The Barefoot Experience - Back to Basics with Vibram Five Fingers

For me it is back to basics  (and short distances) with the Vibram Five Fingers as I convalesce from a Sinusitis and a 6 week absence from running. Why back to the VFF's? Mainly to build my muscles back up and to teach my feet to run again. Because I think us lazy office workers quickly get lazy / clumsy feet and legs when we stop running. (twenty seconds into my run - to prove the point - I managed to catch my big toe on the pavement bend it under my foot and step on it! Ouch!)

I returned to the VFF also to get back into the Barefoot Experience because I had found some interesting "side effects" from Barefoot Running which reminded me of Foot Reflexology.

Foot Reflexology states that specific areas of the foot relate to the body, and by applying pressure to these specific areas an effect is created in the associated organ or part of the body. It is appropriate to ask the question whether barefoot runners and minimalist runners are stimulating their acupressure points.

From my experience, nearly a year into the Barefoot Running Experience (mainly VFF's but more recently Skora) I am find some definite effects which are encompassed in the Mind Body and Spirit or alternative therapy field. Skeptics may not be convinced but if you have an open mind read on...

One of the main aspects of  the Barefoot Running Experience is the growing focus I have had since starting upon my "Life's Journey". No other running in trainers has caused this focus. It has become quite intense. I have started to think of friends who I shared childhood experiences with, now out of touch, and more recent friends that I have lost contact with. I feel that barefoot running has focused my conscious and unconscious attention on life's journey and trying to make sense of life's journey, and the purpose of being here... I meet old friends in my dreams, and when I awake I feel I have connected with them; in the waking world I find myself thinking of other past events, the present and where I want to be going in life. I have started cataloging in a handwritten journal some of the most important points in my life so far, mainly focusing on events which occurred heightened states of perception, in non-ordinary reality, and certain paranormal events.This has all precipitated since I have started barefoot running.

Louise Hays' book You Can Heal Your Life has something quite pertinent about the Feet; she writes that:

"Our FEET have to do with our understanding...of our ourselves and of life - past, present and future"

And this seems to corroborates my experience. In a way it kind of relates to Reflexology, but not so much. Reflexology refers to stimulating organs, and I haven't found any particular change associated with organs, rather, the change has been in a sort of philosophical way, a inter-relation of Mind Body and Spirit in a very real and authentic sense. Not wishy-washy spiritual clap trap but real life-changing stuff. Whether I can attribute this to my barefoot running or it is caused by other factors I cannot say, but it is a hell of a coincidence.

Have you had any interesting personal changes with barefoot running...or am I the only one? Leave a comment...

Review of the Boruit Head Lamp and the Ultimate Performance Runner's Head Torch

For those in the Northern Hemisphere, especially for those countries who have daylight saving, the days have turned cold and dark. Here in the UK, although we have had an "Indian Summer" (a mild bout of weather which has lasted right up until almost end of November, and caused by warm currents from the Gulf of Mexico) things have suddenly turned dark, damp and cold. We have had our first frost and the Northerners their first snow. It is for this reason that runners in winter have to start adapting their routine or start to use various bits of kit to enable us to carry on running...gloves, hats..torches...

The head torch is the most obvious one, especially for those of us who like to trail run, or at least run on roads and paths where lighting is either non-existent or otherwise bad.

Review of the Ultimate Performance Runners Head Torch - In a Nut Shell
Well this little baby costs around £9 and weighs in at 25grams...making it a very lightweight torch. There are no buttons and you have to twist to light up. Unfortunately you also have to twist to open the battery case so if you are a bit dyslexic like myself you will probably end up twisting it the wrong way...after which it all falls to bits in your hands.

The light itself is an LED and is quite bright. It does OK in the dark, although perhaps not quite bright enough to take on a trail run. I have used it in the dark on paths with those orange neon street lamps and through a park with no lights and it works perfectly well. Good for missing wet leaves or Dog poo on the pavement. It is super lightweight and the lamp can fit to your forehead by the strap or you can use the pinch clip to put it on the peak of your cap.

Conclusion
This little light is a good torch to have for urban night running, and to use as a spare emergency lamp as it wraps up as small as a walnut and you can put it in a zip up pocket. I have used it in the attic to do some rewireing...it doesn't give enough light to discriminate colour wires or details...so be warned. It however gets a high rating from me for Urban running - it is lightweight and easy to use.

...however the Ultimate Performance head torch, despite its name, will definitely not cut the mustard on a trail run - it just doesn't have the power. So having seen a cyclist with what looked like a halogen lamp on his head I trawled the internet for a high powered torch and this is what I settled on.

