...El gringo sin zapatos ...

Merrell Road Glove Review

2012-01-08T22:27:00.004-05:00

The Positives!

Beginning on the personal side, I have to say a big thank you to Merrell for supplying me with a pre-retail version of their Road Glove, back in November. I attribute the correction of a long-term running injury at least partially, to running in a slightly modified Road Glove (The modification: I threw in an old pair of insoles from Timberland shoes.) I had been having pain in my right ankle for about 18 months. I started using the Road Glove exclusively while seeking the correct diagnosis. It was a long time coming, but an MRI and Dr. Marc Silberman got it right: Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome. I began ART treatment with Dr. William Bonsall and have continued to run in the Merrell Road Glove. Presently, the symptoms are close to 100% gone!

Out of the box, the Merrell Road Glove if s beautiful minimal shoe. It does fit like a glove and can be worn without socks. It has zero toe-drop and a sole that puts your foot about a half centimeter from the ground. Your toes can spread out in the toebox for a natural barefoot feel. As a road shoe, they are head and shoulders above other road trainers in maintaining those important aspects of barefoot technique. Here is Merrell's official Web Page for the Road Glove. You can checkout the specs, materials, sizes, prices. I have many photos of the shoes I received here.

Road feel: There is no cushioning. Yay! In fact, the zero drop, and absence of cushioning make this shoe stable enough to wear as a court shoe! This could become a shoe for many other fitness activities rather than just running.

Merrell Road Glove Sole showing heel wear

The Negatives

Merrell didn't get the Road Glove as right as they got their Trail Glove, I am sorry to say. You will notice from the photo above, I have some significant wear on the outside of the heel. This means I am heel-striking when I wear this shoe. I did not have this issue when wearing the Trail Glove on the road. I think there are a couple of reasons the Road Glove put me back on my heels a bit. The first reason is the upwards curve in the toe area of the shoe. Bare feet do not curve up, and this curve is forcing me to support more weight from the center to the back of my foot. It would be a simple fix to flatten-out the sole so a user's toes are naturally on the ground in neutral standing position. The second reason may be the width and flatness of the outsole at the heel. I tried to take a picture that illustrates the wider sole (below). The flatness does not mirror the roundness of the bare heel, as the sole of the Trail Glove and Sonic Glove do. This puts more rubber where it should not be. So if my foot was barefoot and swinging forward, there would be nothing there to strike the ground first; instead my forefoot would land. Wearing these shoes with the extra sole puts rubber where the air should be, fostering heel strike.

Heel of Soinc Glove (top), compared to Road Glove (bottom)

The Bottom Line

The Merrell Trail Glove is another high quality shoe by Merrell. All their shoes have outstanding construction and materials. They work right for more miles than most shoes on the market. Despite the negatives I mentioned above, I am hard pressed to recommend on a better minimal shoe for exclusive road use. I probably would not have even noticed those negatives, had Merrell not spoiled me previously with the perfection of the Trail Glove and Sonic Glove!

I DO NOT HAVE A STRESS FRACTURE (at least not now)

2011-10-27T13:21:00.000-04:00

Today is the second day this school year that I drove to work. Well, it is raining today, so it was a good day to drive, but I also drove in because I am in need of an easier week. Yesterday was the first day without a bike ride or run for me since Hurricane Irene, August 29th. I took it off from work and from working out. I had been feeling exhausted on my commutes on Monday and Tuesday this week - and I was cutting them to the shortest route as it was. Something was up with my body, because i went to the primary physician to finally have a look at my ankle, and my vitals were high for me. My heart rate was about 70, and my BP was something over 80. Two weeks ago I was under 50 resting pulse at 6 PM, and my BP was something over 70. I don't know if it was over-training, having no complete days off for almost 2 months, or if my body was on a razor's edge of getting sick with a cold or other virus. My son has something right now, and there is a lot going around here at school. I am hoping to get a run in despite the rain today.

I had already researched and made an appointment with a sportsmedicine guy before I went in to the primary physician yesterday. I wanted to get a referral from the primary physician, and was hoping to get it quick and easy. That did not happen. He wanted to look at an MRI himself first. Aetna, my health insurer, let me down. They put it "under review", so the doc ordered a regular x-ray instead. Got that, and just heard the result is NO BROKEN BONES! So I have no stress fracture after all - at least not now. Hopefully the MRI will be approved, and I can get to the sportsmedicine guy next week.

Why I love Injinji

2011-10-27T00:43:00.000-04:00

I have complaints about socks:

They start nicely packaged and fit well.
They go through some washes, then don't fit so well.
They get lost in the wash, lost in the drawer, lost in the gym bag.
They get worn out where you need them most.
They get holes and they are done.

Of the 4 items above, my Injinji socks have only been subject to #1.

Is it the toes that keep them fitting well? Is it the toes that keep them from wearing hard in only select spots? Or is it simply their quality?

The answers to those rhetorical questions probably do not matter. The overriding fact is that the Injinji sock works well for runners. They allow your toes to splay out naturally, especially when wearing your minimal shoes, such as VFF's and Merrell Barefoot models. I feel that the separation of the toes allows the foot to flex more naturally. For long runs, the Injinji never folds or flattens or bunches, even when the going is wet or extra sweaty.

I have three pairs of Injinji socks. I use the thinnest, Performance Lightweight No-Show toe socks when I want the best technical performance in Vibram FiveFingers or in Merrell Barefoot shoes. It is better than being barefoot in these minimal runners. I use them for races and shorter trail runs. I have a pair of Original Weight toe socks, mini-crew, that I use for longer trail runs because they keep the trail junk from going down the gaps around my ankles and Achilles tendons. For everyday road runs, I use the midweight toe socks.

Alex Honnold

2011-10-17T15:58:00.000-04:00

When he gets to the top, he can not wait to take his shoes off!

I could run today

2011-09-11T23:35:00.000-04:00

I have been away from running. I have taken the last 6 weeks off from running, except for on 10K run for the LIVESTRONG Challenge. My last run was the River to Sea Relay on July 30, 2011. I ran that 10K on August 20, and it hurt like hell. I wonder if that one run, followed the next day by a century ride with over 4000 feet of climbing, hurt the recovery of my troublesome left ankle. I was taking off because I was convinced that the pain in my left ankle was a Navicular bone stress fracture. I knew I was continuing to do it damage by running XC races through July, as well as by running River to Sea. I was entered in Escarpment Trail Run, but I bagged it in favor of stopping the damage. That was a big sacrifice; it would have been my 7th straight, and I was already entered. But that is not an event to do on a stress fractured ankle. I limped and iced throughout the month of August. I used an Aircast ankle stirrup as much as I could during that month. In the first couple of weeks of September I was still feeling enough pain to limp a little, but I stopped using the stirrup and I stopped icing. In the meantime, I have been riding massive cycling mileage to make up for the lack of running, and to make sure my injury was getting more circulation to enhance healing. I set the goal of coming out of the running break in better cardiovascular condition than I went into it. I feel I am succeeding at that goal. Here are my mileage totals for the last 6 weeks on the bike: 149, 150, 107, 115, 204, 260. Definitely a couple of lifetime personal records there. That 260 of last week might be even longer than I ever went back in my 1985-1995 triathlon days. Amazingly, last week was also a breakthrough in the ankle pain. I am not limping, but I am still feeling a little pain. It no longer feels like a stress fracture, but is back to feeling like a connective tissue issue. Yesterday, I was confident and excited enough to enter the Philadelphia Half-Marathon, which is November 20, because I am sure that I will have enough time to come back and train for it. So I am feeling that I could run today, but I am not sure if I should. I am thinking I should wait another 2 weeks, just to be sure, and to start running again with absolutely no pain, instead of just a little. Decisions, decisions.

LIVESTRONG Challenge

2011-08-21T20:37:00.001-04:00

The Cannondale after the ride

Me after the ride

LIVESTRONG "Phlly" (was really Blue Bell, PA) bike ride - My first century ride since about 1992.

It isn't about me, really. I raised $1300 for LIVESTRONG. It's about my sister who has kidney cancer, my mother who died of cancer, Paul K. and others who died, and so many other survivors I run and work with. Fighting cancer is a lot harder than a little 10K run and 100 mile bike ride.

But here is my report:

GARMIN DIED at 32 miles! I rode the second 50 miles at exactly 3 hours. I am pretty sure the first half was faster - or not because 16.7 MPH comes out to almost exactly a 6 hour century (not including 4 five-minute stops for food, bottle refills, pee, and brake tweak noted below). 4263 feet of climbing, according to the web site and I do not doubt it! Would have liked to have the complete data! The last 12 miles were in heavy rain.

Rode the '84 Cannondale with tubulars. Had to remove the tire guides from the rear brakes at about 35 mi, when the pads wore down from all the downhill braking - thought I needed a new brake pad, but it turned out that those stupid triangular things were rubbing the rim. Sunglasses frame broke at about 40 mi; chucked those. Lost the bite valve from my Camelbak at about 55 miles - end of drinking tube at the bite valve rubs my leg and I guess it worked its way off (I have noticed it pull out a little on rides). All the remaining water ran out, so all the Camelbak did was carry my spare tires from there on in.

It was very cool to ride with so many riders - there were a few thousand, I would say, in wave starts of about 500. Random pace lines at times. Saw lots of the same people over and over. I only saw one other "vintage" 80's-90's era bike. Almost everybody had newer bikes and the gears for those climbs - convinced I really want some carbon fiber and 20 speeds.

Lance Armstrong was there, said some words on the PA, then rode with the first group that were the top fundraisers for a while, then did the whole thing in like 4 hours.

Busy weekend: Friday was the last day of the camp I work at. Friday night was a camp party and some drinking. Had to get up at 5:30 AM to get to the 10K run for LIVESTRONG on Saturday (46 min run was slow for me but my suspected stress fractured ankle hurt a lot as the run progressed). Got about 4 hours of sleep on Fri night. Got home before noon after the run to hang with the inlaws, went for a short hike with them and kids at Watchung Reservation in the PM, then went to a Patriots game Sat night. Prepared for today's ride before we left. (That is probably the reason the Garmin died, because I unplugged it about 4PM on Saturday to pack it.) Got only about 5 hours of sleep on Sat night, up at 5 AM for today's ride. So I got through this weekend double with only 9 hours of sleep!

15 Miles at Round Valley

2011-06-12T16:03:00.000-04:00

Wow, big improvement for me since the last time I ran here. Ran with Swifty and Dixon. Was like running in the NJ rainforest this morning at like 100% humidity. For most of the run I felt comfortable and in control. After about 10 miles my legs and ankles were tired. It was good to feel like I could recover quickly after going anaerobic hills. Wore the new Merrell Sonic Glove with Injinji socks, and they were great on this rocky trail! Got some painful rock impacts, however. Next time I am going to try them with an additional thin insole for a little extra protection. There is enough room in the size 9.5's. If that works, I will definitely use them at Escarpment Trail Run.

I took some photos of the Merrell Sonic Gloves after the 15 mile damp and rocky run today:

Merrell Sonic

2011-06-11T17:25:00.001-04:00

A nice present came in the mail for me yesterday. Merrell sent me a couple pairs of the Sonic, a new shoe in their Barefoot lineup. The major difference between these and the Trail Glove, is the upper material. Instead of the mesh the the Trail Glove is made of, it is a thin solid nylon. This is good, especially when running on trails sockless. Dirt and small stones were able to get into the Trail Glove. That could get uncomfortable. That should not be a problem with the Sonic.

I have not gone running in the Sonic yet. Tomorrow should be a wet trail run in them. I will report the results.

The Towpath "Train"ing Run 2011

2011-06-05T22:14:00.001-04:00

I ran one of the greatest running events in NJ, this past Saturday. No, it is possibly one of the greatest running events on the east coast! No lie! Everything is relative, so I am allowed to be subjective about this, no?

The event is called The Towpath "Train"ing Run. I believe it was the 13th annual of this event. It is put on by my running club, The Raritan Valley Road Runners. The prime mover for this event is Mr. Ray Petit. Ray is a past president of the club (as am I), and still is the leader of our weekly Saturday morning runs year round on the Delaware-Raritan Towpath. Ray is also back on the board of directors of the club. He is a regular voice on all club issues both online and off. Not many people put as much of their time and their life into the club as Ray does.

