BACK FROM BEANTOWN

"Without ice cream there would be darkness and chaos."
Don Kardong


I'm writing this as I'm winging my way at 35,000 feet back from Boston. Had a great trip visiting my family and wearing my grandson out trying to prove to him who had more energy and endurance. Of course, he has the advantage of a mid-day nap, a somewhat perfectly balanced diet, 10 hours of sleep at night, and a whole array of these cool nutritious snack things. I, on the other hand, am lucky to get 6 hours sleep at night (self-induced by my attraction to reading, TV, and computer technology at night, and getting up basically at 4;30 every morning), a poorly balanced diet heavily tilted towards carbohydrates in the form of pasta, and having a history of 64 years of life behind me. I think I kept up pretty good, though I did have moments of mental thoughts of "Good Grief, slow down". I did try to put a dent into his diet thing though with a trip to the Italian Ice Cream store. You know what? We both sure enjoyed vanilla ice cream mixed with peanut butter (hey, carbohydrates, fat, AND protein - perfect!!)

Another total joy was doing the Inaugural Boston Athletic Association 10k with my son, Michael. We did a half marathon a couple of years ago and had a blast. This one was just as blastful. Because we knew we weren't going to "race" and also because of an ill-timed per-race porta-john visit, we began in the very back of the pack...I mean THE VERY BACK! The race began in three waves, each about 4 minutes apart (still haven't really figured out why - there were only 3000 in the race) and we were so far back, we heard the volunteers basically saying "Ok,that's it" as we crossed the starting line. I don't want to give a "race report" because those are usually pretty boring, but let it be said that the second half of the race is basically the last 3 miles of the Boston Marathon course. For those of you who know me, this is like sacred ground to me. And because my endurance is several levels below marathon condition these days, when we went under the Citgo Sign (one mile to go) I was able to very accurately relive those wonderful late marathon feelings after only 5 miles of running instead of 25! In other words, I generally felt like crap! Finishing time was not important (that's what you say when your time is a little foreign to times of past races...ok, it was 1:03), but we had such a grand time laughing and talking most of the way that it was a perfect run. After the race, we got the obligatory Gatorade and bagel, found a patch of grass in the Public Garden and rehashed the race, wondering how we got hammered by the Kenyans. Actually, I had the leader in my sites at 5 miles - of course he was on the other side of the street and I was only at 2+ miles but I'm sure he felt me pushing him! Michael & I decided next year we would skip the running and just come get the Gatorade and bagel and come sit in the grass.

One of the funniest moments of the race was just as we passed 4 miles. Now, most of you know how I feel about this minimalist shoe craze going on. Not crazy about the way it's buffaloed it's way into the running scene, but that's fodder for a future RWA. Anyway, here we are, just flying past spectators like they're standing still, when we catch up to this guy CARRYING his Vibram Five Finger shoes and running completely barefoot. So, I saddleup next to this guy and said "I have to ask you...does completely barefoot actually feel better than the Vibrams or...well...what the heck's going on?". So he says "I just LOVE (his inflection, not mine) these shoes, but I haven't run many long runs in them and I got a bad blister on my little toe, so I took them off". Long runs? We're at mile 4! How long a run is long? OK, I wondered how bad must his feet feel wearing the Vibrams that the best option is actually running barefoot in the streets of Boston. I told him to cut the toes of the shoes off and maybe it'll feel better. Hey, maybe real shoes would feel better. Just a thought. As I say, give me the technology, and some rubber between me and the Mother Road.

Finally, on Sunday, I got a call from John Gordon. If you remember from a couple of posts ago, John was going for his 50th state. Well, he made it, finishing Kona. A big congratulations to John. He said it got hot the last 6 miles. Yeah, yeah, John, but no matter how bad it was, the finish line was still in Hawaii!! Now, I just have to keep hammering about the fact that he hasn't done a marathon in Washington DC. Of course, his excellent comeback is "It's not a state!". You win, for now.

