The Third Run

Noland Trail--Newport News, Virginia.

Behind the Mariner's Museum of Virginia is Noland Trail. A swevry, curvy trail that mingles among trees and a large lake, that provides lovely sightseeing to runners or casual walkers. To the barefoot runner however, it is a strange change of pace that required diligence and attention.
March 17th 2011

I ran the trail with my boyfriend, who had never barefooted before, and I was firstly surprised by his willingness to unshod, but it is the attitude that needs to be had to enjoy barefoot running, or else the runner will be griping the entire time and completely forget about enjoying foot to ground connection.

We started off by properly stretching (which I never do, I know, I know, bad!) and hydrated as much as we could as well as downing some food, about 200 calories each prior, and I had had about 200 or 300 about 40 minutes earlier.

The run started near Lions' Bridge, and the trail had a short bout of oyster shells which we avoided, and then generally alternated between fine gravel (bearable for soft feet, but still unpleasant) and soft, powder sand (a godsend).

We ran for about 10 minutes, and stopped as he showed me a small deck and rested to enjoy the beauty of the lake and the trees, along with the fairly warm weather (62 farenheit). The run was meant to be a relaxed run, and we even stopped when we found a hill to literally roll down it, like small children.

Overall, it was strange having the trail switch unexpectedly from gravel to sand, with most of it feeling like gravel, likely because it was what made the most impact on my feet and memory.

Other surfaces the two of us found were:

dried grass: still not as nice as fresh grass, and sometimes scratchy
mud: squishy and excellent to walk in. we were able to wash off on puddles from the recent rain.
wood planks: the bridges we ran on were always nice and smooth, a pleasant break from the gravel.
oyster shells: AVOID. we are still soft-feets!

My man did pretty well considering it was his first barefoot run, and though the gravel made me grumpy near the end despite staying strong before, he pulled through without complaining about the gravel on his very soft soles. Though it was always cause for celebration when we found a patch of sandy trail, we had to watch out for the wooden planks that prevent erosion and created sometimes steep steps. While this proved little problem besides incline when we wre on the sand, it was obviously a bother when steps were ascended or descended onto gravel.

Besides a bit of poor form, my man did well, though we slowed a bit at the end, but it made me realize that there are tips people don't know of, that really help the running experience.

Tips for Running Stronger
-Stand Straight.
(slouching starts poor form and hurts the back and inhibits breathing.)

-Keep your arms at 90 degree angles and when swinging, do not cross over your chest
(crossing your arms over your chest overworks your back, and will make your back tight and make breathing harder by the end of the run)
(also, swinging your arms straight in front of you will power you forward, and allow stronger strides)

Overall, the run was a lighter excursion for me, and while it exhausted my partner, I believe it was a positive introduction to barefoot running for him and a nice continuation for myself.