Runblogger

Minimalist & Barefoot Running Podcast Episodes

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:39:00 +0000

If you are a new reader of this blog, or have found me through one of the search engines (welcome!), I'd like to point you toward a trio of podcast episodes on the evolution of running in humans and minimalist/barefoot running that I've put together that complement one another nicely. As a new podcaster, I'd consider these to be 3 of my more polished episodes (this has been an incredible learning experience!). Below are the titles, and the title links will take you to Itunes so that you can download each episode.

Runblogger Podcast #14: Barefoot Running: Report on My First Barefoot Run

Runblogger Runcast #9 - Minimalist Running

Runblogger Runcast #7: The Evolution of Distance Running in Humans

I'd love to hear what you think, so feel free to leave a comment. If you like what you hear, an Itunes review is also very much appreciated!

For more general podcast subscription links, see the following:

To listen or subscribe via RSS: http://feeds.feedburner.com/RunbloggerRuncast

To listen or subscribe via Itunes: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?i=80594539&id=348528478

I'm a Runner, Not a Jogger, But Does That Really Matter?

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 04:55:00 +0000

Shortly after I first started running regularly a few years back, an advertisement appeared in Runner's World Magazine that left me shocked and a bit angry (it was actually one of several in a series of related ads). The ad was for Pearl Izumi running shoes, and the title was "We Are Not Joggers." To the left is an image of the add (click on it for a larger view), and below is the direct quote of the text:

"At Pearl Izumi, we don't jog. We run. And we think that matters. The thing is, running is endangered. You might find this hard to believe. After all, the number of entrants in your local 10k is surely on the rise, and every Saturday the park is packed with people prancing around in brand-new trainers, trying to nurture their chi or look good for their wedding or whatever. Unfortunately, a few if any of them are running. They're jogging, a half-hearted fore-aft movement of the legs that has about as much in common with running as bowling. And with all the jogging going on out there, runners are losing the soul of their sport. A sport that started with our ancestors running down dinner and remains to this day predatory at its core. Joggers are prey. Runners are hunters. If you belong to the latter group, revel in the fact that you sit firmly atop the bipedal locomotion foot chain. And run like an animal."

The basic premise of the ad was that "Runners" and "Joggers" are two different groups or classes, with the former being the "truly dedicated," and the latter being the "half-assed." The ad was certainly controversial, and I still detest the elitist tone that it portrayed, but it was also thought provoking, and it was really a catalyst for me to evaluate and consider my own transformation from "jogger" to "runner." While I have run in one form or another, on and off, for most of the past 20 years or so, I have only thought of myself as a "true" runner for about the past 3 years. This brings up an important question that's very difficult for me to answer: How do you define the term "runner"? Does Pearl Izumi get it right? Are they completely off target? My goal below is to try to at least in some sense articulate my own answer to this question - I'm not sure I really have a good answer, but here goes.

When I think about how I have changed as a runner, and particularly the surprisingly abrupt transformation that occurred in May 2007, I think the primary difference from the "jogger" version of me to the "runner" version of me is one of desire. Whereas I used to run solely as a means of getting some exercise (because it was the "right" thing to do), often largely forcing myself to do so against my own will, I now run because I want to, or even because I have to. Running has become an incredibly important part of the person that I now am, and this was not the case prior to my transformation. Given this, I would tend to define the difference between a "jogger" and a "runner" as a difference between someone who runs because they feel they should, and someone who runs because they couldn't imagine not doing so.

Being a "runner" is not about racing or fast times, it's simply about running because you want to run, because you have to run. Whereas before I listened to loud music to help me survive the 20 minutes or so I would slog out on the road, I now wouldn't think twice about running 26.2 miles with the only sound filling my ears being the footfalls of my fellow runners. This is what being a runner is all about - doing it because you love it, and not because you need to come up with ways to make it tolerable. That being said, where Pearl Izumi gets it wrong is by denigrating those who are "prancing around in brand-new trainers, trying to nurture their chi or look good for their wedding." I respect anybody who gets out and exercises, whether they are doing so for the love of it or for the positive health benefits that it provides. There was a time when I was one of those people out "prancing around," and I probably would not be the runner that I am today had I not gone through that phase. Being a "jogger" is not a bad thing, it's just a different thing, and not something that should be ridiculed by a company that makes shoes to support that very activity.

One of the things that I have realized is that even among runners, goals and motivations vary dramatically. For example, barefoot runners celebrate their ability to participate in this most human of physical activities by taking it back to its most primal form - running the way our ancestors did on the plains of Africa. Other runners run to get outside and enjoy the simple happiness that comes along with being active. Yet other runners strap on high-tech shoes in an effort to shed a few seconds from their next 5K or minutes from their next marathon. Although we all run for slightly different reasons, and what motivates each of us to run is not always the same, at the end of the day we are all runners, and we all ultimately do what we do for the love of the sport. So the next time you see a jogger "prancing around" in the park on your run, give them a wave and a smile - who knows, they might just be a runner in training.

Runblogger Podcast #14: Barefoot Running: Report on My First Barefoot Run

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:09:00 +0000

This podcast episode is a companion to a blog post I just published that documents my experience of running my first fully barefoot run. You can view the blog post here: http://www.runblogger.com/2010/03/barefoot-running-my-first-barefoot-run.html. In the podcast I pose a number of questions for those who are more experienced barefoot runners than I am, and I'd love to have you leave answers/thoughts in the comments section below!

To listen or subscribe via RSS: http://feeds.feedburner.com/RunbloggerRuncast

To listen or subscribe via Itunes: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?i=80594539&id=348528478

Alternatively, you can listen directly here:

Links related to Runblogger Podcast #14:

-At the beginning of this podcast I reference the Book Born to Run, by Christopher McDougall. You can read my review of Born to Run here.

-Runblogger Runcast #7 - The Evolution of Distance Running in Humans - Click on the link to view the show notes for my podcast episode on the evolution of distance running in humans.

-Posts on Minimalist Running - Click on the link to view all of my blog posts on minimalist running.

-Posts on Vibram Fivefingers - Click on the link to view all of my blog posts on the Vibram Fivefingers shoes.

-Fleet Foxes - The closing song, "White Winter Hymnal," can be downloaded from Iron and Wine's web page at Sub Pop Records.

Barefoot Running: Thoughts on My First Barefoot Run

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:01:00 +0000

Image by dhammza via Flickr

I'll start this post by saying that I'm a firm believer in the value and benefits, both mental and physical, of minimalist running. I run mostly in lightweight trainers (<10oz, currently the Brooks Launch), racing flats (currently the Brooks Green Silence), and the Vibram Fivefingers. It's been almost a year now since I've run regularly in any kind of stability shoe (which apparently is the type of shoe I'm supposed to be wearing - at least so said the person at the running store where I bought my first pair of real running shoes), and my general preference is for a shoe with as low a heel as possible. If you want to hear my full thoughts on minimalist running, you can check out my podcast on minimalist running here.

Now, although I consider myself to be a minimalist runner, what to now I have not been is a barefoot runner. Before tonight, the only truly barefoot running I had done were a few short burst on a treadmill during some filming sessions in my lab. However, for some reason I decided earlier today that I really wanted to give it a try, and that tonight would be the night. Never mind that it was in the high 30's outside, or that it had been raining most of the day - no, when I get an idea in my head I tend to just go with it come hell or high water.

