training
Vibram Five Fingers Komodo First Look, Simplifying for Charity, and Training News
Vibram Five Fingers Very Premature Review
Yes, yes, I know I vowed to abandon Vibram awhile ago. I just couldn’t resist the urge to try out their new Komodos. They look pretty cool, which was one of the reasons I was tempted. The color scheme matches my school’s colors, so I plan to wear these to work on occasion. Gotta have school spirit!
Anyway, here are some very preliminary thoughts:
I think these Read More...
Overcoming Winter Laziness: The Nine Day Trifecta Plunge
Winter sucks. Nothing saps my motivation like the combination of cold and darkness. I should be rigorously training for Western States. Instead, I have been lazily lounging around inventing excuses to avoid physical activity. Over the last two weeks I’ve run a total of seven miles. Since that training volume won’t help me get to the finish line in Auburn, I decided to do something radical to jump-start my motivation.
Enter The Nine Day Trifecta Plunge. Read More...
6 Lessons Learned From a Hard Run in the Snow
Jesse Scott and I decided to take advantage of our holiday break and get in one more long training run. Being slightly stupid, we decided it would be a good idea to do a long out-and-back completely unsupported on an unknown trail in questionable conditions. It sounded perfectly logical in the planning phase!
For those that don’t like wordy explanations, here’s a shortened version:
Trail was hard, we hurt a lot. We made it about 30 Read More...
Bad Run… Was it Inadequate Recovery, The Paleo Diet, or Heat/ Dehydration?
I went for a 9-plus mile run this morning with Jesse Scott (who’s new blog includes his tear-inducing inspirational story about his journey to becoming a runner… check it out and become a follower of his!). The run was supposed to be my last fast trail run before Burning River. My goal was to run at a sub-8:00 minute pace and hope to break 7:30. We ended up with an 8:11 pace.
The first two miles felt great! According Read More...
Barefoot Running on Crushed Limestone
There are many surfaces runners traverse while pursuing their adventures. To the shod runner, most surfaces are “runnable.” There’s little difference between asphalt, dirt trails, gravel, or crushed limestone. The barefoot runner has an decidedly different experience.
Many surfaces present unique challenges. Here are a few:
Asphalt: This surface can be abrasive if form is poor, blisters are common. It can also get hot if exposed to direct sunlight.
Gravel: The size and frequency of larger rocks can dramatically influence the gravel experience. Read More...
The Long Run Pics
Preparing the gear for the unsuppported run.
Taking a water break. Pictured from left to right: Mark Robillard, James Webber, Jesse Scott, and Jeremiah Cataldo.
Jesse’s open wound from his Camel Bak
Very long training runs… a chance to experiment and test gear
I’m about three hours from embarking on what may be the second longest run of my life. Mark Robillard, Jesse Scott, Jeremiah Cataldo, and I are planning on running the length of the Kal-Haven trail in Southwest Michigan. If everything goes according to plan, the run should be about 67-68 miles. It’s a run that defies conventional wisdom… but is should be a fun adventure.
This long run will give me the opportunity to test some ideas I’ve been playing with Read More...
Tapering for the Seaway 15K, a Barefoot Running Book Giveaway, and The Barefoot Running Book pdf
Tapering
Today is my official taper day for the Muskegon Chronicle Seaway 15K, a local road race here in West Michigan. This is not a goal race, hence the one day taper.
As much as I would like to set a PR at the race, it is unlikely. I believe my best time was 1:03:50 in 2008. My goal for tomorrow will be to finish under 1:07. We’ll see how it goes.
Since this is not a goal race, the taper Read More...
