Hello Sasquatches,
I hope the fall weather is finding you all well and been able to log some miles.
There are some exciting events going on this weekend here in New York City. It’s the first NYC Barefoot Run and you bet your barefeet I will be there bright and early with bells on! I am extremely excited for this event and will have the opportunity to participate in education, training, socializing and last but not least some running!
There will be training clinics in Central Park during the day on Saturday and one of the leader’s will be Barefoot Ted. I cannot wait to meet this crazy guy in my favorite part of NYC! He was one of the first barefoot runners to be sponsored by VFF’s. Sunday is the run which is held at Governs Island. This is a part of NYC that I have never been too and am looking forward to both the ferry ride and run on the island.
The crew of leaders:
* Jason Robillard will be running a marathon
* Dan Lieberman will be running 18-20 miles
* Barefoot Ted will be exploring different surfaces on the island, changing directions, running in a pack, changing pack leaders, and changing speeds.
* Erwan Le Corre will be leading a MovNat-style “run”, which may include crawling, lifting, balancing, and other natural movements.
I’m looking forward to the training and tips from the event. I am hoping to come out of this to be running completely barefoot. I did take the VFF’s off the other day in the park and ran about a ½ mile on my bare feet. It felt good, but the park is also very clean and free of debris. At the moment I have over 803 miles on my first pair of VFF’s and I am going to wear them until I cannot wear them!
I will update after the exciting events of the weekend!
Have a good one!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Barefoot in the Park-Welcome Back
Good Day Sasquatches,
I apologize for the lack of blog postings for the last couple of weeks. I enrolled in a summer intensive Global Affairs Program at NYU. It was an amazing four weeks of really intense classes along with the professors and collegiate and I had put the running aside to concentrate on the classes and many hours of homework. The classes and homework is now done and ready to get back to the park and log some miles!
I wanted to give a shout out to Amanda and Molly for crossing the finish line on their first 5K! Molly is currently training for her first 1/2 marathon this fall, and eventually I’ll get Amanda signed up for one! I was planning on running the Toronto Marathon in September but with the lack of training it’s just not going to happen. However I am looking at running the NYC marathon again for an organization called Shoe4Africa. http://www.shoe4africa.org/ For all you sasquatches that have converted over to the 'feet' shoes please donate your old running shoes to this organization. S4A is also raising money to build one of Sub Sahara's largest and much needed hospitals. There is also a link on the website, called 'click for a brick' and donation of just $10.00 can be made. I encourage all of you to check it out and read about the organization. For one of my classes I wrote about this organization and interviewed the founder Toby Tanser for further information. What a phenomenal guy, he's very passionate about running and building awareness through his organization. He has more than a full time job and he does not keep any of the donations; 100% go to the programs. He has a run later this month in Central Park and I plan on being there and supporting his efforts. Again, please check out his sight and make a donation to the hospital.
Also if you haven't seen the latest article from yahoo, here is the link to check it out.
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/baring-it-all-the-barefoot-running-trend-2337336/
The word is getting out there and these shoes are quite the talk of the town.
I'm looking forward to a great weekend of Barefooting in the Park and logging some miles this weekend. Make it a good one everyone :)
I apologize for the lack of blog postings for the last couple of weeks. I enrolled in a summer intensive Global Affairs Program at NYU. It was an amazing four weeks of really intense classes along with the professors and collegiate and I had put the running aside to concentrate on the classes and many hours of homework. The classes and homework is now done and ready to get back to the park and log some miles!
I wanted to give a shout out to Amanda and Molly for crossing the finish line on their first 5K! Molly is currently training for her first 1/2 marathon this fall, and eventually I’ll get Amanda signed up for one! I was planning on running the Toronto Marathon in September but with the lack of training it’s just not going to happen. However I am looking at running the NYC marathon again for an organization called Shoe4Africa. http://www.shoe4africa.org/ For all you sasquatches that have converted over to the 'feet' shoes please donate your old running shoes to this organization. S4A is also raising money to build one of Sub Sahara's largest and much needed hospitals. There is also a link on the website, called 'click for a brick' and donation of just $10.00 can be made. I encourage all of you to check it out and read about the organization. For one of my classes I wrote about this organization and interviewed the founder Toby Tanser for further information. What a phenomenal guy, he's very passionate about running and building awareness through his organization. He has more than a full time job and he does not keep any of the donations; 100% go to the programs. He has a run later this month in Central Park and I plan on being there and supporting his efforts. Again, please check out his sight and make a donation to the hospital.
