At this point, I think I can say I'm a convert to the Cult of the Vibram Five Finger.
I had posted previously that I had switched off running back & forth between my VFF's and my usual running shoes -- a pair of Asics Motion Control shoes with a sole insert. Last weekend, I got to the point where I didn't switch from the VFF to the ASICS at mid run. I did a full run with just the VFF.
Note -- anyone reading this who is interested in using VFF as their full time running shoe should still proceed with caution. My approach may not work for others.
My goal had been to do a 3 mile run in the VFF's. Three miles is my minimum running distance in any one session. My interval workouts are based off this distance. It serves as my recovery run distance during periods I trained for either half marathons and other longer trail runs. It also the base training run I start from when I do longer runs, adding additional miles to my 3 mile run till I get close the target distance.
My assumption had been that I would, starting from a base distance of 1.5 miles in VFF's, add half a mile to my runs each week. From the time I started in mid February this would bring me up to 3 miles a session sometime in mid-March.
Last weekend I decided, on a whim, to push the envelope. Two weeks back I had injured my left calf during a conditioning workout. I was wearing my VFF's. While doing a short jog down the street, I heard an odd ripping sound, then felt a combination of pain and muscle spasms in the back of my left calf. Then the pain began, and I had to slow down for the rest of the workout session.
I laid off of running in the VFF's for a week. I still did my regular Krav workouts. My calf hurt, but improved slowly over the week. By Saturday I felt good enough to do a run around my neighborhood. My original plan was to do 1.5 miles miles in my ASIC's then 1.5 miles in my VFF. Interestingly, when I ran with my ASICS my left calf hurt like crazy. I barely ran two blocks before it became so stiff I couldn't run properly. I turned around, went home, and went to a Krav workout instead.
Afterwards, just for kicks, I decided to run 1.5 miles in the VFF's. The Krav workout did not aggravate my calf problem at all. If anything it felt a little better.
What happened when I ran with the VFF's? Nothing. I ran up the hills towards Pacific Heights, making sure to land flat footed instead of on my toes. There was some tightening around my calves, but nothing on the level of that morning's attempted run with my ASICS. I was expecting massive pain and stiffness, but my calves felt no worse than they did after the Krav workout earlier in the day.
I expected the next morning to be excruciatingly sore in my calves. Oddly enough, my calves felt fine. I had mapped out on the previous night a pair of running routes: 2 miles if my calves screamed in pain from the VFF, 3 miles if they felt OK. I assumed I'd only be able to do the 2 mile run.
I was wrong -- miracle of miracles -- while my calves tightened up at times, they didn't tighten to the point I couldn't run anymore. Around the 1 mile mark, standing on top of Russian Hill, I decided to go the extra half mile down towards Fisherman's Wharf then turn for home, putting in a 3 mile run in total. I was sore afterwards -- but not terribly so.
This past Wednesday I decided to add a little mileage. I decided to do a 3.5 mile run in the local hills in my VFF's, see how much my feet could handle. As before, I had to run flat footed to avoid overstressing my calves. Towards the end, my feet did feel uncomfortable, but not so uncomfortable I couldn't run.
Next morning -- calf soreness when I got up, but not through the rest of the day.
At this point I'm going to get rid of the ASICS and just use my VFF's as my standard running shoe. My calves have hardeded up to the point that while they are still sore after a run, they are no more sore than the rest of my legs & butt would be if I was running in my ASICS.
Some lessons to draw from the experiences of the past several months with the VFF.
A. Use the VFF for other physical activities and workouts. It helps condition the ankles and feet. In addition, the other activities you do in them, even if they are low impact, will condition your ankles and feet to doing hard work. In my case, the mountain climber tabata's in my conditioning classes probably hardened up my calves to the point where running in VFF's was no longer that hard.
B. Pretend you just began running for the first time. If you are a regular and experienced runner you won't be able to immediately do the same mileage in the VFF's as you would your old running shoes. So pretend you are starting over again. Use the same mileage & frequency of workouts you did when you began running years back, but do it in your VFF's, and build up the mileage, frequency, and intensity.