So, after getting the kids to bed, I straped on my Vibrams, popped on the headlamp, and headed out the door into what was a very foggy, almost to the point of being eerie, night. The first four miles of the run were just a nice easy jaunt in the Vibrams, like so many that I have done at night of late. My Vibrams represent freedom to me, and my runs in them are among the most enjoyable that I do. Often, I find that if I'm lacking the motivation to run, I'll just decide to make it a Vibram run and that'll be enough to get me out the door. The run was fairly uneventful aside from the fog, a few snowflakes, and the puddles that were scattered about from the rain earlier in the day, and I went back and forth over those initial miles about how long I wanted to go fully barefoot at the end. I though maybe a mile, but when I got to my "mile-from-home" marker, there was an older gentleman out for a walk, and I wasn't about to shed my shoes and take off barefoot in front of him - I may be a bit crazy, but at least I try to hide it well. In what turned out to be a wise decision, I opted to run another 1/2 mile in the Vibrams and shoot for just a half mile fully barefoot.

I reached the half-mile-from home mark, crouched behind a tree (it was quite comical, really!) and pulled off my shoes. I honestly felt like I was stripping naked in preparation to streak the whole way home - that's how odd it felt to be running barefoot in the dark on a cold, wet night. I didn't really know what to expect other than that others had told me that barefoot running is all about the nerve endings - supposedly you can feel/sense a much greater connection to the ground underfoot when running sans shoes. I took off down the sidewalk in all of my barefoot glory, and my immediate thoughts were the following:

"Wow, it's freaking cold when you run barefoot when it's 38 degrees outside."

"Man, those little pebbles hurt like hell when you step on them."

and "OK, I'm losing all sensation in my feet - perhaps frostbite is setting in."

I wanted to love this experience, I really did. Unfortunately, and I hate to say this to any of you who are barefoot running proponents, I didn't find the experience to be particularly enjoyable. When I could feel my feet, the increased sensation I felt was mostly the stinging pain of the pebbles digging into my tender foot-skin. As things progressed, all I could feel was the stinging pain of the cold slowly removing sensation from the soles of my feet. When I stopped after returing home, all I could feel was the stinging pain as my feet slowly thawed out. You might say that I was stupid to run barefoot in these cold conditions, and I would very much agree with you. You might say that it will be better if I try it when it's warmer outside - maybe, but I suspect those pebbles will still hurt like hell. To be quite honest, what I learned tonight is why humans tend to like to wear shoes on their feet - they make walking and running a lot more comfortable. And I'm not arguing that you go out and buy a heavily cushioned running shoe - I'm perfectly content to run in my completely uncushioned Vibrams, and I honestly don't see a lot of benefit to running barefoot over running in my KSO's - biomechanically, I'd guess that it's basically the same experience.

I never really had much intention of becoming a barefoot runner, but I've always believed firmly in trying things out before passing judgment. I can now say that I've tried barefoot running, and I realize this was just one short run under non-ideal conditions, but I'm having a hard time seeing any benefit to barefoot running that can't be obtained by wearing Vibrams or something similar. And the benefit of Vibrams is that they allow you to run over those little pebbles without the stinging pain, and you can wear them when it's cold out so that you don't freeze your feet (I've worn mine in temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit). I do strongly believe that humans evolved to run barefoot, but I also believe that there are situations where wearing shoes makes a lot of sense. As we as a species evolved, we invaded new habitats where the environmental conditions were vastly different from those where we originated. One of the adaptations that we possess as a species is the ability to use our intelligence and resourcefulness to invent devices that might help us to survive in those new habitats. When my ancestors arrived in Northern Europe, I'm quite confident that they were not running barefoot through the Swedish winter - it was a place where wearing something on the feet made good sense. Similarly, I think it's great that people can run barefoot and love doing it, but I just don't think that it's for me. Will I give it another try? Perhaps when it's a bit warmer, yes. But right now, I'm quite content to run with rubber under the soles of my feet.

Update 3/13/10: Just added a podcast episode to go along with this blog post on barefoot running: http://www.runblogger.com/2010/03/barefoot-running-podcast-my-first.html.

Introducing the dailymile Team - Myself Included!

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:51:00 +0000

I've talked quite a bit on this blog about a website that I belong to called dailymile. In a nutshell, dailymile is a social training site for posting workout data, and has an interface that is similar to Facebook, with the major exception being that it is geared directly toward active people who value exercise as a part of their lives. I can't begin to explain how much this site has meant to me and my training, and through my membership I've met some truly inspirational people, many of whom have become good friends. To get a feel for what dailymile is all about and the type of people you'll find there, I urge you to check out this blog post that I recently wrote documenting members' weight loss resulting from adopting an active lifestyle.

It was with great pride, therefore, that I recently accepted an offer to be part of dailymile's Team of ambassadors. The dailymile Team is a group of 36 site members (at the time of writing this post) who have contributed significantly to the life of the site and who enthusiastically share their passion for exercise and living an active life. Our Team mission is to "Grow the community of active dailymilers and promote the activities we love by inspiring and motivating others." Inspiration and motivation are what dailymile is all about, and I'm excited to be part of the Team that will help to guide this rapidly growing site as it continues to develop into the future.

What I'd like to do here in this post is introduce you to some of my friends on the dailymile Team by re-posting a series of introduction videos that were recently posted on the dailymile blog (thanks to Kathy S. for putting these together!). Before I get to these, I'd like to again ask that if you haven't tried dailymile yet, you should give it a shot - it's free, easy, and there is no obligation to stay if you don't find that it suits your needs. Simply click on the banner below to give it a try:

Now for the videos - I'll start with the one that I'm in (you get to meet Jack!), and then follow with the videos for the rest of the Team:

And then there were more from dailymileteam on Vimeo.

Dailymile Team introductions Round 1 from dailymileteam on Vimeo.

dailymileteam | east coast too from dailymileteam on Vimeo.

Last but not least from dailymileteam on Vimeo.

So there you have it - not all of us are featured in these videos, but I think you can get a good feel from these for the type of people that we are. We represent a cross-section of the dailymile community, and it is our hope that we can help motivate and inspire you as you strive to achieve your health and fitness goals. For more information about the dailymile Team, and to friend anyone that you met in the videos seen here, please visit the dailymile Team webpage.

And once again, if you'd like to give dailymile a try, click here and it will take you to the sign-up page - my suspicion is that you'll love what you find on dailymile.

Running Shoes Sale: 15% off All Shoes at Shoes.com

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:39:00 +0000

I apologize for the blatant advertising here, but a sale is a sale and this is a pretty good one. Besides, I have to support by blogging activities somehow! Anyway, Shoes.com is currently running a 15% off promotion on all shoes from now until April 30th, 2010. You can click on the banner below, and the coupon code is "SPRING15". Disclaimer - I do get a small percentage of each sale if you buy through this banner link. My blog earnings are not much, and they mostly go toward fees associated with my on-line activities, race entry fees, and buying additional gear that winds up getting reviewed here. Thanks for your support!!!

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Winter Fitness and Running Goals - My Report Card

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:20:00 +0000

Image by capegirl52 via Flickr

Way back in early November of last year I wrote a post in which I set down a series of running/fitness goals for the winter. Now that Spring is just around the corner, I though it would be a good time to take a look at how well I did in terms of fulfilling these goals. Below is my Winter Running Report Card, including a list of the goals that I set, and the grade that I would assign myself for each of them (I am a teacher after all!).

