Barefoot in Arizona

I'm Still Alive

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 02:20:00 +0000

Okay, I know I've been MIA for a while now, but no need to send out the search party just yet. I've been taking a much needed break from running after finishing my best season of running ever--by far--and seem to have lost the motivation to do much of anything else--such as write--at the same time.

Which isn't to say that I've been completely idle. In the last couple of months I've run my first 50 miler, my first barefoot race, and my fifth ultra in 5 1/2 months (reports for all three coming soon). I finished up my 7 day fruitarian challenge, which ended almost exactly three months after it started (it turns out that 1, I can't count, and 2, I really like fruit). I've been marketing my book (mostly unsuccessfully), starting CrossFit, and relearning how to cook (I'm thinking of doing a paleo challenge). In unrelated areas, I've also started on a CD of hymn arrangements for piano that I'll be writing and recording, and Emily and I are in the midst of planning our upcoming vacation, 9 days of which will be spent running through the Crete Senese of southern Tuscany.

I can't look at this without getting hungry

All of which has given me a lot to write about but very little time in which to actually write. But never fear, more actual content to come. Stay tuned.

Redemption Tastes Sweaty: McDowell Mountain Frenzy 50k Race Report

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 22:18:00 +0000

It's strange how things end up sometimes, especially when it comes to the human body (and super-especially when it comes to my body). DNF'ing at Pass Mountain 50k was a demoralizing, embarrassing experience that apparently shattered my ambitious plans for the year (it was number 3 of the 8 ultras between September and March that I was signed up for). Still, as much as I'd had my heart set on finishing the races I'd signed up (and paid) for, the last spark of common sense in me told me to not be an idiot and to take time to heal before I did real damage. So, I went down to Tucson for some Graston Technique therapy, cut out most of my running, and resigned myself to running a shorter (non-ultra) distance at McDowell Mountain Frenzy the following month.

Fast-forward to four weeks later. It was 7 or 8pm the night before the race and Emily and I had just finished setting up our tent when it occurred to me that both of my Achilles tendons felt pretty good. I tried bouncing up and down for a little bit. No pain at all. That's weird. A thought--probably a stupid thought--started to form in my head. I wonder if they'd last through a 50k... One fierce internal argument later, I decided to wake up in time for the 50k and see how I felt then.

Amazingly, I still felt fine the next morning, so I said what the heck and lined up with the 50k runners. This would not be a particularly easy race to drop from but I promised myself that if things weren't going well I would call it a day, even if it meant walking 10 miles back. I really didn't want it to come to that, so I started out extremely slowly, even by my standards.

10 miles in, the backs of my ankles still weren't painful but they felt a little bit off, so I kept the pace slow. It wasn't until mile 15 or so that I felt warmed up all the way, but once I was, my legs started feeling better and I let myself run more. In fact, over the next 10 miles I felt better and better.

By the time I came through the start/finish area at mile 25 I felt fresh as a daisy. I was a little bit tired but not much, and my legs felt the happiest they'd felt in over a month. On top of that, my watch read around 5:30-something, which put me on track for a PR. I wasn't sure how it had happened, but it had somehow turned into a good day for me. I refilled my bottles and pockets and took off like the proverbial bat out of H-E-double hockey sticks and covered the last 6 moderately hilly miles in under an hour (which for someone with a road marathon PR of 4:25 is borderline supersonic). I crossed the finish line in 6:35, 43 minutes faster than Paatuwaqatsi and over an hour faster than Cave Creek.

I couldn't believe how well the day had gone. Not only had I run a PR, but I had felt great doing it. It was my first 50k in which I genuinely felt good the whole race, instead of wishing for death to take me like I usually do the last few hours.

So how did this happen? Beats me. The moral of the story, I suppose, is once again to listen to my body, whatever it is trying to tell me. I did that when I DNF'd at Pass Mountain and I did it when I ran here, and both ended up being the right decisions. I also think my injury ended up working to my advantage. First, being constantly worried about my legs forced me to pace conservatively, which gave me my first negative-split ultra. Second, it forced me to take some time off from running, which in retrospect was probably rest I badly needed. Even aside from the injury, I didn't enjoy Pass Mountain because of how lethargic I felt. It was a beautiful day but and a scenic course but I couldn't muster any enthusiasm for running. Looking back, I was exhibiting textbook overtraining symptoms. After four weeks off, I was ready and eager to run again.

Due to my extreme laziness, I'm writing this five weeks after the race. Since then, I've been training moderately but consistently for Coldwater Rumble on January 19, where I will be attempting the 50 miler. Based on McDowell Mountain I'm cautiously optimistic, but if I've learned anything from the experience it's that you never know what will happen.

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Order my children's book about barefoot running: What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?

The Secret to Good Health

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 20:14:00 +0000

I read an excellent article recently about the problematic nature of scientific research in the area of human health, and it made me think of all of the idiotic news stories I've read recently about how exercise is bad for your heart, or obesity helps you live longer, and on and on. If you've ever been worried or confused by headlines like these, I encourage you to read the article. One eye-popping statistic is that about two thirds of the studies published in top medical journals reach results that turn out to be wrong. (Let that sink in for a moment. Two thirds--that's a result 16% worse than having a monkey flip a coin.) The article goes on to parse out the reasons for this; two of the big ones are the difficulty of experimenting on humans and the journals' preference for exciting results (scientific journals love catchy headlines as much as any other news source).

So where does that leave us? If we can't believe the latest sensationalist headlines, what do we believe? Well, for starters you don't have to completely throw out scientific research; you just need to take everything with a grain of salt and work with the assumption that if a result of a study doesn't seem to make any sense, there was probably something wrong with the study. It also helps to look at research about a topic as a whole, instead of just one study. Over time, the scientific community often (but not always) corrects itself. The problem from our end is that the "Oh wait--exercising is healthier than sitting on the couch eating Cheetos after all" articles tend not to get quite the same press coverage.

Newspapers try to avoid using the word "duh" in their headlines

But let's take a step back. Does it really have to be this complicated? Do we really know so little about the needs of the human body that we have no idea what a healthy lifestyle looks like, or are we just being willfully ignorant? I believe that deep down we all know what we're supposed to be doing, we just don't want to do it. And like a kid who puts off homework until the last minute in the hope that somehow there will be a snow day or the school will burn down, we all secretly cling to the hope that someday science will justify our current lifestyle.

I can't help but wonder if this accounts for much of the success of the Atkins and paleo diets. If you tell a kid that he doesn't have to go to school because the school burned down, he's not going to become suspicious and demand proof; he's going to start planning his day off. Likewise, if you tell an adult that, yes, a whole plate of bacon and some chicken wings is a healthy meal, you're not going to get the same degree of skepticism that you would if you asserted that bacon causes AIDS.

In reality, there's nothing mysterious about getting healthier. Everything you need to know you heard from your mother as a kid. "Finish your vegetables." "Go play outside." "Eat your apple slices and stop asking for a Twinkie." The only trick is to buck up and stop acting like you don't know what you're supposed to be doing.

So what is it that we all know? Let's start with things that we all know are good for us: fruit, vegetables, exercise. Many people would argue that there are other things to add to that list, but let's cap it there for the moment. (Others would argue that some of those items are bad for you, and if you are one of those people, do me a favor and slap yourself.)

(Side rant: if you're following the paleo lifestyle and refuse to eat fruit because of it, I've got bad news for you: you aren't paleo, you're on the Atkins diet. There's never been a real hunter-gatherer who refused to eat fruit because it wasn't on his diet.)

Okay, now let's cover the things that we all know are bad for us: fast food, processed food, refined flour and sugar, sedentariness, tobacco, excessive alcohol. Again, there are a lot of additional items we could add, but let's stop here.

Now, assuming you're with me so far, we have two lists that we can all agree on, one of things we know are good for us, and one of things we know are bad for us. Guess what? That's really all you need to know to be healthy. The only secret to feeling better, weighing less, getting fitter and living longer is to get more of the first category and less of the second. It's really that simple.

Now, obviously there are a lot of foods that don't fall into our two groups, and aside from a few crackpot studies and diets (*cough*, Atkins, *cough*) it's those other foods that are the subject of most of the health debate. It's tempting to join in the fray, but first you really need to ask yourself this question: are you getting lots of our first group--are you eating tons of fruit and veggies and exercising regularly--and avoiding the second? Because if you aren't bothering to do that, you have no business arguing the details of an optimum diet. Go finish learning arithmetic, and then we'll talk trig.

Okay, back? Great. Opinions differ greatly over the relative merits of virtually all the remaining foods. I'm sure you're dying to hear mine, so here it is. Personally, I divide them into two main groups. One, foods that are probably bad for us but may be okay in small quantities: red meat, dairy, eggs, olive oil, honey, alcohol. Two, foods that are probably healthy but that are either debatable or not as healthy as fruits and veggies: whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fish. That gives me four groups total, which represent a progression from healthiest to unhealthiest:

Fruit, vegetables
Whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fish
Red meat, dairy, eggs, olive oil, honey
Fast food, processed food, refined flour and sugar.

This also represents a chronological progression for me. Three years ago my diet mostly consisted of foods from groups 3 and 4. Gradually, I gave up the foods in group 4, then group 3, and finally group 2, so that now my diet is comprised almost entirely of fresh fruits and vegetables. At every stage along the way there was a marked improvement in the way I felt, in how much I weighed, and in my running performance.

Like this, but with fewer lobbyists

So there you go: the secret to good health in one blog post. Let me know how it goes.

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Order my children's book about barefoot running: What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?

Barefoot Running: The Movie Review

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 22:30:00 +0000

I had previously mentioned this movie here, so I was excited to get my hands on a copy to review. It is made by Michael Sandler and Jessica Lee of runbare.com, and is a follow-up to their book called (surprise!) Barefoot Running (I also have a copy of that and am currently working my way through it--review coming soon).

This is a great movie to get if you are curious about barefoot running, currently run and want to improve, or know someone who could use a push in the right direction. Michael, the star of most of the movie, has put in the literal and figurative miles both running and teaching and obviously knows what he's talking about. His story of how he found barefoot running is truly remarkable, and manages to be both inspirational and horrific (and if you think he's making it up, just wait for the part where he shows you where his ACL used to be. Oof.) Jessica brings a different, complementary perspective in her sections which gives the movie a nice variety and change of pace.

The movie is 76 minutes long and is split into 17 bite-size chapters:

1. Why Run Bare

2. Michael's Story

3. Anatomy of Running

4. Jessica's Story

5. Proper Running Form

6. Syncing with Nature

7. Warming Up

8. Proper Running Form

9. Benefits for Women

10. Form Drills

11. Nature Play

12. Balance Drills

13. Blindfolded

14. Building Pads

15. Recovery

16. Footwear

17. Happy Trails & Credits

The chapters are easy to digest and make it easy to find portions you want to review. They cover form, drills, warming-up, cross-training, footwear, and quite a bit on the play and spiritual/philosophical aspects of barefoot running. These last sections have irritated some of the reviewers here but I find them to be very valuable. Not only are they some of the most enjoyable parts of running barefoot (nothing will make you feel more like a kid or closer to nature than being barefoot in the woods), but the more in touch you are with your body, the more successful your transition will be and the less likely you will be to injure yourself. Far from being new age mumbo jumbo, exercises which teach you to listen to your body have the practical value of protecting you against the injuries that many people assume are inevitable.

The video is designed for beginners but those who have been barefoot running (or running shod, for that matter) for years will still find much that is new and helpful. The advice overall is very good, and ranges from the familiar (ChiRunning practitioners will recognize the section on pelvic tilt) to the new (rolling your foot on a tennis ball before running to warm up the muscles). There were a few parts that confused me, usually offhand comments or use of some of Michael's quirky terminology. For example, at one point he recommends running with "hand weights" (which would be a terrible idea) and it wasn't until a little bit later in the movie that he mentions that "hand weights" is his term for shoes that he has beginners carry with them (which is a great idea). On the whole, though, the instruction is clear and straightforward and free of misinformation.