C. Experiment with different increases in mileage. Different people will adapt to the VFF differently. I had read elsewhere that you should only add on 5 minutes per run each week when using the VFF, and not to do back to back days running in the VFF. Last weekend I went from 1.5 miles to 3 miles on back to back days. Also, your ability to adapt to the VFF will vary depending on what other workouts you are doing at the same time. The increase from 1.5 miles to 3 miles in one weekend was doable two weeks ago, but not doable in July 2009 when I first got the shoes. In retrospect, the last three months of using VFF's for Krav Maga classes helped tremendously.
D. Don't try to change your running style before getting the VFF, get the VFF and change your running style. Something I did last Summer to help transition into the VFF was attempting to convert to running with a forefoot/midfoot strike in my ASICS, THEN moving into the VFF. In retrospect it was a terrible mistake. Running forefoot/midfoot with the ASICS was a horribly painful experience. The calf pain I endured during the period was exponentially worse than anything I've felt running with the VFF. I don't have a scientific explanation for why this is so. Maybe it was the 3 months of using VFF's for other workouts. I personally suspect that the ASICS are just designed to be used for heel strike running, NOT forefoot/midfoot striking.
E. Run on hills with the VFF. In the past few weeks I've found that running uphill in VFF's was more comfortable than running on flat roads. The impact on the feet and calves going uphill wasn't nearly as bad as running on the flats and downhills. The uphill running became a way of transitioning into the VFF, getting my feet and ankles used to the impact of running.
I won't claim (at least at this early stage) that the VFF reduces running injuries. Also, the issues with my legs that brought me to the VFF's (runners knee, stiffness in various joints) were ultimately addressed through stretching exercises on my hamstrings, glutes, and quads.
But I will say this -- running in the VFF is a lot more fun than running in my ASIC's. The easiest way to compare the two;
- The VFF: Wild kinky sex without a condom
- ASICS: Sex with three condoms, and a spermicide.
'Nuff said.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Vibram Five Finger Vs. Asics Motion Control Shoes
Those who have read my postings on the Vibram Five Finger shoes have noted my conflicted views on the product.
Today I had an experience which, unexpectedly, pushed me a little more on the side of a VFF supporter.
Before I move on, I need to add a little context. On Thursday I did a sparring class at the Krav school. A fellow student who way outclassed me round kicked my thigh really hard. It hurt then, and hurts even more now two days later. Every time I kneel down, my left thigh begs for mercy.
I went to a Conditioning workout at the Krav school. My instructor has gotten into the habit of making us run a 1/4 mile in the streets around the school several times during the one hour workout. I noticed today after the fifth time around that my feet and calves felt fine. Granted, the dozens of burpees, multiple tabata drills, and box jumps, sucked a#$. But as we ran through a dirty alleyway in the Tenderloin multiple times, my feet and ankles felt OK. The asphalt & concrete didn't kill my feet and calves the way I had expected it to.
I had to squeeze a run in later today. Since I felt fine jogging in VFF's during the Conditioning class, I decided to see if I could run regularly with them. So I split the workout in half. I would run the first mile and a half with the VFF. I'd finish at home, switch into regular running shoes, and run back out for another mile and half with my regular running shoes; Asics motion Control shoes with an off-the-shelf sole insert.
As expected, I had to be careful running with the VFF's, and had to take it slow. The asphalt and concrete were hard on my calves and feet. But it was not as severe as last summer during my failed experiment with forefoot running. I finished my mile and a half, got home, swapped shoes.
THAT was when the pain began.
To my shock and surprise, the very spot on my thigh where two days before I had taken a nasty round kick began to hurt every time my foot struck the ground. From what I can tell, striking with my heel in my Asics activated the very same muscles in my thigh that were still traumatized by that kick I took a few days ago.
Running in the VFF's, however, I didn't notice my injured thigh. Maybe I was fixating on landing properly with my forefoot. But more likely, my calves were taking the bulk of the impact when I was running with the VFF's, sparing my thigh muscles the pounding they would have gotten if I had worn my Asics for the whole run.
So what happens now?
It's a risk, and I'm going to have scale back any big ambitious running plans during the next few months, but I think I'm ready now to try and use the VFF's as a regular running shoe. The mile and a half I did today went alright. Maybe my feet & calves can handle two miles tomorrow, three miles next week.
