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10 tips for running with children

2013-07-14T00:30:00.002-05:00

A lot of people ask me about running with my son Charlie (now 7). Running with children is somewhat contentious and so, I thought I'd write a post about my experience. I have found it to be a really positive thing to do and I encourage others to think about doing it too. It's a personal choice based on you, your level of comfort and your child's interest. Like most things, it's not going to work for everyone.

Before I dive into the tips, let me tell you about Charlie's first 5K. We signed up for the Humboldt Park Dream Run this June. It was a perfect first race for him because it wasn't one of the huge Chicago races and it was in Humboldt Park, the place he learned to run. I thought the familiar territory would be a bonus. Getting the packet for a race is usually an inconvenience but Charlie was super excited about it and I had to hide the bib because he wanted to wear it immediately. The day of the race, we got up early and ate some oatmeal. The next couple of hours was hard for him because he was very excited. Here's a picture of him just before we headed out.

Charlie wearing a bandana just like dad

My wife and the girls drove us to the race and headed off to find parking and to work-out where they wanted to stand to cheer us on. We checked-in and then warmed up a little bit. He was actually quite excited to see that it was mostly adults. When it was time to line-up for the start of the race, I got behind the 10+ minute a mile line. Charlie said "Why are we back here? We'll never win from back here!" That's when I realized that he thought he was actually going to win the whole thing. I explained to him how fast some people run a 5K and changed the topic to how people would go out way too fast and we would overtake them later. I also reminded him that no matter what pace he ran or how many breaks he needed, it wouldn't change how proud I am of him and how happy I was to be there with him. The gun went off and we started. He wanted to go out fast like everyone else but I reminded him to keep his cool. Within a half a mile, we were already overtaking a lot of people and that's when Charlie got really motivated. I told him to lead the way at a pace that he was comfortable with but sometimes I prompted him to slow down because he was running at a pace that was a 1.5 to 2 minutes faster a mile than we usually run. I knew that he wasn't pushing too hard because we talked a lot during the race. About half way through, he said "Dad, if you want to stop, you can but, I'm going to run all the way." I proudly followed him as he focused and reeled in person after person. It's not fun to be beaten by a child half your size, so he got some comments like "Oh hell no. Shorty just overtook me!" Most people smiled and shouted some encouragement as he went by. I kept reminding him to slow down so that he had some gas left in the tank. On the last half mile, he wanted to reel in one last man, a big muscular 6 footer with tattoos. Once we had done that, he said "Dad, can we do a sprint finish?" I told him we could but he needed to wait until a certain point. Once I gave him the go-ahead, we let loose.

The sprint finish.

The man on the microphone said "Give it up people! This kid is only 7 years old!" When Charlie heard that and heard the crowd screaming for him, I could tell that he was floating. I let him cross the line first in an official time of 30:42.04. That's 9:54 pace. In fact, he finished the race so quickly that my wife and daughter were not prepared with cameras and missed the photo opportunity. I found the sprint photo on Facebook.

At the finish line. Charlie looks fresh.

The next week, I traveled to Austin for work and I got a call in the hotel room from the race director of the Dream Run. She said "Could you give me an email address for Charlie?" I explained to her that he did not have an email because he was 7. Her response was "What? 7? He just won 3rd in the under 19's division!" She thought we were a couple of teens that ran the race together. That made me laugh. I couldn't wait to tell him. He was already proud of himself for racing but the medal made it even better and he showed it to everyone that he could. He keeps asking me if I have it safe.

His medal and bib.

So, this was Charlie's first 5K and I can tell you that it was a memory that I will never forget. I hope we will get to do it together again and would love to do it with him as an adult. Over the last couple of years running with Charlie, I have learned a lot about children and running so, here are some basic tips. Remember that their natural ability and interest is going to vary greatly.

Tip #1 : Make sure your motives are pure

If you are teaching a child to run because you want them to become the next Prefontain, you are in real danger of becoming "that parent." Charlie was 5 when we started and I was very clear about my reasons for starting. There were many but here were my primary reasons:

His interest - He asked to run. It wasn't just me pushing him into it.
1 on 1 time - We were not getting along at the time and we needed the quality time
Positive experience - I wanted to make positive memories with him
Health and fitness - I wanted to instill the importance of a healthy lifestyle

Tip #2: Ignore the haters

Some parents will say things like "It's bad for their growth" or "It's bad for their joints" and the only advice I can give you is to ignore them. They are speaking from fear - not from fact. The truth is that children in Western countries run a heck of a lot less than children in other parts of the world. No evidence exists that running long has a bad impact on children (even extreme ones who run marathons). Charlie and I don't run that often. I don't think we need to. He gets most of his training from being a child. When we do run, we usually go 2 to 3 miles and that's after a couple of years of easing into it. If he is still running with me when he is older, maybe we will run more often and maybe we will run longer. For now, why push it? We are having fun and it's great for him. If you have some anxieties about it, here's a starting point. It's an article on Runners World about children and running.

Tip #3: Get them kitted out

You don't want to go overboard but if you intend running with your child fairly regularly, you should give their equipment the same consideration that you would give your own. Lightweight and moisture wicking socks, shorts and t-shirt. Also remember that most children's shoes (even from well known running shoe brands) are horrible for them to run in. They look like adult shoes and have the same level of padding making them like stiff house bricks. Pick a pair that has enough padding to protect but is super flexible so that they can move naturally. Remember, children are much lighter, so the padding doesn't have to be as much. Watch them run barefoot. They should be able to run with the same form in their running shoes. Charlie runs in Merrell Flux Gloves and runs very naturally in them. New Balance also makes very lightweight childrens shoes and if you are looking for more padding, Skechers GOrun and Nike Free Run may be an option. Pete Larsen at Runblogger talks about children's shoes here.

Charlie's natural running form.

Merrell Flux Glove

Tip #4: Start with walk/run/walk

If you started running as an adult, you know how hard it was to run at first. Most young children are lighter and fitter than most adults but the same principles apply. You don't go and run 3 miles the first time out. Charlie and I started with a mile and did walk/run/walk intervals. First of all, I let his recovery dictate the length and eventually we did it by time. Then, once we had done a mile, we started to run a little further each time. Like adults, each child is going to be different, so you should stick with what is working for them rather than a set plan. This phase is also a good time to teach them a little bit about form. I didn't push this too hard because I didn't want to take away from the fun. Some of the instruction sticks - some doesn't. It's OK.

Tip #5: Don't assume they understand the concept

Most young children know nothing about pacing themselves for distance running. They run hard and then stop to rest just like the family dog. Conserving energy is a bit of a foreign concept that comes with time and experience. At first, they question why you are running so slowly but one day, it clicks. They feel the fatigue hit them later in the run and realize the value of the technique. All I can say is that the concept will come - just remind them to run slow and steady.

Tip #6: Remember that it is a shared run, not your run

If you confuse your mileage (for you personal training) with the miles you run with your child, it will lead to frustration. If they don't feel like running 3 miles and you needed to run 3, it's not a warm and fuzzy moment. I try to make my runs with Charlie fall outside of my training plan, so that I can be present with him and focus on our time together - not logging my own miles on Dailymile. BTW, if you aren't a friend with me on DM already, please connect with me.

Tip #7: Forget the pace

If you have a GPS watch, ignore it or leave it at home. The reason I take mine is because Charlie likes to know exactly how far we went. When we run, we typically run in the 11 minute miles - close to 12. When he did his first 5K, I didn't know that he could run in the 9's and after seeing him do that, I can see him doing a 5K in under 30 minutes quite easily. But, the truth is, I don't care. I don't push the pace on our runs because I don't view it as training, it's our time together. When I do races with him, I just want him to enjoy the experience - not focus on how fast he ran it. PR's are fun but not the primary focus for us. If he is interested in competitive running in future, that's great. For now, I want him to enjoy running.

Tip #8: Run with friends and family

When children see another child running, they want to do it too. As much as I enjoy the experience of 1 on 1 time with Charlie, sometimes it's nice to have company. One day, I did a 1 mile run with Charlie, his sister Maggie and the two girls from next door (ages 7, 8, 7 and 6). Charlie was so happy to be giving them advice. I laughed when he ignored one of the girls running ahead because he knew that she would not be able to sustain the effort. All he said was "I wouldn't do that if I were you." At the end, Charlie wanted to prove his mettle by sprinting to the finish. The mom's waited at the end and cheered everyone home. It was such a fun experience and really made a change from the usual runs. Now one of the girls next door keeps asking about running and it's fun to think that we inspired her a little.

Tip #9: Be super flexible

Charlie is super inconsistent. We will go months without running. When we do go, sometimes he can run far without breaks and sometimes he wants to stop many times. Sometimes he claims that he can't go far at all. I try to be patient and flexible. I am trying to instill the love of the sport - not create a rigid calendar. It's worked out for us. He knows I am not going to push him aggressively but he knows I expect him to do his best. The only time I lay down the law is if he asks to go running and then changes his mind when we are out there. I let him know that if he commits to doing something, he has to follow through and try his best. He's 7 and the inconsistency is getting better as he gets older but I am not going to allow that to be something that gets in the way of our fun together.

Tip #10: Turn it into a game

A lot of running is all in the mind. When runners are tired, they tend to focus on their body and that makes things hard. Many adults count, sing and do all sorts of things to change their focus to a healthy state of mind. It's the same thing for children but I have found they need help to switch focus. The best way to do that is to insert some fun into the experience. Here are a few ways I have stimulated Charlie to run:

We ran 4 miles once in New Hampshire. The reason we did was because I was chasing him through trees and over streams in the woods. It was a game and it was fun. The last thing on his mind was how we ran.
One game Charlie likes to play is having mini races during long runs. He defines the start and end point and tries to beat me. Inevitably, he shouts "Go" after he has already started and he thinks is very amusing. It's like a fun way to do intervals and I let him win of course.
In Cleveland, Charlie ran out of steam half way into our 3 mile run. We took a break and on the way back, I started a conversation about how silly it would be to beat other runners in a race by tricking them. Once he started to come-up with ideas like gluing runners to the ground when they were getting drinks at aid stations, he started belly laughing and forgot all about how hard the run was and ran home much faster.

One day Charlie said "Dad, I can see why you like to run. It's fun." Once I heard that, I knew I was on the right path with him. Good luck to any of you who decide to give it a shot with your children. I hope this post is of some help and encouragement to you.

Finding Ultra

2013-06-23T00:50:00.003-05:00

Finding Ultra by Rich Roll.
Rejecting middle age, becoming one of the World's fittest men and discovering myself.

OK, now that the blog is back, I'm catching up on the books I have read. I got this one a while ago and didn't get to it until recently. Crown Publishing Group sent it to me for free. No money exchanged hands and I never agreed to write a favorable post but I did enjoy the book.

Rich Roll is an entertainment lawyer, father of 4 and an ultra-endurance athlete. He was a top finisher at the 2008 and 2009 Ultraman World Championships in Hawaii. It's an invitation only race. Day 1 is a 6.2 mile ocean swim followed by a 90 mile cross-country cycle race. Day 2 is a 170 mile cycling race. Day 3 ends with an easy 52 mile double marathon. If that's not enough for you, he and a friend completed something they nicknamed the Epic 5 Challenge. It was 5 ironman-distance triathlons (2.4 mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26 mile run) on 5 islands of Hawaii in under a week.

The book ends with the Rich Roll I just introduced but doesn't start that way. Rich is a kid who comes from a loving home but was completely uncomfortable in his introverted, nerdy skin. In fact, he was bullied and tormented by other kids. He found a window of peace when he discovered that he was a talented swimmer. This talent got him into a top university and he just managed to graduate and become a lawyer before his ghosts caught-up with him and he plummeted into terrible addiction. He hit bottom (eventually), got clean, started a new life with a new partner and one day began to drastically change. He became a vegan and transformed his overweight and out of conditioned 40 year old self into a triathlete.

This book is not a piece of prose. In fact, the writing sometimes stumbles over itself. But it's not the writing skill that made this an interesting read for me. It was the humility and honesty. I read Eat and Run and that was honest but private. Finding Ultra gives you a much deeper and real taste of Rich's pain, fears, shame, etc. He doesn't lay it on too thick but when he talks excitedly about his climb back and his eventual transformation (like only a recovering addict can), you know where that "born again" feeling comes from and you are more inclined to celebrate it with him than criticize him for it. He credits his wife with a lot but it's very clear from reading the book that she is a pretty amazing woman who is incredibly supportive and unselfish. His knowledge of vegan whole foods stems from her and I found that side of the book interesting too. Eating whole foods is one thing. Eating to sustain a body for insane endurance is another. Personally speaking, it was so nice to read a book about the physical transformation of a man in his 40's not 20's or 30's. But, I have to admit, there were times when I was like "Rich... dude... you swam with Olympic hopefuls. You were an athlete before you became a slob! You didn't go from 0 to 10. You went from 6 to 0 to 10." I'm not trying to take anything away from his achievements, it's just that most people who do start from 0 can't have the same aspirations. And that's OK. The book is inspiring enough – even before Rich competes in his first race. Having said that, it was fun to read the details of his events. At that point, you really want him to succeed. And like the rest of the book, when he documents the details of something like the Epic 5, it's well rounded - not just romanticized. I love that he can one minute talk about something spiritual or some inner strength that fuels endurance but then admit to being horrible to one of the support team and feeling terribly remorseful. He seems like a well rounded man.

A before and after of Rich

My conclusion. If you are interested in endurance sports at all, I'd definitely recommend reading this book. Like Eat and Run (a book I just posted about), you don't have to be a vegetarian or vegan to be inspired by it. It kept me interested and when I was done, I couldn't help but feel thankful to Rich for sharing so openly and respect him for his accomplishments. And when I say accomplishments, I tend to feel more strongly about him finding himself and family than finding ultra. Sadly, not everyone gets a result like this but man... it feels good to hear that some do. Good luck to you Rich!

Eat & Run

2013-06-17T00:07:00.001-05:00

Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness by Scott Jurek with Steve Friedman.

“Sometimes you just do things!” - Scott Jurek (and his dad)

I read the book at a wedding in Puerto Rico and had plenty of time to enjoy it without the kids being around. It kept me interested all the way through and I was sad when it ended. I guess that's the mark of a satisfying read.

If you've read Born to Run or if you are at least semi-interested in ultra-running, you know Scott Jurek. I had the pleasure of meeting him at a book release event in Chicago. Christopher McDougal was MCing the event and we all got to go on a fun run with them. Some of you may remember my post about it. Well, this was the book that I got signed at that event by both men and here are my thoughts without going into any major spoilers.

Scott Jurek is a rockstar among ultra-runners. As you can read in Wikipedia, he has won many of the sport's most prestigious races multiple times, including the Hardrock Hundred (2007), the Badwater Ultramarathon (2005, 2006), the Spartathlon (2006, 2007, 2008), and the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run (1999-2005). In 2010, at the 24-Hour World Championships in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France, Jurek won a silver medal and set a new US record for distance run in 24 hours with 165.7 miles. He is now 40 and still going.

As well as his great wins, Scott Jurek has a great brand. He comes across as the boy next door. He seems kind and humble. He is known for waiting at finish lines to congratulate people. But, that is never the whole picture of a person and I like that Scott lets you have a little glimpse into his pain, his ghosts and his darker sides in the book. He doesn't expose everything but you walk away feeling that you got a taste of something more than the Scott Jurek in the media. Even with some of these warts, he is still a very likable person.

The theme that goes all through the book is diet. For me, it wasn't a huge ah ha because I eat a very similar diet. For others who know nothing about being a vegan, it's probably more educational. The term vegan isn't actually accurate. Scott's diet is more about whole foods (not the store). Let's face it, some vegan food can be unhealthy too. Over the years, Scott has gone into diet in great detail and has become knowledgeable. He approaches the subject in a way that I think even steadfast meat eaters can respect. I didn't find him to be that preachy but he is excited about what his diet has done for him. The recipes that are sprinkled in with the storytelling are good and I have tried some of them. My only complaint is that they aren't removable to keep in the kitchen after you have finished the book.