I can't help but mention the fantastic cinematography. The production quality in general is very professional, way above what you might expect for a how-to video in a niche sport, and the locations (all in Maui, which is much more diverse than I realized) are gorgeous. In fact, in addition to making you want to kick off your shoes, this movie will also make you want to move to Hawaii. It's also surprisingly entertaining, not at all the bone-dry monotone that instructional movies tend to be. I have to give two quotes that I especially like: "If it's a fad, then it's the longest fad to ever be on the earth". "You'd never put on your shoes to steal a cookie." Love it.

In sum, it's a great movie--instructive, entertaining, and inspirational. I highly recommend it. You can get your copy on Amazon.

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DVD provided by the authors.

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Order my children's book about barefoot running: What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?

My Year in Review

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 22:55:00 +0000

Well, 2012 is coming to a close, and since we've survived the Mayan apocalypse it looks like I should start preparing for another year after all. Running-wise, the year has had its ups and downs but overall it’s been a remarkably productive time full of adventures for me. I know you’re dying to hear the details, so here is my 2012 in review.

December 2011 (yes, I know that’s not 2012. Deal with it.)

I ran my first marathon (the Holualoa Tucson Marathon). This was a huge jump in distance for me since I had finished my first half marathon only six months earlier. It was also the first race I ran in huaraches (my homemade original Lunas).

January 2012

Emily and I went on a cruise to Hawaii (basically an extremely belated honeymoon). Oddly enough, it ended up being our first vacation to feature running as one of our main activities. We ran virtually every day, including the seven days at sea, and when we were on the islands we ran when we would have otherwise walked. What we found was that our runs were some of our favorite moments of the trip and that running is an extremely pleasant and efficient way to visit a place. Our next vacation is going to be entirely on foot, and we can’t wait.

March

We ran our first trail race, the Mesquite Canyon half marathon. After this race, all interest I ever had in running road races vanished. Honestly, I’m not sure how I ever put up with them—the hotel cost, the hassle of parking, the crowds, the monotonous urban scenery, waiting in line for 45 minutes for a porta potty, the people who think it’s okay to cut in line for the porta potty even though everyone else has been waiting in line for 45 minutes (Garrrghh!!!), and on and on.

June

Emily ran her first marathon (Rock n Roll San Diego), paced by her loving husband/pacer/Sherpa (I brought a lot of snacks). This was my second marathon and only the second time I had run farther than 22 miles. The experience was a mostly positive one, though it highlighted for me how much I preferred trail races (I had to consciously resist punching people in the porta potty line). On the plus side, I ran part of the race barefoot, which was another first for me.

It was also in June that I started this blog, which I’m sure was a significant event in the lives of many of you. It certainly didn't seem very significant to me at the time since I assumed that no one would ever read it.

July

In July I ran the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim. Now, this was an adventure. In fact, it's still my favorite running adventure I've had to date.

August

Emily and I ran our first race on the Hopi reservation, a 10k in the ancient village of Oraibi. The experience made such an impact on me that I ended up writing a whole series of posts on Hopi races and running tradition.

September

We returned to Hopi land for Paatuwaqatsi 50k, an absolutely unique race and my first ultra.

September also marked the milestone of receiving my first pair of free shoes to review, which was pretty exciting for a shoe nerd with a limited budget. The unanticipated downside of my dawn of swag has been that ever since then I've had a backlog of gear that I haven't gotten around to reviewing yet. (Sorry guys; I'm working on it).

October
I ran my second 50k, Cave Creek Thriller.

I also had my first experience pacing and volunteering at Javelina Jundred, which inspired me to write this post on the Christ-like service common at ultras.

November
My attempt to run my first three ultras in three consecutive months resulted (predictably) in my first DNF at Pass Mountain 50k after I tweaked my Achilles tendon by adding speedwork on top of peak mileage. Not my brightest moment.

November wasn't all bad news though, since it saw the publication of my first book, a children's book about barefoot running that (in my biased but correct opinion) is the most adorable thing in the history of ever (though I should mention before the gods smite me for my hubris that the adorableness is mostly due to the fantastic illustrations which, unfortunately, were not done by me).

If that weren't enough, Emily and I also got the nutty idea of trying a fruitarian diet for a week, which (now a month later) has mushroomed into what is increasingly looking like a permanent lifestyle change. (Okay, I just realized I used not one but two food metaphors in that sentence and neither of them involved fruit. How's this: "We thought we'd be going bananas, but so far everything's been peachy"? Better?). I'm currently working on that post, and the results are surprising. Stay tuned.

December

December has been a good month so far. I bounced back from my injury and ran a PR at McDowell Mountain Frenzy (report for that is coming as well). It was my first 50k where I genuinely felt good at the end, instead of wishing for death to take me like I usually do.

Last but not least, Emily is finally making the switch to huaraches. She bought herself a pair of Luna Leadville ATS's for Christmas and had a blast breaking them in during our Christmas morning 10 miler in the desert. Hopefully soon I won't be the only nut running around in sandals at our races.

Next Year
So that's 2012. What does 2013 hold for me? Based on how surprising this year has been, I have no idea, but here is what I'm planning/hoping for:
- I will be attempting my first 50 miler at Coldwater Rumble on January 19. I'm a bit freaked out by the distance, but given how well my last 50k went I'm going to just close my eyes and jump. We'll see what happens.
- Once I have a 50 miler under my belt, I want to attempt a Grand Canyon double crossing (rim-to-rim-to-rim), preferably in the spring. Ever since my single crossing I've been itching to try it. Hopefully this will be the year.
- If everything goes well, I'd like to take a crack at Javelina Jundred next October. This is still a bit of a pipe dream at this point, and I'm certainly not signing up just yet, but a 100 miler is something I want to work toward in the coming year.
- I also want to make the year as injury-free as possible. To that end, my two resolutions are to:
(1) Accept that high-intensity speedwork just gets me injured and focus on mileage and gradually increasing my easy run pace.
(2) Cross-train more. I've increased the amount I do a lot this year and it has really helped my running, especially strength training on my legs (air squats, etc.).

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Order my children's book about barefoot running: What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?

My Book is Currently 32% Off!

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 19:22:00 +0000

My children's book about barefoot running, What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?, is currently 32% off at Amazon. ($8.80, down from $12.95). I don't know how long that price is going to last since it's a discount offered by Amazon, so if you've been thinking about getting a copy now is the time to do it. It's a great Christmas present for the barefoot runner--or skeptic, for that matter--of any age, so procrastinators I'm making things easy for you. Go buy some copies now!

"But what about sneakers, should I wear some of those

While I'm running around so I don't stub my toes?"

...

"No, silly bear--listen to me, please:

To go run around you don't need galoshes or skis.

"You just need some feet and some fur in the breeze

And some grass and some sunlight, and maybe some trees.

"For a bear's foot should be barefoot; it's really the best way

For a bear to run around on a honey-sunny day."

Kigo Drive Review

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 03:31:00 +0000

I'm not sure how to categorize kigo footwear. The company refers to its products as "footwear for the barefoot lifestyle," so I guess I'll go with that. However you describe them, the shoes kigo make are a bit different from any other that I've tried. They're definitely blazing their own trail, and I like that.

kigo (the company doesn't capitalize its name) is obviously completely dedicated to two principles: the benefits of minimal footwear, and the importance of making as little environmental impact as possible (as their website puts it, "shoes that are good for the body and for the Earth"). To that first end, all kigo shoes are zero drop, thin, lightweight, flexible, and without toe spring. To the second, the shoes are constructed with as much recycled material as possible (the uppers are entirely made from recycled plastic jugs, for example), made with non-toxic glues and dyes, shipped with minimal packaging in a recycled box, and so on (and the list does go on and on--kigo's dedication to environmental consciousness seems to border on obsession).

But I mean that in a good way

The drive (again, all models are written in lowercase) is kigo's active model. It has a canvas-like water-repellent upper, quick-adjust elastic laces, and a 2mm sole. Total weight is around 4 ounces. There is also a 2mm removable insole. As with all kigo shoes, there is no toe spring. There are two colors available, grey and black. I got the grey.

Pictured: not the grey

The drive retails for $91. The price is apparently a result of the eco-friendly materials and construction, which is of course a lot more expensive. For comparison, VIVOBAREFOOT also uses environmentally conscious manufacturing and makes some of the most expensive minimalist shoes on the market. (On a side note, what is it with these companies and capitalization? Does a mixture of upper and lower case letters create some sort of toxic byproduct?)

Although not a cushy shoe, the drive is surprisingly comfortable, with or without socks. The shoe is designed to be able to be worn without the insole, and that's the way I use it. The stitching is flush so going sockless without the insole isn't a problem.

The appearance is something you'll probably either love or hate, and you don't need need me to tell you which group you fall into. However, one thing that may not be obvious from the pictures is that although the drive looks a bit like a water shoe, in person the fabric has a canvas-like look and feel.

For you ladies who don't like the look of the drive, kigo also makes two Mary Jane-style shoes. My wife Emily is not a fan of the drives but just ordered a pair of the flit in black to use as a semi-dress shoe.

The drive and the flit

One design characteristic that I'm not a huge fan of is that the sole, in addition to having no toe spring, is flat from side-to-side as well. This makes the shoe want to be completely level all the time, instead of following the movement of the foot. It's not the end of the world but I found it annoying, especially in a shoe that is meant to encourage natural foot movement.

Pancake flat sole

The sole doesn't bend from side to side very much at all. However, from front to back it is very flexible.

The drive works surprisingly well for running. The only problem I had was that the forefoot is just too narrow for me. It's not terribly narrow, and I didn't have any problem when walking in the shoe, but while running I couldn't splay my toes as much as they wanted. (My feet are probably an average width for a barefoot runner). According to the kigo website the upper should stretch over time, although I haven't noticed any difference after 25+ miles of running.

I ran both with and without socks and never had any problems with rubbing, although I didn't do any long runs in the shoe. Groundfeel is very good, as you would expect with a 2mm sole. (I never ran with the insoles in since I wanted the extra room.) There is sufficient protection for running on gravel but you will feel every rock. Flexibility is good, at least front to back. I wish it were more flexible from side to side, but I don't think the lack of lateral flexibility affected my gait very much. All in all the drive felt fairly natural to run in. The elastic laces are sufficiently secure for road running and allow the shoe to be slipped on and off. Traction is good on wet or dry pavement.

Conclusion

The kigo drive is a minimal shoe capable of doing a bit of everything. It will work for casual wear, walking, low mileage running, or for anytime you want a thin, zero drop shoe that doesn't mind getting wet or dirty. It's available on the kigo website. In addition, from now through December 21 you can get 50% off your order on the kigo website. You can find it here.

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Shoe provided by the manufacturer

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Order my children's book about barefoot running: What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?

Why Ultrarunning is the Most Christian Sport

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 03:47:00 +0000

This is surprisingly close to what an aid station at an ultra looks like

"What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed shaken by the wind?" (Luke 7:24)

About a month ago Emily and I spent a weekend at the Javelina Jundred 100 mile ultra in Fountain Hills, AZ. We volunteered at an aid station from 3-11pm, hung out with some really great people until 2am, and then I paced a runner for her last 24 miles (we finished a little after 9am). I had run a couple of 50ks and was toying with the idea of running longer distances someday, so this weekend was meant to give me an idea of what a 100 mile race really looked like. What I saw made a huge impression on me, but not for the reasons I expected.

