The Downside of Running

Is it just me, or do you also experience a wide swing of emotions after running? I know many people experience a “runners’ high” – that rush of endorphins that leaves you happy and intensely present – and I do get that, but I also experience the opposite lows. I’m not sure if it’s my body, my personality, or if I’m doing something wrong.

I’ve also been getting sick a lot. I’ve had the flu twice already and are only just now in February. Feeling the affects of running on me physically and emotionally has lead me to wonder if running has added stress to an already stressful life.

Stress is Stress

The body knows no difference between positive stress or negative stress. We’re the ones that label stress as being “good” or, more commonly, “bad”.

The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale lists how much stress certain events cause in individuals (there’s a copy of the Scale at end of this post). Various life stage events are rated on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the score, the more stress-inducing the event – that’s how the theory goes. For example, vacation is listed as 13, an outstanding personal achievement is at 28, and a personal injury or illness is a 53.

While events like vacations can be rife with stressful experiences, the stress can be the same even when we’re having a grand ol’ time. That’s why an outstanding personal achievement is on the list. These events are stressful because new experiences deviate from our everyday lives, causing some amount of stress.

Alone, a vacation, promotion, or even illness won’t have too much of an impact on us. But start adding these stressful experiences on top of one another and you can quickly reach your “stress threshold.” This can lead to negative moods and even illness. Ultimately, if not dealt with, stress can kill.

If you add up all the events on the Stress Scale, you get an idea of how close you are to getting sick. A score of 300 or more means you are at a high risk of becoming sick. Time to cut some stress out of your life and start taking more vitamins!

The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale serves to remind us that stressful experiences are cumulative, and that with each stress-causing event we get closer to our stress threshold. Once we go over this stress level, we begin to break down. And remember, as far as the body is concerned, there’s no positive or negative stress. Just stress.

Running Puts Stress on the Body

So what does all this have to do with running?

It can be easy to forget that running, or any other sort of physical exertion, puts a certain amount of stress on the body. Training, after all, is all about breaking muscles down so they will repair stronger.

Perhaps running, while not too stressful on its own – can push us over our stress threshold. Maybe this is why I feel depressed and even get sick after long runs or hard workouts and even get sick. Put another way, maybe running sometimes makes me get sick because I already have too much stress in my life.

My goal with running is to feel better, not worse! It’s time I take a hard look at where the stress is coming from in my life and work to reduce it. At least while I work up to a baseline of physical capability.

What do you think?

• Has running ever raised your stress level, making other activities more difficult to cope with?
• Have you experienced emotional swings after your runs?

I’d love to hear from you!

Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale

Take your own stress test in the interactive version here: Link

Photo by MagnusK

Invisible Shoes Huarache Sandals

I have to admit that I really, really wanted the Invisible Shoes huaraches to work out for me. I loved the idea of a thin-soled, open sandal. The idea of running with nothing more than a long shoe lace and bit of rubber under my feet sounded great. Unfortunately, my first trial run with the Invisible Shoes did not go so well. In fact, the experience has left me with a soar on my index toe. I have not given up on the huaraches, but am emotionally and physically scarred. Let me explain.

Price: $49.95 for custom made, $24.95 for Large Kit, $19.95 for Standard Kit
Mine were custom made and given to me for free by Invisible Shoes to test and review
Weight: 3.6 oz
Size: Sized exactly to the tracing of my foot (usually a 12.5 US)
Material: 4mm Vibram Cherry sole with polypropylene and nylon laces

Custom-Made

I was contacted by Steven Sashen, the proprietor of Invisible Shoes, and asked if I would be willing to give his huaraches a test. He gave me two options: to make a pair myself with a kit he would send or have him make them for me. Lacking confidence in my own ability to follow instructions and actually cut rubber correctly, I chose for Steve to make the shoes for me. This required me to trace the outline of my foot onto paper and make a few marks to indicate where certain parts of my foot lined up on the tracing. An online video demonstrates how to do this, helping to make the process rather painless and quick – about 10 minutes.

I also had the choice of lace color. I chose black laces to match the black soles. Shortly after sending in my tracing I received my very own, custom-made sandals in the mail.

First Thoughts

I tore open the brown paper wrapping to find my sandals. Describing them as sandals is probably misleading. They are simply two pieces of thin and flimsy Vibram rubber with a mass of black string looping through 3 holes in the soles.

It took some effort to squeeze my feet into the right places of the sandals, but I managed. They felt quite tight, especially between my big toes and index toes.

After examining the rather confusing configuration of string as it wound up, around, and through the soles, I realized the hardest part of getting the shoes ready was going to be figuring out how to loosen the laces so the shoes fit correctly.

I read the letter from Steven that accompanied the shoes and saw that there was an online video I needed to watch to learn how to loosen and tie the sandals correctly. Not having the time to watch the video (or simply not wanting to take the time), I took the sandals off and set them on my desk. And that’s where they sat for several months.

Test Run

All Tied Up

The perfect opportunity to test the Invisible Shoes huarache sandals came in December. I was about to embark on my second annual run at Pinnacles National Monument on my way from Northern California to Southern California for the Holidays, and making a slight detour off of my driving route to enjoy an incredible trail run was well worth it.

