First “race” of the year.

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Robinson — Leave a comment

This thursday, I am running in the YMCA Corporate Challenge at Broome Community College. I will be running in the relay (3 legs, 1 mile each) and the 5k. When I first came up with the idea of the agency I work for competing in it – It seemed like such a great idea. With my surgery-site causing me pain and my recent lack of running due to my calf strain – this should be a rather interesting run.

I ran this weekend, and (as usual) it felt GREAT to be out there, the VFF’s moving as light as can be. I’m back down to ~6 mph, but I am moving with one foot in front of the other – that makes me happy. I am headed back for a follow-up with my Doctor regarding the hernia repair surgery. The nurse agreed that increasing pain 5 months afterwards was probably not what should be happening. But I Digress.

The running, followed by getting injured – has somewhat hurt my motivation. When I walk out the door, I wonder what pain is going to start-up, or if I am doing something “stupid” without realizing it. I am hoping that the 5k will help encourage me again. I need to get that “fire burning” and with 138 days to go, the timing would be good. I should be starting the beginners marathon training plan by Hal Higdon at 126 days. (For the math unfriendly, that is 12 days from now).

I suspect my time is going to be miserable, but I am looking forward to my first race in VFFs. As long as I beat my non-runner co-workers, I’ll consider it a “success.”

Posted in running

3 miles with some small hills.

Posted on June 11, 2011 by Robinson — 1 Comment

As my last post discussed, I have been looking at how to run hills. Going up them hasn’t been a problem, as that doesn’t change too much between minimalist shoes and traditional running shoes. But downhill… Well, that’s been a whole new can of worms. I went for a nice run last evening. Due to my recent injury rate, I am no longer worrying about how fast I run. My new focus is on trying to run injury-free, instead of trying to run faster/further. I think that this may help me to be running MORE, and enjoy it more at the same time.

So last night I headed out with the plan of doing 3-4 miles, depending on how my hip felt (I had inguinal hernia repair in January, and Read more ›

Downers (Now I am referring to hills)

Posted on June 10, 2011 by Robinson — 1 Comment

About a month ago, I pulled my left calf muscle while doing a long hill run. I hit the top of the mile or so long hill, looked around to enjoy the scenery and headed back down. As I started down the long, steep hill it suddenly occurred to me –

Obviously, the runner pictured here is not me. Heck, I don't even know the person!

I don’t know how to run down hill in Vibram Five Fingers.

A quick google on my phone let me know that you needed to move your feet fast, and control your speed by leaning. I made it down the hill, ran a ways longer and felt that *SNAP* feeling in my calf that you can read about – if you google “runners calf strain.”

Enough back ground, now the neat part. As I obviously wanted to learn HOW to run downhill in the VFFs in a way that didn’t end with me calling my wife to come get me, I did what we “computer geeks” do – and started googling online. Believe it or not, I couldn’t find any good information. I found conflicting information on stand up straight, or lean forward/back. This made me decide to go to everyone’s favorite resource: Read more ›

Tagged with: downhill running, running, Vibram Five Fingers, vibram fivefingers
Posted in Hill Running, running, running shoes, vibram five fingers

Downers. (I’m not referring to hills)

Posted on June 10, 2011 by Robinson — 1 Comment

So, I had a real bummer of a day the other day. The sort that sets a trend for the next few and there is nothing you can do about it. The memory of the day replays in my head like a bad sit-com, or like watching the Cable Guy. Just a horrible time, but there is no pause, stop or fast forward.

What makes this note-worthy is that I couldn’t “run it off.” This is usually my “Cure-all” or how to fix bad moods, drop anger, run through disappointment, etc.. What was a first, was I was in such a foul mood that there was no getting up and running. I could only focus on how long I COULDN’T run.. How fast I WASN’T.

Expectations, whether they be based in running or in other aspects of life – can often be a way of shooting ourselves in the foot. I have goals that I am working toward, and “Expect” to reach. But these are things that I actively work toward, understand what could lead toward failure and try to plan to avoid those items. But “expectations” are different from goals. Goals we know the risk of failure, while expectations are like goals but with out that part. Simply assumptions that things “will” go a certain way. Maybe its the expectation that running a certain race won’t be a problem, yet we dont’ consider heat levels, or adjusting to minimalist shoes. When we fail at goals, we can be disappointed, but usually it’s not a huge surprise, and alternate plans are in place.

With an expectation, that failure may never have entered my mind. With the failure of some thing that was simply expected to happen – the shock send me reeling and can floor me. Herein lies the flaw. Nothing is certain. There is a movement of some runners to “run smiley” – Failed expectations can really hurt that.

