We interviewed UKRunChat community member Alia Pike all about her running: how she is trying to be greener, how its impossible to get lost while running in Salford, barefoot running and running in the desert.
Listen to the full interview with Alia here
Follow Alia here
Getting into running
What’s lovely is that sometimes I still see people I used to run with at the group (the shop that organised it has closed now) at Manchester marathon cheering people on and we always wave to each other and still recognise each other from running even though we started over ten years ago.
I’ve run Manchester Marathon 4 times I think (it’s terrible I can’t remember) and I’ve sometimes gone down and run bits of the course. About 10 metres trying to keep up with some of the faster runners! Sometimes 5 or 6 miles with friends. One year I ended up running twenty miles with a friend. They’d trained and it had been cancelled (COVID), so they’d trained again and it had been cancelled again, and when it finally happened I met them and thought I’d only run a few miles with them but I just stayed with them. We ended up doing about twenty miles together, I helped them to kind of finish because I think they would have stopped in Altrincham. We ran/walked the rest of it.
Entering events
I took a year off events while I was studying for my masters. I’m thinking this year about how to be a little bit more green with my running, and perhaps not to enter some of the big events. I really want to do some more trail running too. I live in Salford which is a concrete jungle, but I love being out in nature, exploring.
I’ve gone up to forty five miles so I’d really like to run further. I definitely think I could do 50 miles. I’ve done two forty-mile ultra runs— one hilly, one flat. The flat one left me feeling strong, like I could run more. I also did Endure 24, a five-mile looped race, and managed 45 miles. But I do wonder about the impact of fuelling. On a hot day, I randomly ate lots of watermelon at an aid station. It felt great, but I question if it was the best choice.
Speedwork
Barefoot toe shoes
I’ve been running in barefoot toe shoes for over 10 years, and I absolutely love them. They are so comfortable, and I don’t get blisters. I did the Beachy Head Marathon on the South Coast with chalky cliffs, grass, and pebbly trails. It’s not too technical, so I did the whole marathon in my toe shoes. However, if it’s a technical trail with lots of rocks, I have a pair of trail shoes that I wear. But in general, if I can wear my toe shoes, I absolutely love them. Even on pebbles, you get used to it. Sometimes a stone might catch my big toe, but I just keep going. They are so comfy. I wear them all the time, even with dresses at parties and weddings.
When I first started wearing them, I didn’t notice a significant difference in how they felt under my feet, but my calves really ached those first few times after running in them. I started with short runs, about half an hour around the block, following the advice that came with the shoes to gradually build up. I ran in them for a year alongside regular trainers. Eventually, a podiatrist advised me to commit to one or the other, and I chose the toe shoes. It was a slow process. I remember running in them, and later that day, my calves would ache. You need to get used to using your muscles in your feet and legs differently. Now, I love them. Wearing regular trainers feels clunky.
They have changed how I stand. I used to be very flat-footed, and I even wore orthotics in my trainers. Now, when I stand up, my arches naturally lift, and that flat-footedness has reduced. It’s hard to say if it’s just the toe shoes or if I’ve become more aware of my body through running more, but it certainly has helped. It was a slow process when I started, but now I can even move my big toes independently.
Warming up and cooling down
For warming up, I do squats, leg raises, and funny walking to stretch my legs. For cooling down, anything over ten miles includes at least a 10-minute walk, and for 15 miles and more, I include a 20-minute walk. Years ago, when I first went under 5 hours in a marathon, I always walked the last mile of my long runs. It made a significant difference in reducing post-run aches. Especially on trails, where more walking is involved due to undulating terrain, hills, and stops for photos. Unlike pushing for a flat 2-hour run on concrete, including more walking reduces post-run aches. I’ve also started focusing on stretching exercises, like sitting on the floor with a cushion and leaning forward to gently stretch my hamstrings. Years ago, I did gentle yoga, using cushions for stretches. I’m trying to incorporate more of that now, aiming for a bit more flexibility to take care of my body and run longer.
Injuries
I’ve been thinking about what races to enter and how do I travel to places. I also quite like the idea of people who run and pick up rubbish as well so I want to try a little bit of that when I’m out, especially on the trails. The whole Jordan trip has really made me want to think about how can I be more environmentally friendly. The irony of flying all the way to Jordan to think about that is not lost on me. Could I make my own sandwiches or cakes rather than taking single-use plastic items to fuel me when I’m out?
Just before COVID I committed to not buying any new items. I have loads of race T-shirts. It’s important to take care of your clothes so they last. I’ve got 2 sports bras that I bought back in 2019 that I always wash in a laundry bag so they last. I do look and see shiny new things and think “Oh, shiny new race jacket!” but I don’t need one.
I got some Pair-Ups for my mum’s trainers because she wears her shoes out in a certain place. The rest of the shoe is fine but they’re being worn in one place because of the shape of her feet and so I repaired them for her.