The night before my trip I pulled out the laptop and found a video on the Invisible Shoes website explaining two options of how to tie the sandals. I opted for the more classic “Roman sandal” look. After several attempts to re-lace the sandals I found a fit that seemed right. However, as I walked in the sandals the tips caught on the carpet. I followed Steven’s suggestion in the video to cut the rubber

to the right size if needed.

I would have thought that my trace of my foot was so the cut of the sole came correct, but I guess some final tweaking was acceptable. I was tired and wanted to get to bed so I I grabbed the closest pair of scissors and hacked off  bits of rubber until it seemed right.

Free, Yet Protected Feet

The weather at Pinnacles was a lovely 60F degrees when I laced the huarache sandals up and headed up the gravel path that wound up to the top of the volcanic rock outcroppings that soared 2,000 feet over my head.

I walked for the first couple hundred yards to get a feel for the sandals. I loved the feeling of air on my feet and the ground beneath. It felt like I could feel every little rock beneath me as I walked which was great. Having run parts of this trail barefoot before I knew how rough the volcanic rocks were on even tough-soled feet. I felt as if I was as close as possible to being barefoot while still protecting my skin against the cutting rock.

Slipping Out

My hurried, rough cuts of the soles was good enough as the tips did not catch on the ground as I brought my feet forward in stride. However, as I began up the gradual part of  the incline my heels began slipping off of the soles. I stopped a couple of times to tighten the strings in an attempt to keep my heels in place.

While I didn’t enjoy the way gravel easily got under my feet, I found it pretty easy to kick the offending stones out as there are no sides on the sandals. What comes in easily goes out easily in these sandals.

I decided to run a bit to determine if the heel problem was unique to walking in the sandals. Nope. Even after tightening the laces my heels slid off the back while I ran. Another problem also presented itself. My toes slipped out of the laces. Figuring that this was a sign that the laces were still too lose I once again stopped. This time I sat down and completely re-tied the laces, tightening the loops that go through the rubber soles as well. I remembered in the video that the string that goes between the toes should be kept in the middle of the foot. I pulled, tugged, and tied until the sandals were very snug around my feet, even cutting into my skin a bit.

The problems continued. The sandals seemed to have a mind of their own and wanted to be a different position, resulting in the rubbing raw of the outside of my index toe from the string, an exposed heel underneath, and a hump of sole under my arch. After a couple more adjustments I realize there was no way I could continue without causing serious injury to my now red and raw toe. Fortunately, I had shoved my Vibram Five Finger shoes into my pack.

I released my feet from the sandals. Ahhh. They instantly felt better. I did the rest of the run – I hadn’t even made it to the top yet – in the VFFs.

I Must Suck at Knots

I was left in some pain and frustrated. I had read a number of positive reviews of the Invisible Shoes – folks who run in them all the time and love them. What was I doing wrong, or not doing? All told I must have loosed and re-tied my sandals 10 times. It’s not like I didn’t try.

Now that my toe has almost healed (I had to wear a band-aid for a couple of weeks) I might give the shoes another try. Not without seeking more help and advice, though. Perhaps another option for tying the laces will work better. We’ll see.

Bottom Line

Once I got past figuring out  how to tighten the sandals, they felt quite good on my feet. That is, until I tried to walk or run in them. I learnt that it’s entirely possible to cause a good amount of harm to your feet if you do not tie the sandals correctly. And who knows, maybe there isn’t even a way for me to wear the sandals so they don’t hurt my feet. Either way, the Invisible Shoes huarache sandals are likely to take a good deal of patience and trial and error. Oh, and some knot-tying skills wouldn’t hurt, either.

Ever heard of Rolfing?

You read correctly, Rolf. I certainly hadn’t when my CrossFit trainer suggested I meet with his “Rolfer”. I was a bit wary making my first appointment, as Rolfing sounded like something that is illegal in most States!

A word that seems better suited to describing the hurling you do after working out too hard, Rolf is the practice of working with the connective tissue that surrounds our muscle sets. The practice, named for its founder, Dr. Ida Rolf, works to help loosen and realign the connective tissue, called fascia, that surrounds and penetrates our muscles, bones, nerves, and even organs.

I have been having terrible trouble with tight calves, especially on my left side, following months of severe nerve damage from a herniated disc. I have made tremendous recovery following the days when walking was painful and difficult, but haven’t regained the ability to run more than a few miles at a time without experiencing near debilitating pain.

After months of compensating for my very weak left side, I no doubt formed all sorts of bad behaviors resulting in my body alignment being out of whack. After learning more about the theory behind Rolfing I figured I needed the help it would provide.

As my Rolfing-trained specialist, Paul Fitzgerald of Peninsula Rolfing, explains, the therapy is provided over 10 weeks. Each week focuses on another region of the body, such as legs, core, or back. I’m about half-way through. While I can’t say that I feel like a new person, I do feel a difference in my ability to move my body. Just the other night at CrossFit I noticed that I was able to go much deeper than usual into my hip flexor stretches.