I expected feats of endurance and the human will among the runners, and I did see that. But what really made the biggest impression was seeing the non-runners--the volunteers, pacers, crew members, and friends and family--and the way they gathered around, supported, and loved the runners to the finish. I couldn't help but be reminded of Jesus washing his disciples' feet, of the Good Samaritan, or of the command to love our neighbor as ourselves. In fact, I had two phrases running through my head the whole weekend: "Christ-like love", and "a servant's heart." Those two phrases sum up for me what is special about ultrarunning, and why I want to continue to be a part of it.

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:3-4)

Last week Jason Robillard, in the midst of what seems to be an extreme case of burnout, posted an article titled The Narcissism of Running. Shortly after Vanessa Runs posted a response titled Are Ultrarunners Narcissistic and Self-Centered? In Vanessa's post she lists numerous times in her experience when ultrarunners have taken the time to stop to help other runners who were lost or discouraged, or even non-runners who were broken down on the side of the road. I have to say this is consistent with my (limited) experience. Runners, especially ultrarunners, are usually eager to help and encourage each other, and very few--even among those who have a chance of winning--act as if a race were the zero sum game it theoretically is.

And this is exactly what a medical tent looks like

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23)

Reading that list, I'm struck by the fact that I saw every one of those qualities demonstrated at JJ100. Many of those qualities are needed to finish a hundred miles, and all of them are required to deal with someone who is in the process of attempting it. I saw volunteers cheerfully fill the bottles of runners who forgot to thank them, girlfriends changing their groaning boyfriends' disgusting socks, and elites keep glassy-eyed back-of-the-packers company at 4am. What I didn't see was slapping, yelling, or any enforcement of a no-thank-you-no-water policy.

Now, I hope to run a 100 miler some day and the main reason why I decided to volunteer and pace at JJ100 was to find out what to expect. In other words, my reasons for helping out were mostly selfish--although what I did was kind of miserable, I chose to do it because I was getting something out of it. This wasn't the case with the other people there. Most of the volunteers and all of the pacers I met were runners who had been around the block and knew exactly what the experience would look like. They weren't there to learn something; they were there to help.

"Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35)

Pacing is pure service. It means tending to a runner's physical and emotional needs at a time of weakness, with no reward, no matter how badly you feel yourself, and no matter how badly they treat you (I was fortunate enough to have a runner who was always nice, but you hear stories). What's really remarkable about ultrarunning is that pacing isn't confined to a particular class who serve the elites (such as domestiques in bicycling, where some people will spend their whole careers as helpers for the big names, or baseball, where even the titles given to ballboys and batboys are demeaning). Instead, pacing is something the elites take pride in doing as much as anyone else. At Javelina Jundred, two of the big name runners were Hal Koerner (two-time winner of Western States, etc.) and Jenn Shelton (famous from Born to Run and for being an amazing runner and all around awesome person). And how do elites like Hal and Jenn spend their free time? Well, here's a picture of Hal at Western States this year:

More precisely, that would be Hal pacing Timothy Olson at Western States this year (the same year as Hal's win at Hardrock 100).

And Jenn?

That's Jenn at Western States in 2010, pacing Anton Krupicka.

In stark contrast with every other sport, ultrarunning elites at the height of their success will choose to put themselves in a subservient role, a role of providing service. This is part of the culture of service in ultrarunning that extends from the people setting the course records to the people barely finishing.

"Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 12:1)

What all of this adds up to is a sport infused with love, generosity and selfless service, where service is emphasized and celebrated. Now, can you run ultras and be a rude, selfish, narcissistic person? Of course. My point is that the more you immerse yourself in the ultrarunning community--the more you run, and pace, and crew, and volunteer--the more you will be exposed to real, Christ-like love, and I figure it has to wear off eventually.

"Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep." (Romans 12:15)

An ultra may seem to have no purpose, but ultimately what they end up being is a time for people--often strangers--to come together and practice treating each other the way that we should be treating each other every day.

Maybe it's all pointless, but at the very least it's good practice for how we should be behaving in our everyday lives. It's like how people say that you should behave the other six days the way you behave on Sunday. For the ultrarunning community, I'd say that's doubly true.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (II Timothy 4:7)

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Luna Sandals Leadville ATS Review

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 20:46:00 +0000

After the success of Born to Run, it would have been natural to assume that there would be a surge of interest in running in huaraches. However, in contrast to the dramatic (and, to those of us who endured the phrase "gorilla feet" in 2009, surprising) rise in popularity of FiveFingers, huaraches have never become mainstream. Three years later, you see people wearing VFFs to the grocery store but huaraches are still mostly confined to purist (or maybe extremist) minimalist runners. I think this is largely due to what has always been the inherently do-it-yourself nature of the huarache. Kind of like flyfishing or playing bassoon, a sandal newbie had to essentially learn a new craft just to get to the point where he could try the activity. Even if you don't make the sole yourself, with traditional laces you're still in a way making your shoes from scratch every time you lace them. That, and the periodic need to retie the knot on the bottom, gives a traditional huarache a fluid, organic quality which I love but which is a huge barrier to the beginner. You can't just pull a pair out of a box and try them out.

Until now, that is. Huarache companies have finally reached the point where they are selling sandals that are ready out of the box, no assembly or special training required. And the monkeys at Luna Sandals, as they have always done, are leading the way once again. Their latest generation of sandals is now at a point where they are ready for the mainstream. And, I might add, they are fantastic to run in.

Ted learning how to make huaraches from the Tarahumara runner Manuel Luna.
(Note the banana.)

The Basics

Luna Sandals is a Seattle-based company founded by Barefoot Ted McDonald (of Born to Run fame) and Bookis and Scott Smuin. Luna currently offers two models: the Original Luna and the Leadville. The Leadville is Luna’s trail model and is the thickest sandal they make. The sole is made out of 10mm Vibram rubber and has a shallow tread pattern on the bottom. One of Luna’s newest innovations is the MGT footbed, which is a thin layer of sticky material glued to the top of the sole. MGT stands for Monkey Grip Technology and is designed to keep your foot from sliding across the surface of the sole, especially when wet.

Luna offers a variety of lacing options; the one I tried is the ATS (All Terrain Strapping) which is Luna’s latest slip-on style. It is made out of soft nylon webbing except for an elastic section behind the heel and a thinner piece of webbing between the toes. This piece of webbing connects to the sole by a countersunk plug so there's no knot under the foot. The strap adjusts via an easy to use plastic buckle.

To help you figure out which size you need Luna helpfully provides outlines of each size that you can print and stand on. This is a pretty foolproof way of doing it and it worked well in my case. Just remember that it is normal for the side holes to be somewhat under your foot--this had me worried until I went back and checked my other sandals and discovered that they were the same. If you want a pair custom-made to the exact shape of your foot you can make a tracing, send it in, and the Luna monkeys will make a pair to fit your feet. The Leadville costs $95 with the ATS laces. The custom option is an extra $15.

Happy feet

Comfort

These are very comfortable sandals, both when running and when used for casual wear. The ATS laces feel soft against the skin, the ribbon between the toes is barely noticeable, and the elastic heel section stretches as you move so it doesn't pull or rub against your heel. My feet were always happy when running even at the end of a 50k. In fact, after my last 50k I ended up keeping my Leadvilles on for several hours and wasn't dying to get into something else. Somehow I don’t think the same was true for all those people wearing Hokas.

Aesthetics

I really like the look of the ATS laces. They don’t call attention to themselves (which wallflowers like me will appreciate) but they have a finished, well-made appearance.

Testing out my pair at the McDowell Mountain Frenzy 50k
(I look suspicious because as a blogger I am constantly hounded by paparazzi)

Performance

To date I have somewhere over a hundred miles of road and trail running on my pair (including one trail 50k) and overall I have been very happy with the way they have performed. The 10mm sole (around 11mm with the footbed) is more than enough protection, even during my 50k which was on a trail full of sharp, pointy rocks. I’m planning to attempt my first 50 miler next month on similar trails and this is the sandal I’ll be wearing.

Wet terrain testing location

Traction is very good on both dry and wet surfaces. I did a very damp seven mile run in Oregon over the Thanksgiving weekend on a trail which went around and behind several waterfalls and the Vibram rubber gripped surprisingly well on wet trail and rock. The real problem with huaraches, though, is traction (or lack thereof) between your foot and the footbed. The MGT footbed is a huge improvement over the naked top but is still very slick when soaking wet. However, when dry or even damp, it grips the foot pretty well. So what happened when my feet got drenched was that for about 30 seconds afterward my feet were sliding all over the place, but once the excess water came off and the sandal became merely damp the footbed started gripping and my feet felt secure again.

Fortunately, "Merely damp" is the Oregon state motto

Overall the ATS laces perform very well. In dry environments they are sufficiently secure unless you are going to be doing a lot of climbing or scrambling. The weakness of the ATS system is that in the heel section the strong nylon webbing is replaced with elastic. This elastic is comfortable and keeps the strap from falling down in the back (one of my pet peeves) but makes the laces less secure. When running or (especially) walking up steep hills, the elastic can allow the foot to slide off the back of the sole. This was never a real problem for me, except when the sandals were soaking wet. The times when the sandals were soaking wet and I was attempting to walk up a steep hill, the sandals became almost unuseable and I had to walk up sideways just to stay on my feet. For someone like me who lives in a pretty dry environment, it’s a minor problem, but if you are going to be spending a lot of your time with wet feet I would strongly recommend getting traditional laces.

My dream all-weather sandal would be the Leadville with the MGT footbed but with traditional 3/8" leather (or maybe nylon) laces with the countersunk ribbon from the ATS laces. You can currently get this exact setup except with hemp laces, so maybe I'll get my wish sometime soon.

Another perk of the MGT footbed is that to some degree it seems to prevent blisters. Since my foot remains glued to the sole instead of sliding around there isn't as much friction. At least, that's the way it seems to me. I very well might be crazy, but after 31 miles of running at McDowell Mountain I didn't have a single blister or hot spot. So there.

Conclusion

When it came to huaraches there were traditionally a number of things that people (including yours truly) often complained about. They included:

Huaraches are hard to tie
They make you look like a gladiator
Can be uncomfortable between the toes
They take specialized knowledge and/or skill to make/tie/maintain
You can't buy them pre-made
The knot under the toes is irritating
The knot under the toes tends to break
You feet tend to slip, especially when wet
You have to retie/adjust them each time you put them on
The heel strap falls down, especially on downhills

With their latest generation of sandals, Luna has addressed every one of these issues. The current Leadville ATS is a sandal that is straightforward enough for the novice, rugged enough for the ultrarunner, and comfortable enough for the beach bum. I have no plans to stop wearing my pair anytime soon. You can buy a pair for yourself here.

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Sandal provided by the manufacturer

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Order my children's book about barefoot running: What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?

My First Interview

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 04:26:00 +0000

In case you somehow missed all my blog posts (or Facebook posts, or tweets) lately, I recently published a children's book about barefoot running called What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run? Chris over at Barefoot Beginner just finished up a giveaway of a copy of my book and in conjunction with that he did an impromptu interview of me over at the Barefoot Beginner Facebook group about what it's been like writing and publishing a children's book. He has since spruced the interview up a bit and posted it on his blog. Go check it out. (And while you're at it check out Chris' blog. He's a barefoot runner from the Lancastershire moors and has a different perspective from most American bloggers.)

Book Review: The Barefoot Running Book by Jason Robillard

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 23:10:00 +0000

Many of you reading this blog are probably familiar with Jason Robillard. He's the author of the blog Barefoot Running University, a frequent contributor on the Runner's World and Barefoot Runners Society forums under the name Last Place Jason, and all-around barefoot celebrity.

Basically Emma Watson with a more feminine haircut

When he hasn't been running, blogging, or answering questions from inquisitive runners online, Jason has spent a lot of time over the years teaching countless people the ins and outs of running barefoot. It was only logical, then, that he would eventually write a book on the subject. Jason first published The Barefoot Running Book in 2010. The first edition was little more than a pamphlet of 60-some odd pages, but the brand new third edition is 224 pages of wiggly-toed wisdom.

