A New Blog Dedicated Running Adventures

I'll continue to post random stray thoughts to this blog, but I've decided to put all of my running posts in a separate blog. I've gotten into trail running recently and if nothing else, the scenery is interesting. It is called The Faithful Runner. In the coming weeks, I'll write a post that will actually explain what the blog name means. I hope you'll join me there.

On a run early one Sunday morning

Don't Run Like This Dude, Run Like The Chick

Jason Robillard has an interesting post on why we should be running like the image on the right, not the image on the left.

When you look at shoe ads or see some show, move or commercial with a runner in it, they almost always look like the guy on the left. I'll admit, it sure looks like he is going faster. Just look at that long stride!

The odd thing is, 30-40 years ago, no one ran like this. So-called running shoes hadn't been invented yet so there were no shoes with absurdly thick "cushioned" heels. If you ran in racing flats like the guy on the left, you'd be in pain withing minutes.

Think you should be training your body to run this way? Try this little experiment Jason describes: "Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.  Jump up in the air.  While in the air, straighten your legs, lock your knees, and land on your heels.  When you land, it hurts like Hell.  Now do the same thing except bend your knees and land on the ball of your foot.  WHOA!  YOUR FEET AND LEGS ACT LIKE SHOCK ABSORBERS!!!  Hot damn, it’s almost like your legs were designed to work that way!"


Yet people hurl their bodies on their locked leg that is over-extended in front of them all of the time and then wonder why shin splints, runner's knee, plantar fasciitis and other maladies often associated with running show up.

Head over to Jason's post and look at the other six examples of why the chick on the right is doing it right. He also explains why it is OK to use the term "chick" in this context.

Are Running Shoes Causing More Harm Than Good?

It is often said that all you need to go running is a good pair of sneakers. That may not be true. You will likely be far better off going barefoot, using Huarache sandals, or running in minimalist shoes like Vibram Five Fingers. Ditch the shoes and use the engineering God built into your body.

There are a ton of great resources out there on barefoot running and the problems caused with shoes. A good place to get started is Dr. Nirenberg's America's Podiatrist blog. Vibram also has its own FAQ on barefoot running, and it encourages you to start truly barefoot before upping the ante with a pair of Five Fingers. Why start barefoot instead of transitioning from classic running shoes to minimalist? Because your skin will be your limiting factor. The skin on the bottom of your feet is probably very tender. Until you build up a nice pad, not callouses, you will take it easy, which is good. It will give the muscles, bones and tendons in your feet time to build up slowly as your skin does. Concrete and asphalt are excellent surfaces to get started on. Your first barefoot run may be 100 yards or less. That's perfect! Rest for a day or so, then do it again, maybe increasing to 200 yards. Within a few weeks, you will be up to a mile, and you can grow from there.


Created by: X Ray Technician Schools

Surf City Marathon - Feb 6, 2011

Yesterday I ran my first marathon, the Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach, CA. I didn't officially train for it by following the typical 18 week courses, I just kept running my 3 days a week runs steadily increasing my mileage until I was routinely running 17-20 miles on Saturday's or Sunday's, depending on what was going on that week.

According to the 2011 results page I ran it in 3:57:28, which equates to a 9:04/mi pace. Overall, that put me in 743rd place out of 2,435, or the top third of the group. I was 529th out of 1466 for just men, or in the top portion of the middle third of the group. When compared to men of my age (40-44) I was 84th out of 206, or in the top half. I'll take those results any day considering that just a little over two years ago I weighed 220lbs and couldn't run to the mailbox and back without feeling like I was about to die.

I ran the race in my Vibram Five Fingers KSO Remix shoes. I saw one person running the full marathon barefoot and my wife saw two people doing it. So at least two or three did it barefoot, depending on whether the guy I saw was one of the one's Susan spotted.

I saw at least 4 others running in Vibrams. The models I remember were one set of Bilikas, one set of Sprints and two KSOs (like mine).

