Back at it!

Now almost two years since the Vibram Fivefingers Experiment started - I'm back at it. After spending most of 2009 healing, I've been running hard lately - mostly in Nike Lunarglide+ shoes (more about those later) and am back up to 60-70km a week. So far, so good. Now that I've got everything working out, it's time to seriously get back into the Fiverfingers. I've worn them on a few shorter runs so far this year - and realized how much I've seriously missed them. Small issues with my running form were quickly resolved thanks to the unforgiving feedback of these 'shoes.'

I also recently was sent an article from Nature that was a great analysis of barefoot running.

While I'm writing, I'd like to also give a quick overview of my experience with the Nike Lunarglide+ to date. I've now got about 500km on my current pair, and they're holding out superbly. No local store here carried the shoe, and so with much trepidation - and after reading more reviews and blog postings than I'd like to admit - I finally ordered a pair online. I have to say - the cult-esque following these things get is justified. I'm just blown away by the shoe. It's so light, comfortable and fast - all while offering just the right amount of adaptive support. I only recently became a fan of Nike (with the Vomero) and these shoes have definitely solidified my fan-boy status. If you're in the market for new shoes to round out your fivefinger based training (which is why I assume you're here) - I don't think you can go wrong with the lunarglide+.

More soon...

It's been a while...

It's obviously been a long time since I updated this blog. I just wanted to drop this note here, and let anyone who might be looking at this know that it's not because of the Five Fingers. I absolutely loved them... as it turns out, however, the 'shin-splint' pain I was talking about in the last post I made here turned out not to be a shin splint - but instead a benign bone tumor. Benign is obviously a good thing, but the fact is it's kept me from doing much running at all since the end of last summer. The thing seems to have solidified somehow, and is now encased in new bone, and I'm being told I can slowly start running again... then in 3 months if it remains painful, or grows, the next step is getting it taken out...

Anyway - that's the deal. Maybe this coming summer I'll get a chance to get back in the FiveFingers.

Til then, have a good run,
M@

Day 20

The Quick Stats:
Days I've had Vibram Fivefingers: 20
KMs Run in Fivefingers: 42.2 (seriously - co-incidental eh?)
Longest run in Fivefingers: 9.4km
Love/Hate? Love, but...

What the heck is going on?

Pain. I'm in serious pain.... but first...

It's been about 9 days since I've written, and with good reason. I've been in Nova Scotia for 10 days... Rural NS, with no internet.

While there, however, I did manage to get in some great runs. I did a couple runs around 7km, and a couple on this 9.4km route I found. The 9.4km route is great - and has two hills in it that are far larger than anything I have near my place in Ontario. The one is a full kilometer of climbing - and quite steep most of the way.

It's interesting to note that I found coming down-hill to be harder than going up-hill in the Fivefingers. I think it's because when you're running in normal shoes, you're more prone to heel-strike on the downhills, which provides a braking effect.... but obviously you can't heel-strike in the fivefingers, so instead your cadence picks up, and you're using muscles to slow you down from a full-speed, hell-bent descent. I found that by the bottom of the 1km downhill I was begging for mercy.

Anyway - back to the pain. This strange, strange pain. I originally started this whole Fivefingers Experiment because I was having shin splints. I'd read a lot about barefooting, and this was as close as I dared to come. I couldn't ignore the potential benefits, so I got the Fivefingers and started out... and I loved it. I've been loving it ever since, and working up my distance in the gradually while cross training with cycling to keep up my fitness.

Ever since I started running in the Fivefingers, the pain in my shin has been getting better. After my 9.4k hill route, I didn't even feel it. Two days later (this would be last Friday - 4 days ago now) I went out to do a quick 7k. The only thing 'strange' about this run was the dog. On the way back to my in-laws house, there's a 3-legged dog. Naturally, it's a mean 3-legged dog. I guess it's angry about the whole missing leg thing... but regardless of his motives, he will chase you down the road at his top speed.... which is about 0.0005 kmh slower than my top speed. Oh - and he lives on a hill.... so you're sprinting up-hill away from him until he gives up hopping after you. Add on the fact that you're trying not to laugh, and it's hard to not become a dog treat.

So, I manage to avoid being eaten, take it easy the last 1/2km back to the house, and sit down on the porch to chat. I feel great. Run was good, legs and lungs and feet all felt awesome. Perfect start to the day. Then, 20 minutes later, I stand up and it feels like someone has driven a nail into my left shin - right where the shin splint pain was before. I can't even put weight on it. I hobble around cursing for the next 10 minutes, then down a pile of advil and ice it unti it's numb. Problem is, it didn't go away - and it's still bothering me today. I haven't run since then, but my 1km walk to work was enough to aggravate it. Guess I'll have to head to Physio and get it looked at... and until then, I'll be holding off on running of any sort... as this one feels serious.

Hope to be writing again soon,
M@

Day 11

The quick stats:

Days owning Vibram Fivefingers: 11

Total Distance Run in them to date: 13km

Longest Run in Fivefingers to date: 6km

Love/Hate? Love

This will be a short one...

I'm on holidays in rural Nova Scotia, with limited internet at best.  I put in a quick 6km in the Fivefingers yesterday afternoon - including some spectacular hills - they have good ones out here - and everything felt so good.  We're heading to the beach today, and I may try and do a bit of a beach run in them just for fun.  Long story shory - so far, so good.  They're making my shin-splint feel better, and I only ever notice it any more if I walk around in regular shoes/sandals while my Fivefingers are drying.  I may have to invest in a second pair...

