When you run barefoot you can expect to feel some aches and pains in your feet and ankles when doing some hard training — especially when you wake up in the morning. At least that is my experience. What I did not expect was blood in my urine when I returned from a fast 8 miles with my Dog around 10pm last night. The air temp is still 100 degrees when I went out. I do not think I had enough water, but I drank at least a pint on the run. So I am not sure if the blood in the urine was from impact on my feet, or from enlargement of the membrane that keep the blood separated from the urine, or from the the walls of the bladder hitting each other. The last can happen if you bladder is empty. Mine was after the first 1/2 mile. The tinge of blood in urine happens to distance runners, and to barefoot runners. It is not a serious problem from what I understand unless is happens consistently. Basically I am taking this as an indication of how much I am pushing myself to increase my speed.

Now that was not the only surprise for me. As many of you know, I have been documenting my weight gain, even though I am certainly burning huge calories. I have been striving to change my diet from a eat anything and run hard and long, to eating and training smart. So before I took off on this run I ate an incredible dinner prepared by my wife Michelle of Salmon, sautéed baby squash and onions, on rice. My beverage was water. The surprise was when I woke up to get take care of the twins (they are just a few days shy of 1 year of age).

Normally after a fast run like I did last night I can expect my calves, ankles, and feet to be tight and sore. Sometimes taking a few minutes to stretch out when I get up, and for the soreness to subside. As I slipped my feet off of the bed there is this pause and hesitation as you are going from sleep to walking to brace for the wobbliness as you get on your feet. So I step down, stand up and take the corner around my bed to see why one of the twins is crying. As I am doing this I have this huge realization that my feet, ankles, and calves are not tight, sore or creaking. My guys are teething and so a few ounces of cold milk in the bottle seems to be quite calming. I get the bottle from the kitchen, return to the crib, back to my bed, and quickly back to sleep. Since I have twins you know that this pattern will repeat again. It does, and again I feel the same ease in steps to the crib, to the kitchen and back. I feel the same way when I wake for the day.

Now yesterday was the forth of July. I ate my traditional fare of food. Waffles and eggs for breakfast, chicken and beans burritos for lunch and a lot of crap for dinner. Potato chips, dips, Coke, veggies, and dips. This morning as i woke up, I am back to my routine of lower body tightness, creakiness, and soreness.

Wow!

There is no question in my mind that the correlation of this lower body tightness, creakiness, and soreness is directly related to my diet.

On David Goggins on competitor radio. It is pretty cool.

Michael Carroll

My Dad had a heart attack directly related to diet and stress in 1992, and again this year he needed a number of stents put in to open some severe blockages.

I made some changes in my life, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and doing a few repeats up the hill on my bike every day, but I kept the Mountain Dew habit, and the stressful job. My body tone improved and I could deal with stress much better, but I was a far cry from my days as a Marine Force Reconnaissance man.

In high school I was bone rack skinny and could not eat enough to put any weight on my body. I ran cross country and track, skied and snowboarded. We never starved in my home. Each sunday was filled with meat, mash potatoes, gravy, and lots of fresh veggies from the garden. It was our pattern to sit and eat and eat until we could not move. We were under direct orders to eat everything on our plate, and if for any reason we left food on the plate we were served up a good dose of guilt “don’t you know people are starving in Africa.” I always wondered how I was going to ship the napkin full of cooked peas I was hiding in my lap across the Atlantic. I could easily win any eating contest and I held the neighborhood pizza and burrito eating championship.

By the time I got to the Marine Corps my physical activity picked up and I found the love of running that I just could not find during high school. For the first time in my life I ran a sub 18 minute three mile. I ran and swam on a daily basis. I was a regular on the grass corner of Marine Barracks 8th & Ist in Washington D.C. methodically pumping out a Force Recon / Navy Seal work out each morning. Working out was becoming an obsession for me as I had the goal of making it into an elite 2nd Force Reconnaissance Co team. in North Carolina. I read the Navy Dive manual and knew in my heart that I was going to graduate number one from the Arm’s Combat Swimmer School. When I tried out for the pre-entrance screening test, written on the bottom of my evaluation form was the words “best swimmer to date!”

Needless to say my appetite for food was off the hook. I was in the chow line four times a day. A trip to McDonalds would look something like this: 2 BigMac, 2 Lg Fries, 2 hot apple pies, 2- 32 oz orange drink, and 12 Chicken McNuggets.

Fast forward now 16 years, I was running my own business (Architectural Shutter & Blind), and was about to go through one of the toughest times in my life- business failure and divorce. I was working long hours, eating poorly (fast food everyday), and I had discovered Diet Coke. Not just a can here and there, but at least 2-3x 64oz drinks per working day.