This is what I remember from the race by mile:

1. I remember looking at my watch and seeing it was at 0:03:55, so well before the first mile marker. I was mainly checking to see if I had remembered to start the timer. I never saw the first mile marker itself though. I wonder what I've gotten myself into, but I don't let that bother me. The first 10 minutes are the worst as my body starts to get into it.
2. Mile 2 came up in about 17 minutes or so, which put me at a 8:30-8:59 pace. Slower than I like, but that is good for a long run. Too much speed too early and I get "lead legs" too early. I still had some visibility to the 3:40 pacer group, but they were pulling ahead and I had no desire to try and keep up.
3. Never saw it.
4. Never saw it, but it was around 38 minutes that I sucked down my first Honey Stinger and grabbed a bit of water from a Dixie cup.
5. I want to thank the woman that passed me here. She gave me more encouragement to pour on a bit more speed than any cheering could have done. She had the hairiest legs I've seen on a woman in a long time, and it made me throw up a little. I eased past her. I was also noticing others around me that were in the same pace I was. There was pink-bottle lady, red-hair lady and awkward teenage boy. We stayed together for quite some time, each passing the other only to be passed again later.
6. Hairy-legs passed me again and once again, I surged a bit. I never saw her again, thankfully. We also did a bit of trail here, maybe 100 yards, and the ground was rough. Not sure I would have enjoyed that part barefoot. We were also going through a cemetery and I thought that was very convenient. Perfect place to drop dead. Would have been more useful at the 23 mile marker though.
7. I  remember this only because I thought "Man, this is great. I am DEFINITELY doing this again."
8. Here the pacer group for the 3:50 clan was right on my heels. Although my goal was to finish in less than 4:00, I privately wanted to beat 3:50, so I added a bit of steam. We also started running up a hill here and I guess training in my neighborhood (I use that term loosely as the area covers a diameter of about 10 miles) with the hills helped. No one that I was pacing with ever passed me on a hill and I passed a number of them, usually to be overtaken again on the flats.
9. Never saw it.
10. Never saw it, but Susan said it was the same place the 3 mile marker was. The course looped back and forth a lot. She had run 3 miles from the start to cheer for me here. I had my sunglasses on and there was no need as it was foggy and the sun was nowhere to be seen. I should have given them to her here, but I only thought about it a minute or two after I passed her. Old-coach guy pulled past me then pulled over to stop and get something to drink. He would do this a number of times today and we stayed within 100 yards of each other most of the rest of the day. There was a lot of families here cheering people on and more than a few had cow bells. I don't get that at all.
11. Pink-bottle lady and I had traded places several times, but between 10 and 11 she dove off to the port-o-potties. One less person to judge my pace with. Awkward Teenage Boy passed me in this stretch too. I passed red-hair lady and never saw her again. Guy-in-tights starts running in my general vicinity.
12. Pink-bottle lady blew past me. Obviously she didn't stop to go to the bathroom but to inject some sort of illegal substance. Still, I hung with her for another 10 miles.
13. Between mile 12 and 13 we did a quick U-turn on the Pacific Coast Highway. Kind of lame. As you run your ankles get sore (or at least mine do) and sharp turning sucks. More Honey Stinger and some water. Half way there. A new pacer too, Neon-pink lady.
14. Darn it, there is the 3:50 pacer right behind me. Surge. Guy-in-tights is back.
15. I somehow managed to pass pink-bottle lady and neon-pink lady and caught up to awkward teenage boy. Another u-turn as we head back north on the sidewalks. Guy-in-tights passed me. Again with the cow bells. When Christopher Walken said "more cow-bell" he was kidding.
16. Only 10 more miles. Doing ok, but now not so enthusiastic about doing this again. Caught up to a guy wearing black Vibram KSOs. Took me probably a mile before I passed him. I had no surge left. I think I saw Susan around here again and think that this is roughly where this picture to the right was taken. Once again, I forget to give her the sunglasses.

