Category Archives: Running

Cheating on my Huaraches, been running in shoes… Not for long.

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I admit it, I have been sneaking runs in with my trail shoes. It isn’t my fault, they are grippy, light, green and black and call out to me every time I throw my running sandals in my bag. Well maybe they don’t call me, but they are brand new and being the frugal sort of guy I just have to use them. While I admit the first run was fun and quick, I only ran 3 miles, my arches hurt quite a bit. I did about 5 or 6 more runs in them because the weather in Colorado is getting colder.

It may sound like a great story for shoe manufacturers, but in fact my arches and ankles were bothering significantly ever time I ran more than 4 miles. I also find it weird that you can’t actually run on  your forefoot without your heels hitting the ground. The “high heels” on my trail shoes kept catching and pushing me forward, encouraging me to be lazy and drop my heels to the ground. After my last 5 mile run, I was grounded for 3 days with sore feet.

What could possibly be cooler than toe socks o...

Image via Wikipedia

This week I switched back to running in huaraches and man, they are so light and fast. I actually run about 1 minute faster in the sandals than in shoes. The exception to this is cornering and downhill, however given my propensity to rolling my ankle I am nervous about running downhill and on tight corners. I believe someone at the Salvation Army will have a brand new fancy pairs of running shoes.

Now I just need to figure out how I run in the snow in sandals… I haven’t tried the Five Fingers yet, but I suspect they may be on my Christmas wish list.

I’ll probably run in Injinji 5 toe socks most days. I think those paired with my huaraches will suit most runs. If you haven’t tried Injinji socks, try them. I used to get blisters on my feet (toes, heels, in between my toes) on runs longer than 20 miles. Once I started running in Injinjis, no more blisters.

The hidden joy of Treadmill running in Luna Sandals

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I have spent a lot of time traveling during the last year for work, not all of it is bad. I had an awesome opportunity to speak at a conference in Rome about my company, Zia Consulting‘s product Fresh Docs on the iPad. That was a pretty awesome trip. I wasn’t running yet, but I walked a ton on that trip with my lovely wife.

I do prefer running outside, a lot. There is nothing like running on trails in the Fall.However, sometimes my crazy schedule that is a result of being a father, husband, entrepreneur, athlete, and all around nice guy :-) doesn’t allow for proper training times.

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Image by tsfisher via Flickr

I learned while I trained for the Leadville Trail Run a couple of years ago (couple = 6) that I consistently get my mileage in if I log some of those miles on a treadmill. This and fact that my family and I lived outside of Madison, Wisconsin and the weather isn’t as nice. It is very cold in the winter and very hot and humid in the summer. I actually tolerate the cold better, but 5 degrees with wind in the Midwest is just flat out cold.

My family and I moved back to Boulder, CO a couple of years ago and did the prudent Boulder thing, we sold the treadmill. We really weren’t using it because the weather in Boulder is pretty amazing most of the time. If it is cold out, the sun is usually shining and you just flat out feel like going outside to run.

I am not sure if I am a wimp or not, but I have really enjoyed bumping up my mileage on treadmills while I have been traveling. I do run outside as often as possible, but it is tough when you are on the road. I find the soft, flexible cushion of the treadmill and the mind-numbing news or radio is a perfect combination to zone out and bang out some miles.

Thoughts on Mountain Biking and Running: Mountain Biking is still way more fun than running

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I remember liking my runs more when I was lighter, in shape and not carefully running to avoid injury to my feet and ankles. I ran three more times this past week in barefoot sandals and just couldn’t shake feeling like heck. I felt worse than heck, but this is a family blog, so there you have it.

I ran Marshall Mesa this week with Shelly. I felt best running uphills, but I couldn’t quite shake the tightness I felt in my left ankle. My forefoot hasn’t really adjusted to running barefoot yet and I have a some discomfort with the straps on the sandals. The other two runs I had this week were on the Boulder Creek Path and much easier (albeit, less fun) than trail running. I have been considering keeping a history on my running progression, to see if there is a departure from sanity or potentially something positive that helps keep me accountable and on track.

It is also not recommended to run in Luna Sandals and mess up the way you tie the lace around the forefoot. Luckily my wife is patient and waited for me while I messed with the laces. Eventually I sat down and retied my right lace and realized I wasn’t securing one of the ankle laces. Nice YouTube video clip of how to tie your huaraches:

I broke down and ran on a treadmill today at a hotel in San Fran. Dang was that fun. I ran fast(ish) and long(ish). Any distance over 5K for me right now is long. I actually had fun running and tried to get some video on my iPhone of running on the treadmill while I was holding the camera. After almost falling on my face a couple of times and watching the kids in the pool laugh hysterically at me, I gave up. I was a little sad that I enjoyed the treadmill so much, but the softness and convenience are hard to beat.