The book gives you a sense of Scott growing up in the countryside near Proctor, Minnesota (not far from Duluth). You learn about Scott's struggle to understand his father and his "sometimes you just do things" philosophy and you feel his heartbreak with the on-set of his mothers debilitating disease. You learn about the fun characters that shape his life, especially his best friend Dusty Olsen who helped him discover distance running as training for their competitive nordic skiing. Scott is honest about how he has used running to deal with issues (not necessarily hide or run away from them). One dark moment in his life is when his wife leaves him for a friend (I believe it was Barefoot Ted but I haven't seen that confirmed anywhere). He shares some interesting behind the scenes stories about his races and you even get to hear about the new love in his life. All of these topics are touched upon but the book is too short to go into them in detail. I would love to have gone deeper but maybe this is what Scott was comfortable with. The area he gets into most is his relationship with Dusty. For many years, Dusty gave up on his own hopes and dreams to help Scott win races through his pacing and his friendship. Who else could say "get up Jerker" when Scott was face down on the ground at Badwater? Scott needed him and asked too much of him. Remember, there are no huge monetary awards for ultra, so Dusty didn't get anything out of it other than the satisfaction of helping someone he loves. In this article on outsideonline.com, you get a sense of Dusty's complaints. It's clear that their bond is beyond friendship. They are brothers, so they cross boundaries with each other. In the book, you see the relationship struggle and you find yourself wishing Scott would just make things right again. Dusty is an amazing character. You could write a book on Dusty.

If you are curious about how the gentlemen signed my book, I'm happy to share. Scott said "Simon, be somebody." This is very Jurek. It's not about status. It's more about goals and achievements - doing things that matter to you, to others or to the world. Chris signed it with "Simon - Run Wild" which is strategically vague I think.

I'd definitely recommend this book. It's an interesting read for anyone who is fascinated by ultra-running. It's worth reading even if you aren't interested in the diet aspect of it. Jurek is a pretty amazing runner and it's worth hearing about some of the feelings, events and people who shape him. I was really surprised to see the confidence, ego and drive that are inherent in a fierce competitor and winner. I feel like this side of Scott Jurek is often hidden in the media but you instinctively know it has to be there. You can buy Eat and Run here:

Running with the Mind of Meditation

2013-06-13T21:15:00.000-05:00

"Movement is good for the body; stillness is good for the mind." – Sakyong Mipham

I actually started writing this post a while back but never finished it. For the sake of transparency, I want to let you know that I was contacted by Crown Publishing Group who asked if I would read a new book by Sakyong Mipham. It's called Running with the Mind of meditation: Lessons for training body and mind. Sakyong is an author of a national bestseller called Turning the mind into an ally. He is also the author of the prize winning Ruling your World. Crown mailed me the book for free and asked me to read it and blog about it if I felt that I wanted to share it with my readers. I agreed to read it because if you have read posts of mine like... Rain running is rejuvenating or Running toward my problems, you'll already know that I have a connection to running that goes much deeper than exercise. I have never really meditated in the crossed legged stereotypical way but I know I use running for meditation purposes. When I run, I connect, I center, I think, I process, I heal, etc.

Just to give myself a sense of Sakyong's perspective, I found some factoids on him. He is a Tibetan Lama and the leader of of Shambhala, a "global community of meditation and retreat centers." He is from a very strong Tibetan lineage and has studied with some of the most enlightened meditation masters of Tibet. He is also uniquely connected to the West because his father wanted him to be educated in Europe and North America. He is a speaker, teacher, poet, artist and obviously a writer. He is a runner and has completed 9 marathons to raise money for Tibet. He is clearly a family man because this book is a dedicated to his wife and daughter. Did I mention that his wife is a Tibetan Princess? If that's not enough for you, he has been called "one of the 30 global visionaries of our time." He teaches and preaches about the wisdom, compassion and courage of all beings. He sees his role as "Earth protector." Phew! I need to step up my life!

Sakyong Mipham

There's a lovely little moment in this book where Sakyong talks about running with some other young monks near their temple and the danger of wild animals in the jungle. It created such vivid images for me and I wish he had gone into spaces like this a little more throughout. I feel like he has experienced running in a way that I have not and I'm always fascinated by that.

The book gets pretty deep into meditation. I think I found it a little difficult to take it in easily because although I am open to the concepts, I knew nothing about meditation before reading this book. Sakyong really is a master and it can get very deep and intelectual in places. For those who are either in the process of learning meditation or have meditated for many years, I think you'll find it very interesting. The connection with meditation and running is definitely a fascinating subject.

Maybe Sakyong should connect with Budd Coates. Recently, I have been trying out some of the breathing techniques that are recommended by Running on Air: The Revolutionary Way to Run Better by Breathing Smarter, by Budd Coates, M.S., and Claire Kowalchik (Rodale, 2013). You can read about it at Runners World here. I love the way the 3/2 technique encourages you to breath on alternate foot strikes and I'm starting to see some performance benefits. I have noticed that practicing this breathing technique is hypnotic because of the reoccurring pattern. I could quite easily see it be combined with some form of meditation.

For anyone who connects with running on another level (like most of us do) and is curious about the connection of running and meditation, I'd definitely consider giving this a read. But remember, it's not a story, it's instruction and insight from a master. Just setting your expectations. The book can be purchased here:

I'm back!

2013-06-12T23:32:00.000-05:00

OK, it's been a while but here is The Fool in full effect. Life got super busy there for a while and it just wasn't practical to be blogging. Life is still pretty busy but I have promised myself that as long as I keep things pretty short form, I can keep doing this. You'll notice that my logo changed to an homage of the Skechers Performance logo. It's been NB and Adidas in the past. More on why Skechers in a bit...

What's new with me? Well... let's see...

I had a stress fracture in my tibia, gained a little weight and recovered. I am now leaner than I was before the injury and running 30 miles a week and feeling really good. I haven't gained my pace back but for right now, I'll take the consistency, the recovery and general love of running.

I signed up for a Half Marathon. I'll be running the Chicago Half in September. I'm really looking forward to that. Officially, I want to just get a baseline run in under 2 hours. Unofficially, I want to shoot for 1:50. I'm honestly not sure where my fitness will be by then but we'll see how it goes. I want to enjoy running it - that's the over-riding objective.

I read a couple of books that I wanted to share with folks. I read Running with the Mind of Meditation by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. I read the Hanson's Marathon Method by Luke Humphrey and the Hanson's which influenced me running a half based on their training philosophies. I just finished Finding Ultra by Rich Roll. Maybe I'll do a brief post on each to share a few thoughts.

Charlie (7) just ran his first 5K with me at the Humboldt Park Dream Run and somehow managed to win 3rd in the under 19's division. I'll definitely make a post about that specifically.

I started volunteering at the Chicago Marathon and Shamrock Shuffle as a starting line coordinator. A friend of mine is the Operations Director for those races. It was a little nerve racking at first but it's a great experience and quite rewarding.

You may remember that I hadn't got that far making connections with the running industry. I got a free shoe from Mizuno and Adidas sent me some samples to check-out. Finally, I made a connection with Skechers. I am now testing shoes for them and loving the experience and the shoes. I'll definitely talk more about that but I have to be careful because I'm under an NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement). I'll ask them about the process of releasing information in a controlled and sanctioned way. I know Pete Larson (Runblogger) tests and releases info before shoes hit the stores.

That's about it as a first post but I just want to say that it's good to be back and I am as passionate about running as I was when I left off - maybe more so.

Running Washington D.C.

2012-09-04T00:11:00.000-05:00

It has been a while. Life has been insane and the blog has suffered. It's just the way it is. Something has to give. Anyhow, here I am again blogging about a short trip to Washington DC for a wedding. My brother in-law Mark married a lovely lady called Victoria who is originally from Russia. I'm a big fan of hers and I had a great time at their wedding.

I am making a steady come-back after a long injury and this was a fun running experience. I have been to D.C. once before to visit friends when my wife Maureen was at a conference. One of our friends still lives there and she partook of the McNamee family wedding shenanigans. My first day was taken-up with my son Charlie and a tuxedo adjustment. My trousers were 3" too short - I'm glad I tried them on. Maureen took the girls and met-up with their cousins at some museums.

The next day, I was determined to run. I decided to run toward the Capital building, head West down the National Mall (otherwise known as The Mall) and wing-it. I got up and thought it would be quiet at 6:30am. I was dead wrong! D.C. is running crazy at that time. I guess it makes sense A-type political people and military types need to pound off that stress somehow I guess. I ran the same route for two days. It was 4.6 miles and I loved every second of it. I forgot how clean downtown D.C. is. Running there made me feel like a small mouse running in a very huge and grand outdoor museum. There is so much to see. Here's a taste of my route...

I headed up Jersey toward Capital Hill and the Capital building. The hotel was really close. For those of you who aren't American, every U.S. State has a Capital building. They aren't all domed but they are all pretty cool looking. Washington D.C. does not have the biggest or tallest Capital building but it's pretty distinctive.

My Instagram of the Capital Building

I cut South West on Louisiana past the Robert Taft Memorial. It's a nice quiet spot and the memorial has bells on top. I didn't hear it ring but I believe it does. The beloved Senator was the son of President William Howard Taft (27th President). When President Hoover dedicated the memorial in '59, he said "When these great bells ring out, it will be a summons to integrity and courage." He sounds like quite a man. Remind me to brush-up on some U.S. political history.

Robert Taft Memorial

I then headed East on Constitution Ave and cut through the Ulysses S Grant Memorial which is at the base of Capital Hill. President Grant was the 18th President and played a huge role as General in the second half of the Civil War. Grant sits on his horse looking West toward President Lincoln's Memorial because Lincoln was his war-time President. He is pristinely calm as a violent cavalry charge happens right next to him. Apparently, he was known for being cool under fire. The Grant and Lincoln memorials are the Easter and Western boundaries of The National Mall, which is a European style walkway through the Capital.

Ulysses S Grant Memorial

I crossed 3rd Street and then East down Madison Drive. One of the first things I noticed was the National Gallery of Art and it's sculpture garden. There was a tree there and all of a sudden, I realized that it was silver. On closer inspection, I realized that this tree was made of metal. This 45 ft tree made by sculptor Roxie Paine is made of stainless steel and is pretty impressive as you go by and the light hits the polished metal.

National Gallery of Art, Sculpture Garden.

For those of you who haven't been to DC and can't get a sense of what The Mall is, here's a photo. My route is headed away from the camera on the right hand side of The Mall. It's basically a park that I believe is classed as a National Park. It has yellow crushed gravel pathways, is tree lined and is generally a great way to walk DC and see the museums and monuments.

The National Mall

I headed across 14th Street and ran around the Washington Memorial. It's an impressive structure. It's just over 555 ft high and it's made of marble, granite, and bluestone gneiss. It's the tallest stone structure in the World and the tallest obelisk. I believe that nothing in DC is allowed to be taller than this monument. President George Washington was the Nation's first president. There had been a lot of talk about a tribute to him even before his death at the end of the 1700's. They started this monument in 1848 but didn't finish until 1884. You can tell where they stopped work in '56 because the color of the stone changed when they started again in '76. Why the delay? I don't pretend to know all the details but I think it was money and maybe a little turmoil in the Union.

The Washington Memorial

For some reason, I had really turned on the speed as I rounded the Washington Memorial and slowed down a little to cross 17th Street. I then headed along the side of the National WWII Veterans Memorial, which commemorates the 16 million who served and the 400,000 who died. The fountain is even more impressive at night. Each State is represented around the fountain. It's amazing to me that when I was young, I knew so many people who had served in WWII but now, they are few and far between. God bless them all. That truly was a noble fight.

The National WWII Veterans Memorial

As I came around the WWII Memorial, I wasn't sure what I was looking at. Then... all of a sudden, I realized that I was running down a beautiful tree lined lane alongside The Reflecting Pool. I say "the" but in fact, it is the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. It's not the only one in D.C. For some reason, seeing this had more emotional impact on me than anything I had seen so far. That impact had nothing to do with how interesting it is to see a large wave-less body of water reflect National monuments. This space has hosted all sorts of important events but in my mind, I can't separate this space from Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech. Inspiring stuff!

Washington Memorial reflected in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

At the end of the pool, I climbed a few steps to the Lincoln Memorial. I didn't think President Lincoln would be visible without climbing all the way up to see him but there he was, sitting on his chair and watching me as I hit my half-way point. President Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President and did a few impressive things like lead the country to a Civil War victory, abolished slavery, orated some of the most famous speeches and had the time to be a man of integrity. Not too shabby sir. This memorial is my favorite. The Daniel Chester French sculpture is amazing.

Lincoln Memorial

As I ran around and headed East on Independence Ave, I spotted something that sent shivers up my spine for a moment. It looked like some ghostly white WWII troops walking in mist through the trees. It was actually the Korean War Memorial and the mist was just the sprinklers. These stainless steel soldiers by Frank Gaylord look brave, tired and sad. They represent all branches of the armed forces. 6.8 million people served and over 54,000 lost their lives.

Korean War Memorial

Further along, noticed the DC War Memorial through the trees. I hadn't seen this before either. A little research told me that it is a memorial with a very local flavor. It is dedicated to the 26,000 Washingtonians who served in WWI. It also displays the names of 499 District of Columbia residents who lost their lives.

District of Columbia War Memorial

I crossed 17th again, went around the South side of the Washington memorial and headed East on Jackson Drive. The 1930's Department of Agriculture building is pretty impressive. It was the largest office building in the World until they finished the Pentagon.

Department of Agriculture

Then came the Smithsonian Institute castle. This is a lovely gothic revival building in red seneca sandstone. It is the work of James Renwick, Jr. who also designed St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. It was built in the late 1800's.

Smithsonian Institute

On The Mall near the Smithsonian there is a little carousel. It's such a sweet and family friendly thing to find in this very formal and sometimes austere environment. Apparently it is a rare 1940's carousel because it has four horses abreast. It was located at Gwynn Oak Park, Maryland (near Baltimore) until it closed because of a flood caused by Hurricane Agnes in '72. In 1974 it was moved to it's current location. I have no idea who decided to do that and what permission it took to make it happen but I am a fan.

Carousel on the National Mall

I then past the very distinctive Hirshorn Museum. It is an art museum built in the 1960's and is a part of the Smithsonian. It focuses on art made in the last 50 years. The architect was Gordon Bunshaft and the building is a huge cylinder on legs with a large fountain in the central courtyard. This is most definitely the most distinctive and out-of-character building on The Mall.

Hirshorn Museum

On the home stretch now, I past the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. This 1970's building holds the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft. It's not that impressive a building from the outside but the gold polished Ad Astra (to the stars) sculpture by Richard Lippold is quite distinctive.

Smithsonian Air & Space Museum

From here, I ran back across 3rd, headed North and then cut North East across the Grant Memorial. I crossed the street to the Taft Memorial. As I walked to cool down, I was impressed by my time. I ran the 4.6 at an 8:30 pace. That was a much faster pace than I had been running. I realized that the improvement in pace was probably due to a couple of factors (other than my leg feeling better). First of all, the route I ran is pretty darned captivating. I wasn't thinking about my running at all. Secondly, D.C. runners are a little competitive. They do not like being passed and the pace I found to be generally quicker than my local park in Chicago. Whatever the reasons, I was happy with my pace and euphoric after each run. I had a really great time running in D.C. and I would recommend this very touristy route to anyone who visits the City. It's a great way to experience the place and the D.C. running culture.

Heard from Mizuno Mezamashii?

2012-08-01T20:00:00.000-05:00

You can see my original post about Mizuno's a new consumer program that they have called Mezamashii here.

I got an email from Mizuno telling me that there was a wear testing opportunity. This was a very welcome email because I expected nothing quite frankly. Yes, it's cynical but, that has been my experience with these things in the past. I signed up for it in mid June and this is the first communication I have had. Pretty quick turn-around I'd say. So many times these days, companies are quick to ask you to apply for something online but slow to give you any sort of communication in return. Some of you may remember that I applied to be a wear tester for New Balance and didn't even get a confirmation that my application made it through the Interwebs! This isn't cool. There is no excuse for a corporation of that size having poor communication practices. Mizuno seems to have their shit together for this program. It has been handled in a very professional way so far. Even if I get rejected, I'd love to see an email from them explaining why. Not everyone can be selected. People understand that and will accept it. It's far better than no communication.

As a part of the wear testing application, I had to sign a bunch of legal stuff, so I can not share some of the details but I'll give you a taste of it from the email (that I have censored). You can click the image and read portions of it.

What's interesting about this is that it's an application to wear test a specific shoe. I do like their brand but in the past, their shoes just haven't fit my foot that well. I'm curious to see what new minimal shoes they may have brewing. I'm not sure if there will be more shoes in future or if this is it for Mezamashii program. It's seems like there should be more to it by the way they set it up. Apparently on Aug 20th, Mizuno are going to let me know if they want me to wear test and send me a pair of shoes if they do. Unfortunately, there will be all sorts of restrictions on me blogging about it if I get chosen but, at some point, they may allow me to leak certain things if they are close to distribution. That would be a lot of fun to bring an exclusive like that. I have had pre-distribution shoes from Adidas but I have never been a part of a wear testing program. I know that some of my DailyMile friends got the same email. It has created quite a stir. Good luck to everyone who applied. Let's see what Mizuno has in the pipeline!

