paulmignard

Ok, I’m not wanting to bore anyone (of my 3 readers including my Mom (Hi Mom!)) with too much more talk of the Vibram FiveFinger KSO’s so until I really do something spectacular or buy a new pair so this should be the last post on the topic for a little while…

So onto the burning question; How are they for running? Well, frankly, pretty awesome! I was pretty skeptical if I’d even be able to run at all in them at first. From what I’ve been reading some people can hop right into them and go crazy while some people can take months before they fully adjust to them. Fortunetley, I’ve got a couple things going for me – first, I’ve only gone on one run so I can make a conjecture and not suffer any consequences and second…I don’t remember what the second thing was. Moving right along…yesterday I slipped on my VFF’s (which are still really fun to put on. I know – it’s hard to describe but it’s just cool to put some gloves on your feet) and I headed on out the door to run…here’s what I think about running around the neighborhood in ninja shoes that look like they were made by Eddie Bauer…

1.) I am much more mindful of how I run with these shoes on than any others. It’s not that I couldn’t think about my form in other shoes but I just don’t have to. In my big pillowy running shoes I can plod along without much thought to anything and I really don’t feel pain until much later in the run – and by then the way to resolve it is to just push through until the run is over. The pain usually goes away until I run again and I’m just nervous that I would have eventually reached a spot where it just wouldn’t have gone away. Since I’m now running in shoes with no support at all I am forced to be mindful of how I’m actually getting around because it’s hurts right away if I’m doing it wrong. No heel strikes, no stepping on big pointy rocks, no jolting or bouncing – just smooth, meaningful steps. Most of all, if I feel pain I stop (but haven’t yet.)

2.) My calves are getting such a ridiculous workout. I’m expecting by the end of summer to have calves that look like they were carved out of granite and then sharpened to a dangerous point. Seriously, right now they feel like they are ready to explode and pour lactic acid and unicorn dust all over the carpet. I know that’s caused from my striking on the front part of my foot now and not the heel but it does make me wonder, is that what’s absorbing the impact from my back and knees? I don’t know, I do know that my calves are really the only muscle group that is sore today from running yesterday. Of course I did blitz them last week with the stair run…

3.) Hot spots – yeah, I was getting them on the soles of my feet. This would probably be the one benefit of buying these shoes in store with someone who could tell you how they are suppossed to fit. I’m not sure if mine are too big but I do know that ill fitting shoes seem to cause blisters for me and since I also know how to add one plus one I was able to put the two together. Also, the pavement was freakishly hot so that may have had something to do with it as well. One cool thing I found was that it was no problem to run through puddles. My feet dried so quickly each time and it was kinda fun to hit a puddle like one of my sons would have!

4.) Again with the speed, I feel faster. I’m kinda excited to the get the nike+ hooked up so I can start tracking how fast this whole process is going. I may still look like a gypsy packed mule waddling down the side of the road but I certainly didn’t feel that way.

So overall, I’m still pretty excited about changing the way I run. I like not having socks, I like trying something new, but most of all, I just like that I’m running again. If anything these shoes have made running more interactive and engaging than just the “grinding through the miles” kind of routine that I’ve been on the last few years. I don’t know if they are the magic bullet to all running problems yet but the science makes sense and I’m enjoying easing my way into the community. These shoes (and style of running) continue to be a lot of fun and I can’t wait to go out tomorrow on another run.

That’s it for now! I’m waiving bye to you with my freakishly fingered shoes!

Read Part 1 here.
Read Part 2 here.