Last year I ran the full event, which starts in Trenton and goes to the Landing Lane bridge on the border of Piscataway and New Brunswick, NJ. It is 34+ miles of running. It is an amazing event because it is fully supported and it is non-competitive. It is more of an event of cooperation rather than competition. The theory is that as the event progresses, more runners "board the train" at different "stations". The train is the continually snowballing group of runners, and the stops are the various road crossings of the towpath. Due to this cooperative nature of this run, people can run a lot farther than they would normally. Additionally, the pace is controlled. Runners decide to run on a 10:30, 9:30, 8:30, or 7:30 per mile paced "train". The train "departures" are timed to converge at the end of the event. Running a selected pace at or slower than one's normal training pace is much easier on the body than trying to run a marathon at a fast goal pace, for example. You might know how painful the last few miles of a marathon can be at a fast goal pace, and how the your legs can hurt for the next week. This does not happen with long mileage on the Towpath Train!

This year I knew I was not in the shape I was last year. Plus I am daily dealing with this phantom pain in my right ankle. But I wanted to start in Trenton, because I run that part of the towpath less frequently than the portions north of Princeton. I figured I would go as far as I felt like going, then catch a ride to the last "station" to finish the last couple of miles with everybody on the converging "trains".

I went to bed much too late the night before. It was about midnight. (Yes, I am weak and stupid: I was watching the 2nd showing of the season premiere of one of my favorite TV shows, Whale Wars.) I had 4 hours of sleep for the 4 AM wake up required to get to the 5 AM departure from Grove 5 in Johnson Park. I rode in Ray's car with Vince to the 6 AM start in Trenton. (The D-R Towpath used to really "start" at Mulberry Street in Trenton. It is now fully connected via a rail-trail paved path that parallels US-1 to the section that runs northwesterly along the Delaware River. The connection was completed during the summer of 2010.)

I had some stomach problems the entire day. I think I was being lactose intolerant from the Rita's Custard twist cone I had the night before. Let me just say, I had to use the weeds on the edge of the towpath for a "dewdrop" before the beginning of the run, and again later on just south of South Bound Brook; not to mention the Porta-John at Weston Causeway... 'nuff said. But it was, none-the-less a factor in the final distance I was able to cover comfortably.

The biggest factor in the distance I was able to cover was the pace. I really had no business starting at the 8:30/mile pace. If I had gotten up earlier, I could have been on the 9:30/mile train. That is where I should have been, given the training pace I have been running this year! It was definitely a relatively fast run for me; I was feeling uncomfortable for the first few miles, and again from miles 11-16, when I decided to take a ride.

The biggest factor in me being uncomfortable from miles 11-16 was the result of wearing VFF's. Much of the towpath has been nicely resurfaced with cinder-like surface. However, the section from a little south of Princeton through Blackwells Mills Road has more gravel, much of it random. This began to hurt the bottom of my feet, even with the VFF's on. I had an especially tender spot right behind one of my toes on my left foot. It was like every random rock hit a nerve there.

So I called it quits at Griggstown Causeway. Helped out with the water stop there. Annette drove me to South Bound Brook, a major refueling stop. We set up the water stop there. I felt very recovered, and that section of the towpath is in great shape, so I joined the 9:30 train. The second portion of my run felt much easier at this pace. Yes, again I was wishing that I started at that pace. It was so nice to be running with so many people I know. So by the end of the day I did 22.5 miles of running. At the end of the day, 15 people ran the full 34 miles. Something like an event record, in this, it's 13th running. Total mileage was the most ever also.

I was happy to have to milestones, of sorts. This was a record distance in VFF's for me. And the last time I went this far in one day was this event last year. I had not been over 10 miles in 2011!

At the post-run picnic, much fun and beer was had. Plus, the actual "Miracle on the Hudson" airplane parked at Johnson Park. It was on its way to the Carolinas Aviation Museum.

Garmin 405 at Amazon is only $183 Shipped!

2011-04-27T14:22:00.000-04:00

I thought that was a pretty good price... Great deal on 'Garmin Forerunner 405 [$183 shipped!] Water Resistant Running GPS With USB ANT Stick (Black)' by Garmin http://amzn.to/kHQItA

Yea, I Know... But there are some great minimal choices here.

2011-04-24T17:06:00.000-04:00

Here's $10 off at Shoebuy.com

Save on shoes, accessories, handbags and apparel at Shoebuy.com. We've got something for everyone and for a limited time, you can save $10 on that special something. Valid on purchase of $50 or more.

View >>

Suggest the Merrell Trail Glove and True Glove. They are $109, but you will get them for $99, with free shipping!

Suggest the Saucony Kinvera. They are $89 but you will get them for $79, with free shipping.

Suggest the Saucony Killkenny. They are $54 but you will get them for $44, with free shipping.

Suggest the Saucony Low Pro. They are $44 but you will get them for $34 if you add some socks, with free shipping.

OR just get some flip flops!

I want to run long in the mountains SOON!

2011-04-12T18:11:00.002-04:00

This Email Made My Day

2011-04-11T21:35:00.003-04:00

I received an email from a friend that I mostly hung with in 7th - 12th grade. I am a year older than he, and have not seen him in about 10 years. Here it is, a little edited:

I am on a flight to Orlando for business reading Runners World and reminiscing. In 13 days I will line up to run the Boston Marathon as a 50 year old 3:35:13 qualifier. 13 days later I will guide a buddy in his first marathon in OKC.

It was you who started this in September of 1974 when you suggested I give X-C a one week chance. I'll never forget showing up at the first practice in cut off jeans and sneakers unable to finish the 2 mile warm up!

Three years later my friend, Coach S. entered the scene and brought my enjoyment of running (and performance) to another level.

Here I am 33 years later back at it, running for a cause, my son Jeff. At the end of this month I will have raised almost $200,000 for the A-T Childrens Project since 2003. My thanks to you for inspiring me so many years ago.

Cheers

Blogger Plug

2011-03-24T22:46:00.002-04:00

I really love this blog...

12 Year Old Triathlete Raising Money for Prostate Cancer in Honor of Father

2011-03-06T12:45:00.000-05:00

This is a quite inspiring story.

No excuses; go train.

SALEM -- A 12-year-old girl from Salem is on a very personal mission to make a difference by raising more than a quarter of a million dollars for cancer research.... (more)

2011-02-18T21:54:00.000-05:00

We Started It :)

2011-02-08T15:55:00.000-05:00

I have been running barefoot for a long time - summer of 04. But I don't do 100% of my mileage barefoot. My barefoot running mileage varies from about 0% in January and February to about 33% in the summer. I built into barefoot slowly back in 04. The rest of my running mileage is in those "minimal shoes". I will admit that in really really technical rocky trail situations I even still use something called a Brooks Cascadia - sometimes I screw sheet metal screws into the bottom of those Brooks when it is icy.

So why don't I run 100% barefoot? It is because I can not run fast enough for good race times when I am barefoot. Shoes allow me to break the rules of barefooting, yet allow me to have all the efficiency and injury prevention of barefoot training. For me, the sum of part-time barefoot running plus part time shod running is greater than its parts. Training and racing in minimal shoes allows me to focus on my speed and effort rather than where I am putting my feet, especially on rocky trails, but also on pavement. Yet, even in shoes I can run more efficiently than I did in those pre-barefoot technique days. I can go farther, faster, with less effort because of barefoot technique.

I was up to almost 100% barefoot running in spring/summer/fall a couple of years ago. But I was pushing it, so it led to Achilles tendinitis and a couple of broken toes. Perhaps as much injury as shod runners experience. I decided compromise is best for competitive running improvement.

And I do try to live life as barefoot as possible to support the running part.

The reason I am putting forth this treatise, is because I think some barefoot runners simply protest too much. Yes, running barefoot is great! It prevents and cures injuries; it makes people run right; it simply feels good! But barefoot running has come a long way in the past couple of years. There are some great choices for minimalist shoes that were not there before. There are finally better choices than aqua socks, duct tape, hurraches and VFF's. Those choices would not have come into existence without us barefoot runners. When people post about minimalist shoes, or use that oxymoron "barefoot shoes", we should not go ballistic. That makes us sound insecure. We should sit back and smile, knowing we started it all.

Merrell Barefoot Trail Glove Review

2011-02-02T16:20:00.004-05:00

I have been given the privilege of being able to be one of the early users of the Merrell Barefoot Trail Glove minimal shoe. I got the shoe in November, just after running the Philly Half Marathon. I have since run 100 miles in the Merrell Trail Glove on many different surfaces. I have used it on easy trails, technical rocky trails, grass, roads, on a treadmill, and most recently on snow and ice. I think Merrell has hit a home run with the design of this shoe! As that crazy new oxymoron, "barefoot shoe", the Merrrell Trail Glove is perfect. More perfect than the Vibram Five Finger shoe is for us runners.

Click through the "stack" of photos below or See full size photos here. Some of the photos are from when they were new, out of the box. Some of the photos were taken after muddy runs, and some are meant to compare them directly to the VFF and to my favorite Saucony Killkenny XC flats.

ZERO HEEL LIFT!

The first requirement necessary to promote barefoot-like running technique is one that was long missed by Nike Free designers, for example. That is, there must be absolutely no additional height from the ground at the heel. The height of the sole materials under forefoot and heel must be equal. This has come to be called something like "zero toe drop". I like to call it "zero heel elevation". Either way, I think you get the idea. The Merrell Trail Glove has this hard-to-find quality. Along with a wrap-around effect in the sole structure at the heel, the Merrell Trail Glove winds up with a totally unobtrusive heel. Forefoot footsrike comes naturally and easily. Running in this shoe is similar to running in track spikes without heel wedges. It is a pleasure, especially for those of us that have real barefoot training mileage in our backgrounds. If you detest the forced heel-strike of trainers, this shoe will make you very happy!

TOE BOX & UPPER FIT!

The second requirement to promote barefoot-like running technique is naturally spread toes. Too many shoes force the toes together instead of allowing them to splay naturally. The Merrell Trail Glove performs a dual miracle: There is a toe box that is wide enough for natural toe spread, and the rest of the shoe, from the metatarsals on through the heel, fits like a glove (as the shoe's name suggests). The result is a shoe that allows your foot to move the way it wants to up front and the rest of the shoe becomes one with your foot. The fit is accomplished through a unique lacing system and great anatomical design. Additionally, the shoe's interior is designed to be worn sockless, with materials that are receptive to your skin and with no protruding seams (though I have been wearing it with socks during the winter snow runs).

THIN VIBRAM SOLE!

The third requirement to promote barefoot-like running technique is to have a sole that is thin enough to allow for biomechanical feedback. You have to feel the ground to run right. The sole of the Merrell Trail Glove isn't too thick for this, and it isn't so thin that you might hurt yourself when on trails.

The sole of the Merrell Trail Glove is made by Vibram, so I am assuming it will last a long time; I can see little visible wear after 100 miles of running. It is textured for off-roading. It does not seem to build up any mud on trails, and has given me no traction problems, even on damp trails and snow. I am thinking that Merrell should market this shoe as a cross-country flat, because it would function admirably for XC runners. I plan to race my summer and fall XC races this year in this shoe. Especially since the VFF has questionable traction on grass. The sole has enough protection for careful trail running over very rocky terrain. The first time I used them at Watchung Reservation, which has areas of ankle-killer rocks, I was a little worried and got a couple of ouchies in my arch area. But once I realized I had to simply keep my eyes open and place my feet a little more carefully, I had no problems. I am considering using these shoes at the ridiculously rocky Escarpment Trail Run this summer.

I would like to point out the advantage of having one's toes inside the shoe, unlike the VFF toe-glove style. I broke my toe on a trail wearing VFF's when I kicked a root. The Merrell Trail Glove protects minimal trail runners from this hazard.

Overall, the shoe actually looks good. I am hoping it comes out in some more aggressive colors for us crazy racers. I am a little concerned about it SRP, which I believe is $110. For me, that would be pricey, compared to some minimal XC flats that average around $50.

EDUCATION!

Merrell is concerned about educating runners about the minimal shoe movement. They have waited until tis month after months of research and testing. Here is a press release about their launch of their barefoot running education web site. You may click here to go directly to the web site!

Here are some screen caps from my posts about the Merrell Trail Glove on my Daily Mile:

.,m

I Am A Barefoot Runner

2010-12-21T19:28:00.000-05:00

This is so funny. Especially the part about the VFF's smelling bad!

Thank you for making this one FacePaster

Not About Running Barefoot.