Given how much Jason has written online over the years, and how much of it is still available on the web for free, it's reasonable to ask why you should pay $15 for a book when you could just go to his blog or read his forum posts. Heck, given the ton of information to be found on all of the excellent blogs, websites and forums that have popped up in the last few years, it's fair to ask why you should buy anyone's book in the first place instead of just doing a Google search whenever you have a question.

And to answer my question, yes of course there's a running-related Google Doodle

Well, the problem with the internet is that there's a bit too much advice and information out there, most of it terrible, and bad advice can get you injured (or at the very least severely confused). What Jason has done with this book is compile everything that he's learned from teaching runners over the years along with the information he's picked up from other people into one succinct, easy to read book. This saves you from the trouble and headache of wading through a veritable Fire Swamp of conflicting advice.

You especially have to watch out for the TOUS's (Trolls of Unusual Stupidity)

Jason's approach is very eclectic, borrowing freely from all sources while weeding out questionable dogma. For instance, while he recommends the Pose Method in general he has rejected the Pose Method's assertion that you should lift your feet high while running, even at low speeds. Instead, Jason gives the more common sense suggestion of merely lifting your feet high enough to clear the ground. As someone who was confused by that particular piece of bad advice as a new runner, I wish I'd had this book back in 2009.

Although the book starts off with a bunch of testimonials to the benefits of barefoot running, Jason’s own section on why people should run barefoot is surprisingly short and moderately worded. He’s clearly trying to stick to statements that can be backed by the current scientific research, which hasn't been terribly conclusive as of yet. (The relative benefits of barefoot, minimalist, and heavily shod running are extremely difficult to measure in a clinical setting). This gives the book a certain amount of credibility and protects against accusations of being sensational or pseudo-scientific, but the flip side is that if you’re looking for a book to give to a disbelieving friend or relative this isn't the most persuasive one on the market. This is (and is meant to be) a straightforward how-to book, not an impassioned argument.

Some people might prefer it that way

As a how-to book, The Barefoot Running Book will serve the reader well. It covers all of the basics while answering most of the questions that beginners invariably have, including the less obvious but frequently-wondered ones like “what’s wrong with starting out in FiveFingers” or “is it okay to heel-strike when walking?” Jason starts the beginner out walking and includes quite a few drills. If you are new to barefoot running and follow the advice in the book you should have a pleasant and safe transition and avoid the injuries and problems that some experience.

The title is actually a bit of a misnomer, since the book covers much more than just transitioning out of your shoes. If bare feet weren't still so controversial, it could have just been titled something like "A Beginner's Guide to Running" (or, I suppose, "The Running Book"). The topics covered include diet, racing, training plans, cross-training, and ultrarunning. Some topics are covered in more detail than others, but most new (or old) runners will have most of the information they need in this one book. I thought the section on cross-training was particularly good. It includes a collection of suggested full body exercises (many of which I'd never heard of before) along with detailed pictures.

So what did I not like about the book? For one thing, the organization can be a bit odd. To a large degree, the book is a loose collection of tips on various topics, some of which seem a bit out of place. For instance, the section "10 Barefoot Running Tips" at the end of the “Racing” chapter includes tips for running with a stroller and dealing with stores that require shoes. That being said, most of the tips in the book are excellent and if you read the entire book (which you should) you will get all the information, a slight case of ADD notwithstanding.

As I mentioned earlier, another thing I wish were different about the book is that it says relatively little about the benefits and history of barefoot and minimalist running. It seems strange that a book expansive enough to cover barefoot ultrarunning doesn’t spend more time explaining why you should be running barefoot in the first place. It mentions a little about the scientific research and includes a quote from Barefoot Ted about our prehistoric ancestors, but leaves out what--in my mind at least--is the most persuasive argument of all, which is the astounding history of barefoot and minimalist distance running in recorded history. (Ultra-distance running either barefoot or in what we would now call minimalist shoes was common in virtually every horseless civilization from ancient Greece to the early 20^th-century Hopi).

Finally, I have to note Jason’s demeaning practice of using increasingly skimpily-clad brunettes as cover models. When you look at the different editions side by side it's clear what Jason's marketing strategy is. Here is the 1st edition:

Toes...

2nd edition:

Knees...

3rd edition:

Argghgh! My eyes!!

Based on this trend I strongly encourage you to buy the book now, since I shudder to think what Jason will be wearing (if anything) on the cover of the 4th edition. You can find it on Amazon.

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Book provided by the author.

Amazon.com Widgets

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Order my children's book about barefoot running: What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?

The Best Advice You Will Ever Get

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 21:12:00 +0000

The pinnacle of human civilization starts at 3:00

I just read a guest post by Greg over at Birthday Shoes called "How to do barefoot all wrong." It's a race report from a Turkey Trot he ran barefoot, and the short version is that it didn't go well. Although he'd run a 5k barefoot before without problem, this time around his feet ended up looking like this:

Greg finished the race but ended up with a bunch of blisters caused by running too hard, too fast in weather that was too cold for him. This is a common story, but what really struck me about the report was his account of the lessons he learned:

"Be reasonable. Be humble. Be prepared. And also be aware that if you're not any of those things, be truly ready and willing to suffer the consequences."
...
"The biggest concern with barefoot running is not the various hazards that the uninitiated bring up in the corrals; what you really have to worry about is yourself."

Greg puts his finger on perhaps the best single piece of advice you can give a runner, barefoot or otherwise: be humble. Don't try to do more than you are ready for. Don't make decisions based on pride or wanting to prove something. Push yourself but always be mindful of your current limitations. Be honest about what you can do.

Many of my worst injuries happened because I based my training around what I thought I (athletic phenom that I believe myself to be) should be capable of doing instead of what I (injury-prone couch potato that I really am) was really able to do. Hopefully humility is something that will come in time (and I survive until then).

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Order my children's book about barefoot running: What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?

Bedrock Sandals Earthquake V2 Review

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 13:25:00 +0000

As you may have noticed, I've been up to my ears in huaraches lately (and bears, but that's a different story). That's not a bad thing (although the recent snow in Show Low has made getting in test runs a bit more difficult), especially considering the quality of the sandals I've gotten to try. What's really made the experience especially interesting is that--in stark contrast to the minimalist shoe industry as a whole, where giants like Merrell and New Balance have taken over--the running sandal industry is dominated by a number of tiny startups founded by one or two outdoorsy types with a penchant for tinkering.

The Bedrock "Adventuremobile"

Basics

Bedrock sandals is one of those startups. The company is based in Harrisonburg, VA and was founded by two friends “with a shared passion for barefoot running and geology” as a Kickstarter project in June 2011. Bedrock currently only makes one model of sandal, the Earthquake V2, which weighs just over 3 ounces and retails for $54. The V2 comes in whole sizes, or you can send in a foot tracing and have a pair custom made. The custom option is free if you mail in the tracing, or $5 if you email the tracing. You also have your choice of strap color.

One cool thing about Bedrock is that part of the price of every pair goes to maize and bean seeds for Tarahumara families in Mexico. Also, your sandals come in a very cool burlap bag (see the picture at top).

Construction

Overall the construction is simple and solid, using good quality materials. The Earthquake V2 is based on the classic Tarahumara 3-hole huarache design, but with a modern-style buckled lacing system. The sole material is 6mm Vibram rubber which is different from the Vibram rubber used by the other huaraches companies whose sandals I’ve tried. It’s moderately dense and stiff, less so than the neoprene used in the classic Luna and more so than that used in the Luna Leadville or Unshoes Wokova Feather. It doesn’t seem to mold to my feet as much as either of those rubbers. The tread is a pointillistic nub pattern.

I was a little surprised by the shape of the sole. If you get a non-custom pair like I did the sole is cut with a slight banana-shaped curve to it. This struck me as strange when I first tried the sandals on since it doesn't really fit my foot when it is still. The idea seems to be to allow the big toe to splay out to the side without falling off the sole. Based on my experiences with sandals that aren’t cut this way I don’t think it is really necessary since my toe doesn’t usually fall off the sole like that. However, when I ran in the sandals they seemed to fit my feet well without any noticeable extra sole material, so maybe there’s something to the idea after all.

The laces are strong nylon webbing. At the moment there are apparently two types of webbing, one stiffer and more rugged than the other. Which type you get depends on which color lace you get. According to the website the stiffer variety will be available in all of the colors in the future. I got red so my laces were the stiffer variety. The lace connects via a plug which is countersunk into the sole, so there isn't any bump under the toes.

The unique feature of the Earthquake line is a piece of elastic rubber (made from recycled bike tubing) attached to the inside of the lace behind the heel. This is designed to keep the lace from slipping off the heel and also allows you to slip the sandal off and on without adjusting the buckle. The clever thing about this design is that the nylon lace is unbroken (more on that later).

The laces adjust via a small plastic buckle. I’m not a fan of this buckle. I was never able to get the sandal adjusted the way I wanted without taking it off my foot, adjusting it, and putting it back on. Even off the foot I found it a bit tricky to adjust, though not impossibly so. Fortunately, since the rubber tubing on the heel allows the sandals to be slipped on and off, you only have to adjust the sandals one time. Once you get them adjusted how you want them, you never have to mess with the buckle again. (It is possible that the buckle would be easier to adjust with the softer laces). [EDIT: the guys at Bedrock have since addressed this issue with an optional "Quick Fit Lacing" system. It looks like a real improvement, though it does add $10 to the price. More info here.]

Aesthetics

Overall, I like the look of Bedrock sandals. They look normal enough to wear around town without getting any funny looks and the laces come in attractive colors. My one big complaint with the way Bedrocks look (and really my only big complaint with Bedrocks in general, which tells you how vain I am) is that the tail end of the laces sticks straight up. This was the case before and after I trimmed the end of the lace. I know it’s not just me because the lace even does this in Bedrock’s promotional pictures.

Comfort

For casual wear the comfort level is decent but not superlative, meaning when I wear them around they don’t bother me but I don’t spend the whole time thinking about how comfortable my sandals are. When running, I like them a lot more. In fact, when I run the sandals tend to just disappear on my feet, which is exactly what you want them to do (and which isn't the case with a lot of huaraches with slip-on style laces). The laces feel fine between the toes and the rubber tubing is very comfortable against the heel. I never had trouble with anything rubbing.

Performance

The Earthquake V2 really surprised me by how well it performed. The laces really work quite well once you get them adjusted. Even on rugged trail they are very secure, surprisingly so for a slip-on design. This is the big advantage of the way the rubber tubing is integrated into the heel. Usually, when a sandal has an elastic section in the heel it can allow the foot to slide off the back of the sandal, especially when walking up steep terrain. The beauty of the Bedrock design is that since the nylon lace is unbroken the foot can only slide back a fraction of an inch before the nylon lace stops the foot and holds it in place.

The 6mm sole works well on both the road and trails. Traction is good on both, although I haven’t done any wet runs in them. Groundfeel is excellent. In fact, I wasn't sure about how the sole would handle trails at first since the sole allows you to feel every rock and piece of gravel you encounter (which I suppose makes sense considering the sandal was designed by a couple of geologists). However, after running an extraordinarily rocky 7 mile trail I have to say it has plenty of protection for most runs. I’m going to wear something thicker for my (very rocky) next trail ultra, but for just about anything else I would be confident choosing the Earthquake V2.

Conclusion

The Bedrock Earthquake V2 is a great running huarache and a lot of fun to run in. It works well for road and trail running and features the most secure slip-on laces I have tried. The main downside is simply that the 6mm sole doesn't offer as much rock protection as a sandal with a thicker sole, although in compensation you get much better groundfeel.

You can buy a pair on the Bedrock website.

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Sandal provided by the manufacturer

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Order my children's book about barefoot running: What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?

