Vibram Chris

Vibram Five Finger Sprints Review

2011-07-13T09:20:00.002-04:00

What They Say: Vibram
“Move with lightweight agility. The next best thing to going barefoot, the Sprint is a long-time favorite for its lightweight versatility and open design. A thin, stretch polyamide fabric upper follows the contour of the foot for comfort, and an adjustable hook-and-loop closure across the instep and around the heel provides a personalized, secure fit. The flexible, non-marking 3.5mm Vibram® TC1 performance rubber sole is razor-siped to enhance flexibility and grip on a variety of terrain.”

What I Say: My First Pair

As I initially explored minimalist running I began with of barefoot running developing my distance to 6 miles. However, I determined I wanted some protection to increase my distances (and I guess account for my imperfect stride). The Vibram Five Finger Sprints seemed the perfect solution. Minimal protection but sufficient to afford some comfort while allowing adequate ground feedback. I purchased my first pair about two years ago.

I was a bit put off by the dramatically different appearance of the shoes but at the same time decided a little notoriety might be fun, the cool points. I also, in retrospect, was confused by how to properly fit the shoes and purchased them about one, maybe two sizes too large. But unaware I happily began my journey.

Having explored barefoot running I was immediately pleased with the feel and comfort of the shoes. I had no problems with the toe aspects of the shoes. With traditional shoes I had developed issues with my toes pressing together over longer distance. Not to the point of blister, but certainly an annoyance. The Sprints isolated each toe. I also enjoyed the openness of the shoe as I felt it breathed nicely certainly more than my old trainers but of course a bit less than barefoot. Just a note, I did continue to run barefoot for training purposes but all my longer distances were in the Sprints including my eventual marathon effort in them.

The durability of the shoes was positive. The soles have the rugged wear Vibram is known for. Even with my uneven stride (since corrected markedly)
I was pleased with the wear I received. The uppers never developed any wear issues beyond a slight tear due to my stubbing my big toe during a run. Overtime I discovered Shoe Goo and have worked to extend the life of the shoe by patching the soles with bicycle inner tubes and generous amounts of the Shoe Goo.

What I Say: My Second Pair

After I wore through one of the soles of my first pair of Sprints I purchased several pairs of Vibram Bikilas and one pair of the Treks (to be reviewed later). Recently I discoved a stack of Sprint at a local shoe store at half price. Although I hd become a bit more comfortable with the increased protection of the Bikilas I could not resist the price and revisiting my old friend the Sprints.

During my first run in the new Sprints I was taken aback by how much ground feel I experiences. I had long since dropped most of my barefoot efforts and with the Bikilas had lost some of the sensory feedback I had relied on for training. While initially uncomfortable this experience proved very positive as it allowed me to refocus on correcting my stride and as a result I believe I have modified my stride to a more even tempo and landing.

Conclusion:

I love the Vibram Sprints. I cannot see removing them from rotation. While I am currently in pursuit of shoes with a bit more protection I believe it important to maintain some level of training in a very minimalist shoe (if not barefoot). The Vibram Sprint are clearly a fine choice for this.

Where am I?

2011-06-18T07:13:00.007-04:00

I guess reading blogs is more interesting to me than writing one. I will try to be more current.

Since City of Oaks I ran the Tobacco Trail Marathon. I learned you actually have to train for a marathon even if you have finished one in the past. I finished but miserably so. No problems with the Vibrams except I may need to consider a slightly larger size next time to accomodate the Iniji socks as an option for comfort over long distances.

I tried my first effort at an Ultra at the Bethel Hill Moonlight Boogie and completed 46/50 miles. LOVED the race. Do not regret the decision to end it when I did. I had a bit of a rough time with the Vibram Bikilas. Actually, I should not blame the Bikilas, they performed as they should. But over the course of the mileage the sides of my feet became abraided and the ball of one foot had severe pain. I opted to walk the last 4 miles barefoot. I am now considering my options. I may explore the minimalist "shoes" that are now available or I may try the newer Bikila, the Bikila LS, because it has a lacing system that might secure the shoe more uniformly to my foot. There is time to explore as my next purchase wont be until September.

Plans: City of Oaks year three. maybe Frosty 50k, maybe Weymouth Woods 100k (why not?) Then back to the Boogie.

City of Oaks, year 2

2010-11-07T19:19:00.002-05:00

Today I ran The City of Oaks Marathon in Raleigh. This was my second year, last year was my 1st marathon, today was my 4th in this first year. I guess I am hooked.
Last year I ran 4:44 in the rain and cold. Today was just cold but with my new stride and Vibram Five Fingers I set out to try and beat my time. The race has pacers at 15 minute intervals so I daydreamed about clinging to the 4:15 group but reality said 4:30.
I lost the group several times when I hit the porta potties and felt like the whole race was me pushing my pace to make certain I was near this group. Very taxing. The pacers were one woman, wearing a tutu, and one guy, wearing a buffalo helmet, big and blue-furry and all. Not hard to spot.
As I hit mile 20 I talked to someone who said the pacers were ahead of us so I did what I could with my stressed legs and finally saw Tutu at around mile 23. But I was so beat I could only keep her in my sites. But at mile 25 I passed her and with the mostly incline 25th mile tried to stay ahead of her. But my watch said she wasn't doing 4:30 anymore so I freaked and tried to push harder.
As I hit the last of that mile to the final 2 tenths it was more downhill to the finish. And then I saw buffalo head....I had to catch him so I pumped as hard as I could calves screaming and with about 100 steps to the finish I passed him. Clock time was 4:31:45 but since the slower folks take a bit to begin the race and cross the start line my chip time was 4:29:30. I HAD BROKEN 4:30!
I am so sore but so psyched. A marathon definately switches at some point from physical to mental. Mine seemed to swap back and forth all day but trully at the last few miles. My wife and new 12 year old running buddy daughter were there at the finish which was real special. What a great day!
Time for a nap!

BAD BLOGGER, Good Runner

2010-10-26T16:29:00.004-04:00

...okay, my blogging appears to have faded to black. The school year has begun and everything is family and teaching. But I am happily running in my Vibram Bikilas and even happier to report that I think I have finally developed a comfortable, gentle, efficient stride. I have even picked up the pace. Though Boston is not on the horizon.

