Barefoot Running Step by Step

Earlier this week I attended a meeting of the OC Triathlon Club which featured guest speakers Ken Bob Saxton and Roy Wallack. During the presentation, Ken had all of us take off our shoes and socks and run several times around the building. On the hard surface with no shoes, my body automatically adjusted my posture, gait and cadence using feedback from my bare soles. "Wow!", I thought. "I know my mechanics are not perfect, but if this is how your body is designed to run, then I have been doing it all wrong. Not even close!".

After the presentation I bought the book, which has cool autographs and ink-pad footprints by both authors inside the front cover. Although I may never become an exclusively barefoot runner, I am certainly going to run barefoot until I master the technique. After I learn the proper form, it won't matter whether I do it barefoot or in shoes. I'm excited about the possibilities, because I really miss running and this is something that may allow me to run without being injured all the time.

From the back cover:

LEARN BAREFOOT RUNNING FROM THE MASTER!

Almost overnight, barefoot running has exploded onto the fitness scene. However, it involves more than simply taking off your shoes. In fact, everything you've learned about barefoot running is probably wrong - unless you've learned it from Barefoot Ken Bob Saxton. The leading instructor and proponent of unshod running, he has completed seventy-six marathons barefoot, survived an astounding marathon-a-month challenge in 2004, and gone on to top that with sixteen marathons in 2006, including four in a fifteen-day period - all barefoot.

Barefoot Running Step by Step separates the facts from the hype, outlines Ken Bob's personal techniques, and details the latest research on the newest trend in mankind's oldest sport. Whether you run barefoot occasionally, part-time, or full-time, you'll find methods for improving your form, staying injury-free, dramatically improving your speed and performance, and having more fun.

THE BENT KNEE: The hidden secret to perfect running form. how this crucial adjustment will keep you running stronger and injury-free for life.

VIBRAMS AND MINIMALIST SHOES: Barefoot running is not a transition from shoes to minimalist shoes to bare feet. It's the other way around. Why you need to run barefoot before you use other footwear.

START FROM THE HEAD: Proper barefoot form doesn't start at the feet. Discover how to get the correct body biomechanics.

EASE INTO IT: The steps you need to make the transition from running in shoes to barefoot running as painless and easy as possible.

IMPROVE SPEED: Barefoot running's injury-reduction benefits are well-touted; however a new landmark study proves that barefooting - even part-time - can make you faster.

Barefoot Running Step by Step is filled with series photos and illustrations that show you the "do's" and "dont's" of barefoot running, the latest research, and Ken Bob Saxton's personal experiences and insights for running barefoot for life.

Finally! Hydration Explained!

Just saw this for the first time, thought it was humorous. 

Specialized Stumpjumper FSR 29, Maple Springs, Main Divide, Silverado Motorway

This was my third ride on the same course with rented demo bikes. You can read about the first two rides here and here. Today's ride was a Stumpjumper FSR 29, propedal rear shock, but no "brain". The first thing you notice about this bike is that the bars are very wide and the front tire is really out there. It feels like a very big bike. Here is a picture about halfway up Maple Springs Road.

 With this bike, I had pedal bob all the way, and could not get rid of it. Both settings on the rear shock seemed to produce the same results. I hope there was something wrong with it - in other words, I hope it's not supposed to act like that! It felt like more work to climb the mountain than either of the other demo bikes, but I finally made it to the top.

At the junction with Main Divide Road, I lowered the seat and flipped both shocks to the active position in anticipation of some fast descending. The Stumpjumper FSR had five inches of travel front and rear, and it simply ate the big ruts that gave me trouble on the hardtail last week. So far, so good! Overall, I was descending a little faster today, partly due to the bike, and partly due to the practice I've been getting the last three weeks. On relatively smooth fire road, it screamed downhill. I could learn to love this!

At the junction of Main Divide and Silverado (above), and at the wind sock on Bedford Peak (below)

 From here on out it is all downhill, very steep with lots of loose rocks. The Silverado Motorway drops around two thousand feet in less than three miles. The trail is very narrow and there are steep drop-offs right next to the trail. It was on this part of the ride that I started to dislike the handling characteristics this bike, and started to love the brakes. The bike seemed to "wallow" at times and generally act in an unpredictable manner. I even crashed once (into a bush, not over the side). I don't know why - I hope it's because someone before me thrashed something or other on the bike. Other times it seemed to behave and worked rather well. In places with lots of rocks, the fork would sometimes compress too much, resisting my forward motion to the point of almost stopping. This could have been due to my lack of skill, or from going to slow, but I don't remember it happening with either of the other bikes I tested.

Bottom line: For the type of rider I am, and the type of riding I do, thumbs down. It did not climb as well as either of the Niners I tested, nor did it handle well on Silverado. The places where it did shine were a relatively small portion of the entire ride. Ride details are below.

Happy New Year!

Niner Air 9 Carbon, Maple Springs/Silverado Motorway

Last Saturday I test rode the full suspension Niner R.I.P. 9. Today I rode the Niner Air 9 Carbon on exactly the same course. There was a long, steady climb and a series of steep uphill and downhill on rough fireroad.

The ride finished off with a 2000 ft. descent (in 3 miles) on pretty technical singletrack. Below is the elevation profile. The total cumulative elevation gain was 4,068 ft. Distance was 16.4 miles.

The Air 9 is a hardtail with carbon fiber frame. As far as I'm concerned, this is the most beautiful mountain bike out there. And it's so light, it feels almost like a road bike! This thing climbed like a dream. It had Sram's XX carbon crank with 2 chainrings instead of 3. Even though this setup was not geared as low as the triple on the R.I.P 9, I really didn't miss the lower gear.

