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
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
A New Runner in Town
"Maddi, do you want to spend your time playing soccer, where I can no longer coach you, away from home, or do you want to run...with me?"
Our daughters are growing up, and athletics, although not mandatory, are something we very much encourage. Our youngest daughter is playing softball this year. And with it comes 2x practice plus games. Both girls take piano (1x) and religious class (1x). As Madilyn debated on what sport she wanted to do this year, it sent her mom and I into a bit of a panic. No matter what she picked, it would take our family away from each other during the week and even the weekend. Because family time is important, we came up with a solution.
Running!
Maddi is a naturally built runner. Coupled with the fact I have lost faith in team sports over the years (coming from a dedicated baseball background), and based on the premise of wanting my girls to participate in sports that they can continue with throughout their life. Softball...maybe. But it is what is best for Abbi. As for Maddi, running is a viable option.
So, she agreed to run this year. She and I will run 4 days a week, with planned 5k races throughout the year. SO, we have two races planned...2/9 and 3/23. I am pumped! We bought some real running shoes, and we have a schedule.
More to come!!!
M
Our daughters are growing up, and athletics, although not mandatory, are something we very much encourage. Our youngest daughter is playing softball this year. And with it comes 2x practice plus games. Both girls take piano (1x) and religious class (1x). As Madilyn debated on what sport she wanted to do this year, it sent her mom and I into a bit of a panic. No matter what she picked, it would take our family away from each other during the week and even the weekend. Because family time is important, we came up with a solution.
Running!
Maddi is a naturally built runner. Coupled with the fact I have lost faith in team sports over the years (coming from a dedicated baseball background), and based on the premise of wanting my girls to participate in sports that they can continue with throughout their life. Softball...maybe. But it is what is best for Abbi. As for Maddi, running is a viable option.
So, she agreed to run this year. She and I will run 4 days a week, with planned 5k races throughout the year. SO, we have two races planned...2/9 and 3/23. I am pumped! We bought some real running shoes, and we have a schedule.
More to come!!!
M
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Purpose of the Treadmill
Is it the miles in my running log, or is it the reason I run each run that is important? It is probably both.
During the winter build-up and foundational training season, I find myself being a wimp. I hate the cold...it hurts me, so I succumb to running on the treadmill for some of my sessions. Are these junk miles? Maybe. Do they count the same as running outside? Not likely. BUT, they have a purpose.
Running on the treadmill does at least one thing very important to my base training: foot turnover and foot strike.
Foot turnover is cadence / speed of the foot striking in the ground in a specific amount of time. The faster the foot turnover, the more efficient the runner can be. If over a mile, the foot strikes the ground more, the faster the runner is propelled forward. Seems simple, but it is not. Foot turnover forces efficiency and better form, which leads to increased endurance. Increased endurance is paramount to strength, and strength increases performance levels.
The second part of the equation is foot strike. When the legs turn over at a faster rate, if the runner strikes the ground with the foot under the hip, the calf and hamstrings load like coiled springs, bouncing the leg off the ground with greater power, and naturally moving the legs forward, leading with the knee. A good example is found here: http://naturalrunningcenter.com/2013/01/06/video-the-principles-natural-running/
Why is this important? A runner who maximizes efficiency (regardless of the shoes they wear), they increase longevity...in terms of endurance and health. Using a treadmill, while not nearly as beneficial as running outside, is a great training mechanism to focus on how fast your legs are turning over and where / how your foot is striking the ground. And for the geeks, you can easily set up a camcorder to video how you are running, for analysis and modification.
Running fast is not about getting the legs moving as fast as possible. Well, it is, but it MUST BE DONE in a certain way, or suffer through injury and loss of efficiency. So while I care very much about how many miles I run in a week, I care just as much as how I run those miles. After a few sessions on the treadmill during the freezing cold mornings, when I run outside, my body instinctively mimics how I was running inside. The result is I run faster, easier, and with less effort.
This is call foundational building.
Another benefit of staring at the wall for hours is emotional endurance...over the course of a marathon or ultra distance, the mind loses focus. On a treadmill, you are exercise your mind and your legs. Both are absolutely necessary to a positive increase in performance and enjoyment of running.
In the end, for me anyway, it is not about how fast I run. It is all about the joy of running. And I find more joy when I can run more. To run more, I need to run farther. To run farther, I need to be stronger. To be stronger, I need to run more efficiently. To run more efficiently, I need to stay healthy. To do all these things, I need to maximize the time on the treadmill.
M
During the winter build-up and foundational training season, I find myself being a wimp. I hate the cold...it hurts me, so I succumb to running on the treadmill for some of my sessions. Are these junk miles? Maybe. Do they count the same as running outside? Not likely. BUT, they have a purpose.
Running on the treadmill does at least one thing very important to my base training: foot turnover and foot strike.