2010-11-26T09:06:00.000-05:00

I have a cold

2010-10-31T11:54:00.000-04:00

I have a cold or something. It is worse at night. My throat hurts and I had a lot of trouble making it feel comfortable when I went to bed too late (as usual) last night at 1 AM. My head hurt this morning. I slept late. I used some throat lozenges yesterday and several cups of tea. This morning I took psudafedrine, ibuprofen, and a Zicam. I feel OK now, but I can tell the problem is still there.

Ten mile run yesterday felt GREAT however (embed below).

Kid's soccer game today and trick-or-treating with tons of kids this evening. Hoping I can sneak a run in and feel well through it all.

Happy Halloween!

How my running is going....

2010-10-11T11:11:00.000-04:00

I need to blog more. There have been a lot of miles under my wheels and heels that I have not blogged about. Do i start with today and work backwards? Or do I start with running back in May, and work forward? Or do I just dive in and write stream-of-consciousness? Hmm - yea, I think that is the way to do it....

testing the Android

2010-08-24T17:28:00.001-04:00

not running barefoot. Posting from my LG Ally!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.5.2

Newport 10K Review - Ran it on 5/8/2010

2010-05-09T20:06:00.000-04:00

I tried posting this as a review at Active.com. It keeps getting kicked out. Is it something I said?

The management of this race does an outstanding job with parking, check-in, bag check, food and drink, and goodies like tech T race shirts. They have a timely awards ceremony with plenty of raffle prizes. For top runners, there are plenty of cash prizes to go around. The Saturday 8:30 AM start time is rare in NJ, and leaves plenty of time to do other things during the rest of the weekend.

Jersey City is cursed with course length mishaps. See for example http://www.compuscore.com/cs2007/may/newport1.htm

http://compuscore.com/cs2006/october/LIBHM1.HTM

This year's running was a minor revival of the Jersey City course curse. I think it was at least 1/10th long, judging by the slow times of friends and elites, and by Garmin readings that were in the 6.3x range. The turns seemed unduly wide due to parked cars on the course, and I think we were sent out & back too far around some cement ornamental structures on a pier along the waterfront within the last half mile.

The Conquest of Everest (1953 Feature Film)

2010-04-08T13:27:00.003-04:00

Note the BAREFOOT porters about 13:30 into this...

Half & Half & 1 Woo-Hoo!

2010-04-04T15:39:00.000-04:00

Ran 5.75 with Jeff, then 4.5 barefoot. Averaged 8:30's in XC flats with Jeff, and abut 10 min/mile barefoot. There is a lot of crap, glass, stones and other scree around after the big rains of last week. But you know what is great? Running with my kid: Sixteen and 50 running down the street and now I don't know who the girls out springtime-driving are woo-hoo'ing about!

Where things stand right now...

2010-04-02T19:56:00.001-04:00

Road east & west VFFs by thinnmann at Garmin Connect - Details

WOW- Garmin Connect fixed the elevation abnormalities!

Longest run today since January 9th's Watchung Winter Ultra. Wore the VFF's. Sunburned my head. Ran the first almost 5 miles with my son. April is all about LSD. I am so out of shape! I knew I was gaining weight during the January - March ski season, with low training mileage. I thought I had gained about 4 pounds, and I avoided weighing myself. Finally jumped on the scale last night and I was a whopping 150 lbs! I don't think I have ever been that heavy. That was a shocker. Gotta go run! I have a half marathon in two weeks. I am running that slowly, I suppose.

First Barefoot Run This Year

2010-02-12T18:26:00.000-05:00

My first barefoot run this year was on a treadmill at the Philadelphia Loews Hotel today. Three miles. It felt great!

Running Barefoot = Underwear with Less Cushioning & Support

2010-02-10T16:14:00.000-05:00

I am going to write a post about underwear. This is related to running barefoot in two ways. First and least important is it is about me and my running in a tangential way. The second is in questioning what we have thought to be right all along may actually not be right.

Running in the winter months in NJ requires one to usually wear more clothes than during the spring, summer and fall. This unfortunately includes footwear, long running pants and underpants. When one runs in the winter, one still sweats. The sweat often makes the underpants wet. During warmer weather, all of my running shorts have built-in underpants that tend to wick the sweat. Cotton underpants briefs do not do that job. This has led to a condition collectively known as "jock itch", even though a jock is not involved. (Well, unless you consider me to be the jock.)

This condition has been driving me crazy for about a month. I have been using sprays and creams for relief, but their effects wear off in a few hours and the itch kicks in. I also notice that the itch is at its worse after running, when a shower isn't immediate, and when other sweaty conditions happen inside the underpants. Said sweaty conditions might happen anywhere, like at work or at a restaurant - generally in places where scratching can be both inconvenient and embarrassing. I'm sure you know what I am talking about, all you athletic men and women out there... So what to do? You either scratch or squirm. Scratching does start to almost feel good and gratifying under such circumstances. In such public circumstances, one's self control is often put to the test!

It became obvious I needed another measure besides the sprays and the creams. So I decided to rethink the supportive briefs underpants. They are cotton, and their support function puts them in constant contact with my skin. I know that I can not wear cotton socks, ever, for running or anything else. Cotton was rejected as a fabric for active activities since the late 1970's since it holds all the moisture the body produces right there against the skin. Not good for the old "jock itch" situation, no doubt. So I did some online research at Kohls.com to see if there were any non-cotton alternatives. And they were there. Last night I bought 4 pairs of Jockey Go Mesh Boxer Briefs in black. They are poly/Spandex, breathable, wicking. So far they are working! I have not had an itch attack since putting them on this morning, and I am way past the usual limit of the topical applications. I think the problem has been almost solved. Much like running barefoot, part of the solution to my discomfort involves less cushioning and support.

Critical Mass

2010-01-31T11:49:00.000-05:00

With the publication of Lieberman's Harvard study of barefoot running, combined with the lead in effect of the publication of Born To Run, running barefoot has been in the news every day. Discussion of barefoot running has leaked onto the running forums of many web sites, most recently onto my running club's Yahoo! group.

One of the best things coming from this discussion is the concentration on running technique. Too long that has been ignored in favor of ever more distance and speed work. The great thing about running barefoot (not so much for using "minimal" shoes, except for VFF's) is that you have to correct your running technique. You can't land on your heels. You eliminate heel to toe pronation. Once you eliminate pronation, then most injuries that are caused by it disappear.

Preparing for The Watchung Winter Ultra 50K

2010-01-03T14:23:00.002-05:00

I ran with Joel, Kyle, Steve & Lauren at Watchung Reservation yesterday. (Garmin Data) I wanted to preview the trail conditions for my first attempt at 50K on January 9 at the Watchung Winter Ultra, next weekend. Last year I fell and broke a rib attempting the trail marathon there.

Yesterday, the trail was frozen in a few ways. There was trail that had been hiked into slush, then the slush refroze into lumpy crunchy ice. There was trail that had turned to mud and footprinted, then refrozen. And there was crunchy few inches of leftover snow. Sometimes those conditions were mixed. There was a little foot slippage in all directions, even wearing my Brooks Cascadia trail shoes with the deeply waffled sole. So on the way home from breakfast after the run, I stopped at Home Depot and got a couple dozen 3/4" sheet metal screws. I made my first pair of screw shoes. It took only about 5 minutes per shoe. This week the forecast temperatures are pretty much under freezing, with some snow flurries. The modified Brooks Cascadia shoes should be perfect for next Saturday!

Snow on Saturday, 51 Miles Road Cycling on Sunday

2009-12-07T12:22:00.002-05:00

We got a wet half inch or so on Saturday. On Sunday, by 10:30 AM the sun was shining, though it was cold. The roads seemed dry outside my house. So I bundled up for a road ride on my vintage 1986 Cannondale road bike. I purposely inflated the tires 5 PSI low for better traction and headed for the hills.

Watchung Reservation had a lot of snow in the woods and it was really pretty up there. The road surfaces were a wet in the hills for the first hour, so I was hesitant about descending fast, thinking that I might eat pavement by hitting some black ice or snow. There were ice chunks falling from the trees that kinda stung when then hit me.

The roads were mostly dry after that first hour, and I felt good, so I decided to go longer than I had planned. After a pit stop at a Lukeoil station for the bathroom and eating the Cliff Bar in my pocket, I felt even better. I saw only about 5 other guys out there for cycling workouts, even though it was a very enjoyable day.

There is still a lot of salt on my bike in the garage. Gotta get out there and wipe her down today. Here was my route:

<a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/ride/united-states/nj/north-plainfield/321126013668928114">Hilly 50 miles - cold, wet, salty</a> <a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-ride/united-states/nj/north-plainfield">Find more Bike Rides in North Plainfield, New Jersey</a>

Haile Gebrselassie

2009-11-29T23:03:00.001-05:00

Haile Gebrselassie is a forefoot striker. Watch some vids at Youtube. His feet move fast, so it is a little difficult to see his forefoot strike. He ran 10K 2X per day to school and back, barefoot, for 10 years. Kinda explains things. In this vid, he places his arm around a young Ethiopian boy and says, "He could be my double, except he has the shoes. I had no shoes."

I jokingly propose that One World Running, an organization that brings donations and running shoes to Africa, is a plan by the USOC to slow down future African runners!

An Uninformed Stupid Comment

2009-11-28T22:35:00.007-05:00

A reader commented on my post entitled, "My adidas Spam Today". In that post, I commented on an adidas model called "Ambition Power Bounce". It is $130 of marketing and design bullcrap. Check them out yourself if you don't believe me. The adidas web site copy actually says, "So every time you head out for a run you have the chance to redefine who you are as a runner." Um, yea, shoes can do that. Not! A PERSON can do that, not the shoes.

I have some running shoes that even I would defend mightily: Saucony Kilkenny, Reebok Circa and VFF. So I guess I can appreciate a person that goes to bat for a shoe. At the same time, I am kinda happy that A.) someone would actually read my post and comment on it, and B.) that there are still people out there that are hostile to running barefoot even after the Born To Run bonanza.

Anyway, I figured I can answer some of HyperHorse's questions in the comment directly here, even though I really think we should all just go out for a run, shod or not, and that it is all good.

HH. How the hell are your feet & ankles holding up, now that you're running barefoot???

TM. Well, it has been a relatively rough year. I broke two toes this year, but they were both really stupid moves, off road, in the midst of awesome runs. I must say they healed surprisingly quickly, and gave me an opportunity to enjoy my many bicycles to the max. My goal for each break was to come out of the injuries more fit than I went into them. I reached that goal for both of them. Besides those two toes, the rest of my feet are completely healthy and happy. They are strong and look great. My ankles are golden. That is why I got into running barefoot in 2004, to stop twisting ankles.

HH. And if you weren't such a lazy dumbass, since you don't apparently need shoes anymore, why don't you unsubscribe from the Adidas mailing list???

TM. OK, I will admit that I am lazy, and even a dumbass at times. Frequently perhaps. Aren't we all? But I still need shoes sometimes! I am not one of those really crazy 100% barefooters. I run about half my yearly mileage barefoot. What if adidas comes out with a wonderful minimal shoe at some point that I might want to buy? Or I might want some of their cool clothes. I need that mailing list. If not for the possibility of a bargain, then just for the occasional comic relief.

HH. I've actually tried these on and I'm very impressed with the feel and cushioning of these shoes... So maybe try them on before making an uninformed stupid comment?
TM. That is great and I am glad you like them. I would not be inclined to try them on because there is simply too much shoe there and I don't think I have ever spent over about $80 for a running shoe even when I was into their alleged advancements in technology for our protection. To me, that impressive cushioning would be painful. Every step would force a heel strike: ouch. I am going to choose to remain uninformed and stupid because I am an American, and that is what we like.

Philadelphia Marathon Photos Turn Up Everywhere

2009-11-25T10:46:00.000-05:00

Here is a "Before" shot, around the starting line at 7 AM or so, from Joel S. via his Facebook album. Left to right it are Christine, Jonn D., Joel S., Me, Steve R.

The next two are from Nick P., via his Facebook album. The amazing observation to me is that even though these were taken around mile 20, when I was in extreme discomfort, I am smiling and aparently having great fun. As Nick said, ain't runnin' wonderful?

Proving again that it is indeed a small small world, this is one photo from a set that a friend discovered, from her running club, MCRR out of Maryland:

Here is a screen cap from the official race photographer site:

Philadelphia Marathon

2009-11-23T16:49:00.007-05:00

The race time prediction calculators were all wrong. I went out way to fast, toasted my quads by mile 14. I was at the half at 1:35:13. Even pace would have put me at 3:10:26. But I ran an 11 minute POSITIVE split, to end up at 3:21:31. And it wasn't fun, hurting all the way out to Manayunk and back. I couldn't decide if it hurt less to run slower or faster. I was living for the next Gatoraid and just thinking the only way to get this done is to get it done...