Plans?
I will be running my second City of Oaks Marathon in two weeks. Last year's was my first ever marathon and a crowd gasping 4:45 time. I expect to be faster and dream of a sub 4:30 finish. But I also want to be patient and enjoy the run.

Old News?
I did attempt the long trail run mentioned in my last post. I loved the event and the people. And the trail was reasonably mangeable. But I was worried about getting lost on my first lap so I think I pushed a bit too hard to stay with seasoned folks. I ended up making I think 22 or so miles. NEXT YEAR the full 35 miles.

The effort, though, was the fist "a-ha" moment regarding my stride. When I was absolutely bushed I had to trod to the start point and was at times barely moving my poor padres. But I discovered that this shorter stride actually provided some relief for my sore ankles and allowed me to keep moving. I have since evolved that minimal stride into an easy going but faster-gentler pace. NICE!

I will try to do better with my posts. I continue to enjoy ac, Josh and Neil's regular posts. Good work comrades!

Trail Run Test

2010-08-14T15:51:00.008-04:00

I completed a reasonably long run this morning at Umstead Park along the single track. I managed 14.5 miles and accomplished many of my goals for the run. First, I entered the park having lost a bit of enthusiasm for the run knowing my last effort ended with a two mile hobble to the parking lot.

But today I was equipped with my NEW Vibram Five Finger Treks (Review to follow) and felt more confident. I also needed to work at my trail running as my Medoc Mountain effort is just 2 weeks away. I did a figure 8 of the Company Mill and Sycamore loops, ran through the parking lot for more water, and then did Loblolly back and forth.

I managed to run with a resonable stride being careful not to be too aggressive on the rocky patches. I also walked the inclines and slowed for the descents to further protect my feet. Along the way I conversed on two seperate occassions with people interested in how I was doing in the shoes.

I finished the run in a slow 3:45 total but was pleased with the result. While I was very tired and sweaty, and fell one time, I felt like I had learned a great deal from the run. Can I run 35 miles on similar trails in two weeks? I am not so sure. But I am more confident than I was several weeks ago when I tried to much running with too little shoe (my old, thinned out Sprints).

Alignment and Stride Through (my) History

2010-08-12T09:08:00.002-04:00

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952)

Maybe such a wonderful quote is overstating the message of this post a bit. But "history repeating itself" seems to apply regularly as I navigate through my running adventure.

In May of last year (2009) I grew more focused and enthusiastic about my renewed running effort. As a result I began to read up on running strategies including my first read-through of Danny Dreyer’s Chi Running. I learned that I should align my feet and work toward a more full foot landing. The alignment seemed fairly easy and I now think working on the landing made my transition to Vibrams (and barefooting) that much easier.

But as I ran into the later miles this past weekend on the Tobacco Trail I began to feel some strong ankle pain in my right ankle. I also realized that in my fatigue and with the long steady inclines I was turning my foot out in a sort of clumsy effort to push up the hill. Correcting that error reduced the pain but I ended up with a bit of a strain (not sprain) in the ankle.

So again I have experienced an evolution of training. One that incorporates tidbits retrieved from books or the web. Some positive, some designed for some other runner. But my focus on each new tweak of my style ended up allowing me to lose some of my earliest improvements. The bottom line is I need to be more diligent in my focus on alignment and stride, especially in the later miles when my brain shuts down and my body starts spazzing through gyrations to get me back to the car.

"Yep, It's The Real McCoy" leg injury

2010-08-09T08:55:00.006-04:00

I have been nursing a sore left calf for the last few days or so. I have been walking around with a slight limp feeling like Grandpa Amos McCoy (the actor Walter Brennan's role in The Real McCoys? He'd walk up limping and tell the camera; "Yep, It's the real McCoy!" Anyone remember that or is that a 'living through the sixties' memory?...I digress...) It is actually a re-nursing as I had a similar injury several weeks back. Basically I run comfortably for awhile and then slowly the mid portion of my calf muscle gets locked in knotted immobility. I can walk through it to return home but there is no running through the pain.

Over the course of the last several days I have allowed for more rest but finally yesterday (Sunday) I had to get out. I could still feel the limited nagging pain I felt on my last test. But I decided to try a long run and risk hobbling back. I headed out to the Tobacco Trail to give it a go.

The run was successful in regards to the pain. But it was a hot, sticky day and otherwise a bit of a tough run. I continued to feel the pain in one area of my calf but with a gentle, focused stride it never progressed. I completed 16.5 miles including some rougher trails. It was too much distance for my conditioning and the heat. But thankfully today I do not sense the nagging pain.

The cause? I completed a short list of likely variables.

New shoes? Check!
Overdoing it in new shoes? Check!
Overdoing it for several weeks? Check!
Doing similar hill workout that caused prior same injury? Check!

And finally the culprit? Probably all of the variables listed played a part in wearing out my legs. But include in the list that somewhere I read that that someone wearing the new Bikilas was able to hammer down the hills due to the additional heel structure. I don't normally hammer anything, but I thought I would aggressively try to sail down the hills.

Dope!

Thankfully I am on the mend. Perhaps a more balanced, gentle, sensible approach to my running would be appropriate. Also a reminder to myself that just because an article or blog post reports a technique or strategy could be meaningful, it does not mean I need to incorporate it into my routine.

Slosh Pipe

2010-08-03T07:23:00.006-04:00

A few weeks back I gathered the materials together to build a Slosh Pipe and so far I am enjoying the benefits. A Slosh Pipe is a big pipe partially filled with water. It perhaps does not sound formidable as an exercise, but it has been described like wrestling a python.

Basically, the Slosh Pipe is a ten foot pvc pipe 4" wide. I cut mine down to 100" to "ease my pain" a bit. I purchased a solid cap for one end and a removable cap for the other so I could add water as needed. Total cost, with the necessary pipe glue was just over $18. Assembly was easy enough once I had cut down the pipe. I placed duct tape at the center point to assist with balancing. I also added a piece of tape at 60" temporarily to help fill the tube to the recommended 60% of water.

Exercises: There are videos on the web you can turn to for ideas. I simply hold the pipe balanced in my arms and make swimming motions forward and backward. As the water sloshes from one side to the other it requires balance and strength to manage the shifts in weight. I hold the pipe in front under my chin and also on my shoulders with my arms wrapped around. Just rocking it back and forth is plenty of wrestling fun. I am feeling an increase in strength in my abs and back but expect it is also doing something for my legs and certainly my arms.

