What are your "four best things?".....
- Thread starter chadisbarefoot
- Start date
In chronological order:
1. The biggie: Worked on upper-body posture. I used to swing my arms way out in front of me and and side to side, causing a twisting motion in my torso that resonated down through my hips, knees, right to my ankles/feet. That caused all kinds of problems and pains, over a number of decades. A running coach worked with me a while and got that sorted out and opened up a whole new world of running for me. To fix it, all he had me do was bang my elbows into his hands as he stood behind me (well, that's the simple version).
2. Started including barefoot sessions in my sessions. At first just a few hundred meters at the end of a workout (this was around 2005, inspired by discussions at the old Cool Runnings website). At the same time, got the F out of the "stability" shoe loop that I'd been caught up in since about 1978 and into "neutral" trail shoes (Inov-8s) because I:
3. Got off the roads and onto the trails. This was an important change because it added another three or four dimensions to my running, made it more of an holistic/whole-body experience.
4. Ditched the shoes altogether. This also encouraged me to finally get serious about the higher turnover/shorter stride techniques (which have been around for decades, btw).
The list could go on for a while and would definitely include strength training for quads and hips.
1. The biggie: Worked on upper-body posture. I used to swing my arms way out in front of me and and side to side, causing a twisting motion in my torso that resonated down through my hips, knees, right to my ankles/feet. That caused all kinds of problems and pains, over a number of decades. A running coach worked with me a while and got that sorted out and opened up a whole new world of running for me. To fix it, all he had me do was bang my elbows into his hands as he stood behind me (well, that's the simple version).
2. Started including barefoot sessions in my sessions. At first just a few hundred meters at the end of a workout (this was around 2005, inspired by discussions at the old Cool Runnings website). At the same time, got the F out of the "stability" shoe loop that I'd been caught up in since about 1978 and into "neutral" trail shoes (Inov-8s) because I:
3. Got off the roads and onto the trails. This was an important change because it added another three or four dimensions to my running, made it more of an holistic/whole-body experience.
4. Ditched the shoes altogether. This also encouraged me to finally get serious about the higher turnover/shorter stride techniques (which have been around for decades, btw).
The list could go on for a while and would definitely include strength training for quads and hips.
Yep, trails rock! In fact, I have to shod friends, one of whom trains mainly on trails, and the other who does not. One of them is about to run her first marathon in the June -the one who does not run on trails- and I will be interested in seeing if it makes a difference for her, either in speed/recovery/injury, etc.
1. Ditched my old shoes for VFFs (current favorites SeeYas & classics) and barefoot when it's warm enough.
2. Learned to relax everything
3. Stopped listening to music and instead started to listen to my body.
4. Got a dog who reminds me that running is about joyfulness, not penance.
2. Learned to relax everything
3. Stopped listening to music and instead started to listen to my body.
4. Got a dog who reminds me that running is about joyfulness, not penance.
oooooohhhh... I was so caught up in my own stuff, I forgot to mention the dog! She should really be #1 on my list!
1. Went from being a non runner to a barefoot runner.
2. Quit smoking cigarettes. I started running 7 years ago to help do this, and 2 years ago I finally succeeded.
3. Got a Garmin. When I bought a GPS I never imagined how beneficial it would be.
4. Started doing exercises other than running, mainly strength training.
2. Quit smoking cigarettes. I started running 7 years ago to help do this, and 2 years ago I finally succeeded.
3. Got a Garmin. When I bought a GPS I never imagined how beneficial it would be.
4. Started doing exercises other than running, mainly strength training.
1. Learned about barefoot running after a 5K in shoes left me with a heavy case of the shin splints
2. I've been trying to educate my family and friends about minimalist running/barefoot running (though my family still firmly believes you need heavily cushioned shoes), which has motivated me to do better.
3. Bought myself a pair of Vibrams, can't wait to ditch shoes once the snow melts!
4. Got a referral on Tuesday for wearing Vibrams to P.E., defying the shoe policy I never knew about. I went the extra mile 3 times yesterday and managed to run 6 miles, far surpassing my farthest run of 3.5.
I suppose events in life can really motivate you to work harder.
2. I've been trying to educate my family and friends about minimalist running/barefoot running (though my family still firmly believes you need heavily cushioned shoes), which has motivated me to do better.