Ok folks, about to put wheels down and I'm getting a scary look from the flight attendant. Better close here. I'll see you on the hot Birmingham roads - AL


"One child lost is too many...one child saved can change the world"

Musings in Boston (Again!)

"It takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that" - Red Queen, Through The Looking Glass

Flew up yesterday to Boston for my bi-monthly visit to see my son Michael, daughter-in-law Joanie, and especially our 20 month old grandson, Adam. Man, it is amazing how much they change in just two months. When I last saw him, Adam could barely say "dis" and "dat". Now, he's got a pretty good array one word thoughts and ideas and seems to understand a whole lot more than I anticipated. I never envisioned being Grandpa could be such a joy. Plus, it's a great way to try to stay in shape. I mean it's constant up and down, throwing him around, riding him like a 25# weight on the end of my leg, and being my own private medicine ball. He's running all over the place, so I'm planting all kinds of seeds to nurture this into a talent he can enjoy his whole life. Long distance running my boy...honest, it's a real chic magnet. Think he'll fall for that one?

Tomorrow, Michael and I will embark to downtown Boston for the 1st Annual Boston Athletic Association 10k. Now, I haven't run a 10k in a few years, but this will be just for complete fun. A couple of years ago, Michael and I ran a Half Marathon together and it was a complete blast for me. Michael had never gone that far, and it was on my birthday. The medal we got is one of those special "bookcase" medals I have displayed that I wrote about a couple of RWA posts back. We'll get a medal tomorrow and I plan to display it right next to that HM medal. Sometimes your favorite mementos have nothing to do with how you do in the race. As a matter of fact, I keep saying I hope my time tomorrow for the 6.2 miles is faster than the last time I did a 10 mile race! It's probably going to be close. I'll let you know next week how the run went.

Two weeks ago, I wrote about the RAAM - the cycle race across America. 3000 miles of the-clock-doesn't-stop-till-you-reach-the-finish-line from California to Maryland. Well, the winner in the men's solo division finished in 8 days/8 hours. The female solo leader is still racing, but should finish today (11 days +). The first 4 man team did the 3000 miles in 5 days/11 hours!! Just amazing. I don't cycle (used to, but my butt got sore and I hated, JUST HATED (!), changing flats) but I now those of you are awed by this, because I sure am.

In the running scheme of big events, this morning, The Western States 100 Mile Run began in California. Now, this is not the steepest 100 miler, or even the toughest, but it is pretty dang tough, and old, and certainly prestigious. It's like the Boston Marathon of Ultra runs. Every Ultra runner, somewhere deep inside him wants to give WS a shot sometime. What makes this run so tough (well, the 100 miles has something to do with it) is overall, you ascend more than 18,000 feet of altitude, and the temperatures can range from the 20's to over 100 degrees - on the same day!! There's definitely snow...there's definitely mud! That's what running through mountains and canyons will do. If you finish under 24 hours, you get a silver belt buckle and under 30 hours earns you a bronze buckle. Over the 30 hour cutoff gets you and "Atta-boy" or "Atta-girl". About 60% of the starters will finish. There's another world out there folks.

On top of all this, this weekend I began reading Scott Ludwig's book "A Few Degrees From Hell" about the Badwater 135 Mile race through Death Valley. I'm halfway through it and just reading it gets my heart a-thumpin'. I'll write about this race in a couple of weeks, but all I'm trying to point out is 98% of me is stoked about Ultrarunning. Too bad my damn legs won't cooperate. Let's see how the 10k goes tomorrow.