Today? Today I will get back out there and run with a huge smile on my face. The time/distance won’t matter. I am just going to have fun and enjoy the road going by and my five fingers flying… And will get back on this road with life itself. When someone asks me how I am doing – I will again be “Outstanding” — because it is the choice I make.

Not my usual sort of post, I know. I haven’t even gone back and editted the phrasing or quality of the sentences.. It is what it is. Its more of a stop in the road to turn around and get back to where I need to be!

Posted in running

Re-learning running in my late 30s.

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Robinson — Leave a comment

Note: I am excited! Yesterday I had the second most page views ever for my blog! The only time I topped it was back in march – when I let people know I had a blog, and everyone checked it out – simply from curiosity on what I would write! Now I just have to figure out how to get more commenters! Thank you for reading!

So, I have started reading a wide assortment of blogs online. From “Caution: Redhead Running” (the adventures of a currently injured runner, but her past stories of running are quite good) to “The Running Laminator” – a Dr. that explains some of the medical aspects to running, yet still does stupid things like running two marathons in one weekend (to be fair he pushes himself and documents things quite well – very good reading.) and just started reading “Silly Girl Running” tonight. The problem I am finding, is most blogging runners seem to be younger, in their twenties. Unfortunately, I have not had the privilege of retaining my age of the last decade of life, immortality has escaped me. I and am now in the latter half of my mid thirties. It makes a difference.

I am finding that I don’t recover as well as I did in my lower twenties, and nor does my body forgive me as quickly for deciding to go out and do something stupid. This is slowly coming home for me – and I am trying to do less stupid things. This has been a partial success thus far, as I seem to be substituting one stupid thing for another. (ie: only running a mile to give my calf a chance to recover, but stupidly doing it fast and barefoot.) I seem to have some issues with the “common sense” department when it comes to figuring out what is acceptable and what is not the brightest of ideas. This is becoming a bigger problem as more time goes by, as the “penalty” for being wrong – it hurts more, and a causes more down time.

I think this guy passed me in my last 5k..

I am hoping to trip across a treasure trove of mid to late 30 runners, trying to relearn how to run. I have found some, but it seems to primarily be barefoot runners. Don’t get me wrong – I have nothing against that, but it is not going to be my primary focus. I have also found blogs for runners in their 50s, but their obstacles are different from those that I have been encountering thus far. Anyone have any good sources of running blogs of mid to late 30’s runners and the issues we face as we discover we aren’t as young as we used to be?

oh.. And if they happened to discuss recovering from injuries and running a marathon 5 months later – that would be bonus..

Tagged with: running, running in your 30s, running while getting older
Posted in running

Happy Feet! or “I love my Vibrams!”

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Robinson — Leave a comment

Bryce Ran from the green dot, up through Rec. Park and back - The Blue Dot is where we stopped and stretched.

So, Last night’s run was a nice mile run with my son. I am very proud of him – he can do 1 mile (in 2 legs of .5 miles each with a side stretch in the middle) in 13:42! We enjoyed ourselves, did a full stretch at his 1/2 mile side-stretch. It was a nice distance for a warm-up, and great preparation to help avoid more muscle strains! We then headed back home, and he headed in while I kept going.

I picked up the speed a bit for my solo run and ran another two miles. It felt sooooooo good. My feet were happy as could be, and the whole run was a blast. I ran faster than the previous day, and enjoyed it so much more! I have a little bit of soreness on my right foot, where the muscles haven’t been

being used for the last 3 weeks. My physical therapist showed me a way to use the a can that you roll back and forth with your foot to massage the bottom of the foot. Its an exercise they use to treat planar fascitis, but seems to work well to massage the arch of the foot as well. Its one of the exercises I have been doing in physical therapy to help strengthen my other foot/calf muscles. You just put the can/ball under the foot like in the picture to the left – and roll it forward and back. Luckily, its not a very complex exercise, so I can manage it!

I am going to go back out in my Asics soon – as I don’t thinkit is fair to judge them based on my first run after being off for 3 weeks.

Tagged with: running, VFF, Vibram Five Fingers
Posted in recovery, running, running shoes, vibram five fingers

Decisions on Vibram Five Fingers – The Cure for all that ails you? or a plan for injury?

Posted on June 6, 2011 by Robinson — 1 Comment

So, I went for a run last night in my Asics, after only using my Vibram Five Fingers (VFFs) as my primary running shoe for a while. I found the run in general less enjoyable, especially the shoes. It seems that I really enjoy the range of motion granted by the VFFs, as well as the added ground feel that comes with the thinner soles. In my reading however, I have found that there may be one major issue with using VFFs as my only running shoe.