BTW. If any of you readers are crazy enough to be repeat readers, a DailyMiler and are open to the idea, please feel free to become a friend. Here's my profile. I love the support community they have there.

Film Review of Run for Your Life

2012-07-27T15:10:00.000-05:00

I had a bit of a accident involving a charcoal grill and lighter fluid. My face was really badly burned but it is getting better finally. Last night, I was feeling sorry for myself and tried to finish-off a running book that I wanted to share on this blog. In the end, I decided I needed some passive entertainment to lift my spirits. I opted to watch a 2008 documentary called Run for Your Life. It's the story of Fred Lebow and documents how he started the New York City Marathon. I knew nothing about the topic, so I thought it would be an educational film to help evolve my foolishness. If you don't want a spoiler, don't read this post!

Fred Lebow had a sad childhood but grew into a very positive and savvy adult with visionary ideas. NYC Marathon was not the first urban marathon but it is credited with starting the Worldwide urban marathon trend. Fred is also credited with being a pioneer of running event marketing and PR. I think it's fair to say that he is the Godfather of modern day running events.

Fred was born Fischel Lebowitz in Transylvania, Romania and did look a little vampire-like if you ask me. Fred's family split-up to avoid the Nazi's and he moved with an older brother to Czechoslovakia when he was 14 years old. He didn't reunite with the rest of the family until he was in his 30's in Brooklyn. Subsequently, he was a little distant from them and the fact that he had changed his name probably didn't help. He worked in the garment district of New York City and became an avid runner. The film doesn't go into when and why he became a runner but his older brother said that running was his religion. Fred claimed that there was nothing that couldn't be fixed with a run. There was a running scene in the Bronx but because of increased traffic and the decline of that borough, Fred suggested to the runners that they move to Manhattan. He had fallen in love with running in Manhattan when he ran around the Central Park reservoir (1.8 miles) in 1969.

Fred Lebow in his signature running hat.

As soon as Fred became the unofficial leader of the running community, he worked with the NYC Parks Commission to get permission to organize races. After a few races, he formed the New York City Road Runners Club. He had a vision to have a Marathon and in 1970, they hosted the first NYC Marathon in Central Park. It was a four loop course where you had to avoid strollers and horses. Fred had quit his job and put his personal effort and money behind the events. It was very bare bones stuff. The 1970 NYC Marathon winner said that Fred asked him to return the trophy because he was short one and needed to give it to someone else. Regardless of these humble beginnings, the running community had become fired-up and the club had brought people even closer together. Fred pushed women's distance running forward too. He was asked by a sponsor to host a women's only marathon but knew he could only get 5 or 6 runners. He hosted a 6 mile run and called it a "mini marathon". By doing this, he made it accessible to many more women and created a lot of press for women's running. Women wanted to prove that they could run distance - something that the racing organizations of the time were discouraging.

Gary Muhrcke winning the 1970 marathon.

Joy Spitz gave Fred the idea of making the 1976 marathon a 5 borough race in honor of the Centennial. The idea was to do it as a one-off event. Fred took the idea and ran with it. He created a lot of spin around the event even though he did not have the funding or runners. He somehow convinced the City to host it, convinced sponsors to give him money and his stroke of genius was convincing Bill Rogers and Frank Shorter to go head to head at the event. This made the race something that World class runners wanted to be a part of and the press went crazy. Fred was concerned about the safety on the course because some of the neighborhoods were rough. He did a lot of grass roots work to build community support. The stars were aligning because it was a turning point for the City coming out of terrible economic troubles. The public were ready for something positive to happen. The race was a resounding success. Bill Rogers won and subsequently won the next four. In '78 Grete Waiz called to try to get into the race. The club secretary didn't know who she was but Fred called her back and invited her to enter. She won 9 of the next 12 Marathons and they became close friends. As the race evolved and marathons became big business, Fred vision became apparent. There was a bidding war between the NYC and Chicago races. Bill Rogers didn't like Fred's deal, so he decided to run in Chicago. That next NYC marathon was won in a course record time by Alberto Salazar. He broke the World Record at the event the following year and won again after that. You may think this was dumb luck on Fred's part except for the fact that Fred had personally recruited Alberto and had created a huge PR drive behind him.

I guess the rest is history. Fred became a legend Marathon Director and continued to lead the NYC Road Runners Club. He was also quite the celebrity and was incredibly popular with the ladies although he could not commit to a permanent relationship. The twist to the documentary is that Fred developed brain cancer. He continued to run when he was in the hospital and after surgery, he ran even though it was slower than his walk. He told his friend Nina that he liked the soothing rhythm of jogging. Fred said that cancer had made him milder in personality and had brought him closer to his family. In 1992, he finally got to run the New York City Marathon for the first time. He had run many marathons around the World but never his own. He bravely completed it with his friend Grete Waiz.

"In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that."

- Fred Lebow (1932 - 1994)

A few other interesting facts..

In the 60's and early 70's, running was not a hobby. The people who ran were serious and fast. The general public thought that road running was very odd.
Fred was not a fast runner. His vision was to bring running to people like himself - people who were not elite but wanted a challenge. He understood the trend toward a fitness lifestyle.
In the beginning, there were no World class runners, so local NYC runners won. How awesome it must be to have those memories.
Nina Kuscsik (who later won a NYC marathon) was meant to break 3 hours for PR in the 1970 race. She didn't feel prepared and gave up after 15 miles. She said that she was a little embarrassed because it went down in history that no women completed the first NYC marathon.
The first race included some steps. One of the runners said that when they ran up the steps, their thought was "Bill Rogers had to run up these steps too?"
It's great to think that a lot of the people who watched the 1976 marathon had never seen a competitive running race in their lives. It was a process of education to get people to understand it and get behind it.
When Fred met with important sponsors and NYC dignitaries, he always wore his running gear. He was really in-tune with the idea that his quirky brand helped the reputation of the Road Runners Club and the NYC Marathon.
NYC supported the Marathon for free until Fred wrote in a book about how he had fooled the Mayor because he was paying the runners and not the City.
Fred pioneered things like running up sky-scrapers, the corporate challenge and themed runs that have become the norm today.
Fred was known for waiting at the finish line and giving high fives to all the runners as they came in. He loved the event and was often terribly depressed when it was over.

So, how did this movie impact me? Well, I loved Fred's character and courage. He was a bit of a tyrant but people loved him anyway. His staff stayed with him and learned from him. He was a man who knew what he wanted and went after it without apologies. You have to admire that. The documentary really made me want to run the New York City marathon one day. I lived in New York for nearly 7 years. I have experience with the boroughs. I lived for a short while in Staten Island. I worked in the South Bronx as a case manager for kids with developmental disabilities. I visited Queens often to hang-out with friends. I lived in Flatbush and Brooklyn Heights in Brooklyn. I lived on the Lower East side and lived the longest stretch in the East Village of Manhattan. I would love to experience NYC in this unique way. I love that the neighborhoods come out to celebrate it. The scale of the city and the event would be pretty inspiring. Maybe one day...

You can watch the movie on Netflix here. It is an instant play as of right now.
You can buy the movie very cheaply on Amazon here.

See all the running movies I have seen to date.

My Adidas Tribute Logo

2012-07-15T14:19:00.001-05:00

Yes, I have a new tribute logo. Why? Let me explain.

As some of you may know, I have had this blog since September 2011. Initially, it was about having some fun, inspiring myself and seeing if I could get New Balance to play the game with me. I didn't expect it to be read by so many people and I certainly didn't expect to be inspiring others to run. It has been a fulfilling trip. The only real limitation has been the direct tie to New Balance. The folks at New Balance corporate didn't seem to care that I was giving them free publicity. That's OK, I know how brand teams are. They are a pretty self serving bunch. It doesn't change my relationship with the company. I am still a fan and I love their shoes. The one good thing about focusing on New Balance was that I made a friend in Jeff Mach who owns the Chicago area New Balance stores. He is a great human being and has a very passionate group of people in his stores. Please shop there in person if you have the chance and if you must shop online, they benefit from online sales here.

Here's the old New Balance tribute logo for those of you who have forgotten already:

Even though I have received free books to review and a running shirt sample from Jeff Mach, Adidas gets the honor of being the first running shoe company to send me pre-release shoes to try and blog about. I was very open about how exciting this was to me. It's a big milestone in the history of this humble little blog. I am very grateful to them and in honor of it, I am sporting an Adidas tribute logo.

I just want to reiterate. This is not about thumbing my nose at New Balance. It's more about opening-up the theme of the site. In future, I can see me creating more tribute logos and I'm open to doing it for companies I have had no connection with. It can be a fun thing to keep things interesting.

Adidas Adipure Collection - Initial Thoughts

2012-07-10T02:11:00.002-05:00

As you may have seen, Adidas sent me a couple of pairs of their new Adipure minimal line. I'm not ashamed to admit that this was the first time a shoe manufacturer sent me shoes for me to blog about and it excited the hell out of me. It's awesome to get free stuff but to a runner, there is nothing more exciting than free running shoes.

These shoes are meant to be released late August. They are a family of shoes you can use to transition to minimal with the Motion being the most shoe and the Adapt being the most minimal. The specs that are floating around out there are as follows:

At first, I thought the notion of a family of shoes that you could use to transition was a ridiculous notion but when I tried them on, I couldn't help but believe that it was possible. More on that later.

Before I get into my first thoughts on the Motion and Gazelle, I just want everyone to be clear that I have been wear testing them walking only. I am recovering from a calf injury, so as soon as I am back, I'll add my thoughts about their running chops.

Let's start with the Adipure Motion
This is the least minimal of the line. The first thing I noticed is how light it is and how loud it is. Maybe it's because I am European but I love really bright running shoes. It makes me happy.

The main color is bright sky blue and the laces and collar are a very a very luminous salmony pink. I have seen a black version on the Interwebs and that doesn't look so good to me. This shoe is like having the padding of a Nike Free, the shape of a New Balance Minimus Road and upper of a Saucony Hattori (with more support). It works for me.

You'll notice that the outsole is pretty structured and provides durability across the whole shoe. It looks vaguely Nike Free-like from the side but if you try to fold it up, you are only going to see the toe section fold. The rest of the sole is pretty firm as you would imagine from the double midsole. There is some arch support built-into the shoe.

The upper material is a mesh sock-like material similar to the feel of the Saucony Hattori. The mesh has a shiny rubber pattern printed on it that may well add some structure along with aesthetics.

What stops this shoe feeling like a sock is the two supporting elements either side of the midfoot (that is also home to the famous three stripes). These supportive elements laying over the sock help to secure the foot in position.

The heel is rounded and recessed which I am sure the marketing folks will tell you is to promote a mid-foot strike. The back of the shoe has the classic logo. One thing I noticed immediately were the little velcro tabs on the tongues and the heels. It took me ages to guess what these were and I am pretty sure they are for pulling on the shoes. You open up the velcro, use the tabs to pull and then push them back down out of the way. I don't use them because I don't find the shoes difficult to get on but it's a neat little feature.

Instagram photo taken at the Damen Blue Line "L" stop.

So, what are they like? Well, when I first slipped them on, I thought they were a really snug sock-like feel. The material in the toe area pulls over your toes and this takes a little getting used to. After wearing them for a couple of weeks now, it doesn't bother me at all. The softness of the mesh makes it feel like there is ample room in the toe box. I have to say that I don't like the way the laces feel when you lace the shoes snuggly. The tongue is the same thin mesh sock material, so the laces tend to dig-in a little bit. The laces are too short. This may be because they are a pre-release pair. I tend to wear running shoes without socks and I haven't had a single hotspot with these shoes. I often find Adidas a little narrow for my feet but because of the flexibility in the sock-like mesh, it is very forgiving. This is just as well because the shoe really isn't as anatomical as say a New Balance MR00. The one thing about the fit that worried me initially was the spot where the side supports ended on the inside of my feet. I could definitely feel it and I was worried that it would start to rub. After a couple of weeks, I noticed it less and I have had no issues at all. For a larger stack height (for a minimal shoe), you get a decent amount of feedback from the ground. They don't feel as thick as you would imagine. I think the lightness of the shoe has a lot to do with that. The padding is soft but not as unstructured feeling as a Nike Free. For anyone who wants a transitional shoe, I would definitely encourage you to check it out. For someone like me who has already transitioned, it's just a little too much shoe and obviously too much of a drop. Having said that, I have been enjoying wearing these more than my Nike Free's and my New Balance MR10's. They have also been a show stopper. People just can't stop looking at your feet when you walk by. I got loads of comments from people in work about how cool they looked. One person stopped me on my dog walk and asked me where he could get a pair. Running shoes should have a personality like that. Running is fun, so why not the shoes!

And now onto the Gazelles. My pair were an orange red and is really vibrant. The thing I really like about these is that the Adidas stripes are silver and metallic looking.

They are very like the Motion in the upper but you'll notice the outersole only has protection mostly in the mid and forefoot. This makes them lighter and more flexible. You can fold these shoes up very easily from toe to heel.

You can see the big different in stack height with the more minimal midsole. The arch support also doesn't seem to be as pronounced as the Motion.

The front and back of the shoe are very like the Motion.

Here's the detail on the rubber pattern that the Motion and Gazelle have printed on the mesh.

Instagram taken at my office

My thought on the Gazelle? The upper fits exactly like the Motion. This is why I think it's an option for someone who wants to transition through a family of shoes. You don't have to get used to a new upper, you just need to adapt to a couple less mm of drop and less stack height. It's pretty clever. I had the same issues with lacing tightness because of the thin tongue. I had no issue barefoot with the Gazelle. No hotspots at all. Obviously, the ride is lower and firmer with these shoes but they feel remarkably comfortable to walk in. It's a great balance of comfort and ground feel. Just like the Motion, I got lots of positive feedback about the look of these shoes. They are brighter than the Motion but for some reason, the Motion catches people's attention quicker. This shoe is closer to the shoes I have been running in for longer runs, so I am so anxious to take them out. There is nothing like wearing a shoe that makes you want to run. It's a great feeling. I have found myself going back to this shoe time and time again of all the shoes I have in the closet. I just love wearing them. I still think these should have been a 4mm drop and the Adapts should have been zero but there has to be some reason why Adidas didn't want to go there right now.

So, that's it. Based on my wear testing them as daily shoes, I would recommend giving them your consideration. Stay tuned for when I run in them and provide updated information. Adidas, if you are listening, I really want to try the Adapt. I want to see what it is like to go from the side supports of the Gazelle to a full sock upper. By the way, thanks for sending them. Most appreciated.

Minimal for Kids

2012-07-05T02:51:00.001-05:00

Have you ever watched a kid run barefoot? I mean, have you really watched? It's a thing of beauty. It's so unadulterated. I took this photo of my son Charlie (left) on Sanibel Island, Florida a couple of summers ago. He is running with a boy that he just met. Don't you love their ability to connect that quickly at that age? Look at the enjoyment on his face! The sun was setting and they chased each other across the sand barefoot. Great stuff. Form is not really a concern here obviously but if I was paying attention, I'm sure I would have observed them running mid and fore-foot depending on their speed. Running like this is the most natural thing there is. In fact, they are not even conscious of running. Just loving life!

Then, think about how kids run in traditional sneakers. It's a totally different experience. Charlie has a pair of New Balance sneakers similar to the ones in this picture. It's not an issue with New Balance. All kids sneakers that have a large stack height and too much support are problematic. Sadly, like adult shoe market, they are by far the majority of shoes you will find out there. When Charlie wears traditional shoes like this, he runs like he has bricks on his feet. It's a most unnatural movement.

When I started to get into more minimal footwear, I took a look at Charlie's sneakers and it all made sense. It's basic physics. If you have an adult shoe that is overly supportive, it isn't going to be that flexible. If you then shrink that same shoe to kid size, it's going to be even less flexible. Some kids shoes look like the stack height may be as high as the adult shoes. They look like platforms! Here's a little diagram I made. It's not rocket science and I don't need research on my side. All you have to do is grab a pair of supportive kid's sneakers and see how flexible they are to know that I speak the truth. I think you'll find that they are not very flexible. In fact, some refuse to bend at all, especially mid-foot.