A few things to know before you get Rolfed:

1. Rolfing is best described as a “dry rub” – like a massage without any lubricant. This means it hurts. And in a weird way. It’s not for the faint of heart.
2. Since Rolfing gets at areas of the body that often never get worked – such as your deep abdomen – you will feel a little sore for up to a week after each session. It’s not too bad, but does affect full range of movement.
3. Deep tissue massage or trigger point massage loosens the muscles, but not the fascia which can still restrict muscle movement. It’s like squishing an orange – while the innards will turn to juice, the outside is still rather stiff. (Ok, not the best analogy, but you get the idea).
4. The cost can be prohibitive – often around $150 a session – since many insurance plans don’t cover it. However, it can often be included in a Flexible Savings Account (FSA) with a prescription from a doctor.
5. Rolfing has been around since the early 1900s and grew in popularity in the 1970s, so has proven itself. It’s not something brand new with no scientific backing. More about the science behind the practice can be found here: Link

Of course, Rolfing isn’t the answer alone. Nothing is. I still need to integrate more stretching into my day, make sure I don’t sit for more than 30 minutes without getting up and moving around for a few minutes, and keep up my strength training. Yet I feel Rolfing is a significant step towards being healthy and active again.

Who knew something that sounded so strange could be so good for you?

What do you think? Have you been Rolfed?

We all have the power to motivate.

Twitter is great for many things. Like links to good information, humor, and encouragement. It can also be quite a good source of motivation. And that’s what I got today. I posted a tweet earlier today saying it was so warm here today in the San Francisco Bay Area that I thought I’d go for a trail run after work. Then I remembered it’s still January and the sun sets at 5:30.

Stuart (@sswineford) and Jason (@JasonFitz1) called me out on the hesitation to run in the dark. They encouraged me to get out there, saying that’s what headlamps are for.

I suddenly realized I had fallen asleep at the wheel. Just 16 months ago I was in physical therapy barely able to walk without pain from a terrible back injury. Now I’m about to make excuses for not getting out and running? The injured me would never have let me not go.

I had excuses, though. My knee has been bothering me and quite painful at times. I didn’t get home from work until after 8pm. I am tired. Getting to and from the trails will take 40 minutes of time. I need to do some more work. I might trip in the dark. The list goes on.

These were legitimate excuses. But they’re still excuses. I knew I would ultimately feel better for running, yet I would have given in to these excuses and stayed home had it not been for Stuart and Jason’s tweets. Two short sentences. Yet so powerful.

I had a thoroughly enjoyable run, enjoying the mix of warm and cool breezes on my skin, the raw smell of nature, and the solitude (except for the glowing eyes). As the blood began pumping faster through my veins I woke up from my mental slumber. It felt good to break free from the normalcy and redundancy of everyday life.

What moved me the most, though, was the ability we each have to encourage one another to get out there and seize the day. Or, in this case, the night. Carpe noctem, folks. Seize the night.

Connect with me and others with similar interests on twitter: http://twitter.com/RunningQuest

What motivates you?

If you’re at all thinking about leaving a comment, please do – it’ll make my day!

Escaping the Strip

I attended the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) for three days this past week. What an experience. 120,000 people (mostly men) descend upon Vegas to see the latest gadgets, accessories, appliances, and much more. After a couple of days of trying to navigate the crowds, getting nearly blinded by all the screens and lights, and being completely over stimulated, I had to get my nature on.

I rented a car and head up into the hills west of the Strip to Red Rock National Conservation Area (aka Red Rocks). I got up late, around 7:40am (though this can be considered early for Las Vegas standards). I decided to climb up to the top of Turtlehead Peak, having read the trail offered panoramic views of the whole area.

The trail turned out to be more technical than I had planned on, requiring some rock climbing at times (I’d say about a 5.6, so nothing hard). At the top there was an inch or two of snow remaining from a recent storm, making the final half mile ascent rather slippery at times. I resorted to scampering over rocks instead of trying to gain a foothold on the slippery trail.

The weather was incredible – about 30 in the shade, 40 in the sun – and no wind at all. After snapping 360 degree photos and signing the guest list at the top, I headed down. Besides the snow, much of the trail is slippery with loose rocks and shale. None the less, it was a blast to run down. I leapt over shrubs, jumped off rocks, and slid down steep declines on the run back to the bottom.

I highly recommend visiting Red Rocks if you’re in the Vegas area. The rock formations and red colors (hence the name) are absolutely stunning, and there are numerous trails of all varieties and difficulty.

It was just the antidote I needed to all of glitz of the Strip and convention.

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I just came across this video link on twitter (posted by @kentox). It’s an animation of two characters in an office setting talking about barefoot running. What makes it hilarious is not only the statements about being a deranged lunatic and breaking free from the Matrix, but the text-to-video software used creates for some funny pronunciations. A must see:

Kigo who?

I don’t remember exactly how I first heard of Kigo. I think it was on twitter. What caught my attention was their talk about barefoot running and the virtues of a minimalist shoe. The fact that I hadn’t heard of them made me even more curious. I contacted Kigo and heard back from one of the company’s co-founders, Rachelle Kuramoto, asking me if I’d like to test a pair. As you may know, I only accept product offerings that match with my values – quality product from a company that values sustainability. After talking via email with Rachelle and further studying the company online I heartily agreed to test a pair and write a review (note: Kigo sent me a pair for free, but with no stipulation other than giving them a try and writing about my experience on Running Quest).