Nothing much else to say. Some folks keep the pipe at 10 feet which is much more difficult. You can also cut it shorter or use a smaller diameter pipe depending on preference.

...Flat Tire Part 2

2010-07-27T15:30:00.003-04:00

Okay, moleskin sole inserts do not remain adhered after the shoes are washed.
(Collective "duh!" maybe?)

So round two will be like a wedding; "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." I took the inserts out of an old pair of sneakers (old, borrowed and actually blue) and have cut them down to size for the insoles (just for the ball portion near the toes of the Vibrams). Now I will adhere them with Shoe Goo (something new). I expect this will be a more permanent fix.

The duct tape on the bottoms of the shoes have worked better and provide a nice template to review my stride in scuffmarks. I also purchased several non-slip pads designed to keep dress shoes from slipping. I may adhere them to the bottoms of the shoes to thicken the outsole so it does not wear through. But I sort of like the duct tape solution so maybe not.

Vibram Flat Tire (Repairs)

2010-07-26T15:00:00.005-04:00

I had an absolutely horrible run on Saturday. I started running the American Tobacco Trail at the 5 mile mark with the intent of putting in 20 miles. During the first few miles the small gravely trail seemed really painful through my Vibram Sprints, more so than I thought reasonable.

After 5 miles my right foot was killing me along the ball of my foot. I hobbled to the next bench I could find, removed my shoe and noticed a dark mark all over the upper ball of my foot. Wha? I then explored my right shoe and noticed that the sole along that portion was thinner than the area around it and there was even a small puncture.

Technically the thinner material should not have mattered too much since I am continuing to do bf work each week. But the gravel was the cause of this pain and I do not have "game" for gravel barefoot. I tried my best to imitate a run back to my car (only because my ego demanded I not look injured). That, I am certain, made the injury worse.

Once home, tired and depressed, I realized that being a teacher with no-pay summers would force the purchase of any new shoes to the fall. I figured I could practice more bf as one solution. But I have a trail race scheduled for August 28th and I would need a shoe for that. What to do? What to do?

I actually tried on my last running shoes which are in good condition and carried me through my first two marathons. I trotted around the garage and immediately knew this would not do. Man, they wez squishy! Comfy for my sore paws but not a running vehicle.

Hmmmm, still what to do? I thought about good ol' duct tape but felt that would not be sticky enough for the insole solution. Then I came up with a Moleskin solution. Yes, this might work! I purchased two rectangles of moleskin. I cut a template for the right shoe and then careful cut the moleskin and laid it in the shoe. Voila! It looked reasonable and felt wonderful on my foot. I did the less worn left shoe as well. Marvelous!

Today I added two squares of black duct tape on the bottoms of my right shoe to cover the worn sole and hopefully keep the sole from wearing more. My foot was still sore but rest is for sissys. I did a nice 6 miles and felt absolutely comfortable in my repaired shoes. Yes Chris, you are da bomb!

Researching for my next Vibrams will be a later post.

Chris McDougal, Nike, and Reminicing

2010-07-23T06:21:00.004-04:00

I guess many folks have Chris McDougall's site saved somewhere but his newest post is quite a read. Nike admitting they don't know squat about correcting people's feet.
Breaking news from Nike: We’ve been talking a lot of crap, and selling it.
Interesting stuff along with the "GI" post he links to at the bottom of his page.

I credit, as do many people, Born To Run as my catalyst to experiment with and experience barefoot running. I have read his book three times and think it one of the best adventures that has had a major impact in my passion for running. It is interesting how a book can change the way you feel about something you love.

When I read Born To Run for the first time I was perfectly content with my running shoes, the Saucony Grid Ignition. They had successfully brought me from newbie to marathon completion in less than a year and I was experiencing no pain. I was not looking for a cure or a new approach to running. But the book was inspiring and provided the impetus to consider alternative styles of running.

I did not leap into barefoot running. Honestly I was afraid of the social impact more than the physical. It was a gradual process slowly building my own confidence in attempting a marathon but more importantly building the confidence in my loving wife that I was not signing up for a death march. So heading out of the house barefoot would have just confirmed her assumption that I was crazy.

But without telling her I decided to take a brief jaunt barefoot on a nice smooth local greenway. I carried my shoes with me so I could get in my normal mileage on that day. As I have posted previously I ran too far but finally stopped and traded my naked feet for Sauconys. It was at that moment that I first realized the failings of my shoes. Even as a virgin bf-er I was experiencing the sense of feeling the pavement and allowing my feet to find their own balance. But once I put my shoes back on I could instantly feel the shoes guiding my feet inward. The shoe was working against my natural stride.

As I have noted in prior rambles I wandered from bf to shod finishing my second marathon back in my Saucony's. But even preparing for that race I debated trying a few miles barefoot during the race. I did not end up doing so but the idea of evolving backward through time was set in my consciousness.

Now I am primarily a minimalist runner and happily so. I run barefoot about a third of my runs and continue to enjoy the feeling and education it provides. But barefoot or in Vibrams my feet and stride are allowed to remain more natural. I am slowly building strength and consistency and my love for running has never been stronger. Thank you Chris McDougall.

The Wiggles Exercise

2010-07-21T14:55:00.003-04:00

Okay, not “Fruit Salad…Yummy-Yummy!” This is not the totally awesome singing group. This is a really strange and wonderful ab exercise guaranteed to make you look ridiculous to your pets and kick your abs butt! Huh? Actually it works the sides of your abdomen, is that also abs? (Anatomy is my strong subject can’t you tell?)

The exercise was introduced to me by the mother of my daughter’s friend. She is active military and had recently returned from a training where they basically kicked her ass and made her work out (your tax dollars at work!) She is a tough enough woman and said when the instructors introduced this exercise everyone was looking around like it was going to be easy. Well, easy to describe, but really strange and difficult in practice.

Enough rambling, here is the exercise.

1)Lay on your back with your knees and arms raised toward your middle.
2)Now, wiggle and squirm your body so you move laterally (sideways) across the floor.
3)Repeat in the other direction.
4)Grimace in horrible pain.

