How Not to Prepare for a 5K

Last Saturday morning was the 8th Annual Martell-Richard Mini-Marathon in Arichat. Three years ago I ran the 10K, last year I ran the 5K, and last weekend I ran the 5K again.

A creaky knee and toothache in my hip have prevented me from running as much as I would like in recent years, so I impulsively switched to barefoot running early in August after watching "The Perfect Runner" on David Suzuki's The Nature of Things. You can watch the full episode here (if you're in Canada). Sorry to all my SOB friends (South Of Border!). Perhaps/just maybe the whole barefoot running thing is a fad, but if David Suzuki stamps it ok, then it must be worth considering ... Right?

I must say that so far I think barefoot running is working for me: it's only been a little more than a month, but my knee and hip are pain free (although different parts are twinging now - mostly calves and achilles). But nothing major. And of course there were those initial blisters on the balls of my feet from running on hot asphalt in August before I actually purchased my Merrells, but those are bygones ... happy memories. 

So my goal for Saturday was just to finish barefoot. Why set the bar too high and risk disappointment? Instead of eating something healthy and going to bed early Friday night before race-day, I ate my usual Friday night-when-Daniel-is-at-work frozen thin-crust pizza and bottle of wine dinner. This time it was Dr. Oetker Funghi 'za and Cupcake Chardonnay. Honestly, after that, I decided to check the Environment Canada Weather Radar in the morning and make the call as to whether or not I would even run in the morning.

Dinner Before ...

... and After

Run, I did. The rain held off long enough for me to get up, walk the dog, drive to Arichat, get to the registration desk, discover that I was $2 short on the fee, bum $2 from a friendly stranger, run back to the car for the $2, forget my race number at the registration desk, repay friendly stranger, find number/pin it on, and get to the start line. Then the rain came down in sheets. Somehow, despite all of these factors, I only added 3 minutes to my 5K time from last year. Seriously lame, but who cares? It was fun running in the pouring rain, getting soaked with 138 other peeps, and then having to roll-start my car and drive it to the dealership. Thanks Giles, Annick, and friend for the coffee and the push.

last year: silver medal!

this year: just the silver ring on my bare tootsie