Specs of Tested Pair

Brand: Kigo Footwear
Type: Edge
Size: 12.5 (they run small!)
Color: Grey on grey
Weight: 6 ounces each

First Impressions

Using the online sizing chart on Kigo’s website I got the biggest size they made (not something I usually have to do), size 12.5. This is usually the size shoe I get. When I received them in the mail I eagerly tried them on. They were too small. Rachelle said there are plans in the works to create more sizes, but that they didn’t have anything larger right now. I was bummed. My guess is that the largest pair they have in men’s would fit a size US11.5 foot. The rest of us are just out of luck for now.

Given that the shoes don’t fit me properly, and I’ll have to wait at least a few months before there are any that do fit me, this is only a partial review, at best. I do want to talk about the look and initial feel of the shoes, and the company’s philosophy, though.

Sustainability

The shoes arrived in a recycled cardboard box with the Cyclepet logo on it. Inside the box, the shoes were wrapped in brown paper and sealed with a clear label that read: Thank you for accepting seconds as samples. This is one way Kigo Footwear works toward zero waste. I plan on either returning the shoes after this review is finished or handing them on to a friend who will fit in them, in the spirit of zero waste.

Kigo appears to be quite focused on sustainability. The shoes are made with recycled PET (what most plastic bottles are made of). Here’s a visual description of what CyclePET is all about.

Kigo explains their sustainability philosophy of Avoid, Reuse, and Reduce on their website. In addition to using recycled materials, Kigo endorses working from home as a way to reduce our footprints.

Fit and Feel

The Kigo Edge I received look like water shoes, with a more substantial sole. I took out the insole, knowing I don’t like to wear them, and slipped the shoes on. They were fairly easy to get on, but as I mentioned above, they were too small. My toes ended up crunched at the front. Given this, anything I share about the fit and feel of the shoe has to be taken with grain of salt. They felt nice and smooth on my skin. I walked around the house in them for a bit. I noticed that my forefoot felt a little tight. This could have been due to wearing a size too small, but it could also be more pervasive an issue, as the shoes did look a little narrow up front. I like to have enough room for my whole forefoot to stretch out comfortably.

Design

The way the shoes look is not a high point. While the colors are nice – grey combined with pastels (or another grey in my case) – they are pretty basic. I think the simple look of the shoes is actually a good match for a minimal shoe such as the Kigo Edge. But some folks who are used to brighter colors of traditional running shoes might find the design of the Kigo Edge too plain.

Bottom Line

Without wearing a pair that fit my feet, it’s hard to say whether Kigo Footwear is a viable option for running. I imaging they would be ok, but whether they’re great or not, well, I’ll have to wait for larger sizes to be produced. I do think that the shoes will provide enough puncture protection with plenty of flexibility to be a viable option for many activities. And weighing in at 6 ounces each, the Kigo Edge certainly won’t weigh you down. The fact that the company has built goals of sustainable practices into the design of their shoes and manufacturing process is an added incentive to give them a try.

What do you think?

Have you worn Kigo shoes? If so, what did you think?

Would you be more likely to purchase from a company focused on sustainability in their practices?

A dream come true.

For a lucky few, an 11 mile run in the mountains, including 6,000 feet of elevation change and a mile running on snow is normal. For me, this was a very significant event. It was not only the longest run of my life, but more meaningful for me, though, is that a year ago I could barely walk without experiencing significant pain following back surgery. Deep into physical therapy, I felt like I was learning how to walk and run again. I dreamed of running in the Sierras. Now I was.

Last Saturday and Sunday I was in Yosemite with my wife, two daughters, staying with my wife’s parents in their RV. The trees’ leaves were bright yellow, orange, red, and gold, making for spectacular views in every direction. I think my girls noticed the huge towering rock faces all around them, yet they were more excited in things of a much smaller scale – the miniature mushrooms growing under fallen leaves, small “gnome” homes under the roots of fallen trees, and “fairy” houses beside the stream.

I had two goals for my time in Yosemite. One, to enjoy the natural world through the eyes of my girls, playing and talking with them, and two, to go on the longest run of my life. As is probably no surprise, goal one was easier.

The Run

My phone began playing The Orb – my alarm clock ringtone – at 4:45am Sunday morning. I quickly turned it off and got out of my “bed” (a small couch that left my feet hanging off the end). I had laid out all of my equipment the night before as to reduce the chance of disturbing all the sleepers at this obscene hour. I put my gear on and headed out into the chilly air with a bar and can of espresso in hand, my headlamp on. The air was still very cold – about 35F is my guess – and the sky was dark. I found my way to the paved path that lead to Mirror Lake (or Mirror Meadow, depending on the time of year).

It was so cold I decided to forego my usual 10-minute warm-up walk and opt instead to start running slowly. As I crossed a bridge into a clearing I looked up. Wow. The millions of stars and half moon provided enough light for me to see the rock faces towering overhead like sleeping giants. I was awestruck by the beauty and sheer awesomeness of the scene around me. After about a mile the path turned into a dirt trail under a canopy of trees. The headlamp proved essential as the trail was strewn with rocks of all sizes as well as exposed roots. I had to concentrate on where I placed each foot.