Now if only they made a VFF KSO that wouldn't rip at the seams.
Today I had an experience which, unexpectedly, pushed me a little more on the side of a VFF supporter.
Before I move on, I need to add a little context. On Thursday I did a sparring class at the Krav school. A fellow student who way outclassed me round kicked my thigh really hard. It hurt then, and hurts even more now two days later. Every time I kneel down, my left thigh begs for mercy.
I went to a Conditioning workout at the Krav school. My instructor has gotten into the habit of making us run a 1/4 mile in the streets around the school several times during the one hour workout. I noticed today after the fifth time around that my feet and calves felt fine. Granted, the dozens of burpees, multiple tabata drills, and box jumps, sucked a#$. But as we ran through a dirty alleyway in the Tenderloin multiple times, my feet and ankles felt OK. The asphalt & concrete didn't kill my feet and calves the way I had expected it to.
I had to squeeze a run in later today. Since I felt fine jogging in VFF's during the Conditioning class, I decided to see if I could run regularly with them. So I split the workout in half. I would run the first mile and a half with the VFF. I'd finish at home, switch into regular running shoes, and run back out for another mile and half with my regular running shoes; Asics motion Control shoes with an off-the-shelf sole insert.
As expected, I had to be careful running with the VFF's, and had to take it slow. The asphalt and concrete were hard on my calves and feet. But it was not as severe as last summer during my failed experiment with forefoot running. I finished my mile and a half, got home, swapped shoes.
THAT was when the pain began.
To my shock and surprise, the very spot on my thigh where two days before I had taken a nasty round kick began to hurt every time my foot struck the ground. From what I can tell, striking with my heel in my Asics activated the very same muscles in my thigh that were still traumatized by that kick I took a few days ago.
Running in the VFF's, however, I didn't notice my injured thigh. Maybe I was fixating on landing properly with my forefoot. But more likely, my calves were taking the bulk of the impact when I was running with the VFF's, sparing my thigh muscles the pounding they would have gotten if I had worn my Asics for the whole run.
So what happens now?
It's a risk, and I'm going to have scale back any big ambitious running plans during the next few months, but I think I'm ready now to try and use the VFF's as a regular running shoe. The mile and a half I did today went alright. Maybe my feet & calves can handle two miles tomorrow, three miles next week.
Now if only they made a VFF KSO that wouldn't rip at the seams.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Feedback on the Vibram Five Finger
Interesting.
It seems that the VFF is the kind of shoe that evokes intense passions. The post from earlier this month had the most views of any posting I had done on this blog, and the most feedback -- mostly from passionate VFF owners defending the honor of their shoes!
It also got re-posted on the big one-stop VFF blog;
http://birthdayshoes.com/index.php/latest-vibram-five-fingers-reviews-1-17-10
Interesting thing about that referral. The Birthdayshoes blogger only clipped the positive section of my post, not the more critical parts.
I probably sounded negative in my review earlier in the month. In my own defense -- I do like these shoes, and still wear them regularly.
But the passion these shoes invokes -- its making me think back to the discussions at UCSF Runsafe regarding barefoot running, Chi Running, forefoot vs. heel striking. The doctors at UCSF (wisely) advised caution to anyone pondering shifting running styles -- and the same applies when using the VFF. The blogs and books don't really capture & explain just how much of a drastic transition it is going from a pair of regular running shoes (or in my case motion control running shoes) to the VFF. Passionate defenders of the VFF may have legitimate reasons for loving the VFF -- but they don't do themselves any favors by ignoring or minimizing the difficulties of transitioning to the VFF.
A post-script to ponder. After one of my krav classes, another student came up to me and asked how I liked the shoes. While he wore regular running shoes for the krav class, he told me he ran in VFF's, and loved using them for running. He said he was doing as much as 10 miles on the streets of San Francisco in them. I asked him how long it took to transition to that point. His reply;
"Four to five months."
Food for thought. In the long run, the VFF may actually be better for running than a standard running shoe. But the transition to the point where it becomes a regular running shoe -- there is not enough discussion about how to get to that point, and how to manage the inevitable discomforts and hurdles.