I did not have time to be sick. What started out as a bladder infection, soon had me screaming in pain and cold sweats, and I felt like someone had stuck a hot knife in my kidneys. Business was still good, but things were not working the way they should. Our largest customer was trying out the competition because our supplier was taking too long to deliver our large tube systems, and my marriage was failing. I pushed through trying to work and suppress what my body was acutely telling me. Then I could not ignore reality anymore as my simple infection had now turned into full blown kidney infections. It landed me in the hospital on the strongest anti-biotic drug you can have put in your body. I was inches from losing my life.

I was not quite sure of the source of the initial infection, but my doctor concurred with me that it was connected to my diet of Diet Cokes. The drugs were working, and I was recovering quickly, but my craving for a Coke was still with me. One of my visitors in the hospital asked if there was anything they could get for me. I of course say “can you get me a Diet Coke?” Before being admitted into the hospital, I was given an oral sulfa drug. The side effects were the most acrid, nauseating, things I have ever experienced. To take the drug I would have to focus and work up the courage to take the pills because of these side effects. With all the drugs in me, the sip of Coke, had the same reaction as when I took the pills. That is all it took to cure my Diet Coke habit, and I have never gone back to Diet anything.

That time in my life was tough, but on the up side they jump started my old love affair with running. It was cheap therapy and it made me smile. I could barely run 2 miles and up a hill 500 feet tall. In three years I have transformed my body. I can run a marathon in bare feet, a 50k in minimalist shoes. I can swim more than a mile in a lake and sometimes hang with Rich Hurd (triathlete) on one of his slower days.

However, the point of my blog today is to express my deep respect for Marc Rubin. He transformed his body, and he changed his unhealthy familial eating patterns. What a great gift he is giving his son.

Although I am faster, stronger than I have been since the Marines, I have yet to reform my eating habits. As my distances have grown so has my weight as I struggle to get enough calories in my body. To little and I am walking around in a daze, too much, I feel good — but the middle grows. I am more keenly aware of my eating patterns than I have ever been. I am still struggling with my cravings for carbonation — the SODA! I am wondering what I am holding on to, and when I will be ready to change the way I eat.

One last thought. How many of us equate health to working out, but not to eating?

Best regards to all those who are building better lives for themselves and their families,

Michael Carroll

This it the inaugural run of this race. You could see the excitement on the faces of the National Guardsman and the Race Director. Many Guardsmen were going to be running and were checking in with those that would be manning the course. It was as well managed and organized as St. George which speaks volumes for the organizers and volunteers.

You could not ask for a more perfect day to go running. The energy wind turbines were slowing turning as we gathered on Camp Williams for the pre-race briefing. The temperature was perfect, just enough of a chill to wear a long sleeve shirt. Big, partially connected rain clouds moved overhead causing the humidity to be high but it was cool and comfortable.

My previous race was the St. George Marathon barefoot. It rained and 26.3 miles on pruned-up feet was an interesting journey. So beautiful cool weather, on dirt, sporting a pair of FIVES was going to be a treat, or so I thought.

Stats: Weight 251lbs and healthy. Completed a 20 mile training run one week prior to race feeling stronger and more relaxed than my last work up for the St. George Marathon. Michelle noted that I looked very relaxed at the 15 mile mark compared to the last time I had done this training run.

Minimal Shoes: Vibram Five Fingers KSO’s (FIVES).

I love running in Vibram Five Fingers. So I was excited to be running my second race in them. They are like old friends as I had already put 460 miles on them before this race. However they are getting a bit thin.

You cannot see how thin they are from the picture I have here, but you can see the wear. The thinness did not worry me as I just need a little edge to take off the bite from rocks — that I knew I was going to encounter on the trail.

Food: Hammer Gels (2), Powerbar Gels (3), Guru Carbonated Energy Drink (1) Paul Newman’s Fig Newtons (9).

The Fig Newton bars have become my energy food of choice both during and before the run. The energy bars on the other-hand do not seem to make a significant difference to me. I used all of the Hammers and two Powerbars, and I ate all the figs.

