Barefoot Running - Step by Step

Thanks to Aleksandar for recommending the book "Barefoot Running - Step by Step" by Barefoot Ken Bob!!  It is a great book that I highly recommend to anyone who would like the inside scoop on barefoot running!!

In the same way that "Born to Run" inspired me (and brainwashed me) to believe that I actually could run (and would want to), this book truly makes me want to run barefoot - for all the right reasons!!

So, inspired, I headed out this morning for a barefoot run - maybe 3.5 km.  I have to say that I LOVE IT!!! It's like I can feel more spring in my foot than with shoes. Strangely, I didn't get winded at all - VERY STRANGE!

Alas, the soles of my feet are quite sore right now. According to Barefoot Ken Bob, I need to work on my technique - bending my knees more and lifting the foot just before it lands - kind of like an airplane coming in for a landing.

But overall, it was really an awesome experience. I think that I will be erring on the side of barefoot - at least as long as our Canadian weather allows. :)

Running as a Way of Life....

As is evident from K's posts on this blog there is an alchemy to running that is physical but also goes beyond simple cardiovascular & metabolic conditioning: subtle shifts in how we perceive the world we live/run in as well as subtle shifts in how we experience the body we live/run in.

I would completely agree with K, that running or any physical activity is not the exclusive realm of youth, but rather is fundamental to our lifelong existence. As we age our functional fitness is the real rate limiting step of our freedom and independence and we should be investing in this area of life as much as we do our RRSP and Pension Plans. The degree to which we have become acculturated to the 'western' or 'modern-industrialized' cultural paradigm often relates to the degree of frailty we may experience as we age:

http://www.canada.com/health/story.html?id=4709685

http://www.jstor.org/pss/2742729

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2011/05/news/at-90-florida-man-is-oldest-ever-to-race-a-duathlon_29618

While running is not a panacea to all that ails us physically and metaphysically, it becomes a thread that when woven through our days and lives begins to reconnect our frayed interconnectedness with our natural world and our natural selves. I believe that smile and floating that K describes is in part the animation of this 'reconnect'. It reaches beyond the experience of our run or race and begins to influence how we move in the rest of our day, our relationship to the foods that 'fuel' our movement and life and ultimately our priority of investing in our natural functional fitness throughout our lives.

This has all come into greater view for me as I've been running less in the weeks that followed my becoming a new dad. While my miles may be less my investment to running has actually increased and I have realized what we do with the time between our runs affects our running as much as the miles we log. Danny Abshire, founder of 'Newton Running Shoes' discusses this in detail in his book 'Natural Running' where he highlights that we must redevelop our capacity to run by reconditioning many if the small intrinsic muscles in our feet and legs as well as the larger muscles and systems that govern our balance, proprioception (positional sense) and integration of movement within our core and entire body.

So while I have been at home hard at work as a 'dad', I have been spending more time reconditioning these areas primarily through the use of calisthenics, yoga and "CrossFit" principles (constantly varied integrated functional movements and exercises in order to develop integrated functional fitness - strength, balance, coordination & metabolism). Low & behold, my running has actually improved despite the decreased miles. The improvement is related to the improved economy of movement (running form) as a result of this type of training.

And beyond the calisthenics and "CrossFit" conditioning, the extra time at home has allowed for a greater emphasis on preparing fresh whole food meals. I have been able to further learn how to consciously nourish the development of healthy muscles & ligaments as well as the energy to fuel movement, conditioning and the motivation to attend to these areas of "health" while on the steep (and sleep deprived) learning curve of being a new dad.

So while running is often viewed as a means to an end to influence our weight and appearance; it can be a more pervasive element that informs almost every area of our lives: nutrition, rest/recovery, reconditioning, psychology, relationships, social interaction (including blogging) and the larger priorities of our lives....

