It appears as though fall may have finally arrived here in Tucson Arizona. It was around 55 degrees when I went out for my run this morning. There is nothing like coming home to a cozy home and a warm shower after a run in the cool outdoors, and there is nothing like experiencing fall after possibly one of Arizona's hottest summers yet.
Today I did not running in my vibrams although I am sporting them as I write this and eat breakfast. Tuesday, however, I went out for my four mile run and afterwards experimented with barefoot running! I only ran for about a minute then I sat down on a curb to wriggle my way into my vibs. As I was putting them on, a ma came along the trail with his two dogs whom I of course had to pet and make cooing noises with (luv the fluff!). He then, of course, asked me about my shoes! I was impressed with myself as I was able to explain to the somewhat skeptical man the philosophy behind Vibrams. "The idea is" I told him "that our feet have been cramped in shoes our whole lives and not been able to live up to full potential. When we use out regular running shoes we have so much added cushioning on the heel that we strike it harder and more frequently than we should thus causing knee and back problems. With toe shoes you are forced to use the muscles of your feet to land softly and not on your heel, therefore avoiding the painful heel striking." I'm not sure I converted him, but hey atleast I know why I'm trying to running in these funny things :-)
After talking with the pleasant fellow II only walked a little in my vibs around the park before heading home, my run wore me out. But poco a poco I'll get there :-)
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
The Vibram Experience
Today I am an official owner of those funky looking shoes with toes. It took some convincing, but after conversing with different people (especially my sis) that have taken the time to become acclimated to 'bare foot' running, they have convinced me that I will likely not want to return to my regular running shoes after having the Vibram Experience. :-) Thus, after spending about an hour at The Running Shop and agonizing over whether to get the bright orange and pink shoes or perhaps lace ups, I walked out with my very own light gray with green accent Vibrams. I have to say, after simply wearing them for a couple hours my feet love em! I can't wait to take them out for a nice long run!
Being aware that getting use to these shoes can be difficult, I decided to do a little research on how to best approach learning how to run in these new wiggleable shoes. On the vibram shoe website they actually have a guide on how to approach using these shoes. I have decided that attempt an exercise patience (something I am also exercising in my post college life) and follow their guide below:
A) First two weeks you do foot exercises they provide for you along with wearing your shoes 1 - 2 hours daily.
B) The third and fourth weeks I am to continue with the exercises and run only 10% of my regular runs (so about .50 miles) but no more than once every day
C) Week five through twelve I am to increase my distance gradually week by week (10% each week)
C) Finally after week thirteen they recommend experimenting with distance
So, I am reading this thinking "Well there goes my plan to be able to even run two miles with Ann when I see her in San Francisco in 3.5 weeks!" But we will see. Perhaps I will be crazy and do a little running before the plan dictates.
What I am liking most so far of this Vibram Experience is the emphasis on listening to your body. In their guidelines (which are found on the Vibram website under running) they repeatedly emphasis the importance of listening to you body saying "Please listen to your body every step of the process." I wonder, how many people actually sit back and really listen to their bodies?
Throughout my post high school life I have had a growing desire to become more conscious of my body and its needs, of listening to it. Am I hungry? If so, what does my body want to eat? Am I sleepy and need a nap? Or maybe I just need to get moving to wake up. These are common body mind negotiations I have on a regular basis. I have learned much over the past few years, but have not mastered it and still find it can be difficult to listen to, hear what my body is saying, and then act accordingly. Sometimes, even after I know what my body may need, I do not deliver. Thus I have decided to document my Vibram Experience as and exercise in the process of caring for and listening to my body while getting use to the crazy comfy and light shoes.
Vibram ends their guide to using the toe shoes with this:
"Love You Run. Listen To Your Body. Tread Lightly. Start With Your Feet."
So..to start....some feet exercises.
Being aware that getting use to these shoes can be difficult, I decided to do a little research on how to best approach learning how to run in these new wiggleable shoes. On the vibram shoe website they actually have a guide on how to approach using these shoes. I have decided that attempt an exercise patience (something I am also exercising in my post college life) and follow their guide below:
A) First two weeks you do foot exercises they provide for you along with wearing your shoes 1 - 2 hours daily.
B) The third and fourth weeks I am to continue with the exercises and run only 10% of my regular runs (so about .50 miles) but no more than once every day
C) Week five through twelve I am to increase my distance gradually week by week (10% each week)
C) Finally after week thirteen they recommend experimenting with distance
So, I am reading this thinking "Well there goes my plan to be able to even run two miles with Ann when I see her in San Francisco in 3.5 weeks!" But we will see. Perhaps I will be crazy and do a little running before the plan dictates.
What I am liking most so far of this Vibram Experience is the emphasis on listening to your body. In their guidelines (which are found on the Vibram website under running) they repeatedly emphasis the importance of listening to you body saying "Please listen to your body every step of the process." I wonder, how many people actually sit back and really listen to their bodies?
Throughout my post high school life I have had a growing desire to become more conscious of my body and its needs, of listening to it. Am I hungry? If so, what does my body want to eat? Am I sleepy and need a nap? Or maybe I just need to get moving to wake up. These are common body mind negotiations I have on a regular basis. I have learned much over the past few years, but have not mastered it and still find it can be difficult to listen to, hear what my body is saying, and then act accordingly. Sometimes, even after I know what my body may need, I do not deliver. Thus I have decided to document my Vibram Experience as and exercise in the process of caring for and listening to my body while getting use to the crazy comfy and light shoes.
