Thursday, April 12, 2012

Story Time Part III

Inertia has set in. A cold streak, high winds (13 mph steady, gusts at 20), and a head cold. It's no good boy.

Oh well.

There's always other adventures to be had, deeds to be done (aka getting a real job). On the bright side, there is Freddie King..



and the third and final part of a piece on what it's like to run in Vibram Fivefingers for the first time. Enjoy. (Part I is here and Part II is here)





As I feel my muscles transition into the unique mix of tired and warmed up, I begin to notice things about the track that I have been running for the past several years. For instance, I could feel the difference between the rough, but solid asphalt road as compared to the soft spikiness of the narrow gravel shoulder. This sensation is one that was totally lost on me with my old shoes.

I tap the tree at the corner with my palm and turn around immediately. Only a mile and a half to go. Coasting back to the hill that formerly was a pain to go up, I stretch out a little bit taking advantage of the steep downhill. Hitting the bottom in no time, I switched my breathing pattern and prepared for the most harshest part of the run. Angling around a curve in the road, I begin to feel the road incline beneath my feet. Again, my calves begin screaming at me.

At this point I am moving slower than I like to be, the internal timer I have set for this route tells me that I am off by a lot, but this is okay. As I sprint out my finish, I feel good. Not tired, not too sore, just good. After a few stretches and a brief cool down walk, the shoes are off, and I am headed for a drink and a shower. I had no way of knowing at the time, but the shoes and the form would stick. I got over the calf soreness after a couple of weeks, and have never felt better about my running. At least for now, I am sold on the trend, and if you see me out for a run, chances are it will be without shoes.


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