At the aid stations – Watermelon, bananas, HEED, Hammer Gels, and M&M’s. The water tasted like tap water, and so I stuck to drinking the HEED. It felt like my body wanted it and it felt refreshing. I drank it at each stop. I skipped food at the first aid station, ate a banana at the second. After third aid station the clouds cleared and it was getting hot. I started to crave carbonation. I had a can of GURU for a post race fix as I like the carbonation and how it seems to clear out phlegm in the back of the mouth. Oh boy did it taste good. At about mile 20 I started to crave something cold and sweet. The gels I was carrying were not going to do it. I am not a watermelon fan, but when I pulled into the next aid station I devoured 5 pieces of watermelon. Oh it was perfect and satisfied the craving. Interestingly, when I hit the next checkpoint I was back to the man who does not like watermelon and I opted for a banana. Next time I race I am going to carry S-Caps and Fig Newtons and forgo the gels.

Water – I had my 64oz hydration pack and was sipping on it slowly and consistently throughout the race. When I hit the aid stations I went through 2-3 6oz cups of cold HEED each time. I thought I was doing good on water, but on the leg before the last aid station I ran out of water and I was suffering, my mouth was dry, and I could feel the heat effects on my energy. Fortunately a humvee from the last aid station cam rumbling by. They asked if I needed water. I must have looked like I did and I was able to fill up my pack.

Hydration Pack / RAW PATCHES – Did not connect the straps in the front of my hydration pack. This caused me the only injuries from this race. Huge raw patches on my arms and the side of my body were my arms the straps and my body intersected. Took almost a week to heal. I normally do not have these connected when I train. I am doing more and more training runs after this with no pack and caring two water bottles one in each hand.

The Race - The bottom line here is that I was the last person on the course to finish in the alloted time frame. Well almost – I was 9 minutes over the 9 hour cut off mark. The race director was waiting at the finish line and saw me sprinting across the finish line. The first thing I said was “Did I make it?” He nodded his head and handed me the inaugural finishing medal – I was stoked.

After the 2nd check in I was cruising with the guy that took 20th overall. I was feeling good. Then came the 6 miles of gravel road and my feet gave out. FIVES were definitely the wrong shoe for this race.

Negative 4″ road base on the last 3rd of the course going downhill finished me off and I was tender-footing it the rest of the way — If was an exercise in pain management. When I got dirt I went fast speeding up to a 10 or 11 minute mile. When I hit rocks, especially if it was downhill I slowed to less than a walk.

During the last major elevation change I was caught by an experienced ultra runner was kind enough to pace me up the longest hill before the final descent. When we hit the downhill she took off and finished almost 50 minutes ahead of me.

The last six miles were road base – the same stuff that killed my foot strength. I was singing songs — making up my own lyrics – “You can make it – Go Faster – Beat the Cut-Off – Its only pain – Recon Daddy Gone Take a Little trip – Faster Faster – Venga Venga Venga.”

I was now on the road were we started and I knew I was going to finish. I pushed the limits of pain. I was approaching 9 hours on the course and I refused to DNF or DQ. Other than the pain in my feet I was feeling good. When I hit the asphalt for the last 800 yards I sprinted with strength not indicative of my total time on the course. The smooth asphalt felt smooth like butter to my legs. YES! I would have taken the FIVES off and ran barefoot, but I did not have time to do so.

As I approached the finish line three paramedics and the race director were waiting. I do not think they expected me to be in as good as shape as I was. My wife was there at the finish line and we kissed and she paced me in barefoot. She is a rockstar. I took off my hydration pack and tossed it in the air, easily clearing the finish line banner.

“Wrong Shoes I Declared As I Crossed The Line!”

I was handed a loaded Army Back Pack, and directed to the cold drink coolers.

I soaked my legs in cold water from an Army Water-Buffalo.

No damage – no blisters – Ran 6 miles the next day.

I was glad to finish.

Yes – I will do it again next year.

As a Clydesdale endurance athlete I am struggling with how to ditch my belly fat. I am putting in longer and longer LSD runs and my muscle mass increases, my body fat on my arms, chest, and legs decreases, but my belly stays the same. If I eat too little I crash. My Garmin typically says that I have burned 3600 calories, and I have calculated my resting daily calorie needs at  2300. So that’s almost 6000 calories. I am learning that I need to slam down some big calories 30 minutes after a long session. This helps a great deal and wards off the big crashes.  Today for example I was walking around in a mental and physical fog and crashed on the floor. We ate spaghetti, and Greek salad for dinner and I was ravenous. For the rest of the night I am clear headed and have much strength.

Often after a workout I crave a giant Coke. Yes 64 ounce seems to do the trick. If I am at home, it is 64 ounces of Tang. Yes I know refined sugar in a liquid form. But it seem to work.

Anyway, I am working through this and will figure it out, and hope to post my findings up on the blog.  If any of you out their have worked through this already, please send me an email and I will post here or post a link to your blog.

Thanks,

Michael Carroll