Goal #1: I hope to run at least 20 miles per week throughout the winter.
Overall, I'm thrilled with the amount of running I was able to get in this winter. A number of factors contributed to this, foremost among them being the fact that I signed up for and ran the Disney Marathon in January, which meant that I had no choice but to put in the miles despite the cold weather. An additional factor that contributed to my successful winter of running is the fact that snow was minimal this winter in New Hampshire, meaning that getting in runs was less of a challenge compared to most years (though the tradeoff, unfortunately, was that I never did get to go snowshoeing). So, since my November 7th post, there have been only five weeks where I did not hit my weekly goal of 20 miles (see weekly mileage graph below starting with the week of Nov. 9), and three of those were due to a post-marathon recovery week and two separate and nasty bouts of strep throat. I'll give myself a pass given those excuses. All in all, I'd give myself a grade of A-, mainly because of my less than stellar performance over the past few weeks (sick or not).

Weekly mileage graph from the week of Nov. 9, 2009 - present. Graph compiled on the via the on-line training log dailymile.

Goal #2: My first running goal for 2010 is to run a sub-3:30 marathon at Disney in January.
Mission accomplished - I ran a 3:24:49 at Disney, setting an 8:00 PR in the process. If you're interested, I wrote an exhaustive Disney Marathon Race Report back in January. Grade = A.

Goal #3: Keep my weight steady or drop a few pounds over the winter.
Again, mission accomplished. I wish I could remember exactly what my weight was back in November so I could report the actual loss, but the important point is that I actually weigh less now than I did then. In fact, I'm at a 10+ year low right now, with my weight having been as low as 166 lbs in the past week. This contrasts dramatically with last year, when I put on 5+ lbs (probably more) over the winter due to holiday overeating and slacking off on the exercise. I'm probably more proud of meeting this goal than any of the others that I set. Grade = A.

Goal #4: Set a 5K PR.
I came within a few seconds of my 5K PR of 18:51 during a race in early December (the only 5K I ran this winter), and I'm confident that this record will Fall in 2010. In fact, this is one of my main goals going forward for the next six months. Grade = B.

Goal #5: Stop neglecting my upper body and core.
I was doing very well with the 100 Pushups Program heading into January, and I was seeing large gains in upper body strength as a result. Then the Disney Marathon and an ensuing vacation week came along and knocked me off my game. After a few attempts to restart week 5, my motivation fizzled and I've just now restarted the program back at week 1. I came close, really close, to completing the program, but I have to assign myself a grade of C for failing to follow through (I'm wondering if Pushup Professor Speirs would agree with my grade assignment?).

Goal #6: Do something big for others with my running in 2010.
This is a goal that is still in progress, so I'll assign myself an Incomplete. I have something in the planning stages, and if it works out I'll announce it when the time is right.

So there you have it, my winter running/fitness report card. Aside from the C in the upper body workout section, I'm really quite happy with how things went this winter. Now on to Spring and a new set of goals, which I hope to outline here on the blog sometime in the next few weeks. If you haven't done something like this before, I'd highly recommend trying to write down some goals - it's a great way to hold yourself accountable, and the fear of a bad report card is a great motivator!

Review of SportTracks for Garmin Forerunner GPS Watches: Great Free Program for Downloading Garmin Data

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:01:00 +0000

I'm a huge fan of the Garmin Forerunner GPS watches (see my review of the Garmin Forerunner 205/305 here), and I get a lot of questions about how I access and manage data collected by these devices. I made a decision early on based upon research done on-line to use a program called SportTracks instead of the software that comes packaged with the Garmin devices. SportTracks is a free desktop program (i.e., not an on-line interface) for the PC that you can use to download your Garmin data, and it allows you to look at the data in a huge variety of ways. I have been using SportTracks for over 2 years, and have been extremely happy with it.

So why do I like SportTracks so much? Quite simply, I'm an absolute data junkie, both in my personal and professional life. There's nothing I like more than sitting in front of a table of numbers, and being able to sift through those numbers for meaningful patterns. What SportTracks offers is a user-friendly interface and the ability to suck about as much data out of your Garmin as you could possibly want. If you want to look at mile splits, SportTracks will do it (or any other distance split from quarter mile to 10K, or even custom splits). If you want to look at an elevation profile for your recent run and see how your pace changed with elevation, SportTracks will do it. If you want to look at your run mapped out on a satellite, street, or hybrid map, SportTracks will do it. If you want to export your GPS track to Google Earth, SportTracks will do it. If you want to record mileage on each pair of shoes you wear, SportTracks will do that too. I think you get the picture - SportTracks will spit out just about any kind of data that you can mine from your GPS waypoints - pretty amazing stuff!

So lets take a look at the interface. The screen capture below shows that basic interface using data from a 4-mile race that I ran yesterday. On the top you have the "Daily Activity" panel, which shows your daily mileage totals, as well as totals for the current week, previous week, current month, and previous month. For each workout, you can set the category (i.e., treadmill run, race, cycle, etc.), location, distance, time, avg. pace, calories burned, elevation change, weather, and so on (lots of options to customize here).

On the lower left section, you can customize what you view in a number of ways. In the screenshot above I've it set to show my pace vs. elevation profile, and you can see very clearly how my pace in yesterday's race tracked the wicked changes in elevation. I find this kind of data to be immensely interesting. Images like this can be saved in a variety of standard image formats (e.g., .png, .jpg, .tif) and shared on blogs, dailymile, (a free, on-line, social training site that's like Facebook for active people), Twitter, etc. In addition to pace and elevation, you can also set this window to show your split times (more on this below), heart rate zones (if you use a Heart Rate monitor like you can with the Garmin 305, 405, or 310XT), cadence and power (if you are a cyclist), and more. I have the Foreruner 205 and thus can't use the HR functions, but would love to be able to plot my heart rate along with pace and elevation - I suspect this can probably be done as well.

One of the features I use frequently in SportTracks (as mentioned above) is the ability to view my split times (again, these can be set to any distance that you'd like). As an example, the image above shows my split times for the Disney Marathon, which I ran in January of this year. You get lots of data about each split, and the display is nice and clean. Splits can alos be viewed in a graphical format if that's what you prefer. Like many things with SportTracks, the interface is highly customizable.

In both of the above images, you can see another SportTracks feature in the bottom right window - the ability to view your runs/rides on a map. While this is not unique to SportTracks, the interface works well and there are a number of different types of maps to choose from (satellite, street, topo, hybrid, and a number of others). Like the graphs that SportTracks produces, the maps can be exported as image files and shared on-line. You can even blow up the image within the program and get data on run segments by selecting parts of your track on the map (e..g, see the red dots on the image above). For an example of a familiar blown up image, check out the picture below (Epcot Center from the Disney Marathon):

If you switch from the "Daily Activity" screen, you can also look at an "Activity Reports" section that summarizes your accumulated workouts. For example, below is a picture of my Monthly Mileage since I started using SportTracks in November of 2007 (just six months after I started running!).

On the "Activity Reports" screen you can view stats like mileage by month (as above), week, year and so forth. In addition to mileage, you can also view avg. pace by week/month, fastest pace, avg. HR, and about 20 other options - lots to play with.

That about summarizes the major features that I use in SportTracks, but there are lots of other things you can do with it as well. The users of SportTracks have developed a number of useful plug-ins that are available via the SportTracks website, several of which I use (e.g., the elevation correction plugin). There are also plug-ins that allow you to upload your data to a variety of on-line training logs (e.g., Strands and Buckeye Outdoors) which is handy if, like me, you use both a desktop and on-line training site (my prefered training website, dailymile, is also working on a plug-in for SportTracks so that we can upload our Garmin data).

