Well Deserved Day Off

Yesterday's big run killed my feet.  The rest of my body feels okay, so my training is paying off.  My feet are pretty sore, to the point where walking is difficult.  Instead of wearing my Vibram Five Finger shoes all day to help work out the lactic acid, like I usually do, I opted for some very stiff soled indoor soccer shoes.  The idea was to immobilize my feet, so I could actually move around throughout the day.
I ate some bananas and cooked up some sweet potatoes, so the potassium would help with the soreness.  I also took ibuprofen all day, to reduce any inflammation in my ankles and feet.
Aside from that, there was no training today, just pure recovery.  

The Great Outdoors

To get more of a feel for trail running at elevation, I thought it would be a good idea to run in the woods on an actual mountain.  My brother and I went running at Skegg's Point/El Corte de Madera Creek on Kings Mountain today.  While it was clear skies where we live at a few hundred feet above sea level,  we were running in the clouds and rain at an elevation of 2200 feet.  Bear Valley, where the Tough Mudder will be having the NorCal event, is much higher than that, but this is the best I can do near where I live.  The trails run along ridges, canyon walls, and alongside creeks at the lower elevations.  Running through the redwood trees in the moist air was incredible.  

If you are familiar with the trails, we followed the Tafoni Trail 0.9m, to Fir Trail 0.3m with the 0.1m detour to the vista point, Resolution Trail 1.7, to end with El Corte de Madera Creek Trail 1.5m.  That makes it a 4.5m run with many elevation changes withing a 400 foot span.  Here is a pdf of the trail map.  Virtual Parks has an online map and some panoramic views of a few spots on the trail, including the vista point.  

For a good review of the El Corte de Madera Creek trails, check out this writeup on Bay Area Hiker, a great hiking resource if you live in the area and the source of these photos.

Having a running partner was nice.  My brother, who is training for a different endeavor, has a different running style than myself.  I charge uphill, and cool off on the downhill.  I charge up the hills because it is more work, and I want to maximize my workout.  I cool off downhill because I just need to keep my heart rate up, and I'm hardly going to be working my muscles downhill anyway.  Then I'm doing interval training without stopping, but I don't know if this is the most effective way to do that.  It's my method that I have come up with during this training, and I should do some research to see if this is really is a legitimate strategy.  My brother keeps constant pace, no matter what ground is under him.  Uphill, downhill, rocky, loose dirt, or packed dirt, he keeps the same pace.  For the second half of our run, I let him take the lead and followed his pace.  His consistency was really helpful when I was tired, because continuing to charge uphill was killing me. It also helped that he had a watch, so when we were tired at the end, we were able to be sure that we were running at least 10 minutes at a time.  I will probably pick up a fitness timer, or just get a cheap digital watch.

Both of us were running in Vibram Five Finger shoes.  He had the KSO with a smooth soul, and I went with my KSO Trek with beefer kangaroo leather and more tread.  He usually uses his shoes for treadmill running at the gym, and I have been running on concrete with the Bikila.  We were both struggling with the sharp rocky sections of many of the ridge trails.  My brother was also having some issues with the slick sole of his shoes on wet rocks.  We both kept our eyes glued to the trail ahead, to avoid stepping directly on a rock or something we might slip on.  I was very glad to have the extra tread, and the kangaroo leather held up fine when wet.  My two shoe system seems to be working out well.

After the run, we took a dip in the, usually warm, pool at my brother's complex.  The heater must have been off or something, because that water was freezing!  I know it's going to be much colder when I do the Tough Mudder, so this little taste of frigid water has me not looking forward to those obstacles.

Luckily, the hot tub was living up to it's name.  I took a 15 minute soak in there, and did some leg stretches, while I loosened up in the hot water.  Not wanting to dehydrate much more, I thought it would be a good idea not to have a prolonged soak.

Scheduled Day Off

My Saturday was busy with work and a kid's birthday party, so there was no workout today.  Usually Sunday is my day off, but I don't think there is any harm in switching the two.  This is the limit of the flexibility in my workout routine.

Everyone, including the children, were interested in my Vibram Five Finger Bikilia shoes.  When kids said they were silly shoes, I explained that they were my ninja shoes.  Other's said they had seen people with them, and asked every question they had come up with since their first siting.  I even let a friend try them on, as he was talking about getting a pair and had the same size feet.  Another woman wanted to know how they were for walking around all day, because she was about to go on vacation, involving lots of walking tours.  Some of the B-Boys that were at the party thought they would be good for practicing Capoeira, due to the traction and dexterity in the toes.  Wearing these shoes don't just help workout soreness from running in them and building up the strength of your foot, they are great for striking up conversations.  Since I really love these shoes and what they have done for my foot health, I really don't mind telling people about them......even if I do sound like a sales rep for Vibram.