17. Don't remember seeing this marker, but in this area, the asphalt sidewalk was very rough. I am looking for smooth areas to run and for at least half a mile, there are none. Barefoot would have been brutal.
18. 3:50 pacers pass me, as does neon-pink lady and pink-bottle lady. I am not going to try and keep up. I can feel my legs getting heavier. Old-coach guy stopped to drink more of whatever was in his bottle. Then off he goes again.
19. Never saw it.
20. Between 20 and 21, a super-sharp u-turn. This was the only time I stopped during the race. There was no room to run around the corner. I just stopped, turned around and veered slightly to the right. Ridiculous. I passed the 21 mile flag in 2:57:00 or so. Sweet. 4 hours looks very possible. Turns out I'd need quite a bit of that remaining 1:03 to finish the last 6.2 miles.
21. Five miles left. I am feeling the weight on my legs now. Got some more water and took the fifth and final Honey Stinger of the day.
22. Four miles left. Now the prayers start. "Lord, just give me 40 more minutes of energy." The 3:50 group, along with pink-bottle lady and neon-pink lady fade out of my view. Guy-in-tights, old-coach guy and awkward teenage boy are still around.
23. Oddly enough, I don't remember this. You'd think at this point I'd be remembering every sign counting down the finish.
24. More prayers. Only need 20 minutes of energy. There was a guy passing out half-orange slices. It looked good and I thought it would be refreshing. I was wrong. Last water of the day. They are passing out Fig Newtons. How can someone think Fig Newtons are going to taste good at this point in a marathon? That crap about the first 10 minutes being the worst is just that. Crap. The last 40 minutes are the worst.
25. One mile left. It is about 3:47 on my watch. Those cursed 3:50 pacers will be done in 3 minutes. I still have 10 to go. I passed awkward-teenage-boy again. He was walking. I am determined not to walk, or do the marathon shuffle. My brain tells my legs to pick my feet up a bit. I am NEVER EVER doing this again. What was I thinking? And the cow bells are in full force.
26. Yay! 26 miles. But not done. It is 26.2 miles. The next minute and 40 seconds or so will be the longest ever. No one is passing anyone. We are all just struggling to get it over with. I can barely see the finish line marker ahead. Almost there.

I crossed the finish line. If they took a picture of that, it must look horrible. There was no last minute surge, no raising of the arms in victory. I just went through, grabbed a bottle of water and a bag of food a few yards down. I snarfed down a cup of mixed fruit but nothing else looked remotely appetizing at the time. Susan caught up with me here. The finish line was at least a quarter mile north of the start, and we parked south of that, so I had a long walk. I should have just run to the van. Walking only allowed my legs to tighten up. I looked like an old man. I felt like one too.

Biggest surprise is no knee pain. I started running barefoot when I got some pain in my right knee. When you run barefoot, you land on the ball of your feet, which takes most of the punishment from coming down on the pavement instead of it being shot up to your knee through the heel.

Still, after running some 20-22 milers around the house, I would get some sharp pains in the knees after a long run and for a few hours afterwards. Now some 36 hours after the race, not the least bit of pain. My legs are VERY sore. When I get up from my desk, I hobble like an old man until my legs loosen up after 10-15 steps, then I can walk somewhat normally.

I'll definitely do it again, just not sure when. Right now I have a trail half marathon to train for in March.

Great Overview For Getting Started With Vibram Five Fingers

As most of you know when I run, I run either barefoot or with Vibram Five Fingers.When I started looking at the Five Fingers, it was pretty easy as there were only a few models out and it was pretty easy to tell the intended purpose of each. They had the Classics, Sprints, KSOs and the Flow and that was about it. Now they have the Moc, Bikila, KSO Trek and the Trek Sports. And that is just for the guys in North America. Women have several other options and in Europe, they have other models like the Flow Trek and Speeds. 2011 will be bringing even more models like the Komodo Sport and Bikila LS (laces!).

So where do you get started? Well, one of the best sources if info for Five Fingers is Birthday Shoes and they have put together a beginner's guide to buying a pair of Five Fingers.

I have to say I agree with most of what they say in the guide. Stick with the basics for your first pair, choosing between the Classics, Sprints and KSO. I'll go one further and say skip the Sprints as they are, in my opinion, too hard to dial in with three Velcro straps per shoe. The Classics or KSOs will do what most of you need.

My other suggestion is if you will be doing any distance running, get some Injinji socks. Even for distances of three or four miles regularly, the Classics and Sprints both gave me blisters that had to get callused before I could go greater distances. This is because the inside of the shoes have seams that rub your feet. With Injinjis though, I've gone over 20 miles with no sign of a blister. If you don't plan to run though and want them for walking and hiking, you can skip the socks.

I'll help narrow it down even further. If you want to do some serious running, say 20+ miles a week, get the KSOs. KSO stands for Keep Stuff Out and will keep tiny pebbles and other road debris from getting int he shoe. They fit snugly to the point where I only fasten the Velcro strap to keep it from flapping around. I don't tighten it. For anything less than than or if running isn't your thing, then either the KSO or Classics will work, it is just a matter of style preference.