The 7 Day Fruitarian Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 18:38:00 +0000

If you're wondering where the entree is, you may need to work on your diet

One of the many interesting parts of volunteering at the Javelina Jundred last month was seeing Michael Arnstein come across the finish line in 14:38, almost an hour ahead of course record-holder Hal Koerner (who had won the Hardrock 100 four months earlier), and then finding out that Arnstein runs 200+ miles per week on a strict fruitarian diet. I'd heard of fruitarianism before but had always assumed most of the adherents were hippies who considered cannabis a form of fruit and didn't get a lot of exercise. It never occurred to me that you could do serious training on just fruit, but then I went to Arstein's website and started reading about how he saw a marked improvement in his running performance, along with a wide variety of health benefits (short version: it makes the human body way less disgusting).

The more I thought about it, the more I was intrigued. The diet actually makes sense from a couple of different perspectives. Large primates, the animals with the most gastrointestinal similarities to humans, eat mostly fruit.

According to the book of Genesis, fruit was the original human diet before things took a turn south (I like to think of fruitarianism as the "Garden of Eden Diet"). It's even strictly speaking a form of the paleo diet--if paleo is the hunter-gatherer diet, then fruitarianism is just the gatherer diet (and most real life hunter-gatherer tribes eat as much fruit as they can get their hands on). Plus, any diet that measures serving sizes in pounds has my attention.

So, Emily and have decided to try a fruitarian diet for a week and see what happens.

It's important to have a buddy to keep you from falling in

Confusingly, there are a number of different definitions of fruitarianism, many of which include small amounts of nuts, seeds, and vegetables (just as there are definitions of vegetarianism and veganism that include fish, eggs, dairy, or honey). There is the scientific definition (only food which is classified by biologists as fruit), the ethical definition (only foods that can be gathered without killing the plant), the paleo definition (foods that can be gathered without sophisticated tools or techniques), and so on. Since Arnstein was the one who got us thinking about this in the first place, we decided to eat like him for a week. That means getting 90 percent of our calories from fresh raw fruit (mostly apples and oranges since melon isn't in season) supplementing that with some raw, high water content vegetables (such as lettuce, tomatoes (really a fruit, I know), bell peppers and celery), and staying away from fat- and calorie-dense foods like nuts, seeds, and avocados.

I know, I was bummed too

So far we're about five hours in, and I can only describe the experience as "fruity". Will Emily and I survive? Will we emerge from the week with superhuman strength and stamina? Can you stand the suspense?

Apparently, yes

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Order my children's book about barefoot running: What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?

My First DNF - Pass Mountain 50k Report

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 15:43:00 +0000

My dream of becoming the world's fastest cross-legged pirate (shirtless division) was short-lived

Saturday the 10th was supposed to be my third 50k since Paatuwaqatsi in September. As you have probably figured out by now, things didn't quite go as planned. In retrospect, I guess I had set myself up to fail. Although I'd been enjoying my most extended period of injury-free running ever, my race schedule was probably a bit over-ambitious. My third 50k was going to be nine weeks after my first, and three weeks after my second, and I'd also been gradually reducing my tapers in order to prepare for a 50 miler in January. That by itself might have been okay, but I'd also started adding speedwork and hadn't been sleeping as much as I needed to. I was also just preoccupied by my book.

Whatever the exact cause, a week before the race I did a hard tempo session and tweaked my left Achilles tendon. It wasn't terrible--just a bit of tenderness to the touch--so I thought that if I just took it easy for a week I'd be okay for the race.

Long story short, I wasn't. It was a cold morning, so my legs were thoroughly chilled by the time the race started, which didn't help. By 4 miles in, my Achilles felt off, and by mile 8 I was starting to run weirdly because I was favoring my left leg. Things were definitely not going well but I didn't know what to do about it. It was a beautiful, fast course and under normal circumstances that sub-7 hour finish I'd had my heart set on should have been within reach. However, as it was I really didn't feel like running. I just wasn't having any fun. (I also forgot my hat, to add stupidity to injury.) In retrospect, I was probably overtrained. That would explain the malaise and the proneness to injury.

Around mile 10 I started thinking seriously about dropping. Although I wasn't enjoying the race, my inclination was to try to finish. I'm not a quitter--or more accurately, I'm someone who really likes to think of himself as not being a quitter. I was pretty sure I could still finish. My Achilles was uncomfortable but not excruciating and if I babied it there was a good chance it would last to the end. Then I would still on schedule for my 50 miler, and I wouldn't have to write a blog post about DNF'ing right after I'd written a post about all the progress I'd made in being healthier. I decided to stick it out.

I came into the mile 15 aid station planning to soldier on. I'd forgotten my hat at the start and it had been a while since the last aid, so I applied sunscreen and gorged myself on food. Refreshed and determined, I started off the second half of the race.

My Achilles was now twice as bad. Confound it. It was time for a more honest analysis. Reasons to quit: there was a chance I'd injure myself if I kept running; ever if I didn't injury myself, I'd probably slow my recovery from whatever this was; if I dropped I'd have a better chance of running my 50 miler and my next 50k in December. Reasons not to quit: I wouldn't feel like a quitter.

Okay, this put things in perspective a little bit more. It was basically my brain versus my pride (or possibly my brain's ability to rationalize versus my pride; it was hard to tell for sure). A half mile later I came to the fork where the 26k runners turned to go to the finish. I sucked up my pride and headed in.

Normally when I'm on the home stretch of a race I speed up but somehow I just couldn't force myself to do that this time. I kept plodding along at a conservative 50k pace, taking frequent walking breaks. I don't know if it was because I was mentally still in ultra mode, or if I was demoralized from DNF'ing, or if it was further evidence of being burnt out, but the end result was that I did a lot of walking while a stream of 26k runners (who had all started an hour after me) flew past on their way to the finish.

I briefly considered pretending to be the winning 50k runner but I'm not (that big of) a sociopath. I don't think I would have fooled anyone anyway. Based on the reception I got at the finish line I don't think anyone thought I looked like someone who could run a 3:30 50k. On the other hand there fortunately wasn't any of the outright booing I was subconsciously expecting. I went through the chute without making eye contact, picked up my finishers beer glass (I did finish the 26k, after all), and quietly took off my 50k bib so I could blend in with everyone else while I snacked.

So that was my first DNF. It obviously wasn't my proudest moment, but the real question at this point is whether it was the right decision. Looking back a week and a half later, I suppose I'd have to say yes (probably). There was definitely something wrong with my Achilles, and I'm still feeling burnt out and under-rested. I've never maintained consistent training for for more than a few months before, usually because of injury, and maybe my body needs a periodic break (or maybe the dark fall mornings are just making me lazy). I'm hoping that if I reduce my mileage for a few weeks I'll be able to come back stronger and healthier--and hopefully be able to finish the darn race next time.

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Order my children's book about barefoot running: What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?

My Book is Now Available in Print!

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 03:40:00 +0000

The print edition of my book is now available for purchase! "What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?" is the first and apparently only children's picture book about barefoot running. It stars a little bear who is eager to go run around outside but who unfortunately has some very human preconceptions about what he needs to wear on his feet. He peppers his bemused mother with a series of increasingly silly questions as she patiently tries to straighten him out.

The book is written in verse and vibrantly illustrated by the very young and very talented Laura Hollingsworth. I recommend it for children ages 2 to 105, or for anyone who remembers the simple childhood joys of bare feet, soft grass, and warm summer sunshine.

It's still available here in Kindle edition, but I have to say that the print version is the way to go. It's really beautiful, and I'm not just saying that because I'm incredibly partial to it and love it like my own child. It's really a great book. Go buy it now.

Here are a couple of snippets:

"But what about sneakers, should I wear some of those

While I'm running around so I don't stub my toes?"

...

"No, silly bear--listen to me, please:

To go run around you don't need galoshes or skis.

"You just need some feet and some fur in the breeze

And some grass and some sunlight, and maybe some trees.

"For a bear's foot should be barefoot; it's really the best way

For a bear to run around on a honey-sunny day."

My Book is Out!

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 16:29:00 +0000

The Kindle edition of my book is now available on Amazon! It's a children's picture book called "What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?" and it's about a little bear who is very confused about whether he needs to put on shoes before he can go run around outside and his patient mother who tries to straighten him out. Here are a couple of snippets:

"But what about sneakers, should I wear some of those

While I'm running around so I don't stub my toes?"

...

"No, silly bear--listen to me, please:

To go run around you don't need galoshes or skis.

"You just need some feet and some fur in the breeze

And some grass and some sunlight, and maybe some trees.

"For a bear's foot should be barefoot; it's really the best way

For a bear to run around on a honey-sunny day."

As partial as I am to my verse, it's really the illustrations (by Laura Hollingsworth, an amazingly talented art student) that are the best part. They are just wonderful.

As mentioned, the Kindle ebook is the only version currently available, but a print version is in the works and should be available in the next week or so, so stay tuned.

Unshoes Pah Tempe and Wokova Feather Review

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 05:16:00 +0000

In many ways, the state of the minimalist shoe market today is similar to that of the state the airplane industry around the turn of the 20th century. There are a lot of people trying a lot of different ideas--some great, some awful, some just strange--and it can be a lot of fun to watch.

Be honest--if your neighbor starting building one of these, you'd be egging him on and making popcorn

Adding to the variety is the fact that the people making the footwear are coming to the minimalist fold from various directions. Barefoot Ted (founder of Luna) is a distance runner, Steven Sashen (founder of Invisible Shoes) is a sprinter, and Terral Fox (founder of Unshoes) is an "outdoor adventure enthusiast" and a longtime wearer of sport sandals. It's really pretty fascinating to see the variety of designs that these people come up with, and how influenced they are by the backgrounds of the people designing them.

Basics
Unshoes is a small business with three employees located in southern Utah. As I mentioned, the owner and founder is Terral Fox, an avid hiker, backpacker and river rafter. Unlike many of us who came to huaraches as an alternative to heavy running shoes, Terral came to them as an alternative to sport sandals like Teva and Chaco. This explains why he shied away from traditional laces and started using nylon webbing instead (which Unshoes was the first to do).

Terral originally just made sandals for his own use, but started selling them on Etsy in May 2010 after his wife suggested it. Unshoes has been selling from its own website since April 2011. All of the sandals are custom-made by hand in Utah. The company also has hands (feet?) down my favorite barefoot-related logo.

Seriously, how cute is that?

Currently there are three adult models, the Wokova, the Wokova Feather, and the Pah Tempe (the sandals are named using Paiute words). Unshoes provided me with pairs of the latter two for this review.

The Wokova Feather in olive with a brown sole

The Wokova Feather is a lightweight version of their original model, the Wokova. The Wokova Feather uses a 5mm Vibram Newflex sole, weighs under 3 ounces and costs $45. (All Unshoes are custom-made from a foot tracing and this is included in the price.) It is designed for running, backpacking and casual wear. You have your choice of a black or brown sole and black, blue, olive or red webbing.

The Pah Tempe in tan and rust (lower right)

The Pah Tempe is designed to be more secure in water and steep terrain, and for people who don't like having a strap between their toes. It comes with two different soles, a 6mm Sport Utility or 10mm Newflex (which is what I chose). With the 10mm sole it weighs around 4 ounces and costs $62 ($60 with the 6mm sole). Again you have a choice of colors: brown or black for the sole, and tan, rust, black or olive for the straps.

Construction
The soles are the incredibly durable Vibram rubber familiar to most huarache aficionados, while the straps are made from extremely strong nylon webbing that any rock climber would immediately recognize. Both sandals use plastic buckles to adjust the straps. In addition, the Wokova Feather has an elastic loop attached to the straps so that once you get the sandal adjusted you can slip them on and off without readjusting. The Pah Tempe uses a single piece of webbing over the toes, instep and and front of the ankle with no elastic, which means that to get the sandal on I had to loosen the strap all the way to get my foot in and then adjust the tightness of the strap in each of those three areas. Not the end of the world, but definitely less convenient than the Wokova Feather.