Review of the Boruit -  In a Nut Shell
This cost £19 and I obtained the little beauty from Amazon and comes with rechargeable batteries and a charging adapter. It has a battery pack to the rear of the head which also holds a red rear light, the forward facing lamp holds a total of three torches...one central high beam and two side diffuse lamps. You can select one or the other or both, and you can make it flash for a strobe effect. The rear flashing lamp is something of a bonus I suppose.

I took mine on my usual forest trail and it worked very very well. I used the full 3 beam mode and it gave enough light to traverse a rough pathway, mud and puddles, a dark woodland, was bright enough to attact two massive deer, who eye balled me quite intrigued...and then back through the Urban Jungle I had to be careful not to dazzle pedestrians and car drivers.

Conclusion
It is much more heavy than the Ultimate Performance however the heaviness didn't really affect me...if any thing the solid feel of it was reassuring. It is very versatile and can be used for camping, and even going up in the attic to fix some wiring when all the lights have gone out. As for a running head lamp it is worth giving this a go as it is good value for money. I know it will open up my winter running that's for sure...and although I have succumbed to a cold and have had to lay off the running for two weeks I am raring to go out again for some night running with the Boruit head lamp with the Ultimate Performance Lamp as my trusty back-up torch.

Night Running: running with the Boruit head lamp in the woods

I went for my first night run and it was an awesome experience! In part inspired by the blog Run With No Regrets , and partly inspired by a work colleague who is training for the London Marathon...I bought a powerful "Boruit"  head lamp borrowed a Karrimor belt with water bottles from my sister (who is one of those long distance walkers, does Nijmegen 100 miles and all that malarkey), and, took for the first time in my life my mobile phone, and gave detailed instructions to my wife just exactly where I was going (in case i did not return) and disappeared into the night with my high-vis running jacket, a spare head lamp, and my old Helly Hanson cap...

I did my usual 7.3 miles run through the woods, there was not a soul about and I saw a decent display of fauna. I stuck to my usual forest run and was reasonably secure in the fact that no other person would be in the woods at that hour, I switched on my head lamp and disappeared into a familiar if disorienting world, for although I knew the route well at times my imagination got the better of me.

What did I make of night running?

First of all it is a myopic adventure a little like scuba diving. where your attention is focused just in front of you. Second it seems a very long run as you cannot gauge your speed; third, you find your olfactory sense compensating for the poverty of vision, I could smell the forest and the trees: Earthiness, pine leaves, conifers which I noticed smelt like myrrh; resinous, leafy smells all about. And then the feeling of isolation and feeling of being all alone.

It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, in a way it was exciting and relaxing, knowing I was alone in a wood in the dark with nothing but trees and animals...OK I did feel a slight twinge of fear too. In any case my animal instinct was so increased I think I could have smelt if anyone else was about! But no human scent was present. A field mouse ran past, a couple of squirrels, a millipede! I started to contemplate wild boar when....

Two eyes shone out of the darkness, penetrating pin points of light...I slowed down to a trot, transfixed by the eyes staring at me...suddenly two large deer appeared from the darkness, apparently captivated by the head lamp.

I realized that this wood must be a vestige of that ancient woodland once part of Sherwood Forest and contiguous from Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire through to Nottingham - of course there would be deer, they have been here since the times of Robin Hood! I got quite close to  them before they ambled off.

Having a drink of water from the Karrimor belt really helped me as I ran through the blackness but I must have been slower as it seemed to go on forever...until finally I was back in town and feeling elated. It was like a mini adventure and very satisfying...a bit scary too!

The head lamp worked better than expected and I realised I was now hooked on running in the dark!

ChiRunning, The Tanden, Carlos Castaneda and Star Wars

Running...a pursuit whose motivation is physical...can it be more like a spiritual experience?

First of all ChiRunning...what is it?
ChiRunning is a method of running developed by Danny Dreyer based on the principles of Tai Chi, to harness the invisible energy called Chi, and to use body lean to use gravity for forward motion, with the feet not grasping at the ground and “toeing off” but simply lifting off the ground as you move along.

It is a whole philosophy of motion which I have been trying to practice in my running (with varying degrees of success) since 2011 to recover from and prevent running injuries of which I had been plagued: a case of Runner Heal Thyself!

Using an invisible energy may seem darn screwy yet the Martial Artists highlight how much the body can achieve in the application of the Mind through certain spiritual practices, breaking concrete with their foreheads for example or the Shaolin Monks of China, or for that matter the intense Mind over Matter practiced by Buddhist Monks from Tibet to Japan. We might think of the Jedi knights of Star Wars. although science fiction, fall into this sort of thing - the metaphor is still relevant. The mind controlling the physical.