Basically there are no rules as long as you are performing the movements with your torso. No hands behind your head, no using your elbows, or rolling over. My friend swears by the change she felt in her abs over the several days she was required to perform this exercise. I have done it several times today and it is quite a struggle to perform and you do feel the burn.

Enjoy!

Coming up. I built a Slosh Tube and am experimenting with it. Full review once I have an opinion.

Posture, Cadence, Six-Pack-Abs

2010-07-20T19:42:00.003-04:00

This week I have continued to focus on posture using the Chi-Running book as my guide. I believe my posture requires the attention especially in regards to my rather weak mid section, with adorning love handles. ("I have six pack abs, the six pack is just double bagged!")I have been doing sit-ups which have helped build a bit of strength. I have also spent free time pulling in my stomach muscles, not like some muscle beach dude, but enough to feel my hips leveling a bit (don’t want the Chi to spill out you know). I have also added a focus on my abs with the new focus on alignment and improving my posture. The result has been positive, not so much in time or reduced effort but in feeling better during my runs.

I have also reviewed the sections in the book that reference cadence and determined that aspect important enough to add with the other attributes I have been working on. I researched light, portable metronomes but am trying not to spend money. So I researched metronome mp3s and happily discovered several in all the time signatures I needed. The first effort suggested is to split the 180 bpm to 90 to have each same foot on beat. But once that cadence is feeling more routine the book suggests using 60 bpm and waltzing along, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3. The idea is that this limits the tendency to step harder on the beat with the same foot. The next step is to lift on beat but I am not there yet.

I found the cadence challenging during the first run, especially the uphills. But with each successive run the timing is easier to follow. I loaded the sounds into my iPod and purchased low end ear phones that stay on nicely. I did not spend much because I prefer not to run to music so the cadence will be the only tunage I will be running to. Hopefully with a little mastery I can limit the use of the meter.

All and all the new efforts are pleasing to me. I feel like I am really putting time and effort into improving my stride. The payoff should be overall fitness but most importantly reduced wear on my sexy stems. WooHoo!

Progress and Planning

2010-07-14T16:32:00.004-04:00

Progress:
It has been a good few days of running. The heat is WAY back which adds the challenge of hot Vibram feet. I continue to work on my stride and posture, read more Chi-Running, and work more on my stride and posture. I have revisited that feeling of having too many points to explore with each outing. The result is really not knowing which tweak is working. However, the effort to remain upright with a focused gaze straight ahead continues to pay off. And today I think I re-learned the value and comfort of a faster cadence and shorter stride. Softer feeling overall.

Planning:
I have debated on which fall races to work toward. I had all but determined that the Triple Lakes 40 would be my first ultra effort but I am not feeling skilled for rocky-rooty trail running at this point. I have also discovered a fun run at Medoc Mountain that covers 35 miles but with a real laid back atmosphere. So I am thinking doing that effort (not really a race) and then revisiting the City of Oaks Marathon in November. Last year it served as my first marathon. I would hope that the weather will be less cold and rainy this time around.

Later in the year I still am aiming for the Umstead Marathon and then, YES!, my return to the Boogie Marathon in June for a try at the 50. SWEEEEET!

Posture and the Head First Slide

2010-07-12T07:51:00.005-04:00

(This will be a longish post. Not because it is necessarily wonderfully entertaining and needed to be long. But because the experience it details was wonderfully meaningful for me and I wanted to capture the enthusiasm I am feeling.)

In a constant quest for improved running form I returned to one of my earliest resources recently, Chi-Running. This book provided a wonderful resource early last year when I decided to get more serious about my running. It provided guidance on the alignment of my feet and improved my shod stride a great deal. But with many resources I took what I thought I needed and ignored the rest, or at least left it for later. Well “later” was this week and the result was a positive improvement in my running.

Last week I struggled with a sore calf from overzealous hill and speed work. My calf muscle felt locked in a knot. With a day’s rest the tightness and pain subsided but I am generally not about resting much. So I decided to work through the pain and work more on my form running barefoot. The result was not so much a resolution of the pain but focusing on my form certainly reduced the re-injury and provided confidence that I was making progress on improving my form. But I determined if I wanted a long run over the weekend I better give it and extra days rest so I took off Friday and Saturday and headed out Sunday to the American Tobacco Trail here in Apex (then Cary and then Durham eventually).

I felt good as I began my run at the five mile marker and headed toward Durham. I adjusted my stride continually tweaking it each time I felt the tightness returning to my calf. The result was a capturing of what I had recently read in Chi-Running, to allow my hips to take a greater part in the effort and limit the flexing of the knee except during follow through. Overall this alone made a positive difference but I continually tweaked and un-tweaked as I made it to the 11 mile mark where the trail transitions into more rougher, gravely portions. At first I thought this would be positive for my desire to eventually do a trail ultra. But after I spent a few miles up and back I realized that I was still not running soft enough in the Vibrams and my feet were aching. I was happy to return at mile eleven back to kinder and gentler pavement and trail.

It was during this final 5 or so miles that I made a wonderful discovery. I had re-read the sections on form in Chi-Running and realized I had basically ignored a good portion of the lesson on posture and body alignment. I tend to run with a hunch and allow my head to drop down looking more toward the pavement than the distance. I knew this was poor form but did not realize the impact on my running. I decided to try and run as upright as I could, more modern man than Neanderthal, and while the sensation was not all that comfortable and it all felt a bit awkward I was astonished to look at my Garmin as see my pace had dropped by over a minute without any feeling I was working harder. WOW! Or maybe WOWZA! is more appropriate.

I kept at this new form as best I could and the results continued to be positive. My overall pace was dropping slowly and I decided I would keep at this new form and see how much time I could knock off the overall pace. While I ran along I felt a bit weird with my head raised up as if I was a confident, proud runner. It was strange maintaining that gaze as other runners came and went. But I also realized that many of them were using a similar form. I was a late bloomer I guess.

But just as I was feeling quite confident in my new prowess I stumbled with my right foot and began the very long, slow motion dive headfirst into the grassy area along the trail. Safe! I had completed a nice head first slide. The two bikers who had just passed did not turn around at the sound of my lungs emptying into the grass. Perhaps they were being kind or were merely frightened by the sound a Satchsquatch running from behind. I was less fortunate as the female biker neared and asked if I was alrights. I said yes and added that I was just a bit embarrassed. A brief dust off and a check for missing skin or limbs and I returned to my pace declining effort. I made my way back to the 5 mile marker having completed 17 miles. I stopped my watch and was pleased, REALLY pleased that in the final 5 or so miles I had knocked a good 40 seconds off my overall pace. Pretty incredible for this slow-mo running dude.

