The right to Bare Feet

If you've been running within the last couple years you have probably heard, read and seen some of the bare foot running craze. Some credit a book "Born to Run" written by Chris McDougall. Despite your opinion on bare foot running the book is actually a good read for any runner of any level. The premise of the book is obviously given away by the title and is based on a remote tribe that runs wearing a slice of car tire strapped on by leather as their footwear. This tribe runs as a part of daily life, endless miles on trails up and down mountainsides. No member of the tribe suffers from any of the most common running injuries that we hear about or experience. This "injury free" running is accredited to the tribes running form which starts at what's on their feet. The argument is that because they wear a primitive shoe that doesn't have inches of rubber and foam as a sole, the tribe runs "naturally" in a way that uses what humans are born with instead of relying on our modern day running shoe.

When I get in this conversation I always preface it by stating that if running were politics, this topic would have a far right and a far left. On one side those that are hard-core believers in bare foot running feel that running bare foot can eliminate most to all common running injuries as well as end world hunger, cancer and the common cold. The other side of the argument feel that the bare footers are quacks that have nothing to medically/physiologically support the argument. As with so many things in life, I feel the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

I can only comment on my experiences with the shoes. According to my training log I have 78 miles on my Vibrams (Bikila). My overall opinion is that there are gains to be had for almost all runners. Let me start with some background on my running style: in running technical terms I'm a neutral runner, this means that I generally land flat on my foot as I roll back foot to front (regardless of heal strike). This further means that I don't need a shoe that helps correct additional movements or pronation in my ankles/feet when I run. Since I began running I spent time researching efficient running styles. As I read further and further I realized that if you removed the titles from "How to run efficiently" and "How to run bare foot" you may find it hard to determine which article was which. Because of this research and me 'trying' to apply it in normal running shoes, I did not have a huge break in period with the Vibrams that you often hear about. The biggest issue I had to deal with was sore muscles in my feet. Wearing the Vibrams require you to wake up and use muscles that have been sleeping probably since we were children running around the back yard. It's quite interesting to have your feet be sore in this manner, it's not like any foot soreness I've ever experienced.

As far as performance, I feel lighter and faster in my Vibrams. Why? When I run with shoes, even a light weight trainer like my New Balance 890, I find that I have to 'try' and land exactly how I want and 'try' to keep my form flowing freely. When I wear the Virbrams it's effortless, there's no additional 'trying', I concentrate less on how I'm running and just let go, just run. It's hard to explain, but I feel more efficient because I'm minimizing wasted movements, as subtle or abrupt as those movements are with shoes. I've run faster and farther in Vibrams. This is a function of training as I lead up to my triathlon next weekend but I feel it is also because of how light I feel in the Vibrams. I feel my feet carry me along as compared to when I run with shoes I feel like all my efforts are in my thighs; again hard to explain but that's how it feels. I feel I reach my stride in my Vibrams, that point where there is no effort and I'm able to just sail along and all I can think about is how I could go faster; my heart rate regulates and my body just does what it does and is there for the ride.

Again, the shoes aren't for everyone, but that doesn't mean that you can't incorporate bare foot running in to your training and get some of the benefits. Here is a good source to start, this blog even links to one of the characters from 'Born to Run', Barefoot Ted.

I run for those that didn't get the chance to

Sometimes life gets in the way of training. Sometimes emotions get in the way of training. Sometimes things happen that can't be explained. It's those times that miles don't matter, heart rate doesn't matter, pace doesn't matter; that's when running becomes therapy. When every step is an accomplishment, when the next step is the first step to recovery. Every time your foot touches the ground it's your way of telling the world that you're not going to stop, you're not quitting. You're stronger because of your next step. It's not about being skinny or fit, it's about the journey you've started and not letting anything stop that. Stop on your terms.

CSB

The first rule of Fight Club. . .

. . . is you do not talk about Fight Club! The second rule of Fight Club is YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB! What does Fight Club have to do with running. . . Fight Club was an underground group created as a way for regular people to engage in a fight, that's it. Under normal conditions fighting occurs for a number of negative reason, in Fight Club it wasn't to see who was a better fighter or determine a champion, it was a way for people to experience pure joy. Those participating are happy to fight, happy to win, happy to lose. The joy doesn't come from the outcome of the fight, joy is the outcome because of the fight. Do to the rules of Fight Club, the outcome of a fight is irrelevant because you can't talk about it anyway. I think there's plenty of parallels to running as well as some things to keep in mind.

