Tribute to Thousand Paper Cranes

Some of you know that I was in a band called Thousand Paper Cranes and this video is a song called September Snow. Here's to you Brant, and Joe, and Zac, and Aaron and Michael. We got Jo P-Witty, Big Daddy Cheetah, G-Mac (A-Tron) and Dr. B and the Synapse.

Today I took a break from running barefoot. I did some 400 meter repeats on grass. I will probably do a long barefoot run Saturday before, between or after General Conference sessions.

The fact that I was in a band is something that helped me to run fearless.

Baby while Barefoot with a Blood Blister

Okay, so this will be fast because there are tons of other things to do, but this blog is worthwhile so here goes...

Amy had a ton of homework to do and I really wanted to go running so we made a compromise. Our wonderful and incredible landlords, who live right above us, have a good jogging stroller so I asked if I could borrow it. They said that would be just fine and I did. So I ran barefoot pushing my 8-month old baby boy.

Well I was only going to go 40 minutes, but then when I looped around I calculated the distance and estimated the time it would take and I was way off. I underestimated the time it would take and went further to compensate. I ended up running for 47 minutes flat. The run was great, do-able, enjoyable except for the blood blister.

My left foot started burning, but I was semi-far from home and there was nothing I could do about it so I tried my best to ignore it. By the time I got home it was a pretty good sized blood blister as you can see in that picture above.

Fun little side-note: I had brought water and I stopped a few times to drink. I knew my son would be thirsty and so I gave him water and he loved it, and smiled, and did his hard, elevated breathing that means he's enjoying something. During the run though he was very still, motion-less and very observant. It was a wonderful workout and it helped me run fearless.

35 minutes barefoot (accidentally) and The Barefoot Half-Marathon

I woke up early for a conference call. Changed a wet diaper, then a poopy one and got the little guy down for his morning nap all while my wife slept and recovered from the rough night she had with a sick baby. We don't really plan it out, but many times I'm the back-up in the morning while she recovers.

With both of them asleep I decided it was a good time to go running and I set off in my black Nike shorts and my short-sleeved gray t-shirt. I had taped my big toe on my left foot and the second toe on my right foot. I put on extra tape just so the chances of burning through the first layer were slimmer. (I don't know if you can use "slim" like that, but I did.)

I wanted/had planned on running just 30 minutes, but ended up running 35 minutes. It felt okay. I can feel my feet getting tired and sore. My mother-in-law asked if I wanted my feet to become callused and tough. I told her I did. I think being a long-distance runner, which I see myself being for a long time, and having tough, callused feet is a good thing.

Okay, so here's the latest news: I'm going to run a half-marathon barefoot. At least that's the plan I've created in my head and a little on paper. I was thinking about running the Halloween Half-Marathon, but it's $50 and the only reason I want to run it is to say I've run a half-marathon barefoot. SO I decided to make my own race. I'll get a buddy to bike behind me (and anyone else who wants to come) with a video camera and tape. I'll borrow someone's GPS watch (hopefully), start up in the canyon, come down the Provo River Trail ALL TOTALLY barefoot. I'm excited, stay tuned and run fearless.

Crazy stares and a 2:13 800 meter run barefoot

Yesterday I went on my first real adventure barefoot. I'm sure I could call some of my other barefoot ventures adventures, but in my opinion yesterday was my first. That's because I actually went somewhere.

I left my house and started running West. I ran kind of through BYU campus on the sidewalks and through the cross-walks. One guy on the back of a scooter gave me a funny stare so I stared right back at him. That startled him so much that he caused the driver to crash. Yeah, it was bad. Except it didn't actually happen, but that was a funny/sick thought I just had. But the guy staring and me staring back part did happen.

I was waiting at a stop-light and I heard this girl say, "Whatever floats your boat." I knew she was talking about me to her friend who was driving, so I turned and yelled, "Thank you!" But they didn't hear me.

Then I arrived at the track, did a one-lap warm-up, got some water and started my 800 meter time-trial. I've decided that I'm going to train barefoot and race barefoot (if possible). So my first 400 was a 1:08.74 and the second 400 was a 1:04.54 equaling 2:13.28. It felt hard and good. If I could only do two 800s like that back-to-back that would be sweet. Total barefoot running time: 27 minutes 25 seconds barefoot.

As I ran fast I could feel old-blisters opening and the friction of skin-to-track burning the skin on the toes that grip the track the most. That's why I have athletic tape on the two toes in the picture. Besides that I'm feeling really good about it all. Run fearless.