I still wear my flip flops around as much as possible to toughen up my feet and build up my arches. It must be helping because I am not as sore when I am back in TKD.

Side note: I have been reading some pretty inflammatory blogs about barefoot runners being nutters. Interesting reading, but I am not much of a fan of ranters, regardless of the topic. It seems like people should be entitled to their opinion, but should realize how crazy they sound when they are calling everyone around them crazy. Anywho, off to the biking part.

Dave, smiling after an uphill at Hall Ranch

Shelly: AKA Deer, Tornado, Hot Stuff, My Girl

My wife and I have been riding with friends and family a lot lately. The pace is a little slower sometimes, but overall the social and casual atmosphere has been really enjoyable. My great friend Dave is becoming a biking nut, he is smiling away after riding the uphill section of Antelope on Hall Ranch very well. This is not how he rode this ride last fall, turns out watching calories and working out all the time is a good thing. I ought to follow his lead.

Waiting with me after I broke my derailleur

Bike trail maintenance tip number 1, learn to work on your bike so you can cobble it together if you break it and still enjoy the ride back home. I broke my rear derailleur hanger and was able to fix it so I could enjoy the fast, fun ride down Hall Ranch on the way back to the truck. It beats walking out in the dark everytime.

My first three runs in Luna Sandals

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I wanted to provide a quick update on running barefoot. I have run three times in the past week. The first was on a treadmill, I know that is cheating, but I was concerned about cushioning and just generally being able to run in the sandals at all. Aside from being disappointed that I could only run about 2.5 or 3 miles and had to walk at times, I was very pleased with my pace and general feel. I didn’t have trouble with the arch afterwords and my feet were not sore. The hardest transition was running differently. The Born to Run book mentions that we should embrace our natural pronation as it allows our foot to provide cushioning support for the body. The mental metaphor I have been using to change the way I run has been to pretend that I don’t have a heel. It sounds funny, but it works. It is HARD to run this way. I have always been a pronounced heel striker. Of course I have always had back problems and have torn my achilles slightly running The Leadville 100 a couple of years ago.

Great trail run just west of downtown Boulder

My second run was on the Foothills trail, Mt Sanitas Valley and Dakota Ridge trail runs. I have a picture of the trail map in this post, but you can find more information about the run here. I love this run or used to anyway. It was not the easiest trail to run for someone that hasn’t run for a 4 years and is trying out sandals. The most awkward part initially was the loose gravel slipping under my feet. I was able to adjust the sandal to handle this and I suspect this will get better as I perfect this new running style. It was a little easier to run on my forefoot today, but still awkward.

First outside run using the Luna Sandals

The sandals are surprising grippy and comfortable especially on the flats and uphill. The next area to adjust to is the sharp little rocks that are everywhere on the Sanitas Valley/Dakota Ridge section. I have to say I am not worried about spraining my ankle, I am running with a lot of attention and focus on my foot placement. If you get a little sidetracked or tired and complacent, you get a nice sharp rock on your forefoot to remind you to wake up. I used to run downhill very fast, well fast for me anyway. This has changed a bit as I am getting adjusted to the slippery feeling (perceived not real) of running in sandals and general fear and concern that I have about the ankle in general.

Second run in the sandals

My third run was on the Boulder Creek Path. It was shady, concrete and dirt. I had an excellent run. I didn’t blaze a speed pace, but I was able to run 7:30s. This pace made me feel pretty great. I had no real uphill or downhill to speak of. I am not sure if you know the Boulder Creek Path, but it may be a reason to move to Boulder. Overall I felt great, I don’t have any wind yet and no knee or back pain. I am also encouraged that I am not crippled and hobbling around running. I actually feel worse after Tae Kwon Do.

One of the funniest things that has happened on both outside runs is the reaction I get from people running near/by me. I swear I am going to have to help someone up after they crash and fall watching my feet. Some people try the sneak look a couple times and some people steer wide of me and look at my face and feet with high speed alternating frequency like their head is on a bobble head swivel.

BTW, my lovely wife kicked my butt on this run. My girl, the little deer or tornado depending on the day.

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