It is this underlying pervasive alchemy that I reference when I use terms like "soul endurance athlete" or "soul runner"; which specifically reaches beyond the use of endurance athletics or running as a means to an end, to emphasize them as a thread that weaves throughout all the elements of our lives, subtly shifting their interconnectedness and re-animating our interconnectedness with the world we live in. It becomes a "practice" - something we do externally to influence ourselves internally physically and metaphysically.

I certainly won't disagree with anyone who chooses to run to drop a few pounds or feel better about themselves physically and emotionally, but I also believe when you find anyone that 'loves' running it is the soul alchemy they are experiencing. Perhaps seeing it this way & trying to describe it, I may help a few folks shift their perception of running as a twisted form of pleasure derived from self induced pain and punishment, and may be able to ignite their own "love" of running.

Running is a primal experience of who and what we are as living beings: movement, breath, energy, perception, awareness and motivation out under a vast expanse of sky. When we experience our own life on this intrinsic level aside from cultural/societal position, role, status, gender or function we are also experiencing the essence of what we all are as human beings. Not only does running reconnect us to our natural world, but further it reconnects us to each other.

Any races, marathons or other events no longer become 'why' we run, and are rather a lens to focus our motivation, time and priorities to keep us running and connected to our lives and life in its largest meaning.

So go ahead, take off your shoes and begin the first few steps of running. Take is slow and methodically, after all, you have a lifetime to experience it....

I Actually Ran Barefoot!!

So, this morning I felt inspired to head out on the road on my naked feet! As much as we are practising the barefoot technique, I'd never actually run on the roads barefoot.  But I did this morning!!

And it was great!!!  The soles of my feet felt a little numb partway through (and I was only out for maybe a 10 minute run). But it actually seemed easier than running in my minimalist shoes. Maybe it was just a mental thing. But when I normally run, it is my mind that gives up long before my body (although my body tells me later). But this morning, it was like I WANTED to run further. I didn't want to stop and walk as often. It was a very strange feeling. But I liked it!!

Where will this lead? Will I convert to barefoot when our Canadian weather permits?? Hmmm... It is a definite possibility...

First 5K of the Season

Well, we completed our first 5K on the weekend with our NEW running technique!!  The result? 9 minutes off of my time from last year!!!  But what's even better is that I'm not completely crippled and dead like I was last year!!!

Last year, I thought I was going to die by the time I got to the first km marker. By the time I got to the end, I was truly dead. My legs felt like lead-filled sausages and I didn't think that I'd ever feel better. And then, it took weeks before my knees weren't swollen and painful.

But this year, my focus was "keep it light and easy". And that's what I did. When I was running, it really did feel like I was floating. I walked off and on as well. But the running was nice and effortless. And as I ran across the finish line, it was still light and effortless!!

After I stopped running, my legs felt light and airy - kind of like when you put your arms in a doorway and push up and then you step out of the doorway and they float up... that's what my legs felt like.. Imagine!!

My calves and the bottoms of my feet were a little sore later that day - but calcium and a hot bath took care of most of it. Two days later, as I write this, my calves are now telling me off. But nothing serious. I'll just wait to run again until tomorrow.

This is such an amazing running style for me!!!  There were lots of tall skinny guys in shorts at the 5K that are perfectly happy with their heel-striking running. But for me, this minimalist running is the way!!

Imagining Ultra Athletics

I can't believe that I can actually fit my head around people who race ultra distances - 2 marathons, 100 milers, 2 Ironman weekends, etc.  I'm not saying that I am anywhere close to even enjoying a 10K run yet. But I can actually imagine what these people see in the challenge.

I remember about 8 years ago, there was an article in our local paper about a local guy who had finished an Ironman competition in Florida. I read the article with complete awe - 5mile swim, 180K bike and then a marathon - all in a row!!! The idea that anyone could actually do that was so far beyond my imagination that I honestly looked at this guy completely differently every time I saw him.  I wondered when he did his super-human training (and I'm not kidding). I wondered what kind of person could actually complete such a feat.