Ok folks, gotta go. Adam is waking up from his power nap and grandpa has to be ready to get his butt in gear. I'll see you all on the roads - AL

"One child lost is too many...one child saved can change the world"

BOUNCING AROUND

"I ain't in no slump. I just ain't hitting" - Yogi Berra

OK, guys, this won't be long. I'm on my way to my cousin's 5 year old birthday party and if there's anything that I enjoy more than a dozen pre-schoolers jacked up on sugar, I just don't know what that might be! I'll tell you one thing that wasn't jacked up on anything this morning was ol' AL during his run. Let's just say 7 of my 9 miles wasn't bad at all, but then, WHAM! Good Morning!!! The hills were steeper, the temperature shot up, and the cement in my legs began to set, I mean really hard. Despite stopping twice for water, I still lost 4# along the way to the environment. Funny thing...I put my water bottle out, but after going out to get the paper before the run, I smartly said "I don't need no stinkin' water bottle". I mean, this is from a brain with over 30 years of long distance running experience! I may learn someday, but time is running out.

I made a huge decision last weekend and wound up changing shoe brands. I ran in New Balance for about 15 years straight, Then, in an effort to improve my ankle mechanics, and at the suggestion of Jeff down at the Trak Shak (DON'T go anyplace else if you're in Birmingham!) I switched to Nike Air Pegasus (Pegasi?) for the last 3 years. The pain improved some, but I was getting desperate for the magic shoe, so back to TS, and had a good long talk with Scott Strand (Birmingham legend and Olympic Marathon Trial runner). Essentially, he said take a deep breath and let's look at the Kahru Fast Ride. Now, the reason you have to take a deep breath is because they are a BRIGHT Lime Green!!! But, as I told Scott, I would wear Dorothy's shoes from the Wizard of Oz if he thought they would help. They have some technological gizmo in the sole that is designed to take some stress off the ankle transitioning through the roll and push-off cycle. After a week, I feel they may be helping (this morning's putrid finish had nothing to do with my ankles). The whole point is that if you are having any issues with your running that might be shoe related, speak to guys who know this stuff. There's a lot out there, from minimalist shoes (DON'T SAY BAREFOOT SHOES!!) to the Hoka OneOne that looks like a clown shoe rising you up with a 40mm sole. But, surprisingly, the Hoka is getting some excellent reviews from noted runners (mostly ultra guys). I'll keep you posted on how my Green Lanterns are doing.

Finally, a good friend of mine, John Gordon, will be flying to Kona, Hawaii this week to run the Kona Marathon. For the past 8 years, John has been on a quest to run a marathon in all 50 states, and this will be the cork in the bottle! Having followed John through this journey, I can tell you that though most folks pass it off as just "50 States" and what sounds like not that big a deal, this is one heck of a hard, expensive, and tiring accomplishment. With just about all of them, he travels and runs alone, and he sure doesn't boast about it - he just keeps doing them for his personal achievement. For the 49 so far, he has averaged 3:55 for each marathon. I asked him what his favorite was and the hugely surprising answer was Detroit! He loved running into Canada on the Windsor Bridge and coming back to the USA through a tunnel. The fact that he qualified for Boston with a 3:28 there didn't hurt either. Good luck John and a big congratulations.

Ok, guys gotta go. What do you get a 5 year old Princess for her birthday? I'm leaning towards a birdfeeder. Cinderella fed the birds, didn't she? Next week, I'll be in Boston. While I'm there, I'm "running" the BAA 10k with my son. That should be a whole lot of fun...not fast, just a whole lot of fun! So, either here, there, or someplace else, I'll see you on the roads - AL


"One child lost is too many...one child saved can change the world"

RAAMing Speed

"You gotta have a dream. If you don't have a dream, how will you know when a dream comes true?" - from the musical South Pacific


As many of you know, I love feats of endurance and although my attempts at it have been mostly bordering on pitiful, middle-of-the-pack-living-as-Walter-Mitty examples of pushing to the limits, it's still a passion of mine. Yes, there have been times in the woods where I was sure death was around the next tree (maybe hoping?), or in hour 21 of a 24 hour run wondering if Relentless Forward Motion was some sort of twisted dream, or thinking "Damn, 100 miles is one hell of a long way". But, somehow, having done dozens of these runs, my mind could get into a certain place, hide, and come awake at the other side of the tunnel. It comes down to four words...YOU JUST KEEP GOING!

