’s a couple few people fifty yards ahead but....

The two-lane River Road is clear so far. We pass a pair of women who seem to be out for a regular morning constitutional, non-race-related. Sky clear, we’re out of the pines around the park, so the sun is now on us. So, glad I didn’t wear my running shell, but not actually warm either. Perfect running weather. The feet feel good. Like I said, right food mildly sore, but I don’t know if that’s just psychological at this point. I’m really actually used to running hills and gravel roads (in Xeros) so this long flat area feels odd. Breath is back to somewhat normal, though I’m trying to run a wee bit faster than my normal penguin waddle, knowing this is a shorter route.

Here come the fast folks on their way back: One teen boy in front, then that older gentleman, then another teen boy, then the whole pack of cross-country folks: maybe they’re not even really trying. But there’s Mary, one of my high school students from my college class last spring. I point and say, ‘Hey Mary!’

She looks at me blankly and is gone, but then I hear her: “Was that Mr. Yohe?!”

Yes. Yes indeed, that was Mr. Yohe.

Et voilĂ , there is the white Jeep, the turnaround point. And there also is Lindsey, the head maintenance person at the college, just on here way back. She’s cool. We wave and I say, “I didn’t know that was you I was following!” So yeah, I actually know some folks in Rangely now.

I come to the Jeep, where one volunteer is stationed, handing out waters, though one of the runners has stopped to chat with her. So, we’re not super competitive around here, I guess.

I make the turn and head back. Halfway! No one close behind me here, but I pass them all, giving them waves. There’s Rueben, walking now, and Greg and the wee folk with their moms, and Ross, sweating his ass off. Man, all these out of shape older guys trying to run fast seems like a recipe for a heart attack but oh well! Onward!

I’m not going to catch Lyndsey, but there is a young teen boy, maybe 12?, who’s going back and forth between running and walking. I suspect this is his first race, maybe not pacing himself. He doesn't seem to be hurt of have a cramp or anything. But, his mom, I think, is hanging back, giving him some encouragement. I can tell she wants to keep running, but she stays. So, I leapfrog with them for a bit, then finally leave them behind.

This side of the road is a lot more grittier: from the traffic coming into town, from the gravel road section. I keep more to the center, in the hopes that the grit will tend to roll down to the sides, but I’m not sure that’s really the case.

Pass the walkers. Some traffic now, leaving town mostly, but nobody going fast. I’m not even sure how official this race is: no cops, or signs, or nada. But, at least now we seem to be on a slight downhill back into town. Take the right towards the park, and pick up some speed, to look and feel like I’m giving it my all. Don’t want to sprint though: sprinting on pavement with bare feet always rips up the bottoms of the feet, even with good calluses, which I don’t have.

Again, feeling the stares from everyone as I cross the finish line, though at least some folks clap politely. My time: 30:59. So I shaved off like 32 seconds from two weeks ago. Ah well....

I do hang out to watch the rest come in. Greg come in two minutes behind me and says, ‘Man, I was trying to use you as my rabbit, you’re super-steady, but I just had to walk a bit.’

Well, at least I’m something. Rueben comes in running, though perhaps walked most of it, but all good, he did it. Ross brings up the field of older runners, in full sweat, but shaved off four minutes from last year. ‘Too bad I like to eat more than I like to run!’

And older spectator comes up to me and says, ‘I was going to tell you out on the race that you forgot to tie your shoes!’

Normally I get a little defensive about lame barefoot jokes. Like I haven’t heard them all before. But, he’s I think sincerely just trying to chat and curious about why I’m running barefoot. So I tell him how I got plantar fasciitis (if I still perhaps can’t spell it) and it wouldn’t go away for two years until I tried running barefoot on the suggestion of my friend Jen, and how the first time I tried barefoot running, my PF went away.

He looks surprised, then surprises me by saying he had the PF too. ‘I tried all kinds of inserts and stuff, but it didn’t ever work. Look at my ankle now!”

I do: his right ankle puffed or bent or otherwise bulging out. Holy crap, that’s from plantar fasciitis?

Anyways, feels good to have made conversation with someone here. His son won the race.

Now for a shower, then the drive down to Grand Junction for drunken noodles!

 (PS-I ended up getting 2nd in the men's category! I missed out on a free mug!)


 

Saturday, August 21, 2021

Becky's Walk: 5K Run Walk Bike

Becky’s Walk 5K

Saturday August 21st, 2021 

Rangely, CO United States

This race, like most things here in Rangely, Colorado, is not that well organized, at least in the ‘sign up’ and ‘get the word out’ stage. But, I’m here, on a cool overcast Saturday morning, which in August, around here, in the high desert of Colorado, is a blessing. The ladies at the check-in desk are all friendly, and even know my name, which happens in a small town. Except to me: I can’t remember names at all, to an embarrassing degree.