I was definitely fooled by the rest, by the taper effect, for the first half of the run. I was throwing the dice out there that all the bike riding - the bulk of my training in the last four weeks since I broke my toe - would somehow let me really stick to my 3:10 goal, which I had formed when everything was humming along swimmingly up until that fateful 8K XC race one month ago.

So checkout my crazy splits, especially my erratic 18-26, that I took on my Timex Ironman Triathlon watch:
Miles 1-11 @ 1:19:32 = 7:14
12 @ 7:15
13 & 14 @ 14:56 = 7:28
15 @ 7:28
16 @ 7:50
17 @ 7:51
18 @ 7:44
19 @ 8:10
20 @ 7:57
21 & 22 @ 16:05 = 8:03
23 @ 9:01
24 @ 8:33
25 @ 8:42
26.2 @ 10:24 = 8:40

So I can tell you unequivically, that you can not train for a marathon by riding a bike a lot and running a little. I was so glad when that one was over. I was only a minute and a half slower than my personal conservative prediction from way before the race. See, I know a lot more than those stupid calculators. It would have been much less painful if I just ran splits for a 3:20 from the start. Going out too fast led to my most embarrassing moment: getting passed by the guy in the tutu. (Thanks Liane P. via her Facebook album for the photo, right and below)

Other Philadelpha Marathon snippits:

Drove down to Philly on Saturday afternoon with Joel S., Steve R., Kyle S. and John D. after a morning of two soccer games for my daughter. We saw NJ state troopers with shotguns trained on some vehicle they pulled over, with the entire northbound side closed. Not a word about it in the Internet newspapers.
The expo was OK, the tech shirt is cool and the goody bag itself is mesh instead of plastic, and contained a nice pair of tech fabric gloves.
Fourteen of us RVRR and related people had a great family style dinner at some restaurant that seated us by walking us through the kitchen.
It was indeed a beautiful day. Compare this day to last year's 25 degree weather! The sun was out and it was in the lower to mid 50's with a bit of a breeze. Wore a singlet, shorts and gloves.
Ran the first few miles with Bill Bosmann. He was running in a jacket just to carry a cell phone, despite the beautiful weather. He joked that it was no big deal, because he "was running so slowly anyway." I couldn't keep up with him - at 59, he won the 55-59 age group at 2:54:30!
It was so great to have the support of other RVRR friends. A group was in downtown Philly, another group was just after the Philly Zoo, others were along the Manayunk out & back, and at the finish. Seeing them, high-fiving and the hugs were the best part of the event.
It was cool to see John D. when he was on his way out to the Manayunk turn around while I was on the way back, and for him to say, "I'm coming to get you!" And he did. He ran a great race, finishing in 3:15:05, negative splitting by 5 minutes. That is how to run a marathon!
Afterwards, we spent some time drinking some beer and eating, when we could find some service, at a Philly Irish pub, Tir Na Nog, that was not ready for the crowd.

Philadelphia Marathon Prediction Calculators

2009-11-20T14:57:00.001-05:00

My plan for the Philly Marathon this Sunday is to run conservatively, especially in light of breaking my toe a scant month ago. I had wanted to run around 3:10 before the stupid move of breaking my piggy. I felt I was on target to do it. My training was going well. So I tempered my ambition to run something more like a 3:20 this Sunday. I feel that is pretty within my reach even though I lack long runs, and running mileage in general. I filled the void with good cycling mileage. I am aerobically an animal ready for big things, but lack the training specificity.

Enter the Race Prediction Calculator. There are a ton of them on this here interwebs. Based on the 5K I ran last weekend @ 19:20, most of them predict I can run 3:10 or better. Nothing like getting my hopes up and messing up my mental plan.
Running Times predicts a 3:09:09 @ 7:12 pace
McMillan Running predicts a 3:08:29 also @ 7:12 pace (what?)
Marathon Guide predicts a 3:08:03
Running for Fitness predicts a 3:05:13 !!
This little applet predicts a 3:04:49 !!!

Wow - should I abridge my plans? Whom should I listen to? Perhaps my own body in the first few miles... Feel good: attempt 7:12. Feel not so good: attempt 7:37's for a 3:20 as planned. We shall see.

6.5 Miles Eight Days Out from Breaking Toe

2009-11-02T23:18:00.000-05:00

I ran 6.5 miles today on the Columbia Trail. When I tested my toe with runs this past weekend, it seemed like it was not ready to run yet. But those tests were after cycling. Today's run was fresh, and I figured out that I should tape the toe, with support under the curved part of it. I used a cotton ball, legthened out, and curved into a U shape under the toe and around the sides. I then taped around my big toe and third toe. Put the whole thing into a sock and stuck it into new Brooks Cascadia 3 trail shoes. Sorry, I didn't spare you the photos this time! Here is my awesome tape job.

Sparing You The Photo

2009-10-26T21:19:00.000-04:00

I did not take a photo of the red misshapen toe. But it is red, and misshapen - trust me. I have an unrelated break in the skin on the bottom of the toe, and it is oozing some of the fluid build up inside the toe from the break. I am spending time with a flexible gel ice pack and elevation. Rode my Dawes single speed about 10 miles with little pain. The best shoes to wear when your toe is broken are Teva river sandals. Wore them to work today and eventually will try running in them. I learned that during my last broken toe adventure.

Stupid Move #2

2009-10-25T13:48:00.005-04:00

Stupid move #1: About two months ago I broke my left middle toe while running in VFF's on a trail. I did it by kicking a root on an easy trail. Proceeded to finish the run, about 5 more miles. By using lots of ice and active rest, I nursed the toe to 90% in 3 weeks, 100% in six, been training very well. Ran a little and rode my bike a lot during recovery time, so I came out of the injury in better cardio shape than I went into it.

Stupid move #2: Today I raced an 8K XC race barefoot. It was muddy. Warm up was fine for no shoes. Didn't factor in that with lots of people running the course it would deteriorate, and that I would be running 6:30/mile rather than 8:30/mile. Half way through I slipped & fell going downhill, which was fine - slid right back up and continued running. A few hundred yards later, running down another hill and curving right, my right foot slipped sideways & forward with all my weight and momentum concentrated on my forefoot. In a hundredth of a second, I felt my 2nd toe bend too far, kinda under my 3rd, and feeling a sharp pain I kinda knew it broke. I finished the race at about 8 minute pace when I should have placed in my AG. Should have worn the spikes that I left in my car...

Philly Marathon is exactly 4 weeks away. Wasn't going to run it barefoot - was going for a post-40's PR for myself - now I'm gonna have to depend on my bike again to keep me fit, but the PR might be down the tubes!

Proud Dad

2009-09-16T23:21:00.000-04:00

Son's first XC meet of the season: The race was fine, but this is more important: I am there barefoot, and intend to run cool-down with his high school team. Without prompting him to do this, I notice my son's XC flats are off and he is prepared to run the cool-down barefoot. Now, as a good dad, I don't make a big deal out of this for fear of ruining it. We're just chatting and being cool; and then spontaniously three other guys decide to run the cool-down barefoot!

Before we start the cool down, coach says something like, "Any of you guys cut your foot I'm gonna stick it in your eye," or something equally ridiculous.. .

We ran it barefoot, all grass. They guys liked it. All eyes and feet intact.

My adidas Spam Today...

2009-09-14T14:24:00.001-04:00

my adidas spam today led me to a link for these adidas Ambition Power Bounce running shoes, and I thought how funny it is that anyone would actually believe this and buy these for $130 bucks!

Training September 7 - 13, 2009

2009-09-13T19:03:00.002-04:00

12 hours 21 minutes total time, 186.4 total distance = 168.5 cycling + 17.9 running. Ended the week today with 20:08 XC race, USATF-NJ 5K Championships, after a big workout day on Saturday of R5 & B44. Biked 43 miles after the race today. I need to do a duathlon!

While running today's race, I had little to no pain in my 3-week old broken toe. Wore Nike XC spikes. I can't complain about the time after so much cycling and so little running. I didn't feel aerobically challenged during the race, but I just could not run any faster. For example, a guy in my age group from Rose City Runners passed me in the last 100 yards, but I just could not notch up the speed to catch him. Our 50's team took 2nd, open won, and 40's were buried in 4th.

Workout summary below:

Update: Second Run of The Day!

2009-09-05T22:56:00.000-04:00

OK, so this is crazy and it goes to show that maybe I know what I am talking about when I say that it depends on what time it is for running on a recovering broken little bone... I ran 5 miles with my son after dinner almost pain-free. I wore my Teva sandals. Maybe it is about the open toes. Icing it now, just in case. Am thinking that tomorrow I will try it at the Deer Path park XC course. Then a bike ride starting and ending there. We will see.

Almost Two Weeks Since I Broke Toe...

2009-09-05T13:43:00.002-04:00

After the club run this morning, as I entered the diner where we all meet for breakfast, the Euro-sounding owner said to me, "Runners in the back," as he pointed to our usual large table. "How did you know I'm a runner?" I asked him. His reply: "Because you were limping."

I attempted running on Wednesday evening and this morning with the RVRR crew. Both times I began running on the D&R Towpath in shoes, and turned around after a few minutes to return to the parking lot and change into bare feet. I then completed 30 minutes on the grass at Johnson Park. There was pain in the shoes, and less pain while barefoot. I didn't run very fast - maybe 10 minutes per mile. I had more pain this morning than on Wednesday evening. It is now early afternoon, and I have little to no pain. I am thinking I can run fine right now - just thinking it. I am thinking that later in the day there is less internal swelling so there may be less pain. In the morning the fluids may have built up while sleeping. I have ridden my bike a lot - over 132 miles/5 rides last week and 80/8 rides so far this week (commuting). I don't think I am losing any cardiovascular fitness, but I am not sure that I will be able to run the USATF-NJ 5K XC championships next Sunday.

Broke My Toe Wearing Vibram Five Fingers

2009-08-24T11:10:00.000-04:00

OK, I admit I was not paying attention.

Yesterday, on an easy trail run with a bunch of people, after extoling the virtues of VFF's, within the first half mile I tripped really really really hard on a root. It jammed my toes hard straight back into my foot. I fell like somebody shot me. I kinda heard a snap (or imagined it) and knew I broke something. Finished the run of 4 more miles with increasing pain.

This is the third toe I have broken on my left foot. First the little toe about 13 years ago, when I kicked a packed suitcase before a ski day. Second the next one over, last summer, when I kicked a bench on the pool deck. Now the middle toe. I seem to be working left to right.

This toe is broken very near the metatarsal, which isn't really a good thing. It is painful to walk and to try to curl my toes. I'm icing every few hours. My foot is a bit more swollen today than it was yesterday. This sucks. It was so random, I had been running on trails with the VFFs before, and this trail was easy in comparison to others I had run. Guess I am putting in some long bike mileage over the next few weeks. Not a happy camper. :(

Photo from yesterday:

Icing, right after the run:

Vibram Five Fingers

2009-08-13T17:25:00.001-04:00

I have aquired the Injinji socks, and now running in the Vibram Five Finger shoes is perfect! I have done trails and roads in them. Random rocks on trails do cause a lot of penetration, and can be uncomfortable. But for dirt trails or woods roads they are fine. They are great on the road. I ran a PR and an age group course record cross country race wearing the VFF's. I also ran about 12 miles over three legs of the River to Sea Relay wearing the VFF's. Now wearing any other running shoe feels restrictive! Even wearing minimal cross country flats.

Embedded video below shows the future potential of Vibram Five Fingers. Also know for sure now that I have been pronouncing Vibram incorrectly for the last 35 years.

First VFF Run

2009-06-26T09:47:00.000-04:00

I ran in my Vibram Five Fingers KSO's yesterday. It was a short run of three miles. There is the feeling of running barefoot, but just not on top of your foot, and of course there is all that protection underneath. For the first two miles they felt pretty good, but I could not help thinking I would rather be really barefoot. My soles were missing the real feel of the road. I had to stop a couple of times to tighten, then loosen the Velcro strap. After about 2.25 miles I gave in and took them off. It is the upper that was giving me some chafing, and I did get a micro blister on the inside of my foot above my right arch area. I think I need Injinji socks - the ones with the toes. And I think these will be used on trails, and maybe for racing, not for daily runs in warm weather.