The Unshoes workshop

Based on the materials used, there's the potential for these sandals to last a long time. Overall, the construction looks very solid. My initial concern was with the parts of the straps that touch the ground, since nylon webbing is strong but not known for being abrasion-resistant. Unshoes has planned for this by covering those parts with a protective hardening adhesive to reduce abrasion. Terral says that most pairs last a few years, depending on use.

Appearance
The Wokova Feather gets high marks for aesthetics. It has the polished appearance of a sandal you'd buy in a store. In fact, it's one of the few minimalist shoes my wife actually likes me to wear.

In contrast, the Pah Tempe looks a bit rough, almost home-made. On the other hand, at least people won't say you look like a gladiator.

"Buy some Unshoes, you hippy!"

Comfort
The Wokova Feather also gets high marks for comfort. In fact, as far as casual use goes, I'd say it's the most comfortable sandal I own. The tubular webbing is soft and the elastic means that you don't have to tighten them too much to get them to stay on.

The Pah Tempe is reasonably comfortable as well, though not in the same "ooh... aah..." sort of way. The webbing feels fine against the skin, although it covers an awful lot of it. If you wear sandals so you can feel the breeze on your feet, you may not be as happy with this sandal. My big complaint is that when I did an 18 mile trail run in them I ended up with huge blisters on the big and little toes of my right foot. That may just be me, but as far as distance running is concerned one inherent disadvantage of the Pah Tempe compared to a traditional huarache is that the Pah Tempe has material in contact with many parts of your foot that a huarache doesn't.

Performance: Running
I have to confess that my testing methodology is inherently slanted against Unshoes since they are designed for a wide variety of outdoor activities and I just used them for distance running. With that in mind, let's talk about how they handled it.

The Wokova Feather is obviously not intended for serious trail running. The 5mm sole just isn't very much protection and even small gravel is uncomfortable. The flip side of that is that the groundfeel is fantastic and rivals that of the Invisible Shoes Connect. The straps also aren't secure enough for technical running, or even hiking on especially uneven terrain. (This is true of most slip-on sandals and is one of the inherent limitations of using elastic in laces.) Fortunately, it handles road running much better. Here, the groundfeel is a plus and aids proprioception. The straps are sufficiently secure for normal road running. It's light weight and the ability to roll them up also make it one of the best options if you want to carry backup footwear on barefoot runs.

With the 10mm sole (which appears to the be exact material used in Luna's capable trail model, the Leadville), the Pah Tempe is twice as thick as the Wokova Feather and more than capable of handling virtually any surface for any distance. The level of protection is comparable to the Luna Leadville, Tanner Sandals Solution, or Merrell Trail Glove, my go-to choices for long distance trail running. The straps are also extremely secure; I ran 18 miles on very rocky, hilly terrain and never had to slow down because I was worried about my feet slipping. When I first got the sandals I wondered if my toes would slip off the end on steep downhills but this was never a problem.

One thing that is a problem is that the strap attaches to the outside front of the sole a significant distance from the edge. Not only does this mean there's wasted space on the sole, but when running I found that there was a tendency to push my foot slightly off the inside of the sole, exposing my arch to the ground. (The Wokova Feather does this too but only slightly, since its outside strap actually attaches to the edge of the sole.) This probably wouldn't have been a big deal except that one of my runs was on a trail with a lot of volcanic rock. Ouch.

Gap between point where strap attaches and edge of sole

The main problem with the Pah Tempe from a runner's perspective is that the front strap goes straight across the toes, which largely prevents them from splaying. This is especially annoying when you consider that one of the big advantages of huaraches is that they usually allow completely unfettered toe movement. It's possible to loosen the front strap to give them more room but this allows the front of the sandal to flop around, so it isn't a real solution.

Strap across toes

On the other hand, the Pah Tempe has some real advantages over traditional huaraches. For one thing, there's no lace between the toes which should really appeal to some people. Another plus is that not only can you wear socks, you can wear any pair of socks you want. On several cold morning runs I wore thick wool hiking socks, which were a huge improvement over thin Injinjis.

Performance: Non-Running
This isn't a normal category for my reviews but the focus of Unshoes is different enough that it seemed warranted. Unshoes, especially the Pah Tempe, are extremely well-suited to a much wider variety of of outdoor activities than are traditional huaraches. If you do a lot of hiking the Pah Tempe may be your best option on the minimalist market today. The straps are extremely secure in every direction (which is not true of huaraches) so they will work well for hiking and backpacking over any terrain.

The Wokova Feather is not as secure and I wouldn't want to do a lot of hiking or scrambling on uneven surfaces. However, it should work fine for easier trails. One of its suggested uses (which it would be perfect for) is as a second pair of footwear to bring when backpacking, where its light weight, comfort, and packability would really shine.

Conclusion
Unshoes are an interesting and creative addition to the minimalist sandal market that fills a number of holes left by traditional huaraches. Although I don't like them as much as my favorite huaraches for long distance running, depending on what you are going to be doing they may be the best choice for you. The Wokova Feather is one of the best sandals on the market in terms of groundfeel, light weight, and comfort. The Pah Tempe for its part has several advantages: no strap between the toes, the ability to be worn with any sock of your choosing, and the fact that it's one of the few minimalist competitors to Teva or Chaco in the all-purpose sport sandal field.

You can purchase Unshoes on their website.

=====================
Sandals provided by the manufacturer

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Order my children's book about barefoot running: What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?

My 6 Biggest Breakthroughs as a Runner

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 04:24:00 +0000

My journey from couch potato to ultrarunner has taken quite a few wrong turns and detours over the years. The success I've had has very little to do with hard work or determination, and a lot more to do with a few good ideas that I've had the good fortune to stumble across. Here are six of those ideas and the breakthroughs that resulted, in roughly the order that I found them.

1) Ditching bulky shoes
This was a turning point for me. I enjoyed running before, but there was always something that seemed off--I just wasn't moving naturally or joyfully. Once I got out of bulky shoes into something that let my feet function the way they were supposed to, something clicked. It didn't solve all of my problems right away but it did make running joyful again, and taught me to move in a way that felt good, natural, and just right.

2) Increasing my cadence
For me, this came naturally along with #1. I'm listing it separately because for many people it doesn't come naturally--even for many people who run barefoot or in minimalist shoes--and because it's probably the single biggest key to good running form. No matter what you're wearing, it's hard not to run gently if your cadence is high enough, and it's hard not to run like an elephant if your cadence is too slow.

3) Building gradually
Man, was this a hard pill to swallow. Even more than most people, I have a hard time easing into things patiently. The most embarrassing part is how many different times I've had to learn this same lesson, because I kept repeating the same mistake in different contexts. Distance--the time I went out and ran 10 miles even though my longest runs at the time were 3 miles. Speedwork--the time I decided to add speedwork and did three sessions in the first week, including two sessions of uphill sprints at 100 percent effort. Crosstraining--the time I decided to try HIIT and did multiple session per week on top of peak mileage. The end result each of these times was that I got injured, which meant that I had to let things heal and then start building up all over again.

4) Crosstraining intelligently
It takes a certain base fitness to be able to run long distances. If you're an out of shape couch potato (like I ~~was~~ am) then you can't just go out and run a bunch and expect everything to go smoothly. When I first started running I had a bunch of extra weight and exactly zero muscle strength. As I increased my mileage, some muscles grew stronger (my calves) while other muscles remained weak (my quads). The result was a bad case of runner's knee. Once I learned to strengthen the right muscles, the problem went away. The broader lesson I ~~learned~~ am learning is that the more balanced an athlete you are (which is to say, the fewer weak areas your body has) the less chance there is that your body will break down on you.

My first mistake, then, was not crosstraining at all. My later mistakes have included crosstraining too much (high mileage on tired legs is a dangerous combination), with too much intensity (be careful with tabatas and the amount of weight you use), and jumping into new activities too fast (#3 applies here as well).

5) Not running on consecutive days
Aside from #1, this has been by far the biggest and most surprising breakthrough for me. (I wrote about it in more detail here). I'm naturally injury-prone and until recently had never made it to the start of a goal race without being sidelined for several weeks or months during training. Since switching to a running schedule where I run every other day, I've run my first two ultras without injury and have even been able to finally start real speed training.

The principle behind this is that your body grows stronger by stress and recovery. By having recovery days between each run I've been able to run harder with less wear and tear on my body. I'm making faster progress and my body doesn't feel beat down like it used to, even though I'm running the same weekly mileage. Some people can get away with running every day, but if you (like me) are injury-prone, I can't stress enough how life-changing this can be. Everyone should try it.

6) Realizing that training smarter is more important than training harder
When it comes to running, or really exercise in general, I have two natural inclinations. One is to sit on the couch and eat Chinese food. The other is to go try Emil Zatopek's 100x400m track workout. Neither one would result in me becoming a better runner--the first for obvious reasons, the second because I would immediately get injured and be confined to the couch eating Chinese food again. The reality is that thoughtless zeal and pride can have a worse effect on your training than laziness. After all, if you spend a day watching TV and eating Chinese food, you can always go run the next day, but if you do tons of wind sprints and injure yourself, you might not be able to run for weeks.

Everyone knows that achieving your goals as a runner takes discipline, but what it's taken me a long time to learn is that that discipline takes many different forms. Sometimes it means gutting it out through the last few miles of a long run when all you want is to quit, but sometimes it means calling it a day when you're on the verge of injury. Sometimes it means skipping a run (or doing an easier run) when you feel like running and running instead on a day when you'd rather stay home. Sometimes it means reducing mileage and intensity for a week because your body needs it, even though that's going to screw up the running schedule you had planned. You have to know your body, and then make smart decisions based on what you know. Personally, I know that I'll improve a lot more training at 80% effort day after day (which can be a drag) than I will training at 100% effort and getting injured after a week.

I thought about titling this section "not being an idiot" (or maybe, "being less of an idiot). I've made a lot of bone-headed decisions over the years, and many of them came down to pride. I was proud of my x-mile week, or my x-day running streak, or I didn't want to feel like I was wimping out. But the fact is, it takes more discipline to train with your head than with your heart, but it gives much better results.

So that's my list. What do you think? How do your experiences compare?

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Order my children's book about barefoot running: What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?

Cave Creek Thriller 50k Report

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 17:19:00 +0000

After my first 50k, very little time passed before I was itching to give ultras another try. And since I have no concept of moderation, signing up for Aravaipa's 7 race ultra series (starting 6 weeks after Paatuwaqatsi) seemed like a good decision.

After crashing at Paatuwaqatsi, I was determined not to repeat the same mistakes the second time around. My biggest goal was to improve my pacing. I had gone out way too fast last time and had paid the price. My goal this time was to keep my average pace around 12 minutes per mile from the start and keep it there as long as possible. I even had a mantra that I repeated to myself the whole race: "Slow and steady doesn't barf."

Words to live by

Emily and I drove up the night before and got a campsite about a half mile away from the race start. This way we could get up at a reasonable hour, pack up our campsite and not have to rush to get to the 7am start.

The next morning we got up and packed everything up. By 6:30 we were ready to go. We were running a little behind schedule but it wasn't a big deal because it was a short drive to the start. We got in the car and I turned the key. Nothing. Son of a hamster... Now it was time to panic. We threw our stuff in a bag and started speedwalking. I really didn't want to run anymore than I needed to today and at a 20 min pace we should have been able to cover half a mile in 10 minutes. However, by 6:50 we were still a good ways off. Okay, time to start running. I left Emily (who was still in pajamas and flip flops--the plan had been for her to just drop me off at the start) and ran the rest of the way.