ChiRunning thus involved centering our minds and using this Universal Energy for our own needs, which might be running 10k, a half marathon even a full marathon. But as Dreyer points out in his book "ChiRunning: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running" most runners and most training methods involve Power Running – a muscle building “no pain no gain” attitude,  – the opposite of the ChiRunning “go with the flow” attitude which explains, Dreyer says, why 15.6 million runners injure themselves every year in the USA. With ChiRunning Dreyer can "run 50 miles without it being a big deal or harmful to the body".

What has Carlos Castaneda got to do with ChiRunning? 
Well nothing actually, or at least not directly. Although if you believe what McDougall says in Born to Run, that the Shaman mentor of Castaneda was a Tarahumara then there may be a link. Juan Matus the Brujo and teacher of Castaneda makes long treks across the Sonora desert and often remarks that Castaneda is fat slow and stupid like a bull, with a roll of fat across the neck...perhaps there was some ultra running involved...

Castaneda brings to us the same concepts that George Lucas would later use as the basis of the Jedi religion in Star Wars. In fact Castaneda stresses, among other things the importance of Personal Power an energy which dictates how a man lives and dies. He makes it clear that Native American Shamans collect this Personal Power (like The Force in Star Wars) and to effect change by the power of intent and to be "perennially fluid" so as to be able - at a moments notice - to seize a quanta of energy that he called a "cubic centimeter of chance"

Chi, Ki Etc
Such a discussion of power and universal energy reminds me very much of the Japanese energy of Reiki.
Reiki is a Japanese folk tradition for self development but purporting to be  a healing therapy. It’s seriousness as a healing therapy is belied by its transmission, through day courses, and in its contemporary application – often as an adjunct to beauty therapies or within health spas. In it is original scheme it is something like an adjunct to the martial arts and a process of self-change and self-healing.

Like the martial arts one of the important things about Reiki is using the Tanden, a point just below the navel from which energy builds and is projected. In Tai Chi, and in ChiRunning it is called the Dan Tien and Castaneda also speaks of it in terms of energy from the abdomen.

According to Castaneda;

 “the [Native American] seer sees that every man is in touch with everything else, not through his hands, but through a bunch of long fibers that shoot out in all directions from the center of his abdomen.”

In fact I recollect reading that in one of the Castaneda books, a shaman called Genaro uses the threads of energy from his Tanden to scale a perilous ravine and jump to a ledge...real Star Wars stuff...

Back to running...

Can we apply this shamans/ Tai Chi / Reiki philosophy to running?
According to Dreyer Yes We Can! And if barefoot running has taught me one thing it is the power of fluidity. The moment that the spine becomes engaged in the running, and releases the energy like a coiled snake, this Chi energy, this invisible energy, is released.

A fluidity of thought as well as muscles, the ability to relax and go with the flow.

My training in Reiki has caused me to review my ideas of energy and intention, and whilst I do not agree with the contemporary presentation of Reiki the use of the Tanden is really fundamental and applicable to many things...much like the Shaman Warriors of Castaneda’s books, being "perennially fluid", and this also seems to link in with the concept of using Tai Chi principles in ChiRunning.

It is certainly something to aspire to...not for competition or even beating a personal best, but for a greater potentiality. As Castaneda once wrote:

“All the faculties, possibilities, and accomplishments of shamanism, from the simplest to the most astounding, are in the human body itself.”

Review of Skora Form (Updated 2018)

RATING: Excellent

First Impressions of the Skora Form

Minimalist shoes in a minimalist box

The sleek box revealed an equally sleek running shoe made of ultra supple goat leather with a flexible sole with a canted edge and a heel with a round profile. The offset laces give a quirky look and there is a velcro adjuster at the back of the heel to tighten things up. There is a optional shoe insole and these shoes are branded as being sock optional. Many Skora runners will wear without socks which makes sense as these shoes are a zero drop minimalist running shoe replicating barefoot running.

Rounded "golf ball" heel

The toe box was not as wide as I thought it would be and the shoes look a lot narrower than expected. My foot is a 45 which is usually an 11 in UK sizing, however in Skora sizing this equates to a 10.5 (UK). I took the risk and ordered the 10.5 (11.5 in US sizing) as I had read online that one should go a half size smaller.

The Fit of Skora Form

The fit for my feet is perfect although I would have liked to see how wider the 11 (46) would have been in comparison. In length the 10.5 are perfect, and I usually wear an 11 (12 US). Sizing a shoe is never an exact science as the size of shoes differs slightly between manufacturers, and one should really try on a a half size each way I think if you are unsure. However Skora are practically impossible to find in the UK which is a shame because these leather shoes are awesome quality.

The soles are the exact width of my feet (I have very wide feet) and the goat leather is super supple so will allow give in the right places. They are snug like a glove with a little looseness in the suppleness of the leather which means I could wear socks if needed, say, in the depths of snowy winter.