My sore calf from the prior week was a result of my responding to the cries of my ego asking for more speed and endurance. I worked too hard at both and the result was an injury that I am happy to say is a rare experience for me. But what I apparently needed was not to push harder with hills or pace but to work more on form. Truthfully, if raising my head and aligning my spine more effectively pays off the way this first effort seemed to indicate then I will be very enthusiastic. What a great tradeoff it would be, minimum perceived additional effort but an immediate substantial improvement in performance.

I guess I will try to remember both lessons. One, to allow for my running to be a focus of joy rather than comparing out to what others can do better (“leggo the ego!”) And, two, to attend more to form as a continual effort rather than just pushing so hard that I lose the joy in the experience.

Why I bring my phone running (or Strategies for running a 4 minute mile)

2010-07-07T09:14:00.002-04:00

Motivation for pushing yourself during a run is sometimes hard to come up with. But sometimes external motivators will do the trick.

This morning I ventured out for a short three mile barefoot run. I am enjoying a teacher's summer so I am home with my three children. On my long runs I bring my phone for safety reasons (I get too tired or have a medical issue or to let my wife know when I will be done). But today I almost left for my short run without it and then thought I better bring it just in case they need me. Wise man!

After I had run about half a mile the phone rang with my 11 year old daughter repoting "the toilet is leaking and it wont stop!" Translation: The toilet is overflowing and pouring all over the upstairs bathroom.

Vrrrroooom! Feets don't fail me now. Off I went as fast as my soles would push. I have never attempted a faster pace barefoot and while it was the result of sheer panic I was feeling quite impressed with my form : ) I made it home and was pleased to see the situation was resolved with a big pile of towels lying in the hallway.

Enough running for today...

How To Maintain Injuries: A Primer

2010-07-07T06:31:00.007-04:00

I have posted about my tendency to do too much. I have also described my most recent experience with doing too much, trail running at Umstead. Well the story continued into this week where I took advantage of two more blaring hot days to work on increasing my speed AND doing hill work. No problems there. Until some running gremlin ran up behind me and clamped a vice grip to my left calf.

I finished my run (I mean, no reason to walk is there?) and made it home. Ibuprofen, massage wand, and ice packs throughout the evening. I even, get this, determined I would take a day off (seeing how everything on the web suggested a minimum of 5 days). My body is my temple!

Monday was that day off. But yesterday, Tuesday, I was feeling less pain and with that decided to take a careful jaunt along my local greenway promising only to hop around until my calf exploded (you have to plan these things carefully). I chose to go barefoot to guarantee a slower pace and to focus on "nice and easy." At first I successfully hopped about with mixed feelings in my calf. But slowly I felt a bit more confidence and ended up doing about three miles.

The run was a positive one overall, despite my rantings. It reminded me that I need to remember why I run and try to reduce my comparing out or "leggo the ego." I am running marathons, I am considering an attempt at my first ultra event. So what if there is always about half the field toweling off by the time I make it to the finish.

Oh, and my calf? The run seemed to massage the soreness out a bit. Another example of the benefits of barefoot technique. My leg was a bit sore this morning but not the worrying kind of pain. And besides, I want to try that +26 mile preparation run for the ultra this weekend...

Just Do It! Contemplations on learning to run.

2010-07-01T19:28:00.002-04:00

I have been passionate about my running for less than a year. I have run for periods of time throughout my adult life but only this year have I maintained my effort consistently and explored greater distances and alternative running styles. It has been a good year, a great year, but not a perfect year.

My most recent effort, as I have detailed in this blog, has been to run more efficiently trying Chi-Running, barefoot running, running in Vibrams and a vast exploration into the web and books. Much of this information has been positive and helpful and for the most part the focus is generally similar with a mid-foot landing and efficient stride. I finally feel that I have developed some consistency and efficiency in my running and I am loving this new effort.

However, as I have learned new information I have at times become so focused on one tip or the other that I lose myself in the minutia and end up running in an awkward (to me) manner and have less joy in running. It is important to maintain focus on what I am doing to insure I remain efficient and gentle with each stride. But sometimes I get lost in the "lift, lift, lift," "gentle, easy, quiet mantras and forget to allow myself to run like I need to run.

To a point focus is a positive thing and enhances my learning. If I don't pay attention I would end up returning to a prior less efficient form, and this happens often enough. But if I don't relax and forget about the attention to task I find myself running in a manner that is less relaxed and less natural for me.

There is a balance I am certain. But today when I allowed myself to get more lost in my running and less focused on how to run I realized a sense of joy returned to my running. Yes, I need to learn more and remember to focus on technique. But I also have to decide that no matter how many techniques I learn or try to employ there must be some adaptation to me, my experiment of one.

Trail Running for Idiots!

2010-06-27T19:37:00.004-04:00

I am considering registering for my first ultra effort this fall, the Triple Lakes 40Miler outside Greensboro. It is a trail run so I am needing to work on my single track efforts. Soooooooooo....today I went to teh Umstead Park single track here in Raleigh and tore myself up.
History: During the fall I ventured onto these trails wearing some nice trail shoes. My best was a slow 20 miles which was inspirational enough to change my registration for the upcoming Uwharrie 40 miler to the 20 miler option (I ended up not doing that race). So I have a proven history of pushing way to hard to somehow build confidence in my ability for a future effort.
Today was a painfully hot near 100 degree day. And even with my 7:40 AM start time I was sweating bigtime early on. I wore a hydration pack with my new 100 oz bladder believing that to be plenty of H2O. I did my Company Trail/Sycamore Trail figure 8 rotuine. At the end of the first round I felt positive enough to try another lap. Soon into that effort my feet collapsed and I began feeling every rock and root. I soon was brought to a hobble and limped my way back to the parking lot, about a three mile trail of tears. I sucked down my last sip of water as I enetered the parking lot. Did I say it was hot?
As I limped my way back to my car I began debating how to purchase the VFF KSOs or Treks that had more sole. I belive the Sprints have 3mm, the KSOs arounf 6.5 mm, and the Traeks a generous 8 mm. I cannot afford more gear now so I needed to come up with a plan. Of course I could ditch the ultra effort and return to looking at doing the City of Oaks (my first marathon) a second time. But I really want to try Triple Lakes. So the solution could only be found with a quick blog entry with Barefoot Josh.
Happily ac, a fellow blogger (now added to my blog list) replied and accurately called me a masochist (I am so proud). He also shared that Triple Lakes is a kinder, gentler trail run compared to Umstead. The race director had previously descibed the trails as less hilly than Umstead. YES! Renewed confidence in the possibility of training more sensibly and being ready (reality based) for Triple Lakes

Undies at the Nudist Colony

2010-06-22T08:08:00.004-04:00

“Soapbox Please! I feel a rant coming on.”

