Monday, December 14, 2009

Odds and Ends

Running Barefoot
A while back I posted about my relationship with treadmills (I don't like them) but I outlined a plan that was intended to get me on it this winter. The plan was basically to give barefoot running a try. I decided instead of going barefoot, I would wear my water shoes which I purchased for $2.00 at WalMart. So they don't have any support, just a rubber bottom.

Well I have done two runs and have had no issues. The first run was just 2 miles and I did a mix of 2 minutes walking, 2 minutes running and stepped up the pace on each running segment. I waited a week before I tried again and repeated. I added in an extra mile, shortened the walking breaks to 1 minute and did a few more accelerations. Everything feels fine today. I did notice that I had no trouble landing on my mid/fore foot while running but I landed a bit on the heel when walking. I will continue to explore as it does get me to run on the treadmill. I do have to confess that while walking, I almost fell off. I was looking down and just drifted almost off of the treadmill.

Shoe Repair
I finally got around to repairing my Vasque Velocity VST's, the heels were separating from the sole. What I ended up doing was poking a hole through the outer sole, they are basically hollow underneath. You can tell if yours are like mine if you pull the insole out you can see right into the heel. Basically a honeycomb shape, what I did was drill the hole and then I filled it with it silicone (caulk for windows - cost ~$1). The silicone seemed to stick and the heel separation is gone and I have enough left over for about 10 years of shoe repair. The real test is that I have put 30 miles on them with no issues. Yes, I will get my mileage out of these shoes after all. So the VST's are back in my good graces.

Runners Round Table
I have posted before about the podcasts I listen to, one of them is called The Runners Round Table, a weekly running podcast about a variety of subjects hosted by podcasters and bloggers. Well, I volunteered to host, along with Albert and Lesley, this weeks show. We will be interviewing Jan Seeley and Joe Henderson from Marathon and Beyond magazine on Wednesday, I am sure I will post something after the show along with a link to the show. Feel free to join us.

6 comments:

Jason Robillard said...

That's a good plan to start barefoot running. I started using the same type of aqua socks. They wear out quickly, but you cannot beat the price. Is heat an issue on the treadmill? The deck of my treadmill gets fairly hot... itmakes barefoot (or running in Vibrams) difficult.

Anyway, good luck with the experiment!

-Jason Robillard
http:/barefootrunninguniversity.com

Londell said...

And if I miss the Podcast, look forward to the link so we can download it? I do not think I will ever try bare foot or flay rubber running...

Have a great holidays!

Mike W. said...

Jason - the heat has not been an issue, my main issue is just the boredom of the treadmill. It's a fun experiment and I will be curious how it works out.

Londell - never say never, I have sworn off treadmills more than once and I thought barefoot running was, well questionable. Now I can't wait for the snow to melt and give it a try on the trails. Have a great holiday as well.

Jason Robillard said...

Mike,

I have no good solution for the boredom part. I've tried running in snow (barefoot) here in Michigan. So far, it is okay if I keep the runs under an hour and the temp is above 25. Otherwise, I am stuck with running on indoor tracks or *sigh* the treadmill.

Lesley Looper said...

Looking forward to co-hosting the podcast with you and Albert in a little bit!

Albert said...

Enjoyed the show tonight. Thanks for letting me be a part of it. Would love to do it again in the future. Good luck with your future races.

Albert

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