I reached the start just a few minutes before 7:00. I picked up my bib, pinned it on, filled my bottle, dropped off my drop bag, and lined up at the starting line about 45 seconds before the gun.

I had just enough time to adjust my sandals and pet Guadajuko, whom I had never met before. Like many celebrities, he looks taller in the pictures.

I'm proud to say, I stuck to my plan and started at the back of the pack with Maria, who apparently had the same idea. Guadajuko, who had just found out that he was in a race, had a different idea and stopped to take care of some pre-race business.

The first 15 or 20 miles went by without incident. I was staying true to my plan, which so far was working well. The problem was that it was getting hot. Really hot. The temperature hit into the low 90s, and parts of the course were these rocky valleys which blocked any wind and kept the heat in like an oven. It finally reached a point where I was forced to walk, not because I didn't have the energy to run but just because that was the only way to keep my body temperature down.

It wasn't until I got to the next aid station (around mile 22-23) that I finally started dealing with the heat in anything like an intelligent way. I asked for ice water. I put ice in my hat (which it turns out is incredibly unpleasant). I decided to pick up my extra bottle from the drop bag next time I passed it so I would have extra ice water to squirt on myself. Slowly, this started to help and I was able to run more.

The one big downside of keeping to my pace was that I was running by myself virtually the entire race. That was a big switch from Paatuwaqatsi, where one of the highlights was chatting with people I met along the way. Emily was running the 10k which was run on part of the 50k course and started later in the morning. I was hoping to get to run with her but apparently missed her by about 5 minutes. I finally got to see her when I finished my second lap, which was around mile 25. Unfortunately, I came through the finish line along with several runners who were finishing their final lap. Emily, optimistic as ever, was there at the finish line enthusiastically cheering me on as I finished what she thought was the end of my race at two hours under my previous PR.

I got my second bottle and started off on the last 10k. Somehow, this loop took me something like two hours to finish. As the day wore on it got even hotter, which took a lot out of me. Plus, by around mile 28 I was just exhausted. I'd pretty much stopped eating 5-10 miles earlier due to the heat and completely ran out of energy. For the past year I've been drinking water and eating solid food in training and it never occurred to me to switch to liquid calories. In retrospect, some ice cold gatorade might have been a good solution. File that away under lessons learned.

Finally, I crossed the (real) finish line in 7:39, 21 minutes slower than my first 50k. This put me in 22nd place out of 25, which is pretty close to dead last. Oh well. (Emily for her part finished in a respectable 35th place out of 97 in the 10k.) In my defense, the course was a bit long. The website lists it as 31.7 miles, although my Garmin read 32.5 at the end, not counting my run to the start. (I actually finished the first 31 miles in something under 7:18, for what it's worth.) One of the low points in the race was when an aid station volunteer shouted "only 3 and a half miles to go!" in an effort to encourage me; my Garmin read 29 miles and I just had been in the process of psyching myself up for the last two miles. At any rate, I had just enough energy to run the last 20 feet for the camera.

So what did I learn this time around? Let's start with the things I did right.

What I did right:
1) Pacing. I started out in the back and stuck to a reasonable pace. Although I eventually still crashed, it happened almost 20 miles later than it did the first time.

2) Footwear. I wore huaraches again and did not regret it. Specifically, I wore Tanner Sandals' The Solution, which I needed to get some miles in for my review. With my modification to the heel strap, they really did well. I didn't get any blisters and my feet, while a bit sore by the end, were still in better shape than most of my body. It was also encouraging to hear the folks in Hokas say things like "You're tougher 'n heck!"

3) Wore a dang shirt and hat. Maybe it's part of my secret desire to be Tony Krupicka when I grow up, but last time I really thought I could pull off the shirtless hatless look. Apparently not. I wore both for most of the race and didn't get quite as charred this time around.

What I did wrong:
1) Heat management. After training at altitude all summer I was unprepared for the heat and didn't have a decent strategy for it. I finally figured out a few things that worked but by then my race had already suffered a lot. Next time I'm going to start out with two bottles with ice in them and ice in my hat and keep replenishing at every aid station.

2) Nutrition. Specifically, I didn't modify my nutrition strategy for the heat. Switching from solid food to Gatorade with ice might have allowed me to get down more calories late in the race and kept me from crashing when I did. My plan next time is to eat solid food as long as I can and then switch to sports drink.

So that's ultra number two down. Now it's time to get ready for number three (Pass Mountain) in nine days (3 weeks after Cave Creek).

Tanner Sandals The Solution Review

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 18:26:00 +0000

The Solution with natural footbed and nylon laces

One of the great things about being a minimalist runner in 2012 compared with being one back in the early days of 2009 (or in the dark ages of 2006) is that the selection of footwear is rapidly expanding. While a few years ago there were just a couple of huaraches on the market, now there are a whole crop of new start-ups making really great sandals. One of these start-ups that I only found out about a couple of months ago (thanks to Barefoot Inclined) is Tanner Sandals, a great little company making fantastic sandals.

Basics
Tanner Sandals based in New Hampshire and run by the three Tanner brothers. They've only been in business now for about 8 months, which explains why I hadn't heard of them until recently. Tanner currently offers three models of huaraches for adults, plus one for kids. The three adult models are the Answer, the Solution, and the Timeless. All three feature Vibram rubber soles and attractive leather footbeds. The Answer is the basic model and uses either a 5 or 8mm neoprene rubber sole. The Timeless is the same sandal but with a variation of traditional Tarahumara-style leather laces.

The Timeless with black leather footbed

The Solution, which is the model I decided to try, is a little different. It uses a 4mm dense rubber sole (which seems to be the same material Luna uses for its Leadville sandal) and a smooth leather footbed, with a 3mm "cloud" midsole sandwiched in the middle. The midsole is designed to mold to your foot over time. You have your choice of black or "natural" footbed, and nylon or leather laces. I chose a natural footbed and nylon laces.

The Solution with natural footbed and leather laces

The Solution sells for $80. (The Answer and Timeless both sell for $70.) You can order the sandal in half sizes or you can email the Tanners a tracing of your foot and they will custom make a pair to fit your feet at no extra charge (several other huarache companies charge for this). Given the quality of the materials and the cost of other sandals on the market, the price is reasonable.

I don't know the weight of the Solution but when I pick them up they feel a bit heavier than most huaraches, probably due to the leather. However, once on my feet they don't feel heavy.

Construction
These are really beautifully made sandals. It's obvious that a lot of thought and effort goes into designing and making them. Overall, they have a very polished appearance--they look like something you bought in a store rather than something you made in your garage (which is what a lot of huaraches look like, to be honest).

One unique feature is that the the knot is buried between the layers of the sole so that the bottom of the sole is completely smooth. If you're one of those people who doesn't like having a knot under your toes, these are the sandals for you.

Another interesting detail for ~~sandal nerds~~ huarache aficionados is that the sandal is laced "backwards"--the lace is threaded through the inside ankle hole first and then through the outside hole, instead of the other way around as it usually is. I think it's a clever idea, since this way the buckle tightens to the outside. What this means to you is that the buckle and tail end of the lace will be on the outside of your foot instead of on the inside where they can hit your other ankle.

The one problem I had with my pair is that after 45 miles (mostly rocky trail) the front of the sole is beginning to separate from the midsole. (I should probably mention that I did kick a rock pretty hard at one point, so that might have contributed.)

I wrote Luke Tanner about it and he said that I'm the first person to have a pair do this in the seven months they've been selling the Solution. Luke also said he's run several hundred miles on his pair without a problem. The company policy if this did happen to someone else would be to repair or replace the pair for free, including paying for shipping both ways. (Luke offered to fix my pair but since I got them for free and the problem is really just cosmetic at this point I declined.) Given this policy and what I've already noted about the overall quality of the construction, I don't think long term durability should be a concern.

Comfort
Overall, the Solution is pretty comfortable. The leather footbed feels great and molds to your foot as it ages. The soft ribbon between the toes doesn't cause irritation or blisters for me the way many laces do. The nylon laces are also comfortable and don't tend to rub. The only thing I had a problem with was the part of the lace behind the heel which is covered with a firm rubber or plastic sheath. I'm not a huge fan of the sheath. It's not painful or anything like that but I don't find it particularly comfortable either. Part of the problem is that I had a problem with the strap falling down in the back (more on that later) and I had to wear them tighter than I would have liked to get them to stay up. I guess it wouldn't bother me so much if they weren't so comfortable in every other way--it's the one glaring imperfection in something otherwise great (like Jimmy Fallon).

Performance
So far, I've run about 45 miles on my pair so far, including a rocky trail 50k (Cave Creek Thriller). I've also worn them around a bit casually. Overall they work really well but I want to start with the negative first.

The one thing I really didn't like about the Solution was the heel strap--specifically, the fact that I had a terrible time getting it to stay up. This was a mild problem when walking (mostly fixed by tightening the laces, though as I mentioned that makes them less comfortable), a moderate problem when running on flat terrain, and a huge problem when trail running down steep hills. In fact, the first time I wore the sandals was on a long run on a hilly trail and I ended up stopping after 9 miles to change into another pair of sandals because the heel strap on the Solution was driving me nuts. It would stay up for a while (sometimes a short time, sometimes a mile or two), then slowly work its way down until I had to stop and pull it up again.

In fairness, it may be me, at least partly. I've had this problem with some other lacing systems (though not with all). I suspect that I may run with a slight twist in the movement of my feet (based on blister patterns and some other things), which may play a part. Luke says that he's found that people with lower insteps tend to have a harder time keeping laces up; that may be a factor as well. Whatever the reason, the heel strap just wasn't working for me.

Fortunately, I found a solution (ha! pun!). I taped some pieces of makeup sponge to the heel strap with medical tape and voila!--problem solved. I no longer had any problems keeping the strap up and the comfort level improved markedly. Best of all, I finally got to really put the sandal through its paces at the Cave Creek Thriller 50k, and I have to say it was a lot of fun to run in. In fact, with my minor tweak to the heel strap, the Solution went from being borderline unusable for me to being one of my all time favorite trail running shoes.

My low-tech Solution solution

The Vibram sole is one that I'm familiar with and really like. Traction is good, at least on dry surfaces. I didn't run in the rain or in mud, but I did run on dirt and rocks--along with the frequently treacherous rocks covered in dirt--and it handled those surfaces extremely well. One thing I was worried about when I first got the Solution was whether the smoother leather footbed would be slick, but this wasn't the case. My feet always felt very secure on the footbed no matter what the terrain. With my modification to the heel strap, the laces are also very secure and keep my foot and the sandal moving as one unit. They also don't rub, which is great if you're blister-prone like I am.

Rock protection is very good. My 50k was full of pointy rocks but my feet never felt bruised. The stack height is only 8 or 9mm (7mm plus the leather footbed) but the leather seems to function like a rock plate. Groundfeel is pretty good considering the level of protection but obviously isn't as good as a road-only sandal like the Xero Shoes Connect.

The Solution isn't very flexible, although I don't consider this a negative. Stiffness is a necessary quality in a sandal and excessive flexibility can actually hurt performance--you want something that moves with your foot, not flops around like a fish strapped to your feet.

Fish flops

What you do want is a sole that will mold to the shape of your foot, and the Solution does that well.

What all this adds up is a sandal that eats trails. The 50k I ran was a loop course and I had brought several other pairs of footwear to change into, but the Solution worked so well I never felt like taking them off. The course was rocky and pretty steep in places but I was happy as a clam in my sandals chugging along next to all the people in Hokas. For the heck of it, I even tried keeping up with some of the 10k runners on the downhills when they passed me. The Solution was as safe and effective while bombing rocky downhills as nearly any footwear I've tried.

The Solution is a competent road sandal as well. It's a bit more shoe than you really need for the road and is heavier than some other options, but it works fine. If you want to get one sandal for roads, trails and casual wear, the Solution is a good option.

