Humpday Hillclimb consisted of running in Forest Park on Firelane 2.
My new shoes are not like your shoes.
I picked up a pair of Vibram 5 fingers yesterday as I needed new running shoes. My old New Balance’s have seen better days and it was starting to show on my feet via blisters. I recently read the book Born to Run and was fascinated by the barefoot running. I tried a couple times on soccer fields near the house and loved it. So while at REI yesterday trying on different shoes i found these and tried them on.
I walked around in them yesterday and they felt like someone just painted a glove on your feet. They are really comfy. I wish I could where these things out everywhere. Today I decided to get a quick run in the morning before the heat and forrest fire residue kicks up. I have been fighting something in my sinus and throat so I did not want to push it too hard being that the smoke makes it hard to breath.
The first thing I noticed was that I could not run in a lazy manner and rest on my heals as there is no cushion at all on the balls of my feet. This is good. It forced me to run on my toes and use a different set of muscles that only get worked during hill climbs or stair running. I am hoping this will make me a better runner, and in return a better cyclist.
I only ran 1 mile to start and will give more details as I progress. I am curious what a run around Nike will feel like.
run naked.
I have been reading Born to Run by Christopher McDougall and was inspired to try a barefoot run. So today I went to the old soccer fields near my house to give it a shot. I have always been just a slow runner, even back in my old army days. The only reason I put in a 13 minute 2 mile run during basic training is because of two reasons. I shadowed the fastest runner in my group on the final test, and I really really wanted to get the hell out of basic training!
Currently, I blame the titanium rod in my left leg for the slowness and pains. I broke both the Tibia and Fibula in a skiing accident during my ski bum days and the rod is still in there 12 years later. ”They never pull them out”, a doctor once told me. So I just have to deal with the pain or don’t run. For a long time I have been doing just that. Not running because it hurt.
I run now as an additional aerobic workout weekdays for my eventual debut as the “most mediocre cyclocross racer” this year. Remember my goal is to finish and not finnish last.
Anyway, today I practiced short sprints and some full on runs across the length of the soccer field. I am completely amazed at how my foot naturally moved into a running position looking like the greek god mercury with wings on my feet. I would recommend this to anyone to try.
It is like running when you were a kid and didn’t care about anything.
Bike Geek, Cancer Survivor, and geeky dad. Writes about cycling, two wheeled culture, and the bicycle industry.