Member Profile of the Week
Krista "Zapmamak"Cavender
Zen Runner
Zapmamak, a.k.a. Zap on our forums, is legally known as Krista Cavender, a 40 year-old native, or nearly native, Californian. She presently lives in Rocklin, California, having grown up previously in Carmichael, California. After living for 12 years in the Bay Area, she returned to Rocklin to be nearer to extended family while raising her own. She attended San Jose State University, and at some point, jumped the pond where she studied art for about 9 months at Sheffield Hallan University in Sheffield, England. [Beer enters the picture as a major character here, but we’ll save that bit for later.] She has a Bachelor degree of Fine Arts in Photography with a minor in Business and Administration, putting her creative and organizational skills to use as a graphic designer, and lucky for us, occasional contributor to the BRS.
Her immediate family includes her “crazy” and somewhat accident-prone MTBer husband of ten years, Patrick, and their two sons Mason (6) and Finn (3). Also in the Cavencavener home are the family dogs: Frisbee Girl, a Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix with the new nickname of “Snakebite” due to a recent encounter with a rattlesnake; and Spunky, a Terrier/Corgi mix also lately called Punk because apparently he’s a crabby old man.
Krista’s running history spans 28 years, off and on, and while she did previously belong to the Folsom Trail Runners, a nighttime, shod, trail-running group, she has had to give them up in order to maintain her transition to barefoot running. As she says, “Not sure running barefoot on trails at night with a headlamp is too brilliant of an idea right now.” Good point. In fact, this is an example of Krista’s dedication to the transition, and she gives a detailed explanation of what brought her to the transition to barefoot and minimalist running:
“Being a runner all my life has taken its toll on my knees and feet. I’ve had issues with Chondromalacia patella, Morton’s Neuroma, Plantar Fasciitis, and over-pronation. I was even diagnosed with (according to my parents) some sort of nebulous tendon issue as a kid called Elastosis (which I have not been able to find much information about). I’m convinced that running competitively on the X-Country and Track team when I was younger and not knowing good form gave me some of the issues I deal with today. I want to continue to be healthy, active, and have a positive outlook on life as I grow older(I admit I’m no spring chicken any more!) and am hoping that this form of running will allow me to keep running even when I’m old and crabby. Well, actually my theory is: Maybe if I run, I won’t be a crabby old lady.
I try not to run minimalist if I don’t have to. I purchased my first pair of VFFs and modified them recently (for my webbed toes) so I can do some trail runs and for wet weather. Since I’m still transitioning to barefoot right now, I’m also splitting my longer runs about 60/40 (60% barefoot and 40% VFFs). My goal is ultimately to be able to run 100% barefoot unless the terrain or weather requires VFFs. I’m slowly getting there. I feel like my form is much stronger barefoot than it is in VFFs. The realization to go this route (completely barefoot/minimalist) was a hard pill to swallow. I thought I could split my normal shod runs with barefooting, but it just wasn’t working for me. The help and advice I’ve received from BRS and other individuals online gave me the confidence to dump my shoes and go 100% barefoot with minimalist thrown in. I’m so glad I did this. Once I became more aware of my form while barefooting, I just couldn’t transfer that knowledge in my shoes. The feedback and sensation was completely cut off, and I had no way to know if I was running correctly or not. I was much more aware of subtle pains and discomforts while wearing shoes, which drove me nuts.”
As far as why she runs, Krista further says: “It’s just my thing; has been all my life. I t’s also my form of meditation and my break from the monotony of every day. The repetitive nature and rhythm also opens me up creatively. I often find myself “concepting” for my next creative project in my head on my runs (sometimes its one of my paintings, a client logo, or a website). I free myself creatively when I run. My muses drop in and stay the distance while I’m running, which really isn’t the most convenient timing (I can’t exactly stop and paint while I’m running.), but I’ll take that over a creative block any day. Now, if I only had time to actually DO all the creative stuff I envision…”
Krista shares that she has a couple more a.k.a.s: first, her high-school cross-country running mates nicknamed her “Johnny” for her frequent need to pee on weekend long runs; and in a complete flip, her friends now call her “camel” for her enviable ability to run 8 miles without a sip of water or the need to find cover on the trail. Her favorite distance of 6 miles, however, is one more of necessity, as it the longest run she can fit in before having to care for her youngest when he gets out of preschool. Her favorite race is the Eppie’s Great Race run in July 2010 because it was her first triathlon and included cycling and another of her favorite activities, Kayaking (in lieu of swimming) as one of the legs of the race. In keeping with her open spirit, the variety is what appeals to her. Next on the horizon: a hopeful first 5k barefoot race sometime in the Spring of next year, although she adds, “I have never had the urge to run a marathon, but now that I’m running barefoot, I’m rethinking that. Not that I will do it (that’s quite a bite to chew right now), but my motto has always been “Never say Never.” So, you just never know… oops… I said it!”
Krista takes a different view on PRs, explaining that while she surely had lots of personal records when young, she doesn’t keep track any longer. “I’m more of a ‘Zen’ runner. I will check out my pace and distance, but I let my body tell me where I am and whether I can push it to the next level. Running for me is not about beating my personal records; it's more about maintaining my mental sanity.”
Krista’s interests are an excellent example of the variety she seeks, as she enjoys painting, flat water kayaking, skiing, camping, watching roller derby (really, why not a participant?), beer, happy hour with my girlfriends, henna and mehndi body art.
And the beer.....As mentioned above, Krista attended college in England and apparently split her time between the classroom and the pub and consequently developed a love for beer. She admits that now, after racing the brutal Blood, Sweat, and Beer’s Race in Auburn, California, back in August of this year, she will only race for it (she further admits it was a shod run because she’s not that Crazy. Yet?) Krista says, “I decided the beer tasted so good after a long brutal trail run that I now only register for races that offer a tall pint of brew at the finish line.”
In closing, Krista’s other new personal adventure involves starting a blog, which blends her barefoot experience with her life overall. “I decided to start a blog to document my journey in order to gain perspective on how I’m doing. It’s a way for me to take a step back and see whether it’s working for me and what my obstacles and achievements are. It’s also a way for me to connect with others on a similar path. The journey so far has been much more than I anticipated. I’ve experienced some pain, some tears, and some very important discoveries about myself as a runner and as a person in just the first few weeks of my transition. Barefoot running has re-ignited running as my passion…my Fi-yah! You can find my blog athttp://nakedonsharppointystuff.blogspot.com/.”
Krista Cavender and friend at Eppies Race
Krista Cavender and Frisbee
Krista Cavender kayaking in Hawaii