There needs to be less discussion about the VFF being this kind of magic wand that cures all runners ailments, and more discussion of the VFF as a tool that facilitates a long (difficult) transition into barefoot running -- which running in the VFF essentially is.
In the meantime -- if I recommend the VFF to anyone right now, I'd recommend it to anyone who has to do conditioning exercises to strengthen their quads\glutes\lower back. Certain exercises, especially squats (with and without weights), are dependent on your heels being flat on the ground in order engage the muscles on the butt and back of the thighs. Running shoes, with those thick heels, prevents you from engaging those muscles.
Even in this case, I add a word of caution. If you are working with weights -- the VFF's have no real top cover on them. You drop barbell/dumbbell on your foot -- you'll pay the consequences.
It seems that the VFF is the kind of shoe that evokes intense passions. The post from earlier this month had the most views of any posting I had done on this blog, and the most feedback -- mostly from passionate VFF owners defending the honor of their shoes!
It also got re-posted on the big one-stop VFF blog;
http://birthdayshoes.com/index.php/latest-vibram-five-fingers-reviews-1-17-10
Interesting thing about that referral. The Birthdayshoes blogger only clipped the positive section of my post, not the more critical parts.
I probably sounded negative in my review earlier in the month. In my own defense -- I do like these shoes, and still wear them regularly.
But the passion these shoes invokes -- its making me think back to the discussions at UCSF Runsafe regarding barefoot running, Chi Running, forefoot vs. heel striking. The doctors at UCSF (wisely) advised caution to anyone pondering shifting running styles -- and the same applies when using the VFF. The blogs and books don't really capture & explain just how much of a drastic transition it is going from a pair of regular running shoes (or in my case motion control running shoes) to the VFF. Passionate defenders of the VFF may have legitimate reasons for loving the VFF -- but they don't do themselves any favors by ignoring or minimizing the difficulties of transitioning to the VFF.
A post-script to ponder. After one of my krav classes, another student came up to me and asked how I liked the shoes. While he wore regular running shoes for the krav class, he told me he ran in VFF's, and loved using them for running. He said he was doing as much as 10 miles on the streets of San Francisco in them. I asked him how long it took to transition to that point. His reply;
"Four to five months."
Food for thought. In the long run, the VFF may actually be better for running than a standard running shoe. But the transition to the point where it becomes a regular running shoe -- there is not enough discussion about how to get to that point, and how to manage the inevitable discomforts and hurdles.
There needs to be less discussion about the VFF being this kind of magic wand that cures all runners ailments, and more discussion of the VFF as a tool that facilitates a long (difficult) transition into barefoot running -- which running in the VFF essentially is.
In the meantime -- if I recommend the VFF to anyone right now, I'd recommend it to anyone who has to do conditioning exercises to strengthen their quads\glutes\lower back. Certain exercises, especially squats (with and without weights), are dependent on your heels being flat on the ground in order engage the muscles on the butt and back of the thighs. Running shoes, with those thick heels, prevents you from engaging those muscles.
Even in this case, I add a word of caution. If you are working with weights -- the VFF's have no real top cover on them. You drop barbell/dumbbell on your foot -- you'll pay the consequences.
Why I Will No Longer Complain About Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar's last UFC fight was my first exposure to him. Great fighter -- awful human being.
After seeing this interview, however, I felt his pain -- literally.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gv_37rblsk
What he described sounded disturbingly like that mystery illness that hit me in November after the Half Marathon.
After seeing this interview, however, I felt his pain -- literally.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gv_37rblsk
What he described sounded disturbingly like that mystery illness that hit me in November after the Half Marathon.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Memories of My Favorite Fat Cats....
The other night I was catching up on old episodes of Man vs. Food. Came across the episode where Adam Richman visited New Brunswick and Rutgers University, my alma mata.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdHIO46PZj0
Brought back a rush of memories and thoughts about my time there, my health & lifestyle while I was living there, and my own place in the history of American food.
It was nice to see that the Grease Trucks were still there on College Ave. I remember when they lined College Ave. When the order came for all of them to circle up in that parking lot nearby the main cluster of frat houses, there was a wail that reverberated throughout the main campus.
