Woah, I Need To Update This Thing! OH MY GOD I"M RUNNING IN SHOES I AM BLASPHEMOUS!

I haven't written a blog in a long time. But I have not been lazy. I have been doing 10+ mile runs every weekend, along with some shorter runs throughout the week thrown in and some P90X. I am pretty satisfied with my "run whenever you want to and just do stuff" schedule.


I signed up for the Duncan Ridge 30 kilometer trail run. I have never ran a trail race before and am a little intimidated by it. I have been  running the local trail around the lake and found to to be pretty challenging. It is a very steep and rocky loop that is perfect training for "the toughest trail run in the Southeast.


Why not run the rocky course around the corner? I know from past experience that my bare feet do not hold up well there. All of my past experiences there have been bad and I dreaded running there. After getting slightly intoxicated, researching some longer distance runs, and signing up for the Duncan Ridge I knew I needed to get some trail miles in.


 Feeling reasonable I set out in my Vibram Five Fingers. I know I have down-talked minimalist footwear before, but I agree with Jason Robillard that it has its place. This is especially true if you are trying to accomplish a goal in a short period of time, like the one I am. See, I could spend a few years getting used to the rocky trail, or I could slip on some minimalist shoes and run. I still am feeling the rock(oh trust me I am), but I am taking some of the "sensation" out of it. Also, I am glad to report I am able to run significantly further and faster on trails with minimalist shoes on. I'll explain why...

 Caballo Blanco, Micah True, from Born To Run mentioned on Facebook that he had recently ran with shoes on and was able to keep better form than barefoot. This was because of the terrain he was on. See, running barefoot has its place, most definitely. But sometimes a little sensitivity reduction is nice. This is because you don't have to hop around and worry about stepping on every single rock. Instead, you can keep your form and watch out for the larger stones. After running barefoot for a year I can comfortably say that running in Vibram Five Fingers, at least on this trail, is beneficial to me and allows me to run with good form and only a few mistakes along the way(occasionally I heel-strike when hopping over something, but for the most part I am still spot on my normal form).

So moral of the story? Shoes as tools? I guess Robillard was right. Just don't expect me to want to run in shoes all the time or wear shoes in general.

Just received Moc 3

I just received my first pair of Moc 3 from Soft Star shoes.....anyone else have feedback on them...

I have alway said that someone should make Vibram KSO's without toes....(I just wanna punch people in the face when they have something to say to me about my "toes shoes"...LOL).

These looked like they may fit the bill.....I waited until I had a good work week and found an extra $100 to throw away. I followed their on line fitting guide and called them direct to talk about how I am VERY picky about fit. I am usually a 11 1/2 men's size..they do not make halve sizes, they suggested I should I have them make me a size 12 based on the sizing instructions.......PERFECT FIT...I have not ran in them yet. Very light, 2mm Virbam soles...They do not look trail worthy, but appear to be good for the road...We think that they are good to wear everyday, better looking on feet than on the internet.....More to come. I do a product review after a few miles...

Moc 3 webpage


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Fast forward 2 days

After my first short run (5K), my preliminary evaluation is as follows.

-The Moc 3 with the 2 mm sole has significantly more tactile feedback than my KSO's

-They seemed to be alittle loose into the run...hoping for the 1/2 size options.

-I wish that the sole covered more of the inner arch (it may be because I am flat footed) See picture, I worry that it may wear too quickly here.

The 2011 Peachtree Road Race - Part 1

When I was told three months ago that we won the lottery to The Peachtree Road Race I was both excited and worried. I was coming off of an injury and had started increasing my distance again. Unfortunately, I was only running quarter miles(just to be safe). I figured I could run the 10K by the end of the three months, but I didn't expect to perform as well as I did.

Jump forward three months and we are driving in my car for an hour and a half to Atlanta on July the third... without air conditioning. Miserable? Much.

Whitney is laying next to me with a wet towel on her head. Most of the ice cubes in the cooler have melted and the water temperature is rising. "Almost there... Almost there." I say, wiping the sweat off my brow.