Also if you haven't seen the latest article from yahoo, here is the link to check it out.
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/baring-it-all-the-barefoot-running-trend-2337336/
The word is getting out there and these shoes are quite the talk of the town.
I'm looking forward to a great weekend of Barefooting in the Park and logging some miles this weekend. Make it a good one everyone :)
Monday, July 5, 2010
Barefoot in the Park-Discovery
Good Day Sasquatches,
I've finally been able to start logging some more miles again. I needed to rest for a couple of weeks after Grandma's Marathon and having done 2 marathons in a month it was going to be a longer recovery time. I did some ultrasounds and therapy sessions on my right ankle. Apparently my right leg is shorter than my left leg and my right ankle had felt a heavy impact on trying to keep up with the left leg during the past 18 weeks of training. I know this sounds very funny, but this is more common in people than one thinks. I had gone to a Chiropractor Clinic in Minneapolis, MN, LynLake Chiropractic, and saw Dr. Jill, Dr. Abe and Dr. Kevin. Dr. Jill took a look at my ankle as I was lying on the adjustment table; she knew right away that my right leg was shorter than the left. This is the first time that someone has shared the fantastic news with me!
Let me explain when I say injury, this is not something that’s put me on the couch and I cannot run. I was able to run both Fargo and Grandma’s with the soreness in my right ankle. It was very important for me to run on the top part of the feet otherwise the injury/soreness was not going to go away. They wrapped my ankle in some tape and the tape helped support the ankle and keep it up right. The tape actually lasted through the runs. I’ve now graduated off from the tape and therapy sessions and should be able to start logging some miles back in. I will need to still take it easy and probably can’t start doing the 50 mile weeks which I’d like to. Now back to running on the top part of my feet; if I don’t run on the ball of my foot and or run flat footed or heel strike this injury will stay with me and/or get worse. Hence, this also comes back to the idea of running nearly barefoot in the VFF’s and they force you to run on the ball of your foot and push your natural stride forward. "By taking off your shoes, you give your body a chance to reuse some amazingly useful, built-in systems that help you move in a way that need not be jarring nor pounding regardless of the hardness of the terrain, a way of movement that more effectively captures and re-releases stored energy through elasticity in our bodies: the splaying of our forefoot, the arch in our foot, tendons in the lower legs, calves and quads, and form, all positioned ideally to absorb and recoil the energy of movement, smoothly and efficiently, operating in real-time, on the move, a kind of primordial physical intelligence, a birthright of Homo sapiens. This built in recoil system puts to shame the claims of the marshmallow soft, spring loaded shoes that capture the imagination of so many. " Barefoot Ted
I’m hopeful for a nice week of running and then back on the training schedule for a mid September marathon.
If you live in the Minneapolis, MN, area and are either injured or are in need of a chiropractor, I strongly encourage you to go in and see the folks at LynLake Chiropractic. Dr. Kevin and Dr. Jill are both runners and will be able to determine your injuries and what you’ll need for recovery quickly. http://www.lynlakechiropractic.com/
I've finally been able to start logging some more miles again. I needed to rest for a couple of weeks after Grandma's Marathon and having done 2 marathons in a month it was going to be a longer recovery time. I did some ultrasounds and therapy sessions on my right ankle. Apparently my right leg is shorter than my left leg and my right ankle had felt a heavy impact on trying to keep up with the left leg during the past 18 weeks of training. I know this sounds very funny, but this is more common in people than one thinks. I had gone to a Chiropractor Clinic in Minneapolis, MN, LynLake Chiropractic, and saw Dr. Jill, Dr. Abe and Dr. Kevin. Dr. Jill took a look at my ankle as I was lying on the adjustment table; she knew right away that my right leg was shorter than the left. This is the first time that someone has shared the fantastic news with me!