Those of you who are not into minimal shoes are probably thinking that I am making a bigger deal out of this than I need to. All I can do is share my point of view and you can make your own decisions. I feel really good about giving Charlie a more anatomical shoe that allows ground feel and natural foot movement. As a family, we tend to be barefoot as much as possible. When Charlie and all our other kids were babies, we were advised to put soft shoes on them to avoid inhibiting development of their feet. When our kids started in City Garden Waldorf Early Childhood School (kids 2-6 years old), they made them wear soft slippers to help their feet develop and strengthen. Now that Charlie is going into first grade, would I really want him to wear massively supportive and inflexible house bricks on his feet? It makes no sense at all. Since we purchased Charlie a pair of Merrell Trail Gloves over a year ago, he runs with very natural form. In fact, we just got back from New Hampshire and he was trail running with me with that same spirit he is showing in the photo above. This last year, Charlie has come on a number of 3 mile runs with me and looked great. He discovered that running could be fun. Without any prompting, the Trail Gloves became his go-to shoes for everything. He even used them for hiking in Starved Rock State Park. When his sister borrowed them for gym class, she wanted her own and now claims that she can run much faster in them than she did in her old sneakers. Am I worried about the lack of padding? Not really. Kids aren't heavy like adults and they are super light on their feet. Neither one of them has ever complained about feeling the ground or having any discomfort. I would highly recommend the Trail Gloves. Charlie's have taken a real beating and stood up pretty well.

Since my personal minimal experiences and reading articles like this on RunBlogger, I have now become pretty firm in my view about having all three of our kids wearing minimal shoes as often as possible. I'm starting with running shoes but I'm trying to influence my wife to think about casual shoes too. So, what's out there for options?

Apart from the Trail Gloves, Merrell also has a couple of other minimal models. The Pure Glove (top) seems similar to the Trail Glove but it has a simpler double strap fastening. The Flux Glove (center) is a lace-up but seems to have a bit more padding and support. The Reach Glove (bottom) seems to be intended more as a fashion version of the Trail Glove.

New Balance recently came out with a line of the Minimus for kids. It seems like it is connected with the look of the MT10's and 20's. I don't have a personal recommendation to make here because we haven't tried them but if they are as well designed as my MT10's, they will be a great shoe. I'd love to see New Balance release some kids shoes that play off the design of the adult MT00's and the MR00's. That's a really hot looking line of shoes.

Apart from the colors above, I also got a sneak peek photo sent to me of some new colorways coming out very soon. I also see some velcro straps there. Not sure if that is a completely new model or just for the younger sizes.

Vivobarefoot has really embraced kids shoes. They have a lot of options that you can check-out here. They are pioneers in minimalist running but have plenty of every day shoe options for kids. The Ultra Juniors (A) can be used for sports and running but are great for water because there is no material to soak-up water. The Ultra Kids (B) are a similar shoe but look more like a sandal because they have a simpler velcro strap. The Zigzag Sandal (C) is a super comfortable looking sport summer sandal. The Pal (D) is an every day Mary Jane style shoe for girls. The Neo Junior/Kids (E) is much the same as the comfortable adult running shoe. The Neo Kids velcro (not shown) is the same shoe with a thick velcro strap. The Rooty (F) is a cool everyday shoe with two thick velcro straps. The Ra Kids and Juniors (G) is a fun summer shoe that comes in canvas and leather. Did I mention boots? I'm not even showing the Eskimo high boots for girls, the super cute Chelsea Boots for girls and the Off Road Hi Juniors and Kids that look like they are mostly for boys. Bravo Vivo! I admire the commitment. Vivo's are not cheap but I own a pair and I can tell you that they are exceptionally well made and they are kind to the planet too. To put it in their words "Vivobarefoot footwear is produced sustainably using recycled, locally sourced materials, with efficient and eco-friendly production techniques, in independently monitored ethical factories."

Vibram (yes, I'm talking Five Fingers) also has some kids models. The Sprint (left) is the most minimal with a velcro strap. The Speed has a traditional lacing system. The KSO is similar to the Sprint but is a little more shoe because it covers more of the foot. I haven't enjoyed wearing my Five Fingers. I have the Bikila's. I don't think the sole is comfortable. I feel all the lugs under my foot. I don't like the way putting my toes inside the toes of the shoe forces a slight splay. I've even been getting a little numbness on the side of my little toe wearing them to the gym although they are great for balance exercises. Ironically, I feel like my toes move more freely in a fingerless shoe that is an anatomical shape and has an ample toe box. It's a shame. I really wanted to like the Five Fingers. My kids have seen them on other kids and desperately want to try them.

Saucony make the Kinvara for kids and Nike make the Nike Free Run + for kids too. Both these shoes may be more flexible and therefore better than many kids shoes out there but I think the higher stack heights make them even less of a minimalist option for kids. Kids don't need as much padding. Let them feel the ground as much as possible I say!

The only draw-back with minimal shoes is money. Kids grow out of shoes so quickly that it's cost prohibitive to replace them all the time. I think it comes down to how important an investment you think it is. You know where I stand on the matter.

Adidas Motion and Gazelle Minimalist Shoes

2012-06-23T00:22:00.002-05:00

Adidas were nice enough to send me a couple of pairs of their new Adipure lineup coming out in August. I hope this is putting New Balance to shame! As some of you know, I have an affinity for the Adidas brand because I grew-up with it in the U.K. I get into that subject a little deeper in this other post on my running gadgets. The only reason I focus on NB is because their shoes just seem to fit my feet more consistently than other brands. I don't wear only one brand though because I like to mix it up and try different things. Right now, I wear Vibrams for workouts, New Balance MR00's for short distances, New Balance MT10's for trails and Saucony Kinvara's for long runs. I'm excited to see Adidas getting into a more minimal line of running shoes and trying them out for myself. This Adipure line is not to be confused with the Adipure Trainer shoe with toes.

In my care package, I got a pair of the Adipure Motion in blue (front shoe in this picture) and a pair of the Adipure Gazelle's in red (middle shoe in this picture). I didn't get a pair of the Adapt but I am secretly hoping that they will magically show-up at some point.

The first thing I noticed was how super sexy these shoes are. They are what I have come to expect from a more minimal line of shoes. They sport bright colors, stylish lines and interesting materials. I am not a flashy dresser but I have developed a taste for bold and daring looking running footwear. I'm curious to see how many people comment on them when I wear them. I see similarities in style between the Motion, Gazelle and the New Balance Minimus shoes. The Adapt has similarities to the Saucony Hattori's.

The second thing I noticed was how incredibly light the shoes are. The Motion's are 6.3 oz, the Gazelle's are 5.0 oz and the Adapt's are 4.0 oz. Just to put that in perspective, the New Balance MR00's are 6.1 oz and the Saucony Hattori's are 4.4 oz.

My understanding is that the intention of these shoes is to give a variety of options for people transitioning to more minimal footwear. In theory, if you were a loyalist, you could work your way through this family to the most minimal. The Motion has a 19/27mm stack height (8mm drop) which puts it in the ballpark of the cushioning of Saucony Kinvara's except with more of a drop. I have to say that the added drop doesn't feel like it and maybe the lightness of the shoe (1.5 oz less than the Kinvara's) is a factor. The Gazelle has a 10/16mm stack height (6mm drop) which puts it close to Hattori's for cushioning. Again, the drop isn't as noticeable as you would think. The Adapt is a 9/13mm stack height (4mm drop) which makes it similar padding to the MR00's with a drop. I'm not sure why Adidas kept the drops so high. The Gazelle's could have been a 4mm drop and the Adapt's could have been a zero drop. That would have made the line much more palatable for someone like me who had already transitioned to zero. We'll see how it all plays out.

The first thing I am going to do is wear these shoes for everyday walking. I like to walk around in running shoes for a good while before I run in them. If I don't like the way they feel when I walk, I tend not to want to put many running miles on them. Everyday wear is also a great way to get people to notice them and talk about them. Since I am being treated for a weight training induced calf injury, it's going to be a few weeks until I run in them anyway. Stay tuned for photos and my experience with them.

POST UPDATE 7/10/2012
I give my deeper first impressions here.
http://sponsorthefool.blogspot.com/2012/07/adidas-adipure-collection-initial.html

Get FREE Mizuno Shoes and Mezamashii

2012-06-19T16:34:00.001-05:00

I am fully aware that Mizuno contacted me in order to use this blog to get marketing attention. That's absolutely fine as long as there is a value exchange. This could be a way for some of you to get a free pair of Mizuno shoes and talk about the experience of running. It's not just a minimalist shoe thing, so all running shoe types can look into it. Here's the scoop:

Mizuno has a new campaign. It's called the Mezamashii Run Project. They claim that the project is about creating more euphoric running experiences. I for one can get behind that! The word "mezamashii" means "eye-opening" or "brilliant" in Japanese. In a nutshell, it seems that Mizuno may be lacking exposure in the running community and rather than just bombarding people with expected advertising featuring elite runners, they want to give shoes to key influencers and have their experiences shared via Social Media. Mizuno believe that their shoes deliver Mezamashii to more runners more often than other shoes and are willing to prove it. I think getting real people to try shoes and share their experiences is a strong play (as long as the shoes are good enough). Getting influential runners (who are still everyday people) to do it is even stronger. You can read the details and watch some videos at www.mizunorunningnews.com.

Mizuno Mezamashii Run Project Site

The initially mechanics of the program that Mizuno shared go a little like this...

Mizuno is taking applications for people who want to be a part of the program. You can apply here: www.mizunousa.com/mezamashiirunproject. The people who are lucky enough to be accepted will get a free pair of shoes.
These "founding Mezamashii Run Project members" will then be able to invite other people to the project but they will be people who they deem worthy. They too will receive a free pair of Mizuno running shoes.
Mizuno will inspire the Mezamashii Run Project community throughout the year and give them early access to product launches and exclusive Mizuno events, etc.

Obviously, the first phase is about buzz and creating the desire for an invite. No further details are available and I'm curious to see how it will all play out. I have some initial questions:

What will Mizuno's definition of "worthy" be?
How will they decide which shoes to give applicants?
How will they gather the feedback?
Will they launch new shoes as a part of this campaign?
Will they be brave and allow honesty in the feedback?
How will they distribute the feedback for others to see the proof of Mezamashii?

Being an inquisitive type, I applied myself. I thought that I could be a worthy candidate. In some small way, this blog is meant to inspire others to run and love running. I'll let you know how it goes.

Good luck to you all and let me know if you were successful.
To apply, go to: www.mizunousa.com/mezamashiirunproject

My Fun Run with Scott Jurek

2012-06-08T08:42:00.004-05:00

Today, I ran alongside Scott Jurek and Chris McDougal in Lincoln Park and I finished the run ahead of them. It sounds impressive but it was pathetic really. Chris was stopping to take pictures and chat and Scott stopped to high five all the runners.

Just in case you don't know who these people are, I'll give you a quick introduction. Chris McDougal is a journalist and author who wrote the very enjoyable and influential book Born to Run. Scott Jurek is one of the most dominant ultra-marathoners of all time. He has won the Hardrock Hundred, Badwater, The Spartathlon and won the Western States 100 an amazing 7 times in a row. He took silver in the 24 hour World Championships and holds the U.S. record for distance run in 24 hours (165.7 miles). He is a great champion of positive culture in ultra community and is known for staying behind after he wins to cheer all the runners home.

Scott Jurek and The Fool

The fun run was part of Fleet Feet Chicago's Eat and Run event. Fleet Feet is a chain of really cool running stores that are known for their awesome staff and their community involvement. Eat and Run is Scott's new book about his life, his ultra running and his evolution to becoming a vegan. Just as Born to Run was never meant to suggest that everyone should run barefoot, Eat and Run is not intended to force vegan lifestyle on people. It merely offers alternatives and encourages improving and diversifying your diet. Chris McDougal was there to bring fire power from his success with Born to Run. Scott said that Chris was working on a new book and I'd be curious to see what it is about.

The event went like this...
6:30pm - A 3 mile fun run with Scott and Chris in Lincoln Park
7:30pm - Scott and Chris gave a talk in one of the movie theaters (right above Flee Feet)
8:30pm - Scott and Chris signed books

I headed over on the bus and got there just in time. They were smart enough to have an equipment check. I would say around 250+ people decided to run. They were taking groups of people out to a rally point in Lincoln park. When everyone was there, Scott and Chris showed up. They gave a brief welcome, asked us to give a moment of silence for Micah True (Caballo Blanco), a character from Born to Run who recently died. The event raised $3,000 for his fund. Scott is very tall and moves like a lanky puppy. Chris is a giant of a man who daintily runs barefoot. We headed out on a 3 mile loop and I started toward the back of the pack. I hadn't run for a while because of my calf issue, but it held up well enough. In fact, it felt really good to run on fresh legs. After relaxing into it, I decided to pick up the pace because I wanted the experience of running alongside Chris and Scott. I caught up with Chris fairly quickly. He was running on the grass instead of the crushed gravel. He looked like he was having a good time chatting and taking pictures with people. I got a really favorable impression of him from the way he was interacting with folks. I ran faster hoping to catch Scott and was just starting to think that I had missed my opportunity when I noticed him right at the side of the path at the halfway point shouting out "Hey. I made a high five station." It was such a nice gesture. Scott comes across as a really warm and genuine person—just as I imagined. I felt so good at that point that I put some speed into the run and finished really strongly.

Photo courtesy of Scott Jurek on Facebook

Back at Pipers Alley theater, I got my bag, got some free Cliff bars (they were one of the sponsors) and water and then jumped in line to buy Eat and Run and another copy of Born to Run, so that I could get signatures. It was a good call. They sold out and people were disappointed. After the purchase, I headed into the movie theater. They had a giant fan moving air around but with a full house of 400+ people and 250+ of them hot and sweaty after running, the temperature was a little too much. I eventually cooled down with the extra water they handed out. Scott showed a short movie that his friend had made for him to promote Eat and Run. There were a few things in the film that I'm sure the book goes into in more detail that I wasn't aware of. Scott's mother died of multiple sclerosis, he was diagnosed with high blood pressure and he works as a physical therapist. It was 9 mins but you can see a bit of it here:

When Scott and Chris gave a talk, I realized just how funny Chris McDougal is. He really is a great speaker and a fun personality. Scott took a jab at him for eating meat and Chris said that if a plane crashed, he would eat Scott first because he is home grown and organic. It was a fun conversation. Scott said that he had the honor of running with the legendary Ann Trason and that she had beaten him once. He said that Ann came alongside him at around mile 30 of a 100 mile race and said "You don't look so good" and then suggested "You've been running too much" When Scott agreed with her, she said "Oh well, I'll see you later" and she took off to win the race. Scott did another sweet thing which was to bring down two young Amish runners that he had run with and came into town just to see him. Apparently, they were sent to him by Bart Yasso. There is Runners World Article on the subject. Scott and Chris wrapped-up the talk with a strange balance contest and gave away Brooks shoes to the 4 or 5 winners.

When the theater cleared out, many people got in line again to do the book signing. It wasn't a terrible wait and it was well worth it. Scott was really great. I told him about my experience going mostly vegan and coming off asthma meds for the first time in my life. That got me another high five from the legend. He suggested that dairy could have had a lot to do with it and I agreed. He was nice enough to take a photo. I then moved on to Chris. He said "Hi. I'm Chris" like I had no idea who he was. I found him to be super friendly and thoughtful. I thanked him for his book and the inspiration and he took a photo with me too.

Chris McDougal and The Fool

Before leaving, I changed out of my running clothes, caught the 72 bus home. I reflected on the event and it put a smile on my face. I got to run, listen to and take pictures with the author of one of my favorite books and a god of ultra running. Who could ask for more of a Thursday evening? Well, maybe I could. I liked Scott so much, it would be a dream to go running with him and talk to him a little more. He's just that kind of person.

You can pick-up Eat and Run at Amazon right here.

And if you still haven't read Born to Run. You really should.

A Pre-Wedding Run

2012-05-23T22:34:00.000-05:00

I went home to Wales to my cousin Miles' wedding. I didn't think I was going to be able to go initially but my wife reminded me of how important it was to me and made the ultimate sacrifice of staying home to watch our three children (over mother's day I may add) without complaint. Very impressive Mrs. Goodship! We stayed in a hotel in Cwbran near Newport in South Wales. Here's a map for those who are unfamiliar with that part of the World:

View Larger Map

Miles and I grew up closer than cousins. Our Grandmothers were twins and lived their whole lives in the same house. Yes, they forced their husbands to live that way too. I guess it was less strange in those days. Our mothers grew up in the same house as sisters. So, Miles is more of a brother to me than a cousin. I wish he lived near me. I really do miss him and being at the wedding did not help those feelings.

Can't take the runner out of Miles.
Not even on his wedding day!

The weather was horrible in Wales. It rained incessantly but on the wedding day itself, the sun came out in all it's glory. I was anxious to run with Miles but I was still recovering from a calf injury and he was recovering from a toe injury after his marathon. We both decided that a wedding morning run would be a great way for us to test-out our recovery, enjoy a run together and I'm sure the endorphins probably aided his wedding jitters too. My sister thought it was a slightly irresponsible thing to do. She was worried that the groom would take a tumble and put the wedding ceremony at risk. So, we did what addicted runners always do and totally ignored her advice. In fact, we took her son with us too. My nephew Owen is awesome. He is 14 and a real character. He played Bach on his cello at the church and danced like Usher in the reception—a real renaissance man.

