Well i thought I better take a moment to introduce myself. Hey.. I'm Larry and I am from the Great State of Utah, best snow on earth, and more trails to run than you could ever do in a lifetime. Honestly I've been all over the country (and the world for that matter), and have seen ever beautiful place imaginable and settle for Utah due to the great outdoor lifestyle you can live. I lot of people don't realize it, but Utah is ranked #1 in the country for fitness, and outdoor lifestyle.
Ok.. sorry for the come to Utah speal.. just had to say it..
A little about myself. 3 years ago I woke up looked in the mirror and saw a 397 lbs 42 year old guy and didn't know how I had ever allowed myself to get there. I guess 10 years of travel with work, a house full of kids, and a happy marriage led to it, but hey it's now 13 years later, with a few kids now moved out, and the marriage is as happy as ever, but something has changed. Somewhere along the way I lost 227 pounds, dropped from a size 52 pants to a size 30, and have discovered the greatest lifestyle change on earth.. Running..
I won't bore you with all of the details but in April 2009 I reached a point where my body permitted me to begin doing actual running. I began a slow steady progression of intervals, to 5k, to 10k and then half's. I made my first trip to the trails in the early fall of 2009 at the Xterra Trails Championship and felt as though I was doing OK finishing 7th in my age group and being invited to the World Championship in Hawaii.. I couldn't turn that down so the wife and I made the trip across the pond and I ran the Xterra Worlds.
The Xterra Worlds turned out to be a great experience, both the beauty of Hawaii, and the new friends we made. The race itself was awesome, but around mile 4 I came upon a guy wearing the strangest looking "shoes" I had ever seen. I asked him what they were and he told me they were Vibram Five Fingers. I personally thought he was nuts, but as we ran together for the next 6-7 miles he did his best to convert me to them.. at the end of the race we departed ways and I kinda forgot about the guy with the strange shoes..
Between the Xterra Worlds and the holidays I began to experience some pretty serious knee and hip pain, I figured I'd cut back the distance, reduce my speed and it would pass. It didn't, so I started trying different shoes, looked at changing my stride, and searched the internet in hope of finding a way to eliminate it. What I quickly discovered was all I was doing was transferring the pain from one location to another on my body. Family members and friends did everything they could to convince me that my running had to stop, I would need hip and knee replacement before I was 50 if I didn't I was told.. but as a reformed obese man there was no way I was giving up the lifestyle, I'd push through it and be fine.
About this same time I was signed up to do a 10k in New Mexico.. I remember as I lined up there was another guy with those weird shoe things (Five Fingers). We raced hard and I finished well, but I had to know about those shoes. What are they, why run this way? I asked him, and he gave me the low down. He also told me I had to learn to run again, had to take "time" adjusting. He suggested a 1 mile per day 1st week, a 3 mile per day second, 5-6 the following. I went home ordered a pair of KSO's and two days later I began my conversion to the VFF's. I did precisely what was recommended to me.. but on week three I never looked back again to "normal running shoes"... My journey to BFR had begun, my pain in my joints now 10 months gone, my distance running has moved from 6 miles a day to 13-15, and my recovery time between races is barely needed.. Why..? All BFR's know
Now with many halves and full marathons behind me I take on the Ultra world this weekend for the first time. I can't wait. I'm sure like every race I run I will step to the line with a smile on the face while others gawk and wonder and ask about my guerrilla feet. I'll just offer a smile as I pass most of them along the way to the finish.
So that's my story. Have I run completely BFR? Yep.. finished the end of a marathon that way due to a "hot spot", and do speed work weekly barefooted. I'll take on a long run as soon as I feel I'm ready. but for now it's me and my Bakila's.
If you ever pass this way, email me I'll gladly join you on run.
Happy Trails..
Larry
Ok.. sorry for the come to Utah speal.. just had to say it..
A little about myself. 3 years ago I woke up looked in the mirror and saw a 397 lbs 42 year old guy and didn't know how I had ever allowed myself to get there. I guess 10 years of travel with work, a house full of kids, and a happy marriage led to it, but hey it's now 13 years later, with a few kids now moved out, and the marriage is as happy as ever, but something has changed. Somewhere along the way I lost 227 pounds, dropped from a size 52 pants to a size 30, and have discovered the greatest lifestyle change on earth.. Running..
I won't bore you with all of the details but in April 2009 I reached a point where my body permitted me to begin doing actual running. I began a slow steady progression of intervals, to 5k, to 10k and then half's. I made my first trip to the trails in the early fall of 2009 at the Xterra Trails Championship and felt as though I was doing OK finishing 7th in my age group and being invited to the World Championship in Hawaii.. I couldn't turn that down so the wife and I made the trip across the pond and I ran the Xterra Worlds.
The Xterra Worlds turned out to be a great experience, both the beauty of Hawaii, and the new friends we made. The race itself was awesome, but around mile 4 I came upon a guy wearing the strangest looking "shoes" I had ever seen. I asked him what they were and he told me they were Vibram Five Fingers. I personally thought he was nuts, but as we ran together for the next 6-7 miles he did his best to convert me to them.. at the end of the race we departed ways and I kinda forgot about the guy with the strange shoes..
Between the Xterra Worlds and the holidays I began to experience some pretty serious knee and hip pain, I figured I'd cut back the distance, reduce my speed and it would pass. It didn't, so I started trying different shoes, looked at changing my stride, and searched the internet in hope of finding a way to eliminate it. What I quickly discovered was all I was doing was transferring the pain from one location to another on my body. Family members and friends did everything they could to convince me that my running had to stop, I would need hip and knee replacement before I was 50 if I didn't I was told.. but as a reformed obese man there was no way I was giving up the lifestyle, I'd push through it and be fine.
About this same time I was signed up to do a 10k in New Mexico.. I remember as I lined up there was another guy with those weird shoe things (Five Fingers). We raced hard and I finished well, but I had to know about those shoes. What are they, why run this way? I asked him, and he gave me the low down. He also told me I had to learn to run again, had to take "time" adjusting. He suggested a 1 mile per day 1st week, a 3 mile per day second, 5-6 the following. I went home ordered a pair of KSO's and two days later I began my conversion to the VFF's. I did precisely what was recommended to me.. but on week three I never looked back again to "normal running shoes"... My journey to BFR had begun, my pain in my joints now 10 months gone, my distance running has moved from 6 miles a day to 13-15, and my recovery time between races is barely needed.. Why..? All BFR's know
Now with many halves and full marathons behind me I take on the Ultra world this weekend for the first time. I can't wait. I'm sure like every race I run I will step to the line with a smile on the face while others gawk and wonder and ask about my guerrilla feet. I'll just offer a smile as I pass most of them along the way to the finish.
So that's my story. Have I run completely BFR? Yep.. finished the end of a marathon that way due to a "hot spot", and do speed work weekly barefooted. I'll take on a long run as soon as I feel I'm ready. but for now it's me and my Bakila's.
If you ever pass this way, email me I'll gladly join you on run.
Happy Trails..
Larry