Skora: Form and Function

I have been running in Vibram Five Fingers (KSO and Bikila) for almost a year now so I was interested to see how running with thicker soles would improve my running, in particular because my trail run involves some rough track ways made of angular rocks and bits of concrete (hardcore for building roads I suspect) which has in the past left bruises on the soles of my feet. The main question is: will the Skora be an improvement on the Vibram Five Fingers?

I took my normal 10k+ route which takes in pavement, rocky track, gravel path, soft loamy forest track, mud, grass, jumping over ditches, logs, brambles...

First of all I felt the shoes gave me an increased pace and a natural foot fall. I found my gait was a little more heavy and the soles made a louder noise on the pavement than the Vibram Five Fingers. However I noticed that my running style automatically followed the "ChiRunning" principles (which I happen to follow somewhat religiously). I noticed that the canted edges allow for natural foot roll or pronation throughout the forefoot strike lateral to medial, just as if I was running in Five Fingers. The Skora Form did feel initially a little clumpy compared to the Vibram Five Fingers of course but in conventional standards they are sleek, low (13mm soles) and minimalist with minimal cushioning.

After less than a mile I was already used to the Skora. I found the soles to be flexible and yet protective. The loss of "ground feel" did not cause me any great worries as you can still feel stones through the soles - there is just more protection. I was happy to be able to run more confidently across rocky ground and jumping over logs and ditches. They held up very well through slippery clay mud, although in the really slippery deep mud I was all over the place, but in moderate mud they were good.

I wore these without socks (having read people online doing this - bad mistake!) and I soon had three hot spots, my little toe on my right foot, and a small localised hot spot under the arch on both feet. By the time I had got home my feet were sore and I was ready for a rest. I think that perhaps wearing thin socks may have been a good idea, but you know what it is like with new shoes, you get a blister, then you get a callous and then it doesn't get sore ever again.

On the whole I returned home from my muddy run, filthy but happy with the shoes.

Conclusion 
It is not often that a shoe arrives which is both innovative and functional. I mean, those pesky Puma Mobium were based on the foot of a cat and that makes no sense at all, since the animal with the closest foot shape to man is a bear. And when I think of all the thick wedged trainers I have had in the past, the Nike, Brooks, Oasics etc...well it makes me cringe...the "barefoot" concept without a doubt liberated my running. However even the Vibram Five Fingers lose some of the functionality in their styling, the toe pockets increase the surface area of wear and tear and are not strictly speaking required - a design luxury and not "economic" in any sense of the word. So how did the Skora fare?

SKORA UPDATE: Socks or no socks...insoles or no insoles...

I have now spent a good 9 months running with the Skora Form and experimenting with the different options. I found that no socks / no insole caused blisters as did socks and insole. There is a bit of stitching along the edge near to the little toe, it feels like a little knot of stitching but it causes a bad blister on my little toe. (Now the shoes are worn in I find I still get a sore little toe when I wear socks and use the insoles.) The solution I found was to remove the insoles, this lowered the foot by a couple of millimeters and altered the contact point around this area of stitching. Making the small alteration has worked very well for me. (I later took my Swiss Army Knife to the interior of the shoe and cut out the stitching which was causing the hot spot - solution!)

Now I have clocked up hundreds of miles on these shoes I can say that the soles have worn very well. Interestingly "barefoot" shoes show wear at different  parts of the sole than, say, a regular running trainer, or even a walking shoe. So I can see from the wear of the soles that I am running "barefoot" style, on the toes etc. The only minor criticism, aside from the knot of sticthing near the little toe, is the design of how the heel cup joins the leather; already the rubber heel cup has started to part company with the leather, perhaps due to how I take my shoes off  - by treading on the back of the heel with the other foot. Having said that the loss of glue here has not meant that the sole is coming off rather it is more of a cosmetic thing which could be fixed with a little Evostick. However it is a minor quibble. It is very hard to find anything wrong with these shoes.

As the trails get muddier I find the Skora Form doing really quite well through the mud. Not so much in traction, I still slip around as the soles don't have the deep grooves that trail shoes have, however I found that the soles seem to float through the mud and the mud doesn't stick. My Vibram Bikila were problematic because they seemed to sink, fill up with water, and accumulate mud in between the toes. The Skora are like Teflon - nothing really sticks!

Skora Form made excellent all rounders for travelling

In conclusion: for me Skora are best with socks and no insoles with  the option of tightening the heel strap...but you should experiment to find what works best for you! These are highly recommended all-rounders, good for road and trail...I even took them on holiday to wear casually (as well as to run in), and they proved to be a versatile and comfortable shoe.

