If you haven't read this book, YOU NEED TO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I blew through it in two days (it generally takes me a month or so to finish a book). The author, Christopher McDougall, makes the case that we are genetically inclined to be runners while telling of his experience with Caballo Blanco and a tribe in Mexico known Tarahumara. The Tarahumara Indians are a running tribe that have races that last multiple days and go for hundres of miles.
I don't want to give too much away about this book, but please go and pick it up. You will not be dissapointed.
I am still struggling with some pain in my left foot. I've learned my lesson about getting into barefooting, TAKE IT SLOW! Unfortunately my 10 mile race at the beginning of May is starting to look doubtful but this hasn't stopped me from exercising. Barefoot Benny is kicking my butt, but I am already to see a difference in my body and my energy level is through the roof.
Take your shoes off, and go have some fun!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
TOFP
Top of Foot Pain... that's the "scientific" term I learned this morning. I went for a run last night and was able to do 10 minutes straight but early on into the run the top of my left foot started to hurt. Didn't think much of it but by the end of the night I was limping around and thought I had broken my foot.
Popped a couple of pills and went to bed exhausted from a pretty intense cardio night. When I got up from my bed this morning I thought my foot was going to break in half, but there was no swelling and no bruising. I couldn't figure out what was wrong.
I said to words to Barefoot Benny about this and he said, "Oh TOFP."
"Thanks man, I guess you are trying somehow to tell me to suck it up, but my foot feels like somebody hit it with a sledge hammer" I replied.
"Top of Foot Pain" he said,"We all get it." He went on and told me how it happened to him when he first started barefooting. This came as a relief to me. I take so much comfort in others pain!
So, I am going to give my foot a rest and will be back barefooting in the concrete jungle in no time.
Popped a couple of pills and went to bed exhausted from a pretty intense cardio night. When I got up from my bed this morning I thought my foot was going to break in half, but there was no swelling and no bruising. I couldn't figure out what was wrong.
I said to words to Barefoot Benny about this and he said, "Oh TOFP."
"Thanks man, I guess you are trying somehow to tell me to suck it up, but my foot feels like somebody hit it with a sledge hammer" I replied.
"Top of Foot Pain" he said,"We all get it." He went on and told me how it happened to him when he first started barefooting. This came as a relief to me. I take so much comfort in others pain!
So, I am going to give my foot a rest and will be back barefooting in the concrete jungle in no time.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Proper Time
As I am going about this training I am quickly realizing that it's going to be tough to run 10 miles in a month and a half. With the shape that I was in, it was going to be tough to get my stamina up to run 10 miles anyways. With Pose though I am having to learn to run all over again with your calves and hamstrings doing all the work. This is very different than the way that most of us run. It's going to be difficult to get my calve strength up, but I am going to give it a go.
Benny's workouts are awesome. He put together a workout for me on Friday the dominated me but was a lot of fun. At the end was a sweaty mess but felt great. He does a great job of putting together different exercises that are challenging but fun. I can already start to see a difference in my gut which has been really encouraging. I've never had a six pack in my life, but I am really going for it this time.
Looks like the rain is finally clearing up here in NYC, going to get a good run in tonight.
Happy Barefooting
Benny's workouts are awesome. He put together a workout for me on Friday the dominated me but was a lot of fun. At the end was a sweaty mess but felt great. He does a great job of putting together different exercises that are challenging but fun. I can already start to see a difference in my gut which has been really encouraging. I've never had a six pack in my life, but I am really going for it this time.
Looks like the rain is finally clearing up here in NYC, going to get a good run in tonight.
Happy Barefooting
Monday, March 8, 2010
Look at His Shoes Honey!
It took going around my block only once for someone to make a comment about my Vibram Fivetoes as I was running by. I have a feeling that this is going to be a common trend.
To say that running in these shoes is different would be an understatement. More than anything it just doesn't feel like you are about to run when you are leaving the house. When starting out with these shoes you don't go out and run your normal length. On Friday I ran around my block once and then rode my bike 30 minutes. Yesterday however, I ran around my block twice and my calves were screaming. Running in these shoes you use your calves and hamstrings a lot more and your steps per minute is a lot higher. After one run like this I am starting to dream of dunking a basketball again.
The biggest thing I noticed was the fun i had in running in these shoes. I didn't want to stop running but I am being advised to keep it slow for now and build up. First Impressions though were very good.
