marathon

Running and Age

Barefoot Ken, , , , , , , 2 Comments

We run to learn.  This means that as we age, nothing changes.  Until you are ready to surrender.

Nothing changes because the hunger is still there.  The craving for intensity.  Fear is still there too, because it’s inescapable that physical resilience degrades with time, and injuries heal more slowly, which means the consequences are more severe and the stakes are higher when we head out sleepy-eyed for the morning jog or toe the starting line for an important race or disappear into the wilderness in pursuit of enlightenment. Continue reading “Running and Age” →

Running and Age

Go Barefoot Cow

Barefoot Ken, , , , , , , , , 3 Comments

Maybe my fate would’ve been different if I’d grown up like a Comanche child – playing naked in the forest until adulthood.  Instead I grew up a modern child.  Living in a city, playing in the alleys.  Always clothed and shod, except for bed and bathtub. 

As a teenager I went to the track and tried to run, but after 15 minutes, my shins would go numb.  I couldn’t lift my toes.  Landed flat and heavy.   “Frustration” might have been my middle name, or maybe it was “persistent” for I clumped along despite the disability, hoping the symptoms would resolve.  I wanted so badly to go fast and run far. 

Continue reading “Go Barefoot Cow” →

Go Barefoot Cow

Ru’s 2024 SRT 70 miler recap

Barefoot Ken, , , , , , , Leave a comment

Guest post by Ru Shodai, 2024 SRT 70-mile competitor who completed 57.8 miles

I remember reading about the SRT race, years ago, and learning about the barefoot category, and wanting terribly to do it. Back then I could barely do a 10k on trails, but it was placed on my bucket list. After successfully racing North Face Endurance Challenge’s 10k race at Bear Mountain for several years, I was ready to sign up for the half, when it abruptly discontinued.  Fortunately, I had discovered Red Newt Racing’s Breakneck Point Trail Runs. And ran the toughest half of my life. And was hooked. Ran that half several times, and rediscovered the SRT. In 2022, I  signed up for the half. I had no idea what I was in for, but it was an amazing journey. I missed a turn, added 5 miles, stumbled into the finish, legs completely shot, and realized I had just done 18 miles on the trails. In sandals. I got my barefoot pin! I immediately wanted to sign up for the 30 miler. 

Continue reading “Ru’s 2024 SRT 70 miler recap” →

Ru’s 2024 SRT 70 miler recap

Running Yasso 800’s on a Bright Blue Track

Barefoot Ken, , , , 5 Comments

He traveling with me needs the best blood, thews, endurance

— Walt Whitman, Song of the Open Road

As someone who loves to explore forest trails, I nonetheless spend a fair amount of time at the local track.  I’m always trying to run a little bit faster, and I love to make progress.

One of my favorite track workouts is called the Yasso 800.  It consists of ten 800-meter (or 1/2 mile) intervals, with 400-meter (1/4 mile) jogs for recovery in between.  The name was coined by Runners World editor Amby Burfoot in an 1994 article after he heard his colleague Bart Yasso claim that the drill would predict his marathon time.  It’s simple, Bart explained:  the average time for the 800-meter intervals in minutes and seconds would predict his marathon time in hours and minutes.  For example, an average interval time of 2 minutes 50 seconds would correspond to a marathon finishing time of 2 hours and 50 minutes.  The relationship could be thrown off by heat, wind, or hills, but the intervals had proven a reliable indicator, at least in Bart’s own experience.

Continue reading “Running Yasso 800’s on a Bright Blue Track” →

Running Yasso 800’s on a Bright Blue Track