Vibram ends their guide to using the toe shoes with this:
"Love You Run. Listen To Your Body. Tread Lightly. Start With Your Feet."
So..to start....some feet exercises.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Empty Space
Since I graduated from the University of Arizona this past May my life has changed quite a bit, and yet stayed the same. Today I find myself acutely aware of my position in life. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood. It is an uncomfortable, exciting & foreboding place of transition.
Now, instead of school and two jobs I simply have two jobs, the same two jobs I have held for the past 3 & 4 years. I'm not allowed to stay in these two jobs for much longer am I? After all, they are only temporary ;)
Increasingly, since graduating, I have been having a sense of panic or pressure to move on and up in the world. The voice in my head goes something like this; "Hope, you've graduated college and now it is time to leave these nothing jobs and do something else." Of course the voice is not quite so concise but that is the jist of it. The nagging question though is "What?" What do I do next?
These past months it has been with ease that I've been able to relax. Only work and after I can do whatever with my free time? Awesome. It is amazing how much you appreciate free time after being used to every bit of it being sucked away by work, school, or worrying about school. The luxury of easing back into a comfy chair and simply sitting with no urgent demands can be a mini utopia (It I were to re-write Alanis Morissette's song that would be in there!). Sudoku became an easy companion and after Sudoku I did the book reading thing. Now Netflix is my bud.
My routine lately has been work, come home to cozy up on our futon and watch my current favorite show (right now it is "Raising Hope"), with some occasional job hunting mixed in and cat feeding. I grab a beer, dinner or a snack and kick up my feet. The sensation of resting back and being off my feet & legs after standing all day is one of the most refreshing and glorious feelings. But today feels different. Today relaxation does not come as easy. Yes sitting back and having a beer is nice and I even managed to write a letter before caving and watching a tv show, but today my routine is starting to feel a little more like falling into a lifestyle of laziness & complacency rather than relaxation. My free time feels like a big empty space that needs to be filled with more than tv watching.
If anything this empty space,this time, is a loud reminder of myself. I feel the uncomfortable feeling I had all too often my first couple years of college. Wide open space and time to fill. What to fill it with? Should I clean now? Man, I really don't want to clean. I just want to sit and be mindless. Maybe I could I could...and I can't think of a thing to do. Then I launch into this conversation with myself;
"Hi me." I say "I'm feeling rather awkward & uncomfortable being here by myself. I don't know what I want to do." "What's new? You still the same 'ol Hope?"
Yes I do answer myself - (but please don't tell! ;))
Then I come to two little conclusions
1: Our culture tells us we have got to move up in life, make more money have the glamorous job in order to have the big house and be happy. I use to think that was a myth that our culture believed that, but I feel the burden oh so heavy on my shoulders.
2: Time alone with myself may be uncomfortable now and again when my mind is tired of being mindless- but it results in nifty difty little blog posts such as this ;-) Additionally, it helps me re-touch base with myself as life can whisk me away with all its happenings.
Now, instead of school and two jobs I simply have two jobs, the same two jobs I have held for the past 3 & 4 years. I'm not allowed to stay in these two jobs for much longer am I? After all, they are only temporary ;)
Increasingly, since graduating, I have been having a sense of panic or pressure to move on and up in the world. The voice in my head goes something like this; "Hope, you've graduated college and now it is time to leave these nothing jobs and do something else." Of course the voice is not quite so concise but that is the jist of it. The nagging question though is "What?" What do I do next?
These past months it has been with ease that I've been able to relax. Only work and after I can do whatever with my free time? Awesome. It is amazing how much you appreciate free time after being used to every bit of it being sucked away by work, school, or worrying about school. The luxury of easing back into a comfy chair and simply sitting with no urgent demands can be a mini utopia (It I were to re-write Alanis Morissette's song that would be in there!). Sudoku became an easy companion and after Sudoku I did the book reading thing. Now Netflix is my bud.
My routine lately has been work, come home to cozy up on our futon and watch my current favorite show (right now it is "Raising Hope"), with some occasional job hunting mixed in and cat feeding. I grab a beer, dinner or a snack and kick up my feet. The sensation of resting back and being off my feet & legs after standing all day is one of the most refreshing and glorious feelings. But today feels different. Today relaxation does not come as easy. Yes sitting back and having a beer is nice and I even managed to write a letter before caving and watching a tv show, but today my routine is starting to feel a little more like falling into a lifestyle of laziness & complacency rather than relaxation. My free time feels like a big empty space that needs to be filled with more than tv watching.
If anything this empty space,this time, is a loud reminder of myself. I feel the uncomfortable feeling I had all too often my first couple years of college. Wide open space and time to fill. What to fill it with? Should I clean now? Man, I really don't want to clean. I just want to sit and be mindless. Maybe I could I could...and I can't think of a thing to do. Then I launch into this conversation with myself;
"Hi me." I say "I'm feeling rather awkward & uncomfortable being here by myself. I don't know what I want to do." "What's new? You still the same 'ol Hope?"
Yes I do answer myself - (but please don't tell! ;))
Then I come to two little conclusions
1: Our culture tells us we have got to move up in life, make more money have the glamorous job in order to have the big house and be happy. I use to think that was a myth that our culture believed that, but I feel the burden oh so heavy on my shoulders.
2: Time alone with myself may be uncomfortable now and again when my mind is tired of being mindless- but it results in nifty difty little blog posts such as this ;-) Additionally, it helps me re-touch base with myself as life can whisk me away with all its happenings.
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