Miles took us on a 3 mile run along a disused section of the Monmouthsire and Brecon canal that was near our hotel. I believe the canal was opened in the late 1700's and it is 35 miles long. It was primarily used to transport coal and iron and when that supply diminished, it slowed down until it's eventual complete closure in the 60's. It must have taken a lot of people to keep it going. In Wales, it's not flat at all. One stretch of the branch has 14 locks back to back. I think stretches of the canal have been re-opened for recreational use. We ran along Ty Coch Lane, a path that would have originally been where the horses pulled the barges. Ty Coch translated from Welsh means red house. It was really beautiful running there and we past some cottages that were right on the canal. The distance went very quickly. How could it not with such awesome company? My calf didn't play-up and Miles' toe was fine too. The pre-wedding run was a great idea. I am so glad we did it. It will remain a very fond memory for me and I want to do many more runs with Miles. Maybe one day, I can go back there and we can run it's entire length. The only regret I had that day was not returning to take some photos.

Huge lilly pads grow on the undisturbed canal.
Photo courtesy of emmdee (Flickr).

Such a lovely place to live.
Photo courtesy of Jeremal Smith.

With the run behind us, the sun shining and endorphins flowing, how could it not have been an awesome wedding? The church was beautiful, small and really old. It was on top of a hill surrounded by fields of lambs. The service was lovely and Emma looked really amazing. The lunch was lovely and the evening reception was a lot of fun. A part of me wanted to take more photos but I just wanted to enjoy the event and soak it all up.

I was delighted to be at Miles and Emma's wedding. I got to make a speech but I kept it very short because I would have become too emotional and Miles was already an emotional wreck at that point. I was thrilled to see how happy they both were. Emma is really lovely and a great compliment to him. As a big brother, I couldn't have been more proud. Miles has become a man I really admire. I often wish I was more like him. He has a really pure heart and he's the kindest person I know. He has also transformed himself into a really great runner in a very short amount of time. I wish I could do a 17:58 5K! He also did amazingly well in his first marathon.

Congratulations Miles and Emma. Have a long and happy marriage!

Starved Rock

2012-05-03T23:26:00.002-05:00

I'm not too proud of it but I admit that I have neglected this blog for well over a month now. I have had a calf injury and I haven't been running at all. Ironically, I think I did it doing weight exercises that were designed to strengthen me and avoid injury. I'm going to come clean and just admit that I have been depressed about not running. I am missing the endorphins and I am really frustrated about missing ideal spring running conditions. Work has been insane and although that's not a good thing, it has been a distraction for me. I have discovered that when I am injured, it's hard for me to do this blog. It's easier to avoid the subject of running entirely. I'm going to have to work on that. This blog was meant to be about inspiring others—not just about entertaining myself. I have been selfish.

Stay tuned this month. I have to finish reviewing the book I was sent. I am also thinking about writing a post about Rick Fisher. Yes, the one from Born to Run. He has sent me a number of emails and I need to think about how to share the knowledge I have. It will be a popular post, so I need to think about it. It can't be one of my shoot from the hip efforts. We'll see where it ends up.

This post is late coming. Right after I got injured, my family went for a long weekend to Starved Rock. Here's a little bit about it and how I did not run it...

I had heard of Starved Rock but didn't know that much about it. It turns out that it is actually a State Park and a pretty cool one at that. It's located in North Utica, Illinois. The Prairies of Mid-West America are amazingly flat. The Native Americans referred to them as an ocean of green. To a Welshman who grew up with hills and mountains, it can be tiring to see nothing but flatness. That's why the geographical freak show of Starved Rock was a welcome sight. It has many canyons that you can explore. Apparently, the Kankakee Torrent caused the geology many thousands of years ago. As cool as the canyons are, the area surrounding them is really beautiful too. Even the lodge itself is pretty amazing. We stayed there. How did the place get it's name? There is a legend that the Illini (the Native American tribe that the State of Illinois gets it's name from) had a falling out with the Ottawa and Potawatomi tribes. They were pursued and climbed onto a sandstone butte overlooking the Illinois river. The Illini would not come down to be slaughtered, so they chose to stay up there until they starved. Try telling that story to a 7, 6 and 3 year old and keeping things positive! The French built Fort St. Louis on the butte in the 1600's. The area became a resort in the 1800's and was sold to the State Park Commission in 1911.

Starved Rock Lodge interior

I was meant to run Starved Rock. In fact, I was really looking forward to it. I wanted to run more trails this year and this was going to be a part of reaching this goal. Unfortunately, right before the trip, I got injured. I tried to convince myself that it would be OK. My friends on DailyMile told me that if I ran, I should take some time off after the trip. When I got to Starved Rock and realized how bad my calf felt and how many steps there were on the trails, I did something I rarely do and decided not to run at all. I knew that I would be hiking, so I knew I would get a work-out. It wasn't an easy decision but it was the right one. I had a really nice time with my family.

The endless steps in and out of the canyons

I believe this is French Canyon

My daughter Maggie climbing

I carried our youngest in a piggy back pack. It's like a baby carrier but for older kids and their legs dangle out. For kids who are just too young to hike distance, it's perfect. That was some real exercise. After 3 miles of carrying her up and down hundreds of steps, I was feeling it. The kids had a great time exploring and climbing. There were some flat dirt trails but many of them were covered with boardwalk to make the canyons more accessible to the public I guess. The sandstone canyons were interesting because there was such an array of color. Browns, grays, whites, yellows and greens. I was fascinated by it all. The other running tie-in with this trip was that my wife Maureen, my son Charlie and I all wore minimal shoes to hike in. Maureen wore Vibram Five Fingers, Charlie wore Merrell Trail Gloves and I wore my New Balance Minimus Trail 10's. Maureen said that she felt much more sure-footed wearing minimal shoes than she had in the past wearing heavy, inflexible hiking boots. I felt the same way. When I went out for a hike with Charlie, we found some caves for him to play in. He was in heaven. On the way back to the lodge, we came across a spot that overlooked a dam. There were tones of eagles that just hovered there looking for fish. I have never seen eagles in large numbers like that before. It was pretty amazing. On the last day, we took the kids horseback riding. They always really love that. Maggie was delighted because she got to ride alone on a trail with us for the first time. Charlie did well enough that the owner allowed him to ride alone for a while on the field. Gwynnie did really well too. There is nothing funnier than seeing a tiny three year old sitting on top of a large horse. She can be a brave little thing.

My son Charlie climbing

My daughter Gwynnie having a riding lesson

If Starved Rock is accessible to you, I'd recommend it and suggest going at times when others aren't. It can get really busy there. After the weekend, the place was so much quieter. I'd love to see it in winter but with snow, some of the canyons would probably be tricky to access. I have heard that nearby Matthiessen State Park has less visitors and is more natural. I'd like to visit there at some point. I'll leave you with some Instagram pics I took on my phone. I loved that Starved Rock had lots of Native American wood carving around. It made an already beautiful location even more beautiful.

RIP Caballo Blanco

2012-04-05T19:00:00.002-05:00

Just a note, not really a full post. I just spotted this news. I was shocked and wanted to react and give my respects.

Micah True past away last Saturday. Rest in peace Caballo. If you haven't read Born to Run, Caballo was a former boxer who befriended the Tarahumara running tribe in the Sierra Madre's, Mexico. They named him "Caballo Blanco" (white horse). Caballo was 58 years old. He headed out for a run in New Mexico and never returned. There is something so poetic about that. I didn't know him but I imagine that he would have had a preference to leave this World on the trail. Rescue teams found him after an extensive search and the exam yielded no initial results. I hope his passing was peaceful. Caballo organized a Copper Canyon ultra-marthon race in order to celebrate and support the Tarahumara. There is now speculation about the future of that race. I liked Caballo's character in the book. He was a man who whole indigenous people in the process of finding himself. His passion for them and his passion for running was inspiring. If he hadn't been who he was, Born to Run would not be motivating a new generation of runners. His modest influence has powerful ripples across the World. Not bad for a man who stripped himself down to the bare essentials in life. Here's the first article that I read about it on SI.com.

Sorry I haven't posted for a while. Work has been a little crazy. I am reviewing a new running book and I hope to have things to say about running trails in Starved Rock, IL. I'm going there for 5 days and I'm excited.

NBx Prism Short Sleeve Review

2012-03-26T22:45:00.000-05:00

As some of you know, I visited New Balance Lincoln Square in Chicago to meet Jeff Mach and some of his team. You can read the whole story here. It was a good time and I was genuinely impressed by their passion for the New Balance brand and for helping their customers find the right gear. When I was there, Jeff was kind enough to give me a shirt to "try-out" and I feel like I owe him a review. I have shared some opinions on shoes in past posts but this will be the first time I officially review something. I never guessed it would be apparel but here goes.

The item Jeff gave me was the NBx Prism Short Sleeve in Tendershoots/Black (a sort of greenish yellow). Here are my honest thoughts:

Color / Design
I'm not a fan of luminous colors but the color of the Prism is growing on me. It also comes in a Black/Cherry Tomato (which looks dark gray) and Surf the Web/Black (a deep blue). I'm not a fan of the blue but the dark gray is very much my style for daytime running. Both the gray and the blue have a lime green vertical line down the back. This may help these darker shirts with visibility. I'm not a fan of that design element. The thicker diagonal lines on the back actually serve a purpose based on the way the shirt is constructed. More on that when I talk about material.

Reflection / Visibility

The NB logo on the chest and the NBx lockup on the hip are reflective. The diagonal lines on the back each have a reflective strip. The Tendershoots/Black color is a very high visibility color during day or night. I have done many runs in the dark on the streets of Chicago and visibility is key at those times.

Fit
I got a size medium and it feels pretty fitted but comfortable. I think they say the Prism is semi-fitted. The arms are a little shorter than many of my shirts and it is just over halfway down my bicep. I actually prefer a shorter arm like this.

Weight
New Balance says that the seems on the Prism are welded to help reduce weight. This is a super lightweight shirt. It is probably the lightest shirt I own. Shop New Balance says "Ultra-lightweight apparel gives you a distinct advantage in the great outdoors." I have no idea what that means but I shall look for this advantage they speak of.

Material / Feel
This shirt is an N1 Base Layer in New Balance's Layering System. It also has Lightning Dry wicking material and Crepe Knit with Polygiene® finish: 100% Nylon. I am going to be honest with you. The day sports companies stop using these trademark names and scientific mumbo jumbo for material, I will be a very happy man. Here's the skinny... The main fabric found around the front, arms and lower back is a very soft wicking material. When I was out for a run in cool weather the other day, a little wind was enough to keep it bone dry. Even in warmer weather when it retains more sweat, it is still much lighter than my other shirts. The shoulder and upper back area (above the diagonal lines) has a double layer with a honeycomb type material. I assume this is for venting and increasing the surface area to work harder at wicking moisture away from an area that typically gets saturated with sweat. This material may not be quite as soft as the main material but it does it's job. I was very impressed with this shirt's wicking ability.

Odor Resistence
I am very skeptical about products that claim odor resistence. Often shoes talk about it and I end up stinking them up every time. This shirt has Polygiene® silver-ion technology. I have to admit, after a few runs, I may be a believer. After the last run, I aggressively sniffed the shirt and could barely pick up my sweat odor. When the shirt is washed, it doesn't retain any odor at all. I am sure that the washing will reduce it's effectiveness over time but until then, it's stink free for me.

Wash / Dry
Many technical shirts require you to wash and then line dry. I often ignore this because it's just not practical for the way we do laundry. Who has a line these days? Most of my technical shirts dry wrinkle free, even when they are machine dried. This shirt wrinkles like crazy if it cools down in the drier and isn't folded when still warm. I had to wet it and re-dry it. Just something to be aware of. In reality, the creases would probably fall out with body heat but I can be really vain when it comes to things like this.

The Final Word
Probably the best running shirt I have from a wicking and weight perspective. It is up there with being one of the most comfortable too. I love shirts like this in the summer because they feel like you are wearing nothing. Obviously it could work as winter base layer too. My two nitpicks... I think the design element of the line down the back is heavy handed and I wish it was a little more wrinkle resistant. If you are in the Chicago area, you can grab them at the four Chicago New Balance stores. If not, you can get them at the New Balance Online Store among other places.

POST UPDATE 03/28/2012
So, my first review got it's first criticism from a reader. Ouch. I am really not a chauvinist. I just wasn't thinking. I know I have women readers. I'm sorry. I won't make the same mistake again if I ever get to review any other products.

There is indeed an NBx short sleeve shirt for women. It comes in Tendershoots (the same greenish yellow as the men's), Virtual Pink and Dewberry (purple).

The women's shirt is obviously more fitted than the men's and has a shorter arm. It also has an additional design element on the right arm. The venting panel on the back is black rather than the same color as the rest of the shirt which looks really heavy in my opinion. What I do like about the women's is that the venting panel comes tighter under the arm.

Loneliness of the long distance runner

2012-03-20T01:03:00.000-05:00

“Running has always been a big thing in our family, especially running away from the police. It’s hard to understand. All I know is that you’ve got to run – run without knowing why, through fields and woods. And the winning post’s no end, even though barmy crowds might be cheering themselves daft. That’s what the loneliness of the long distance runner feels like."

Colin running on a country road during the film intro.

Loneliness of the long distance runner is a famous British film from 1962 that was well known to me but I had never actually watched. It is adapted from a book by Alan Sillitoe and was Directed by Tony Richardson. It is set in a very bleak Nottingham (English Midlands) and follows the story of a boy named Colin Smith. It's in the tradition of "angry young men" works of the period that all dealt with post war disillusionment and class struggles. The film jumps from Colin's home life to his experience in borstal (juvenile detention center). This is my spoiler allert. If you are so inclined, please go watch the movie and then you can compare notes. Again, I'm not really a movie reviewer, I just capture what strikes me at first pass.

Through the film's constant flashbacks, we slowly pick-up Colin Smith's life story. Colin is played by Tom Courtenay who I remember well from the film Billy Liar. Colin's mother is very hard and very cold. She treats life, her sick husband, Colin and his three young siblings like a burden. We see Colin tuck his father into bed with a hint of love and respect. Later we get the sense that his father was a hard working and upstanding man – a different generation who valued the pride of a hard day's work, regardless of how little pay was involved. I can relate. My grandfather was the same way. He seemed genuinely hurt when society stopped valuing it the same way. Colin doesn't have a lot of respect for the law but at first, his crimes seem innocent enough, like "borrowing" a car to go on a joy ride with his best friend and two girls they pick-up. They all talk about London and getting away from their home town. There is a huge sense of discontentment among these teenagers and in the town in general. Colin puts a portrait of his parents face down on top of the TV. Later, we find out that his mother routinely cheated on his father and that she also constantly berated his him for not bringing home enough money. Colin respects his father but doesn't want his life. When his father finally dies, the family picks up insurance money and his mother immediately begins to spend irresponsibly. Colin starts to think of himself as the "man of the house" and is hostile to his mother's boyfriend. We see the first signs of Colin taking a different path to his father when he refuses to take orders from her. In an act of defiance, he burns some of the money that she gives him. When Colin realizes that he is on his own and that his mother doesn't intend giving him the role of patriarch, he breaks into a bakery with his best friend. They find over 70 pounds in a metal box (maybe as much as $2,500 in today's money). Colin likes to think of himself as cunning. He convinces his friend that they need to sit on the money for a while and stuffs it up the drainpipe of his house. It's a hiding place that immediately seems like a bad idea considering the weather in Britain. The police somehow suspect Colin and it's only a matter of time before the money is washed out at the most inopportune moment.

Ruxton Towers borstal likes to refer to itself as a reformatory. Michael Redgrave plays the Governor who genuinely seems to believe that he can rehabilitate the troubled young men. As soon as the Governor realizes that Colin can run, he becomes a "blue eyed boy." A boy named Stacy who was the former long distance champion is so frustrated by Colin that he absconds and is severely dealt with making Colin the "daddy" or alpha. Colin convinces his friends that he is playing the Governor but he becomes torn because he likes the perks and trust. You get a sense that he may even be starting to believe that he is destined for better things. A seminal moment in the movie is when the Governor starts to allow Colin to run long distance alone. He is clearly elated with the freedom. You start to suspect that he may actually enjoy running rather than believing that he runs to escape life or to get perks.

Colin running alone in the morning

There are many running sequences at this point of the film and initially, the focus is all on the sky which gives a sense of openness and freedom. You find yourself getting a little nervous during these moments because you don't want Colin to do something stupid and jeopardize his standing. The Governor starts talking to Colin about the potential for him to run in the Olympics in future but in the near term, he wants him to run in a race against a neighboring public school. It's the Governor's big chance to show people that he is making strides at Ruxton.