I have always been enthralled by events, books and tales of overcoming staggering odds - you know, like Earnest Shackleton, or climbing Everest, or crossing the Sahara. And when you couple that with an athletic event, like Badwater, Triple Ironman races, or RUNNING across the Sahara well, I think my mind sounds like Gomer Pyle looking up at the skyscrapers in New York City...GOLLLLLLYYYYY!! Once you step onto the sideroads of ultra events, like I have, you marvel when you see or read about some athletes that do their events on relative interstates compared to my sideroads. I'll review some of my favorite books in a future post, but beginning this week will be one of those athletic events that 1) literally is so amazing that it is hard to get your head around, and 2) it goes basically unnoticed by 99% of the population. This is the RAAM - The Race Across America cycling race. Within Ultra-endurance athletic circles, it is one of the most respected and longest running annual endurance events. Since 1982, each June, cyclists dip their feet in the Pacific Ocean somewhere near San Diego, the gun goes off, the clock starts, and the clock doesn't stop till they dip their feet in the Ocean on the Right Coast in Annapolis, Maryland - some 3000 miles away!

This race has different categories, from solo to teams of 2, 4, & 8 persons, but it is the solo riders that awe me. This is a Race. Unlike other famous races, like the Tour de France, RAAM is not a stage race. The race is one stage that is almost 1000 miles longer than the famous Tour! This race is essentially a time trial...a 3000 mile time trial! In stage bike races, a time trial is usually called The Race of Truth. Well, my friend, this is more than a race of truth. It is a race to find out exactly what you're made of, what's inside you, who you are, and really, what is the breaking point and can you somehow get around it to finish.

In the heart of the race, in the solo division, this transcontinental crossing competition goes through 12 states and has greater than 170,000 feet in elevation (>32 miles!). They will usually ride 250 - 350 miles per day and will finish the race in 8 - 12 days averaging less than 3 hours of sleep per day. Now, while the clock is running, a support crew handles all of the logistics – food, fluids, navigation, clothing changes, medical needs, bike repairs, etc. so that the racers can try to focus on racing while they also must coordinate their nutrition with mostly staying on the bike and dealing with the many injuries, hallucinations, mechanical and mental breakdowns so unique to this long bike race (no, I won't go into them, but just use your imagination).

Just to get a taste of this epic ultraendurance event, take a look at the trailer of the movie BICYCLE DREAMS http://youtube/alEHvr-zKm0 .There is also a book recently released called HELL ON TWO WHEELS by Amy Snyder. I heard an interview with her and it sounds like she's captured the passion of these cyclists, but I don't think you can ever get them to eloquently answer the question...WHY? Several posts back, I tried to convey that there is no answer. It's just "in your blood". You can follow the race at
http://tinyurl.com/38bb2hg

Ok, one more thing staying somewhat on this biking theme. This morning, I was running and listening to one of my favorite podcasts, Competitor Radio ( http://competitorradio.competitor.com/ ). I have NEVER heard a bad show on this podcast. Anyway, they were interviewing Conrad Stoltz. He has won 40 Xterra competitions and 4 World Championships. Been an Olympian twice and obviously raced the world over. He was asked what his favorite race is and he said...get ready...Xterra Alabama!!! He went on about what a great venue Oak Mt is and how he loves the course going around the lake and talked about Blood Rock. It was really pretty neat. If you download the episode, the Oak Mt part is about 30-35 minutes into the interview.

Hope you all have a good week and whether you're on your bike, in a pool, or pounding the pavement or trail, I'll see you on the proverbial roads - AL

"One child lost is too many...one child saved can change the world"

RUNNING MYTHS

“We must not be hampered by yesterday's myths in concentrating on today's needs.”
Harold S. Geneen

There are a lot of myths about running. I think I’ve heard them all, but here are a few.