Foot turnover is cadence / speed of the foot striking in the ground in a specific amount of time. The faster the foot turnover, the more efficient the runner can be. If over a mile, the foot strikes the ground more, the faster the runner is propelled forward. Seems simple, but it is not. Foot turnover forces efficiency and better form, which leads to increased endurance. Increased endurance is paramount to strength, and strength increases performance levels.
The second part of the equation is foot strike. When the legs turn over at a faster rate, if the runner strikes the ground with the foot under the hip, the calf and hamstrings load like coiled springs, bouncing the leg off the ground with greater power, and naturally moving the legs forward, leading with the knee. A good example is found here: http://naturalrunningcenter.com/2013/01/06/video-the-principles-natural-running/
Why is this important? A runner who maximizes efficiency (regardless of the shoes they wear), they increase longevity...in terms of endurance and health. Using a treadmill, while not nearly as beneficial as running outside, is a great training mechanism to focus on how fast your legs are turning over and where / how your foot is striking the ground. And for the geeks, you can easily set up a camcorder to video how you are running, for analysis and modification.
Running fast is not about getting the legs moving as fast as possible. Well, it is, but it MUST BE DONE in a certain way, or suffer through injury and loss of efficiency. So while I care very much about how many miles I run in a week, I care just as much as how I run those miles. After a few sessions on the treadmill during the freezing cold mornings, when I run outside, my body instinctively mimics how I was running inside. The result is I run faster, easier, and with less effort.
This is call foundational building.
Another benefit of staring at the wall for hours is emotional endurance...over the course of a marathon or ultra distance, the mind loses focus. On a treadmill, you are exercise your mind and your legs. Both are absolutely necessary to a positive increase in performance and enjoyment of running.
In the end, for me anyway, it is not about how fast I run. It is all about the joy of running. And I find more joy when I can run more. To run more, I need to run farther. To run farther, I need to be stronger. To be stronger, I need to run more efficiently. To run more efficiently, I need to stay healthy. To do all these things, I need to maximize the time on the treadmill.
M
Thursday, January 3, 2013
2013 Plans
With the advent of a new year, comes a new set of obsessions, or a subset of obsessions channeled through the same obsession of running. Following a fantastic climax in 2012 with the Kansas City Marathon (3:18, PR), where coming off an Achilles injury seemed to derail the entire train, I am renewed physically and emotionally.
My original goal, established during my 2012 recovery, was to focus on the shorter, triathlon races...Olympic distance. This would mean less time running, more time bicycling and swimming, and less chance for injury. However, I am a runner, and no amount of time spent watching the 2010 Hawaii Ironman over and over again will change that disposition. I am a runner.
After careful consideration, I have nearly finalized 2013.
My objective this year is two-fold: don't spend any more money than necessary on a race; race only the events I REALLY want to accomplish. Given these objectives, I shouldn't have signed up for HH, but plans change. It's a great race, and might be a nice departure coming off my first ultra (Brew to Brew).
Given the freezing conditions, I am on the treadmill some, running on an indoor track (200 meters) at work, and man-ing up for some outdoor runs. I really hate the cold, couple with never bringing music or a watch, this might be more of a mental excercise than anything else.
I list the Hawk 100 in September as tentative...if Brew to Brew goes well, then I am definitely signing up. If it is awful, then I might sign up. Either way, Brew to Brew is my primary race this year. I am beginning to become emotionally bound to this goal, and that is the key to my success.
M
My original goal, established during my 2012 recovery, was to focus on the shorter, triathlon races...Olympic distance. This would mean less time running, more time bicycling and swimming, and less chance for injury. However, I am a runner, and no amount of time spent watching the 2010 Hawaii Ironman over and over again will change that disposition. I am a runner.
After careful consideration, I have nearly finalized 2013.
- February - Sweetheart Shuffle 10k
- April - Brew to Brew solo (44.4 miles, road)
- June - Hospital Hill Half Marathon
- September - Hawk 100 (tentative)
- October - Kansas City Marathon
My objective this year is two-fold: don't spend any more money than necessary on a race; race only the events I REALLY want to accomplish. Given these objectives, I shouldn't have signed up for HH, but plans change. It's a great race, and might be a nice departure coming off my first ultra (Brew to Brew).
Given the freezing conditions, I am on the treadmill some, running on an indoor track (200 meters) at work, and man-ing up for some outdoor runs. I really hate the cold, couple with never bringing music or a watch, this might be more of a mental excercise than anything else.
I list the Hawk 100 in September as tentative...if Brew to Brew goes well, then I am definitely signing up. If it is awful, then I might sign up. Either way, Brew to Brew is my primary race this year. I am beginning to become emotionally bound to this goal, and that is the key to my success.
M
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Kansas City Marathon 2012
October 20, 2012
Crown Center
Kansas City, MO
Whatever anyone tells you about training, training plans, and the necessity of the "long run", throw it out with the garbage.
