I am continuing to run solely in Vibram Five Fingers, and so far, it has been great. I am using the SeeYas LS for all my running, on the road and treadmill. For the most part, there is now no noticeable difference between VFFs and my Brooks PureDrifts, likely due to the quick acclimation period and my already transitioned foot strike.
The only difference (slight) I notice, and this might not be due to the shoes at all, is after several miles (+9), my feet are a bit sore. I can't remember if this is how my feet feel in shoes, so maybe it is just ME. I think once I am able to get on the road again, after all this snow melts, the mental aspect of running will be more positive, and the transition will be complete.
It is not that I do not enjoy running on the treadmill...it is just boring. But, it is still running!
January - 187 miles
February - 148 miles (all in VFFs)
M
Monday, February 25, 2013
Monday, February 11, 2013
February 3 - 9: Running in Vibrams
I have a pain, and it won't go away. I tried ignoring it. I tried cutting it out. I even taped it with duct tape. So, if the top 3 ways to live a healthy life, as applied to an injury, don't work, you have to get creative.
I bought a pair of Vibrams (Bikilia) a few years ago. I loved them. Alas, they were really a little too small. So, I bought a pair of KomodoSport LS. They fit just right. I wore them around, but never to run in...until now.
The pain behind and in my little toe is too much to bear when I wear running shoes. I presume it is because I am pronating on the outside of my foot, putting pressure on either a fracture (unlikely) or a tweaked nerve. This is of course, based on my expert, non-medical opinion. The only way I can run pain-free, is barefoot, or in Vibrams. And because I cannot run fast enough barefoot, or really like the idea of running barefoot, I choose the Vibrams.
Inexplicably, I am drawn to running in these "shoes". There is just something about it, like when I first saw my wife and knew immediately we would get married. Sometimes, you just know. I am hoping I am right about this as well.
Ok, enough with the drama.
Week One: 33.4 miles
Most importantly, I am asking St. Jude for help. It is such a selfish thing for which help should be asked, but I believe more in the power of prayer than medical logic. About this, I am 100% certain.
Week Two started today. 5 miles on the treadmill.
M
I bought a pair of Vibrams (Bikilia) a few years ago. I loved them. Alas, they were really a little too small. So, I bought a pair of KomodoSport LS. They fit just right. I wore them around, but never to run in...until now.
The pain behind and in my little toe is too much to bear when I wear running shoes. I presume it is because I am pronating on the outside of my foot, putting pressure on either a fracture (unlikely) or a tweaked nerve. This is of course, based on my expert, non-medical opinion. The only way I can run pain-free, is barefoot, or in Vibrams. And because I cannot run fast enough barefoot, or really like the idea of running barefoot, I choose the Vibrams.
Inexplicably, I am drawn to running in these "shoes". There is just something about it, like when I first saw my wife and knew immediately we would get married. Sometimes, you just know. I am hoping I am right about this as well.
Ok, enough with the drama.
Week One: 33.4 miles
- Sunday - 2.6 miles (road)
- Monday - 0 miles
- Tuesday - 6 miles (treadmill)
- Wednesday - 6.5 (road)
- Thursday - 8 miles (treadmill)
- Friday - 7.2 miles (road)
- Saturday - 3.1 miles (road)
Most importantly, I am asking St. Jude for help. It is such a selfish thing for which help should be asked, but I believe more in the power of prayer than medical logic. About this, I am 100% certain.
Week Two started today. 5 miles on the treadmill.
M
Sweetheart Shuffle 5k - Race Report
The Sweetheart Shuffle 5k is the first of six events in the Healthy Holiday Fun Run Series, held on February 9, 2013 at the Bass Pro Shops in Independence, MO. This event was low-key from the standpoint the field was small, but on display were people running for best times, meeting (and some exceeding) personal goals, conquering fears and pain, and finding a new reason to run. These are the reasons the Sweetheart Shuffle was a large-scale event.
Running is a selfish hobby. I wake up at 4 AM, run up to 13 miles, wake up the dog coming back into the house, which in turn wakes up everyone else. I drap wet clothes in the closet, and significantly add to the laundry that needs to be done everyday. I run over lunch, which compounds the laudry even more. The cost for races, shoes, socks, gear...it is all expensive. The time I am gone for races (all local, of course) is still time I am away from my family, leaving my wife to manage the kids on her day off from being a stay-at-home mom. It is selfish, yet I do it anyway.
So why run? It is an evolving reason, but one that has culminated into a simple one...it is a gift, one for which I am grateful. And I intend to celebrate it everyday. So I run. Ask me how I feel at the end of a race, and you will get the same answer: "Blessed...that's how I feel."
This year is a drastic change for me. My oldest daughter, Madilyn, is running with me. I proposed running to her as an alternative sport to soccer or softball...something she and I could do together. She was into it. So, the Sweetheart Shuffle was our first race in our yearlong sport. This is how it went:
We arrived at the Bass Pro Shop around 7:15 in the morning. After a quick stop at the porta-john, we waited in the car until 5 minutes before the start of the race. This is a HUGE benefit to these races...easy access!
Running is a selfish hobby. I wake up at 4 AM, run up to 13 miles, wake up the dog coming back into the house, which in turn wakes up everyone else. I drap wet clothes in the closet, and significantly add to the laundry that needs to be done everyday. I run over lunch, which compounds the laudry even more. The cost for races, shoes, socks, gear...it is all expensive. The time I am gone for races (all local, of course) is still time I am away from my family, leaving my wife to manage the kids on her day off from being a stay-at-home mom. It is selfish, yet I do it anyway.
So why run? It is an evolving reason, but one that has culminated into a simple one...it is a gift, one for which I am grateful. And I intend to celebrate it everyday. So I run. Ask me how I feel at the end of a race, and you will get the same answer: "Blessed...that's how I feel."
This year is a drastic change for me. My oldest daughter, Madilyn, is running with me. I proposed running to her as an alternative sport to soccer or softball...something she and I could do together. She was into it. So, the Sweetheart Shuffle was our first race in our yearlong sport. This is how it went:
We arrived at the Bass Pro Shop around 7:15 in the morning. After a quick stop at the porta-john, we waited in the car until 5 minutes before the start of the race. This is a HUGE benefit to these races...easy access!
I gave Maddi three goals: never walk, walk at the aid station, or walk one time per mile. Even though running is for fun, a race is a lesson in and of itself. And I am the coach. We started slowly, easing through the crowd in front of us, and maintained a nice, easy pace. Maddi was able to talk to me, which tells me how tired she actually is. Past the first mile, she wanted to walk...I told her we could after we crossed the next street light, but only until the next subsequent cone. My belief is she has no idea how far or much should she push herself, so I need to judge for her. Soon, she will learn on her own.
Running isn't easy. It should hurt..a little. It should cause doubt, and subsequently reaffirm the belief that you can accomplish anything in your heart. We took a few short walks throughout the course, always aware we would be passed by others pushing just a little harder. Towards the end, when the finish line came into view about 600 meters away, Maddi pushed through. I pointed to runners we needed to pass. She complied. And at the end, we finished our first race as a pair of runners, as father and daughter, as friends.
When I run a marathon, it is for fun, but I run hard. It is self-involved, and I want to do my very best. Running alone, I could have run a 19 min 5k. But on this day, my very best was not about time or placement. My very best was running with Maddi. And it was wonderful.
The Sweetheart Shuffle is the first of six races we are planning to do this year. The other five, well, those are the remaining races in the Healthy Holiday Fun Run Series. Run baby run. You've got to love it!
M
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