You really shouldn’t run so much. It’s bad for your knees

FALSE. The most common heard myth about running is that it will ruin your knees. This has never, ever been proven in a well-designed study. Studies on osteoarthritis of the knee and hip in runners and non-runners have found that it is a problem in both groups equally. If genetically you're doomed to get arthritis, then the road has been paved for you. Running makes little to no difference in whether you will develop arthritis or not. Running may actually help to maintain a healthy joint. Now, if you have a pre-existing joint problem because of a previous injury or arthritis, then running may accelerate it. I find the biggest contributor to knee arthritis is weight. Every pound translates to 1.5 pounds of force in the knee joint with every step while walking. Assuming the average adult takes 5000-10,000 steps per day, you can see where just a few extra kilos can add up.

Don't run if you have a cold

FALSE. Generally, the old adage applies - if the cold is in your neck or above, it is usually safe to run. Now, I'm not saying you're going to have the run of your life. As a matter of fact, I'm prone to say you'll probably feel like crap, but if you must run, then you most likely will not endanger your health. If the cold is in your chest, or if you have a fever...c'mon, use some common sense and bag the run. You might spread the infection in your lungs, prolong the symptoms, keep throwing up, but hey...you're keeping your running streak going!

You should buy a new running shoes every 500 miles

TRUE. Back when I started running (with the pilgrims), I would take great pride in getting close to 1000 miles on a pair of shoes (no foolin'). But, this is where shoe technology has developed to protect your joints by discovering new materials. Unfortuneately, this technology also breaks down sooner. Modern shoes can still look as good as new after a year, but their impact-absorbing properties drop off significantly after 350-500 miles depending on your style and weight. Some conspiracy theorists view this as a way for shoe comapies to up their sales, and this might not be 100% nuts, but in an effort not to limp around any more than I do, I say Bring On The Technology.

Running on a treadmill is not as effective as running outdoors

FALSE. Although there is arguably less impact on a treadmill, which is more forgiving than the road, the big plus of a treadmill is that it will make you mighty honest to running at a cetain pace or you will be off the back of the treadmill like George Jetson. The effect of air resistence that is lost on a teadmill can be easily compensated by raising the incline 1%. I remember training for Pikes Peak and here in Alabama, the steepest hill I could find was an 8% grade and Pikes rises at 11% for 13 miles! I found out you can almost die on a treadmill when you put it at 11%!!

I’m a runner, so I can eat anything

FALSE: HOO-BOY, that's a good one. Yeah, you can eat anything, but you'll be big as a double-wide! The truth is that most runners burn about 100 calories per mile (same as walkers), so you do the math...5 miles equals 500 calories...come home, eat 1000 calories and your 500 in the hole. Plus, now you're whipped and the lawn doesn't get cut, the car doesn't get washed, and the Couch of Doom draws you in like a black hole. See where I'm going with this? Unfortunately, old habits die hard, and I really, really like my peanut M&Ms.

Running is counterproductive to strength training

TRUE: But only if your goal in life is to compete in the national weight lifting championships. A good exercise program combines both strength training and intense cardio, whether running or not. Weight lifting will protect your joints from the pounding of running, especially if you emphasize a low weight/high rep program. I know some pretty big Arnold-looking dudes who are fast runners.

You've got to run hard to sweat

FALSE: I love when folks say to me "I'll bet you can run a mile and not even break a sweat". The truth is I just THINK of running a mile and I sweat! A runner's cooling system is much more on alert to cool you off, hence you sweat like a pig pretty easily. Think of how many times you over-dressed in the winter and were drenched under your 3 layers two miles into the run.

You aren’t a runner until you’ve completed a marathon

BIG FALSE: You’re a runner if you run, period. The fact that I can run a marathon and you run 5k's just means we run different distances loving the same sport.