This is a 5K run/walk. Becky’s Walk. Third annual. Benefit for Multiple Sclerosis. Becky was a local. I think this is put on by her relatives. There are only only 25 folks signed up total, which seems a shame. I know there are some runners in town who aren’t here. Ah well. I’m first to arrive, so I get the number one bib! Ha! It’s been a while since I’ve done any kind of run. Three main reasons: 1. being a fire lookout doesn’t allow for much exercise, period (an excuse perhaps, but yes). 2. Poverty: Just couldn’t afford to run those longer $200 races for a long while there. 3. Injuries: I’ve broken my right foot two different times in the last maybe three years and I’m still not quite one hundred percent on it. May never be, is how it feels, even though I have been running regularly, and hiking.

So, I’m out of shape. Gone are the days of marathon running. But, it’s a 5K. I can do that in my sleep. The only question I have is whether the race is going to be up in the gravel roads around town, or on pavement here in town, and it’s the later. If it had been on the gravel, I might have worn my huaraches, my Xero Genesis. The gravel fairies around here are fairly liberal with their gravel, so I’ve mostly been running minimalist this past year. Also, gotta admit, being a new person in a small town, where I’m already an eccentric English teacher at the community college, I confess I’ve been self-conscious about going barefoot around here.

But, here I am, standing in the Elks Park parking lot, barefoot, suffering the gazes of the locals, who all know each other. Well, time for some barefoot pride. Represent!

A guy gives a pre-race speech. I think he knew Becky. But, says he checked recent info on research into MS, and that there are four new medications developed in the last year, and that money raised here will help go for that. So, right on.

We line up. Yeah, there’s maybe ten of us who are actually running. And most of them are youngsters, probably on the junior high cross-country team. No age categories for this one. Actually, the other two older runners are dudes maybe around my age. So, I may be last of the runners, in any category. Ha. So be it.

We’re off! I have no idea where I’m going. Supposedly there are spray-painted arrows to direct us, but maybe I can stay in sight of the youngsters. Use them as rabbits.

I do a fairly quick start, not a full-on sprint or anything, but it’s slightly uphill and man, I am just winded, sucking air already. Calm, John, calm. Breathe. This is just a local 5K run, no need to get all nervous. Except now I have to piss too. Argh.

We head down the short bike trail. One like five year old girl runs alongside me for a while. Excellent!But she tires out pretty quick and goes to walking. The youngsters are all out in front, plus one older guy, who looks like a long-distance runner: skinny. I used to be like that. But hey! I’m barefoot! Feels great! Why don’t I do this more often? But at least hiking and running in the Genesis huaraches has still given me good calluses. We cut on to a road, and there’s an empty lot with trees. I duck in to use the boy’s room, and get passed by two runners, the other older guy and a girl of about 13. The walkers are not in sight. So, I’m now the last runner, as predicted.

We go past the high school then up White Avenue? I think? I don’t even know all these neighborhood roads. But, uphill, ugh, for a bit, then left and down through an area I’ve never been before, tucked away, downhill. I try to lean forward, let gravity lead me. Just lifting the feet. Trying to maintain at least a brisk trudge. At least I don’t feel winded anymore. But neither do I feel sleek.

We cross Main Street, north, with a local Sheriff there to stop traffic, though there is none. I thank him. He stares at my feet. Like he wants to arrest me for being barefoot. Ha! If I wasn’t in a race, maybe he would!

We go north one block, then cut left again, heading west, for a long straightaway. Here, the thirteen-year-old ahead of me slows to a walk. She’s wearing a knee brace, hope she’s not aggravating it. I give her a wave. The second older dude is a couple block ahead of me, with the gaggle of youngsters way out, all sticking together. Right on. We’re all setting off the local dogs to barking. Having had some bad experiences with dogs around here, I’m expecting Cujo to come jumping a fence at me, but no.

This road is a bit gritty. Couple places where I swerve to avoid potholes. One place I can’t, just grin and bear going over the gravel. But, all good. Again, it’s a 5K, I can survive anything. And I must be over halfway, I think? Surely? Don’t call me Shirley!

Quiet. Only a few folks out in their yards this morning. Oh Rangely, with your battered down house and economy. The coal plants shutting down soon. Will people stay? Nearest grocery store is 45 minutes/miles away in Vernal, Utah. Or go an hour and twenty south to Grand Junction. Going to any other races will require an overnight stay.

Anyways, another left, back up (or, south) to Main Street, cross, wave to the police, into the small park, past the one hotel (the other two motels out of business). I run up on the sidewalk here: the cement way smoother and less gritty than the pavement at this point. Out past the two apartment buildings, which the locals call A and B. B is condemned. Past the almost empty trailer park. I have lost sight of anybody—no one in front, no one behind. Story of my life, somehow. But, back on the pavement, the spray-painted arrows have been accurate and visible. Another left et voilĂ , there’s Elks Park! I’m almost there! Maybe I should increase speed, to at least look, if not be, respectable!

I quick trot around the corner across the finish line at the parking lot, with a small group of observers clapping me in. That’s nice. One of the youngster runners looks at me and says loudly, “Wow, dude don’t have no shoes!”