Little did anyone know (least of all the University administration) that they were creating something wonderful. Putting all the trucks into a circle ended up concentrating all the drunk and hungry college kids together in one spot. It inadvertently added to the warmth and stupidity of the late night drinking experience.
It was also disturbing to see how everything has been supersized. When I was there, there was only one Fat XXXXXX sandwich. It was the Fat Cat -- the double cheese burger, with bacon, fries, and other fixin's. At the time it was considered to be the most greasy & sinful thing you could eat after several beers -- except for a giro with no veggies, extra meat, and onions.
The fact that the Fat Cat spawned all these evil off-spring -- mind boggling.
Then there is Stuff Yer Face.
When I was there, the four and a half inch stromboli was the standard. The nine incher was considered excessive, only for the most hardy eaters. Eighteen inches -- unheard of. The fact that the nine incher is now the AVERAGE, the four and a half incher the KIDS SIZE, and the 18 incher the LARGE ---- nuff' said.
Another thing I loved about the episode -- Richman never goes into it -- take a close look at everyone he talks to there. One of the things I loved about Rutgers, and will always love, was just how ethnically diverse Rutgers was, how flexible ethnic & cultural identities could be there, if you chose to take advantage of the the situation. This tiny little college town taught me just how big the world was, and just how much else there was outside of where I grew up.
Decades later -- its probably even more diverse -- and an even better place to get that first foot in the door to a bigger more beautiful world.
Then there's the health issue.
In the time since I was there, Rutgers has gotten onto the map for several things;
- Football;
- Famous alums (Tony Soprano, Ally McBeal, Mario Batali, etc.)
- Junk food
While I was there, I put on 30 lbs from all that late night junk food at the grease trucks. I got so much sh#@ from my family for it, it was incredible. I eventually lost it.
But here is thing. All that weight I put on -- it put me in touch with a cultural & historic moment in both the history of American food and of Rutgers itself. I'm a product of all those Fat XXXXX sandwiches. Those high caloric nightmares that Adam Richman glorifies now -- I was part of that. In my early 20's, this was a source of shame. In my late 30's, its now a source of pride. Also -- the point that the Rutgers got onto the map of great places to eat in America was (in retrospect) a turning point in some many other ways.
Lets use the Fat XXXX as a kind of pivotal moment.
Pre-Fat XXXXX
- Rutgers is the school in NJ nobody in NJ wants to go to because its too close to home.
- Bon Jovi is still a source of snide NJ bashing humor to people out of state.
- The only famous Rutgers alums are obscure academics (who gives a rats ass about Chaim Waxman and Milton Friedman).
- American food culture sucks ass.
Post-Fat XXXX
- Rutgers becomes a national football sensation.
- Bon Jovi becomes the stuff of legends;
- Rutgers alums invade popular culture;
- The Food channel & Travel channel begin trumpeting the glories of American regional cuisine.
Looking back on it -- the Freshman 20 (and the Sophomore/Junior/Senior year 10) might have been worth it in the end, since I got to be part of a moment in the cultural history of modern America.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdHIO46PZj0
Brought back a rush of memories and thoughts about my time there, my health & lifestyle while I was living there, and my own place in the history of American food.
It was nice to see that the Grease Trucks were still there on College Ave. I remember when they lined College Ave. When the order came for all of them to circle up in that parking lot nearby the main cluster of frat houses, there was a wail that reverberated throughout the main campus.
Little did anyone know (least of all the University administration) that they were creating something wonderful. Putting all the trucks into a circle ended up concentrating all the drunk and hungry college kids together in one spot. It inadvertently added to the warmth and stupidity of the late night drinking experience.
It was also disturbing to see how everything has been supersized. When I was there, there was only one Fat XXXXXX sandwich. It was the Fat Cat -- the double cheese burger, with bacon, fries, and other fixin's. At the time it was considered to be the most greasy & sinful thing you could eat after several beers -- except for a giro with no veggies, extra meat, and onions.
The fact that the Fat Cat spawned all these evil off-spring -- mind boggling.
Then there is Stuff Yer Face.
