Keep On Keepin On

It's been just over three weeks since the completion of my first half-marathon. Since then I've ran a total of about 10 miles. There has been a lot going on in my life as of late, but when it comes to running sometimes the excuses to skip a run overcome the reasons to run.

So, the question is how can I stay motivated to train when I'm not staring down a race?

I've been doing some cross training, riding my bicycle somewhat regularly with a friend. I never finish with the "runner's high" but it keeps me from sitting in a lawn chair drinking Bell's Oberon in my backyard all summer long.

Read a book. Ok, there's no Book Club faction of the EMRS, but the world existential does imply a certain amount of contemplation and use of that organ jostling around in your skull. Reading a book (like the one I reviewed Thursday) can help with the mental aspect of running, which is possibly more important than the physical aspect.

Friends don't let friends quit running. Get someone out there with you. Running can be a great social activity, running with a partner just may push you harder than you push yourself. The aerobic workout is greater because explaining your homebrewing aspirations to your running bud also increases your breathing aspirations.

Sign up for a race. Let's face it, we all have running goals, but sometimes the best motivation is a deadline. We all need to be pushed and the best person for the job is yourself.

Born to Run; A review for Barefoot Thursdays

There are a many books about running out there, most dealing with technique and form; others are biographies of the great runners of the past. My favorite book that I’ve read on running, in fact the book that changed my entire mindset about running is the book, Born to Run, by Christopher McDougal.

Before reading the book I was in the mindset of a lot of would-be runners, I thought that I was genetically predisposed with bad knees and I would never be able to go running on a day-to-day basis. McDougal’s book literally changed all of that. His book is an intriguing blend of storytelling, anthropology, biology, and other sciences.

It follows him as he travels to Mexico’s Copper Canyon to observe the Tarahumara Indians, a group of people that are able to run distances many would find insane. The Tarahumara begin running at early ages, and McDougal highlights a particular social game that they play, a sort of soccer like game, that also prepares them for proper running technique.

Along the way McDougal and his travelling companions, the infamous “Barefoot Ted”, a female competitive Ultramarathoner, and two young running enthusiasts compete in a 50 mile race with the local Indians.

He espouses the virtues of the forefoot strike over the heel strike. (a technique that helped me to overcome my own assumptions about my “bad knees”) He also explores the increasingly popular barefoot running craze.

Another notable scene in the book also mentions the practice of persistence hunting. This style of hunting has been confirmed by anthropologists. Persistence hunting involves a small group of humans slowly and consistently chasing prey until it overheats and dies.

I read the book nonstop, finishing it within a few days, and though it was January when I read it, I couldn’t wait to get out and start running. One of the main themes of the book is that running shouldn’t be work, or a punishment for eating too many calories. Running should be a reward unto itself. The book tries not only to teach a better technique for running, but also a better mindset and love of running.

So, are you one of those people that say, I’m just don’t have the knees for running, or, I’m just not built to be a runner? If so I highly recommend this book, it just may change your mind.

New Balance Minimus MT 10

My running buddy was kind enough to let me go for a jaunt in his New Balance MT 10's last Sunday. We went seven miles at a pretty good clip and I must say I was impressed. There was plenty of room in the toe box for splaying, and I could definitely feel a nice forefoot strike. I did experience a slight amount of knee irritation, but it was absolutely not due to heel-strike.

I payed close attention to my left foot, which usually tends to swing around from the outside to the inside as I run. None of that.

The terrain was mixed, probably half limestone trail and half asphalt. The last mile we kicked it up to a 7.5 minute mile (probably why my knee was slightly tweaked) and I felt and finished strong.

My biggest complaint was that the orange color and wide rounded toe box reminded me of Ronald McDonald's shoes. No cheeseburgers for me though, I'm too busy trying to develop a bacon wrapped fried pickle.

Barefoot Thursday (Late Edition)

Ok, I already messed up on only my second barefoot Thursday post. Here it is anyway, even if it is a day late.

I was browsing through my seemingly daily arriving Eastbay catalog, when I noticed a new minimalist running shoe! The Saucony Hattori pictured here. They look pretty similar to the New Balance Minimus trail shoe, but I would still love to give them a try. Anyone want to donate a pair for me to test?

I would love to take a spin in them, a quick jog in the parking lot of the shoe store just doesn't cut it. I need to go at least four miles to really get a feel for what they will do to my knees. They are pretty reasonably priced, cheaper than the Vibram Bikila LS's I bought.

After three pairs of Vibrams my wife has put her foot down. (pun intended, haha) No more running shoes for a while. I still love my VFF's but I certainly wouldn't mind trying the Saucony's. My running partner has a pair of Minimus and he would probably let me take them for a spin. I'm not sure what the etiquette would be though, it's not the same as borrowing someones underwear, right?

Sunburst Results

Well, it was a hot day, but I made it through the race without having to walk very much. I didn't quite hit the two hour mark like I had hoped, but I was only over it by 10 minutes. Garrick was right at 2 hours. About an hour and a half after we finished they black-flagged the race because of the heat and picked up all of the remaining runners on the course.

I was pretty dehydrated the rest of the day, I was the DD for my wife and her friend Saturday night and drank about 3 gallons of ice tea which rehydrated me and I felt a lot better.

It's been nearly a week and I have yet to go on another run, but I have been riding my bicycle quite a bit. I've also been fighting a cold the past few days.

I'm already trying to decide the next half-marathon to run. I can't wait to get back to training mode. Oh yeah, I got a special haircut just for the race.

Barefoot Thursdays

image courtesy of http://thenaturalmovementstudio.com/barefoot-running/

Every Thursday my post will be in regards to the subculture (within a subculture) of barefoot running. A quick note, barefoot Thursdays is also synonymous with minimalist Thursdays, meaning that Thursdays will deal with both. I will do my best to designate which I am writing about, but I think it will be somewhat clear.

To those are not aware, the increasing movement of barefoot running is just what it sounds like. We believe that the modern running shoe causes more injuries than it prevents. Humans ran for millions of years (or at least very very many depending on your beliefs) without Nikes. The idea is that cushioning and support atrophy your feet's muscle development. The excess cushioning also increases the likelihood that you will land heel-first, a landing that sends impact force directly to your knees.

Minimalist running is the wearing of minimalist shoes when running. I myself generally wear Vibram Five Finger's when I run. Yes, they look a little goofy, but they lend to a better running form. When I wear them I have no knee pain whatsoever as compared to when I wear a traditional running shoe. I plan on wearing them this Saturday to run a half-marathon.

The usual knee-jerk reaction fear I hear is, "What if you step on something sharp?" Well, as it turns out I did step on something sharp. My wife and I recently repainted our bathroom, and I cut my heel stepping off of a stepladder. The culprit was a metal basket holding the toilet paper. The gouge immediately began to bleed. Lucky for me, I have been running in Vibrams for the past year and a half, and I have built up thicker skin on the bottom of my feet.

Don't get me wrong, it bled like a...... I still have a gouge like in my heel. But after a 12.5 mile run last Sunday my Injinji socks were still white.