Running Research - Retesting

Back in early December last year we headed to Salford University to be testing at the start of a PhD research project - more details about on my blog over here. Today was retest day. This was supposed to happen about a month ago (8 weeks after starting the intervention), but the treadmill broke, and as such was out of order for a few weeks. There was then the inevitable scramble for students to get rebooked into the already packed lab schedule. A little frustrating for us, given that the daily exercises needed to be continued.

I have been really enjoying the barefoot runs I've done, and have gradually built up my distance to a mighty 5km last week. Which, just by chance happened to by my quickest ever 5km, clocking in at 24:10. Not bad to say I wasn't actually aiming for a fast time, and that I eased off at about 4.3km to cool down!

I've not had the raw data from the retests today but the general feedback was that my RPE (rate of perceived exertion) was lower, and my heart rate was also marginally lower than the initial tests. From my point of view the test felt much easier. I was able to forefoot strike the whole way through and was focused on keeping my foot strike light, easy and quiet. Tim said I was definitely forefoot striking, so the barefoot shoes have definitely helped me develop that technique - the tests were done in inov8 road shoes.  I was also prepared to have a go at the full test. If you read my previous blog you'll see I didn't make it to the final 5 minutes at 16kph. Although the final 5 minutes of today's test weren't easy (running at 14kph), I do think I would have got some way into the 16kph block of time. It wasn't to be though, since I didn't get there in the first test there wasn't any point for the retest. So I'll never know!

Now that my part in the research project is over I could just stop barefoot running. But to be honest I'm enjoying the runs in the fivefinger shoes. I don't have any grand plans to do massive distances in them, but the local loop I do on the road for recovery runs is about 6.5km so I'll carry on building up distance gradually until I get round that circuit happily. I reckon I'll be up to that by the end of March.

I'll post a few photos up from the test today, maybe a video, once we've got them downloaded.