When I was there, the four and a half inch stromboli was the standard. The nine incher was considered excessive, only for the most hardy eaters. Eighteen inches -- unheard of. The fact that the nine incher is now the AVERAGE, the four and a half incher the KIDS SIZE, and the 18 incher the LARGE ---- nuff' said.
Another thing I loved about the episode -- Richman never goes into it -- take a close look at everyone he talks to there. One of the things I loved about Rutgers, and will always love, was just how ethnically diverse Rutgers was, how flexible ethnic & cultural identities could be there, if you chose to take advantage of the the situation. This tiny little college town taught me just how big the world was, and just how much else there was outside of where I grew up.
Decades later -- its probably even more diverse -- and an even better place to get that first foot in the door to a bigger more beautiful world.
Then there's the health issue.
In the time since I was there, Rutgers has gotten onto the map for several things;
- Football;
- Famous alums (Tony Soprano, Ally McBeal, Mario Batali, etc.)
- Junk food
While I was there, I put on 30 lbs from all that late night junk food at the grease trucks. I got so much sh#@ from my family for it, it was incredible. I eventually lost it.
But here is thing. All that weight I put on -- it put me in touch with a cultural & historic moment in both the history of American food and of Rutgers itself. I'm a product of all those Fat XXXXX sandwiches. Those high caloric nightmares that Adam Richman glorifies now -- I was part of that. In my early 20's, this was a source of shame. In my late 30's, its now a source of pride. Also -- the point that the Rutgers got onto the map of great places to eat in America was (in retrospect) a turning point in some many other ways.
Lets use the Fat XXXX as a kind of pivotal moment.
Pre-Fat XXXXX
- Rutgers is the school in NJ nobody in NJ wants to go to because its too close to home.
- Bon Jovi is still a source of snide NJ bashing humor to people out of state.
- The only famous Rutgers alums are obscure academics (who gives a rats ass about Chaim Waxman and Milton Friedman).
- American food culture sucks ass.
Post-Fat XXXX
- Rutgers becomes a national football sensation.
- Bon Jovi becomes the stuff of legends;
- Rutgers alums invade popular culture;
- The Food channel & Travel channel begin trumpeting the glories of American regional cuisine.
Looking back on it -- the Freshman 20 (and the Sophomore/Junior/Senior year 10) might have been worth it in the end, since I got to be part of a moment in the cultural history of modern America.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Five Fingers After Six Months
Well, I've owned a pair of Vibram Five Finger shoes for six months now. It was a decision that was both controversial, and amusing, among my circle of friends. Reactions included the following;
- Wow, gorilla shoes.
- THEY FREAK ME OUT!!!!
- You wear them in PUBLIC?
I also had a friend who viewed the following article;
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/fashion/10SPY.html
...and asked if my wife had ghost-written it.
To all these critics, I share the following;
This shot was taken at a design museum in Milan -- the home of Vibram Corporation, the maker of the shoes. It was touted as another great example of modern Italian industrial design.
If the industrial design gurus of Milan think its great -- its good enough for me!
Now onto more practical concerns...
First -- despite my original plan to run in these shoes, it didn't work out. My calves aren't strong enough to handle running on pavement and concrete. I've been a flat foot runner for too many years. Converting to forefoot running would require additional classes and training.
Second -- these guys aren't that durable.
Those holes are from me walking in them on rough pavement in the city. The bottoms of these things are strong. But the tops are not. Also, if smell-o-vision existed on blogs, you'd notice a fetid aroma coming from these things. That would be the sweat of my feet seeping into the skin of the shoes -- and coming out slowly. Still haven't figured out how to wash these guys properly.
Third -- they are still useful for other applications. I wear these for Krav Maga classes and other conditioning classes that I do. For that, these are perfect. They are very light, and they teach you in a very painful way how to do a proper front kick to the bladder. If you've done it wrong, there is no padding to protect your toes from being broken or strained.
I also found out that the Crossfit guys at the same school use these shoes a lot. They swear by them. I concur with them. Doing squats with these shoes, you are more sensitive to wear your heels and toes are, and it makes it easier to put weight on the heels instead of the toes or the balls of your feet.
Naturally -- everyone at the school asks about them. Instructors see my shoes, and chuckle.
Final Verdict -- don't expect miracles from these shoes. They are useful. But they won't solve everything. There has to be other things done in conjunction with these shoes.