You must carbo load before a marathon

FALSE: What’s a marathon without the traditional pre race carbo loading dinner? Now, I can eat pasta every night of the week. I mean look at all those different shapes. To me they're as different as potatoes are from tomatoes! And they're all just jammed packed with tons of carbohydrates...and isn't that what we were taught our little running muslces craved in RUNNING 101? Those heaping plates of pasta the evening before your marathon have become an accepted part of marathon racing. But, do you need those huge helpings of pasta? Not really. Your pre race taper combined with your normal high carbohydrate helpings of food will get you ready for your race. You neither need nor want excessive portion sizes before your race. The large amounts of food can actually make you sluggish and tired on race morning. And let's not even talk about becoming friends with Mr. Porta-potty.

Higher Mileage is always better

FALSE: Higher mileage isn’t always better, but it may be under certain circumstances. Of course, it depends on what your goals are. There are a lot of runners out there that think the more miles they put in the better they will do. That is only half true. It’s true that more mileage will usually result in better performance, but only up to a point. Several studies have shown that up to about 70 miles per week you will reap a lot of benefits from increasing your running volume. After 70 miles per week you still see some gains but they are much smaller. Most runners can perform very successful marathon running on 40-45 miles per week, or sometimes, even less.

Running will give you a heart attack or other heart problems

FALSE: This is one of my pet-peeves. Every time there is a marathon in which a runner unfortuneately dies, all these non-runners come off their couch to tell you "See what happens if you run?". Look, let's take 50,000 runners in a marathon and 50,000 couch-potatoes and see how many of each has a heart attack. OK, the truth is that DURING a vigorous exercise, like a marathon, , there is a 7x greater chance of having a heart attack, but regular running and other forms of endurance exercises can reduce your overall risk of a heart attack by up to 50%. So, once again, I ask you to do the math. You're damned if you do (exercise), because every workout carries a small, transient risk. However, you're much more damned if you don't (exercise), because you're far more likely to suffer from heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and similar lifestyle diseases. Simply going out for a run most days of the week is doing far more good than bad for your heart.

Wow, RWA went way too long this week folks. I better go for my run before it gets too hot. Thank goodness it's not the winter, because you know if you run in the winter, you can freeze your lungs! I'll see you on the roads - AL

"One child lost is too many...one child saved can change the world"

But It Means Something To Me

"Races are the jam on the doughnut, not the doughnut" - unknown


When you've run for over three decades, been competitively active through SEVEN age groups, and are virtually a pack-rat, you accumulate things. For a runner, those things are most definitely shirts. You're almost guaranteed at least one at every race you enter, never mind finish. And it's gotten to the point that no self-respecting race director will give anything less than a technical shirt - I mean cotton? C'mon! We accumulate drawers full of shirts, some designated for running, but a precious few are given the special prestige of "wear-to-the-mall" shirts, or "Saturday" shirts. Although you have a drawer full of shirts, these treasured shirts are usually limited to a precious few.

Then, if they're attractive, you might also keep the race bibs that adorn you during the race itself. And we have hats and patches and cups and glasses. And occasionally, if few enough folks show up at a race and you're one of the top three in your age group, then you can scarf up a trophy. These are all things that don't usually mean much to anybody else, but have tremendous meaning to you. You worked, you sweated, and you have this piece of memorabilia that can bring on a wave of emotions.

The other day, I was thinking about this and trying to figure out how do we decide what is so important to us, that we cannot bear the thought of parting with them. Sitting in my tiny office at work, I can look around and on my bulletin board, and crowding out important Usernames and Passwords and telephone numbers to supposed superiors, are remembrances from days gone past, but definitely not forgotten. I have color reproductions of all 5 bib numbers from my Boston Marathons, two finisher's medals (Boston - my favorite, and Georgia - my last "competitive" marathon), a 5-year finisher award from the Oak Mt 50k, various training schedules and pace charts, a champion chip from the Marine Corps Marathon, and a plaque given to me by former co-workers when I finished my 100th marathon.

