After reading "the book" aka Born to Run, I was motivated to start running in minimalist running shoes. Growing up in San Francisco we learned that it was dangerous to walk barefoot in parks or even on the beach because of the possibility of stepping on a used syringe. Therefore, running barefoot around the city has been ruled out. Living and running in San Francisco, I have seen many people people wearing the Vibram Five Finger KSO shoes. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for me) most stores in SF are sold out of them. I went to REI to try them on they only had the Five Finger Classics. The toe or finger part felt kind of funny but to give Vibram the benefit of the doubt I did not run in them and did not wear them for a long period of time. Before that day, the Vibram Five Fingers were the only true minimalist or barefoot running shoes I could find... until I stumbled across the TERRA PLANA WEBSITE and learned about the introduction of a barefoot running shoe to their line of barefoot or minimalist... "hanging out?" shoes, the VIVO BAREFOOT "EVO'S". I signed up for their email list to be notified when they released the shoe and two weeks later I received the message and placed the order.
After my first run in them and as I am writing this post, I am sitting here wearing my VIVO BAREFOOT "EVO" Running Shoes by TERRA PLANA. Although the price tag is a little hefty, ($160) these are some awesome shoes by a company that "gets" the benefits of running, walking and being barefoot. They also seem to "get" the environmental thing especially with some of their other, "hanging out" shoes. From the ground up, the Vivo Barefoot EVO's consist of a 4 mm thick sole which is made up of a TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) abrasion resistant outer sole, a layer of Duratex that is puncture resistant, and a Agion layer inside which is an environmentally and physically friendly odor, bacteria and fungus stopper. The lining of the shoe is made with NatureTex which 50% of is made from recycled plastic bottles. The top of the shoe is made of a light weight mesh material, you can actually see your foot in the shoe. The shoe weighs 8 ounces.
Running in the Vivo Barefoot Evo's was comfortable and extremely close to being barefoot. I ran 5 miles in them and the one problem I had was at the very end of the run the top of one of my toes started to get a little irritated. I suspect this will go away after another run or two. I ran on asphalt and a trail/walking path and the shoes responded great to both terrain types. A portion of the trail was a little more rocky and the shoes were still comfortable. I would anticipate that Evo's would handle great on a more technical trail as well. The icing on the cake... these shoes look infinitely cooler than the Vibram Five Fingers (not that it really matters). If you're new to barefoot or minimalist running it is true that you will need to take some time with the transition period. If you're not a believer about the benefits of running in barefoot or minimalist running shoes read BORN TO RUN and/or watch this video...
I finished reading BORN TO RUN last night (hence, the lack of posts last week!). I am a changed runner! The book takes an in-depth look at the life, culture and running style of the Tarahumara as well as other Ultrarunners. The Tarahumara live in the Copper Canyons in Mexico and are some of the worlds best long distance runners (ultramarathons). What makes this book great is the analysis of human biomechanics and running's role in our evolution that is woven through the stories of colorful characters (Caballo Blanco, Barefoot Ted, Jenn Shelton, Billy Barnet, Scott Jurek) and exceptional race vignettes (Leadville 100).
Born to Run spurred me to run longer distances and continue to dig deeper into my natural desire to run. It has made me question running shoes in general and inspired me to wear my very flat soled and minimally structured Asics Mexico 66 Onitsuka Tigers for a run on the treadmill the other night. It felt great!
Whether you're a veteran runner, a newbie, or haven't ran since PE in the 8th grade I would highly recommend reading Born To Run. This book will inspire you to connect with your inner runner... literally and figuratively. Connections are made between being a runner and an artist (specifically Beat Poets!). There is something natural, simple and mentally fulfilling about running and Born To Run illustrates those connections flawlessly.
Here is more info about the BORN TO RUN COMMUNITY. Here is a great website dedicated to BAREFOOT RUNNING SHOES. If you have read Born to Run or if you're already running barefoot (or close to it) then you know about BAREFOOT TED.
If you're interested in purchasing Born To Run... Please help Undefeated Running grow by using our amazon link below. Thank you! :)
Greg McMillan is an accomplished runner and an even more accomplished running coach. He has coached athletes in every Olympic Marathon Trial since 1996! Amby Burfoot, the editor of Runner's World magazine said, "Greg McMillan is one of the best and smartest distance-running coaches in America." Greg McMillan is a nice guy too, he shares his running knowledge and coaching skills with the world through his site, McMILLAN RUNNING. His RUNNING CALCULATOR is more fun than video game! Also, be sure to check out his Non-Profit Post-Collegiate Elite Running Team at McMILLAN ELITE. They are based in Flagstaff, AZ and they run fast!
Tested by many. Feared by all... Running with a hangover. Although, if you're passed out the morning after on picnic table in your underwear or praying to the porcelain gods the night before you're probably not gonna make it out for a run... maybe a walk.
At the... "ripe" age of 29 my social life and training life often are often at war. Battles are won and lost and the war will probably never have a true victor. On Friday night the social-life-side prevailed although a valiant effort was put forth from the training-life. They rallied to ensure that I consumed H2O (occasionally) through out the evening and A LOT of H2O just before going to sleep.
I woke up in the morning feeling like I was on mile 22 and didn't stop at enough aid stations. I made myself some "cheesy toast" (soy cheese + butter on Omega 3 bread), coffee, ate a banana and drank about a liter of water. An hour later I was in my running gear and heading out for my 6-mile pace run.
I'll sum up the run for you:
Mile 1: Hurting
Mile 2: Hurting
Mile 3: Hurting (the turn around point made me feel good for about 30 seconds tho!)
Mile 4: Hurting
Mile 5: Hurting
Mile 6: Hurting
My pace was not stellar and as I was running I started to think if there were ANY benefits of this run. Not only did I clear up some of the blurry moments in my head from the night before, I also realized that running with a hangover is similar to HITTING THE WALL! The causes of most hangovers as well as major factors in hitting the wall are HYPOGLYCEMIA and DEHYDRATION. Here's the actual definition of a HANGOVER.
So obviously, running with a hangover can be dangerous (For the sake of legal things... I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT) but if you're careful it might make your body better at handling the tougher moments of a race... The key is to not over do it because alcohol inhibits your muscle recovery and you will become a weaker runner. Also, if you fuel properly you won't "hit the wall"... unless you're hungover. Happy trails!