- Wow, gorilla shoes.
- THEY FREAK ME OUT!!!!
- You wear them in PUBLIC?
I also had a friend who viewed the following article;
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/fashion/10SPY.html
...and asked if my wife had ghost-written it.
To all these critics, I share the following;
This shot was taken at a design museum in Milan -- the home of Vibram Corporation, the maker of the shoes. It was touted as another great example of modern Italian industrial design.
If the industrial design gurus of Milan think its great -- its good enough for me!
Now onto more practical concerns...
First -- despite my original plan to run in these shoes, it didn't work out. My calves aren't strong enough to handle running on pavement and concrete. I've been a flat foot runner for too many years. Converting to forefoot running would require additional classes and training.
Second -- these guys aren't that durable.
 |
| From Storehouse |
Those holes are from me walking in them on rough pavement in the city. The bottoms of these things are strong. But the tops are not. Also, if smell-o-vision existed on blogs, you'd notice a fetid aroma coming from these things. That would be the sweat of my feet seeping into the skin of the shoes -- and coming out slowly. Still haven't figured out how to wash these guys properly.
Third -- they are still useful for other applications. I wear these for Krav Maga classes and other conditioning classes that I do. For that, these are perfect. They are very light, and they teach you in a very painful way how to do a proper front kick to the bladder. If you've done it wrong, there is no padding to protect your toes from being broken or strained.
I also found out that the Crossfit guys at the same school use these shoes a lot. They swear by them. I concur with them. Doing squats with these shoes, you are more sensitive to wear your heels and toes are, and it makes it easier to put weight on the heels instead of the toes or the balls of your feet.
Naturally -- everyone at the school asks about them. Instructors see my shoes, and chuckle.
Final Verdict -- don't expect miracles from these shoes. They are useful. But they won't solve everything. There has to be other things done in conjunction with these shoes.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Useful Tips at a Price
A few days before the fast & near deadly Half Marathon I did last month, I went to a running clinic run out of UCSF.
http://orthosurg.ucsf.edu/outreach/runsafe
They actually gave me some great advice that helped me run much faster. Specifically, they explained the need to take in a gatorade and electrolyte snacks in a steady flow during longer events. The rough formula was 8 oz of gatorade spread out over the span of 6 miles or 60 minutes. Otherwise, take in a single shotblok for each mile you run, with water to wash it down.
In retrospect, the advice on staying fueled up was what allowed me to stay fresh throughout most of the run.
The other advice they gave, though, was a bit embarassing.
They gave me a 23 page printout explaining everything that was wrong with me biomechanically and the exercises I needed to do to address my problems. According to them I;
- Have no lower back and abdomen strength to speak of;
- No strength in my butt muscles (interpreted another way, I have no ass);
This all leads to an odd circular swinging of my thighs which wastes energy. They also seemed surprised that I had no lower back problems given that (according to them) I have no ass and no back muscles.
Interestingly, they didn't think much about this whole heel strike vs. forefoot strike debate. To them it seemed a bit of distraction.
Was I naive to trust in a great book.
http://orthosurg.ucsf.edu/outreach/runsafe
They actually gave me some great advice that helped me run much faster. Specifically, they explained the need to take in a gatorade and electrolyte snacks in a steady flow during longer events. The rough formula was 8 oz of gatorade spread out over the span of 6 miles or 60 minutes. Otherwise, take in a single shotblok for each mile you run, with water to wash it down.
In retrospect, the advice on staying fueled up was what allowed me to stay fresh throughout most of the run.
The other advice they gave, though, was a bit embarassing.
They gave me a 23 page printout explaining everything that was wrong with me biomechanically and the exercises I needed to do to address my problems. According to them I;
- Have no lower back and abdomen strength to speak of;
- No strength in my butt muscles (interpreted another way, I have no ass);
This all leads to an odd circular swinging of my thighs which wastes energy. They also seemed surprised that I had no lower back problems given that (according to them) I have no ass and no back muscles.
Interestingly, they didn't think much about this whole heel strike vs. forefoot strike debate. To them it seemed a bit of distraction.
Was I naive to trust in a great book.
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