Let me explain when I say injury, this is not something that’s put me on the couch and I cannot run. I was able to run both Fargo and Grandma’s with the soreness in my right ankle. It was very important for me to run on the top part of the feet otherwise the injury/soreness was not going to go away. They wrapped my ankle in some tape and the tape helped support the ankle and keep it up right. The tape actually lasted through the runs. I’ve now graduated off from the tape and therapy sessions and should be able to start logging some miles back in. I will need to still take it easy and probably can’t start doing the 50 mile weeks which I’d like to. Now back to running on the top part of my feet; if I don’t run on the ball of my foot and or run flat footed or heel strike this injury will stay with me and/or get worse. Hence, this also comes back to the idea of running nearly barefoot in the VFF’s and they force you to run on the ball of your foot and push your natural stride forward. "By taking off your shoes, you give your body a chance to reuse some amazingly useful, built-in systems that help you move in a way that need not be jarring nor pounding regardless of the hardness of the terrain, a way of movement that more effectively captures and re-releases stored energy through elasticity in our bodies: the splaying of our forefoot, the arch in our foot, tendons in the lower legs, calves and quads, and form, all positioned ideally to absorb and recoil the energy of movement, smoothly and efficiently, operating in real-time, on the move, a kind of primordial physical intelligence, a birthright of Homo sapiens. This built in recoil system puts to shame the claims of the marshmallow soft, spring loaded shoes that capture the imagination of so many. " Barefoot Ted
I’m hopeful for a nice week of running and then back on the training schedule for a mid September marathon.
If you live in the Minneapolis, MN, area and are either injured or are in need of a chiropractor, I strongly encourage you to go in and see the folks at LynLake Chiropractic. Dr. Kevin and Dr. Jill are both runners and will be able to determine your injuries and what you’ll need for recovery quickly. http://www.lynlakechiropractic.com/
Monday, June 28, 2010
Barefoot in the Park-Back to the Basics
Greetings Sasquatches (I’m not sure if that’s really a word, however the spell check is not having any issues with it, so I guess it is!)
“Our ancestors moved over the earth...and found their way into nearly every nook and cranny of the planet...with their bare or minimally clad feet. The foot has been the primary vehicle of our success as a species, allowing us to fulfill our desire to explore, discover, achieve and eat. Yet, most people these days have come to see their feet as broken appendages, unfit for the real world, sickly and weak, prone to injury, in need of support and padding, doomed to suffer.” Barefoot Ted
I wanted to give some basic knowledge of bare footing and questions for you:
1. Why do you want to run barefoot? This is very valid question and you should have an idea of why you’re deciding barefoot over the traditional running shoes.
2. If barefoot running is for you, realize this will be a slow transition. You will need to re-train yourself how to run as your feet and legs have had years of being protected and cushioned with the traditional running shoes. All of the padding, support, protections, and shoes with stilts have not let for you to have stronger feet and legs.
a. It took me about a month to get used to running in the Viabram Five Finger Shoes. For example, if
I was going to run 6 miles that day; I would run 5 in my traditional shoes and do the last 1 mile in the
VFF and slowly work my way up to more miles and graduate from the traditional shoes and only run
in the VFF.
i. Wear the VFF for everything; grocery shopping, walking the dog, movies, etc etc. The feet will
need to get used to them and you will also need to get used to them.
3. Your range of motion will also change as you will adapt to running on the ball of your foot rather than mid foot or even a heel. I used to also be a heel striker and thought this was the correct and best way to run. On the contrary my fellow sasquatches. Again from my earlier post, I have shaved 40 minutes of my marathon time and most of it’s due to the change in my running.
4. Vaseline will be your best friend. There are 5-finger socks to wear in the shoes, but if you’re like me that’s going against what I find natural and free; I don’t wear the socks. I put Vaseline between my toes and cover the foot to prevent from blisters. It sounds disgusting, but it works and your feet will thank you later!
5. The goal is for you to run quiet and balanced.
6. Quicken your cadence and shave some time off. Barefoot will allow this naturally. (Again, I’m living proof of it)
7. Stable upright posture. The feeling of being balanced and strong.
8. Embrace your surroundings and have some patience, enjoy your experiment with your body and mind!
“Our ancestors moved over the earth...and found their way into nearly every nook and cranny of the planet...with their bare or minimally clad feet. The foot has been the primary vehicle of our success as a species, allowing us to fulfill our desire to explore, discover, achieve and eat. Yet, most people these days have come to see their feet as broken appendages, unfit for the real world, sickly and weak, prone to injury, in need of support and padding, doomed to suffer.” Barefoot Ted
I wanted to give some basic knowledge of bare footing and questions for you:
1. Why do you want to run barefoot? This is very valid question and you should have an idea of why you’re deciding barefoot over the traditional running shoes.
