Wednesday 16 May 2012

Rules are rules.....

Trying to run in completely new way is not an easy task.  There’s only so much ‘running’ you can do in your house and as I live in a Wendy House I can go from the front of the house to the back in about 6 strides.  I've been trying to run in a barefoot style with normal running shoes on but I'm not sure if this helps or hinders.
If I get the chance I try to run in socks on the treadmill as this gives me the opportunity to try barefoot running without worrying about treading on glass, sharp objects or dog poo as the local park seems to be the canine toilet of choice.
This morning I was shuffling along on the treadmill in my socks only to be told off by the gym staff that what I was doing was a health & safety issue and I had to stop.  Initially I thought that my immense weight must be causing earth tremors as a foot hit the ground, but no,  apparently running in socks cannot be done.  It seems that the socks could be trapped between the moving belt and the fixed side runners so I had to stop....clearly laces wouldnt do this eh ?  Ah well, rules are rules.

Sunday 13 May 2012

Survived the Gym

Managed to get over 1.5hrs in the Gym - virtually all Cardio exercise - and lived to tell the tale.

Most advice about barefoot running is to take it easy.  Its been known that runners who can normally run 8 miles upwards without thinking twice about it, can experience great calf pain when trying out the barefoot running style.  Frequently terms such as ‘listen to your body’ and TMTS (too much too soon) are used.

In preparation for this, I started to do small periods of workouts & stretches that focused on calf work and strength.  Many people poo-poo the use of ‘active’ computer games like the Wii, but I found some of the balance games, the Obstacle Course and the jogging parts of Wii Fit Plus very useful to help build up calf muscles and get used to relying less on heels when walking or running.

So the gym session involved 25mins on the treadmill which included running just over a mile in the barefoot style which went quite well – I didn’t ‘heelstrike’ (ie having the heel of the shoe impacting on the ground first) too much that I was aware of.  This was followed by walking for a bit (to get my breath back) before I shook off the shoes and ran in my socks. 

It doesn’t sound like much (and the UK Olympic long distance running team aren’t in any danger of being replaced) but I managed the recommended 1/4mile no probs before chancing my arm and going 200metres further.  I felt I could have gone further but didn’t want to push my luck (see TMTS earlier) plus the friction between sock and treadmill belt was generating heat.

Tired but happy that calf pain isnt evident – and pleased for Man City winning the Premiership even though I don’t support them.

Friday 11 May 2012

A week to go

After a lifetime of being involved in some form of sport or exercise, the last 2 years of inactivity have been difficult.  Exercise has always been a key part of maintaining my weight - particularly as I have a healthy appetite, which is a polite way of saying I’m 'a greedy barsteward'.

My running/jogging activities were curtailed by a bout of painful tendonitis which I aggravated by going back too soon and put me back to square one.  This prolonged period of inactivity (approx 18 months), coupled with a sedentary job, a bit of a sweet tooth and memories of my mothers wrath if the plate wasn’t cleared, made my weight balloon.

I knew that getting back into running after such a long period would have to be carefully managed.  I took up hill walking as a way of slowly introducing these old bones and muscles back into exercise.  All was going well until a stupid slip on a stone stile resulted in damaging my coccyx bone and another period of enforced rest.

It was at this period that I  became aware of barefoot running and spent some time trawling the internet for information.  A guy I knew in the States had told me a few years ago of this phenomenon and that he had purchased a pair of Vibram Fivefingers (VFFs or Toe shoes as some call them, ) to try out. After a few months of getting used to this ‘new’ style of running he became a convert and claims it has helped him improve his speed & distance while reducing his aches & pains.

I'm too old & out of condition to be interested in the speed aspect of his improvements but the reductions of aches & pains was of interest.

When the Vibram Fivefingers (link http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/index.htm ) were first released it was clear that they weren’t going to be bought for their style. I used to run in New Balance shoes (which never won any awards for style) and I was convinced that some of the designers must have moved from NB to Vibram, such was their lack of pleasing aesthetics.

These are the VFFs Im going to purchase (believe me when I say there are much worse styles & colours) :


With crazy prices for VFFs in the UK and Europe the purchase of these shoes is not to be taken lightly, unless you’re flush enough to spend £120 on shoes on a whim, or female.  As I'm neither, I took time to commit to buying them and coupled the purchase of them with a trip to the States where they, like virtually everything, are much cheaper.  So I'm 7 days away from getting my first pair of 'barefoot shoes'.

This blog will catalogue my experiences with VFFs and barefoot running and hopefully chart some weight loss along the way.