I am a lover of the endurance. Speed and power are great but I like adding some distance in there. My problem is that running hurts. For years I raced and trained with constant pain. I did everything Runner's World and the experts told me. I bought the super shoes, orthotics, OTC insoles and arch braces because I was told with out these my flat overpronating feet would not only cause my feet to fly into a billion bloody pieces but it could cause the end of the world if I didn't support those evil evil flat feet. OOGY BOOGY!
A few years back I read about Pose running on slowtwitch.com and kinda got overly excited about what was said. What I liked was the idea that my feet where fine I just needed to learn how to run. So I took a pair of track spikes and had someone glue a rubber sole on the bottom. My flat feet and 6 foot frame had no support or cushioning. OOGY BOOGY! I did a few runs with these shoes and there was a lot less pain. Unfortunately a week into this some really stupid shit happened that kind of made my life a Lifetime Movie Of The Week that was so bad that even people who watch that shit would vomit at my story. It was stupidity of the highest order people!
Well two years ago I found some barefoot running blogs and gave them some deep thoughts. I took the supportive insoles out of my work boots, OOGY BOOGY!, started wearing a pair of Brooks mach 10 as casual shoes and go barefoot when possible. I didn't start running again at this time because of self inflicted stupidity but I noticed my legs didn't hurt in my daily life. I noticed my toes spread out more, my arch was a tiny bit higher and my feet point straight ahead when I walked instead of doing a slight duck walk. That has got me thinking.
I have been boning up on the minimalist running stuff and want to give it a shot in my own way. You see while I like what the minimalist dudes are saying Skeptic is my middle name. I believe very little and what I do believe takes me forever to believe. So while I hear the minimalist choir singing I still want more then books about Indians in the Copper Canyons. Dig?
Now I am dying to check out Evolution Running, I now think Pose is snake oil, but already mentioned stupidity has left me without enough funds to get the DVD so I am working off my own ideas. You see it makes sense to me that you would want to run with a quickish turn over. Not the slow motion 6 Million Dollar Man stride. Also I don't see how letting your heel slam into the ground in front of you makes any kind of sense at all.
So I picture myself running as a super sexy predator. Striding down a dirt path in a dark forest chasing after my dinner. My sexy feet aren't slapping the ground or driving my heel into it, instead they are pawing the ground sensually. I picture my feet coming down at a shallow angle to propel me all sexy like instead of holding me upright so I can pivot over a point. I am kinda like gliding over the trail. I reach a stream to refresh myself and let the cool water splash on to my face and six pack abs when I hear laughter and singing. I look to my right to find a beautiful Asian woman and her red headed friend bathing down stream, wait! Sorry got off topic for a moment.
Do you see what I am saying? It seems like how your foot lands depends on how it is coming down. A quick turnover seems to have your feet land more under you. In my limited mind this seems more efficient. As you can tell by now I am not a bright bulb but this badly put idea makes sense to me.
So what? Well I am dying to get running again so I want to put my feet where my mouth is. I am going to do the following to see if I can run with less pain.
1. I am going to focus on soft and light foot strikes instead of muscling my way along.
2. I am going to start off wearing a pair of Mizuno Elixir 4 s a dear friend of mine got me for my birthday. While I see where the minimalists are going I am coming back from a stupid long layoff so I am going to be a bit cautious and have some foam under me in the beginning. Again I haven't completely drank the Kool Aid.
3. I am going to start off with 6 15 minute runs a week adding time slowly. I will walk when needed because I am a lard ass who has finally won the battle with Joe Camel. My focus won't be running every step but getting time on my feet and seeing what they have to say.
4. When the Mizunos wear out I will transition into a skimpy pair of kicks. I am going to barefoot my strides and drills but I have interest in being a barefoot hipster. Notice the Copper Canyon Indians wear sandals and when the Kenyans start racing they wear shoes. So this is not a barefoot blog.
Now I will update this thing when possible, limited internet access, and would love for people to join in. I welcome criticism, encouragement, ideas, insults and naked pictures of my female readers.
So join peoples. Don't be shy. Tell me what you think.
Sponsorship is accepted because I clap and hop when I get things in the mail. The people over at the Slowtwitch Forums do whatever I say because they are lost without me. Slide me some product and I will tell them to buy because those Lemmings do whatever I say.
