Running Update

It's been a while since I updated anything here. Running is going well. Still going with my running buddy, Kiah, outside. There's still no snow here. This being Alberta and the end of November, that is noteworthy.

I'm running for a whole minute now. I'm running 1 minute intervals times 10 (with 30 seconds of walking in between) at the moment. I've run this length about three times now. I've decided to plateau here for a little while to let my feet and leg muscles catch up to the increase in time. I've been trying to avoid 'Running Barefoot Exuberance Syndrome' or 'RBES' (as coined by Barefoot Ken Bob from runningbarefoot.org). Although, seeing as I've been running in VFF Flows, he'd probably call it something else.

I've had no pain other than a little top-of-foot pain, and that only bothers me when I'm not running. It's probably from too much walking in minimalist footwear and not enough foot strength. After several months of laying down (from the sore back), I guess my feet lost a bunch of muscle and now I have to work on getting it back (along with all the other muscle I lost from inactivity). I've been trying to walk and run with very relaxed feet and that seems to help; tension in my feet tends to make it worse.

The back has been feeling great while running, though. I'm very happy about that. I think I'll run one or two more times at 1 minute times 10 intervals and then start ramping up by one interval each run up to 20 intervals and then plateau there again for a bit. It's nice to be able to run more consistently though, I'm happy with once or twice a week for now. Now that I'm running a little longer, I realize how much I missed it.

Running with My Running Buddy

Yesterday, I FINALLY got to run with my running buddy. It was awesome! I ran 16 intervals of 30 seconds with no pain. I didn't realize it until yesterday how much I missed running with a partner. I was afraid to do it before now because I'm still quite 'breakable' when I run and I didn't want to set myself back at all. My running buddy must have known this because she was great the whole time. Here's a picture of my running buddy.

Running buddy, Kiah, with her tongue hanging out

Running is going well. I try for two days of running and two days of swimming per week. Sometimes my back still gives me problems so I don't get them all in but it doesn't bother me too much.

I'm still running outside in my VFF Flows with Injiji socks on. This combination is good to about 0 degrees Celsius. Thankfully, I can wait until the day is at its hottest to run, whenever that may be. So as long as there's no snow and ice, and it's slightly above 0, I'll be outside with my running buddy. Thanks Kiah!

The Living Barefoot Podcast Show - Episode 7 Released

The latest episode of the Living Barefoot Show went online (I know I'm a little late, been busy). Episode 7 features an interview with Sabra, Damien, and Ben from Vivo Barefoot. They were so much fun to interview! Good luck to Damien and Ben tomorrow in the New York City Marathon.

Here's the link: http://www.livingbarefoot.info/2009/10/the-living-barefoot-show-episode-7-we-interview-vivo-barefoot/

Review - Vibram FiveFingers Performa

I didn't have time to write a short review for the VFF Performa but I've finished the long review for these shoes for the Living Barefoot website.

Check it out at:
http://www.livingbarefoot.info/2009/10/review-vibram-fivefingers-performa/

In case you've ever wondered what I sound like, there's also an audio version of the review. This is something we're going to continue with for future reviews. It's available for download on the site above or through iTunes via The Living Barefoot Show.

In (very) short, the Performa is an outstanding addition to the VFF lineup. It is definitely my choice for an indoor minimalist shoe. They are surprisingly warm, extremely comfortable, weigh a scant 50 grams, and have the best barefoot feel of any shoes I've tried so far.

Feelmax Kuuvas Arrived in Time for Winter

The Feelmax Kuuvas arrived this past weekend. So far, I think they're awesome boots! They are incredibly comfortable and warm. I went for a walk today in -6C with a windchill of -14C with 2 cm of snow and slush and my feet were warm and dry the whole time. I don't have a lot of time to write about them today but I thought I'd add some pictures for people to see what I'm talking about. I'm so glad that there are options for minimalist footwear for winter.