2. If barefoot running is for you, realize this will be a slow transition. You will need to re-train yourself how to run as your feet and legs have had years of being protected and cushioned with the traditional running shoes. All of the padding, support, protections, and shoes with stilts have not let for you to have stronger feet and legs.
a. It took me about a month to get used to running in the Viabram Five Finger Shoes. For example, if
I was going to run 6 miles that day; I would run 5 in my traditional shoes and do the last 1 mile in the
VFF and slowly work my way up to more miles and graduate from the traditional shoes and only run
in the VFF.
i. Wear the VFF for everything; grocery shopping, walking the dog, movies, etc etc. The feet will
need to get used to them and you will also need to get used to them.
3. Your range of motion will also change as you will adapt to running on the ball of your foot rather than mid foot or even a heel. I used to also be a heel striker and thought this was the correct and best way to run. On the contrary my fellow sasquatches. Again from my earlier post, I have shaved 40 minutes of my marathon time and most of it’s due to the change in my running.
4. Vaseline will be your best friend. There are 5-finger socks to wear in the shoes, but if you’re like me that’s going against what I find natural and free; I don’t wear the socks. I put Vaseline between my toes and cover the foot to prevent from blisters. It sounds disgusting, but it works and your feet will thank you later!
5. The goal is for you to run quiet and balanced.
6. Quicken your cadence and shave some time off. Barefoot will allow this naturally. (Again, I’m living proof of it)
7. Stable upright posture. The feeling of being balanced and strong.
8. Embrace your surroundings and have some patience, enjoy your experiment with your body and mind!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Barefoot in the Park-Not Knowing Enough About Sasquatch
Greetings, I think we’ll continue on this Sasquatch concept for awhile and see where it leads. Unfortunately, we’re in the day and age where anyone can sell anything to anybody without having much prior knowledge on the product(s). I guess this is what qualifies as an outstanding sale professional and someone you would definitely want on your team. However, when you’re compromising information on your body, especially your feet, and don’t have much or any experience with the product this can lead to some frustration and misjudgment to the consumer.
This exact experience happened to one of my friends that is currently training and prepping for the Susan G. Komen, 3 Day Walk, Twin Cities. The walk consists of 20 miles each day and totals at 60 miles of walking over 3 days. This is an amazing event and very inspiring for anyone that is spectators, participators, and donators. She asked me if she could wear the Viabram 5 Fingers (VFF) for her training and throughout her weekend of walking. My response, absolutely, however make sure you try a pair on in the store as some of the models offered by VFF fit differently. During her visit to the store, the sales professional says she could not wear them on hard surfaces and would not last throughout the 3-day; the shoes are only meant for grass soft trailer and water. Well dear sir, shoe sales professional, I beg to differ as in my previous entry you have read how many miles I have put on these lovely shoes. I have since added to that count with a couple of recovery runs this past week. And dear sir, sales professional, my shoes have not shown any signs of fatigue and are still 100% intact.
My friend did mention my experiences in these shoes and he obviously was stumped by the statement and stated well in the pamphlet here it says you cannot use these shoes for those types of surfaces. Eventually he ended up walking away from her to help an easier customer buy some shoes and she left without the VFF. I’m hoping that she will return or find them from a store that does have the proper education and will have great success during her 3 Day walk. She will be the talk of the race looking not only like a Sasquatch, but also sharing the education about the benefits of barefooting.
It’s very frustrating when you’re not being informed on the correct information about products and especially these shoes and the benefits of barefooting or looking like a Sasquatch! I’ve had my own experiences with different sales professionals and the responses have been similar. I’ve found that most sales professionals haven’t even tried the shoes on or worn them to really know the benefits of barefooting.
I plan on wearing my VFF's this weekend at the World Cup events and I’m sure will spark plenty of conversations and hopefully find some new members for team Sasquatch!