After suffering from an Achilles rip-up in the early winter season, I was forced to take off a few months from running. It drove me mad! I had no choice but to sit...on the bike, and in the water was my only avenue for fitness. Did it pay off? Of course it did. But I won't dwell on the injury.
Just like 2011, where I ran my first marathon, I was undertrained physically. Except this year, I had a total of 16 weeks of running, whereas the year before I ran year-round. My progression up to the marathon was slow and deliberate, with the following as my monthly totals:
June - 60 miles
July - 61 miles
August - 104 miles
September - 143 miles
October - 106 miles
I ran a lot of 9 - 11 mile runs at a relaxed pace, with some light pick-ups toward the end. My longest run was 11.2 miles.
I decided to run the marathon as I walked into packet pick-up. I had decided against the marathon a few weeks prior, but reconsidered at the last minute. I felt I was ready emotionally, and was confident my body would hold up enough to finish. I was 100% correct.
I started just behind the 3:15 pace group, and settled into a nice relaxed pace for the first 5k. But I felt a faster speed was needed, and it felt good in my legs, and I quickly passed the pace group around 4 miles. But the downhills are my weakness, and I had not trained to take them quickly. I was swallowed up by the 3:15 group around the Plaza. It didn't bother me. I was taking it mile by mile.
A marathon is a full-blown emotional commitment for me. It is more taxing than the physical workout. It's like deciding to get married. Well, not quite, but close. It's a 26.2 mile prayer really. And I don't mince my words. I know I am blessed to even be able to run, much less run a marathon. So to worry about pace and time, I just don't care. I didn't wear a watch, and never looked for split. It makes it all the more enjoyable.
After mile 12, I adjusted my mind to the upcoming miles, and prepared to be emotionally challenged. The challenge never came. I cruised through the remaining miles until mile 24, where my hamstrings cramped fierce. I stopped for 15 seconds to stretch, and when a slow run didn't alleviate the pain, I found a fast run did.
26.2 miles later, I finished in 3:18. To say I am pleased is an understatement. I ran less this year, due to injury, and didn't put in the long runs. But I put in more mental work than ever before.
I love the marathon. The reward is fantastic. It is humbling and confidence-building all in one. 26.2 miles will change you, forever. But you have to make a commitment to yourself. You have to commit to the mental work just as much as the physical. Could I have ran faster? Of course. Do I care? Yes, a little.
So what's next?
M
Crown Center
Kansas City, MO
Whatever anyone tells you about training, training plans, and the necessity of the "long run", throw it out with the garbage.
After suffering from an Achilles rip-up in the early winter season, I was forced to take off a few months from running. It drove me mad! I had no choice but to sit...on the bike, and in the water was my only avenue for fitness. Did it pay off? Of course it did. But I won't dwell on the injury.
Just like 2011, where I ran my first marathon, I was undertrained physically. Except this year, I had a total of 16 weeks of running, whereas the year before I ran year-round. My progression up to the marathon was slow and deliberate, with the following as my monthly totals:
June - 60 miles
July - 61 miles
August - 104 miles
September - 143 miles
October - 106 miles
I ran a lot of 9 - 11 mile runs at a relaxed pace, with some light pick-ups toward the end. My longest run was 11.2 miles.
I decided to run the marathon as I walked into packet pick-up. I had decided against the marathon a few weeks prior, but reconsidered at the last minute. I felt I was ready emotionally, and was confident my body would hold up enough to finish. I was 100% correct.
I started just behind the 3:15 pace group, and settled into a nice relaxed pace for the first 5k. But I felt a faster speed was needed, and it felt good in my legs, and I quickly passed the pace group around 4 miles. But the downhills are my weakness, and I had not trained to take them quickly. I was swallowed up by the 3:15 group around the Plaza. It didn't bother me. I was taking it mile by mile.
A marathon is a full-blown emotional commitment for me. It is more taxing than the physical workout. It's like deciding to get married. Well, not quite, but close. It's a 26.2 mile prayer really. And I don't mince my words. I know I am blessed to even be able to run, much less run a marathon. So to worry about pace and time, I just don't care. I didn't wear a watch, and never looked for split. It makes it all the more enjoyable.
After mile 12, I adjusted my mind to the upcoming miles, and prepared to be emotionally challenged. The challenge never came. I cruised through the remaining miles until mile 24, where my hamstrings cramped fierce. I stopped for 15 seconds to stretch, and when a slow run didn't alleviate the pain, I found a fast run did.
26.2 miles later, I finished in 3:18. To say I am pleased is an understatement. I ran less this year, due to injury, and didn't put in the long runs. But I put in more mental work than ever before.
I love the marathon. The reward is fantastic. It is humbling and confidence-building all in one. 26.2 miles will change you, forever. But you have to make a commitment to yourself. You have to commit to the mental work just as much as the physical. Could I have ran faster? Of course. Do I care? Yes, a little.
So what's next?
M
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