So, if you're looking for a great application for downloading data from your Gamin Forerunner, I highly recommend SportTracks. Given the huge number of ways to analyze and view your data, and the user-friendly interface, I find it hard to beat, and have no intentions of switching to anything else anytime soon! Given that it's completely free, there's no harm in downloading the program and giving it a try.

I'll finish by reiterating that SportTracks is developed for a PC platform, and as a PC user this is great for me. If you're a Mac user and know of similar applications, feel free to leave a comment so I can point those users in the right direction - a big thanks to anyone who can help in that area!

Here's the link to the SportTracks website: http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/sporttracks

And here again is the link to my review of the Garmin Forerunner 205/305 GPS watches: http://www.runblogger.com/2009/04/running-gear-review-garmin-forerunner.html

Runblogger Podcast #13: Starting a Running Blog (or Podcast)

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 05:16:00 +0000

This is the first in what I hope will be an informative and helpful series of posts on starting a running blog and/or podcast. As a relative newcomer to both (I've been doing this blog for just over a year, the podcast for a few months), I've been through a lot of the challenges involved in getting a blog or podcast set up and running. Given that these experiences are still relatively new and still fresh in my mind, I thought I'd put together a series of episodes on blogging and podcasting to give you a feel for what the process is like. My hope is that both new and experienced bloggers and podcasters might find something of use, and I'd encourage you to send me questions if you have them (my e-mail link can be found in the header at the top of this webpage, or you can leave a comment on this post).

In this first installment of the series, I discuss my own entrance into the world of social media and blogging, and give you a few tips on things to think about when setting up your own blog, and suggestions for how to build an audience, both of which are topics that I'll expand on in more detail in future installments of this series.

To listen or subscribe via RSS: http://feeds.feedburner.com/RunbloggerRuncast

To listen or subscribe via Itunes: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?i=80594539&id=348528478

Alternatively, you can listen directly here:

Links related to Runcast #12:

Books:
Blogging Heroes: Interviews with 30 of the World's Top Bloggers, by Michael Banks

Say Everything: How Blogging Began, What It's Becoming, and Why It Matters, by Scott Rosenberg

HTML, XHTML, and CSS All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies, by Andy Harris and Chris McCulloh

Blogging For Dummies, by Susannah Gardner and Shane Birley

Training Update - The Past 12 Months

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:33:00 +0000

Just a quick post to share my training progress over the past year. I'm pretty happy with the way things went through January (January was lower due to recovery from the Disney Marathon and a much needed one-week break from running), but February was a disaster due to two bouts of strep throat. With that hopefully done with, I'm hoping to start posting 100+ mile months again soon. I'd consider my goal of running steadily through the winter to have been met.

The above graph was compiled from my training on the website dailymile. You can check out dailymile here.

Review of Ipod Nano 5th Generation: Great Tool for Podcasting and Shooting Videos on the Run

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Last Christmas Santa Claus fulfilled my major gift request by bringing me a new 5th generation Ipod Nano to replace my old 2nd generation model. My Nano 2G had served me well for over two years, but it suffered a touchpad malfunction from an excess of sweat damage due to 1500+ miles of use on my runs. My attempt to home repair the touchpad was successful (with parts bought on the cheap from ebay), but I broke the LCD screen in the process, and another attempt at fixing seemed to not be worth the effort and/or cost. I was ready to step up to a new model for use on the run, and it was just my luck that the 5G had just arrived on the market.

While the basic functions of the new Nano 5G are more or less similar to my old 2G (e.g., size, audio quality, controls, portability, etc.), where the new Nano really shines is as a tool/gadget for a runner and beginning podcaster/videocaster like myself. While neither the video or audio quality are top notch out of the box, they are sufficient for my purposes for now (audio quality is improved with an external mic, but more on that later), and have made my entry into the podcasting world far smoother than it might otherwise have been.

With this intro, here are some of the upgrades and new features that have caused me to fall in love with the 5th Generation Ipod Nano:

Storage Space: The jump from a 1GB Nano 2G to a 16GB model was by itself a cause for great joy (I'm not kidding!), as it has relieved my need to constantly shuffle podcast episodes and music on and off before each run due to space limitations. With 16GB of storage space, I have more than enough room to put whatever I want on the Nano, from music to podcasts to audiobooks to videos (yes, videos!). While I haven't and likely won't attempt to watch a video on the run, it would be an interesting challenge.

The other positive aspect of having an immense amount of storage space is that the Nano 5G can record both audio and video (see below), and 16GB offers plenty of room to do this without constantly having to dump the files onto my laptop.

Video Screen: Yes, I can watch videos on my new Nano, which I could not do on my old one. While this is nice in some situations (e.g., on an airplane when my kids have commandeered my Ipod Touch), I don't forsee myself watching many movies on the small Nano screen. That being said, the screen resolution is great, and it's perfect for playing back videos taken using the on-board video camera. I often take short clips and show them to the kids (the Nano 5G has an on-board speaker that is sufficiently loud for this purpose, although the sound quality is tinny - wouldn't expect much more from something this small), and they enjoy seeing videos of themselves replayed immediately after I take them.

Image via Wikipedia

Video Camera: Perhaps the coolest feature new to the Ipod Nano 5G is the on-board video camera. The camera consists of a tiny little lens situated in the bottom-left corner of the back-side of the Nano - it's about the diameter of a lollipop stick (see picture at right). Immediately next to it is a pin-hole sized opening for the microphone to capture audio. I've seen people complain about the location of the camera since it's easy to block it with your finger by accident while recording (yes, this does happen to me on occasion), and it would have been more convenient had it been placed at the top-left, but once you get used to its position it ceases to be a major issue.

The Nano 5G camera captures VGA video (640x480 pixels) using the H.264/MPEG-4 compression codec, and it shoots up to 30 frames per second with AAC audio. The files produced are fairly small for video, so the 16GB storage capacity is enough so that you'll likely drain your battery while filming before you fill the drive up (unless you have the thing stuffed to the gills with other content). The quality is by no means HD, but again, this is a Nano - the thing is tiny, and the lower quality and smaller file sizes mean more content can be filmed and saved. The videos produced are more than adequate for recording to share on-line, and to be honest, I think they look pretty good. Below is a sample video that I shot with the Nano 5G last weekend on a run in Maine in a steadily falling snow - quality is reduced a bit in the upload process to Vimeo, but you can at least get a feel for what this little thing can do:

Maine Winter Run from Pete Larson on Vimeo.
This is a video taken during a snowy run in Maine - sometimes the best runs are those that are not run in the best of conditions. This was one of those.

So I'm very satisfied with the quality of the videos that the Nano can produce, and if I ever need something better, I have a digital camera that shoots HD so I've got that covered as well. The advantage to the Nano over other filming solutions, however, is that I almost always have it with me. I use it to listen to music in my car or while running, which means that it's almost always in my pocket when I leave the house, and it's so thin that it could practically fit into my wallet. The practical implication of this is that I'm pretty much able to shoot a video at any time, which is great when you have little kids - you can always catch those magic moments when they happen (unless you leave the Nano running and record the inside of your pocket for an hour, not that I would ever do something as dumb as that...really...). As a beginning running videocaster, having the camera on-board the Nano is an ideal solution.

I run with music most of the time when I run during daylight hours, so therefore the camera is always with me on my runs, and I can pull it out if I see something interesting or think of something I want to record (like in the video above, which is not something I intended to shoot when I left the house). All in all, I'm very impressed with the video capabilites of the Nano 5G.