Another mile down the Snowy Creek trail turned off sharply up the hill. Over the next mile I climbed over 3,000 feet. At times the trail was only 6 feet long between turns on the switchbacks. It was a very intense climb. While I was able to run some of it, I hiked most of it. As I gained altitude, 4,000, 4, 500, 5,000, 5,500, I could feel the air getting thinner. My legs could feel it too. I kept the calories going, munching on a ProBar as I went. I had filled my hydration pack nearly full, a first, and was glad I had. While the air was chilly in the dark, the exertion of the climb left me regularly thirsty.

After about 30 minutes of climbing I saw the sun break free from behind the wall of rock that Half Dome protruded from. It was a glorious site to see. I was all alone, not a sound in the air, the whole Yosemite Valley spread out below me. Looking up at Half Dome the sun lit up airplane trails in a pale pink. Stunning. I turned back to the trail and headed upward still.

At 6,800 feet I came across the first patch of snow. I don’t know what it is, but I love climbing up and reaching the snow line. It’s always been thrilling for me. At the top of the switchbacks the ground was covered in snow. Another 1/2 mile up the trail the snow coverage was about 4 inches thick. Fortunately, the snow on the trail was still frozen solid so I could run on it without having to worry about getting slush in my shoes. Looking at the rising sun, though, I knew I couldn’t make it as far down the trail as I had hoped before the snow began to melt in the sun’s heat. I decided to turn around at 5.5 miles in and run back.

I ran all the way back down to the Valley. My legs sure did get a workout as I sought to slow my descent and carefully navigated the rather treacherous terrain. As I descended the air got a lot colder. After being in the sun for about 20 minutes on top of the ridge I once again entered into the shadow of the mountains on the other side of the Valley. By the time I reached the Valley floor again the temperature must have dropped about 20 degrees from when I was up top. The difference the sun’s rays can make!

Running back to the campsite I was elated. Happy, yet exhausted. It was an effort to keep going once I hit the paved road, but I made it back with enough energy to devour an egg-full breakfast. Looking back I’m not quite sure how I sustained enough energy to go about 4 more miles and twice the normal altitude gain I experience each weekend. I guess we always have more in us. The continuously stunning views of the Yosemite mountains certainly didn’t hurt, either!

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A Means to an End

In my mind, running barefoot is a means to an end. And that end is a better running form. A form that leverages what I was born with, reducing the risk of injury and increasing my overall efficiency.

But what exactly is a good running form? And how does running without shoes help that form? This is the key question that prompted me to create a running workshop.

It’s interesting that many of the different types of running programs, techniques, and philosophies, such as Chi, Pose, Evolutionary, Natural, and barefoot, talk about a correct form in basically the same way. It’s reassuring to see such an overlap in the descriptions of what a good running form should be, even when coming from a variety of different expert sources.

While everyone’s body is unique and therefore their form should be too, we can learn a lot from descriptions of a good form. We can also learn a lot from watching each others’ form. This is one of my tenets for the Introduction to Barefoot Running workshops I put on (most recently at ZombieRunner in Palo Alto, CA). Watching others run and having them give us feedback after we run can be a good way to improve our form.

As a structure to the Introduction to Barefoot Running workshop I use The 5 Elements of Good Barefoot Running. It’s a synthesis of what I’ve learned through personal experience and a whole lot of reading, watching, and analyzing. I am sharing the 5 Elements of Good Barefoot Form as a way to help you think about your own form and hopefully improve it. I suggest you find a partner to do the exercises with. Someone who can watch you and give you good feedback, and vice versa, as you can learn a lot by teaching others.

The Cardinal Rule: Run Relaxed

It’s so important to be relaxed when you run. Tense muscles can be easily pulled, strained, and even torn. There’s an inherent danger in talking about and focusing on any specifics of your running form, though. Call it a catch 22 or an ironic twist, but too much thinking can impede one of the best assets you have when you take off your shoes and socks: the ability to feel the ground, or, said another way, to get very detailed feedback on how your running form feels. It’s called proprioception, and it’s your friend. The problem is that if you think too much you don’t feel as well. You can focus so much on doing something right that you tense up. Remember to check in with yourself regularly to ensure you are relaxed. Take a deep breath and let tension wash away from you from time to time. No running form is correct unless you’re relaxed.

The 5 Elements of Good Barefoot Running Form

While this article talks about good barefoot running form, it is written with the belief that running barefoot is only a means to the end of a good running form – running stronger, more efficiently, with less chance of injury. So, these 5 Elements will help you become a better runner, whether done barefoot or not. That being said, if you don’t go barefoot, you won’t be able to fully understand what a good form feels like, from the feet up.

1. Forefoot Strike

Perhaps the most documented element of good running form is a forefoot strike. Daniel Lieberman has shown how landing on your forefoot or midfoot results in less shock than landing on your heel first. Whether you land forefoot or midfoot seems to be a matter of preference. Whenever you read forefoot or midfoot, just think ‘not heel’ first.