Why do I display these? Why do I pick out the shirts I do to wear here and there? Is it to (in my mind) impress others as to who I am, or was? Do I need it to periodically whisk myself back to those thrilling days of yesteryear? Am I afraid of losing that part of me if I don't have this materialistic blanket around me? The answers are yes, yes, and yes!

At home, I have a room that used to be our son's until he went away to college back in the early 90's. He then continued his education adventures away from home in San Diego and now is in Boston with his family, but his room will forever be "Michael's room". So, in a corner of Michael's room are displayed some of the trophies and medals I'm most proud of or because they are unique. I simply DO NOT want them to wind up in a drawer only to be found like photos in Grandma's attic years after I'm gone.They mean absolutely nothing to anybody but me. Occasionally we'll have a guest spend a night with us and they are put up in Michael's room. Man, they are going to be SOOOO impressed. Nope, never do they inquire about any of the trophies or the medals placed on or dangling from the bookcase. Well, maybe they might say how "cute" my Disney medal is....Good Grief! Don't they want to hear how I ran down my adversary, Charles Thompson, in the last 5 miles of Boardwalk and Epcot to get that medal? No, they don't!

One of my favorite trophies is from the Atlanta 24 Hour Run. It was the National Championships for that year and somehow I actually finished 13th with 109 miles. Not only does the trophy have meaning as being one of my proudest running moments, but I like it because the race was held at the Atlanta Water Works (you ran around a reservoir) and the trophy had an old time water faucet on top (like the Monopoly card). That was a big-deal trophy. A little-deal trophy was from the River Edge 10k. You see, I was brought up in River Edge, New Jersey and one year, some 40 years after leaving River Edge, I went up there to see my sisters and here was a race in my hometown. I finished 3rd in my age group and that trophy has a permanent place in the Al Hall of Fame. Again, it means nothing to anybody but me.

These days, many marathoners pick their races based on what the finisher's medal looks like. I'm not that picky, but I do have strong opinions about my medals, but most of them have found their way to an old shoebox - too hard to display - but I look at them once in a while and each one has it's story, but to me alone. I have all my Boston medals out on display because that race is in my blood. I love history, and the history and tradition of that race gets my blood a-boilin'. But, after the Boston medals, the one I would grab in a fire would be my Pikes Peak medal. It's a small, dinky medal - no overnight guests would EVER notice it - but when I see that medal I am transported back to the race I am most proud of. In a future blog, I'll go into more detail of the race itself, but even as I write this, I feel the emotions welling up. A major portion of the runner that resides in me was defined that day. Do I need that medal to be displayed to remind me of that day? It certainly means absolutely nothing to anybody else. However, to me, it is not that I necessarily "earned" that medal - heck, everybody got one - but that medal, these trophies, those dozens of shirts, represent a part of ME to me. We can look at these materialistic remembrances and it individually means something to each and every one of us and THAT is a big deal.

Have you noticed that this Wednesday is National Running Day? To most of us that's like National Breathing Day but I guess the exposure is good. I just think it's funny that next Friday is National Doughnut Day! Wonder which one will have more participants? Ok, this has gone on too long. Have safe Memorial Day and I'll see you all on the road - AL


"One child lost is too many...one child saved can change the world"

If the Shoe Fits, Why Not Wear It?

"If the shoe doesn't fit, must we change the foot?"
Gloria Steinem


Ok, I have to admit it to you all. I don't know if it's the beautiful weather here in Birmingham, the fact that my running is SLOWLY getting better (my parameters), or the giddiness I feel when the Mets beat the Yankees. Possibly, it could be that the world is supposed to end in a few hours and I'm not thinking clearly. But what I have to admit is that I am having writer's block. So, I'm going to write about a subject that has been bugging the living stew out of me. It's not that big a deal. It just bugs me.