The guide is a free PDF file.

Running Isn't Cheap

Well, it can be cheap depending on how you run. Some say all you need is a pair of sneakers and you are all set. That works for shorter distances, but I've found out for longer runs, say consistently over 45-60 minutes, additional equipment is needed, at least for me.

• I don't like to run more than 45 minutes unless I have water with me. I purchased the Amphipod RunLite4 belt that holds 4 8oz bottles of water and a pouch for nutrition. That is good for 2-2.5 hrs for me. The cost was about $45 from a local Sports Chalet. the problem is when I carry that much water on my waist, I am sore for a few days because of the pressure on my hip bone. I now only use this to carry two bottles, which is good for 1-2 hrs depending on the temperature outside.
  
• For longer runs, I got the Camelbak XTC water hydration backpack. It holds 70oz of water and has two larger side pockets that can hold my cell phone, a few bandaids and antiseptic wipes just in case and extra nutrition. I also use the nutrition pouch from the Amphipod pack with it. I've run 3.5 hrs with this and still had some water left over. I got it on sale from REI for $56 but it normally costs closer to $70.
  
• I had been running in basketball shorts, which is fine for an hour or so, but much longer than that and you can run into some serious chafing issues. I found some Nike running shorts that did the trick for me. They wick moisture away from me so it helps in keeping me dry, thus significantly reducing the chance of chafing. I've run for over 3 hours in them and had no issues. They are usually around $35. Not cheap for shorts.
  
• I much prefer running in daylight hours but in the winter months sometimes that isn't possible. I like running in the mornings rather than the afternoons after work. Believe it or not there is less traffic. In the morning, I only have to deal with people going to work. In the afternoons, it is people coming home from work in addition to everyone running errands. Our streets are fairly well lit, but not enough for me. I run barefoot or with minimalist shoes which means I have to watch where I am going. The only thing I have to protect me from rocks, branches and other debris is my vision, not a thick sole of a typical running shoe. So when I run before the sun comes up, I need a light. I use the Petzl XP2, which works very well. It has two light modes and two red LED flashing modes so when dawn arrives, I can switch to the LED to better alert oncoming traffic. REI.com sells it for about $55.
  
• To keep the sweat out of my eyes, I have been using a cheapo freebie sweatband which has worked fine for me, but my dermatologist recommend I get a hat since I am thinning a bit on top. 2-3 hrs in the southern California sun isn't good for my scalp, so I am ordering two hats that are designed to keep sweat out of your eyes. They are both from Headsweats. The first is a high visibility burn-your-eyes yellow race hat for $20. Anything to keep me more visible to motorists more interested in drinking their coffee, texting or any number of things besides the task at hand - driving.
  
  The next is their Protech hat with a legionnaire flap for $26. That will be useful for longer daytime runs to keep the sun off of my neck and ears. They also have one in a mossy camo look, which is horrible for visibility but looks cool. They must be closing them out because they are only $7.50. I suspect no runner wants to have something that makes it harder see them, not easier. I picked one up for casual use, which will also embarrass my kids as I wear it to public places. That is one of my jobs as a dad.
  
• Of course, I need sunblock of some sort, but normal beach stuff just doesn't work. It gets runny when you sweat and just has a nasty greasy feeling, even the spray on stuff. I found something called Scape that is 50spf and made for athletes. It doesn't prevent sweating nor does it wash away when you sweat. I got the lotion for arms and legs and the face stick for the face. I paid $33 total for a bottle of each.
  
• Ok, this is something you definitely don't have to fool with on shorter runs, and ladies not at all, but guys may have to, and the more you sweat or if it is raining, the more likely you need them. I don't care what kind of shirt you have, it will rub against your nipples and they will either burn after you are done running or bleed. You won't feel it while running either, only when you get in the shower and then you'll be in pain for days. Ladies generally run with a running bra of some sort so their shirt just rubs against the bra, not bare skin. Enter NipGuards. $85 for 100 pair, or 85¢ per run. You can often find these in running stores, but I've found their stock may be old so they are difficult to pull off of the plastic sheet without tearing. I buy directly from the manufacturer. Don't waste money on any of the lotions, pastes or anything else. I tried and they are useless. Apparently your nipples and areola don't sweat, so if you put these on before you run, they will stick forever. I can only confirm they stick like crazy for at least 3.5 hours, but pull off with only very little discomfort - far less than pulling a bandaid off causes. They are basically a foam ring with adhesive that goes against your skin and the part that your shirt touches is a thin plastic layer that prevents contact, and thus abrasion. 
  