Audio Recording: As a beginning podcaster, the audio recording capabilities of the Nano have been a huge help. The Nano records "voice memos" in MPEG-4 (.m4a) format, and I can record approximately 3 hours worth of audio on a single charge (I record my lectures with it when I teach, and can fit in three 1-hr lectures before the battery dies). The audio recorded via the on-board microphone is of decent quality, and the microphone is sensitive enough that I can put it on the desk in the front of my classroom and record my lecture as I walk around. I've also used the on-board mic to record in the car - I just set it to record and place it on the seat next to me - hands-free and it does a decent enough job picking up my voice. The one problem with the latter situation is that the Nano mic picks up a lot of background noise if it's not close to your mouth, and to solve that I have had to turn to external microphones (see below). One additional nice thing about the Nano as an audio recorder is that unlike my Ipod Touch, the audio files are accessible in a folder when I plug it into my laptop. This way I can just drag and copy them right over to the computer, whereas with the Touch I have to sync in Itunes, then search out the Voice Memos folder in my Itunes Music folder (it's a pain, and doesn't seem like it should be necessary if the Nano can just put them in an openly accessible folder).

If you want to step up the quality and flexibility of voice recording the Nano (or the Touch for that matter), an external microphone is a must. I had a hard time finding information about which microphones might actually work with the Nano, as it doesn't ship with an external mic like the Touch or the Iphone. Thankfully I had one that came on the earbuds packaged with the Touch, and it worked just fine on the Nano (the Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic -see image to right). The Apple earbuds have a microphone built into a little control unit about halfway up the cord leading to the right earbud, such that it hangs just a bit below mouth-level. The advantage of this is that your voice comes in far stronger than any background noise while recording, but the disadvantage is that the microphone still does not produce top-notch sound, and the lack of a wind screen means that it picks up a lot of noise if it bounces, scrapes across your shirt/jacket, or if you try to use it outside in the windy day. I've overcome some of the aforementioned problems by clipping it to my jacket collar when recording in the car or on the run, and in these situations it's the best recording solution I have found.

If your goal is to produce the highest quality audio possible, then investing in a better microphone is a must. For that I turned to Twitter for recommendations, and several of my podcasting friends suggested that I look at Giant Squid Audio. Turns out that the Nano (and other Apple devices) requires a special 4-pole plug for the microphone to work properly (an old laptop mic I had would not record on the Nano because of this limitation).What this means is that if you look at the plug that goes into the headphone jack on the Nano, it should have 4 metal rings/sections separated by thin plastic bands, rather than just 3 (the 4-pole plug is the smaller white plug in the picture to the left). Giant Squid makes a microphone for the Iphone/Itouch/Nano that has this type of plug (you can view it here), it's actually cheaper than the Apple mic, and the service was excellent. What's more, the audio quality recorded with the Giant Squid mic is far superior to that of either the Apple external mic mentioned above, or the on-board mic on the Nano itself. I outfitted my Giant Squid mic with a wind screen purchased at Radio Shack (part #330-4006), and it is now my mic of choice for recording either in the house or in the classroom. The one problem with the Giant Squid mic in combo with the Nano is that it is highly sensitive, and picks up the slightest background noise, which has made it impossible for me to use it when recording in the car or on the run (though I know others who do use it while running - guess I'll have to experiment a bit). Part of the probelm (or maybe all of it?) is that Apple provides no way to adjust the audio input gain on their devices, so you can't turn down the sensitivity through the recording device. Regardless, the Giant Squid mic was well worth the $25.00 or so I spent on it, and having the combo of it plus the Apple earbud mic covers me in all of my major recording situations.

Check back later for sample audio comparing the Nano on-board mic, Apple earbud mic, and Giant Squid mic - I'll add it in when I can record it in a standardized fashion. In the meantime, you can play the podcast episode in the Pickle Player below (press the P button) and compare the audio at minute 1:00 to the audio at minute 10:00. The former was recoreded in my basement with the Giant Squid mic, the latter with the on-board mic placed on a desk in the front of my classroom.

Other Features: For me, the video and audio recording are what make the Nano worth upgrading to, but there are a number of other cool features that I haven't played with as much. First, the Nano has a built in pedometer, which seems to do a very good job counting steps (I used it in Epcot Center, and watched as the numbers clicked along in perfect sync with my footfalls). Note - if you use Nike+, you still have to have a sensor attached to the Nano (unlike the new Touch). The Nano 5G also has a radio tuner (which I haven't used yet). There are other things as well, like Voiceover, CoverFlow, and Genius integration, but none of those are make or break if you ask me.

Conclusions: If you're looking for a new Nano, the big selling points for the Apple Ipod Nano 5G in my mind are the voice and video integration - I'm a huge fan of both, and as long as you realize at the outset that you're not buying an HD device, I suspect you'll be impressed as well. I'm amazed at the number of comments that people have made when they see me videotaping something with my Nano, and it's a definite head turner. If you like the idea of having a decent videocamera in your pocket at all times, this is a great solution, particularly since it's an Ipod and therefore does all of the standard things that an Ipod does so well (like carrying your entire music collection). I'll also say that if you have any interest in podcasting and/or videocasting, the Nano 5G is a great entry-level device to get you started. I've been very happy with mine so far, and look to get a lot more use out of it before I consider upgrading to a dedicated voice recorder. So what do you do if you already have a Nano but want to upgrade? I suggest a strategic "stumble" on your next run right next to a puddle, stream, lake, or ocean - a drenched "old" Ipod will give you perfect cover for buying the new Nano 5G!

Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions or feedback!

Rick and Dick Hoyt - Inspirational Father-Son Story

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:53:00 +0000

My friend Josh (@bostoncardiovet) posted a link to a video compilation of Dick and Rick Hoyt competing in an Ironman Triathlon last night, and after a bit of poking around, I came across the one that I've posted below. If you're not familiar with their story, Rick has cerebral palsy, and Dick, his father, has taken him through 234 Triathlons, 21 Duathlons, and 67 Marathons (including 27 Boston Marathons - stats from Wikipedia). The video posted below tells their inspirational story:

For more information about Dick and Rick Hoyt, and to learn about their charitable activites "to help those who are physically disabled become active members of the communit," visit the Team Hoyt webpage.

Video Profile of Haile Gebrselassie from CNN

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:32:00 +0000

Just found this great series of videos profiling marathon world record holder Haile Gebrselassie (from CNN). For more, you can visit the CNN website for the series on Haile here: http://edition.cnn.com/CNNI/Programs/revealed/gebrselassie/

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Long Term Sitting and Weight Loss

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:10:00 +0000

Image via CrunchBase

Quick post here to alert you to a great article recently posted on the New York Times website. The article, written by Olivia Judson, and titled "Stand Up While You Read This!,"discusses the negative health impacts of sitting for long periods of time during the day, even if you are a regular exerciser (I'm guilty!). Here's the opening paragraph from Ms. Judson's article, which gives a good feel for where she goes with it:

"It doesn’t matter if you go running every morning, or you’re a regular at the gym. If you spend most of the rest of the day sitting — in your car, your office chair, on your sofa at home — you are putting yourself at increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, a variety of cancers and an early death. In other words, irrespective of whether you exercise vigorously, sitting for long periods is bad for you."