This exact experience happened to one of my friends that is currently training and prepping for the Susan G. Komen, 3 Day Walk, Twin Cities. The walk consists of 20 miles each day and totals at 60 miles of walking over 3 days. This is an amazing event and very inspiring for anyone that is spectators, participators, and donators. She asked me if she could wear the Viabram 5 Fingers (VFF) for her training and throughout her weekend of walking. My response, absolutely, however make sure you try a pair on in the store as some of the models offered by VFF fit differently. During her visit to the store, the sales professional says she could not wear them on hard surfaces and would not last throughout the 3-day; the shoes are only meant for grass soft trailer and water. Well dear sir, shoe sales professional, I beg to differ as in my previous entry you have read how many miles I have put on these lovely shoes. I have since added to that count with a couple of recovery runs this past week. And dear sir, sales professional, my shoes have not shown any signs of fatigue and are still 100% intact.
My friend did mention my experiences in these shoes and he obviously was stumped by the statement and stated well in the pamphlet here it says you cannot use these shoes for those types of surfaces. Eventually he ended up walking away from her to help an easier customer buy some shoes and she left without the VFF. I’m hoping that she will return or find them from a store that does have the proper education and will have great success during her 3 Day walk. She will be the talk of the race looking not only like a Sasquatch, but also sharing the education about the benefits of barefooting.
It’s very frustrating when you’re not being informed on the correct information about products and especially these shoes and the benefits of barefooting or looking like a Sasquatch! I’ve had my own experiences with different sales professionals and the responses have been similar. I’ve found that most sales professionals haven’t even tried the shoes on or worn them to really know the benefits of barefooting.
I plan on wearing my VFF's this weekend at the World Cup events and I’m sure will spark plenty of conversations and hopefully find some new members for team Sasquatch!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Barefoot in the Park-Sasquatch has returned
Hey Sasquatch, what are those shoes you are running in? What is a Sasquatch you might ask, well that was my question as well. I was very intrigued by this question and I thought I would entertain this chat while I was running the 34th Annual Grandma's Marathon on June 19th in Duluth, MN, with the 3:40 pace group, a girl in a green neon tank and neon pink shorts says, "You look like a Sasquatch in those shoes and by the way how do you like them?" What shoes you ask, well another great question. I was running in the Viabram 5 Finger Barefoot Shoes in the Classic Model. http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/
I was hoping and pushing hard to qualify for the Boston Marathon in my age group, however didn't meet my goal. I still finished in 4:07.25 and that's been my fastest time at the Grandma's Marathon, and this was my fourth time running this fabulous run, which isn't an easy course. A month before I ran the Fargo Marathon on May 22nd, 2010 and I crossed the line at 3:48.48 and shaved 40 minutes from my marathon time since the NYC marathon on November 1, 2009. Why the big difference? I will tell you, it's from running in the 5 Finger shoes and also re-training myself to run naturally and how we're supposed to run BAREFOOT.
I know that some of you probably think this is a crazy concept, but until you try it; I think running in the heavy soles of traditional stilts is a crazy concept. I am very new to this barefoot running, as I bought the shoes this past December and do not plan on returning to traditional running shoes. On my first pair I have approximately 530 miles, 2 marathons, and no injuries or blisters. They could probably go for another year before I had to replace them. It took me a long time to get to this point, but I'll save that for another time. So, I challenge you my friends to go out and find your inner Sasquatch and give it a go and run naturally and free.
I was hoping and pushing hard to qualify for the Boston Marathon in my age group, however didn't meet my goal. I still finished in 4:07.25 and that's been my fastest time at the Grandma's Marathon, and this was my fourth time running this fabulous run, which isn't an easy course. A month before I ran the Fargo Marathon on May 22nd, 2010 and I crossed the line at 3:48.48 and shaved 40 minutes from my marathon time since the NYC marathon on November 1, 2009. Why the big difference? I will tell you, it's from running in the 5 Finger shoes and also re-training myself to run naturally and how we're supposed to run BAREFOOT.
I know that some of you probably think this is a crazy concept, but until you try it; I think running in the heavy soles of traditional stilts is a crazy concept. I am very new to this barefoot running, as I bought the shoes this past December and do not plan on returning to traditional running shoes. On my first pair I have approximately 530 miles, 2 marathons, and no injuries or blisters. They could probably go for another year before I had to replace them. It took me a long time to get to this point, but I'll save that for another time. So, I challenge you my friends to go out and find your inner Sasquatch and give it a go and run naturally and free.
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