Fourty-five minutes later we arrive at a AmericasMart. The place is packed with runners.


I remember Nicholas Rominov, the creator of The Pose Method was doing a lecture. Maybe if we rush we can get to it. Before I walk in I tell myself, "I usually don't run with this method. I really don't use any method, but I'm sure he has something important to say." Discussing gravity, foot cadence, and body posture, Nicholas actually leaves out a majority of things that create a stir in the Pose vs Chi debate, for example foot-strike. The more I listen, the more I realize he just wants everyone to be an efficient runner. I catch myself laughing at his jokes, some of which the surrounding runners aren't understanding. Crazy Russians!

He asks, "Does anyone here think they can run right?" I look around and nobody raises their hand. I think, "Are you kidding me? Twenty runners at a running expo and not one is cocky enough to raise their hand." After a moment of silence and persuasion he pulls someone out of the group, watches their form, and critiques it. This is where I spot a difference between Nicholas and Barefoot Ken Bob. With Nicholas, he firmly believes he is right and that  runners must run his way for maximum efficiency. Barefoot Ken Bob, on the other hand, doesn't correct runners until they have a problem and ask him about it. I believe Barefoot Ken Bob is more of a "You can learn to run by correcting your mistakes and listening to your body. Who am I to tell you what is right and wrong for your body?" This probably has to do with Nicholas Rominov being a coach and Barefoot Ken Bob saying, "I am not a coach, I am just a guy with experience."

Discussing downhill technique with Nicholas Rominov

After the lecture I approach him and start asking him questions about running down hills. I have been having problems with gaining too much speed down hills and stressing my knees. He tells me to not lean forward while going down the hills, while still keeping the Pose form. This is what I feared. I already run down hills this way(of course with my own form). For the record, the best way I have found to go down steep long hills is to use Jason Robillard's skiing slalom technique mentioned here.

All-in-all Nicholas Rominov is a great guy and really a pleasure to listen to, but he is a bit set in his ways. But as it goes, extremists get the most work done in life.

My dad and I just happen to be wearing...

...the same shirt.

Next we start to explore the rest of the expo. Venders are lined up and down the isles. The first spot we hit is the Spibelt stand. Spibelts are great running belts because they are tiny and can hold a ton. I actually end up running the race with them.

Accelerade, a sports drink I had heard much about previously, has coolers of their drink. I try it and am surprised by the watered-down taste of it. I think, "This tastes like a watered-down Gatorade" then I remember that I water-down my Gatorade anyway because it is too thick during runs. On second thought, it is really refreshing! We grab a biased performance nutrition handbook and move on.

My dad points out to me a shirt stand filled with funny shirts. I read, laugh, read, laugh, repeat. My favorite shirt was this one:

The 5-Hour Energy vendor catches my eye. I have only had one of them before, and I liked the way it made me feel. I happily take one. Little did I know that it could be the death of me.

"Oh look! Nuun! Barefoot Angie Bee talks about this stuff all the time!" I fill up a cup with confidence and take a swig... "Meh... It tastes like a slightly better, but still not that great, Airborne." Oh well, not my cup of sports drink.

My eyes widen at the adjacent vendor: vegan protein. I had recently purchased a vegan protien powder and it was one of the worst tasting things I had ever tasted. Cautious, I approach the table and take a sip. It is a little better but, still has that nasty and bitter taste that doesn't leave your tongue unless you eat a pack of Taco Bell hot sauce(a lesson from experience).

I go back to the Nuun, which tastes much better the second time. :P

I get a decent taste in my mouth and spot a group of people being checked for intonation. I chuckle and think, "I have never had this done before. I wonder..." I approach the attractive sales lady/person that is supposed to tell you that your foot is deformed and say, "I am not going to buy your product. I am just doing this for research purposes." She laughs and tells me to stand on this platform, spread my legs, point my feet straight, and bend my knees. Apparently this unnatural position that I am rarely in(never when I run) relates to my running form. Whatever, I do what she says and she tells me that I intonate heavily on my left foot, but my right foot is neutral. I say, "Okay" and leave. And here I am giving Nicholas Rominov hell because he is stuck in his ways!

