Until now I have been taking it easy in the FiveFingers and not worrying too much about pace.  I have probably been running easy 8s and 9s for pace.  But last week I re-joined the work runners, and tackled intervals.  I was initially planning to again take it easy, but got caught up in the fray and booked around a 6:40 on the way back from a “social” run.  I was amazed that it felt fine, I was sure that I would have more aches and pains.  Wednesday we did some moderate 7:00 miles, but then Thursday decided to hit it hard with three 1 mile intervals.  My splits were 6:44, 6:41, and 6:45 – incredibly fast for me!

I was totally amazed that I could run 3 miles that fast in them.  I never really intended these to be speed footwear, really more of just an alternative to build leg strength.  So I was pleasantly surprised to pull of some of my fastest running in them.  They continue to amaze me.

I also pulled off my first blister, and for the first time and wondering if maybe I went too big on them.  I did 7 miles of single-track trail last weekend, and have a souveneir on my big toe.  I think the sweating and extra foot movement on terrain caused a bit too much rubbing.

But we’ll see – maybe these will callous up just fine.  I also have some Injinjis to try out when the weather gets cool.  This week is a rest week as I try to finally kick the piriformis problem that has hung around since my 22 mile training run before Twin Cities Marathon.  Next week might be rest too.

Delayed posting – notes from 23 Oct 2008…

I had another debate this morning about whether to go out in the Vibram FiveFingers or not.  I was really excited to run in them, but just before bed last night was finally starting to feel the aches from yesterday morning, including an incredibly tight right calf.  But I rationalized that warming everything up with a VFF run would just let me get good and stretched out!  So I squeezed into the toe pockets and took off towards Coit Tower.

It was a little over a year ago in this very town that I first laid eyes on what I thought was the most bizarre footwear I had ever seen.  I took note after hearing an odd foot slapping sound approaching me from behind on the Embarcadero.  I came home and mentioned them to fellow runner and POSE practitioner Jeremy who immediately told me they must have been FiveFingers.  I just laughed when I first checked out the web site and shook my head.  But now a year later, here I am pleased to hear that familiar footslapping sound in the town where I first discovered them, coming from my own feet.

I passed through the Chinatown gate on Grant, and ran straight over to Lombard, then turned to attack the hill.  I took the roads up to Coit Tower, and was surprised to see a couple other runners on stairs.  As I got around to the other side, I naively realized that I would be taking stairs down the other side, and quickly got a bit lost.  There is quite a rabbit warren of staircases on that hill!  I caught the same runner I had seen now going down, and he helped me get back on my route.  That dude does 45 minutes of stairs in the morning – what a great workout!

Back through the financial district and I was still loving the FiveFingers the whole way.  The financial district is quite boring to me compared with North Beach and Chinatown – I would opt for the latter if you are a visting runner in San Fran.

I had a good long stretch when I got back, careful to work the calves and the piriformis stretches.  I still don’t know how much is VFFs vs. San Fran hills, but I’m definitely feeling those 2 relatively short runs!  Good times, though.