Exercise: Running in Place

A good way to get a sense of what a forefoot strike feels like is to run in place. You’ll find it’s very hard to land on your heels first. Go ahead, try it. It’s just not efficient to land on your heels when you run in place. Your body naturally lands on its forefoot when your feet touch the ground.

Common Mistake: No heel strike.

Now it might seem contrary to this whole element to say that the common mistake of working on forefoot strikes is to not heel strike. The problem with talking about a forefoot strike is that people think they are to only touch the ground with the fronts of their feet, running ‘tippy-toed.’ This is not the case at all. If your heel doesn’t touch the ground at all you’re in for a world of hurt, in your calves and quite likely your achilles. You should land on your forefoot first when your foot is striking the ground, quickly followed by your heel touching the ground for a split second. Only short-distance sprinters never let their heels touch the ground. As Michael Sandler puts it, let your heel ‘kiss’ the ground.

2. Slight Lean

Another important element of a good running form is a slight lean forward. the Pose technique of running, as taught by Dr. Ramanov, explains why leaning forward is an important part of running efficiently. The idea is that by leaning forward you can use gravity to your advantage rather than fighting it. Instead of having to push yourself forward, you already have forward momentum when you work with gravity. It’s just a matter of moving your foot under you again as you ‘fall’ forward.

Exercise: Partner Lean (or Wall Lean if no partner)

Have someone you trust (or who at least isn’t holding a grudge against you!) stand in front of you a few feet away. Have them hold their arms out so they can place their hands on your shoulders when you lean a couple of feet forward. Practice leaning into them a few times to get the distance right so they catch you just after you pass the “point of no return.” Then, looking straight ahead, body in a straight line, lean forward. Get used to how far you have to lean before you reach the point where you have to put a foot forward to catch yourself. Lean a little beyond this point, with your buddy catching you. This will help you learn how to leverage a lean to propel yourself forward.

Common Mistake: Bending at waist, not heels.

You often see runners hunched over, bent at their waist. This is caused by fatigue as well as a misunderstanding of what a lean should look like. If you bend at the waist you put a lot of stress on your lower back. It’s also not as much of a lean if only your top half is tilted, resulting in a less efficient means to forward momentum. Make sure you are leaning at your ankles, not your waist or neck.

3. Center of Gravity

When your foot hits the ground it should be under your center of gravity, not out in front of you. Landing with your foot in front of your center of gravity results in wasted energy because you have to wait for the rest of your body to “catch up” before you can pull your leg up again. Landing with your foot and leg out in front of you will also result in a braking action as your body rolls up and over your leg. This is especially the case when you land on your heel, out in front of you with a straight leg (see Element number 4).

Exercise: Puppet-on-a-String

As you take a deep breath in, imagine that a string, pulling from your spine through your head is lifting your whole body straight up. As the string gets taut, your hips and feet fall into place so they align under your head. Now, the imaginary string is let loose and you collapse. Do this exercise a couple of times, paying attention to how it feels to have your head directly over your shoulders, your shoulders back, your chest up, your hips in a neutral position (not tilted forward nor backward), all resting on your forefeet. Go ahead and stretch up onto your forefoot as the string pulls you even higher. Then exhale and “crumple.” Do this several times.

Common Mistake: Being too tight, not bending legs.

The above exercise helps you feel what having your whole body in alignment over your center of gravity feels like. If you run like this, though, you will obviously be too rigid and thus breaking the cardinal rule of being relaxed. As you run, focus on landing your foot under your center of gravity, yet don’t forget to be relaxed in your neck and shoulders.

4. Bent Knees

Our knees are meant to be bent upon impact. Even the slightest amount of impact. This allows all of our leg muscles to engage, resulting in less shock to the rest of the body. You wouldn’t even consider jumping off a table – or even a single step – and landing with straight legs, would you? We need to make sure our legs are bent when we run, too. It makes for a much lighter landing with each step.

Exercise: Two-Foot Jumps

Place your feet next to each other, slightly apart. Then jump a few inches up into the air and land back in the same place. Were your knees bent or were they locked? I bet they were bent. Doesn’t even the thought of landing with locked knees give you the shudders? Ouch. The body knows to soften the impact by bending your knees. Next, jump a foot in front of you. Over-exaggerate how bent your knees get after impact. Now jump two feet in front of you. Swing your arms and finish your landing in the squat position. Try and land as softly and smoothly as possible, like a cat does. You’ll notice that the more you bend your knees the softer you’ll land.

Common Mistake: Pushing off with feet rather than pulling up legs.

For some reason it’s often easier for people to get used to the idea of landing with engaged leg muscles than it is to imagine raising the leg by contracting those same leg muscles. Instead, they push with their feet. If you stop and think about it, it makes much more sense to use our large, strong hamstrings to pull your leg up off the ground than to use the much smaller foot and calf muscles to push ourselves forward. When we are leaning forward (see Element #2) we don’t have to do any pushing. So land with bent knees and use your hamstring muscles to lift your foot back off the ground (if you feel like your head is bobbing up and down more than an inch, you’re pushing off).