The weird thing, as I train for the marathon in January, is that something deep inside of me is shifting. The very idea that I could actually train enough to complete a marathon (me being the destroy-my-knees-by-running girl) is really opening doors for me in the human potential category.

Because I have been able to run without injury, suddenly the idea of continued growth towards my potential feels completely natural. It's like THIS IS HOW WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GROW all of our lives. There's no limit to our growth.

First, I will happily run the 5K next weekend in Goderich, and then the 5K in Bayfield in June. Then we will do the Bala triathlon in July. Why? Because it would be fun - a nice way to spend a summer morning up north. Then, we will continue training to do the marathon in January at Disney. No big deal. Just the next step in our growth.

What's next? Perhaps other exotic locations for cool marathons - running through vineyards in Italy or along the Great Wall of China. Or maybe we'll expand ourselves further and start envisioning half-Ironmans.. and then full Ironmans and so on and so on....

Aleksandar is running a 100-miler in November (we are going to be some of his "pacers" - you know, just going out to run 10K once in a while with him for support!! I can't believe that these are actually my waking sane thoughts!!).  Two years ago, I wouldn't have even been able to understand the words that he was saying. I mean, I would get the English, but I wouldn't be able to digest the meaning.  100 miles?  For fun?? Ridiculous!!

But I get it. It's like playing with our human potential. How far can we grow? How fantastic can we feel? Is there even a limit to what we can achieve?

I have spent most of my life in my head and heart. The idea that now I can play with, grow and expand my physical experience in any way that I want certainly has made my life just a little more interesting!!!

How cool is that?

Running for Joy

I can't believe that I've reached the point where I can say that I actually enjoy running.  But it's true.  The other night after watching Biggest Loser, my daughter and I went running "just for fun". I actually look forward to running!!

The best comparison that I can make is to people who enjoy going for a walk.  They like the fresh air, stretching their legs, the scenery, etc.  Going running is like that now - except that we're running.

It really hit me on Saturday when we were on our long run. We ran the route for the Goderich 5K that is in two weeks - FOR FUN??!!??!! We did our normal walk 1 minute, run 2 minutes. My friend who joined us asked if it was my goal to run the entire 5K on May 15th.

This is when I realized that I didn't want to have "external goals" anymore. I just wanted to have fun. I want to enjoy myself.

Don't get me wrong. It can be fun to push yourself to train harder, expand your limits, and see what you can do.  But sometimes it's fun to just feel the sun on your face and the feel of your body running forward. I think that this is more my way.

There are many factors to this newfound joy. But I do think that the biggest one is this style of naturalist/minimalist/barefoot running.  Why? Because I'm not in pain all of the time. My knees are happy, my back is happy, and my feet are happy. The day after a 5K run, I'm a little tired and my muscles know that we exerted ourselves yesterday. But no pain. Just contented fatigue.

Being able to run without pain or struggle is a massive milestone for me. It is totally untwisting some weird programming in my head that says that "running is self-torture", "you only run to lose weight", "only crazy hyper skinny people actually enjoy running", "running is for athletes", "anyone who runs over the age of 30 is a health-nut", "running destroys your knees and back", and so on.

One of the coolest things in the book "Born to Run" is that the fastest runners in the "running man tribe" were the elders. Experience, wisdom, and age were assets to running fastest and longest. Running improved every year. The young ones could never imagine being able to keep up with the elders. IMAGINE!!!!

This makes sense to my soul. Our society's obsession with youth has always felt wrong to me. And now this idea that running in this natural way turns the tables and lets us improve with age. I LIKE IT!!

And I think that this is what I'm experiencing with this "no injury training". It's like my body isn't going through the "tear-down" stage before it builds new strength and elasticity. Did I say how much I like it!!

So, I am truly running for joy. I'm running for how my body feels to run. I'm running for the sun on my face and the wind at my back.

Just running for joy!!