• For lip chap, I use Kiss My Face lip balm. I picked some up at the local Henry's market for a few bucks. It has an SPF of 15, which is decent. I tried other brands with a higher SPF but they have a chemical taste which I cannot stand. I haven't tried the Scape brand yet (never seen it in a store) so theirs might be ok and have a higher protection level. I am good with what I have now though so won't be trying anything else until I run low.
  
• So what about my shoes? I try to run barefoot at least once a week for 6-9 miles, so that is really cheap. For longer runs though I use Vibram Five Fingers. They provide only a thin layer of protection against debris in the road and for longer runs, prevent friction between my feet and the asphalt or concrete. I've run in Sprints, Classics and Bakilas, but I have switched exclusively to the KSO Remix with a pair of Injinji micro socks. The socks are very thin and provide a layer of protection for my feet from the inside of the KSO's so I don't get blisters. KSO stands for Keep Stuff Out and they do a pretty good job of keeping little pebbles and twigs from getting in my shoe when running, something the Sprints and Classics don't do. KSO's are $85 and the Injinji socks are about $12, so $97 for my running shoes.
  
  
  Vibrams are insanely hard to find since demand is way out-stripping production, so be patient if you are looking for them. Vibram sells some directly and REI.com will sometimes accept backorders. My favorite place to buy them though is from TravelCountry.com - they have a great selection and it seems the most inventory and their customer service is second to none. All three of those web sites also sell Injinji socks and REI stocks them in the stores.
• So far, I am still using a regular t-shirt and cheap sunglasses I found at Sports Chalet that have basic polarization and cost about $25. I've not seen the need to go with anything more expensive, which is good because I have already spent enough.

I won't bother totalling up the numbers because in the aggregate, they don't mean much. The backpack should last me years, though I may have to replace the bladder at some point. The NipGuards are disposable and the  Scape only lasts a few months before I need a new bottle. The most I've run in any one pair of Vibrams is around 400 miles. I had some Sprints with that many miles and the seam on the toe split. My Bikilas have 320 miles on them but I quit using them for a number of reasons. The KSOs have 100 miles on them and look like new, so I am hoping to get 750 miles or so out of them, but time will tell.

So there is my running gear. What are you using?

Just Completed 100+ Miles Of Running Barefoot

I quit using running shoes in April of 2010 and transitioned to Vibram Five Fingers. I've logged 854 miles in Vibrams this year but it wasn't until I experienced some top of foot pain that I really started studying about barefoot running. This is the same pain I experienced in mid-2009 when I first started using Vibrams and gave up after 3-4 weeks later figuring my feet just couldn't handle it.This time I had been running about 4 months so figured something else was up.

Turns out as good as Vibrams are for minimalist running, they can allow you to develop an improper form, which is what I had done. That bad form is what caused the pain on the top of my foot. When you develop this during a run, you won't make it much more than another 2-3 miles and then you'll be walking, in pain.

After a week of laying off and doing some research, I decided that barefoot running was needed, barefoot as in nothing on the feet at all. This has helped my form quite a bit and made my Vibram runs more enjoyable.Of course, you have to build the bottom of your feet for it. You don't develop blisters or calluses (if you do, you are doing it wrong), your feet just develop a very thin layer that is like plastic. It doesn't look or feel gross, just very smooth and a bit tougher than your arch. It took me three months to build up to running five miles on the sidewalk barefoot and now can do eight or nine. Barefoot running is now a part of my weekly schedule. Every Tuesday, if it isn't raining, I run between six and eight miles barefoot. You don't want to run barefoot in the rain because the water softens your skin and your plastic layer will be gone, requiring weeks to rebuild.