On really steep sections, the R.I.P. 9 front wheel wanted to come off the ground, and when I leaned forward to counter this, the rear wheel would slip. So I ended up walking the bike 5 times, about 30-40 yards each time. With the Air 9 Carbon, I didn't have to walk anywhere. The nimble handling of the Air 9 helped, but I only had to lean forward to keep the front wheel down.

For the second week in a row, I met my trail running friend Lauren coming down Maple Springs as I was going up. It was great to see her again! She and Jeremy were returning from Modjeska Peak.

Soon I came to the Main Divide Road, with it's rough fireroad surface and roller coaster terrain.

Some of the love I developed for the Air 9 Carbon on the 7 mile climb up Maple Springs began to fade on the Main Divide. The bike felt cramped compared to the R.I.P. 9, and the rear wheel bounced a lot more on the rocks, resulting in more skidding. At one point I had to step off the bike to keep from crashing. And at high speed on smooth sections, it felt less stable than the R.I.P. 9. It was here that I also noticed how the extra shaking was affecting my body, requiring a little more muscle tension to keep things under control.

 At the junction of Main Divide and Silverado Motorway.

At Bedford Peak, below the (obviously disintegrated) wind sock.

Th

The start of the Silverado Motorway singletrack.

One of the many drop-offs at the edge of the trail (see the buildings down there?) This looked a lot scarier in real life, but I hope you get the idea.

While rolling over the mound of a small landslide, you must avoid this gully that partially eats into the trail. For reference, the Sycamore you are looking down upon (with orange leaves) is a HUGE tree. On this part of the ride, I was glad that both Niners had wide handlebars combined with excellent handling characteristics.

As I'm writing, 12 hours have passed and I feel like I had a hard ride today. I can feel it most in my arms, shoulders, and back. Last week's ride on the R.I.P. 9 (same course) left me in much better shape - I didn't feel beat up at all. So after trying both bikes, which one do I like best? Right now I'm leaning toward the full suspension R.I.P. 9. If you're interested in either bike, check back in a few weeks to see which one I bought.

Niner R.I.P. 9, Maple Springs to Silverado Motorway

Thinking about a new mountain bike, so I rented a demo and went for a ride. It was a Niner R.I.P. 9, which stands for Roll In Peace. It was my first ride on a full suspension bike, so I wanted to do something challenging. I thought all the state parks would be closed due to the rain we had Thursday night, so I headed for the Cleveland National Forest. The trails there don't close when it rains, but there's little to do except climb, climb, climb. Although I've been putting some major miles on my road bike lately (124 miles last week, 178 miles the week before), I was definitely challenged by the unrelenting steep climbing offered by Maple Springs Road. This picture was taken about half way up to the Main Divide. 

This bike has hydraulic disk brakes, full suspension and 29 inch wheels (my current bike has none of those things). The brakes and suspension were of little benefit on the climb, but the big wheels made a difference - they roll over rocks and ruts instead of running into them.

About a mile from Main Divide, I met my friend Lauren running down from Modjeska Peak. She said there was ice and snow up there. We chatted a while, took some pictures, and then continued on our ways.

Here is Lauren posing with my bike. At the Main Divide I met another rider coming up Harding, and he took this picture of me by the gate. Don't I look like a roadie?

Check out the rainbow in the background. I could see rain showers in the distance, but managed to avoid them. The Main Divide Road is steep up and steep down, complete with ruts, rock outcroppings, and loose gravel. In other words, a nice test for the disk brakes and full suspension. Well, the disk brakes were great, because I found myself descending like a little old lady. Been away from this for too long, I guess.

This is the top of the Silverado Motorway, a rocky, narrow singletrack that drops 2,000 ft. in 3 miles. There are steep drop-offs right next to the trail, so you don't want to make any mistakes on this descent. I made it down the switchbacks, past the several landslides and washouts without any serious mishaps. It was pretty scary at times, what with the loose rocks and the skidding, but lots of fun, too. A confession: I've been up and down this trail on foot, but had never descended it on a bike before today. I hate to admit it, but I was too scared to go down it on my 20 year old steel hardtail. I had the confidence to do it on this bike.


To summarize, the bike was awesome! A little heavy, though, which I noticed on the climb. And I'm not sure if I actually got much benefit from the full suspension because of my slow speed while descending. On the other hand, I didn't feel too beat up afterward. That could be due to the full suspension. I think I'll try the same ride with a lightweight hardtail next time.

Here is an elevation profile of the ride. The total cumulative elevation gain was 4,068 ft. Distance was 16.4 miles.

Measurement

Why do I try to run fast walk fast bike fast?
Pedal and run keeping a certain speed and cadence,
Even on a hill or into the wind.
Why measure my speed and cadence and distance anyway?

When I read something I just read.
I dont have a meter telling me how many words per minute,
Or insist on keeping the same speed through a tough section
Of a book or even record how much I read that day.

When I chew I just chew and I slow down if the food is tough.
And if I see someone chewing faster than me,
I don’t race to catch up or even care.
I just go through the motions without thinking.
Like an animal.

Their motions are powerful, efficient, even graceful.
Animals don’t seem to suffer from overtraining.
They don’t get overuse injuries or stress fractures.

I had a hamster once and he liked to run on his wheel.
He didn’t warm up or do tempo runs or intervals.
He always ran the same way and at the same speed.
That was his speed.

I'm going to find my speed.
Then not measure it.

Short Run, Short Post, Short Comment

Ran 2.5 miles without stopping.