Colin takes a breather in the woods and stares at the sky

You start to forget all about Colin's cunning ways. You forget that he set out to con the "screws" (guards). You start to believe that he is reforming until his best friend ends up at Ruxton and questions his character. The other boys are not interested in Colin's potential. They view racing for the Governor as betraying your class and validate a system that they believe to be failing them. The day of the five mile cross country race, Colin seems cool and calm. He even acts like a gentleman and exchanges well wishes with his opponent. During the race Colin catches the lead runner from the public school but as soon as he does, all the positive and negative influences of his life flood his head. As he builds up a strong lead, the negative thoughts prevail and you get to see scenes of Colin looking at his dead father for the first time. Unlike his father, Colin is not going to bend to the system. He stops just short of the line and allows the public school runner to win. The Governor is obviously bitterly disappointed. The film ends quickly with Colin working with the other boys in the borstal with no privileges.

Colin allowing his opponent to win the race

It's a sad movie. On one hand there is disillusionment played out with defiance against the "proper" British upper class establishment. On the other hand, there is something very destructive and defeatist about it. There is pride in defiance but it comes at a bitter cost. Colin seems to have always hated his life. He talks to his girlfriend on the beach about trying to run away when he was a kid and always failing. You get the sense that Colin has learned that no matter how far or how hard you run, you can't stop being who you are. It's a shame. You really want the best for him. You desperately want to see him break through.

Some thoughts I had as I watched:

I’m curious to know what people really thought of long distance running in the early 60’s. Did they think it was bonkers?
The opening sequence is an instrumental of Jerusalem. The same stirring hymn plays on Chariots of Fire too. Later in the film, the boys in borstal sing it during an entertainment evening although they sing it like they are watching a soccer game. The film returns to it once more at the end.
I spotted a young Bernard Cribbins as one of the boys on the bus going to borstal. He is a much loved British actor.
Colin’s best friend is James Bolam. He was in a very famous TV series called The Likely Lads when I was young.
Arthur Mullard plays the second in command at the borstal. You may recognize him as the frightening man who gets a haircut by Mr. Pots at the fairground in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
It’s so funny to see things that may have a different connotation than they did when the film was released. There are inmates wrestling topless in their pajamas and the alpha dog is known as “daddy”.
It’s interesting to see how subordinates at work acted toward their boss in those days. There would have been class distinctions between the management ranks of course.
It was interesting to see the boys dismantling war-time gas masks as a part of their rehabilitation. It's a real statement about the change from war-time pride to post-war disillusionment.
It was funny to hear the boys at the borstal talk about eating horse meat. I know horse meat was eaten in the North of England before the war and maybe even after the war when there was a meat shortage. I’m thinking that prison inmates may have eaten the lion’s share of it.
Mr. Roach, the Physical education instructor at Ruxton seemed familiar. Wikipedia tells me that his is Joe Robinson, a well known British wrestler who has been in The Saint, The Avengers and numerous James Bond movies.
The concert scene is hilarouous. Fancy giving borstal boys a bird imitator and an elderly operatic couple as entertainment. You are asking for trouble!
The white public school track suits are ridiculous.

“I’ve been learning a lot lately. Trouble is, I’m not quite sure what I’ve been learning.” – Colin Smith

Minimus Zeroes in Austin Texas

2012-03-15T23:25:00.001-05:00

It's been a while. I was out of town and when I got back, our internet was down. I had the good fortune of being sent to Austin to the SXSW Interactive conference. I was excited to see Austin and there was a great bunch of people from work there. The conference didn't stimulated me like I hoped it would and I don't really like clubby parties but it was worth going to get to know folks from our other offices and meet with a few old friends that used to work in Chicago. I was especially excited about doing some running in warmer weather.

An Instagram of the Capital Building in Austin.
An impressive building that looks brown in the day and white at night.

A shot of a closed-down store near my hotel in Austin

On Saturday, I was so bummed. I had to run in the hotel gym because it was raining and cold in Austin. It was warmer in Chicago at that point! The treadmill was really low quality and didn't feel substantial enough. I was dehydrated and my shinsplints were in full force. I forced out 2 miles and then called it a day. My colleague Paul and I were both wearing our New Balance MR00's in red. I was hoping that the matching shoes was going to freak him out more but he played it cool. My laces came loose toward the end of the run. What's with laces that untie themselves? Haven't running shoe companies moved past that yet? The zeroes performed as they have in my other treadmill runs. They felt comfortable and forced me into better form.

On Sunday, I woke with a terrible migraine. I haven't felt really well one day since starting to take Terbinafine. It's a medicine that I am taking to make sure that I have no microbial infection as my toenail hopefully grows back. The stuff is nasty enough that I have to take liver panels to make sure it's not doing something bad to me. I took some painkillers, blackened the room and slept off the migraine. When I woke, I had a desire to run the cloudy feeling off. I decided to hit Lady Bird Lake Trail. It's a reservoir off of the Colorado River. If you want to go on a nice long run, you can use bridges to cross over and loop around.

Lady Bird Lake Trail map

You can check out my route on DailyMile. I had to run about 1.5 miles to Lady Bird Lake. I ran from the hotel down Lavaca Street about 1.5 miles before finding a way down to the Lady Bird Trail. It is really lovely and it made me fall in love with Austin. The fact that the weather transformed from cold and rainy to warm and sunny was a big factor too. The trail was mostly fine gravel but there were some muddy patches prtially covered with mulch. There were other runners out but it was fairly quiet. It was easy to forget that you were running right in the middle of the City. Even though I didn't eat breakfast and hadn't been feeling great, I found my stride and just floated along. On DailyMile I referred to it as "epic". I have been so frustrated running 2 miles because of the shinsplints and all the water I drank the previous day must have paid off because my shins were so much better. It was a pleasure to run longer. I ran about 3 miles on the trail before taking the 1.5 mile Lavaca Street hill all the way back to the hotel. I was definitely starting to feel it at the end and running strides to beat the traffic lights didn't help.

My DailyMile route.

Even the restrooms are cool on Lady Bird Trail

On Monday, I ran later in the day. The weather got pretty hot and I was desperate to explore the trail a little more. This time, when I got to the trail, I turned right instead of left. It was much busier with walkers and runners. My legs were very tired but I managed another 6 mile run. I knew I'd be paying for it in the coming days but I couldn't pass up this opportunity to experience running in Austin. Even with heavy legs and a slow pace, I really enjoyed the run. It made me see the light at the end of the tunnel with this comeback. It was my first run in the heat. I forgot to take my hydration pack and that was a mistake. When I got back to the hotel, I was really worn out.

Since then, I have taken a few days off to let my poor legs recover. It was too much running for where I was in my recovery plan but it was a sacifice I made to have the experience. No regrets. I just need to go back to being smart.

New Balance Minimus Road Zero

So, what about the New Balance Road Zeroes? As some of you know, I just got a pair of MR00's. You can check out my visit to New Balance Chicago here. After multiple treadmill runs and a couple of 6 milers on varying surfaces, I am starting to form an opinion. Overall, I really like them but there is room for improvement. They are a handsome shoe – a real head turner. The weight is fantastic. It's easy to forget how much weight plays into minimalism. The midsole feels thin – more than I thought it would. At first that concerned me because I like protection but as soon as I realized how much this shoe forces me to run with better form, I forgot all about it. The outsole doesn't cover the entire bottom of the shoe. It was adequate for the surfaces I was running on. I'd be curious to see how the sole wears in general. The traction was great on the road and gravel. A few times when I ran over mud, I felt a slight skid. That's understandable. It's not a trail shoe at all and shouldn't be expected to perform that way. The upper is really light and airy. It's snug and I like the taco tongue because it doesn't add pressure or rubbing points to the top of the foot. I wish there was a recess for the achilles because it is high and I have had some light rubbing in that area – nothing too bad. The insole is soft and fleace-like. It is so much more comfortable than my MT and MR 10's are with bare feet. On Monday when it was pretty hot, I hoped that the material would dry a little more quickly. I ended up with a blister on the top of my right little toe near the nail bed. I suspect that it may have been caused my moisture and the toe box. At times, the toe box does feel a little too tight. It's very generous compared to a regular running shoe but it is noticeably less accommodating than my MT10's for example. Maybe they wanted to streamline the front for aesthetics – I don't know. I just think they should think about this more. The comfort overall is fantastic and I haven't had any other issues – not even the slightest hotspot. My main point of frustration with the shoe overall was that the fine gravel was getting into the shoe and under my feet. There has got to be a way to tighten the seal around the foot to avoid this. I know that it's a shoe designed for the road but a fine gravel trail shouldn't be a stretch for a road shoe. I'll let you know if I have any other updates on them. Obviously this is my point of view based on my feet. Shoes are different for everyone.

It's good to be back in Chicago with my family! Hope you are all well.

POST UPDATE 03/17/2012
I don't want people to think that the Zeroes don't have a lot of toe room in the toe box. I make it sound like the toes are squeezed together. They aren't. It's probably a more roomy toe box than most things you have experienced. There is just something about the way that they contoured around the little toe that makes them feel tighter at that point than the MT10's. This is based on my foot shape of course. Just wanted to clarify to be fair.

Visit to New Balance Chicago

2012-03-07T23:14:00.001-06:00

I mentioned in an earlier post that Jeff Mach who owns the Chicago area New Balance stores had reached out and invited me to come by and try the new Minimus Trail 110's (MT110's). Jeff was nice enough to give me a shout-out on their Facebook page. He seems to get where I am coming from with this blog and I hope that I can continue to reach out to him for advice on how to crack New Balance and how to keep inspiring myself and others. After numerous emails and life getting in the way, I finally got a chance to meet him and some of his team at their Lincoln Park store.

Now don't get too excited. This doesn't mean that The Fool has arrived. I am not well on my way to sponsorship and all the spoils that come from recognition. New Balance stores are independently owned and operated licensee's of New Balance. Jeff and his partner are running a small business, they aren't New Balance corporate. Having said that, this meeting did give me faith that people out there are listening. If Jeff can discover my blog, so can the New Balance corporate running team or maybe even someone from the New Balance Wear Testing Program. Jeff and his business partner own three stores in Chicago (Lincoln Park), Oakbrook Terrace, Orland Park and Schaumburg. You can see the addresses on their website. I believe that Jeff said that Orland Park has a brand new space.

I was lucky to be fitted for shoes by Andrew. He was such a nice guy. Jeff asked him to show me how they go through the process. First I got measured and yes, my left foot is still a half size more than my right. I'm not sure why that freaks me out every time I hear it. Next, I ran on the treadmill. Now, there's not that much they can do for people like me who are hell bent on minimal shoes but for people who have issues, they do video capture and analysis it to help pick-out the right shoe. My form is terrible on treadmills—at least I feel like it is. Running in the MT110's, Andrew showed me that I was over-pronating with a subtle heel strike on my left foot but landing more neutral and flat footed with my right—interesting. I'm going to have sleepless nights about that. I also didn't know that it is more common to have issues be more pronounced on your less dominant foot. Next, he took me to a device that provides feedback on the pressure hotspots from your feet. He noticed that I have a lot of pressure on my metatarsal area. I have sensed this for a while. It was noticeably hotter on the foot where I had fractured my metatarsals and I have thickening from the repair. Based on his recommendation, I'd like to try their metatarsal inserts in my every day shoes to see if it helps. The heatmap also showed clearly that I have well defined arches. I was always told that I had flat feet and that seems to have changed over the last year and a half since I have been wearing minimal shoes. My podiatrist doesn't believe me but it's the truth.

Andrew was patient enough to let me try on three shoes. The MT110's, the MR00's and the MT00's. These were my impressions from my brief experience with them:

The MT110 is the shoe that Anton Krupicka (ultra trail runner) was very involved with. It's meant to be a minimal shoe with more protection for demanding trails. It has a rock plate in it, so I assumed it was stiffer which it is. This shoe looks heavy but it is amazingly lightweight for the protection it provides (it's only 7.75oz). It fitted my foot very well. It reminded me of the MT10 which is no surprise because Anton was involved with that shoe too and it's probably the same last (foot model made for making shoes). The inside is a little kinder to bare feet than the MT10. They felt great on the treadmill and by the feel of the sticky bottom, I bet they have great traction on the trails. I would love to buy this shoe for running more technical trails without worrying about bruising my delicate little feet. I would still consider buying the silver and orange but black is probably the most practical.

Next was the MR00's. These shoes just look so darned great. They fit my bare feet like a pair of socks. The taco tongue is really comfortable. The support across the front of the foot felt snug but not too much like I found the MT10 to be. The position of it is a little higher on the foot which helps. When I took them on the treadmill, I ratcheted the speed up to the mid 6 minute mile pace. I came up on my forefeet more and they felt as light as a feather (6.4oz). When I got off the treadmill, I realized that I hadn't been thinking about the shoe. A very good sign. The interior of the shoe has a comfy fleece-like feel to it. The green color looks so much better in reality than it does on the website but the red is so darned sexy.

The MT00's kinda blew my mind a wee bit. I have never seen anything like it. The upper is so paper thin that it boggles the mind. Andrew pointed out that you can see your bare toes through the shoe! The soles are all hollowed out which is why these things weigh nothing (4.4oz). When you fold them from heel to toe, there is almost no resistence. They are the most flexible shoes I have every tried on. Unfortunately, they did not have my size but I'd love to try running in them. I think these shoes will be popular with barefoot running types and they'll get plenty of road action. I couldn't see running on technical trails with a shoe like this—at least not fast as Andrew pointed out. On smooth trails, I'm sure they would be awesome if you want super minimal.

So, that was pretty much my experience at New Balance Chicago. Jeff seems like an incredibly nice guy and everyone I met in the store seemed super friendly. It looks like Jeff fosters a really healthy team environment. The staff are knowledgeable and because it is just New Balance, they are passionate about the brand and have more detailed expertise. I have always been a believer in seeing shoe color and being fitted in-store. Plus, it's nice to connect good people. Before this visit, I had some great interactions with Sarah Grzybek over email. I believe she works in the Orland Park New Balance store. She seems quite inspiring. She is involved in the Tinley Track and Trail group that is sponsored by New Balance. They are lucky enough to spend time on the local Palos trails. I would love to join a group like that but it's a little too far for me to travel. If you are in that neck of the woods, check them out on their blog. Jeff invited me to run with their employees and friends when they have locally sponsored races. I told him that I would enjoy doing that.

Jeff Mach and yours truly holding a MR00

Did you buy anything I hear you ask? Yes, I got the red MR00's even though my friend Paul forbade me from getting them. We will both be in Austin for work and he said that he feels weird about running with me in matching shoes. Sorry Paul. There were no green shoes in my size and I liked the red best. We are going to look awesome together. I hope that Jeff knows that I didn't go to the store expecting anything other than the pleasure of meeting him. I'm all for getting freebies from corporate New Balance but I wasn't at Jeff's store to mooch off a hard working small business owner. He was gracious enough to discount my shoes and gave me a new technical running shirt to try-out. I believe he said it was called the Prism and it's made with Polygiene that stops it from getting stinky. I'll let you all know how the MR00's and the shirt go. I'm so looking forward to getting out of the cold Chicago weather and into the ideal running weather of Austin, Texas. Watch out for my runs on DailyMile.

I asked Jeff if he had any advice on how to get into the New Balance Wear Testing Program. He said that he didn't and told me that only one of their employees has ever been involved. Argh! It's so elusive!

Runners World Heel Strikers

2012-02-29T23:30:00.002-06:00

I remember this Emo Philips joke really well. Don't ask my why.

When I was a kid, my parents used to tell me "Emo, never open the cellar door!" One day when they were away, I went up to the door, opened it and walked through. I saw strange and wonderful things I had never seen before, like trees, grass, flowers, the sun. That was nice... the sun.

I feel like heel striking is like this joke. Everybody was completely content with slamming their heels into the ground with padded running shoes until all of a sudden (at least it felt that way), heel striking is out. Nike was wrong. What were we thinking? It's hard to find a running publication that isn't warning about the dangers of heel striking. Born to Run slammed the final nail in the coffin I suppose. It's actually fun to see the running shoe companies all trying to get a cut of the minimal shoe market in response to this shift. Minimalist runner or not, I think it's good for everyone when companies are forced to innovate.

Let's be honest, lots of people heel strike. Some will want to transition to a mid-foot strike like I did over a year ago. Some will want to stick with what works for them, especially if they have been running injury free. There are elite heel strikers out there who won't want to mess with success. It is what it is. This post isn't about making judgements about heel striking or making judgements about Runners World for reporting on the shift from heel striking. It's just an interesting observation I made.