This morning, I hit 107 miles barefoot. It was a nice leisurely run around the neighborhood and Mission Viejo Lake. I love the looks I get as I pass people. I passed a girl this morning that was running. She, like me, had her iPod going but runners always exchange a "hi" or "good morning" or at the very least a wave. I said good morning as I passed her and she reciprocated. Then, even over the music playing as I was now 10-12 feet past her I heard her gasp and exclaim "Oh my God!" It was either my tight and extremely sexy butt that elicited the reaction (there - get that mental image out of your head!) or my bare feet as I sailed by her.

I know a lot of barefoot runners do half and full marathons totally barefoot. Not sure if I'll ever do that, or if I even want to, but a pure barefoot run every few days is essential in my opinion to keeping proper form.

I Hit A Runner's High Today!

This morning on my run I hit that elusive runner's high about 6.85 miles into an 8 mile run. It is hard to describe the feeling, but it is close to the best feeling you can get with your clothes on.

I was running barefoot. Totally barefoot. I like to run 6-9 miles on Tuesdays barefoot to help maintain my barefoot running form. My Thursday and weekend runs, usually longer distances, are with Vibram Five Fingers, either the KSO Remix or Bikilas.

I had just rounded a corner heading back towards the entrance to my neighborhood and I got this tingly sensation all over, sort of like goose-bumps, but not the same. I picked up the pace and my lungs felt like they had infinite capacity. It was a short run for me so my legs felt fine, but what little sensation I had in them totally went away. I kept accelerating until I was sprinting only on the balls of my feet. If my feet were making any noise striking the sidewalk, I couldn't hear it. I couldn't feel it either. It was like I was running on plush carpet with just the sensation of gliding forward. I had an uncontrollable grin on my face. I must have looked like a total moron to the line of cars waiting at the light as I was running sprinting past.

The whole sensation lasted just over a minute. I gradually slowed back down to my normal pace and only then did I realize I was a bit short on breath. It took another minute or so for everything to return to normal as I ran the last mile of the run.

It is an incredible feeling. I've only felt it once before about 12 miles into a 24 mile run. I wish I knew how to replicate it. It is like giving your car a burst of nitrous oxide.

Get Out There And Exercise!

I used to joke that I wasn't really concerned about dying and would be ok with a big greasy cheeseburger in my hand and a smile on my face the moment I passed, but no more. I am not concerned about dying though, it is the quality of life!


In the early winter of 2008/2009 something clicked in my brain after a checkup at the doctor's office. All of my blood pressure was fine (a bit low actually, but not a problem), triglycerides and cholesterol was good except my "good cholesterol" or HDL, which was low. She told me the only way to fix that was to eat more fish and chicken and exercise. Well, I don't eat red meat The only meat I eat is fish, chicken and occasional pork. So that wasn't going to do anything. That meant exercise.

I was also overweight, technically obese at 5'11 or so and 220lbs. So, I decided to start exercising.

Being cheap and lazy, I wasn't going to go to a gym. I knew I didn't have the will power to make that work. So, I started using a treadmill we had that was not getting much use. I hated it for the first month or two, often skipping planned sessions, but I stuck with it. Then the snow melted (was living in New Jersey at the time) and the weather was decent and I found I actually enjoyed running outdoors.

I lost 60 lbs in six months and have kept it all off. I run 3-4 times a week. I also changed my diet, but didn't actually go "on a diet." More on that in another post.

So, how does that affect my quality of life? I used to get a cold at least 2 times a year and was always feeling run down. Not sickly, just blah. Since I dropped the weight and keep in shape, I haven't had a cold at all. I got some weird cough a few months ago, but it was just annoying and didn't cause me to feel bad at all. It was also odd because the cough would totally disappear when running. I guess the adreneline acted as a cough suppressant. I no longer keep any cold medicine on hand "just in case." My existing supply expired and I just chucked them. They never used to expire before I needed to use them.

I feel more alert and alive all of the time, not just the days I exercise.

I have been blessed that I don't appear to have any underlying health issues. Some people do what I do, or more, and still struggle with issues like high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels. You do what you can. I'd argue those people are still better off for all they do than if they just vegged out in front of the TV with a bag of chips like I used to do. (I still veg out, but it is with grapes, carrots, almonds and pistachios now.)

So get up and figure out what you like. Running, biking, swimming, elliptical machine, basketball, whatever. Do something to get your heart rate up for at least two to three hours a week. Trust me, in three months, you'll feel a difference. In a year or so, you'll wonder why you waited so long.