My dad tells me that I need to talk over at the Merrell tent. Kyle Ballard, a race coordinator for Merrell's Down and Dirty Mud Run, is there. We meet, I give him my card, and we talk about a good way to get barefoot/minimalist runners to run in the barefoot division of the race. Honestly, I don't really agree with barefoot divisions. One, because they are hardly ever barefoot and consist of a bunch of minimalist runners(not that there is anything wrong with that...), and two, because it separates runners in a way that presents barefoot runners as having a handicap. Anyway, I agree to work with him on that and send him some links to help get the word out. At this tent I attempt the pull-up challenge. Essentially, for each gender, whoever can do the most pull-ups wins a pair of shoes. I don't really need shoes, but I try it anyway. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to get some trail gloves. I get to the eighth one and feel myself getting weak. The top person has 41. Nope! Not gonna happen! I drop down and catch hell for doing eight by a bunch of people that didn't even attempt it. :)

All-in-all the expo is a great success. We make plans to take naps and go out to dinner. After stuffing our faces and drinking more than we should the night before a race(where's the fun if you don't feel like crap before the race), I drink a CamelBak and hit the sack.

Part 2... The race.

Running to the Beat

This is the first of three blog posts about heart rate and nasal vs. oral breathing. Today I will cover heart rate and discuss the general experiment tomorrow. 

Typically when I run I am glancing at my watch to check-up on my pace. My pace depends on how much of a workout I want for the run. While using pace is a general way to keep consistency in your running, heart rate is a better measure.

Heart rate is a better measure because your heart rate is proportional to the amount of work that your body is doing in a given condition. I noticed while I was running on the cool beach last week that I was able to run a 9 minute mile with no problem, but as soon as I came home I was huffing and puffing at a 10 minute mile due to the high humidity of the deep south. Comparing pace in this situation is not fair at all!

So what sparked this interest in heart rate? I recently started taking an Athletic Training class as an elective, and the topic was brought up.

We learned some basic formulas that tend to be pretty accurate. I will only use two for the sake of this post.

The American Heart Association, as well as my instructor, claims:

~Maximum Heart Rate = 220 - Age

 While finding this formula I found many people that disagreed with it. I honestly don't think it is going to make much of a difference. Another way for me to find this is to just go running balls-to-the-walls.

Anyway, I am 21, so my maximum heart rate is going to be 199 BPM.

 After finding my resting heart rate I can determine my target heart rate.  To find my resting heart rate I used my Garmin Forerunner 305 + Heart Rate Monitor. I simply laid on my floor and waited until my heart beats hit their lowest point. It is probably best to do this immediately after waking up, before coffee, for better accuracy. It turns out my resting heart rate is 41 BPM.

To find my target heart rate I will use the Karvonen method. This says:

THR = ((HR_max − HR_rest) × % intensity) + HR_rest

But wait. What intensity do I need to be running at? Typically I want to be in the aerobic zone, which is between 70% and 80%. The aerobic zone is preferred if you are training for an endurance event. So let's shoot for some middle ground at 75%.

Now plug-and-chug:

THR = ((199 - 41) × 0.75) + 41 = 159.5 BPM

I now know to get a good aerobic workout I need to be running around 159.5 BPM.

Next, for tomorrow's experiment I will need to find my Healthy Heart Zone, or warm up rate. The intensity of a warm up should be around 50-60% of my maximum rate. So I'll shoot for 55%.

THR = ((199 - 41) × 0.55) + 41 = 127.9 BPM

Now I know when I am doing my walks I should be at about 127.9 BPM.

Later, I will work this information into my experiment. I suggest finding your aerobic heart rate and warm up heart rate and trying to run with them. For a non-Garmin way to take your heart rate, check out this information at the University of Iowa.