Summer Series XC #2 & My Birthday Party

2009-06-24T12:13:00.003-04:00

I ran Summer Series #2 in my Nike XC spikes last night. There were parts of the course where all the recent NJ rains have caused erosion and the exposure of random rocks and other scree. I would have had to slow down a lot if I ran barefoot. But it was very hot and humid last night and I am not acclimated because it just hasn't been hot this spring. The spikes felt so heavy and hot I really wanted to stop and rip them off my feet. I won my new age group, at least.

The greatest thing about last night was everyone in my running club that made it special for my birthday. The race directors, Doug and Janice, gave me bib number 50. They announced it at the start line and gave me a special start line about 10 yards ahead of everyone else. It felt so unfair but it was humorous. There was another former president, IronPete , that shares my birthday, but 10 years younger. He got a head start too, as well as bib number 40.

After the race there was the singing of Happy Birthday and an absolutely wonderful birthday cake, made by Rebecca T. It was an amazing work of art that is cheapened by text description: It was totally themed with icing as a plush mountain with a path to the top on one side. The path had shoes cast aside and bare footprints passing milestones marked 35, 40, 45. Over the top, the other downhill side had a gray rocky barren down-hill path with animal bones and skull exposed. Rebeca spent like 10 hours creating that. She should do that for a living! And she cut it up herself. (You might be able to see pics of it on Facebook.)

Finally, Chris L had people chip in for a gift last Saturday. What a guy! They got me Vibram Five Finger KSO shoes. I had been wanting them for a long time but have been too cheap to buy them. So that was wonderful. Of course we hung out and drank some beers as always. It was absolutely the best 50th birthday I could have ever wanted!

New Age Group as of Today

2009-06-23T12:21:00.000-04:00

Today I am crossing the line into the 50+ age group. Time to rock & roll! First race as a 50 year old is tonight, but it is a series race that scores you for the same age group for the entire series, so I will be scoring in the 45-49 age group. But that is OK, because the race will also be MY PARTY! My real debut race will be Sunday at Pine Beach 5K, which is a NJ Masters championship. I am looking for hardware, since I will be the youngest in the age group, but it will be more difficult to do that at a championship.

Training June 15 - 21, 2009

2009-06-21T21:42:00.011-04:00

I had a moderate workout week this past week. Considering the extra work at camp for a couple of days, I can't complain. President's Cup 5K on Monday night resulted in my fastest 5K since July of 2005! Bike ride yesterday on old rain bike had a decent speed considering what I was riding, and was mostly big-ring.

Yep - I'm Insane

2009-06-20T20:21:00.000-04:00

"Dad, we saw you running before, on the way home," said my 11 year-old daughter.

She had been in the car, with my wife and son, on the way back from a store.

"Where?" I asked.

"On Greenbrook Road."

"How come I didn't see you? Which way was I going?"

"Towards home."

So they came up from behind me while I was concentrating on the road surface to avoid stepping on small pebbles and random road scree, which has been worse than Jersey-normal because of the huge amounts of rain we have been experiencing for two weeks.

"How come you didn't wave out the window and beep?"

"Because you're insane," my 15 year-old son chimed in.

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"Because you were barefoot and wearing short shorts and running in the rain," he answered. And he is a developing runner and he goes barefoot a lot - but not when he runs.

"I see - and you make it a practice to not beep at insane people?" I asked rhetorically...

I proceeded to explain how they should not conclude I was crazy. That instead they should be impressed with my abilities. I told them that what I was doing took an extremely high level of skill, concentration, core strength, posture & balance - not to mention the fitness to keep this up for an hour and a half....
But it fell on deaf ears as they were back concentrating on the X-Box.

Alive & Well & Fast As Hell

2009-06-19T10:40:00.000-04:00

The full account of making some stupid dangerous moves on my bike commute to work this morning:

What happened was a domino effect. Picture a red light with a left turn lane in front of you, with lots of cars backed up at the light to go straight on a moderately busy road, Washington Avenue in Piscataway, NJ. I usually sneak up on the right of those backed up stopped cars. There was a truck very far to the right and I wasn't going to fit. So I figured I would sneak up the left side and cut through the red light before it turned green - no prob, I do that illegal move all the time - it is probably safer because it keeps me out of the traffic when it starts moving - at that point I am already on the right in the shoulder and everybody sees me. Anyway, when I make the decision to pass on the left, a school bus pulled into the left turn lane and stops, and it was squeezed close to the other lane, so I couldn't slip between, and I decided to go left of it, even though it would be turning left! But still no prob, as long as the light would remain red. But it didn't, or course. It goes green, and there were hesitating oncoming cars, so I went even further left to the crosswalk, which should have been fine, except that the oncoming car waved the bus through and it began to accelerate straight into me and I saw it out of the corner of my eye and all I could do is accelerate hoping to get out of its way and I heard those kids scream as it just missed my rear wheel!... The kids saw me but I am 100% sure the driver never did. This is the view from the perspective of the bus driver of the intersection (Google maps with street view is amazing!)

View Larger Map

It had been raining here in NJ for two weeks, so I have been driving daily to work. I needed this ride and prepared hastily when I saw on TV from my bed this morning no rain in this morning's forecast. Not one clip-out and those stupid dangerous moves resulted in a new speed record for this route. In my morning haste at home, I realized I forgot my wallet this morning after I got to work, so had I been hit I would have been without ID.... But it was fun hearing those kids on that school bus scream when they thought the driver was going to t-bone me. I guess I am both a stupid and lucky guy!

Stroke of Bad Luck! ~ Escarpment Trail Run Entry Accpted

2009-06-16T21:37:00.000-04:00

Received my accepted entry notification this week for The Escarpment Trail Run. It reads, "Due to a stroke of bad luck, your entry has been accepted...." This will be my 5th Escarpment Trail Run, a 30K wilderness run with 10,000 feet of climbing in New York's Catskill mountains.

On July 27, 2008 I ran my 4th Escarpment Trail Run. It was my slowest at 4:48. My previous times in 2005-2007 were 4:15, 4:09, 4:41. This race has no awards, just bragging rights. But they do give out 100 miles shirts. I am not sure if this coming 5th race is considered 100 miles, or if it is going to take two more races until I earn the 100 mile shirt.

I never wrote a race report after the last time I ran Escarpment. For my legs the race was the least painful of the four. One of the reasons is it was the slowest - because I knew I had to go slow since I was running with a broken little toe on my left foot. I had broken it a few weeks before and most of the pain was gone, except when I hit it or moved it in a certain way. This course has endless rocks, so I had to run gently to protect it. The broken toe also curtailed my training, so I factored that in as I walked a lot more than I had during past races. This slower pace became both a blessing and a curse, however. Because about half way through the intense thunderstorms started. In the mountains this meant lightening strikes that were frighteningly close, and also some hale hitting my bald head. The storms continued and flooded the trails, which cooled my body and my sore little toe - that was the blessing that made this race easier on my body. But it also risked every runner's life. It is amazing how one suddenly re-discovers religion in such a situation. But with no road crossings, no shorter routes, and no buildings, there was no choice but "on-on". The severety of the storm was unprecidented. I am not exaggerating that I feared for my life - read Tony Fletcher's report for verification. Here is winner Ben Nephew's account. Until I read Ben Nephew's account, I had forgotten how dark it got as the storm brewed. It was a very scarey race and I can't wait for the next one this coming July! With some luck and hopefully no broken toes as in '08, and no Achilles tendonitis, as in '07, I think I can go at least as fast as I did in '06.

Another Twitter-er

2009-06-16T21:29:00.002-04:00

To me via Twitter:

I'm sensing a convergence on barefoot/minimal coverage running. 2 friends have reco'd "Born to Run" & 1 bought Nike Free's.

I responded:

The more you look, read & question, the more it makes sense. Unfortunately, Nike Free sucks as a "barefoot" shoe: 2 much heel lift

She responded:

Yeah, the jury's still out for my friend who bought them. I'm looking at Vibram Five Fingers.

I replied:

VFF's are raved by as best "Barefoot" shoe. Pricy tho - get fairly close to the BF technique in XC flats. & just run BF 5 min/day

" Making a (barefoot) impression" ~ A Facebook Message & My Response (after President's Cup 5K last night)

2009-06-16T07:32:00.002-04:00

THE MESSAGE:

As I drove down Millburn Ave with my wife to the race last night, she saw you warming up and said to me "I think I saw somebody running barefoot". I looked over and said "Yeah, don't you know that he does much of his running barefoot?".

We got into the discussion of hurting the bottom of your feet on all that you find on the road. I thought I noticed your later warm up with Ray that you were wearing shoes.

I have read with great interest some of your opinions as well as some of the links about barefoot running. I especially liked the comment that bad shoe design causes so many of the injury problems. When I think of who is NOT running these days and talk to so many people with injuries, I wonder if barefoot is the way to go. How would I start to at least attempt it?

I don't know what your expectations are these days, but I thought you ran pretty well last night....

MY RESPONSE

Hey DL - I saw you warming up too. Ray and I were about 50 yards behind you heading up the hill before the race.

Yea, I switched to shoes for the race. I can simply run faster with shoes - about 15-20 seconds per mile faster. But the "barefoot" form and efficiency carries over, as long as the shoes are flats, not those over built, over hyped, overpriced trainers.

I am in my fifth summer of running barefoot - over a year it probably comes to about a third of my total mileage. In summer it is probably about 75% of my total mileage. But I worked into it slow. At first, it was just 5 minutes at a time on a well groomed soccer field. Now I can do 8 miles on pavement (probably more if I wanted) and have done 12 on pavement plus grass. And I stay as barefoot as possible when not running to support the practice.

There are tons of stuff to read about it. The two books to read are Chi Running and Born To Run. You don't actually have to run shoeless, but you can do the same technique if you get minimal flat running shoes. And train in them. I now exclusively run in cross-country flats, on and off road.

If you google BF running, there is tons. A classic place to start is here .

Shoes are always the answer! NOT

2009-06-15T21:16:00.001-04:00

Via Twitter, saw this tweet:

Awesome race yesterday, aaand I found out what's causing my knee issues. Apparently I'm an over-pronator. So I got new Brooks to fix it!

I replied:
New shoes do not fix over-pronation. They make you weaker by allowing it. Form corrections fix the prob that is due to heel strike

She repilied:

How do I fix it? Just start focusing on perfecting my footing?

I replied:
You could start looking at your technique issues. Most people have technique tweaks that manifest themselves in injuries. It is those soft and supportive shoes that have been allowing people to run long distances with sloppy technique that leads to eventual downfall. People who have been running for a long time are more vulnerable than new runners because the weaknesses sneak up on you, especially as you age with such great aerobic fitness.

We have been told for so long that heel striking is the right way to run long distance, but that is so wrong. We were naturally selected to run with midfoot strike. The heel can be touching, but it should not be bearing the impact. Impact is dissipated by your entire body and not just your foot/shoe. Some studies actually show that the softer the shoe, the greater the impact, because your body needs to feel and respond to your foot plant! You mentioned you problem as being caused by pronation - the great enemy of all runners, according to the shoe companies - we gotta control that pronation! Well, if you run with proper technique, there is in fact little or NO pronation. All injury problems than go "poof" and they are gone (in time).

Tweaking technique is a real process of reeducation, unlearning some false beliefs put forth by shoe company marketing, and physical practice. And since most of us have been running in over-built shoes for so long, the process needs to be slow, or else there are a host of other problems that you could create for yourself by trying to change something too quickly, even though it is the right thing to do! The absolute best place to start is reading the book Chi Running by Danny Dreyer....

Workouts June 8 - 14, 2009

2009-06-14T21:51:00.004-04:00

Had an easy workout week this past week, which was needed following the Towpath "Train"ing Run. Rain has been relentless. This is keeping bike mileage way down. Raced fairly well on Tuesday night considering the 27+ miles of running I did last Saturday. I guess I will run all the Summer Series XC races barefoot.

RVRR Summer Series XC #1 Barefoot - June 9, 2009

2009-06-11T15:23:00.000-04:00

My last three races were marathons. MARATHONS! They were Philly in November of '08, The Watchung Winter Ultra in January '09 (in which I fell and broke my rib), and Boston in April '09. The last time I ran a 5K it was the RVRR Summer Series #4 in August of '08. So I have been mentally and physically prepared for nothing but big distance runs for more than 6 months! I had two Tuesday track workouts in before this race, with two weeks of skipping them before this first XC race of '09.