REVIEW 2018

I have owned the Skora for almost three years now, so how have they fared?

Design: Excellent: 

Quality: Excellent 

Fit for the purpose I bought them (barefoot running): Excellent 

Resilience: Excellent (soles quite worn but I still run in them!)

Do I still wear them Yes! (Excellent).

Overall Rating: Excellent. The only modification was to cut out the knot of stitching that gives me a blister on my little toe.

They are getting very worn now but I will definitely buy another pair when these finally give up the ghost. They have lasted almost three years so far, and I am an average  low mileage runner, but even so, what great value for money they represent.

Barefoot U turn: Is Barefoot Running Practical?

With regular trail runs throughout the summer all set at a distance of 10km (aiming for quality over quantity), a change in diet including reduction in alcohol to practically nil, and use of Dunn's River as a recovery drink I am finding that I am experiencing an explosion in fitness. Although some weeks I only manage one run of 10k (last two weeks) on a good week I do 30k. I am getting to the point of looking at a half marathon distance however I am finding myself questioning the barefoot running concept, least of all because I trod on a sharp stone the other day which bruised my foot and I had to limp home...

Here are my thoughts...
I think being almost middle aged and having no need for competition puts one in a delightful situation of being able to do something for the sheer pleasure of it. It wasn't so easy when I was young and the insidious Ego was ever present; the days when if I saw other runners I would puff out my chest (and hold my breath so they couldn't hear my laboured breathing) and run really fast only to stop when I got around the corner and no one could see me. Or be overly conscious of what I looked like. Or how fast I did or how many miles I averaged.

Having said that I think the Ego has crept into my running in my self-identification as a barefoot runner. Suddenly the average man is a little less average, with people remarking that it is "hardcore" and people doing double takes in the street. I suspect many average runners are attracted to the concept for the same reason. I can't run well but I can focus on a minority trend and do that fairly well and call myself Barefoot Adamski. Sort of . You get the point. The Ego has crept back into running. I mean I even have the epithet "barefoot runner" on my twitter page. It sounds cool....but....now I feel a bit ridiculous. I will have to change it...Why feel the need to identify as one thing or another? But I suppose that's human nature.

However barefoot running, or should I say in my case "barefoot" running in VFF has been a useful tool for posture re-education and muscle strengthening. I have quite a pronounced leg length deformity, my left leg is about an inch shorter, and barefoot running seems to (on the whole) compensate for this. As part of a "training" program VFF has been invaluable to me.

However barefoot running has one or two (or three) very limiting factors.

1) true barefoot running is really limited to smooth trails or paths or sand beaches. However most of my trail runs involve gravel tracks and or paths with sharp stones. I wanted to go totally barefoot but I cannot see how this could be practical. I don't want to end up with a cut foot 3 miles from home, or tread in dog's excrement. The urban environment may have other risks such as broken glass. Hence I cannot take off my Vibram Five Fingers, I need shoes...and regardless of the shape, VFF's are shoes.

2) Speed (lack of). Barefoot is really quite slow and it seems that a lot of the muscles are concentrated on keeping the foot fall light and this seems to sacrifice speed. Not a major issue but for (trail) running having to keep at a slow pace kind of limits the progress of ones quest for improved fitness.

3) In trail running I have to walk through ditches and other obstacles for fear of twisting my ankle or breaking something...

Now...lets talk Paleo... the whole barefoot thing is meant to be like the cave man thing right? I have to say running in the VFF has unleashed my inner animal or connected me to the sensation of a prehistoric past. When I run through the pine forests I imagine my ancestors running with flint spears after some fleeing prey. However...in cold climates prehistoric man would have had some covering to his feet.

I recollect the occasion when I first run barefoot. I was on the estate of the anthropologist Bernard Grant Campbell (author of the paleoanthropological textbook Humankind Emerging) , when I kicked off my shoes and ran around a paddock. It was a revelation. However I think that we must give our prehistoric man / woman some credit. I think (for example) if we could bring Mr and Mrs Prehistoric in  a time machine and present them with my trail run they would fashion some leather shoes. He or she wouldn't risk injury. You have to live to run another day.

So it brings me back to the concept of barefoot running, and the inherent design fault in the Vibram Five Fingers, and (after much internet research) have ordered my first pair of Skora running shoes. I feel a slight traitor to the cause, however I think that a prehistoric man would have made a "minimalist" shoe for running, he wouldn't have fashioned toe pockets as per the VFF. It is an uneconomic design with no benefit other that the style and I suspect aesthetic considerations were not high on a prehistoric man or woman's considerations when they fashioned their moccasins. So I now patiently await my Skora shoes...A review will follow in due course.