Okay, if I were ever to feel self-confident enough to vacation at a nudist colony to express the beauty of baring my sole I would need to likely need to remove my clothing in order to fully explore the experience. Honestly, if I were to enjoy the true experiences of those in the colony I would need to be naked, absolutely naked, no shirt, no pants,…you get the point. If my butt cheeks ain’t flappin’ in the wind I am not nude. I would NOT be nude even if I were to wear really sheer undies that exposed my true self, but not completely. (sorry for that mental picture)

Okay, I enjoy running barefoot. I have learned a great deal from running barefoot. But after many efforts and pondering my personal goals in running I have decided to run primarily in Vibram Five Fingers and to use barefoot running as a training tool to refocus my stride. As I was debating my path it occurred to me that there are really large cool points for telling someone you ran ‘x’ miles barefoot. But not so much when you tell them you ran the same miles in minimalist shoes. “Man, I was almost barefoot when I ran the other day!” No, not as cool. I am not arguing that those who run barefoot do so for the cool points. But those points, at least from my perspective, are awarded either way.

There appears to be some sort of shame in running in minimalist footwear, a sense that you are somehow ‘less than’ the barefoot runners. It is never directly spoken but appears in websites and articles discussing the new trends in running. One of my favorite websites is http://birthdayshoes.com/ which celebrates the joy of running in Vibrams. Most days they post a story about how a fan of Vibrams expresses that joy. But often there seems to be a blurring of running forms:

“I was so fascinated by the whole barefoot thing with the Taramuhara Indians that I just had to try barefoot running myself. I got a pair of sprints…"

This author runs competitively in Sprints and Classics. Great! But never in his post does he reference any running barefoot.

I have read Born to Run three times, I loved it. It inspired me to explore running barefoot as well. But the Taramuhara Indians run in sandals, but with a beautiful, effortless stride. Even Barefoot Ted, who lives to express his joy in running barefoot opts for Vibram’s at times. He argues for the healthier stride barefoot inspires allowing for the use of minimalist footwear (marketing sandals himself). References to barefoot running in McDougal’s book argue that running barefoot is natural and part of our history as humans. Running barefoot is natural! But it is not an “either your wit us or agin us” argument for barefoot versus shod. The message is to recognize the value of focus on form, to dispel the marketing hype of the shoe companies, and to allow alternative running styles to be part of the mainstream discussion.

I love my Vibrams. I love that they allow me to realize my barefoot form while allowing me to run with less focus on my path. I can enjoy the feeling of freedom (however blunted) of running sensing the ground below me and also lose myself in my running.

Maybe minimalist runners need a cool moniker for what they do. I don’t know. But it ain’t “barefoot-running-in-shoes.”

I have to go now. I think I will go streaking through my neighborhood in my shorts…

Boogie Marathon 2010

2010-06-20T15:12:00.003-04:00

June 12th, 2010 I participated in the coolest (not really temperature-wise) marathon of my brief career. Out in the rural parts in NC they hold the Boogie Marathon and 50 miler. Both races begin at 6 PM, yes in the evening. Runners follow the same route with marathoners doing 2 10 mile loops and a shortened 6, and the 50 folks doing 5 loops.
Temperatures at race start were near 90 degrees and humid. NOT marathon weather let alone ultra weather. But God pitied us and provided a light cloud cover just as we started and broke the direct sun. I ran in my Vibram Five Fingers Sprints for the first time and was nervous as I had only recently become comfortable with my stride and had some foot pain in my left foot. As we began I got several questions about running in the shoes but everyone knew what they were. I just told folks I was hopeful to finish and would just see how it went. The race has a up and back section so with parking along the race route you pass your car twice each 10 mile loop. That was great as I could reload my stuff and wipe myself down with a towel and had ice for my bottles. The ai stations had great stuff including hamburgers, pb and j and the such.
The sun began to go down for real right as I began my last 10 miles so I grabbed a flashlight. It got dark, I mean RURAL dark. It was cool as I plodded along I could look up and back the road and see little lights bouncing along from folks with flashlights and headlamps. But it was spooky when I was a bit alone at times. Possible snake encounters are possible and since they can’t close the roads you have to navigate the maybe 10 or so cars that passed all night.
I finally finished right around midnight at 5:45 which is +1 hour from my normal time but with stopping for car stuff and walking some portions of the race I did not do so badly. The finisher’s award was a mug from local pottery which I liked.

Can't wait until next year!!!

http://www.theboogieraces.com/

Vibram Chris (formerly known as Barefoot Chris)

2010-06-20T14:54:00.004-04:00

History:
I have been exploring barefoot/minimalist running since February or so. I made all the mistakes I could learning to run barefoot. I ran on wet, snow laden surfaces, I ran too far too soon, I then ran too far as the pavement warmed, and on one occasion burned my feet on too hot pavement. My progress sucked, but it was not the barefoot running that was to blame. I also explored minimalist running with Vibram Five Finger Sprints and was also over-zealous in these shoes and made a similar list of mistakes as above.
I enjoy running for the distances I can cover. I am a slow runner. I have now completed three marathons since November 09 (fastest was 4:45...I did say slow). That is the only distance I participate in. So my exploration of running options begins with that foundation. I have had more success as I continued my efforts and have run a comfortable 6 miles repeatedly barefoot. But over time I have wondered what my goals are in running barefoot. And I have arrived at several concusions.