3. Bought myself a pair of Vibrams, can't wait to ditch shoes once the snow melts!
4. Got a referral on Tuesday for wearing Vibrams to P.E., defying the shoe policy I never knew about. I went the extra mile 3 times yesterday and managed to run 6 miles, far surpassing my farthest run of 3.5.
I suppose events in life can really motivate you to work harder.
1) Ran alot
2) Discovered pretty trails where so long as I get out there by 4am they are pretty much just me, the coyotes and the bobcats and no peoples (being alone is a rare thing in SoCal).
3) Got lost a bunch of times and got forced to run further than I really thought I could
4) Made those distances my new normals
xRepeat as necessary.
2) Discovered pretty trails where so long as I get out there by 4am they are pretty much just me, the coyotes and the bobcats and no peoples (being alone is a rare thing in SoCal).
3) Got lost a bunch of times and got forced to run further than I really thought I could
4) Made those distances my new normals
xRepeat as necessary.
1) Ditched shoes.
2) Found good minimalist shoes for summer and for winter.
3) Started running on trails.
4) Bought garmin forerunner.
I needed one summer of barefooting for good technique, but I prefer minimalist shoes since there's long winter and on trails it's just more enjoyable with little protection. It took quite a lot of trial and error to find good shoes, about twenty different pairs of not so good minimalist shoes, but it was worth an effort. Trails and garmin are great for motivation. Numbers five and six would be running to work and reading motivational running literature, like born to run, Karnazes' books etc. And number seven would probably be starting orienteering..
2) Found good minimalist shoes for summer and for winter.
3) Started running on trails.
4) Bought garmin forerunner.
I needed one summer of barefooting for good technique, but I prefer minimalist shoes since there's long winter and on trails it's just more enjoyable with little protection. It took quite a lot of trial and error to find good shoes, about twenty different pairs of not so good minimalist shoes, but it was worth an effort. Trails and garmin are great for motivation. Numbers five and six would be running to work and reading motivational running literature, like born to run, Karnazes' books etc. And number seven would probably be starting orienteering..
1. acupuncture for PF, it took a looong time to figure this out
2. foam roller, foam roller, foam roller
3. patience
4. coming back to the BRS for support even when I was discouraged
To the BF guy I passed running in Balboa Park this morning - yeah!
2. foam roller, foam roller, foam roller
3. patience
4. coming back to the BRS for support even when I was discouraged
To the BF guy I passed running in Balboa Park this morning - yeah!
Hey, I just heard about acupuncture for PF last night from a friend of mine. Do you know what the specific idea behind how it works, is? Also, I have a foam roller, and I love it too. But...I was recently introduced to a hard PVC pipe that is MUCH more effective for certain muscles, like the glutes and hamstrings. Takes about a quarter of the time to roll them out with it.
Hey Jen,
I also use a piece of PVC pipe too and it is effective. The acupuncturist said that things like a weak adrenal system will further exacerbate the existing problem of irritated tissue, so he sticks needles in me for both the systemic issues and the specific points, but I have to say that he doesn't target needles where it hurts but at areas on my legs that cause the PF to hurt. I'd be making it up if I said I understood more, but after almost 18 months of trying EVERYTHING and wondering why I still couldn't run, I'm finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. TJ, maybe you can conjure up the Sock Doc for his opinion on this?
I also use a piece of PVC pipe too and it is effective. The acupuncturist said that things like a weak adrenal system will further exacerbate the existing problem of irritated tissue, so he sticks needles in me for both the systemic issues and the specific points, but I have to say that he doesn't target needles where it hurts but at areas on my legs that cause the PF to hurt. I'd be making it up if I said I understood more, but after almost 18 months of trying EVERYTHING and wondering why I still couldn't run, I'm finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. TJ, maybe you can conjure up the Sock Doc for his opinion on this?
1) reading - finding out why I was injured, rather than just fixing the symptoms, switching to minimalist running as a result
2) reading - The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing - learning that I can apply HR based training to running as well as the bike
3) Running more - simple, but the more you do something the better you become at doing that thing
4) Learnt to enjoy running for it's own sake, where previously it had been a chore to be done to maintain fitness while away from home.
2) reading - The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing - learning that I can apply HR based training to running as well as the bike
3) Running more - simple, but the more you do something the better you become at doing that thing
4) Learnt to enjoy running for it's own sake, where previously it had been a chore to be done to maintain fitness while away from home.
