Barefoot Running

These are my new running shoes. I'm training barefoot for the next four to five weeks. This is an attempt to learn to run lighter, to help heal my Plantar Faciitis and to transition to a lighter shoe. This morning I ran six miles barefoot and it was real eye opener. I learned to run quieter and I worked muscles that I didn't know that I had. Check out Geezer's video of us running in the dense fog.

Cycling date

Yesterday I was supposed to run 18 miles with my group, but my P.F. injury has set me back. YUK. In order to keep my muscles moving and strong for the ATX marathon, I decided to go biking for three hours instead of running. Charlie and I made a date out of it. In an effort to find things that are "keeping Austin weird," we decided to go where we've never been before. Here are some things that we found.

We met on Avenue A in Denton, Texas seven years ago


Inside the men's bathroom at El Chilito

A cucumber garden

Everything is going to be okay.

Charlie next to an old Cadillac hearse.

Don't you forget it!


At the new Crestview metro rail station


A ghetto fabulous swing


Watch out Chuck!

Plantar Fasciitis

This week, I completed my 16-mile run three minutes faster than last, but it didn't come without pain and suffering. Around mile 10, I started to feel a burning pain in the arch of my right foot. I finished the run and visited the Rogue doctor on staff. He started to massage my foot and I almost had a heart attack because it hurt like hell. He told me that I have plantar fasciitis. Basically, it's the most painful and the most difficult to relieve according to my coach, Geezer. Well....mother f**king s**t is what I have to say about that. I was told to freeze a bottle of water and roll my foot across it, limit my running, and work on building my strength in other ways for a while. In addition, I am going to try barefoot running to see if that helps because it's quite possible that my shoes just aren't the right ones. I'm going to give the barefoot thing a try tomorrow. If it hurts worse, I'm going to the doctor. If it's better, then I guess I'll start searching for a new shoe that's only made of a small sole and a couple of strings. Until next time.

PB 16 miles in 2:47

An ice bath with coffee is the only way to do it.

When I hear the letters P.B., I often think about Marley's saggy hound dog lips. One is pink and the other is black. I frequently have to wipe the hanging dog slobber from her floppy P.B.'s. Sometimes when I hear the letters, I often think back to my college days of eating P.B. straight from the jar. These days, P.B. has a new meaning and I'm happy to report that I set my Personal Best this weekend for our 16-mile run. I ran it in 2 hours 47 minutes.

It didn't come without hard work and suffering. Actually, the run wasn't bad; it was the 10-minute ice bath after that SUCKED. Yeah, that's right. I would rather run three hours, than take a 10-minute ice bath to soothe my aching muscles. First, I filled the tub with cold water. I made sure to just cover my legs. Then, I poured a big bag of ice on top. I wrapped a towel around my upper torso and drank hot coffee, as goose bumps began to cover my body. I shook uncontrollably for the entire period. I thought to myself that if I ever wanted time to slow down, then this was the way to do it. Ten minutes seemed like an eternity compared to the nearly three-hour scenic tour through south Austin that I had just experienced. Near the ten-minute mark, I started laughing at myself because only a crazy person would do this. I was sure it wouldn't work. You know, I was WRONG. My legs felt great the next day. In fact, my hips were the only sore parts on my whole body. I guess next time I'll fill the water up a little higher to cover my hips too.