5. High Cadence

This seems to be the toughest concept for people to implement. For whatever reason, we have a much too slow cadence burned into our brains. Your cadence is the number of times your foot strikes the ground in a set amount of time, usually a minute. No matter your height or what speed you’re traveling at, 180 foot strikes per minute is about right. That’s 90 times your right foot hits the ground and 90 times your left foot hits the ground in 60 seconds. One reason this is so important is because your feet and legs can store energy after impact for a short period of time before that energy dissipates. This Element is so important because it is in aid of each of the other Elements. With a shorter stride you’re more likely to land under your center of gravity (#3), with bent knees (#4), and with a forefoot-first strike (#1).

Exercise: Baby Steps with Metronome

Use a metronome – there are many apps for this you can download to your cell phone – and set it at 180 or 90 beats per minute. Now run in place to the beat. Once you have a sense of what this feels like – how often your feet need to be tapping the ground – try adding forward movement by leaning forward. You’ll find that after awhile you can hear the beat in your head and don’t need to actually listen to it on a speaker.

Common Mistake: Running faster, with long strides.

A higher cadence doesn’t mean you need to run faster. Just shorten your stride. In fact, you shouldn’t change how many foot-strikes you have per minute, no matter what speed you are running at. Over-exaggerate how short your stride is when running to begin with. Think baby steps. This will help you keep your stride short.

Photos by Calypso Orchid, Unknown, Clynton Taylor, Unknown, David Levene, Clynton Taylor

Review of Icebreaker GT Run Gear

It might come as a shock to you that to remain cool on the trail, or wherever you run, you might want to try wearing all wool. It certainly sounded counter-intuitive when I heard that Icebreaker makes performance gear out of merino wool. With images of thick, scratchy sweaters popping into my head, wool seemed like the last thing I would want to put on my body when preparing for a run. It turns out wool manufacturing has come a long way from those ski sweaters you see snow bunnies wearing in ski lodges in old James Bond movies.

I was contacted by Natureshop, an online retailer of natural clothing, footwear, and homewares, inquiring if I would be willing to test and review Icebreaker’s new running gear (due to hit US stores in Spring 2011, but currently available on Natureshop’s site). I eagerly accepted the offer, having worn some of Icebreaker’s gear for the past year or so on my runs, ever since I came across them at the San Francisco Marathon expo last year (the year of my back surgery). I was excited to give Icebreaker’s new running-specific gear a try, as I had been wearing their general performance tops. A few days later I received a pair of the new Distance Run Shorts and Ace Tank (shown below).

Note: These goods were provided free of charge to me with only the expectation that I would give them a try and share my experience. None of the links are affiliate links, meaning I don’t get a cut of anything you buy if you happen to follow a link. I simply provide them as a resource for you.

First Impressions

The first thing I noticed as I pulled out my shorts and tank from the shipping packet were the messages on the plastic bags containing the shorts and tank. Under the Icebreaker logo was the following statement:

“As part of our commitment to sustainability, this bag is made of recycled plastic. It includes a compound that assets in oxo-biodegration if it ends up in a landfill – although we’d prefer you to recycle it through your local recycling centre. We’d prefer to not even use this bag but it’s needed to protect your Icebreaker from when it leaves us till when it reaches you.”

This message reinforced for me that Icebreaker is authentically trying to be more sustainable, something I very much appreciate. It was also the first time I had heard of oxo-biodegration compounds being added to plastic bags. I think I’m able to recycle #4 through my weekly recycling pickup, so that’s where the bags are headed.

The Icebreaker tank and shorts felt quite soft when I pulled them out of the bags. I held the shorts up and noticed they didn’t have the same feel as the other running shorts I have. The Icebreaker shorts are a little more substantial, obviously not made of purely synthetic material. I read the tag that was hanging on the shorts and noticed that the shorts indeed contained merino wool – to be expected from Icebreaker – yet also contained Lycra. This was a surprise to me. One of the reasons I like Icebreaker is that all of their clothing is 100% merino wool – I really like the idea of not wearing synthetic material. The tag explained that Lycra is used “as a structural framework for finer yarns.” I think the use of Lycra is new with this year’s GT Run apparel. The internal tag on the tank says the body consists of 96% merino wool and 4% Elastane and the shorts are 97% merino wool. So the garment is pretty much wool.

Performance

My first opportunity to run in the shorts and tank came on a rainy Northern California Autumn day recently. I drove 20 minutes to my usual weekend running spot, Wunderlich Park in Woodside, CA, in the Santa Cruz mountains half-way between San Francisco and San Jose. It was the first storm of the season and I was quite excited about the return of real weather after months of little to no rain. It was in the upper 50s as I headed up into the hills. I wore my Sugoi Hydrolite jacket over the tank to keep some warmth around me and stay a little dry. On my feet were my Vibram Five Fingers with Injinji merino wool socks (the ones with toes).

It’s soft.

I really like the way the shorts feel. The inner lining doesn’t chaff my legs the way my usual running shorts do (North Face). The lining is over 90% merino wool and is very soft. They felt great. The Icebreaker tank top fit well, too. It’s not at all itchy and is cut large enough around the arms to give plenty of room for movement. It was just what I needed under my jacket.

No stink!