So I ran this one on Tuesday night barefoot. Finished in 20:17 for 4th in the 45-49 age group. That time would have won 35-39 and 40-44! Also note, this race comes just 3 days after the Towpath "Train"ing Run where I ran 27.3 miles. (Perhaps I should not make an issue with that, because the winner of this XC race, Mike Dixon, ran the entire 34 miles of the D&R Towpath on that day.) I didn't feel like being barefoot slowed me down at all! I was surprised how I could run on the cinder path with no problem. I did use the grass next to the cinder as much as possible. My legs were definitely fatigued from the "Train"ing Run and my habitual lack of sleep. I did not have much strength up old Red Barn Hill, but I felt I was cruising the flats very comfortably.

I am feeling a little Achilles strain on the left side after the race. This may be because I have not done any fast running barefoot. My track workouts were in spikes for the fast parts. My average pace barefoot is 8:30-8:45 per mile. My pace was 6:32 for the race.

I ran in Mizuno road race shoes last night to give my Achilles a little rest. I need a day off.

The next RVRR Summer Series race is June 23rd, in two weeks, and it is my birthday party!

Training June 1 - 7, 2009

2009-06-07T22:01:00.002-04:00

Good training week even though I lost my voice on Wednesday - have some respiratory thing going on. I need some extra sleep to kick it out. Lots of good barefoot running. Not much cycling due to rainy days. Still failed at trying to run the full 34 miles of the towpath, but had a great time with the people on Saturday.

Training May 25 - 31, 2009

2009-05-31T22:19:00.002-04:00

Felt bad all week. Digestive problems producing extraordinary amounts of gas and diarrhea all week.

Running Pic of The Day

2009-05-06T14:26:00.000-04:00

This screen capture is from MyCentralJersey.com , from their pictures of the county high school track championships. Intense!

Believe In The Run - Placed 37th

2009-04-30T14:15:00.002-04:00

Out of 365 entries in the Believe In The Run contest at Brickfish.com, I ranked 37th based on the number of votes, and was the 14th "most viral" entry.

Thanks to all the people that voted for me! I am definitely in the top 100 entries that are eligible for prizes. Judges are going to pick two people to go on the trips to Nike in Oregon and to a marathon of choice, and two more to receive the Nike equipment kits for second place awards.

Response to Sarah Stanley

2009-04-28T11:19:00.001-04:00

Responded to this post at Sarah Stanley's blog ... she wrote about liking the idea of running barefoot, but unfortunately goes on to recommend using Superfeet insoles, which are OTC orthotics. I wrote the following:

It is too bad Nike messed up by giving the Free shoe an elevated heel - they missed part of the point of running barefoot. Their Zoom Waffle XC (a $35 shoe) provides a much closer to barefoot experience than the Free series shoes. I do about 30% of my mileage barefoot (May-November). In 35 years of running, besides running 100+ mile weeks in my twenties, it is the best thing I have ever done for my running. I used to be a heel striker, and I used to get injured. I don't do either anymore, even when I run in shoes - which are always XC flats, both on and off road. I admittedly can't run and race barefoot as fast as I do wearing shoes. That and cold NJ weather in winter are the only things that really keep me using shoes.

I am kinda glad all runners are not jumping into running barefoot for several reasons. The selfish reason is it retains my training edge over people that stick to the shoe company marketing brainwashing about the need for their expensive stuff, that continue to run with poor inefficient technique, and continue to get injured. I'm also glad because for most people used to elevated heels, cushioning & support, jumping into it will lead to injuries. Runners should never change something in training abruptly, even if it is a return to the running technique we were genetically designed to perform. It takes a year or so to slowly add barefoot running to your training. I have been a member of the online barefoot running community for a few years (see runningbarefoot.org) - and I know this is hard to believe, but people just don't get cut by glass or step on nails. It is the #1 fear cited by people to fault running barefoot, but it just does not happen. The hazards out there are exaggerated, you tend to avoid them as you would if shod, and your foot is a lot tougher than you have been led to believe. Your foot is more likely to get brutalized by the inside of a shoe, via blisters and chafing and resident bacteria.

Boston Marathon 2009 - Hopkinton to Boston & Post Race Wrap Up

2009-04-22T00:24:00.000-04:00

I ran 3:32:54

More details soon!

Boston Marathon 2009 - Pre-Race

2009-04-21T14:37:00.001-04:00

Twenty-three years is a bit of time between Boston Marathons for me. This year's race was a lot different than 1986. In '86 I believe we drove to the start. In '86 I think there were only a few thousand runners. In '86 I could run under three hours. In 2009 twenty thousands loaded yellow school buses for the hour drive to Hopkinton. In 2009 I ran a relaxed 3:32:54. Almost 15 minutes slower than I ran in the Philadelphia Marathon last November, but I was in better shape for that event. I hold that it is very difficult for a north-easterner to run a spring marathon, because most training must be done in the coldest weather with the least amount of daylight. Add to that my own propensity to try to get thirty days of skiing in over the winter, and you have a serious lack of preparation for a spring marathon. From January 1st of 2009 through the day before the Boston Marathon, I only ran 259 miles (and biked 551). My plan was to go to Boston to enjoy the race, to train through it in preparation for the Towpath "Train"ing Run (34 miles on June 6th), and to finish smiling. I accomplished those things, and finished in the time I predicted to everyone that asked.

It was a whirlwind trip for me. I left as late as possible: about 1 PM on Sunday, April 19 for Monday's race. I had Ed pick up my number and other registration materials. I was to meet him and others from my club at a restaurant in the North End section of Boston. I almost missed them due to the NJ Turnpike going down to one lane for construction before the George Washington Bridge. It took about an hour to go two miles. That totally killed my drive time. When I arrived in the North End of Boston, there was absolutely nowhere to park so I drove around for another 20 minutes looking. I finally parked in a lot that looked like it had reasonable rates and seemed it might be close to the restaurant. Ed and friends were on their way out of the restaurant when I called them after parking at 7 PM - six hours after starting this drive that should have been 4.5 hours. They waited on a corner and I managed to navigate to them and get my stuff. I got back to the car to find that the $4 rate I thought I saw for the first hour on that sign didn't hold on weekends - when everybody pays the same for any amount of time. That 30 minutes cost me $14 dollars.

Back in the car for a 20 minute drive to a cheap motel in Lexington where I had a $10 spaghetti dinner at a little Italian place called Maria's. Checkout that value compared to parking in Boston's North End!

Set up all my race clothes and bag before sleeping and set the alarm for 5:30 AM. I was out of the room by 5:45 and parking at a metered spot in Boston only about a block from the finish line by 6:15. I was meeting my running club buddies near the bus boarding area at the corner of Boylston and Tremont Streets at 6:30. Found a perfect parking spot at a meter on the street only about three blocks from the finish line, near the corner of Clarendon and Newberry Streets. Walked and jogged barefoot the 5 or so blocks to the meeting place and actually saw them in a taxi on the way to that location before I got there. It was Ed, Bob J., John, John E., Jodi, Laura, Kristin & Justine. There were tons of people converging on the buses to the Hopkinton starting line. I needed a coffee to go with my banana and bagel that I brought in my race bag. But I neglected to bring any money from my wallet that was tucked into my car's glove compartment. There was a Dunkin' Donuts across the street packed with runners grabbing their coffee and carbs. The heck with my personal DD boycott - I had a marathon to wake up for. Luckily, Bob J. was buying!

We took some pictures and soon we boarded one of the busses for the hour ride to the staging area of the Boston Marathon: Hopkinton High School.

Below: Ed's photo from the Boston Marathon bus ride - L to R: Laura, Kristin, Justine, Bob.

My Previous Boston Marathons

2009-04-19T00:36:00.000-04:00

I found my results from previous Boston Marathons. I honestly forgot the years and the times. It seems like another lifetime... It wasn't easy. I had to go into a closet and go through a bunch of notebooks and logs - things that we used to keep before Excel files and online training logs. Couldn't just type in a search term!

In 1986 at 26 years old I ran a 2:54:33. Here is a scan of the actual finisher card (that is something we used to get mailed to us after some races before the Internet...)

In 1984 at 24 years old I hit the wall bad, walked the last 4 miles for a 3:27. I berated myself for such a poor performance. I had big goals and already had a 2:41 PR. On Monday I will be running the whole thing in around that time, or slower! But I will finish with a smile on my face and recover quickly :)

I'm Featured on Brickfish Home Page

2009-04-18T11:57:00.000-04:00

Check out the screen caps

Top left is me. Please go there and vote me up . I would really like to win the contest and get the trip to Nike in Oregon. Thanks!

Believe In The Run

2009-04-18T00:07:00.000-04:00

I am trying to win this contest. Please vote for me... Thanks!~

BELIEVE IN THE RUN

Found While Looking for Past Boston Marathon Times: My Marathoning History

2009-04-16T21:24:00.001-04:00

I am on this slow psych-up for Boston this week. I figured I would look in my old "Race Results" file and see if I could find some record of my previous two Boston Marathon times. I ran it a long time ago. I would say the last time I ran it was at least 20 years ago. No kidding. I did not find any certificates for Boston - I have not given up because I have a shelf in a closet full of old running logs from when we had to write it down in a notebook - BUT I did find four interesting certificates from 1975-1978. The Jersey Shore Marathon was my first road race. Yes, after cross country there was no indoor track at my high school. A bunch of guys decided to train for this marathon thing. Why? It was the year after Frank Shorter won the Olympic marathon. Bill Rodgers was on a roll. Marathoning was what distance runners did when they got serious. We didn't even know that there were other, shorter races on the road. We were pretty dumb about road racing, and about running marathons. But we just did it. Is that crazy or what?

I ran my first marathon when I was 15 years old, January 19, 1975. I was a sophomore in high school. My son is 15 now - a freshman running track. I showed him my certificate and told him I ran my first marathon when I was 15. I asked if he wanted to try it. Not yet, he said. I hope my running history does not put undue pressure on expectations of his performance. It probably does, but I really try not to push it on him too much. Just setting an example and showing interest in his efforts, whatever the result is, should be enough. Too much will push him out of it, probably.

Here is a scan of the 1977 certificate. I ran a 4:24:18 in my first marathon. If I remember correctly, I didn't train too much for it. I think probably only a few weeks of running, maxing out at only about 12 miles.

The following year, with another track and XC season behind me, I ran it again. If I remember the race correctly, it was freezing cold and snowing. I remember an icicle formed on the face-mask/hat thing I wore. I touched my chin at the half-marathon turn-around and thought my chin was literally frozen, but it was just the icicle formed by my exhales. At 16 years old I ran 3:35:30.

In my third marathon - my third road race, at 17 years old, a senior in high school - I broke three hours, running the Jersey Shore Marathon in 2:53:21. In retrospect, I feel like I was a fairly good distance runner at a fairly young age. I didn't really appreciate that until now, at 49, when it was a painful struggle to to run 3:18 last November in Philly. Also, this makes me kind of psyched, to recall all this marathoning history that I honestly forgot about, as I am heading into Boston on Monday for its 113th running. It will be my 19th marathon, if I have my count correct.

In 1978 I was a freshman at Rutgers. I was a lowly walk-on to the Rutgers XC and track teams. I ran the Penn Relay Marathon in 2:41 and change. I was the third college runner, and I have a bronze Penn Relays medal to show for it. This was a time that I was doing hundred mile training weeks leading up to marathons.

I think I was lucky. My desire to run marathons at a young age was fueled by Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, Alberto Salazar, and the culture of distance running that I became acquainted with. It was, and still is, my source of friendship and feelings of self-esteem and accomplishment. I am hoping that Ryan Hall and Kara Goucher become roll models for the young high school aged runners and spur them on to a great running life.

Bill Rodgers Running Boston

2009-04-15T11:07:00.000-04:00

In the media circles I follow, there is a general buzz about Bill Rodgers running Boston this Monday. Bill is a great guy and one of my true heroes. He will talk and have a beer with you, as you can see by the photo above from the 2003 Boilermaker 15K. I make an almost annual trip to the Boilermaker 15K with people from my running club . At that venue, Bill is always approachable and will talk with you about anything as if he has done a hundred miles of running with you. He gave tons of advice about how to run the course to one of my friends last year. Here is a cool video of his 1979 win at Boston. Gotta love the hat!

Finally on The Taper and Marathon Day Forecast

2009-04-14T20:57:00.001-04:00

Ran a light 2 miles today while waiting for my son to run his race at the most cold & miserable track meet ever. Legs were tired from the last three days of training: Ran 10 on Saturday, Ran 19 on Sunday, Biked 22 on Monday on my single-speed over a hilly course.