The first three finishers are gathering for a photo: Looks like the one in-shape older dude made it in there with two of the youngster boys! Excellent! They get something in an envelope, not sure what. No medals or anything for the rest of us. Which is fine. The other older dude I see walking it off in the parking lot. I don’t think I was behind him too much. My time: 31:31. So, ten minute miles. Not my best 5K. I think I’ve done one in 21 minutes one time. Ah well. But yeah, I’m the last. The girl with the knee brace isn’t in sight, and the walkers are all about halfway at this point.

I am content. To run barefoot again, that’s all the really matters. My feet feel fine, great even. Time to head back to my apartment for as hot shower!


 

Sunday, July 11, 2021

Genesis Sandal by Xero Shoes

Genesis Sandal

by Xero Shoes


 

I can’t believe I took so long to order the Genesis sandal/huarache from Xero Shoes. It is the perfect sport sandal/huarache for running, hiking and especially walking. I’ve been a fan of most Xero Shoes products, and was there when they first came out: their original huaraches sandal, now called the Feeltrue Sandal, and still for sale on their website, is the best sole of all the huaraches. I’ve compared them before, but for example, the soles for Luna Sandals, even the thinnest, the Leadville, are twice as thick as Xeros, but softer, and therefore they somehow hurt my heels to walk around town in them. Hiking and running are ok, especially if really rocky or gravelly.

The Xero huarache, or the Feeltrue, sole on the other hand, is thinner, but made of tougher rubber, so your feet are closer to the ground, and even feel the ‘bumps’ more (which is what you want!), but just as flexible and light.


 

My only negative about the Feeltrue was/is the lace that comes with it: a simple nylon shoe lace, which actually doesn’t work well with the traditional huarache wrap, though Xeros came up with a different wrap, in which the laces ‘double-up’ in back and around the ankle. That works fine. The problem is that the shoe lace doesn’t last very long, and it will inevitably break at the thong section between the toes, and since it’s nylon, will fray (in the middle of a run or hike) and feeding it back through the toe hole is almost impossible without a lighter to melt the frayed ends together.

This is breaking off at the toe hole is true of any huarache with the thong through the toes design, which is why I like/d the traditional leather lace from Luna: it’s tough and strong, and if it breaks, very easy to feed through and tie off and get moving again. 


 

I had tried the Luna Sandal ‘sport lace’ with their Leadvilles, and like it: slips on well, looks sporty, and still stays snug to your feet. But again, I can not walk around in them, especially on pavement, without my heels hurting. This doesn’t affect everybody, but does affect some folks, from what I’ve heard.

So, again, I don’t know why I ignored the Genesis so long, since it’s all about the Xeros Shoes ‘sport lace.’ I guess I liked modifying my Feeltrue sandals: using leather boot laces, which are narrow enough to fit in the Sole holes, and going with the traditional wrap, and look. though those leather laces tend to break off fast. An easy fix, but the laces wear down fast, and it becomes harder and harder to find leather boot laces, for some reason.

When buying a pair of Xero Shoes recently (look for that review!) I finally decided to try a pair of Genesis sandals. The ‘sport lace’ system is different from Luna’s: each section of the lace is made of soft doubled tube-like material. Not a shoe lace: thicker and rounder. It also has two places to adjust the tightness, which rest on each side of the ankle but do not get in the way or rub or anything. Very easy to work and adjust. Just felt so good and comfortable from the first try.

I’ve now been hiking and running in them, in dry sandy and rocky terrain. Mud and water doesn’t work well with most huaraches anyways, but these I think will be ok, better than the Feeltrue, because the sport lace is more snug. (For super muddy or wet terrain, I’d recommend the old VFFs!)


 

The only thing to worry about, and I hope not for a couple years, is when the thong section between the toes will break, as they must inevitably do. The sport lace at least has enough material that I think one could rig it up to feed it through the hole and get back home, which I could not do with Lunas, when it happened. I only say this about breakage because there is one Xero Shoes product that I didn’t like—the Z-Trail, which had some plastic clips at the ankle straps, on both pairs of sandals, break within days of each other on a hike in Grand Gulch (see link to review below).

By the way, I know there are still people who think they don’t like the thong between the toes, on any sandal. I used to be like that, but finally tried it, years ago, when trying huaraches. And, you get used to it so quickly. But the Z-Trail was the first of several models of sandal Xero now has, which don’t have a thong, but instead a strap over all the toes, like their new Z-Trek and Naboso (neither of which I have tried). I strongly urge readers to consider saving money and just getting the Genesis. $20 cheaper than the Z-Trek, and $50 cheaper than the Naboso (!). They have thicker and stiffer soles anyways.

I also, again, highly recommend the Genesis over any other basic huarache or sport sandal: you don’t want thicker soles, and you don’t need fancier straps, and you don’t need to spend more money. And the Genesis looks fairly sporty, if I say so myself.

Order Xero Shoes and sandals here: https://xeroshoes.com/

Link to my review of the Z-Trail here.

Link to my previous comparison between Xeros and Lunas here.

Link to my review of the Xero Prio running shoe here.

Link to my re-review of Xero huaraches (the Feeltrues) here