Friday 25 October 2019
Auckland Half Marathon 2019
I ran the Auckland Half Marathon last Sunday. My time was 1:46:51, a little slower than last year. I didn't quite have the mental endurance I guess. As always I hope I'll do better next year, though I am getting older...
As usual, I ran barefoot. This year I had climbing tape again which definitely makes it a bit easier on my feet at this speed.
People ask why I run barefoot. I didn't start running until I was about 35, and I started running on a beach where I'm usually barefoot. After I got used to that, it never felt right to run in shoes ... they're just weight on my feet. To be honest, I also like being a bit eccentric. I've never had any serious issues with injuries so at this point, I don't feel like changing anything. I did try wearing Vibram 5-Finger foot-gloves for my first half-marathon, but my feet got all sweaty and were still sore at the end so they don't seem to help me much. Sticking small patches of climbing tape to the hardest-wearing parts of my feet (the balls, and my second toes) is plenty of protection when running fast. When running slower (20K training runs around 2:10) I don't even need that.