Nutrition: The Perfect Gene Diet by Pamela McDonald

This week I want to talk about Nutrition. Now I am more or less an intuitive sort of guy who listens to his body: I eat what my body is telling me to eat. Now this kind of attitude can get me into trouble. I used to polish off a whole pack of double choc chic cookies in one sitting because I was craving sugar. And I caught myself only today with my hand in the biscuit tin devouring some chocolate covered digestives..

However despite my "sweet tooth" generally speaking my intuition is correct.

What I know is that I have to maintain sugar levels. I am not a diabetic but if I get low sugar then I get real morose and irrational. Grumpy even. If I eat a low fat diet I find myself feeling unwell. If I eat a low carb diet I find myself getting really really depressed. One day I proved this. I was feeling irrationally depressed after being on a high protein diet. I fixed myself a large plate of pasta and 30 mins after eating I was feeling on top of the world.  Now, old Granny Beeton always used to tell me that "You Are What You Eat", and this is very true.

Over the last few months I have had this constant urge to give up alcohol and for weeks now I haven't been able to get enough Olive Oil. I mean I now love the stuff! I put in on my bread, on my salad...on my rice. I would drink it if I could - I have practically given up on butter. And I have cut down on coffee...its been giving me headaches...

Now this brings me to the book The Perfect Gene Diet, an awesome book complete with a foreword by the late great Wayne Dyer...

The premise is simple you base your diet on your genetics (your APO E group) because what is good for some aint good for others. Now this sounds kinda crazy, but the author of this work, Pamela McDonald a Nurse practitioner specializing in Integrative Medicine has done all the hard work for you, over twenty five years, all you need to do is get a DNA test and read her book.

So I took a genetics test which came back mainly Northern European  with some Mediterranean and a little Asian (the latter two not obviously manifested in my phenotype). Interestingly the results also showed that I am a slow metabolizer of caffeine - hence the headaches with coffee.

My APO E group was 3/3. I looked up my specific dietary requirements and was pleased to see that it concurred with my intuition. What I need is a high carb diet with moderate (good) fats and moderate protein. More importantly I need to stay away from alcohol because this raises my bad cholesterol. (APO E 2/2 are  the lucky ones where alcohol lowers their bad cholesterol.) This was the shake up I needed. I have finally given up on the alcohol.

My change in nutrition is helping along my running. I am now running in excess of 10k at a time in my Vibram Five Fingers, through mainly forest trails and I have never felt better. So far so good...

Now the book The Perfect Gene Book is a big tome and I am not going to attempt to speak about it in detail or review it as such. I just wanted to briefly draw your attention to it and say that it is worth looking into, because prevention is better than cure. I am just beginning to change my eating habits and I am beginning to see the benefits....this book is really worth its weight in gold.

Shin Splints and How I Overcame Them.

Firstly if you are currently suffering from Shin Splints and are researching the condition for a solution, then you have my sympathies. It's not good news at all and you have a long period of recovery ahead. If you don't have Shin Splints...well read this anyway because prevention is always better than cure.

OK so lets review the condition...the details of which are etched in my mind. Throbbing pain to the medial distal two thirds of the Tibia. A number of causes from inflammation of the muscle fascia to stress fractures of the bone...through overuse...in parade drilling, basketball, running...

I got Shin Splints from running too much too soon... and I thought I would never escape from them. I rested up. I researched. I rested some more. I kayaked a lot. Eventually I started Chi Running. My friend laughed at me "Chi-What?"

Chi Running is, and this is direct from the ChiRunning website, a concept utilizing:

"...principles of T’ai Chi ... to optimize the flow of energy in your body, to reduce the use of force for moving forward, and thereby reduce the risk of walking or running injury, while maximizing the benefits of mindful movement and healthy living."

Chi Running was a start but not a total solution. Shifting my running style from clumsy heel striking to more aware mid foot strike, however I soon over worked the calf muscles which produced another sort of Shin Splint pain. A friend advised me to run through the pain. This, I assure you, does not work with Shin Splints. Complete rest is the answer. And try not to bend on your haunches, or walk up hills. In fact put your feet up and practise RICE,

Rest Ice Compression and Elevation.

Then look at your trainers.

The conventional treatment includes buying cushioned trainers and to try and prevent over-pronation with a rigid orthotic which fits in the shoe. However contemplate on the fact that you cannot over-pronate if you land on your mid-foot. One can only over-pronate if one lands on the heel, and heel strike is only possible in running shoes with a cushioned heel. I did an experiment. I made some custom foam insoles which were extra thick and extra cushioning and these MADE THE PROBLEM WORSE. Therefore I decided to have less cushioning.