Short Test Drive

I decided to break out the new shoes I bought a week ago, since I can't return them anymore.  I bought a pair of the Vibram Five Finger Bilkila running shoes, and was wearing them around the house for a week to be sure they were a good fit.  When my feet hit the pavement, I loved these shoes instantly.  My feet feel great when striking, where as the tread on the VFF KSO Trek pair began to annoy and irritate my feet when running on pavement. There is a thick layer of tread, designed for paved surfaces, that adds cushion.  I ran with Injinji socks, so that may have added additional cushion effect as well.  Either way, my feet felt great in these shoes.  I had no foot pain at all.  I am very glad I made this purchase.  I love my KSO Trek pair, but I will keep them for trail running and around town wear.

It was pretty late at night when I did the run, and I could really feel it one mile in.  I cut the run short at two miles, because I was so sleepy.  I need to make sure that I run right when I get home from work at 8:30pm or start running early in the morning, like normal people do.

Three Miles.....Slightly Easier

Today is a run day, so I did three miles like I did two days ago.  It was slightly easier this time, which means I'm making progress.  I started out feeling a little muscle fatigue, and I'm not sure if running every day is a good idea.  Yesterday I ran two miles, just to get some cardio in.  I think finding a different exercise on the non-running days would be better.  This is part of the problem of getting in shape, is the fatigue from overdoing it or from shaping up?  What is normal and what is going to lead to injury or worse, permanent damage.  I did notice some foot pain in the middle of my left foot, but it wasn't terribly bad.  I'm hoping it's just from running three days in a row, getting used to consistent running, the Vibram shoes causing weak parts of my foot to be in use, or a combination of these factors.  I'll have to monitor this, as I don't want any long-term injuries.

Back to School Shopping

I went ahead and did my weight training routine today, which went pretty well.  I am feeling a bit stronger, so it wasn't as difficult as last time.  I need to start thinking on where to go from my current workout, once this becomes even easier.  I'll have to do some serious research on free weight training, so not to waste my time and maximize my workout.

I decided to use the rest of the day to take care of another problem.  I don't like the tread of my Vibram Five Finger KSO Trek shoes for running on concrete, so I checked out the Bikila running model today at the Redwood Trading Post.  These shoes fit a little differently than the other VFFs, as there is no ankle strap pushing your feet forward into the separated toes.  This was a problem for me, because all except for my big toe do not fill out the toes. The next size down, 43 EU, fits my foot perfectly, with one exception.  I need a couple more millimeters in the big toe.  Since you can't break in these shoes and hope that it will stretch, I decided not to take a chance on getting the smaller size.  The slight pinch I feel on the big toe will turn into terrible discomfort after just a short run.  The larger size does feel a bit loose, so the clerk suggested wearing Injinji socks.  The socks did help with the fit, and will surely help with having stinky running shoes.  These socks weren't cheap at $15, but I only bought the one pair.  The tread of these shoes is different too, it has additional layers of material under your feet, to provide more cushion when striking.  There is also some light arch support added, instead of the leather arch on the KSO Trek model.  I'm hoping the different tread will help how my feet feel after a couple miles.  I'm not going to run in them just yet, as I'm not to sure about the fit.  The store said I could wear them around the house for 7-days, so I'll test them out at home.

The other change today was deciding to monetize my site, as these shoes don't pay for themselves.  Currently there are Google AdSense adds below the first post on a page.  Hopefully, they will be relevant adds, and someone finds them as useful as any encouragement or information in this blog.

Committed

All that stretching and potassium yesterday really did the trick, because I feel a million times better today.  My muscles aren't at 100% just yet, but they are well enough that I don't have any excuses for not working out.

After work I did two miles, in a cold fog.  It was easier today then when I ran it two days ago, either from actually getting in shape or the cold moist air.  My stomach also wasn't completely empty, because I forgot that I had to run tonight.  I did cramp a little bit on my right side, below the rib cage, but I didn't get sick and make cake.  I really felt like I could do another mile, and can't believe how much stronger I feel compared to a week ago.  I think I will push it a little past two miles on my next run, and possibly three by the end of next week.  I do need to be careful, because now that I can push myself past the point where my body says stop, I could end up doing damage.  I also cooled down faster than last time, so there has been definite progress.  After a shower, I didn't even feel fatigued, and had enough energy to go out and do it again.  This was new and empowering feeling that I don't think I have ever felt.  Forcing myself to stay on my scheduled runs really is paying off, and I'm definitely starting to get hooked on fitness.  The only way I have been able to do this is by making this something that I have to do, like brushing my teeth or going to work.  I am committed to training beyond the Tough Mudder, and will continue to push toward higher fitness levels for the rest of my life.