BMX kids and 21 minutes barefoot on the hard stuff

Tuesday I went running. I did a nice loop along the asphalt trail along University Ave. up 1140 along Canyon by the stadium and then back to the Smith Fieldhouse at BYU. My total time barefoot totalled 21 minutes 36 seconds because I ran into some of the guys on the BYU team as they were coming back from their run.

Nate Ogden, one of the captains of the team, along with another runner caught up to me when I was waiting at the light at Canyon Road and Univerity Parkway; right by the stadium. They approached, recognized me and said hi. Then Nate looked down and said, "Barefoot huh?"
"Yep."
"On cement, that's brave."
"Just experimenting with some things."
And that was the end of our brief conversation. I decided to try and hang with them for the last 5 minutes of the run. They were doing an easy run so it wasn't too bad. I did have to stop at some bushes where I had hid my shoes and I was still able to catch up.

Funny side-note: About 4 guys around 17-18 years old, were getting a ticket from a cop for using the stairs and hand-rail at the track stadium for BMX bike purposes. They had used one of my shoes to prop the gate open. While the cop was writing them up I told the others who were sitting down, "I'm going to take this," as I removed my shoe.
"Go ahead," one said. Then I found my other shoe and started to walk off. "Oh were those yours?" the same guy asked.
"Yep."
"Oh sorry about that."
"I'll forgive you this time, but next time..." and I ran off, caught up the BYU guys and finished my run.

Frankly, or as Brant would say "frank", I am really liking just running barefoot anywhere I want. It's kind of liberating and freeing. Who knows what will happen when the snow comes. We'll deal with that obstacle when it comes. Run fearless.

My first speeding ticket and a 5:01 mile barefoot on the track

This past weekend has been more exciting than most weekends. To start it off my little brother got his mission call (or in other words he received, via mail, his assignment for the next two years of his life) and told us that he would be opening it later in the evening. After I got off the phone with him I turned to Amy and said, "Do you think we could make it if we left right now?" We quickly weighed out the pros and cons and within 20-ish minutes we were out the door. We surprised everyone and it was a pleasant and fun weekend. My brother is going to Daejeon, South Korea.

To add to the excitement I got my first speeding ticket. I was between Malad and Pocatello going about 84 in a 75. Yep, he saw me and pulled me over. I thought about releasing the NOS and out-running the guy, but then I remembered that I didn't have any NOS so that wouldn't help me. My first ticket ever. I'm okay, I'm okay.

Saturday was great. My dad asked me if I wanted to go running with him. My goal for Saturday was to run barefoot on cement and asphalt for 15 minutes. That was the plan, to run at this park where my dad could run barefoot on the grass and I could run beside him on the asphalt trail and then I could switch over onto grass when I had run 15 minutes. That's what he had told me earlier in the day at least...

As we were driving he said that what he really wanted to do was a workout on the track: 1 x 1600 m on 8 minutes, 2 x 800 m on 4 minutes each and 4 x 400 m on 2 minutes each--And he wanted to do it barefoot. I didn't know exactly how it would go because of how I've been feeling, but I decided to take it out easy but strong and see how I felt.

My first 400 was a 1:19. I was thinking, "Great! Right on pace for a 5:20, that would be cool. I'd be okay with that." The next 400 was a 1:17 and that's when I started thinking a little more ambitiously. That's also when it started hurting, in a good way. The next 400 I kept solid and did it in 1:16 and as I started the last 400 I gave it all I had finishing in 5:01. My feet were raw, tender and in a bit of pain, but not only had I exceeded my expectations but I really enjoyed it. As I did the rest of the workout I realized that I really do enjoy running and I think a lot of it has to do with running barefoot.

This is the second time I have been significantly frustrated about running and the second time that barefoot running has swooped in and saved my life. This is just my belief, but I think that Lord has helped me both times. I do believe in coincidence, but I also believe very firmly in divine intervention and that happened on Saturday.

I've said it once and I'll say it again: Running barefoot helps me run fearless.

10 Minutes Barefoot on Cement and Asphalt

Today I went running wearing the attire you see in that HOT picture above. I got that shirt from a high school buddy named Chris. I miss Chris.

Today I witnessed a sweet 4-mile time-trial which was kind of the last opportunity for the walk-ons to make an impression on Coach Eyestone. I loved it. It was the same course I used for The Barefoot Race a month ago. I was watching this time which was different than normal. Most races I go to so I can race in them, not necessarily to be a spectator.

After practice I ran for 10 minutes. About 40% was cement and 60% was asphalt. The coolest part was that I ran up 900 East and there was a good amount of traffic. Cars passed me, but then I caught them as they had to slow down for the light. I just picked it up running fast on the sidewalk. I just imagined what it would be like to be looking out the car at this 25 year-old, skinny, 5' 11" guy in short-shorts and a magenta shirt just bookin' it barefoot up ninth--Cool, that's what I would think.