You see, I'm a Physical Therapist, and so I'm asked occasionally about my take on barefoot running. Honestly, since I'm pretending that you asked, I'll put it simply. I think it's much more advertising hooey than it is based on fact. Years ago, Malcolm Gladwell wrote The Tipping Point (great book!) and I think this is a perfect example of an idea taking off like a rock rolling downhill with no specific cause except that Chris McDougal wrote Born To Run (good book, but not a great book) about the perception - or mythology - about barefoot running curing all shoe-caused running evils at exactly the right time to feed an accepting public. No, as a PT, I can't say I've seen more injuries with or without shoes. But, I also feel that although the Indians communicated pretty good with smoke signals, I have to admit the phone is better. Translated, I mean the technology that has developed to protect your feet and lower body from having to absorb 3-4 times your body weight a thousand times for EVERY mile you run seems to be something that would be good. But, barefoot running enthusiasts are very passionate about their religion...er, cult...er, whatever, and so I'm not going to make this a soapbox stand against it.

But here's the funny thing - I’ve been running for 33 years. I’ve never been a professional distance runner, but I have run 129 marathons or ultramarathons and have raced in many US and a few foreign cities. Although I didn't exactly run with them, I have observed many elite and professional runners doing their best for both fame and money. This is their livelihood! Not one time, not at a single competition, have I seen a professional athlete run barefoot. In fact, I’ve never seen a professional athlete do any percentage of serious training without that evil, injury-causing invention of a modern day running shoe. Years ago, one of my TNT trainees was asking me about the virtues of bike riding to help his running. My answer to him was "When was the last time you have seen a Kenyan on a bike?". So, when was the last time you saw a Kenyan run barefoot? You may be tempted to argue that in rural parts of Africa, they don't wear shoes and they run pretty good I would say! That's true, but I have to think it's mostly because they can't afford them. Looking at ALL the professional African runners here in the US - running roads each weekend - all over the country - they wear shoes. Shoes protect their feet AND they run faster with shoes. And in 2010, Kenyans won 126 of the world's top 156 marathons! It just seems to me that a professional runner will do anything - sometimes illegal - to run just a small percentage faster. They change their blood or they inject chemicals in their bodies, for Pete's Sake. Some will risk their lives! Thank goodness, most are honest and revert to good ol' sweat. But, don't you think that if running barefoot would help them, we would at least see SOME of them doing it?

Some people need more support on their feet than others. It doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t run or go for a jog or stay fit by running. It just means their body naturally overpronates more than usual – and a supportive running shoe will offer a bit of support to correct that overpronation. The modern running shoe, believe it or not, is a good thing. The modern day running shoe is not the cause of injury. After being in the sport for over 3 decades, and more importantly, as a Physical Therapist, I can suggest that there are likely other reasons for many of the knee, ankle, and foot injuries caused from running. Too much weight and lack proper base training comes to mind real quickly.

If you get hurt wearing a particular shoe, try a different shoe. Here, in Birmingham, The Trak Shak will go to great lengths to find a good fit for your body style and level of running. It may take a couple of trips – but I promise a good fit does exist.

A quote from George Sheehan I often use in this blog is "We are all an experiment of one". Find what floats your boat and sail with it. But, don't get caught up in a fad because somebody wrote a book that hit that tipping point. Educate yourself, ask around, observe the serious guys at races. I'm obviously not a fan of barefoot running, but that's not what gets me stewed - it's these shoe companies going crazy trying to make up your mind for you.

OK guys, time is running out on this end-of-the-world thing and I've got a bottle of wine in the fridge that I refuse to let go to waste. Hope I didn't offend anybody with my barefoot opinion. Send me your comments. I'd love to hear success stories - really. Barefoot or not, I hope to see you all on the roads - AL


"One child lost is too many...one child saved can change the world"