I am starting to really hate my Vibram Five Finger KSO Trek shoes for running on concrete and I'm thinking of checking out the Bikila running model tomorrow at the Redwood Trading Post.  I haven't found any deals online, as the shoe is a newer model.  So if the in store price plus tax is on par with online plus shipping, I just might pick up a pair.  Don't misunderstand me, I love these shoes.  It's just that the tread on the KSO Trek can be painful when running on concrete, especially towards the end of the first mile.

Afternoon run

After work and some auto maintenance, I decided to go for my every other day run.  This time I ran in the late afternoon, while normally my run is the first thing I do in the morning.  I waited several hours after my last meal, so not to make cake because of a full belly.  Still being still from the pushing myself a couple days before, I decided not to repeat the same run.  This time I did just one mile with hills, which turned out to be just right for my legs.  I did notice that I was a little slower, and I am not sure if it's from running later in the day or the sore legs.  I still did my banana, orange juice, and protein shake with milk immediately following my run.

Dinner included some steamed and then grilled sweet potatoes, which are packed with potassium.  This helps sore muscles, so I force myself to eat these disgusting things.  I don't like sugar or sweet tasting things at all, so I try to find ways to change the sweet potato taste.  Steaming them before grilling them with ground turkey, brown rice, and green bell peppers really took the sweet out of them.

After dinner, my brother happened to stop by, and he was wearing Vibram Five Fingers.  He let me try on his one size too small Sprint model, which fit all but my big toe perfectly.  In my KSO Trek VFFs, my big toe fits perfectly, but my smaller toes don't fill in the 'fingers' very well.  I did run around with one of each pair on, so I have decided to buy another pair for running on cement.  I love the Trek sole, but the tred can be a bit painful during running on hard surfaces.  I think I should invest in the Bikila running model that I had tried on before.  The only problem is that I cannot find a sale price online.  I think it may be a newer model, so I may just have to pay the pricey retail price again.

It has also occurred to me that while these shoes help my feet flex more naturally, using them on artificial flat and hard surfaces work against using my feet in a natural way.  There is quite a bit of research on walking barefoot from various indigenous populations, as well as research on barefooted running.  Perhaps someone should do a study on the affect of wearing these shoes, or no shoes at all, while walking on hard, flat, man made surfaces.

Later, I decided to go out dancing for a bit.  I ran into some old friends, and ended up mostly socializing.  My legs weren't sore, but they were definately tired, so I didn't feel much like dancing the night away.  I did get down a little with a bunch of poppers and lockers, and it was just enough to work out any stiffness.  I decided not to push my legs much and to not screw up my sleep schedule too much, so I headed home at a reasonable hour.

Marco..........Polo..........Fish Out of Water!

Went for a swim in my brother's pool today, for the first time in years. I hate chlorine, so I have only been in a pool a few times this past decade. We did every type of stroke we could remember, and let's just say my form could use some work. I did push myself until I was winded, and that is my main goal with each workout. I need to push my lungs and heart, to develop more stamina.

Later I went dancing to get some more cardio. Unfortunately, where I went kind of sucked, so I didn't do as much dancing as I should have. On the bright side, my calves are feeling much better after the days activities. I also learned that VFF are great for dancing. Every pair of the many shoes I own allow my feet to move differently. Several styles of footwork require a specific soled shoe, but I can do most all of them while wearing VFF. That's one more point in favor for my experimental shoes.

Pain

What I thought to be a simple run, turned out to be over doing it. I now wish I had properly warmed up and cooled down. My calves are so sore that I can hardly walk, and each step seems to hurt worse. The clerk who sold me the shoes did tell me that they made your calves work overtime, but I can't attribute all this agony to just the shoes. I should have done the run properly or started off easier.

Clean Boot

It had been several hours since my last meal, when I finished work. Before dinner, I suited and booted up my new kicks, and decided to go for a light run. Intending only a light test of my new VFF, I forewent any stretching or warm up. I started off around the block, but just kept going down the main road. I hadn't noticed a discernible difference in the shoes, which was one reason I kept going. I turned the corner at the next main street, and did pick up on my change in running style. I was landing mid-foot and pushing off from the ball of my foot. It was impossible to hammer down my heal, which would create a braking effect. Doing so ends with a painful jolt to the heal, so I had to run as if I were barefoot. I pushed further with ease, until I rounded the corner back towards home. Knowing that I was almost done caused a desire to just give in and walk the last bit. Running away from home was no trouble, even after I started to reach my limit. I suppose knowing I was almost done caused me to hit 'the wall.'