If you're not a runner and have zero aspirations to become one, then start your own Fight Club. If you prefer to fight, great, but find the activity where happiness comes from participation not completion. 99% of runners won't ever cross a finish line first, but ask most runners if that matters. While I was running the Estes Park Marathon I had the pleasure of meeting a couple people along the course while we were struggling with miles upon miles of hills. One individual, who's name I did not get, was a proud member of the Marathon Maniacs, and donned his Marathon Maniac jersey that can be seen at most races. If you're not familiar with this group, click the link and prepare to be amazed. The gentleman I walked next to for a bit was going to complete his 191st marathon that day. 191st. I asked him what his favorite race was. . . he had completed the fifty marathon in fifty states 3 times over, could choose a number of gorgeous places he'd seen including the one we were doing that day but instead he chose Louisville. I have nothing against Kentucky, I've been there, my family used to visit there, my middle name comes from someone from Kentucky, but why of all places he'd been and seen did he choose Louisville? He gave two reasons: 1. it was his 100th marathon, but more importantly 2. he ran it with his father, his father's first marathon. If you talk to a Marathon Maniac you'll find them to be one of the most modest groups you'll ever meet. They can be found with self made jerseys with names of all fifty states crossed off in their quest to do 50 Marathons in 50 States but you'd be hard pressed to find one bragging or boasting. For the first 14 miles of the Estes Park Marathon I ran near a first time runner and a guy who couldn't remember how many marathons he'd done. In their conversation the first timer asked why he was running and talking with her. He said that's what he liked best about marathons, meeting new runners and helping them out. There wasn't a hint of brash or ego in anything he said.

Fight Club was personal; every participant got something different out of the activity, a sense of accomplishment, participating in something generally frowned upon, getting beat up, but it was the fight pure and simple that mattered. Records weren't kept, wins and loses didn't matter, what mattered was fighting.

How to finish

I've learned more about finishing marathons in the last two weeks then in my two years of marathon training. Two weeks ago I worked the last water station at the Madison Marathon followed up by running last week's Minneapolis Marathon. Here's what I know:
At mile 25 there are two types of runners and two types of walkers. Walker #1 - someone who trained, possibly not enough, but they knew that going in and are still happy doing whatever they can to finish. Runner #1 - heading to the home stretch up right and still running. Runner #2 - not quite a run but certainly not a walk, working hard to finish. Walker #2 - pissed off!!

I want to focus on walker #2. They may fall in to a couple sub-categories; wanted to run a PR and couldn't maintain it or had unrealistic expectations of matching their training and their race. These are usually first timers who may never sign up for another race because the experience is awful. This runner spent 12-18 weeks training for this day and because they thought they could run with the 3:50 pace group they ended up walking at mile 15. I find myself to be a running numbers geek. I try and study and learn from all my runs, especially my long runs so I know what I should expect realistically on race day. I had no intention of qualifying for Boston last Sunday because I was never close in any of my training. I was very happy with my performance because I ran smart and was able to spend most of the second half of the race passing people; look for yourself here. I'm not tooting my horn, I'm trying to explain that despite your training efforts you can enjoy a distance race and be excited to sign up for another if you plan your race smart. On the link to my results go to the bottom by the 'graphic results'. It lists how many people I passed and how many passed me. From mile 9.5 of the race until the end I passed 153 runners, during that same time I was passed by 12. My times fell off as the race went on but I built a race plan I felt confident I could execute and did. It was great to hear the people watching the race tell me how strong I looked and how well I was running. That helped me smile and helped keep me going. I can't emphasize enough on the importance of building a race plan that includes: nutrition, hydration and pace. I'll get in to the details on another post and bore you with my running geekiness.

The point is that I'd hate for a first time marathoner/half marathoner/10ker/5ker never want to run another race because they didn't have some help putting together a plan of attack for the race. Races are suppose to be the fun part and the time to enjoy the fruits of all your training, don't leave your race to chance, especially if you're new to distance races. Get some advice, ask me, read about it online, do something to make sure you're not walker #2.

Who cares what you see in the mirror

I have to confess, this isn't a picture of me above. I also have to admit that running has changed my body greatly, for the better. Since my running started back in August of 2009 I've lost about 15 lbs and at least a couple inches from my waist. Also, since last working on the rail road back during college I have been revisited with the small hint of that vein on my bicep sticking out. I couldn't be happier with what I've seen happen to my body, but it means very little when it comes to distance running. Yes, if you are 5 lbs lighter that can have a positive impact on your ability to run but it won't necessarily shave minutes off your marathon time.

Tomorrow I run the Minneapolis Marathon, I will get beat by both men and women who if picked out of a line-up you'd swear couldn't run 2 miles let alone 26.2. It's gratifying to watch the weight go down and see the fat go away, that's a fantastic thing, but it's easy to fall in love with what you see and automatically assume and expect that that's going be the difference between a new PR and running the same pace.

I'm not saying weight loss is a bad thing and I do believe that if you are lighter you are able to push yourself farther and train harder, but it's almost a double edge sword: you're loosing weight so that's a great thing, but you see positive results so you may lighten up on the things that got you there.