Last week when I was looking at Runners World, I couldn't help but think about the shoe advertisements. Many of them show a shoe that is contacting the ground at the heel. I was thinking that the shoe company marketers must be torn. On one hand, they have shoes built for heel strikers and they have Runners World readers who are currently heel strikers. On the other hand, Runners World (like all running publications) is talking a lot about heel striking as a thing of the past—something we need to correct on a path to natural form. No shoe brand wants to be seen as promoting something that isn't good for people or something that is no longer in vogue. After thinking about this and flicking through the pages, I suddently realized that Runners World is full of images of heel strikers. Here are some examples from the last two issues that I screen captured from my iPad...

Homer Simpson's heel strike is so pronounced that it's easy for a running nerd to overlook the pint of beer he is chugging as he sprints on the old mill.

Here is an example of an elite athlete heel striking. She is high off the ground in this picture, so when she contacts, it will be a less pronounced heel. Clearly it isn't hurting her performance. Desiree Davila was second in the U.S. Olympic Marathon trials and is going to the 2012 Olympics.

I suspect that articles like this feature stock photography. These guys may be models and not real runners but regardless, the guy in white is about to heel strike like it's 1999.

Probably a model stock photo shoot. It's hard to tell if she is running or power walking. Since it is about running, I have to assume that's what she is doing. The camera angle makes this photo scream heel strike.

Yikes. There is nothing magical about injuring yourself running over the moat of the Disney castle. This lady is going to crack a tile. Even the seven dwarves are all heel striking for crying out loud. See.. we have become so accustomed to heel striking that illustrators draw it as the default.

Holabird is a sporting store near Baltimore. I'm not sure where they got this low budget photo from but the man's a heel striker and darned proud of it.

Lucy makes "activeware" for women aparently. I had to look it up. Their model who may or may not be a runner is just about to heel strike.

Is Lululemon so well known that they can only show their symbol? I'm not so sure. It took me ages to remember who it was. It also took me a while to work out what the ad meant. For a progressive wellness brand, there is a whole lot of heel striking going on in this picture. To be fair to them, it looks like a photo of a real race.

Here we go again with Disney's obsession with heel striking. Thank goodness that candles and mop heads (I think that's what they are) can't heel strike.

So, what does all this mean? Nothing really. I think the images in Runners World reflect what is happening in the real World. Sports scientists and running publications may be excited to talk about the benefits of a mid-foot strike but there are millions of heel strikers out there. Just because we have become enlightened about running form and body mechanics doesn't mean everyone became a mid-foot striker overnight. Maybe overly padded shoes will become the exception—not the rule. Maybe mid-foot striking will be the default for most runners. Maybe illustrators will think mid-foot when they draw runners. We'll see what the future holds. Until then, check out the discrepancy between articles that talk about running form and running photos in mags like Runners World.

POST UPDATE 03/01/2012

My friend Doug made a good point. He said that a heel strike looks more elegant in a still photo and many photographers love to capture the moment when the foot is fully extended outward. Doug is a heel striker who re-trained using Chi Running in order to avoid chronic injury.

A ballet inspired come-back

2012-02-26T00:16:00.001-06:00

My friend Marnie had been following progress of my big toe. I had to have the toe nail surgically removed. You can hear about it and see it here if you dare. She knew that I wanted to get back running as soon as I could and had seen how sore it had been. She was kind enough to bye me this...

Initially I wasn't sure where she was going with it but she explained that ballet dancers use wool to pad the toe of pointe shoes. You'll notice that Pillows for Pointes lambs wool is sterilized for purity. Unless ballet dancers eat the wool after their performances, I'm not sure how sterile the wool really needs to be. It's for stuffing sweaty shoes for crying out loud! I was also amused to see that this one ounce sack of goodness was inspected by Aunt Fleecia. The whole point of having an "Inspected by" note is so that people have confidence that a real person worked on the product. Apparently Pillows for Pointes feels that it is worth making consumers doubt the integrity of all "Inspected by" notes just so that they can have a little word-play with "fleece!" You are playing with fire PfP and that is a bad thing for a company who deals in wool.

Marnie told me that when she used to dance, she used wool like this. What she remembered the most was how it was fine enough to protect without feeling like it took up space in the shoe. She thought that I would appreciate having some protection without having to have a dressing or something that would fill-up the toe box. It was a very thoughtful and insightful idea. I thought I would give it a shot, especially since I tend like to run sock-free as much as possible. I tried to wrap it around my toe but it kept coming loose inside my New Balance Minimus Road 10's. I thought about taping it to my toe, I even thought about filling the toe box entirely with the wool but in the end, I gave up. I just wanted to run without anything changing my gait so that my knee experienced a well balanced first run.

The wool failure led to another good idea. The New Balance Minimus Trail 10's have a massive toe box that is pretty soft. The only trouble is that the rubber strap that goes across the metatarsals had been tight on the left foot when I bought them (a known issue for some people) and had become unbearable after I fractured the foot. The bone had thickened around my metatarsils. You can see the X-ray in this post. I remember reading on some blog about someone cutting the strap and was happy with the results. I decided that cutting the strap was better than permanent retirement. I cut the the left shoe strap and decided to repeat the procedure on the right because I wanted balance. The shoes are probably not as sock-like as they were but are still a snug fit. There is no discomfort from the straps at all now. I hated cutting them and making them visually imperfect but I am delighted to get my old favorite shoes back in rotation. As you can see from the left shoe in the picture, the space is wider where I cut it because that foot needs a little more room.

So, with some old friends on my feet and the excitement of a first run after 3 weeks of knee and toe issues, I planned to go out with my son Charlie (6). He has been asking me about our next run and that has made me very happy. As some of you will remember, I was having a hard time connecting with him. You can read about it here. Our relationship has been great lately and I credit it to many things—running being one. He is a great kid. A wrecking ball but also a sweet boy with an infectious lust for life. I was so surprised how quick he was to identify what he needed to wear for the weather. He even picked out a pair of Maggie's leggings to wear as running tights. Without prompting, he selected a lighter pair of gloves, so that his hands wouldn't get overheated. A real pro.

The Humboldt Park run was fantastic. The 12 minute a mile pace with Charlie was perfect for my first run. I just wanted a great experience with no knee pain and that's just what I got. Charlie chose to run around the perimeter of the park instead of through it. It was a good call. The internal paths would probably have had too much ice on them. The sun shone across the lake and was just warm enough on the face to take the edge of the winter bite. You couldn't help look in it's direction. We ran, we talked, we laughed and we raced. Every time there was a sign post, Charlie took off and told me (conveniently late) that it was "first to the post." He was so happy to win these short sprints every time. He did his usual veering off the sidewalk to run on the ice and snow which inevitably led to him wiping out. He thought it was hilarious. He didn't seem tired and managed to run the entire 2 miles without a stop—that's a first. We stopped by the lake when we finished the loop and Charlie threw large blocks of ice into the water and made the geese real nervous. He was thrilled to be going home to tell mom he ran 2 miles non-stop. He even asked if we could go again the following day. Why not I thought!

A part of me wants to get an email from an 87 year old Aunt Fleecia after writing this post. I'd have to apologize for not believing she was real but it would be worth it. As for the wool, my daughter Maggie (7) will be delighted to use it for all sorts of art projects and who knows, I may try the toe wrap again, especially if I wear shoes with a smaller toe box like my Kinvara's.

It was a good day. My sinus infection is lifting, my knee pain seems gone and my toe is healing perfectly. I had a fun run with a fun kid. I feel uplifted. The World seems brighter to me through running colored glasses :-)

I'm addicted to you babe... you're a hard habit to break

2012-02-19T22:26:00.001-06:00

Now being without you

Takes a lot of getting used to

Should learn to live with it

But I don't want to

Being without you

It's all a big mistake

Instead of getting easier

It's the hardest thing to take

I'm addicted to you babe

You're a hard habit to break

Yes, it's Hard Habit to Break by Chicago but you already knew that—don't pretend you didn't. It's nothing to be ashamed of.

I'm not going to lie, spending time away from running has made me very unhappy. I'm sure you are sick of hearing it from me. Ironically, it's not this feeling that has me thinking more about running addiction. It's a few comments made by doctors that tuned me in.

World's oldest marathon runner

I once heard that medical practitioners have to ask the average abused women about possible abuse three times before they finally open-up and talk about it. Is there a similar protocol for running addiction? I have encountered references to it at nearly every running related medical visit so far. I couldn't tell if these two doctors were testing me to find out if I had addict qualities or if they were just thoroughly annoyed by running addicts. Maybe it was a bit of both.

Addiction Reference #1
At the end of last summer, I was having some pain in my left foot between the 2nd and 3rd metatarsals. The Orthopedic specialist told me that the X-ray looked OK but that I should rest it for a short time. He said "Maybe you aren't addicted to running because you listened to your body and stopped running."

Addiction Reference #2
At the beginning of last Fall/Autumn, the pain in my foot was worse. It turns out I was right about there being a problem. I had developed two stress fractures in my 2nd and 3rd metatarsals. When the doc called with the MRI results, he said "This is going to go one of two ways. You are either going to cancel you Half Marathon and wear a soft cast for 6 weeks or you will do what the running addicts do and run the Half and get a full fracture which will put you out for a long time. I'm working the medical tent, so I will be there when you get the fractures." I felt that taking the soft cast was the prudent thing to do.

Addiction Reference #3
I had a damaged toenail (nothing to do with running) and had to have it surgically removed. If you have a strong stomach, you can read about it here. The Podiatrist (that's a Chiropodist in other parts of the World) told me to come back in two weeks to see how I was doing. Last week, he told me the wound was looking great. I asked him how soon I could run. He said "If you are addicted a week. If you are not, two." I asked him if it shouldn't have been two weeks for everyone. He said "Addicts don't listen. They won't even wait the week."

I feel like I past these three challenges. I am pretty confident that I am not addicted to running but I was curious enough to look into it a little more. I thought that I could score some pointers to avoid getting addicted in future. From the attitude of the Docs, addicted runners sound like selfish d-bags.

Who would capitalize on addiction but marketers? As insightful as this Nike TV spot is about running, true addiction is something to take seriously. I remember the horrible lack of control when I was addicted to Marlboro cigarettes back in the day. I am told that there are people out there that are truly addicted to running. These are not people who love to run and can't get enough of it. They are people who have no choice. Fitsugar.com suggests that an addiction like this has a "negative effect on your spirit or your body." That's right folks, these people stop enjoying running because they have lost control. Worse than that, their bodies are breaking down under the strain of doing more than they can physically handle. That's a terrible shame. Like any addiction, exercise addiction has celebs who have "come out" about it [he rolls his eyes]. Renée Zellweger has an addiction of running 7 miles a day on a treadmill. I'm no expert on her but she seems like she is someone who may have had her share of body image issues and eating disorders. Running is a great excuse to inappropriately burn calories. Eminem claims he was running 17 miles a day. He is known to be a recovering addict. Apparently endorphins have a property similar to morphine, so it would make sense. It's a pretty healthy addiction to substitute for a more life threatening one although it sounds like he is suffering from the pain of too many miles.
The tricky part with running addiction is that you can still look good. Renée looks great these days and Eminem has been looking good too. Running is great for you. It's just a shame that for some, they turn the corner, lose the love and hurt their bodies in the process.

So, how do people stop themselves from turning that corner? What are the signs? Well, here are some but as you can see, they can be vague.

You suffer from symptoms of overtraining syndrome

It's a complicated thing to diagnose but it boils down to the body being exhausted and needing rest. Your performance may not be dropping but it may have plateaued. You have an on-going feeling of jet-lag-like fatigue. I don't think I have personally experienced this with running. I like to think I would listen to my body if I did.

You force yourself to exercise even if you don't feel well

What does "don't feel well" really mean? I find that if I go for a sensible run when I have a cold, it really helps me get over it much quicker. If I have full-blown flu on the other hand, I doubt that I would be out pounding the streets.

You almost never exercise for fun

I can't imagine running and not enjoying it. I do it for the love—nothing more. If I didn't enjoy it, I wouldn't be doing it.

Every time you exercise, you go as fast or as hard as you can

This was me when I didn't know any better. I was using the "no pain no gain" rule. It wasn't until I read Jack Daniels' book that I realized that different types of runs at different types of paces work different systems of the body and make you a stronger runner. Since then, I have done more fun runs without worrying about pace, etc. I do tend to push myself too hard. That is something I have to watch out for. It never used to be a problem but I'm not getting any younger.

You experience sever stress and anxiety if you miss a workout

I am OK missing a workout or two. I only feel more stress and anxiety if I haven't been running for many days and part of that anxiety is the frustration of not knowing when I will be back on track. I don't think it's strange to feel bad about missing something you love, especially when it pumps endorphins into your system.

You miss family obligations because you have to exercise

Um. No. My running happens around my family. My wife would put me in my place if I was selfish enough to not value that. I do think it becomes important in relation to the family. If running makes me a better me, it should help me to be a better husband and father.

You calculate how much to exercise based on how much you eat

Even when I lost 45lbs, I didn't try to drop the weight by lowering calories. I counted calories in the beginning just to see what my portions were like. In the end, I ate healthier, ate sensible portions and ran—simple as that.

You would rather exercise than get together with friends

I'm a bit of an introvert. I think many runners are. If I wasn't married, I would be living in a cave. I'm social at work but I like time alone. With a wife and three kids, the only times I have alone is when I run or workout. I may be a little guilty of this but my wife helps to keep me balanced. It's one of the reasons I love her.

You can't relax because you think you're not burning calories

That's just loco Neo.

You worry that you'll gain weight if you skip exercising for one day
If I run regularly, I don't weigh myself if I have missed some time off. The one thing I am guilty of is not wanting to gain too much weight when I am injured. There is nothing worse than starting back running and carrying extra weight. I'm just being honest.

How did you do as you read these? I think I OK. If you want to try some other questions to make sure you are not an addict, I found a survey online that I put in a Microsoft Excel document to automate the score. Go to this link on my Google Docs and download it (top right).

All of these points are helpful to keep a temperature check on the situation but for me, the real measure of addiction still comes down to a compulsion to run that is accompanied by a lack of enjoyment and/or a punishing regime that is having a devastating impact on your body. I'm not there. For now, I'm happy being a little obsessed with running and keeping the scale tilted in the right direction:

Healthy Habit / Unhealthy Addiction

Ovett, Coe and Cram

2012-02-16T00:14:00.001-06:00

A quick confession and then I'll get on with it. I'm still having a hard time focusing on getting stuff done since I took a break from running. My head is just not in the game. I feel guilty about it. I started this blog when I had a stress fracture and it was meant to be self motivating—a healthy distraction. It turned into a passion that I was starting to believe may be motivating others too. Now, look at me! I'm feeling all blue and not posting very often. It's no good. I really do need to shake it off. I am probably going to try running again in another week or so. Keep your fingers crossed for me that the mysterious knee issue will be gone.

Onto the post at hand... This is a something I have been writing off-and-on for quite some time. It's a follow-up to a post I wrote about rockstar runners of my younger days in Britain. You can check it out here. This post is dedicated to Jim White because he is a track nerd :)

In Christianity, there is the Holy Trinity. In early 1980's British middle distance running, there was Ovett, Coe and Cram. To a kid, they were magical. I had no knowledge of running—no context for what I was watching. All I knew was that when major athletics were on the TV, it was these three men who were dominant and I was hooked like the rest of the country. It was the first time that athletics had been elevated to the rockstar status of soccer. How thrilling it was to see these men bring home major medals. It was an amazing amount of middle distance running talent for such a focused period of time and a small geographical area. I didn't want this post to be just a regurgitation of pure facts. I actually wanted to learn something, so I thought a fun way to approach it would be to see if the myths about them that I believed when I was a kid held true or not. This is what I believed back then:

They emerged magically at the same time
They were from different social classes and had very different temperaments
They were very different runners
They all raced the same distance
Ovett and Coe disliked each other but they both liked Cram
Any one of them could have won

Steve Ovett, Steve Cram and Sebastian Coe

First, let's just get a basic reminder of who they are:

Steve Ovett, OBE
He was born in 1955 in Brighton, England. He was a naturally talented runner who loved to run any sort of race. His family recognized his potential early-on and committed to supporting his running career. He hit the senior running scene big time in 1973 and was dominant through the rest of the 70's and early 80's. In 84, he started to have fitness issues and his career wound down until he retired in '91. When he retired, he did sportscaster work and ended up moving to Australia, a place he had trained during British winters. Ovett was awarded the OBE (Order of the British Empire) by the Queen. The following clip shows Ovett's incredible kick that obliterates a World class field.