What I appreciated most about this article is that it was clearly well-researched, and the author provides a wealth of references to the scientific literature to support her claims - a refreshing change of pace from most mass-media articles on health and weight-loss. While I'm not likely to purchase a desk treadmill like that shown in the opening photo to the article (didn't even know such things existed!), I am intrigued by the exercise-ball-as-chair idea - if anyone has used these and finds them beneficial, I'd love to hear some feedback.

You can view the article here: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/stand-up-while-you-read-this/

Losing Weight Through Exercise and a Healthier Lifestyle - Stories of Personal Transformation on dailymile

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:26:00 +0000

Image by kastner via Flickr

Last October I wrote a post on this blog about my personal story of weight loss achieved through running. In that post I mentioned a controversial article that was published in Time Magazine in early August of 2009 that questioned the efficacy of exercising to lose weight ("Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin," by John Cloud). The basic premise of the article can be summed up by the final paragraph, quoted below:

"In short, it's what you eat, not how hard you try to work it off, that matters more in losing weight. You should exercise to improve your health, but be warned: fiery spurts of vigorous exercise could lead to weight gain. I love how exercise makes me feel, but tomorrow I might skip the VersaClimber — and skip the blueberry bar that is my usual postexercise reward."

Reading this article made me angry, and not just because it was contrary to my own experience. I have seen many people who have made dramatic changes to their bodies and health by starting an exercise program, and any article that makes even the slightest suggestion that people skip exercise is ridiculous, and even borderline dangerous. My goal in this post is to provide examples of those who have used exercise as a tool to get healthy, and if you are just beginning this journey yourself, inspiration that if they can do it, you can too.

Over the past year I've become a huge fan of the website dailymile - it has served as a phenomenal source of support, motivation, and most of all friendship. About a week ago the theme for the day was Before/After photos - people were posting "Before" pictures of themselves before they started exercising, and "After" pictures to show how exercise has changed their health for the better. I have to say, the pictures and stories that were posted were amazing, and they reaffirmed to me more than ever the power of exercise to not only allow people to lose weight, but to in many cases contribute to a bodily transformation that is nothing short of astonishing. The pictures below are a sample of those posted on dailymile that day, and I hope that looking at them will confirm to you the positive benefits of exercise and a healthier lifestyle. You can view the dailymile profile of any of these people by clicking on the link below their photo - I'm quite sure any of them would happily accept a friend request, and all are great role models for the power of exercise to change one's life.

Jay P. - dailymile Profile

Middalia W. - dailymile Profile

Jorge R. - dailymile Profile

Anne - dailymile Profile

Rob - dailymile Profile

Tracey G. - dailymile Profile

Thom W. - dailymile Profile

Amy N. - dailymile Profile

Mike L. - dailymile Profile

Michael M. - dailymile Profile

Gordon H. - dailymile Profile

Adam B. - dailymile Profile

Bharani S. - dailymile Profile

Caleb K. - dailymile Profile

Andy L. - dailymile Profile

Pete L. (me!) - dailymile Profile

So there you have it - everyday people like you and I who have done some absolutely amazing things for themselves by getting off the couch adopting an active lifestyle. So when articles like the one in Time Magazine say that exercise won't make you thin, I have but one response - look at these pictures, they speak for themselves.

I'll finish with this - all of these people are members of dailymile, which is an amazingly supportive community of like-minded people (kind of like Facebook for active people). If you'd like to give dailymile a try, click on the banner below and sign up - it's free!

Winter Run in Maine (Video Diary)

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 17:11:00 +0000

Below is a short video from my run yesterday in Maine - snow, hills, and forest = awesome!

Maine Winter Run from Pete Larson on Vimeo.

This is a video taken during a snowy run in Maine - sometimes the best runs are those that are not run in the best of conditions. This was one of those.

The Running Nuns of St. Charles Children's Home in Rochester, NH

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 04:43:00 +0000

Since I started this blog a year ago, I've met a lot of people who have done some great things through running. I'd like to use this post to highlight a particular group of women who are working hard to change the lives of troubled children for the better, and one of the ways they are doing this is by taking them for daily runs.

The St. Charles Children's Home in Rochester, NH, is a group home for abused and neglected children ages 3-12. The Home is run by a group of Roman Catholic women dedicated to taking care of these children, with the hope that they can eventually be placed with a family. Given the troubled past of many of these children, adapting to group life can have its rough patches, and the Sisters of the St. Charles Home, better known in these parts as The Running Nuns, have turned to daily running as a way to provide these children with an outlet to work through some of their behavioral problems. Here's a description of their running program from the St. Charles Home website:

"Founded during the summer of 1996, the running program at St. Charles was developed to help the children cope with the stress and anger often accompanying placement and separation issues. A natural antidepressant, running enables the enhancement of each child’s self esteem.

The levels of training and competition vary, depending on each child’s age and ability, up to 4 miles a day, 5 days a week. The children participate in 5k and 8k road races in the Seacoast area."

In addition to the daily runs, the St. Charles Home also sponsors an annual 5K race in September, the St. Charles Children's Home 5K. I haven't run this race yet, but I have seen the Running Nuns at races that I have participated in here in NH.

I'm honored that one of the Running Nuns, Sister Mary Agnes, has been a regular reader and supporter of this blog. And now, she's joined dailymile.com to start chronicling her return to running - you can find her profile here: http://www.dailymile.com/people/SisterMaryAgnes. Lets show her, and her fellow nuns, some support for the great things that they do!

Below is a video about the Running Nuns of the St. Charles Home from CBS:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

You can also read stories about the Running Nuns on the New Hampshire Public Radio Website (by Keith Shields, a member of my local running club!), as well as Runner's World.

Runblogger Now on Facebook

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:52:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Quick post - I'm not a huge user of Facebook, but given it's popularity I figured I'd follow the lead of some of the other running bloggers and set up a page for Runblogger. You can join if you'd like and get new post updates on your Facebook news feed, as well as comment on posts.

Here's the link to the Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Runblogger-Running-Blog-Podcast/331903101005?v=wall

Alternatively, you can join using the widget below:

Runblogger Running Blog & Podcast on Facebook

On Blogging and Podcasting - Send Me Questions!

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:11:00 +0000

Yesterday I participated in a discussion forum during the final meeting of a class series on social media at the Nacky Loeb School of Communications in Manchester, NH (thanks to @TeresaKRobinson for inviting me! - check out her running blog). After leaving, I thought about how much I would have benefited from having taken such a class before I started my own foray into the world of Twitter, Facebook, and blogging. Over the past year I've put an enormous amount of effort into building this blog into what it currently is (not to mention starting a podcast!), and have enjoyed nearly every minute of it - blogging and podcasting have truly come to be two of my passions. That being said, it has been a constant learning process, and I have encountered and mostly overcome many bumps along the way. With this in mind, I got the idea on the way home from the discussion last night to do a series of podcast episodes on blogging and podcasting from the standpoint of someone who's still relatively new at it, but who has navigated a number of the challenges that any beginning blogger/podcaster faces. I have some topic ideas already in mind, and some content already recorded, but I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to do my first Q&A with readers and listeners.

So, what I'd like to do is open up the comments section below (or feel free send me an e-mail if you prefer) to solicit any questions you might have about blogging, podcasting, or any other aspect of social media. I'm by no means an expert on any of these things, but if I can help you avoid some of the difficulties I encountered as I developed this blog or my fledgling podcast, then I'll feel I have accomplished my goal with this. Doing it now while my own experiences are still fresh in mind is a better time than any. Feel free to fire away, and I'll do my best to answer in the podcast series (and possibly blog posts) to come.