Distance running may not fall under our old track quote in high school that "fat equals fast" but I think it's just as possible as "skinny equals fast."

No Rules, just run!!

If there's a ten commandments of running, I've never seen it and you can bet that Madison Marathon Runner 573 (Michael Johnson) hasn't either. Who says you can't smile and be happy to see your niece (blondish blob on the bottom right corner of the picture) at mile 22? There are no rules to running whether you're just getting off the couch for the first time in a long time or you're at mile 22 of your first ever marathon (or any race over 5 miles in Michael's case).

There are three personalities that make great runners: stupid people because they don't know any better, smart people because they can look at the big picture and learn, and the third are people who don't care, people who don't limit what they can do by putting themselves on a bell shaped curve. Make your own rules, don't allow other people's rules of running slow you down or hold you back. Seek advice and be smart about what you do. If you want proof that rules don't apply, go volunteer a water station at a marathon. I had the pleasure of working the mile 25 water hole at the Madison Marathon yesterday. That's where you see the rule breakers: sure the leaders fly by running their sub three hour pace but then you start to see the running magic. . . women and men, short and fat, tall and skinny, Asics and barefoot, basketball shorts and an Amare Stoudemire jersey, men in all pink top and bottom with the matching compression socks. You try telling one of them some rules of thumb of running at that point and see what happens.

In the last 3 weeks I've found my rule of running, how contradicting is that since I just bashed all rules. Here goes: if you can't smile you're running to fast. If you're not able to smile, you're not enjoying what is truly happening and what you're accomplishing; you're running past the happiness and joy of what you're doing and if you can't smile it becomes work. Running was work for me, training was work for me. It was too much about how fast and how far and at what heart rate did it all happen. I forgot to smile. I've got my running grin back and feel better than ever. I may not PR next Sunday in Minneapolis or in Estes Park the following Sunday, but that doesn't matter, what matters is running.

No pain no gain

If you start to run more frequently or begin training for longer running events you're probably going to have to deal with some pain and discomfort. There's lots of information on injury prevention and how to treat some common running injuries but it pays to apply some common sense when issues arise. Most often a small issue can lead to something worse. Maybe your shoes don't fit properly or are the wrong type of shoe which can cause you to run in an odd manor, which can cause added stress in your ankles or knees which can lead to. . . . if something doesn't feel right there's probably a reason and you should work quickly to find that reason. Usually immediate pain and discomfort comes from the equipment on your feet. If you have some other discomfort like ankle pain, knee pain and hip discomfort right from the get go, it may be old injuries or commonly your body fighting the new activity. Those pains are worth noting and keeping an eye on but are often associated with your body adjusting to the motions of running from not running (when's the last time your ran?). If pain persists or gets worse, don't screw around, go get it checked out.

If you've decided to undertake some longer races and begin running distances you never thought possible, injury becomes more and more likely. There will be times when you have to decide on continuing to crank out miles while hoping an injury goes away or resting properly. I error on the side of rest, but rest doesn't mean not doing anything. I use those times to get on the bike or swim. Most marathon training plans have cross training days built in, if something starts happening with your calf and you need to take it easy for a week, don't be frustrated, try out the bike and see if that doesn't add to the pain. If the bike isn't fine, hit the pool. I find swimming to be some of the hardest exercises and there's virtually no impact. Even if you're nursing a leg injury that hurts if you kick will swimming you can grab a pull buoy and just use your arms.

Here's what I've found as my biggest reasons for getting injured:
1. Too many miles too soon. Don't condense a 12 week half marathon training plan in to 4 if you're not regularly running already.
2. Too many miles on un-even surfaces. It seems minor but the added stress on the side of the body that's created by the lower running surface ends up being major.
3. Running too fast DOWN hills. Hills are great for training but most of the gains are had while going up them. When running down hills all the proper running mechanics you should be incorporating go out the window because of the decline. I'm not referring to minor grades or declines but bigger hills. The added impact from the gravity pulling you down the hill can quickly lead to joint pain up and down your legs.
4. Over-training. A great goal for any race is to finish, but once you've done that it's not hard to start focusing on time and making improvements. I wanted to qualify for Boston at the Minneapolis Marathon. I know I'm not going to do that. It was my plan to run 50 miles consistently. I did it quite a few times but it was difficult in the weeks following those 50 mile weeks to have the energy and strength to continue that amount of miles. Had I done a better job preparing for training in the late fall and early winter it may have been a different story. I also most recently have had some calf strain going on. Training for distance races takes time and because you're out there running a lot, things can happen. Be smart about pains and injuries, use your common sense when evaluating the injury and finding the proper way to treat it. Use the internet to get opinions but don't be afraid to set up an appointment with a sports clinic.

Stay running, stay injury free by not being a dumb-ass.