Lord Sebastian Coe, KBE
Seb was born in 1956 in London and grew up in Sheffield, England. He was a frail boy who came from a good home. He had a slow start in school and didn't qualify for grammar school but made up for it and attended Loughborough University. His father became his running coach. His first big break came with a win in '77 and he was dominant from the end of the '70's well into the mid '80's. He started to have fitness issues around '88, even though he was still capable of strong runs. After recurring chest infections, he retired in 1990. Seb was the same over-achiever in retirement as he was on the track. He became a member of Parliament for the Conservative Party. He was a Council Member for the IAAF and later became Vice President. He was awarded the KBE (Knight Commander of the British Empire) by the Queen and was given a life peerage which means that he became a member of the House of Lords. He won further admiration from the British public for leading the bid to bring the 2012 Olympics to London. He had a watchdog role for FIFA which he gave up in order to pursue bringing the 2018 World Cup to England. He is still a worldwide ambassador for Nike and owns a chain of health clubs. The following clip shows Coe winning the '80 Olympic 1500m but has a very interesting interview with Ovett where he talks really eloquently about his frustration with the Ovett/Coe rivalry.

Steve Cram, MBE
He was born in 1960 in Jarrow, England. His nickname was "The Jarrow Arrow." He grew up in a hard working family with very little money. That region of Britain was very depressed at the time. When he started making money from running around 1980, he was paying his parent's mortgage. He studied Sports in University. He was only 17 when he first appeared at a Commonwealth Games. He was dominant in the early '80's but started to fade in the late '80's even though he had some strong runs into the early '90's. He retired in 1994. After retirement, he became a very well respected sportscaster for the BBC. He was awarded an MBE (Member of the British Empire) by the Queen. Steve is an ambassador for the 2012 London Olympics. The following clip shows Steve taking the Gold in the '83 World Championships. He was not always the strongest kicker but this is a fine finish against a really talented field.

So, after a little research, what did I learn that expanded or changed my perspective?

They emerged magically at the same time.
There is no doubt that having three World class runners coming out of a small country like England during the same period of time is amazing. No wonder that it seemed magical to me and to the rest of the country.

In reality, it wasn't quite as synchronous as it seemed. For anyone who was following running and not just major televised races (like me), they would have seen the progression. Ovett was really making a name for himself on the senior circuit as a teenager in the mid 70's whereas Coe's running matured a little later. The younger Cram came onto the big stage around '80. There was definitely a window of time when they were all gold contenders but due to injury, their peek periods weren't exactly well aligned. I created a timeline to explore it. More on that later.

They were from different social classes and were very different men
I believed that Ovett was a tough, cocky, working class lad who had a bit of an anti-establishment attitude. I believed that Coe was an upper class gentleman who was calm and quiet. I believed that Cram was a happy-go-lucky working class kid from the North. After a little research, I don't pretend to know these men in great detail but I do feel like I got a more realistic impression of them. I think I got a much better sense of Ovett which wasn't limited by the British press' opinion of who he was.

Ovett really wasn't the street fighter type that he was made out to be. His family didn't have much money but he came from a good home and went to grammar school. He had been cocky and intense from his teenage running years and was certainly an aggressive runner. He was exceptionally confident and was known to throw up his hands in victory as early as the final turn. The fact that he shunned the press made them focus on his "bad boy" shenanigans and contrast it with Coe's exemplary behavior. Some suggest that Ovett's passion to race other people was so intense that his exuberant behavior was uncontrolled and unfairly judged as borderline impetuous. One thing is for sure, off the track Ovett was a very respectful and gracious sportsman. The one good thing about his reputation was that it made him more relatable to the general public. He was a bit of a people's champion.

Coe in contrast was calm, polite and politically correct. He was the ideal athletic role model. He wasn't really upper class but he did have the mannerisms of public schoolboy runners of years past. He was intense but in a more brooding and reflective sort of way. He was incredibly disciplined and focused. He was a warmer person and made time for the press which turned him into a media darling. His words were humble but at times, he seemed a little too self focused. I suspect he thought of his body as an instrument—something to work on and perfect.

Cram is nowhere near as documented as the other two. It's harder to get a feel for him other than his likable personality that shines through in sportscasting. It must have been hard coming up underneath two giants of running. Even in his prime, I don't think Cram had anywhere near the confidence that Ovett and Coe did. He seemed almost too nice at times. He was the good natured working class boy from next door. He always had a smile and a good word for people. He was often referred to as "Stevie" which reflects the affection that people had for him. He was incredibly humble and it felt very honest and heartfelt coming from him.

They were very different runners
At the time, I knew nothing about running but I had a sense of them not running the same way. I think I thought that their running somehow reflected their personalities. In a way, it did.

Ovett was a stalker which is why he did not focus on record breaking earlier in his career. He liked races that were slower and more tactical. He could physically fight to maneuver himself and then hang-back in the perfect stalking position ready to kick. His 200m kick could be devastating. What I didn't realize before spending more time watching him run was how smooth and relaxed he looked in mid flow. He is one of those runners with a short torso and long legs.

Coe was a very disciplined runner. His training with his father was precise and grueling. On races that were slower and more technical he could get himself into trouble. He favored going out very early and breaking down the competition with punishing sustained pace. The amazing thing about him was that when he did this, he inexplicably had gas left in the tank for a final kick. Maybe I am biased but when I see Coe run, he looks like he is floating smoothly along—it's a beautiful and effortless. I'm not an expert on running form but I love to watch him.

Cram was said to have great form. Apparently, the knee lift and turnover was excellent. To my eye, he seemed a little long and gangly. He ran on the balls of his feet and his feet were slightly turned out. To me, it was like watching a young puppy who hadn't quite grown into his body. Don't get me wrong, he looked amazing, especially from the side—just not quite like Coe in my opinion. Cram didn't have the finish that Ovett and Coe had, so his preferred technique was to wind up the pace gradually to the finish and hope that he had run the kick out of his opponents.

They all ran the same distance

As a child, you don't really focus on the distance—not unless you are really interested in running. As a TV spectator with no knowledge, it's all the same thing. Just men running around a track until they are done.

All three men ran various distances. The 800m and the 1500m happen to be the premier distances for major events. It was interesting for me to learn that Coe favored the 800m whereas Ovett favored the 1500m. This was incredibly ironic considering that Coe took 2 Olympic Silvers for the 800m and 2 Golds for the 1500m. Ovett took a Bronze in the 1500m and a Gold in the 800m. Steve Cram was more focused on the 1500m. Obviously the Mile was important to all of them because it was a classic distance and the British obsession with it was forever frozen in Carbonite when Sir Roger Bannister broke the 4 minute barrier.

Ovett and Coe disliked each other but they both liked Cram

Again, this impression was really fueled by the story that the press put out there. The rivalry was a huge deal. Going into the '84 Olympics must have been so intense for these men. Like being at the Olympics isn't stressful enough!

It seems that there was no real grudge between Ovett and Coe other than the usual athletes desire to be dominant. I'm not saying that they were compatible personalities, I'm just saying that they admired each other and both seemed to wish that the press wouldn't play up the rivalry in such a negative way. Ovett said "Seb is the caliber of athlete that only comes around once or twice in a lifetime." At times, the press was just plain unfair to Ovett. On one occasion, they speculated about Ovett arguing with Coe and Coe later reported that Ovett was actually talking to him about another runner that had just beaten them both. Coe said that he never intended to alienate Ovett further from the press by being transparent and accessible to them. He said "Steve was the most talented athlete I ever ran against."The earlier video shows Ovett wishing that the press would celebrate them both and think of them as a team going into the Olympics. I'm sure Ovett and Coe both liked Cram What wasn't to like? The worst thing I ever heard him say was that Ovett's 200m kick was predictable. That's nothing. Kicks are predictable. Ovett's advantage was a turn of speed that outmatched his opponents—not the element of surprise. These three men were always very respectful and complementary of each other. It's how it should be.

Any one of them could have won.
In my mind, I see all three men running. I have the excitement of knowing that there are medals coming home to Britain but there is also the excitement of knowing that there is no firm pecking order. On the day, any man can win.

Maybe Ovett and Coe winning each others favored distances in the Olympics is what made this stick in my mind but it's not really an accurate reflection of how it played out. Their careers didn't quite flow the same way and their peek periods didn't quite align. Cram's dominant period was as Ovett and Coe started their decline. Ovett and Coe rarely ran against each other and they were often not fit at the same time. Even when they traded World records, they were usually not running in the same race. In order to get a better feel for how their careers flowed, I created the timeline below. It's was actually very helpful for me to see it laid out like this. It's missing all the details of races that give a full perspective of their performance but you can you still get a feel for how things played out.

1974
Ovett takes a personal best (PB) for the 400m and wins a Silver in the European Championships 800m

1976
Ovett gets his first Olympic experience at 21 years of age, placing 5th in the 800m final. He did not make it to the 1500m final.

1977
Ovett has a PB in the 3000m and wins a Gold at the IAAF World Cup 1500m.

1978
Ovett has a PB in the 800m and the 2 Miles. He breaks the World record for the2 Miles. He wins a Silver in the European Championships 800m and a Gold 1500m.
Coe came onto the scene breaking some British records. He won a Bronze in European Championships 800m.
Cram got his first experience in the Commonwealth Games at 17 years old.

1979
Ovett has a PB in the 1000m
Coe is on fire this year. He has a PB in the 400m. He takes World records in Mile, 800 and 1500 (in 41 days)

1980
Ovett tied Coe's World record in the 1500m and then took the record outright. He took Coe's World record for the Mile. He beat Coe with a gold in the Olympic 800m and surprisingly took bronze in the 1500m.
Coe had a PB in the 5000m, he took the World record for the 1000m (briefly holding 4 records). He took a disappointing silver in the Olympic 1500m but caused an upset with gold in the 800m.
Cram had his first Olympic final experience, placing 8th in 1500m.

1981
Ovett has a PB and a World Record in the Mile. He won gold in IAAF World Championship 1500m, World Record in Mile
Coe – PB 800m and 1000m, World Records in Indoor 800, 800, 1000, Mile X2, European Championships Silver 800m

1982
Ovett has a PB in the 2000m but suffers from a knee injury.
Coe has a PB in the 2000m. He takes the World record 4x800m relay. He becomes sick with glandular fever.
Cram takes advantage of the other two being injured and has a foundational year, winning the gold in Commonwealth Games 1500m and the gold in European Championships 1500m.

1983
Ovett has a PB and World record in the 1500m. He struggled in the World Championships and was injured.
Coe took the World record Indoor 800m, Indoor 1000m. He became very sick for months with Taxoplasmosis
Cram also was injured but then recovered to take the gold in the World Championships 800m.

1984
Ovett has bronchitis in Olympic finals. He finds it hard to compete in the 800 and drops out of 1500.
Coe takes the Silver in the Olympics 800m and gold in the 1500m.
Cram is injured that year but recovers enough to take silver in the Olympic 1500m.

1985
Ovett couldn’t find his form.
Coe wanted to move to the 5000m distance but had a lot of back issues.
Cram was on fire. He took the World record in the 2000m, 1500m and the Mile in just 19 days.

1986
Ovett had PB in the 5000m, winning a gold in the Commonwealth Games.
Coe had a PB in the 1500m and the 3000m. He won silver in the European Championships 1500m and gold in the 800m.
Cram had a strong year winning gold in the Commonwealth Games 800m and 1500m. He won a Bronze in the European Championship 800m and a gold in 1500m.

1987
Ovett struggled at the World Championships
Coe was out injured
Cram had a Golden Mile win but started to struggle and was 8th in World Championships.

1988
Ovett failed to make Olympics
Coe had chest infections and could not qualify for the Olympics.
Cram won the Dream Mile and had an impressive Olympic trials. He was favorite for the Olympic 800m but a calf injury prevented him from making the finals. He recovered enough to take 4th in the Olympic 1500m.

1989
Ovett continued to wind down.
Coe took a silver in the World Cup 1500m.
Cram started to wind down.

1990
Ovett continued to wind down.
Coe had more chest infections and retired.
Cram only managed a 5th at the European Championship 1500m.

1991
Ovett retired.
Cram eliminated in the European Championships.

1994
After a few years of continuing to wind down, Cram retired

A few other things that I learned along the way:

Coe had a great relationship with his father who became his coach. Coe claims that his dad was ahead of his time when it came to training techniques. When people told his father "You are killing him", referring to Seb's training, he would say "Yes, I'm killing him all the way to a gold."
Ovett had strange training patterns and often befuddled other runners and coaches by doing things like running a local half marathon right before a major race. This type of behavior is really in contrast to Coe's precise and measured training plans.
A couple of fun facts about Coe. My friend Jim said that Seb came to his highschool. He was showing them squat exercises and Jim claims that he had remarkably large quads and hams—not side to side but from front to back. Another acquaintance of mine Victor who used to be an elite marathoner back in the day told me that Coe was doing some sort of exhibition where he was demonstrating an amazing vertical jump. Clearly the man had some powerful legs—no surprise there!
In the earlier video, Ovett and Coe both talk about how short lived being a top class middle distance runner is. It's not a topic you hear a lot from top runners. It seems very honest and a little bit sad.
Ovett had been dominant in the late '70's. He had a few uneventful races against Coe as juniors. I have to imagine that it must have been a shock for him to see Coe sweep 3 world records in '79. It made me think about the impact they must have had on each other's careers. How much better did they make each other?
Coe may have pressured Ovett to become more of a record breaker. Before Coe was on the scene, Ovett was more interested in racing people. In order to break records, he had to change his race patterns. When you are a racer like Ovett, it's a big deal to go out earlier as a front runner to chase down a time.
Ovett and Cram got to experience the Olympics without expectation of winning their first time. Coe took a silver and gold his first Olympics. I'm sure this had a lot to do with timing in relation to career development but it's still impressive.
When Coe lost the 800 in the '80 Olympics, he was devastated. Apparently the loss really rocked him. It's understandable after years of training to feel that way. I'm not sure how his dad motivated him but to brush himself off and take the gold in the 1500m showed an amazing amount of focus and self discipline.
I forgot that Ovett and Coe were under pressure from the British Government and public to not go to the '80 Moscow Olympics. Ironically, the Russians had invaded Afghanistan and the U.S. and Britain was unhappy with them.
The '84 Olympics could have been really interesting if Ovett and Cram were on top form. That could have been the big show-down for the three of them. Sadly, only Coe was on form, so we'll never know.
Apparently when Coe didn't qualify for the '88 Olympics, they tried to bend the rules to get him in. He even considered running for the Indian team (he is part Punjabi).
It's a shame that Cram was injured in the '88 Olympics. He was always in the shadow of the other two and this could have been his moment to shine without them. Cram never got the credit he deserved. I have always thought about how cruel it is to be a World class athlete at the same time as anomalies like Coe are in your sport. It's the same as being second in the World to Lance Armstrong.
It was interesting to see Ovett and Coe trying to turn themselves into 5000m specialists around '85 and '86. I never really heard much about that.
I was interested to learn about the death of Steve Cram's younger brother Kevin. He died at the age of 39 while he was running near his home in Wales. He was alone and in a coma for 5 hours before he died because he wasn't carrying identification. Steve was 2 hours away in London. Kevin was in the mortuary for another two days before he was claimed. It was this traumatic experience that led Steve to partner with Reebok to create the CramAlertID wristband. This sad story reminded me of why I decided to get a RoadID. Check out my post about it.
In 2010, it was reported that the big Ovett/Coe rivalry was to be turned into a film by the BBC but I never heard anything more. I'd love to see a documentary that digs into the true rivalry—not the personal rivalry that the media exaggerated.

After spending quite a bit of time learning a little more about these men, I am a little ashamed to say that Coe is still my favorite and it's purely from the way he runs versus his personality or some other factor. I really want to watch the Born To Run movie (not to be confused with the book). It looks like it has lots of footage of him training with his dad.

Steve Ovett, Sebastian Coe and Steve Cram

Here are a couple of quotes to close out the post:

"I became a great runner because if you're a kid in Leeds and your name is Sebastian you've got to become a great runner" Lord Sebastian Coe

"When you're fit, you're fit" Steve Cram

"Sometimes I run and I don't even feel the effort of running. I don't even feel the ground. I'm just drifting. Incredible feeling. All the agony and frustration, they're all justified by one moment like that" Steve Ovett

POST Update Feb 16th, 2012
A couple of people have told me that Coe isn't popular at this point in time. This post is obviously historical and my preference for Coe is based purely on how he ran—not the person he was or is now. As someone who hasn't been exposed to the media in Britain since '92, I'd be interesting to hear from any British readers. I'd love to know how they felt about about all three runners back then and how they feel about them now based on their experiences of them through news and sports, etc.