Wool is an incredible fiber. It repels moisture so it not only dries quickly, it also doesn’t hold bacteria. Mother nature’s natural antimicrobial properties means it doesn’t stink, even after a sweaty run. When I got back from my 5.5 mile run, I simply set the tank top and shorts out flat to air dry. Later that day they were not only dry, they had no smell. It’s quite incredible. Because there’s no smell, they don’t need to be washed which saves water and increases the life of the material. There are stories of people not washing their Icebreaker clothing for months, and the material still free of funk. This is a huge advantage over synthetic clothing. Synthetic materials are notoriously bad for how they reek. So much so that an industry has popped up to sell us special detergents to get the funk out. No need with Icebreaker’s natural fibers for any special chemicals.

Full breathability.

Wool actually breathes really well. It might seem counter intuitive as it’s easy to think of wool being very warm, but wool lets air escape. Icebreaker has differing degrees of warmth, from fine, 150, to very warm, 300 and thicker. The numbers refer to how well heat is held under the fabric, but at all levels the fabric lets air escape. I stopped wearing synthetic shirts because I felt so stuffy under them. Believe me, you haven’t felt breathable clothing until you try Icebreaker’s merino wool! Running on warm days in other Icebreaker tops have been very pleasant experiences. Water is naturally wicked away to cool the body. It’s quite miraculous.

Tracking it Baack

With each piece of Icebreaker clothing comes what they call a BaaCode. It’s a unique code you can use to trace the garment’s wool back to the farm it came from in New Zealand. This is so cool. I went to Icebreaker’s website and entered the BaaCode found on my shorts into the field at the top of the homepage. The following page appeared while the search for my data was being performed. Apparently, the sheep that graciously gave their warm coats so I could wear my shorts on the trails half way around the world came from 4 stations on the South Island of New Zealand (narrowed down from 120 stations). One of these stations is the Lindis Peak Station. Clicking on a link I could watch a video of Tom Moore, the station manager, talking about the sheep, farm, and terrain on which the sheep roam. 

There are also photos of the sheep up on a mountain in the snow. While there’s a good chance the sheep in the picture did not produce the exact fibers that are now in my shorts, I felt more connected to the source of my clothing after watching the video. Maybe it’s just me, but I really like knowing about the people and animals involved in the production of stuff I buy. Icebreaker has done a phenomenal job of bringing the user closer to the source through this interactive website. Check it out!

Company History

Icebreaker was created by its current CEO, Jeremy Moon, in 1995 in Wellington, New Zealand. Like most innovations, Icebreaker has its roots in a personal connection made. Jeremy Moon met sheep station manager Brian Brakenridge who had created an all-wool underwear prototype. A company was formed soon after to sell the underwear. Icebreaker continued to grow its product line as well as international distribution.

I like the way Jeremy, the CEO and founder, explains the premise for the company from inception:

“The plan was simple: let’s be what the others weren’t. They were synthetic; we were natural. They were about sweaty men; we were gender inclusive (I have three older sisters who were big on this). They were about hard adventure; we were about kinship with nature. They were about function only; we were about design and creativity. Exploring for us wasn’t the highest peak, but an exploration of something much bigger – nature itself.”

Something about this statement hits me squarely. I can relate. There’s power in nature. I feel it every time I run in it, and why I pretty much only run trails. It’s about nature for me probably more than it is running. I appreciate Jeremy’s perspective and philosophy. One of his lines hits pretty hard. And I like it. “When you’re in nature, does it make more sense to wrap yourself in nature, or in plastic?”

Icebreaker’s branding has been quite sharp and no doubt has played a role in the company’s growth and continued success. Ads of the last few years have featured naked models appearing like mythic creatures with the stunning New Zealand landscape as a backdrop.

The Kiwi in Me

I must admit that I like supporting a New Zealand company, aka, a Kiwi company. My mother was born in Auckland on the North Island and I have relatives still living there. I’ve only visited once, but I feel rather connected to the country and the people of it. The natural beauty, abundant friendliness of Kiwis, and a clear lean towards extreme sports is something to be proud of. Regardless of my bloodline, I like that Icebreaker has revived a dying industry. Icebreaker now purchases 20% of the wool New Zealand produces each year. I feel good about supporting the stations and traditional way of life. And, yeah, I do feel proud to have Kiwi blood. It’s a great country, and a great company.

Bottom Line

I’m convinced. Wool is it for me. I love the idea of wearing natural fabrics, yet not having to compromise on performance. The fact that I don’t have to wash my wool gear very often (when you do wash it, just toss it into the washing machine and then lay flat to dry) means the fabric experiences less wear and will last longer.

There are a growing number of companies making wool active-wear, but I like knowing I’m supporting a company who’s focused on sustainability, treating employees well, and never compromising on quality. I’m a fan!

Now the price can seem prohibitive upon first glance. $60 for a tank and $65 for a pair of shorts? That’s where Natureshop comes in. They have lower prices and their prices include shipping, too! And as a carbon neutral company, you can still feel good about a sustainable supply chain.

Further Resources

More information about Natureshop.

Icebreaker’s website.

Time’s article about Moon and Icebreaker, Icebreaker is a Natural.

Photos from Natureshop and Icebreaker.