Cheers,

M@

Day 7

The Quick Stats:

Days I've had Vibram Fivefingers: 7

KMs Run in Fivefingers: 12

Longest run in Fivefingers: 5km

Love/Hate? Going great...

My Calves, My Calves, My Calves are on fire...

...I don't need no water let the... well, you know how it goes. Today was run 3, and the farthest run yet. 5km in the Vibram Fivefingers KSO. And man was it fun. I know I started this post with 'my calves are on fire' - and to say any different would be lying - but... they feel good too! It's much better than the first 3km run where I thought my calves would literally blow off of my body.

Today's run was a mix of pavement, fine gravel, grass, and concrete sidewalks. I have to say that sidewalks are my least favorite place to run in these, while grass is my number one choice. It's just that the sidewalks are so hard... that even the smallest amount of heel-strike is a big deal. But - in reality - maybe that's good, because I have to be sure I'm not heel striking if I'm going to continue to work with these.

Glass, rocks, roots and a nail...

Those are all of the things I've stepped on so far while walking or running. Most of these are when running, as I find it somewhat harder to avoid small things while moving at speed. Today I stepped on the nail. I hate to think of what could happen if it were sticking straight up, but it was laying on it's side on the sidewalk. It didn't hurt, and it didn't even scuff the sole of my KSO. These Fivefingers are tough!

In the wash with the socks...

Last night when I took off my Vibram Fivefinger KSOs, and the Injinji socks I wear underneath, I realized that after a couple of runs, a trip or two in the gymbag, and a few solid days of wear - they were starting to get a little funk to them. So - in the wash they went! I noticed in the little use and care pamplet that came with them that they can go directly into the washing machine - and so they did. They came out looking brand new, smell free, and no sign of problems from having made the trip through the wash. Additionally, they seem to dry quite fast - which is a big plus when compared to traditional running shoes!

Cheers,
M@

Day 6

The Quick Stats:

Days I've had Vibram Fivefingers: 6

KMs Run in Fivefingers: 7

Longest run in Fivefingers: 4km

Love/Hate? Going great...

Day after run two, and the calves are holding up...

Four kilometers is a very short run for me... in fact, I haven't done runs this short in years - but it's the recommended method for breaking in the Vibram Fivefingers. Actually - that's not quite right - I should say it's the recommended way for breaking in your legs! The Fivefingers need no break-in - there's nothing to break in, but your legs are feet are going to be working in ways that will wake up muscles that have been long dormant.

My calves were a little tight this morning, but no more so than after a really hard hill workout... and I think I'll be trying 5km tomorrow. Keep moving up slowly. It's funny, but I'm reluctant to run in my old shoes now. They even feel strange when I put them on. I fear, however, that I will have to go for a run in them soon - because even with my supplemental aqua jogging - I'm just not putting in enough mileage this way. I'm waiting for the day I can wear the Fivefingers and push out all my runs - long runs included in them.

I can't count the number of comments I've had on these so far.... mostly when I'm just wearing them around. Call me fashion unconscious, but I've been wearing them everywhere. I've heard everything from "I love your shoes! Where do I get them?" to "Please tell me those are watershoes and you're on your way to the beach?" And the looks I get when out running are priceless.

Till tomorrow,
M@

Day 5

The Quick Stats:

Days I've had Vibram Fivefingers: 5

KMs Run in Fivefingers: 7

Longest run in Fivefingers: 4km

Love/Hate? Want to love - but it's too early. Call it lust.

It's all in the mid-foot strike!

When last I wrote - 3 short days ago - I'd run my first 3km in these new Vibram Fivefingers. I thought my calves were going to explode! Walked around the rest of Friday and Saturday feeling like I had calves-of-popeye. I'm sure they didn't look any different, but they felt like they were blown up to skin-stretching-proportions.

Today, Monday, my calves seemed to feel relatively normal, so I geared up for a quick run near home. The start of this run present a brand new challenge - the gravel road. The first 500 meters of my run are on a dirt/loose-gravel road. I found that running in the loose gravel was, to my surprise, better than running on the dirt. It's because the loose gravel seems to move to spread the force of impact - whereas on the dirt, should there be that lone piece of gravel sitting on the hard-packed dirt.... well.... it's not that gravel that's going to give - it's your foot. And I did hit a few ones that made me go ouch! But, overall, it wasn't that bad. I'd be concerned if a run or race I was doing was gravel-road-heavy, but otherwise, I think I'd be able to manage a little here and there.

As for the rest of the run - it was bliss. I've discovered that the mid-foot strike is the way to go, as opposed to the fore-foot strive - or the ultra-dreaded rear-foot strike. The rear-foot, or heel-strike will make you wish you hadn't, while the fore-foot strike simply shreds your calves in the first 2km. I found that by concentrating for the first 1/2 of the run on the mid-foot strike, I was doing it naturally quite soon - and I finished this 4km easily. Not exactly a long run by any stretch - but good for the second time out in these 'shoes'. My calves feel a little more worked than normal, but that might also be partly Friday's intense fore-foot-only workout playing it's part. We'll see how I feel tomorrow ;)

Cheers,
M@