The weather is looking close to perfect for a marathon on Monday. As long as the rain holds off. If it rains, it might throw in a bit of a chill. Cloudy and 54 would be sweet.

<--- Weather.com screen cap

How to Care For Your Camelbak (Cheap)

2009-04-12T23:50:00.002-04:00

One key to keeping black moldy stuff and bacteria from growing inside your Camelbak water bladder and tubing is to dry it out between uses. First empty the bladder as completely as possible. Suck and blow all the fluid out that you can through the bite valve. Then I use an air pump that is meant for blowing up air mattresses. You just shove the pump tube into the bladder and let it run for about 15 minutes.

Next, bend a wire clothes hanger into the configuration shown, and add an elastic band. Shove the hanger into the bladder to hold it open and attach the elastic band to something. Now you can hang the Camelbak up for a day or so. This will allow any moisture the air pump missed to evaporate.

Finally, store your Camelbak in the refrigerator to make it inhospitable to any invading microorganisms. And remember to enjoy a beer after your run!

PS - written on May 31, 2011. Since posting this, I have actually been in close contact with the Skweet people. They sent my running club samples. I have been using Skweet, and it is really a great product for keeping the Camelbak fresh!

Training: April 6 - 12, 2009 and Camelbak Commentary

2009-04-12T19:50:00.000-04:00

Good training week - was my last chance to "cram" for Boston. I just finished a 19 mile trail run at Watchung Reservation. Felt just fine. I love my Camelbak and PowerBar Gels. It is so great to finish a long run not dehydrated and craving carbs! I tried out a new Camelbak today. It is the "Blue Wave Vigor ". Seventy ounces of fluid. I had been using my skiing Camelbak "Zoid". The Zoid's tube and pack are insulated, and the bite valve has a heavy rubber cover to prevent freezing. So the tube bounced around a bit too much for running, and I always had to tuck it in under the shoulder strap when not in use. The new one works much better - no tucking necessary - once I figured out that the sternum strap was movable. At first it was set as shipped, which was too low. The strap was bothering my chest and I couldn't get the shoulder strap fit right. After about an hour I took it off to grab a gel, and I realized I could move the strap. It took me a couple minutes, but once I moved it the Camelbak fit perfectly. It also has a better zipper pocket than the Zoid version.

Training March 30 - April 5, 2009

2009-04-05T19:44:00.000-04:00

This week was an improvement over last. The weekend was breakthrough. I had been feeling bad on every run for almost two weeks. Obviously overtraining and lack of sleep. So I took Friday off and slept 9 hours on Friday and Saturday nights. The result was a morning 7 mile run with my son on Saturday that felt good, and a great 34 mile bike ride in the afternoon. The bike ride was very windy and I managed a 17 MPH average on my single speed. Today I ran 21 (or maybe it was 22) miles at Watchung Reservation and I felt kinda fine for the whole thing. Today's run was pretty muddy, but I importantly got twice through the area where I fell and broke my rib last January. I ran that area very carefully because the memory of that was actually weighing on me. Silly, huh? It was the first sunny warm day in a very long time. Ran with my Camelbak and almost finished the whole thing. Used three PowerBar Latte gels.

Training chart from Zelky below, some pics of muddy shoes and legs, and a cool new Blogger location widget!

Workouts: March 23 - 29, 2009

2009-03-30T20:47:00.000-04:00

Three weeks to Boston and this past week of workouts were not that great. All my runs felt draggy. I was generally tired all week. Guess I need to sleep more. The stupid cat wakes me up every morning at 4:30. That has to stop.

I Thought I Ran Longer Today

2009-03-28T22:45:00.000-04:00

I only ran 13.3 miles today. It took 2 hours. I was dragging myself through the first 40 minutes of it. I felt bloated and tired. I wanted to get a two hour run in - and I accomplished that. But I did practically the same distance last Saturday in 1:45. Last week I followed up with an PM bike ride. No ride today - had important stuff to do today 9 AM - 3 PM. I wish Boston was more than 23 days away!

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/nj/south-bound-brook/518123829414660823"&amp;gt;03/28/2009 towpath Route&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-states/nj/south-bound-brook"&amp;gt;Find more Runs in South Bound Brook, New Jersey&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

This Was My Response to The Best Email (now below)

2009-03-25T13:50:00.006-04:00

Dear Ogg,

It is good that you are a cave-person - because we are talking about running like a primitive human - the way we were designed to run before marketing took over the activity called "running".

we have to talk - lots of ideas here.

several questions and all that...

Anyway, here is some general advice: Follow the 10% rule. If you are running 3.5 miles per week now, in trainers, then add no more than 10% barefoot. So that means about a third of a mile barefoot to your total 3.5. The next week, increase total (shod+barefoot) distance 10% = 3.75 miles. The next week, add 10% more barefoot, so run about 2/3 miles barefoot. etc. Alternate between weeks - one week add 10% more barefoot miles to the previous week's total, the next week upping your total mileage 10% more.

I have no trouble switching from barefoot to flats and back. But, there are a lot of people in the barefoot community that say that is not good because it retains your bad habits from running shod. They say simply go into it 100% from the start, but forget about doing the total mileage you are used to.

It is a good idea to start on grass. Find a nice soccer field to run circles around. Run there, or warm up in shoes first. Run the field loops shod first and look for anything that you can step on that might hurt and throw it far away or remember to avoid it. Then take them off and run for 5 minutes around the soccer field. Do that a couple times per week. Begin to increase your 5 minutes barefoot by a minute or two per session. Before you know it you will be doing quite a lot of minutes of running barefoot. (BTW, that is how I measure BF running, by minutes, not miles. As a barefoot beginner, you should not try to train as fast as you are used to while barefoot, so don't court injury - don't worry about how far you are going - add up the minutes instead.

Orthotics - ween yourself off of them. Wear them a couple of times per week, don't wear them a couple times per week. Increase the latter and decrease the former. To support the transition, go barefoot at all times, except when you are absolutely forced to wear shoes! Push the limits. Carry flip flops and put them on when the store manager asks you to - but make sure you tell him it isn't illegal anywhere and that you could bring him to court for discrimination if you were not such a nice person.

Read these links:

http://runbarefoot.blogspot.com/2004/08/my-running-barefoot-rvrr-newsletter.html

http://runningbarefoot.org/?page_id=455

http://runningbarefoot.org/?page_id=6

http://runningbarefoot.org/?page_id=9

http://www.barefooters.org/

http://tinyurl.com/ckmfzv

http://tinyurl.com/cqca3n

http://www.tullyrunners.com/Articles/RaucciArticle.htm

http://sportsci.org/jour/0103/mw.htm

One of The Best Emails I Have Ever Received

2009-03-25T13:45:00.002-04:00

This is the email -->>

81,001 BC: Ogg discover fire
9,845 BC: Ogg invent wheel
1829 AD: Ogg invent shoe
1830 AD: Ogg discover 'runner's knee'
*all dates are approximate

Happy Wednesday!

I've been getting back into running so slowly I can't remember what it feels like to actually train for something. I have been reading a bit online about runner's knee and, with what I learned in physical therapy coupled with yoga, I think I am finally on the right track. I've also been reading about barefoot running and have read a bit of 'evidence' supporting the benefits for people who have had runner's knee and for runners with high arches (me!).

I've only been running 1 day a week (3.5 miles) and walking 2 other days (a little over an hour each day), and I wore a light knee brace for the 8k on Saturday because I hadn't run more than 3.5 since Belmar in July. My knee felt good, a little soreness at the end of the day, but a HUGE improvement from 8 months ago when 2 miles set my ITB on fire.

I have resolved to not train for anything in the near future, just run and be content with mediocrity, so I was thinking about easing into barefooting since I'm not doing anything noteable for the next year or so. I have a pair of flats, but no insoles because I ripped them out to make room for my orthotics.

This leads me to my first question- do I leave my orthotics in when I start in flats? It could be possible that I would need more strengthening and no knee pain before I start this whole plan, but in the grand scheme of trainers-->flats-->feet, do you think there is a 'smart' time or way to ease out of these? I've worn them (only when running/walking/hiking) for the last 9 years.

Also, I have my heart set on the Philly Marathon 2010. It's a long time away, I know :) I already have a play list building in iTunes... Anyway, I am not going to be running a full marathon barefoot- at least not my first one. My body can't go too long without having some sort of injury, so I'm going to coax my body back into masochism slowly. While it's entirely possible I would run the marathon in flats, this brought me to my other question- in general, how do you find alternating between barefoot and shoe running? For example, if you come back from running in trainers all winter, do you find trouble barefooting again?

No hurry, I'm running in trainers for the time being and I am switching to flats for walking anyway because the thick heel cushion on my Asics irk my shins after about 30 minutes of walking. Also, definitely sign up for Shamrock next year- tons of fun and beautiful course with lots of fan support. Not to mention, the beer tent on the sand adds a little something extra :)

Hope your rib has fully healed! How has life as a former president been going for you?
Thanks for any input you have on this topic!
-Ogg

Short Dunellen Loop Today

2009-03-23T20:26:00.003-04:00

Short Dunellen 4 miler today @ 7 minute miles (below). Was a little recover run after yesterday's 41 bike miles in 2:30. It was windy and I ran out of water at mile 29. I'm considering an early AM run tomorrow because I have a trip to the dermatologist tomorrow afternoon. There is a thing on my right temple I want gone. Been running and working in the sun for too long to fool with anything looking like it is on the fast track to skin cancer.

Training: March 16 - 22, 2009

2009-03-22T20:31:00.002-04:00

Now this week was more like a training week, not just a bunch of "workouts". I said to a lot of people on Saturday morning, "I'm cramming for Boston." Now, I wouldn't recommend this technique. It isn't "the ten percent rule", it is about the 40 percent rule. But I have been able to get away with it for the past bunch of years with minimal damage...

Longish Run This Morning and Recovery Spin in the PM

2009-03-21T18:52:00.000-04:00

Ran 13 miles mostly on the Towpath this morning, mostly alone, even though it was the RVRR Saturday Morning Run. Thirty people were there, but the people that went long started earlier. It was a beautiful morning, and I am glad I can do 13 @ 1:45 = 8:07/mile at this point in time. Went to Somerset Diner to meet the people who had gone for breakfast after the run, and most were practically on their way out. Since the money was in for the bill already, they seemed to have bought me my bagel and coffee. Thanks guys!

Added a 15 mile spin at 3:30 PM on my Quintana Roo Superform, which I retro-fitted to road bike styling. Kinda hard to get the saddle position right with the forward positioning angles on that TT frame. Makes it hard to get the same power from my hamstrings. So far, even my single speed feels faster than the QRoo set up like that. On the positives side, I was hating all the bars and cables for the TT set up - it was ruining the clean beauty of the bicycle. So glad I am not presently a triathlete anymore! But gotta thank the bike for fixing so many of my running problems last year. Thanks bikes!

Run route and bike route in the two maps below, from MapMyRun.com:

Born To Run (not Springsteen...)

2009-03-20T22:05:00.003-04:00

Amazon.com's Editorial Review

Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world’s greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong.

Isolated by the most savage terrain in North America, the reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s deadly Copper Canyons are custodians of a lost art. For centuries they have practiced techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest and chase down anything from a deer to an Olympic marathoner while enjoying every mile of it. Their superhuman talent is matched by uncanny health and serenity, leaving the Tarahumara immune to the diseases and strife that plague modern existence. With the help of Caballo Blanco, a mysterious loner who lives among the tribe, the author was able not only to uncover the secrets of the Tarahumara but also to find his own inner ultra-athlete, as he trained for the challenge of a lifetime: a fifty-mile race through the heart of Tarahumara country pitting the tribe against an odd band of Americans, including a star ultramarathoner, a beautiful young surfer, and a barefoot wonder.

With a sharp wit and wild exuberance, McDougall takes us from the high-tech science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultrarunners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to the climactic race in the Copper Canyons. Born to Run is that rare book that will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that the secret to happiness is right at your feet, and that you, indeed all of us, were born to run.
About the Author
Christopher McDougall is a former war correspondent for the Associated Press and is now a contributing editor for Men’s Health. A three-time National Magazine Award finalist, he has written for Esquire, The New York Times Magazine, Outside, Men’s Journal, and New York. He does his own running among the Amish farms around his home in rural Pennsylvania.