A 5K Every Day For One Month

I have been trying to run a 5K every day this month. I have attempted this before and it ended in injury. This time feels different and I am having much less trouble.

So why didn't I announce this 10 days ago? I wanted to know if I could do it. Too many times have I said I am going to do something only to have to stop it for safety's sake.

I find that the little aches and pains that I think could be injuries typically disappear after a few days. Although I would rather not, I am still comfortable with the idea of stopping the streak to make sure that I am healed for the Peachtree Roadrace on the 4th of July.

My current pain is below my first metatarsal. I can still run without pain if I am paying attention to my form(maybe this is a good thing). I believe it has to do with the tendons since I don't remember bruising it. I think it happened because I drove 11 hours without shoes on from North Carolina. I use my toes to accelerate.

Running a 5K every day has taken a toll on me, but it seems to get easier with time. The best part of it is that I may be able to break my current record of 113.8 miles in a month. Today is the 11th(yes I waited a day to post this) and I have almost passed my previous months miles. This is definitely a great way to get the mileage up!

Beach Running!

I haven't posted in a few days because I have been on vacation in Frisco, North Carolina with my lover. The beach was really nice and the weather was great. For some reason I was able to wake up at ~7:30AM every day. I have no idea how.

Beach running was different. I am not sure if I like it or not. The first day I ran in my swim trunks and ran in and out of the water. BAD IDEA! I was chaffed for a few days. The beach felt good on my feet, but I think I prefer asphalt. I feel like I actually have to pay attention to my form more since I know that the surface is soft and that I could easily overstride.

Sadly, even though I was running on the beach I only saw one other person running barefoot. Everybody else laced up shoes and avoided the water. Where is the fun in that? I suppose it can be argued that they are training the way that they are going to run races, but it still is sad to see people running in, to quote Barefoot Ted, "foot coffins" while on one of the most forgiving surfaces to run on. There weren't many shells and the ones that I stepped on just laid flat, so protections wasn't really an issue.

On that note, here is a video of me running/sprinting on the beach. The quality isn't great(recorded on my phone). There isn't really a point to this video other than "This is a video of me running."

Hot Hot Hot! Blisters!

Sooner or later, almost every barefoot runner will run in a temperature that their feet aren't quite ready for, resulting in a set of blisters. The trick is to know your limits and stop running when you feel is necessary.

Yesterday I tried running in a new location. It has been sooo freaking hot and humid here. I mean, seriously wtf is this garbage?

I was actually running a little earlier that that(around 6:30), and I know it was hotter.

Anyway, when I first saw the new location(Rock Creek in Dawsonville) from the road I thought it would be a tree covered and shaded dream. Unfortunately this was not the case. In fact, 90% of the path was golf-course like, meaning the sun was-a-roastin'!

Great, so I step out of my car and it is hot. It doesn't help that my car has no AC, but I digress... So I start my run. About a mile in I am noticing that my feet are getting more and more tender. I increase my cadence and truck on. Finally, at the end of the 5K I walk slowly through the grass back to my car. My feet are a slightly tender at this point, but there are no signs of blisters!

Now the main predicament comes the next day. My feet are still tender. When should I run? In the cool morning with little recovery or during the hot after with more recovery? Cool morning it is!

I met up with my mom and we did a slower 5K. Its nice to have someone to talk to while running and my mom does a great job with that. During the run my feet held up fine. The only thing that hurt was small rocks that stuck to the bottom of my feet.

After coming home and taking a shower I decided to take a picture of my feet. The burnt skin was starting to show, but it honestly wasn't that bad. I have had much worse burns that I have learned from.

So what is the point of this post? Well I feel like the last time I burnt my feet(early in on my barefoot journey) I was much worse. I could barely walk without the help of a medic, some socks, and a pair of Crocks. My feet are becoming more used to the heat and more durable. Just think if I continue to run in the heat. Nothing could stop me!