The solution for me was simple: to learn how to run again and build up the muscles slowly. I researched trainers and settled on the Puma Mobium which were a lighter and faster shoe. Had a break from running and then started again slowly. The Puma Mobiums eventually ended up in the bin when I discovered the barefoot running concept because I could still feel the Shin Splint pain in conventional trainers. It was a risky solution but I was pretty much at the end of the road. It was now or never.

With the "barefoot" or minimalist running I found the Shin Splint pain began only once and I simply took a week and a half off and then concentrated on the running form which I had read in Chi Running i.e mid foot strike, feet under the shoulders, kick towards your butt visualize you are running on thin ice over a lake which is cracking under you feet. Six months after starting running in Five Fingers I am running without any sports injuries. No sports injuries for six months. It may not sound like much but for me it is a tremendous achievement.

Curing Shin Splints.

This is the Million Dollar question or should I say the Million Dollar answer...but the answer is just common sense.

It takes time. I'm talking months of no running and then a relearning and rebuilding of muscle from a quarter mile and steady (tentative) increase (no more than 10 percent). You need to build up the correct muscles to absorb the impact of running rather than rely on the cushioning of your trainer, Wrap the head of a sledge hammer in rubber and go and hit on concrete and you'll get my point. Despite the rubber the Impact vibration wavelength travels, it transmits. Your muscles must learn to dampen out this impact vibration,

So you have to build up the bone, tendons and muscles of the foot, ankle and calf and utilize pronation as part of the "suspension system". You need to mid foot strike and run lightly - no pounding the pavements now.

Rethink nutrition and lose weight. Plenty of Calcium and protein after a run (Milk based recovery drink). If you smoke you need to stop. If you drink you need to cut back. Focus on running form. If you can do Chi Running then do it. If you feel inclined to include some barefoot running into your training regime then try this also. This will strengthen muscles. Even better if you can run down the beach with no shoes on.

Mix terrain. If you see a patch of grass, or sand, run on it. Run into the forest. Slow down. Don't plod. Think light.

Aim for the optimum foot strike and optimum pace for your body. Not many of us are athletes, be truthful to yourself and what condition you are in. I mean I think I am a super-fit athlete but I am anything but, and whilst my Daddy body is suddenly in vogue...I ain't going to manage a marathon any time soon...or a half-marathon for that matter.

Baby steps...

My 10 Fascinating Facts About Barefoot Running

So far - on my barefoot journey -  I can tell you (from my personal if comical experience) these 10 fascinating facts of barefoot running:

1) You can run practically silently. Sort of like a ninja. I would be a neon orange, slightly unhealthy wheezing kind of ninja. With a limp.

2) Dogs don’t bark at you OR run after you. Why this is I don’t know. Something to do with non aggressive body language.

3) Birds are less scared of you. I mean they fly away eventually but you can get really close.

4) People do double-takes at your feet. Very amusing.

5) Your calf muscles get really big.

6) Your body finds its own natural running posture, running gait and rhythm.

7) Running becomes a meditation: there is no future and no past just the Now. And sharp stones.

8) You cannot zone out on your run, when your mind wanders a sharp stone brings you back to the Now. It is all very Zen.

9) Car drivers will stop to let you cross the road (probably to get a look at what you have on your feet) or perhaps out of sympathy,

And probably the best bit for last...

10) No Shin Splints! But lots of muscle aches and pains as you lower limb and feet adapt.

The Big I AM: Ego and Running

I have just come back from a tough run...I put on my Vibram KSO for a more barefoot experience because I do like the "barefoot" feel... and I suppose I like the idea of being a barefoot or almost barefoot runner. Its kind of like an exclusive club, particularly in my very traditional market town in which I live (I am the only one, I think, who runs in Five Fingers).

In fact, I have not run for a couple of weeks due to a tender set of muscles in my lower leg, including the Peroneus Brevis, anyway, I should have reduced my run distance, and eased myself into running again. That was what I planned to do, I really did. but then....

... my ego got involved


As soon as I saw the road up into the woods I had this thought of "I am not going to reduce my mileage - why should I that's like a backward step" and then I was off, and before I knew it I had covered 4 and three quarter miles across a rocky trail path. My feet had gone numb and I wondered if I had really done myself an injury. As I sit typing this blog post and sipping a recovery drink (and feeling like I want to vomit) I am still wondering whether I have seriously done too much.

It reminded me very much of a story my father used to  tell me about an endurance race between British Special Forces and some Australian Aborigines (or should that be Native Australians??) which covered hundreds of miles of Australian bush. Now this is completely from memory so I can't vouch for the accuracy but it goes something like this:

The White SF guys ran off from the start line at a fast pace, in boots and army gear and laden with very heavy ruck sacks - very competitive as you would imagine - and the Aborigines trotted off in the opposite direction, barefoot with just a spear each and dressed in a loin cloth. Three days later the Special Forces staggered into the finish line as the race winners and then collapsed and were carted off to hospital, A couples of days later the Aborigines trotted in completely normal and were told they had lost the race. Unconcerned they shrugged and jogged out into the bush again to run back home again to do another couple hundred miles!!.