Two Weeks of Workouts: March 2 - 15, 2009

2009-03-16T15:08:00.000-04:00

Sixteen workouts in 14 days is an improvement - but I need to run more for Boston Marathon training!

Two Weeks of Workouts: February 16 - March 1, 2009

2009-03-03T15:02:00.001-05:00

Thirteen workouts in 14 days....

Two Weeks of Workouts: February 2 - 15, 2009

2009-02-16T14:52:00.000-05:00

14 workouts in 14 days. Improvement over the last two weeks!

Two Weeks of Workouts: January 19 - February 1, 2009

2009-02-02T14:38:00.002-05:00

I am catching up on some un-posted training logging. I am back-dating these posts that I am actually writing on March 3, 2009. My training during the intense skiiing season has been a bit lacking. Yes, I am in great spring skiing shape. But I am not ready for the Boston Marathon. I am hoping I can snap back into distance shape in the next few weeks. I am depending on my 35 years of distance running to serve me well - that is a lot of base. I am not going to run anything near the 3:18 I ran at Philly last November. I will be pacing for a 3:30. If I can maintain that, I will see how I feel after the Heartbreak Hills. The goal at Boston right now is to Have Fun!

Anyway here are my workouts for January 19 - February 1, 2009 (7 workouts in 14 days isn't exactly marathon training):

I Am IN The 2009 Boston Marathon

2009-01-21T23:02:00.003-05:00

I have been wanting to run the Boston Marathon this coming April, but have been putting off entering. Cheap me printed out the forms to mail when I saw there was an extra $6 charge for online entry, bringing the total entry fee to $116. I was going to mail it in sometime this weekend or next week, since the early entry deadline is February 15. Plenty of time.

Today a friend posted a shared item on Google Reader, a blog dated yesterday, that proclaimed, "Registration for 2009 Boston Marathon has Closed." I Paniced! I went straight to the Boston Marathon web site to see if this was true, but could find nothing that said it had closed. So I tried to register online - extra $6 be damned - and it worked. It took a little panic to push me over that $110 entry fee limit!

I was still a little worried because they have to verify your qualifying race and send a final confirmation via email. I was thinking that they could be just sending out "sorry the event was filled" emails. But now I am relieved because at 5 PM I received the confirmation email:

This is to notify you that your entry into the 113th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 20, 2009 has been accepted, provided that the information you submitted is accurate.

You can verify your acceptance into the field by searching the 113th Boston Marathon "Entrants" database on the B.A.A. web site, www.baa.org/2009/cf/Public/EntryLists.cfm. Additionally, an acceptance postcard will be mailed to you via US Postal Service mail.

In early April 2009, an official Number Pick-up Card and extensive information regarding the B.A.A. Boston Marathon and related race week activities will be mailed to you via US Postal Service first class mail. If you do not receive your Number Pick-up Card (required to claim number) and brochure by April 11, please contact our Registration Office at registration@baa.org. Registration related inquiries may also be directed to 508-435-6905.

Note that bib numbers will not be distributed on Race Day. Your travel arrangements should take into account picking up your number at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston on Friday, April 17 from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., or Saturday, April 18 or Sunday, April 19 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

We look forward to seeing you in April! Best of luck in your training!

Guess I better hit the bricks!

Workouts: January 12 - 18, 2009

2009-01-19T23:27:00.000-05:00

Not a great workout week. Recovering from the broken-rib incident. Was able to ski the three day MLK weekend. I suppose I should be glad about that.

My Run Today - Five Days Since The Fall That Broke Rib #6

2009-01-15T23:00:00.001-05:00

Training: First Week or so of 2009

2009-01-11T11:54:00.002-05:00

First weeks of the year are always full of hope and usually a little long, unless the year happens to start on a Monday. It was a good week. Good skiing then good running and riding, then a great race. Then I fell down...

Watchung Winter Ultra Does Me In

2009-01-10T22:45:00.016-05:00

The Watchung Winter Ultra "fat ass" trail race had two options: run 50K or a marathon. I chose the marathon.

I run at Watchung about a dozen times per year. I used to ride my mountain bike there, for winter training, back when I was a serious triathlete in the late 1980's- early 1990's - before the park banned them.

This was to be a fun day - I wanted a good long run as an easy race on a trail I was very familiar with. I had no qualms about cutting it short if I felt over-stressed, since my recent running mileage has been relatively very low. Plus there was the forecast for snow at a high of 25 degrees F.

I felt cold before the race in the morning. About 50 people showed up, including my friends Paul, IronPete and Dixon. They were all slated to run the 50K; Paul and Pete have done many, but it was Dixon's first. The race director did a great job setting up this event and even marked some of the course himself that morning before running a couple laps of the course himself. I ran a lot of the first loop near enough to talk with him. I ran almost the entire loop with David, a Chi Running enthusiast who I had emailed with before but never met in person - and running with him turned out to just be a chance meeting. I was amazed that he survived about three falls from trips and slipping on ice on the first loop or so. The last fall he had on ice hurt his knee enough for him to cut the second loop short. Little was I to know what I was headed for.

The marathon was two and a half loops of the Sierra Trail at the reservation. (See my account of running there last weekend for comments on that.) It was a beautiful day to be running - not many people on the trails, it warmed up a little within 30 minutes of starting, and snow was flurrying just enough to add to the ambiance.

I had two great loops and was leading the marathon runners - loop splits were 1:44 & 1:47- and I was feeling GREAT. Really great. I was gonna chop off that half lap in 60 minutes. But about a half mile from the start/finish I tripped and fell and broke my rib.

I have fallen dozens of times running trails, but this time I fell really hard and I think a protruding root or rock just hit my side in a bad way. The break is kinda under my left arm. The fall did hurt a lot and the wind got knocked out of me. I tried walking to keep going but noticed it felt really weird in there, like something was rattling around, and I noticed I couldn't breathe deeply without pain. So I think I smartly decided to bag it and walked back.

I checked in as DNF and drove myself to MediMerge... The Vicoden I just picked up is defiintely working better than the advil....

At the doc, my temperature was 94.3. The nurse said it was the lowest she ever recorded. It was kinda funny because she asked a couple of times why I would want to run that far. Doc said, "curtail your activities" for a few weeks. I told him I was going skiing next weekend. He said he wouldn't do that... hope I can.

One of the reasons I think I felt great was fueling. I used my skiing Camelback plus a Powerbar Gel ("2X Caffine") about every 30 minutes. That stuff works pretty good for me. I don't like eating random food handed out at races. I used the Powerbar Gels at Philly too, every 45 minutes. After today I think my next marathon - Boston - I will do one every 30. Gotta start shooting that stuff early. They are sort of a pain to carry - pockets of circa 1980 Moss Brown jacket today were fine, but gotta work that out for Boston.

Hey, just looked, you can still get those jackets ... think I might get a new one.

Thanks to Paul for the pics and vid from the race below, and to Associated Radiology in Warren for the x-rays.

IronPete, Paul, Me

Paul, Me, Dixon (nice face)

Start bottleneck at bridge. Me in yellow jacket & Camelbak

A few minutes past the start/finish area, 50K route

Race Director Rick explaining too much before the start & me looking too happy

One of my x-rays. Difficult to scan and see the break.

Running Pic of The Day

2009-01-08T12:48:00.004-05:00

This is a screen cap from a friend's Facebook album. "Getting engaged in high style, after the ATR 12 Hour. Mike ran 52 miles, got down on one knee, and got back up... that's hardcore. I think I ran something like a 5K or so." See how running long distances causes people to do things totally irrational? ;) JK: May they be happy for at least as long as her race number!

Spotting the Escarpment Trail Run T-Shirt

2009-01-06T15:15:00.001-05:00

You don't see many Escarpment Trail Run shirts randomly in your day-to-day travels, outside of a group of select runners. So I was surprised to spot one worn by a teenager in the Overlook Lodge at Belleayre Ski Center last Saturday. I proudly said, "Hi, I ran Escarpment four times." At first it seemed like he didn't get the connection, but then I think he remembered he was wearing that shirt. He said he was a volunteer at Blackhead. I told him sincerely thanks for being a volunteer - and we went on to discuss the lightning and the trail-turned-river, which seemed to be the most impressive part of the crazy weather that day last July. It seemed so out-of-context to be discussing it there, during the winter in a ski lodge after a day of great skiing. Nice kid. I told him I would see him in next July.

Running Pic of The Day

2009-01-06T14:47:00.003-05:00

From DesertDiva's Running on Empty blog. This would be a great desktop background at original resolution! A beautiful winter run - the kind I want to be doing all winter long!

Watchung Reservation Long Run

2009-01-04T17:59:00.007-05:00

My run today was 12 miles in Watchung Reservation. It was my first run of 2009. I have been skiing for the past week, and got only one run in, on New Years Eve. That is OK - this is typically running down time, during the winter when skiing takes a lot of my time. I run a lot less. It is probably good for my body and mind and the entire training cycle.

Today's run was important, however. I am scheduled to run a Fat Ass trail marathon, The Watchung Winter Ultra, at Watchung Reservation next weekend. I have run hundreds of miles at Watchung Reservation. Other runners that frequent the reservation and I agree, that the distance of the Sierra Trail there that is stated on the map is short by about 2 miles. The maps claim 10, but running times always seem to support 12 miles. We have collectively decided that a 10 mile loop of Watchung Reservation using the Sierra Trail is to eliminate the part to the south of Sky Top Drive. That section is also the most technical section, with lots of sharp 4-6" rock scree, and radical uphill and downhill sections. I am too old school and too cheap to Garmin that trail, but maybe someone else has. I will have to ask around.

Today I figured I should include that technical 2 mile section on my run today so I am ready for it next weekend, and I figured I should run the rest of the trail clockwise, since I always do it counter-clockwise. Trails look different in opposing directions, especially hours into a run. The race next weekend does one lap in each direction. I only took one 10 foot wrong turn because I was distracted by people and dogs at the intersection. The trails were busier than usual today. I passed 47 people and 12 dogs, not counting the people playing hockey on Lake Surprise - which I couldn't believe was happening because some of the lake was not even frozen.

My time was 1:47:14, which supports the 12 mile theory, at just under 9 minutes per mile. It might even be longer - it felt like I was running 8:30's or better for a lot of the trail - but we know that trail running times per mile are decieveing, so I am accounting for that by about 30 seconds per mile.

I think people will be running 4 or more miles longer than they expect on Saturday.

The trail conditions today were varied. There were sections that were icy and wet, and a lot of it had frozen mud in uncomfortable configurations. The ground was generally very hard, not muddy as it usually is at the reservation. We are supposed to get some rain and some snow showers this week, and currently the forecast is for rain & snow showers on race day. Trail conditions, fueling and keeping warm might be a challenge.

This is My Running Pic of The Day

2009-01-04T11:31:00.003-05:00

From The Freezing Cold Hash, Edison, NJ on January 3, 2008. Screen cap from here, and more pics here. I think it is Jody from my running club. She looks like she is having a great time!

Workouts: Last Three Weeks of 2008

2008-12-31T10:49:00.002-05:00

December 8 - 31, 2008 were fairly bad for my training. I had a cold at first, then bad weather curtailed bike commuting. I trained significantly less in those three weeks than I had been doing in one week in October and November.

Guess I can call this downtime, recovery, active rest, and family ski vacation.

Looking forward to a great 2009!

So what if LA has a TTX......

2008-12-09T15:54:00.003-05:00

Note the similarities between Lance Armstrong, today:

and me in 1989....

OK, there are NO similarities.... But checkout my cool one-piece speedo kit, my sockless lake shoes, my original Scott DH bars without tape, my soft disk, my cool green Mangusta machine.

Sick Workout Week: December 1 - 7, 2008

2008-12-08T17:10:00.002-05:00

Cough and cold all week. Still biked to work and did a hard day on Wed, including extra cycling and running. The cold started high in my throat, affected my voice. Then it moved deeper into my lungs as a cough. It was controlable with Halls Mentho-Lyptus drops. On Friday at school it moved into my stomach. I didn't train all weekend. Instead I stayed in and rested. Coughed a lot, but unproductive. My digestive system acted strange all weekend. Produced a lot of gas, no movement. Then, this morning, three episodes of liquid. Called in sick, went to doc. Doc took some blood and urine, and it wasn't anything that needs antibiotics. He said it is just a virus running through my body. Hopefully it is on its last generation. I have not missed more than one day consecutive in training since August 21st, and now I am up to three.