Keith Olbermann's Foot on the David Letterman show.

It seems they may cause stress fractures. Keith Olbermann appeared on the David Letterman shoe wearing a “boot” due to a stress fracture in the VFFs. There is an ongoing discussion on a podiatry forum I found online. In regards to stress fractures and VFFs, the podiatrists were not the least bit surprised that people were reporting injuries from running in the VFFs. Though to be fair on this one, they sounded as bad as the “church of the barefoot runner” folk do when talking about it. They are hostile, non-helpful to people who might have inquiries about them – and just plain mean at times. They actually search the internet (like my google search earlier) looking for people reporting foot breaks in VFFs, and then they mock them. So I take them with a grain of salt, just as I do the “VFFs/barefoot running will cure all your problems!” Plus, add in the fact that if VFFs really do cure alot of foot problems – it will seriously cut in to a Podiatrists’ bottom-line. Read more ›

Tagged with: asics, Barefoot Running, Marathon Training, minamilist shoes, minimalist running, running, stress fracture, Vibram Five Fingers
Posted in running, running injury, running shoes, vibram five fingers

First five mile run, post calf-strain

Posted on June 5, 2011 by Robinson — Leave a comment

Look! A Healthy Non-Complaining Calf!

So I headed out on a slow run to see how my calf held up. I decided to run in my Asics rather than the VFFs, with a goal of stressing my calf out as little as possible. I did run with a forefoot/midfoot strike rather than a heel strike. The good news? The calf held up just fine – no complaints from it at all! I did stretch after a half mile warm up, as well as half way through the run. It didn’t feel bad, but thought it was a good preventative measure. I also stretched that good, health calf when I got home.

The run itself? Honestly, it wasn’t all that enjoyable. It seems my cardio abilities have faded in the last three weeks, though I know that will return quickly. I also started off behind a cigar smoking man walking down the side-walk – its amazing how long THAT smell stays with you! Took me half a block to figure out what the smell was!

Anyway, back to my whining. So the run wasn’t as enjoyable as many of them have been. I ran in my Asics, and the feeling of my foot hitting the ground simply isn’t as enjoyable. I know that those in the “church of the barefoot runner” (read that name on a Podiatry Forum) refer to shoes as “foot-coffins” and I really felt that way today. To quote “Barefoot Kenbob” – it was like singing with earplugs in. I suspect I was also dehydrated, didnt’ sleep well, etc.. etc… Lots of things came together to make this a really not-fun run. I even walked at several portions of the last two miles, figuring better to hurt myself when I wasn’t “feeling-it.” I am hoping that anyone that knows me passed me while I was running, not walking.

Still despite not feeling like the best run in the world, I am still glad I went. I knew starting back into running after 3 weeks off (well, 2 weeks, plus 1 running day, and a week before that) wasn’t going to be easy on the lungs and legs – but I really expected more “fun.” Think I will pull the Vibrams on for tomorrows run. Its simply more fun.

Tagged with: bad run, Marathon Training, running
Posted in running

Learning more about barefoot running or Blisters are far better than pulled muscles!

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Robinson — Leave a comment

So, its friday – always a good day for countless reasons! Today, despite my graphic pictures posted yesterday, I am able to walk pain-free. The quick recovery from blisters sure beats the weeks of recovery required for a calf strain! After managing to do some pretty good damage to my feet this week, I wanted to figure out how I could do to prevent recurrance of the same pain. My wife had a very simple solution – stop running. This was followed up with other helpful suggestions of “stop running barefoot” and “don’t be such an idiot.” I decided to keep looking elsewhere for ideas.

One of the things I had looked for in the past Read more ›

Tagged with: barefoot kenbob, Barefoot Running, contest, jason robillard, running
Posted in barefoot running, running

Barefoot Running – Day 2!

Posted on June 2, 2011 by Robinson — 1 Comment

Last night was looking to be a pretty busy night, and to be honest – if I had been physically up to running the distances I SHOULD be running, I wouldn’t have even tried to work it in. I was going to a Binghamton Mets baseball game that was sponsored by my wife’s workplace (we were handing out free bags.) I knew I wasn’t up to 5 miles or so, but I decided I had plenty of time for a quick mile. I had really enjoyed the mile I ran barefoot with my son the previous day, so I thought another barefoot mile would be perfect! (as a side note – this also had the added bonus of my VFF Bikila’s not being all sweaty and gross, letting me wear those to the game.) Read more ›