Running, Biking and Being Barefoot

Well, its been a long time since I posted. I'm still going to PT, and I am getting better. If you check out my log, you can see that I'm increasing my mileage and am still biking 2-3 times a week. If you look real close, you can also see I'm doing "bricks" on Sunday. These workouts consist of back-to-back run-bike-run. There is a reason for this madness. I plan to compete in the Hagerstown Duathalon on October 16. The bricks are interesting workouts. Running focuses on hamstring use, while biking focuses on quad use. Therefore, the transition from one to the other makes your legs feel like bricks, hence the name. I feel the biggest effect when going from biking to running. When I get off the bike, my legs want to continue the circular, high RPM motion that occurs on the bike that is inconsistent with running. Takes me about a mile to get used to running again. I figured that training for this race will allow me to ramp up some mileage and still get the cross-training I need to complete my recovery.

Speaking of my recovery, when I first started going to PT, it was due to an IT band injury in my left leg. The PT started me on stretching and strengthening my legs and hips. My left leg adapted very quickly and my flexibility and strength really improved. My right leg, not so much. I now think my left leg is better, but I'm starting to have some problems with my right leg. Not pain, but lots of tightness when I run. After a longer run, my right leg will ache, where before I never had any problems with my right leg. I think the change in flexibility and strength of my left leg and my obsession with my gait may be causing the issues with my right leg.

My gait obsession stems from many comments that my IT band issue may be due to heel striking that may occur when I run. Therefore, I have been very conscious about my gait and running form. I'm trying really hard to strike mid foot and keep my gait short and quick. To help with that I've decided to incorporate some barefoot running into my training. When I was a kid, I did everything barefoot, with no problem. I enjoy walking around barefoot, so why not running?? They (people who run barefoot) say it will strengthen the foot and calf, while eliminating knee injuries. Sounds perfect!! At this point, I'm trying to do one short barefoot run per week on the treadmill. I've been reading lots about this type of running, and everyone says take it real slow. But if you know me, I do not do much slow.... I'll keep you posted!