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Running Shorts will caution that this was best for this runner; we’re not advocating it for everyone. But our fifth of nine Shorties is for ...

BEST DECISION THAT HELPED YOU GET FASTER: JOSH SUTCLIFFE, GOING BAREFOOT

Says Sutcliffe: “This one is easy — getting rid of the shoes. In my second barefoot 5K race, I beat my regular running shoe 5K personal record by three minutes. I hadn’t done any speedwork, either.”

In a followup email, he offers: 

"Grandfather (in July) was my second marathon. My first was the ING New York CIty Marathon, back in 2003, and it was a miserable experience, both physically and mentally. To add insult to injury, I was beaten by P Diddy. It was bad enough that I quit running for a year, ran a little in 2005, moved to North Carolina and quit all together until March 2009. I ran NYC in New Balance shoes. $6 aqua socks from Walmart carried me up Grandfather.

"When I started running again this past March, I had been physically inactive for about three years. My running weight is just under/around 130 pounds. When I started training for Grandfather I weighed 156 pounds. The extra 25+ pounds was barbecue, hush puppies and candy. Here's a pic from spring of '08. 

"Here's my training log for GMM (I've since switched to runningahead.com). Click the calendar back to March.

"Distance: I had no time to build a base, so I would start out each run going at what I call my 'go-forever pace.' The goal was to feel like I could keep going when I stopped, even after a 20-mile run. To be safe(r), I did my distance runs at the Chinqua-Penn 1.7-mile loop. That way if I needed to quit early, the car was always nearby. I also didn't have to worry about carrying anything, and I would take a short break just about every lap.

"Hills: I took full advantage of the hills in my neighborhood. I practiced climbing them with the least effort possible, no matter how slow. Easy runs included steep hills. I avoided flats like the plague. I told myself there are no such things as 'hills,' only pace modifiers. Here's my favorite pace modifier: http://www.barefootjosh.com/?p=67

"Speed: Didn't even bother. I would fartlek a bit, sometimes uphill if I was feeling cheeky, but I knew if I trained for speed I would (a) get injured, as I already had way too much on my objectives plate, and (b) feel discouraged that I wasn't faster.

"Food: I denied myself nothing and ate whatever I wanted. I just made sure that my diet included more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. I had lost more than 20 pounds by the time I hit the starting line in Boone.

"Shoes: I started running in regular running shoes (Asics). But all the stomping downhill was hurting my knees (I have a history of ITB issues), so I figured I had to learn how to run lightly. So I went with aqua socks.

"I Gallowayed the entire race, walking at each water stop. I finished in good spirits, and only two minutes slower than my previous NYC effort on a much flatter course. I was able to resume running later that week, beginning my true barefoot training.

"I want to emphasize that I'm aware of the absurd risks I took. I'm not sure why I did it; just felt a compelling need to."

Blogger Thad McLaurin profiles Sutcliffe at NCRunnerDude.