It's funny, I started this blog to track my running experiences, to be able to share them, and to be able to reflect back on them. But I also chose the title "running and being," which is not only a book by the late Dr. George Sheehan, but it's also a very meaningful series of words.
As I reflect upon my running and my being now, I realize that in the life of an endurance runner, the two can't be separated. Separating them is like separating the contents of an atom (and we all know how that turns out). But after I got married, and then had a kid, my running has suffered. I didn't make the choice consciously, but I have no regrets about where my priorities are now. I've spent time recently trying to find ways to create time by simplifying my life, working less and more efficiently, waking up earlier and running or working then, and finding new workouts that are over faster. And the time I gain is time at home with my wife and son. My days of 8-12 hour training runs are not over, nor are my racing days (though it's been a while!) but they are fewer and farther between.
In order to hold myself accountable to these goals of maximizing my running and being, I will start using this blog for documenting these things.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Vibram 5 Fingers
I've been struggling since last summer (Tahoe) with ankle and achilles issues. Nothing seems to work... rest, stretching, run through it, strength training, you name it... Then last week I was reading about minimalist footwear and I came across a great article that got me excited about barefoot or minimalist running. The truth is, despite my job in the high-tech world of computer design, I actually try to keep my life simple and minimalistic. So why not make my running, and footwear, consistent? Plus, it can help strengthen the muscles and stretch the ligaments around my foot, including my achilles.
So last week I bought a pair of Vibram 5 Fingers KSO's. I've worn them around the house and yard all week, and ran a 1 and 1.5 mile run around my neighborhood. What I've found is that my feet are incredibly weak, which is hard to believe since I thought I was some tough ultra-runner! But my lifetime of wearing shoes, especially the extra supportive ones I've worn the past few years while trail running, has protected the bottoms of my feet but resulted in countless overuse injuries and ankle twists.
Anyways, it's too new to say how this is going to work out, but so far I really love these things. It makes me feel like a kid running through the woods! I plan to continue to ramp up, although very slowly, with a goal of eventually doing most of my running in these 'shoes.'
So last week I bought a pair of Vibram 5 Fingers KSO's. I've worn them around the house and yard all week, and ran a 1 and 1.5 mile run around my neighborhood. What I've found is that my feet are incredibly weak, which is hard to believe since I thought I was some tough ultra-runner! But my lifetime of wearing shoes, especially the extra supportive ones I've worn the past few years while trail running, has protected the bottoms of my feet but resulted in countless overuse injuries and ankle twists.
Anyways, it's too new to say how this is going to work out, but so far I really love these things. It makes me feel like a kid running through the woods! I plan to continue to ramp up, although very slowly, with a goal of eventually doing most of my running in these 'shoes.'
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