Upon arriving home, I felt as if I were about to lose control of my bodily functions. I flopped on the bed to catch my breath. After a tall drink of water, I decided to finally eat dinner.

Tough Mudder???

I opened a huge can of worms by clicking on a Facebook advertisement today.  The Tough Mudder endurance race is having their NorCal event at Bear Valley on Oct. 9th & 10th. That's 60 days away. How much can you train in 60 days? I began reading every bit of information off the site. I looked at the course map and found the official promo video that shows what it really takes for each obstacle to be concurred.  Honestly, most of them look like a cakewalk and a lot of fun; however, I would be doing them back to back and running 7 miles up and down a 2k foot difference in elevation.  I can't even run 7 miles on a treadmill, how would I be able to do that trekking across a mountain?  As I continued to research past events, I found detailed accounts of what it really took for those who had achieved their personal goal of completing the race.  I then decided that completing this race is something I need to do.

I asked my brothers, cousin, and a couple of friends if they would be interested in forming a team.  Only one brother got back to me, and, while interested in participating, will be out of town that weekend.  He has agreed to allow me to come along on his morning runs, but I think I need to practice on my own to narrow the gap in our performance levels.

He extended some helpful advice on how to start off, and some pointed my feet toward their new clothes.  If I’m going to start running, I’m going to need some new running shoes.  Because I work on my feet a lot, I have resorted to using my two pair of running shoes for work.  My old cheap pair of Asics Gels have an internal injury, with all the inner padding coming loose.  The once nice and expensive pair of New Balance are doing the opposite, external structural failure that leaves pieces of the sole everywhere they tread. Road Runner Sports had a local store that will analyze your weight distribution while running, and make a recommendation of what works best for you.  Then they try to sell you really expensive orthotic insoles that you probably don’t need.  I hesitated to make such a significant purchase, as my form will probably change as I progress from novice to proficient, with my weight distribution being altered as well.  My brother also told me about a relatively new alternative, that don’t require testing of running style and weight distribution for matching with the proper type of engineered footwear.

The Vibram Five Fingers (VFF) shoes are basically gloves for your feet. Each toe is separate in the shoe and allowed to move independently, and the shoe fit like a sock.  The idea is that your foot can flex and contour to a surface the way human feet have evolved human history.  It is similar to wearing moccasins, because while your foot is now free to bend and flex, it is also protected from painful rocks and such with a protective layer.  Ten years ago I would have thought these were a gimmick, but now I think they are the way to go, after learning about the evolution of bipedal primate and hominid locomotion in my physical anthropology courses.  After watching and reading an in depth review, which included scientific data supporting the design, I decided to check a pair out.  Just one mile from my house is a mom and pop outdoor store, Redwood Trading Post, and they happen to be an authorized retailer.  I'm glad I went in, because I was using the manufacturer's online usage chart to determine which shoe I needed. 

Originally, I wanted the KSO because it looked like having coverage all the way up to the ankle would help keep the mud and crud out of the shoe, the item description also suggests this.  After I told the clerk what I intended the shoes for, he pointed me toward the models with better traction.

The Bikila has a sole with tread designed for running, and KSO Trek has an even beefier sole for more traction and is mostly more sturdy and durable machine washable kangaroo.  I put one of each kind in my size and ran around the store. I liked them both on concrete and carpet, but I decided to go with the more durable KSO Trek, keeping in mind the extremes Tough Mudder obstacles will put them through.  If I were going to go be running on paved surfaces exclusively, I would have gone with the Bikila.

I wore the shoes around the house for the rest of the day.  If they cause my feet to work too hard from years of conventional shoes, I will wear them while walking and buy a conventional pair of running shoes from the above mentioned store.  They really are comfortable, and they kind of look like ninja shoes.

This gave me the idea to run the Tough Mudder with a team of ninjas.  I think it would be hilarious for us to wear all black running cloths, a ninja hood/mask, and some cheap plastic kids ninja toys.  

I soon learned that ninja is a different pronunciation of the two kanji characters for the word.  The correct pronunciation is shinobi-no-mono, which is often shortened to shinobi.  Even though ninja is more commonly recognized, it bothers me to not call something it's correct name, i.e. it's Deutschland, not Germany. Hence, the title of this blog Tough Mudder Shinobi.