1) Running barefoot is the absolute best means to learning how to run efficiently. There is no better training method and training in VFFs does not equate to the benefits of training barefoot.

2) Running in VFFs allows me more freedom in where and how I run. I can attend a bit less to each foot plant and can lose myself a bit more in my thoughts. I feel that with time I could master barefoot running across many surfaces but I cannot convince myself it makes sense (for me) to do so.

3) With each successful barefoot run I have felt wonderful and prideful. But, for me, running barefoot ends up being a training tool and then beyond that a bragging right. Again, that is ME, not bf runners in general. But if those are the two end results of bf running for me then running in the VFFs begins to make more sense.

4) I porepared for and completed my first marathon in the VFFs. It went very well and I am very proud of the accomplishment (next post for a summary). And I even have enough bragging rights since wearing VFFs at that distance remains a new experience for most folks.

So after much debate and thought I have determined that I will focus on running in my VFF Sprints for distance runs and marathons, and hopefully some ultra exploration later. I will run routinely barefoot as well but as a means to further develop my stride, not as a goal in itself.

So I have changed this site to reflect that decision. I am content with my progress to date and look forward to each run at this point, long and short.

Sunday. The Day After and a Personal BF Best

2010-03-21T14:28:00.003-04:00

I woke up with sore knees. I chose to walk my dog barefoot and did about a mile. Funny, my knees started to feel better. Later I did another shorter walk with my wife and dog again barefoot.

After lunch I decided to try a 6 miler vowing to do bf until I began to see any sign of sores on my feet. The rest i would do in my Vibram VFFs which i carried in my hands.

I made my way out concentrating on my stride. At mile 2 I checked my feet and they were fine. Surprisingly at mile three there was also no sign of wear. I checked again at mile 4. Still good. I then decided to do the final 2 miles until the final check. Hurrah! No open sores.

So today, with all the post marathon aches I began my new endeavor and reached not only a personal best but an incredible amount of renewed confidence.

Post NC Marathon (High Point, NC) Recap

2010-03-21T14:22:00.005-04:00

Here is my post-race letter to my brother and sister. It was a tough day so I left the barefoot experiment for another day.
Dear World,

Yesterday was the NC Marathon in High Point NC. It is about an hour away so I was up early and drove there for an 8 AM start. I arrived extra early to get my race registration stuff and cool race goodies including a drawstring bag that I can now carry to show “I am a Man!”

Okay, the experience: First of all I finished but it was such a different experience, more difficult, but more rewarding to me personally.

One of my primary concerns was not having nervous stomach but this race was set up a bit better with potties at every water station so I had no distress anyway but it was a comfort to have that available. I had decided to try and best my last time of 4:45 and as a result made the mistake of setting a too fast pace for an unknown course. The course was hilly, not mountainous, but repeated gradual hills throughout. The day was also beautiful but ended up in the 70’s which is not great for distance running.

My pace ended up biting me in the butt around mile 12 when I suddenly felt I was almost spent and wondered how I would pull this thing out. There was no option but to run or to walk to the finish so I slowed my pace (to where it should have been) and just kept plugging along. I also switched my watch from Pace to just the Time and decided to just finish. That was a positive decision as it changed my mental conversation for the better.

The next “aha” moment came at mile 19 where I took a pee break and my piss looked very dark which means too little water intake. Oh, just maybe dehydration can kick your butt, Dummy? I had been doing one cup of water every two miles, not good. So I endeavored to drink three cups each stop with a mix of water and Gatorade and by mile 21 the stations were now each mile. I began to feel much better but you can’t get it all back once your body has been beat up.

I kept plugging away even laughing to myself when I hit the last hill at mile 25 and realized to tie my 4:45 I would only have to do a under 6 minute mile. Well, since I have never done anything close to that I accepted my fate which, since I was actually going to finish this dang thing, was a nice one. I finished around 4:50, 5 minutes slower.

What did I learn? First I was really proud of how much determination I had. Now, there was no option really then to keep going, but there was the option to stop running which I did not do. I was hurting but just kept moving one step at a time. I also re-learned race fluid strategy and feel a bit dopey about that. I should have thought more about running in the heat. I also had not been feeling well all week so that played a small role in it all. I also decided that running and Ultra-Marathon was something I could leave for the FUTURE future and not my next priority.

My next priority is to transition to a barefoot-minimalist running effort. Initially I will use barefoot to train my stride but focus on running distances in my Vibrams. Later I will decide whether full barefoot is worth it or not. Right now I see the argument for doing so but I am not sure those arguments necessarily have to dictate it for me. We shall see. I am excited about getting out there and beginning the effort. As soon as my knees recover…

Love you,
Chris

NC Marathon Plans

2010-03-07T18:42:00.003-05:00

The NC Marathon is on 03/20 in High Point, NC. This will be my second marathon and seeing how I am a slow type guy I have set some small goals. I would like to be faster than my City Of Oaks effort of 4:45 (I did say I was slow so stop laughing). And I plan to [hear the trumpets blare] do some barefoot miles somewhere in the race. My big goal is to carry my shoes from mile 20 on. But seeing how 3 miles is my current long bf effort that may be asking for a trouble and a limp to the finish.
While I am excited for the race to be sure. I am actually more excited about my barefoot journey. And I look forward to the race being over so I can shelve my shoes and focus totally on bf and VFF running exclusively.
So we shall see ho I manage this next race...

"Feets" of strength.

2010-03-07T18:34:00.004-05:00

Okay, this blog has always been, if nothing else, a journal of my new bf effort. Since blogging is a mysterious thing and having people post here is an unknown I will continue with the "journal" and see what happens.
I began my journey on 02/13/10 and today I made it to a total of 22.25 miles. I did a nice 3 mile bf and 3 mile VFF-KSO trip around the neighborhood. Successful? We I feel I have closed in on a workable stride. I do end up with a few sore spots but some of those spots are re-opened and not healed before I run. I have also extended my last two 3 mile runs onto rougher sidewalks with minimal additional wear. And my effort with the VFFs was positive as well as I felt I had eliminated the sliding that had created a blister in my right instep in the past.
I am feeling very positive about my progress. I am way too anxious to move forward too fast. My schedule has forced some moderation. And I have spent a good bit of time exploring the web for lessons and chatting on other blogs, Barefoot Josh being my fave.