Who were the real winners of that race? The ones who run the day after....I can't even make five miles without hobbling myself for a week. Food for thought.

If you enjoyed this please also see http://creole-adventure.blogspot.com

Review of Barefoot Running: Is barefoot running only possible for a minority of runners?

I read a top podiatrist online stating that he finds barefoot running interesting but couldn’t do it himself as it “would rip his knee cap off”. Slightly melodramatic perhaps but he is The Professional so we cannot really doubt him. In any case it is quite clear that the biomechanics of barefoot running completely different than “normal” running, so is this “ability” of barefoot running really only reserved for a small minority? I mean I haven’t ripped my knee cap off yet and I am an average sort of guy...not an athlete that’s for sure.

The common foot cycle is depicted below.

It a simple cycle of heel strike, foot balance, and then toe off. Of course this works find in shoes but when you go barefoot the diagrams would look something like this:

This is especially so when running; the lateral foot takes more pressure on contact with a sort of momentary supination with a rotation of the foot from lateral to medial pronation, as part of the midfoot strike. Finally there is no “toe off” as such but “foot lift”. Hence the forces involved are completely different.

Having been minimalist running “almost barefoot” in the Vibrams since January 2015 I have noticed some interesting things. (a) I have not experienced shin splints; (b) I have not had any major injuries or major aches and pains, (c) the muscle which is particularly sore at the moment is the Peroneus Brevis, (D) I have red marks (protuberances) after a run on the front of my ankle, and (e) particular tightness in the calf muscles / Achilles tendon.

Above: Muscles which take a pummeling in barefoot running! The Achilles tendon can also gets tight after a run. 

Above: red protuberance after a run on the skin around this tendon, and the one medially running along side of the big toe. Makes me think that tendon and muscles are utilized more for foot stabilization in barefoot running than is used  in conventional running in trainers.

So it would appear (superficially) that the muscles involved in barefoot running are the ones involved in stabilizing the leg on the foot and those involved in the process of supination to pronation (includes the Peroneus Longus and Brevis); and those that act as the shock absorbers (muscles of the calf). Strengthening a specific set of muscles in thus key to barefoot running and hence barefoot running is a skill like any other. It needs practise, perseverance, rest and reflection.

And study. You have to study what your body is telling you.

What I can conclude is that that barefoot running is common in the majority of children but is very uncommon in adults. Our often sedentary lifestyles does not assist this, nor our habituation of wearing shoes. Hence I suppose it is only possible for the minority of runners.

However I don’t think barefoot running is intrinsically any more dangerous than running in trainers. I think you can feel barefoot running more in your muscles so you can take rest before it becomes a stress injury, whereas in trainers you can run on an injury without realizing how bad it is...and realize you have an injury only when it is too late - necessitating a prolonged absence from your running routine.

Verruca! An experiment with some folk recipes.

Verruca pedis is a type of wart which grows on the plantar surface of the foot;  an inappropriate  growth of skin cells and blood vessels into a simple sort of benign tumor, caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). There are countless folk remedies including rubbing a silver sixpence on the verruca, praying on the bible, cutting it in half and burying one half in the earth (the verruca that is not the bible), rubbing on wild turnip, bananas, applying Duct Tape, Tea Tree oil...

According to an old book of mine, in Redwood California a remedy is to put a dead cat under a porch under a full moon and your warts will disappear...mmmm, probably won’t try that...

Well, as you can guess I have a steadily growing collection of the little blighters. I caught this virus when I first learnt to swim at five years old and have been plagued ever since. Even though removed they always come back. I guess I have a poor immunity to the virus... I have had them cut out, burnt out, frozen out, I have used salicylic acid, tea tree oil, myrrh essence but to no avail. They go and then at some point they invariably reappear.

I mentioned this to my Father the other day,  “why, dear boy, you should put pee on your feet”.

Hmmmmmm.

So I googled it and surprisingly rubbing your own urine into the verruca can cause them to miraculously disappear. An experiment was conducted and the results were...

Conclusion 26th May 2016
I can report honestly and truly that rubbing pee-pee unto your verucca does not work at all, at all. The surprisingly efficacious treatment I have found is....

DUCT TAPE - AN AMAZING TREATMENT!

Conclusion.
Remove excess skin with salicylic acid such as Bazuka and then start applying Duct Tape - a miraculously efficacious remedy - guaranteed!