Runblogger Runcast #12 - Building a Running Support Network: dailymile, Twitter and Local Running Clubs

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:05:00 +0000

Episode #12 of the Runblogger Runcast discusses the building of a running support network. Having others to support you as you train and race is essential, particularly on those days when you just don't feel like heading out the door. In this show I discuss some of the sources of support that have worked well for me, namely my local running club (Granite State Racing Team), and two on-line social networks that I use regularly for running related support and discussion (dailymile and Twitter). If you have other suggestions for sources of running motivation and support, feel free to send me an e-mail or leave a comment - feedback is always appreciated!

To listen or subscribe via RSS: http://feeds.feedburner.com/RunbloggerRuncast

To listen or subscribe via Itunes: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?i=80594539&id=348528478

Alternatively, you can listen directly here:

Links related to Runcast #12:

Road Runners Club of America - Site with a wealth of information about local running clubs, as well as a locator so that you can find one in your community.

dailymile.com - a fantastic social workout site for runners, cyclists, and traithletes. You can also read a previous post I wrote about Dailymile here: http://www.runblogger.com/2009/04/dailymile-new-social-training-log-for.html

Twitter - if you haven't given a Twitter a try yet, I highly recommend it. You can view my list of Twitter runners here: http://twitter.com/Oblinkin/runners/members

My Dog Jack - If you'd like to read more about me and my favorite running partner, check out this post about my buddy Jack or this more general post about running with dogs.

Below is a video featuring Kelly and Ben, the founders of dailymile.com:

Review of Brooks Green Silence Racing Flat

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 05:31:00 +0000

Now that I'm a member of the Brooks I.D. sponsored runner program for 2010, I've slowly been building up my collection of Brooks running shoes. I'm a huge fan of the Brooks Launch (you can read my review of the Brooks Launch here), which I rode to an 8:00 PR at the Disney Marathon in January, but was in the market for a lightweight racing shoe that I could use for speedwork and shorter races. Despite my membership in Brooks I.D. and my comittment to the brand, I'll demonstrate that I can write an unbiased review by telling you that my first attempt at running in a Brooks racing flat was the Brooks T6 Racer. While I liked the feel of the T6 (and I really like the new red color scheme), they repeatedly chewed up one of my heels and I wound up having to send them back. Therefore, it was with some excitement that I awaited the release of the Brooks Green Silence, which is a new model for Brooks in 2010. The Green Silence is a lightweight racing flat that also happens to be one of the most environmentally friendly shoes ever made. Here's the description of the Green Silence from Brooks:

"Make an eco-statement with the Green Silence racing flat. Each and every part in this fast, groundbreaking shoe has a sustainable element, including soy-based inks and recycled materials. And in this case, "green" goes hand-in-hand with the great performance you expect from Brooks. The Green Silence helps you take responsibility, and first place—with good karma to spare. Weight: 6.9 oz."

At this point I've only run about 20 miles in the Green Silence, but so far I've been very impressed. Here are my initial thoughts.

Appearance: The first thing you'll notice about the Brooks Green Silence is that they're asymmetrical, with a red sole on the right foot with a mostly yellow upper, whereas the left foot sports a yellow sole and mostly red upper - this unique pattern just barely flies under my OCD threshold (normally, symmetry = good for me). However, I like running shoes that are loudly colored (one of my reasons for loving the Launch), and these are about as loud a pair of shoes as you'll find. I've heard them referred to as Ronald McDonald shoes, and my wife thinks they look ridiculous, but I have to admit that I really like the asymmetrical design and clown colors (and I fear clowns). These shoes will stand out in any setting, and I anticipate lots of questions and comments once I start wearing them in races. Also unsual is the tongue, or rather the lack thereof. Instead, the upper overlaps from one side to the other to cover the top of your foot, and the laces are slightly off-center. This made lacing a bit tricky at first, but I think I now have the hang of it.

Picture showing the asymmetrical coloring of the Brooks Green Silence (from Running Warehouse)

Fit: The Green Silence are unlike most other racing flats that I've worn because they have a very roomy toebox (forefoot). I've had instep blister problems in the past with flats like the Nike Lunaracer due to the narrowness of the toebox, but the Green Silence fit my foot like a glove - no blisters like I had with the T6 Racer, not even a single hot spot. I'd compare the fit very favorably to that of the Launch - extremely comfortable.

Another unusual feature of the Green Silence when compared to most other shoes is that it has a low heel. The drop from heel-to-toe is only 8mm, vs. 12-13mm in most other Brooks shoes (and most other shoes in general). From a practical standpoint, this makes the Green Silence a good choice for someone looking to try and transition to a more mid-foot/forefoot gait. When I first put my pair on, I noticed a distinctly Newton-like feel to them, and this is likely due to the low heel and lower heel-toe drop. They lack the flexibility of something like the Nike Free 3.0 or Vibram Fivefingers, but they are by no means stiff and have a much more minimalist feel than most shoes out there. Cushioning is not quite a cushy as the Launch, but I wouldn't hesitate to use these for a long run. Finally, the Green Silence are really light - weighing in at just over 7oz each they fit squarely within my preferred weight range for running shoes.

Performance: Although I've only run about 20 miles in the Green Silence so far, I've used them for an easy run, and interval workout, and a fartlek. The shoes performed marvelously in all three situations. They're light enough to feel really fast for speed workouts (most of my interval reps were at sub-6:00 pace), yet cushioned enough to handle longer runs. Although the initial plan is to use them for shorter races, I suspect that they would hold up well even in a marathon - they're that comfortable. As with the Launch, I have a sense that I'm landing further forward on my heel (almost on the mid-foot) in the Green Silence - I plan to shoot a slow-motion gait video (like these) soon to confirm this. I really have nothing but good things to say performance wise - I'm loving these shoes.

Summary: Lightweight, low heel, flashy design, and eco-friendly - as an environmentally conscious runner who tends toward more minimalist shoes, what more could I ask for. The Green Silence has already earned itself a firm place in my running shoe rotation, and I will definitely be wearing it in my next race (either a 4-miler or a 5K). I applaud Brooks for putting in the effort to design a "green" shoe like this, and hopefully this will be the first of many in their lineup - I also hope that the other shoe manufacturers follow Brooks' lead. The production of this shoe makes me proud to represent Brooks as a member of the Inspire Daily program, and the fact that it performs as well on the road as it will biodegrade in a landfill is an added bonus that's hard to beat.

Below is a rundown of the "green" elements found in the Green Silence (via Brooksrunning.com):

BioMoGo, the world's first-ever biodegradable midsole for running shoes.
75% of the shoe’s materials are post-consumer recycled.
Biodegradable insole and collar foams.
Laces, gillies, and reinforced webbing are 100% post-consumer recycled.
Water-based adhesives are used throughout.
All dyes and colorants are non-toxic.
Packaging is 100% post-consumer recycled.

You can find the Brooks Green Silence and more at Road Runner Sports:

Below is an overview of the Green Silence from Runner's World:

Runblogger Runcast #11: Muscle Fiber Types (Slow-Twitch vs. Fast-Twitch) and Athletic Potential

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:25:00 +0000

You've probably heard of the phrases slow-twitch and fast-twitch - these terms refer to different types of fiber that we have in our muscles, The fiber makeup that each of us has in our muscles is somewhat variable, and is largely determined through genetic inheritance from our parents. Perhaps most importantly for runners, fiber type makeup has the potential to influence your potential for success in races of different distance (e.g., 5K vs. marathon). This episode discusses the topic of fiber types in muscles, how they differ physiologically, and how this relates to athletic potential and performance.