Have a Great Day!
To say that running in these shoes is different would be an understatement. More than anything it just doesn't feel like you are about to run when you are leaving the house. When starting out with these shoes you don't go out and run your normal length. On Friday I ran around my block once and then rode my bike 30 minutes. Yesterday however, I ran around my block twice and my calves were screaming. Running in these shoes you use your calves and hamstrings a lot more and your steps per minute is a lot higher. After one run like this I am starting to dream of dunking a basketball again.
The biggest thing I noticed was the fun i had in running in these shoes. I didn't want to stop running but I am being advised to keep it slow for now and build up. First Impressions though were very good.
Have a Great Day!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
I Hate to Run!
I just needed to get that out of the way. I feel a lot better now. So i am getting ready to embark on this crazy few months of training with Benny, culminating with me running a 10 mile race. With my love for running, a 10 mile race is 50 miles to me. God blessed me with a lot of things but a runners body is not one of them. I am 6'5" and this morning i weighed 235 lbs (though 250 is 1 food binge away from being a reality). Not exactly the same body type of the Kenyans that win distant races.
At this point I am probably in the worst shape of my life at the age of 29 with 30 just 3 months away. Growing up, I played sports all throughout high school and have played sports since as well. I was actually invited to try out for the US Team Handball Squad(hey it's an Olympic sport! and yes we do have a team, we have just never competed in at the actual Olympics) when i was 24. I didn't try out because i was young and dumb but i like to think i could have made the team (probably not a reality though). I guess what I am trying to say is that I'm a little athletic but have only ever really run to play sports, never for the fun of it.
So why did I agree to run this race. I have no clue. My friend must have conned me into this some how. I gave him my word though, so here we go. My biggest concern about this is the damage that this was going to do to my knees to train for this race. 235 lbs slamming on asphalt 2-3 times a week is not something my knees are pumped about, but if I am going to run this race running 2-3 times a week is the minimum that i can do to be ready.
Enter Benny, a certified personal trainer and founder of Barefoot Benny. I was telling him that I was going to run this race and his first response was that I have to get into barefoot running. That he could teach me how to run pain free and that i would have fun running as well (we will see about that). That was all I needed to hear (well the pain free part) to sign up.
So, today (March 4th) at lunch I went out to City Sports here in NYC, bought a pair of Vibram FiveFingers KSO footwear and a pair of injinji mini-crew socks. Not only is Benny going to train me for the 10 mile run, we are going to workout my entire body. I'm excited about the next few months and the transformation that my body is going to go through. Hope that this blog will help introduce you to barefooting from a novice's perspective.
Oh, and for your humor and my embarrasment i will be posting a before picture within the next couple of days. This could get ugly!
At this point I am probably in the worst shape of my life at the age of 29 with 30 just 3 months away. Growing up, I played sports all throughout high school and have played sports since as well. I was actually invited to try out for the US Team Handball Squad(hey it's an Olympic sport! and yes we do have a team, we have just never competed in at the actual Olympics) when i was 24. I didn't try out because i was young and dumb but i like to think i could have made the team (probably not a reality though). I guess what I am trying to say is that I'm a little athletic but have only ever really run to play sports, never for the fun of it.
So why did I agree to run this race. I have no clue. My friend must have conned me into this some how. I gave him my word though, so here we go. My biggest concern about this is the damage that this was going to do to my knees to train for this race. 235 lbs slamming on asphalt 2-3 times a week is not something my knees are pumped about, but if I am going to run this race running 2-3 times a week is the minimum that i can do to be ready.
Enter Benny, a certified personal trainer and founder of Barefoot Benny. I was telling him that I was going to run this race and his first response was that I have to get into barefoot running. That he could teach me how to run pain free and that i would have fun running as well (we will see about that). That was all I needed to hear (well the pain free part) to sign up.
So, today (March 4th) at lunch I went out to City Sports here in NYC, bought a pair of Vibram FiveFingers KSO footwear and a pair of injinji mini-crew socks. Not only is Benny going to train me for the 10 mile run, we are going to workout my entire body. I'm excited about the next few months and the transformation that my body is going to go through. Hope that this blog will help introduce you to barefooting from a novice's perspective.
Oh, and for your humor and my embarrasment i will be posting a before picture within the next couple of days. This could get ugly!
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