The Barefoot Experiment

A quick cellphone snapshot from the trail. Throughout the recovery process for my posterior tibial tendinitis and associated challenges, I’ve been doing a great deal of physical therapy that targets all of the stabilizing muscles in the lower legs.  From rocker boards and wobble boards to stability pods, balance discs, foam rollers, resistance bands and a variety of balance exercises, I’ve been aggressively challenged with movements that have me on one foot, eyes closed, balancing precariously... (more...)

Found in the middle of the woods with no children for miles, was this sign instead telling me that running with bad form will make you slow? Or perhaps it was a reminder that, still recovering from injury, I should take today's run slow... No, this isn’t a 2,000 word essay on listening to your body, avoiding injury and running safe.  It’s just a picture of a silly little sign that I saw today on the drive through the woods to the trailhead. Normally I’d simply consider this... (more...)

Roderick with *gasp* a shoe! By now, if you’ve been following the postings on this blog, you’ve realized that barefoot running is more about the biomechanics of running barefoot than it is about running completely free of all footwear.  Sure, there are purists out there who swear by barefoot and barefoot only – skin to ground, and never shall the two be parted – but when it comes down to it, barefoot running is worth pursuing because of the modifications that it naturally makes to your stride,... (more...)

While traveling through Pittsburgh, PA on my way toward West Virginia, I decided to take a short detour to Fleet Feet Sports, a shoe store in Mt. Lebanon Upper Saint Clair, just south of the city proper.  Nationally, this franchise chain has nothing but the best reputation.  They claim to have expert staff that exhibit an attention to detail and the unique, personal needs of each customer.  To help accomplish their individualized recommendations, they conduct gait analysis in-store.  It’s this... (more...)

Maintaining a high-caliber and fairly consistent vegetarian diet for 16 years takes less work than one would think.  Yes, you need to think about your food, but we should all be doing that, regardless of your diet-of-choice.  It’s true that many people eliminate meat only to eat junk, and call themselves vegetarian.  I suppose they are, but I certainly wouldn’t nominate them to be in the club… Though there’s less work involved than many people think, there still persists... (more...)

Even the smallest of injuries can feel like it's brought your training to a permanent end. More often than not it's opportunity, not disability, that injuries offer. Running injuries affect more than just the body.  Be it a blister, sprain or open wound that merely forces a single run short, or a fracture that sends you to the sidelines for weeks or months, injuries take their toll on your psychological well-being every bit as much as your physical health. Four weeks into a delightfully... (more...)

Back in January I had the honor of attending comedian Eddie Izzard’s largest ever show, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  It was a stellar show filled with laughter (obviously) and some wonderfully cogent (surprising to some, but not to fans) reflections on life. After an evening of sheer joy and brilliance, one wasn’t expecting much more following the encore, but it was only then that the most inspiring piece of the entire show made its appearance. As everyone was filing out, upon... (more...)

The handy BlackBerry snapped this photo of SPROUT, organic baby food, at my local Wegman's grocery store. A sucker for simple and clean package design, my girlfriend and I found ourselves stopped in front of the baby food section at our local supermarket admiring an organic baby food product named SPROUT.  We picked up their Roasted Bananas & Brown Rice product, and as soon as I touched the package my brain instantly connected some dots.  Here’s what it sounded like in my head: Baby... (more...)

When undertaking a project with long-term goals in mind, it’s easy to lose sight of those goals as your time becomes consumed with the small steps and constant attention that the project requires on a daily basis.  It’s easy to get lost in the details and completely forget where it is you’re going.  Which is why I’ve decided to take a moment to stop, breath and assess how far I’ve come thus far, and where it is I aim to go. At the beginning of this project, as a complete non-runner, I... (more...)

When I first began running, I was lucky to plod through a mere 2 miles.  Those miles were slooooow, clocking in at an average 12:35/mile pace, with a skyrocketing heart rate of 172.  Yes.  It was that high.  I was running at what felt like my max, and it’s no wonder that I couldn’t cover more distance.  I could have slowed down, but let’s face it, anything slower would have been walking, not running (if you can call a 12:35 pace that!  Jogging, perhaps?) By contrast, my average run distance... (more...)