To listen or subscribe via RSS: http://feeds.feedburner.com/RunbloggerRuncast

To listen or subscribe via Itunes: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?i=80594539&id=348528478

Alternatively, you can listen directly here:

Links related to Runcast #11:

To see a picture of a muscle biopsy stained for the different fiber types: click here.

Runblogger Runcast #10: Review of YakTrax Pro for Winter Running (Video)

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:33:00 +0000

I was recently sent a trial pair of YakTrax Pro's a few weeks ago to review here on Runblogger (full disclosure - I received no payment in return for this review - just a free sample of the product), and given the lack of snow here in New Hampshire this winter, I only just recently had the chance to put them to use. If you're not familiar with YakTrax, here's a description of the product from the YakTrax website:

"Yaktrax have a unique, spikeless, patented coil design, unlike other products on the market.

The Yaktrax Pro will instantly give you better traction, confidence and safety on packed snow or ice. Move about naturally with the same solid grip that you are accustomed to on dry surfaces. Walk or run as you normally would and experience stability on ice and snow like you have never felt before.

Made with high strength, abrasion resistant 1.4 mm steel coils and heavy duty natural rubber material, the Yaktrax Pro easily conforms to the shape of your boot or shoe. With its patented SkidLock coil design, the Yaktrax Pro provides 360 degrees of traction on packed snow and ice and can be worn in temperatures as low as -41° Fahrenheit"

On Tuesday, we had our first decent snow in quite awhile, with ultimate accumulations of about 6 inches. It wasn't much by typical NH winter standards, but this winter it was about as close to a snowstorm as we've had. With about an inch of snow accumulated on the ground, I figured it would be an ideal time to give the YakTrax a trial run. A fresh snow covering can be a challenge for most running shoes, espcially if they lack an aggressive tread. Thus, I laced up my Brooks Launch (which have an essentially flat tread), strapped on the Yaks, and headed out for a 3 mile run with my dog Jack. Below is a video compilation from this run, with my review of the YakTrax, as well as some more general thoughts on running in conditions that keep most others at home, warm on the couch.

Runblogger Runcast #10 - Review of YakTrax Pro from Pete Larson on Vimeo.
Living in New Hampshire, snow is a constant in most years, and finding ways to stay active despite the snow is sometimes a challenge. In this Runcast I take a pair of YakTrax Pro foot-coverings for a spin during a snowstorm. My initial impressions - they're very comfortable, and provide great traction on both ice and powdery snow. I'd highly recommend the YakTrax Pro if you're looking for a way to get out for a run when there's snow on the ground.

Purchasing Options

Yaktrax comes in two models - the Pro and the Walker. Both are reasonably priced - the Pro can be had for around $20.00 or less on Amazon.com. Below are links to both.

Links Related to this Episode

-For more information about the YakTrax, you can visit their website here: http://www.yaktrax.com.

-You can also read my review of the Brooks Launch shoes that I wore in this video.

-I've posted several other Runcasts related to winter running - you can view a list of all previous Runblogger Runcasts here.

Video: Running in Falling Snow

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 02:18:00 +0000

Running in Falling Snow from Pete Larson on Vimeo.
I filmed a short clip while running in a snowstorm this afternoon - it was absolutely beautiful, and me and my dog Jack had a blast cruising through the falling flakes. This video is just to show that snow is no excuse to not go for a run - in fact, some of the best runs you have occur in conditions just like this!

Thoughts on Daniel Lieberman's Barefoot Running Paper

oblinkin74@gmail.com (Pete) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:07:00 +0000

Image by al.herrmann via Flickr

I recently responded to an e-mail questionnaire from a reporter at a major media outlet regarding Daniel Lieberman's recent paper on barefoot running that was published in Nature. I ultimately was not quoted in the article, so I thought I'd share my responses to her questions here. I have since read the Lieberman paper in its entirety, and hope to put together a more thorough summary in the next week or so.

Here are the reporter's questions and my answers:

1. Did you learn anything new from the study that you'll apply to your running?

I'm still waiting for our Department's edition of Nature to arrive (I teach anatomy at a small college - Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH), but am very familiar with Dr. Lieberman's work and have read through the entire Harvard companion website to the article. In fact, I just gave a lecture on his past research regarding the evolution of distance running in humans in my Exercise Physiology class a few weeks ago. The audio of my lecture is available on-line: http://www.runblogger.com/2010/01/runblogger-runcast-7-evolution-of.html.

In reading the abstract of the Nature article, as well as the companion website published by Harvard, I think that the major contribution of Lieberman's paper is that it provides additional scientific evidence to confirm some of the ideas published previously in popular books like Christopher McDougall's Born to Run, and Bernd Heinrich's Why We Run. Namely, it shows that our running gait is highly sensitive to what we do, or do not, put on our feet. In particular, there is a lot of interest right now in the running community about how footstrike patterns relate to running performance, and how running barefoot or in a minimalist shoe like the Vibram Fivefingers might help a given runner transition to a more midfoot or forefoot type of gait. As an evolutionary anatomist myself, I appreciate the care that Lieberman has taken to explain the rationale for his hypothesis that humans have evolved to be distance runners, and that is one of the things I like best about his recent work.

I've read a lot of the literature on running biomechanics, and other studies have documented similar changes in footstrike among barefoot runners. Lieberman's study adds data by really looking at those who have grown up habitually running barefoot, and showing that they tend to be forefoot strikers. This is presumably the pattern exhibited by our ancestors, who obviously didn't run in cushioned shoes.

2. This is going to be different for everyone considering biomechanics are different in each case -- but what has your experience with barefoot running been and if it wasn't positive, did this study inspire you to return to the idea but use a different approach?

What Lieberman's study does for me is to add an additional piece of data to support an approach I have already taken with my running. Over the past year, I have transitioned myself to a more minimalist style of running, and I generally try to wear as light a shoe as possible when I run (usually less than 10oz each). Although I have not run barefoot (aside from wearing socks on a treadmill from time to time), I run at least once a week in Vibram Fivefingers KSO's as a way of strengthening my feet and legs. Anyone who has tried running barefoot or in Vibrams can attest to the fact that they are excellent tools for this purpose, and I can tell that my footstrike changes when I wear them (I mildly heel-strike in most running shoes, land on the midfoot in Vibrams - I've actually shot slow-motion video in my lab to confirm this: http://www.runblogger.com/2009/12/relationship-between-running-footstrike.html. After a first barefoot or Vibram run, people almost universally report calf soreness, which is due to the fact that running in shoes without a cushioned heel forces you to use muscles in your feet and legs in an entirely different way. After a few runs, the muscles begin to adapt, and the soreness goes away. I have now reached a point where I can run 5-8 miles in Vibrams without any pain, but it has taken me awhile to build up and get there. I also appreciate the fact that Lieberman emphasizes the need to transition slowly - my biggest fear is that people will go out and try to run barefoot, do too much too soon, and hurt themselves (e.g. tibial and metatarsal stress fractures) because of their lack of conditioning to the forces that this style of running places on there feet/legs.

I'll also add that I'm a moderate when it comes to minimalist running. I wear running shoes regularly (I'm a sponsored runner for Brooks Running via my membership in the Brooks ID program), and I think that the cushioning that shoes provide is important in long distance races (e.g., marathons), as well as for heavier runners and those who might have physical issues with their feet. That being said, the shoes I do are lightweight and generally not of the supportive variety, and I view running in shoes like the Vibrams to be an essential part of my training.