Don't trash it 'til you try it! That's my run fearless motto, unless your talking about drugs and stuff like that. Alright, run fearless.

How to Run Barefoot on Cement and Asphalt, by Caleb

Okay, so I'm back and embarrassed because my running life lately has been rough, but I'm going to pro-act to that and I'm on to the next series of my life.

BTW my internship with the BYU Cross Country team is going great. I felt a little left-out at first because no one really knew me, or understood my humor... but I feel like I'm becoming friends with Coach Eyestone and the athletes and it's great.

Okay, so here's my latest experiment. I think that running barefoot is the best. I also am not naive enough to think that the whole world agrees that we should run barefoot. Right now is the perfect time to experiment so here goes...

A year ago I started running barefoot at parks and it was quite successful to say the least. Seeing as how I really have absolutely nothing to lose I'm going to take my experiment to the roads and run barefoot on cement and asphalt. I know, I know! Some of you will say that I'm stupid or crazy or a bad word, but that doesn't really bother me frankly because it's my life, it's now or never, I aint gonna live forever. Alright, threw a little Bon Jovi in there, sorry.

So yesterday I ran for 5 minutes on both cement and asphalt. About 80% cement and 20% asphalt I would say. Tomorrow will be 10 minutes. Saturday will be 15. We'll see how it goes. This is how I'm running fearless.

I'm not Peter Pan, so I'm leaving Neverland

I think it's time to grow up. For the past 7 years I have thought I would make the BYU Cross Country and Track teams. Today I ran a race and did horrible. I think it's time to re-evaluate.

I have felt VERY strongly that running is something God not only has led me to do but something that He wants me to do. I say that with confidence and zero blasphemy. If my feelings are right then some day some thing will happen and I just have to be ready. God has never told me when would be the time so it means I need to be ready always. There are a TON of applications for that principle, but I'll spare you for now.

My mission president in Argentina told me the following about finding a wife: "She will come. Surely she will come. You don't know when, but she will come. Your job is to always be ready so that when she does come you will be ready. Be obedient, keep the commandments and stay worthy and some day she will come and you will be ready too." Well, about two years ago I was sitting in a car with my girlfriend and we started talking about marriage. 3-ish months later we were married in Manti, UT. I was ready, so was she and we were married.

If running is right it will happen. I may not be Peter Pan, but I could be a Vince Papale, Jimmy Morris or Dara Torres of sorts where later in life I just get faster and faster.

Who knows, I don't, but what I do know is that for now a tired warrior is going to take a break and help a little more around the house. I'm going to clean more, get up in the night to take care of the baby and ease the stress from my wife and just rest.

I asked my wife if she thought that if I didn't obsess about running if I would get faster. (Did that make sense?) She said she didn't know, neither do I. I'd like to think that it will. We'll definitely see because that's what I'm going to do. For a while that's how I'll run fearless. That's how I'll be fearless. Yep, and that's how I'll live fearless.

Practice Persistence

"Most people give up just when they're about to achieve success. They quit on the one-yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game, one foot from a winning touchdown." -H. Ross Perot

Some of you may be like, "Perot?! Didn't he run for president or something?!" Yep and I think some people I'm related to voted for him, you know who you are. Perot was (maybe still is) a billionaire who mailed thousands and thousands of packages to American soldiers during the Vietnam war after exhausting all options and finally flying to Moscow where he was able to mail them.

I've been ready to give up on the BYU Cross Country team. Meaning that I've been ready several times to throw in the towel and not try out. I'm still doing the internship portion, but I'm tired, I feel slow, I don't feel like my hard work and long mileage has really helped and I can keep complaining, but I am stopping myself right now.

All I can say is that I'm tired and hurting, but if the above quote is true (for me) then giving up right now would be like being 100 meters or yards (or whatever measuring system you like) away from the summit of the mountain and then turning around and going back down or like running 25 miles of the marathon, pulling out and saying, "I can't do it. I hurt too much."

Now, don't get me wrong or misinterpret what I'm saying. If my leg was broken then you wouldn't see me out this Saturday at the Autumn Classic. If I had gotten a concussion yesterday then I wouldn't be there. If I had been in a freak ninja fight and had a part of my body sliced open AND deep then I wouldn't show up. But seeing as how none of those things are the case and I'm feeling okay, I'm going to do it and we'll see how it goes. I hope well.

Never, Never, Never give up. I think this is true unless you feel strongly that you should change the direction your life is heading. That's how I run fearless.

Come to the Autumn Classic this Saturday and watch some of the best high school and college runners. $5 to get in at the BYU Track stadium in the morning. Run fearless everyone!