Conclusion
The Solution is a beautifully made, extremely capable running sandal that is maddeningly close to being flawless. As you've picked up by now, the heel strap was an issue for me but it probably wouldn't be a big deal for most people (it wasn't for Jeff at Barefoot Inclined) and even if it were, it's a simple thing to fix. I'm really impressed by the quality of sandals the Tanners are producing in their first year of business. They're already making some of the best huaraches on the market, and they're just getting started.

Tanner Sandals are available on their website.

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Sandal provided by the manufacturer

Runners You Should Know: Spyridon Louis

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 14:58:00 +0000

In my post on Pheidippides, I described the invention of the marathon by the organizers of the first modern Olympic Games. What I didn't mention was the man who won that first marathon: Spyridon Louis.

I'm glad to see Pre finally got a haircut

In 1896, the organizers of the first modern Olympic Games were trying to come up with ideas for how to make their event more spectacular and memorable. A French philologist (which is Latin for "not even close to an athlete") and professor of comparative grammar (apparently that's a thing) named Michel Bréal remembered the legend of Pheidippides (you know, the one where the guy dies from running 25 miles) and convinced the other organizers that including an apparently deadly run as the centerpiece of the games would be the perfect way to garner good press for their fledgling sporting event. I can only assume this narrowly beat out a philatelist's idea for a Pompeii-inspired event where athletes would run away from burning hot ash.

"Come on! We can bill it as 'the hottest event of the games'!"

That March, Greece held a race to select its Olympic team. This would be the first "marathon" ever raced. A dozen men showed up, excited to participate and apparently completely unfamiliar with the legend they would be reenacting.

"I knew I should have paid more attention in Art History"

Finishing a disappointing fifth in that race was a poor water-carrier named Spyridon Louis.

Basically this guy, but in a fetching skirt and vest combo

Spyridon initially didn't make the Greek team due to his lackluster finish. However, when Greece figured out that no one had thought to limit the number of athletes from each country they added Spyridon along with just about anyone else who wanted to run. When the Olympic race was held the following month there were 17 runners at the starting line, 13 of them from Greece.

Distance running took a giant leap forward when we got rid of the woolen underwear

There were several runners who had recently medaled in track events and when the race started they took off at a blistering speed. Halfway through the race the leader was the Frenchman Albin Lermusiaux who had reached the halfway point in 55 minutes, which even modern Kenyans would describe as "retardedly fast." (The French were really determined to have someone die in this race.) For his part, Spyridon was enjoying himself at the back of the pack, stopping along the way for some fruit and a glass of either wine or brandy (or possibly both).

Pictured: the 1896 Olympic marathon

Eventually Lermusiaux and the other front-runners slowed, collapsed, and were carried from the course in a melodramatic routine that actually became the norm during the first several Olympics. (Hey, if you're going to DNF, you might as well get a free ride and some attention out of it.) Spyridon, invigorated from his Jeff-Galloway-meets-Bluto-from-Animal-House pacing strategy, steadily picked off runners until he settled into second place behind the Australian Edwin Flack (gold medalist in the 800 and 1500 meters), who his Spydy sense told him would soon fade. Sure enough, a mile later Flack slowed, staggered and (you guessed it), collapsed and was carried from the course.

Now on the home stretch, Spyridon ran through the cheering crowds of Athens and into the stadium, where he finished in 2:58:50, which even by today's standards is an impressive time for an amateur runner (although at 24.8 miles, the course was a little short of IAAF norms.) To the crowd's added delight, the top three finishers were all Greek, although the bronze medalist was later disqualified for having traveled part of the way in a carriage.

Not looking so bad now, am I?

Spyridon became a national celebrity but he never took advantage of his fame and after the Olympics simply returned to working in his village (hey, the water isn't going to carry itself). According to one story, the King of Greece offered him anything he wanted and Spyridon asked for a donkey and carriage to help in his business.

Because what more does a man need in life, really?

He also never raced again. In fact, the two marathons in March and April of 1896 were the only races Spyridon Louis ever ran.

Today Spyridon's memory lives on in a profoundly weird-looking pair of shoes named after him. Somehow I don't think he would mind, mainly because they look like something he would wear.

"I know just the vest to go with these"

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Read my other posts about Runners You Should Know

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Xero Shoes (Invisible Shoes) Connect Review

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 15:28:00 +0000

Back when I first got into minimalist running, if you wanted to buy a pair of huaraches there were basically two companies to choose from: Luna and Invisible Shoes. I've been wearing Lunas for over a year now but had never had a pair of Invisible Shoes until a few weeks ago. How do they compare? Read on.

The Basics
First, the name. Like Stem/Leming, Invisible Shoes is currently in the process of ~~confusing everyone~~ changing its name to Xero Shoes, not to be confused with "Zero Shoes" or "Xerox Shoes" (which is what Emily called them for a while).

Groundfeel doesn't look very good

Since the company doesn't seem to have quite made the switch yet, I'm going to keep calling them Invisible Shoes for now.

Invisible Shoes was started back in November 2009 by Steven Sashen, who among other things is the guy behind the incredibly hilarious Sh*t Barefoot Runners Say videos. Originally, tie-curious runners had two options: pay to have a pair of sandals custom-made, or order a kit (which meant a big piece of hard to cut rubber and some laces) and go through the daunting task of making them from scratch yourself.

Like I said, that rubber's hard to cut

The most recent additions to the Invisible Shoe lineup are the FeelTrue DIY kits, which aren't really DIY kits in the sense that most huaracheros are used to. What you get is two pre-cut soles in your size (you select your size based on the length of your foot in half inch increments), two laces, a hole punch, and a hairpin.

Which to me sounds a lot like what MacGyver would get in the mail if he ordered a pair of shoes.

The pre-cut soles mean that the "DIY kit" is almost completely ready to go out of the box. The only thing you have to do is use the hole punch to (you guessed it) punch a hole between your toes, which will take the average monkey with a hammer about 45 seconds (it took me about a minute). After that, you simply thread the laces through the holes with the hairpin (which is actually the hardest part) and you're done.

If you want, you can trim the outside of the soles to fit the shape of your feet but this isn't necessary. I chose not to, mainly because I'm lazy.

Options
The kits come in two thicknesses: 4mm (Connect) and 6mm (Contact). The Connect retails for $30 and the Contact for $35, though they are both currently on sale for $5 less (if memory serves, they've been on sale for a while now). I chose the Connect since I planned to use my pair mostly for road running.

There are also tons of color options. As has been the case for a while, you can get your laces in any of nine colors. A brand new option is the ability to get your sole in one of a variety of colors as well.

So if you have a pathological fear of not being remembered as "that guy with the hot salmon sandals with the forest green laces," Invisible Shoes has you covered. I got black on black because (1) I'm boring, and (2) apparently nerds can be goth too.

Once you've picked out your colors and gotten your sandals punched and threaded, the last decision you need to make is how you are going to lace them. There are an infinite number of options available but most fall into two main categories. Traditional...

...or slip-on.

(Sorry about the yellow tint in these pictures. I took them inside the Latrix, which is basically the Matrix except lemon flavored.)

If you go the slip-on route, you can either cut the laces short (as in the photo at the very top of this review) or you can find something creative to do with all of the extra lace. I tried just wrapping it around and around the rest, which worked pretty well.

As always, the traditional lacing is going to be the most secure, although the slip-on style I tried worked perfectly well, at least for road running.

Performance
All in all, the Connect works well as a road running sandal. As previously mentioned, the sole is only 4mm thick, so groundfeel is about as good as it gets. In fact, groundfeel is so good that especially rough asphalt can be a bit uncomfortable. That's another way of saying that there isn't much protection in the Connect, so if you plan on running trails (or even encountering a lot of gravel) you might want to consider the thicker Contact. Durability shouldn't be an issue though, since the dense rubber seems extremely tough. I think you'd have a hard time puncturing the sole (even with a hole punch and a hammer, it took a couple of whacks).

Flexibility is another area in which the Connect shines. As you can see, the sole rolls up nicely. This makes it one of the better options if you are looking for "backup" footwear to bring on a barefoot run.

Invisible Shoes lists the weight of one sandal at around 3.3 ounces. Since the sole is dense it feels surprisingly heavy in the hands, but at 4mm thick it still feels like almost nothing on your feet. One plus of the FeelTrue sole over the Vibram Cherry of the original DIY kit is that I didn't notice any of the floppiness that people often complained about. Also, over time the sole has molded to my feet a little bit (which the cherry supposedly didn't do), though not as much as some other sole materials.

Comfort is good overall. I don't have anything in particular to complain about, although I don't find them as comfortable as some other sandals. I guess I would categorize the comfort level as "perfectly fine, but not luxurious." The laces are thin enough not to cause problems between the toes, but not so thin as to cut into the skin. The density of the sole material means there isn't that slight cushiness that there is in some of Vibram's rubber (but again, the Connect has better groundfeel, so there is that tradeoff).

Traction is fine, at least on roads. The rubber is reasonably grippy and there's a good tread on the sole (but not enough to be a problem on flat surfaces).

The laces keep the foot sufficiently secure for road running, especially with traditional lacing. The thin laces don't seem like they would do as well on technical trails, although I haven't really tested the Connect on trails due to the lack of protection of the sole.

My only real complaint with the Connect is that there's a bit of a slapping sound when I run on pavement. I've tried different lacing systems, tightening, loosening, etc., but could never make it go away. This isn't really a huge problem, but I mention it because it's a pet peeve of mine and it might be of other people as well.

Overall, I would recommend the Connect for running on roads at any distance and for casual wear. I don't think it would work as a trail sandal, and I don't think it was intended for that. In several aspects (comfort, security, versatility) there are other huaraches on the market that I prefer, but they are all more expensive and/or require more work to make.

Conclusion
The Connect is a very solid road running and casual sandal and a great value. The price is probably going to be the biggest selling point for many people since at $25 it's much cheaper than most minimalist shoes. At that price point the only main competitor is Luna's DIY kit, which is also $25. The big advantage Invisible Shoes has over the Luna kit is that the Connect is virtually a ready to wear sandal. The disadvantage of the Connect is that its fantastic groundfeel and complete lack of protection makes it a bit of a one trick pony. Whether this is a real problem or not depends on your personal needs and preferences.

You can buy the Invisible Shoes/Xero Shoes Connect here.
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Sandals provided by the manufacturer

My Book is Coming Out Soon!

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 01:53:00 +0000

I've been kind of keeping this as a secret for the last few months, but now that publication is getting close I wanted to let you folks know about my book. It's a children's book called "What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?" and it's about a little bear who is very confused about whether he needs to put on shoes before he can go run around outside and his patient mother who tries to straighten him out. Here are a couple of snippets:

"But what about sneakers, should I wear some of those

While I'm running around so I don't stub my toes?"

...

"No, silly bear--listen to me, please:

To go run around you don't need galoshes or skis.

"You just need some feet and some fur in the breeze

And some grass and some sunlight, and maybe some trees.

"For a bear's foot should be barefoot; it's really the best way

For a bear to run around on a honey-sunny day."

As far as I can tell, it's the first children's book for barefoot runners (which is ridiculous, since most children are barefoot runners). The illustrations are being finished as I write by an extremely talented young artist whom I intend to take credit for discovering. I'm going to self-publish in e-book and print formats through Amazon so I don't have an exact publication date yet but as soon as it's ready I'll let you folks know. Stay tuned!

20% Off Vivobarefoot Shoes This Month

noreply@blogger.com (bf in az) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 16:31:00 +0000

This is just a quick PSA to let you know that between now and November 1, Vivobarefoot is offering readers of this blog 20% off your entire purchase if you go to the Vivobarefoot website and use the promotional code BAREFOOTINAZ20. So, in the words of Shia Labeouf: "Go! Go! Go go go go go go go go go go!"