Week Two: Learned My Lesson

2010-02-22T19:00:00.004-05:00

Okay, I am a week into try BF and quite a bit wiser. While I continue to be charged up on this effort and am committed to moving forward my desire to push to hard bit me in the...well, my foot actually. Band-Aids, and more band-aids. I have run all my early miles on a nice smooth paved greenway. Great for my new skin. But I got braver and ventured off the greenway and onto a sidewalk both changing pavement and incresing my distance. After about a mile off the nice pavement I had abraided sores on the balls of both feet. Not so painful as my being annoyed at myself. I remain confident that I have a relatively decent bf stride. However I believe I also pushed my pace as well and the reuslt was probably a combo of rough pavement and too much pushing off. Well, lesson learned. Today I returned to my shoes and di some hillwork to prepare for my marathon in just over three weeks. I will do shoes for the marathon but I think I will run some amount of bf in the marathon just for the sake of doing so.

VFFs? I received my VFF KSOs and loved the feel of them. They do shield some sensation which may have impacted my form a bit. But they were awesome-cool. Unfortunately I got a blister from the cross-seam of the insole of one shoe. I have actually sent them back (thank you REI guarantee) but since have decided they ARE what I want to wear when not bf. So I reordered the same shoe only one size larger since I was a close fit on my right big toe.

Week One: Barefoot Chris takes his first steps.

2010-02-14T13:31:00.003-05:00

First Steps. Awwwww! Isn't he cute?

Point One: Okay, I feel like I need to begin with a disclaimer before some OCD idiot (aka, someone just like me) attempts to use the information in this blog as a "how to" when it comes to trying out barefoot running. I am not a world class runner or trainer. I have no wonderful incite in how someone should approach their running. But, of course, I have an opinion. And thanks to easy blogging sites, I can share that opinion with the world. But I approach many new idea with way too much enthusiasm and tend to overdo it. So take my experiences as just one example of how someone navigated their way into barefoot running.

Point Two: I am only into my second day of barefoot running and so far it is a success. If this blog floats off into space you can assume that my experiment failed and I have returned to the shodders.

Now the barefoot details. I feel I have a reasonably even, midfoot landing when I run. I am slow but gentle on my feet. I have built my distances and have one marathon completed (4:45). I have read much about barefoot running and Vibram Five Fingers (VFF) and believe the arguments for trying it outweigh the ones against. I have also read BORN TO RUN twice through and have that as further evidence of the merits of midfoot and barefoot running. I also have a co-worker who has been debating the purchase of VFF which provides some local support for trying barefooting. I have also maintained a pair of Saucony Cohesion NX running shoes for almost a year now and have noted a nice even wear on the soles and heels, a bit of evidence that I am landing off my heels.

Saturday (02/13/10) I ran 11 miles and decided to try barefoot running (BF) toward the end of the run. I managed a positive 3/4 miles on cold, snow-puddled pavement. I was pleased that my stride seemed fairly relaxed and was intrigued by feeling the pavement. I could tell my feet were working hard so I did not push the distance more. Once I returned to my shoes it became immediately apparent to me that my shoes had my feet working with a different landing. Interesting. I returned home invigorated by the small success but decided I would not share my effort with family in case they thought me crazy. But I looked forward to my next run.

Today, Sunday 02/14/10, I eagerly headed out to run. I had scoured more blogs and happily learned that several folks recommended just what I was doing. I wondered what these baby steps might translate to for my next race, my second marathon. Surely I could not barefoot a marathon in 6 weeks! I believe it was Barefoot Ted who advised someone to just run in your shoes and maybe try barefooting for part of the race. Great! Now I could dedicate myself to the new challenge but not declare my shoes extinct.

I ran about 8 miles today and could feel a bit of tenderness with my feet in my shoes. Midway I removed my shoes and completed 1 1/4 miles barefoot. The pavement was a bit warmer and drier and I was fresher. That combination made it feel much better. I am very excited about these small baby steps. I do tend to push myself too hard so I will endeavor to not increase my distance until next week to prevent injury.

But, as I mentioned at the outset, I am a bit OCD when I discover a new interest. So I pondered whether I should consider VFFs or work at straight barefoot running. I determined that while my goal will be to work on mileage as a pure BF runner. I could get the VFFs for these cold pavement days and for later when the southern summer sun bakes the asphalt. So REI has my order for a pair of VFF KSO due for delivery before my next weekend outing.

Final words on an already wordy intro? I was extremely passionate about my running when I first set a marathon as a goal. Each step through my marathon training schedule was another proud achievement. I felt so positive. I did well enough on a cold rainy day for my marathon. But afterward I had some moodiness as I tried to find a new goal. I have explored various ultra events but after training on single track at Umstead and being absolutely wiped at 20 miles I have backburnered trail ultras for now. But trying a pavement option is now what interests me. And this new barefoot challenge has absolutely revitalized my spirits in getting out there as much as possible to train.

Day Three, 02/15/10: "OCD", did anyone say "OCD?" Okay, now I need to refer back to the beginning of this post. I tend to leap into a new idea with too much energy, sometimes succeeding, sometimes not. Again, do not treat my post as a logical means to an end.

Today I ran a six mile loop beginning barefoot and increasing my distance to 2 miles. I felt great but I have to be honest. The pavement was wet and very cold and I was experiencing a good bit of numbness as I ran. I felt like I maintained good form and had a nice pace but I think it is time for a day off, at least from the barefooting. I have some generalized tenderness in my feet but I would not call it pain and it has not impacted my normal walking about. I do have what feels like a blister on the bottom of my "index" toe on my left foot. I see no blisters, it just feels tender like it is so. Not bad for 3 miles of barefootin' in three days. (Sounds like a Hillbilly Woodstock : )

I spoke with my co-worker (who knows how I am) and he laughed at my new passion. Not from any negative opinion of barefoot running, but about my effort at doing so. I did tell him that he remains the only one I have told. I guess I want to be good at it before I share that I am doing it so I can have proof that it works.

A thought on this blog. Being new at this I have no idea how likely it is that anyone will every post here. I guess the fact that I barely know what I am doing in setting this up might translate to no one ever coming. But I have decided that the blog serves as motivation to record my efforts. And since I failed to do so as I progressed into my running passion then this is my chance to do so here.