22.5mi Barefoot Run and 500mi mark total

I ran 22.5mi as part of the NYRR long training run in central park. Barefoot! This is the longest barefoot run to date. The weather was okay but not exactly ideal for barefoot running. It rained overnight making the central park loop wet and that made the soles softish for such a long run. No wonder I got my second splinter of the barefoot running experiment...first since the first couple of weeks of barefoot running. Of course the difference from last time was that the sole is now almost a centimeter thick and I can "feel" the splinter well before it even reaches the actual sensitive part of the sole. I considered stepping out and using my twizzer in my fanny pack (good thinking huh...) but since I was at 20mi mark with only two mile to home, I decided to continue running carefully and slowed down to 12min/mi pace.

In retrospect, after 20mi I lost form (three drinks last night didnt help I am sure) and more likely to get a splinter, especially if the 20mi have been on coarse and wet surface. I am pretty sure dry surface would not have caused this issue. Its also interesting that a splinter does not necessary mean end of the world. But enough about the splinter. On the bright side, no blisters despite 22miles on wet coarse surface.

This long run of 22.5mi follows 20.4mi, 19mi, 16mi, 15mi. So far so good. Also if I do a run tomorrow, I just need to run 5mi to make it a weekly mileage PR of 43mi. Earlier this week also cross the 500mi mark. So now that long run and mileage has settled at high level, I have to plan a strategy for the 1mi race next weekend. In particular, its important to decide if its going to be an all-out run. I noticed that my ITB starts acting up if I run fast for small stretches. Besides these stretches, I have done no speed training this season at all. The fastest barefoot mile in the races I have done so far is 7:36mpm compared to 7:10mpm with shoes. Not sure how I pulled off 6:02min last year. I remember I took the week before very light and had raced the queens half FAST the week before. Hmmm. I would be happy if I break 7min this year.

I heard from someone on the run today that she saw another barefoot runner in a half marathon. I am curious who that was and good to hear that there are other barefoot runners running longer distances. But, as usual it was a torture first few miles of run when I was running very slow but with everybody passing me and then so much fun passing other in later half when I sped up for the most part. I found it fun to tag along a few minutes with the faster runners a loop ahead when they came around passing me.

BF in NY for 532mi