April 2010 Archives

Been falling behind in my posts about running and Vibram five Finger KSO's, and I'm here to report the runs have been going well even with my gardening and other home projects and getting used to another schedule!

I have been running intervals and as stated earlier that put a new type of stress on the calves and I think I'm finally almost out of the discomfiture that caused mostly.

The thing about it running shorter interval distances trying for speed really gets you up on your toes and the balls of your feet more than the 5k's & 10k's. Especially once you wind down to doing anything under 400 meters! Being on your toes and forefront of your feet really stretch calves and ligaments in a way not used before in the typical running shoe circa now!

I also strange enough noticed that with the VFF's (Vibram Five Fingers) my toe nails are growing out! Let me explain.

I was on the back end of doing the end of my interval workouts a week or two ago and I noticed as I got up on my toes I felt a weird pulling sensation as my feet gripped the ground, my toe nails!

Before in umm ... ahem what passes for normal running shoes my toe nails took a beating and rarely grew out especially the toes right next to my big toe which are the same length and maybe a tad longer than my big toe. In fact my toes right next to the big daddy toe always had crunched up bloody looking toe nails that were about 1/8^th of an inch thick.

This is the first time I could ever recall having intact regular sized toe nails that weren't, half off or mutant looking. Another unexpected benefit of running in VFF's barefoot minimalist style!

Next up is a 10k this coming Sunday at the first annual Natomas Mayday run here in Sacramento California right here in my neighborhood utilizing part of my normal road course. How exciting!

Anyway her is the link to the run Sunday: http://www.natomasmaydayrun.org/

I'm signed up and not totally in the shape I want but ready to go come on out and join us and run part of my course!

Going to be cruising in my VFF KSO's on this run as well of course!

Oh yes in case you are confused even though I have discomfort getting used to the VFF's it is well worth it my running has become more efficient and the only discomfort are a little getting used to the calves doing the job they were meant to do

Wow its late for me time to go to bed!

Finally able to get some pictures of my vegetable and flower gardens.

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Well last week I pretty much got the vegetable garden in the backyard and the flower gardens in the front yard finished except some spaces purposely left open for future updates or seasonal vegetation.

I rototilled around the huge artichoke plant that is now producing like crazy. In the garden on the other corner in backyard I tilled around the existing sage, thyme, parsley, chives & strawberries that stayed over the winter.

To compliment my existing herbs I planted, basil (didn't last over winter), mint & more chives, & green onions.

I planted Roma, Big Boy, & Yellow pear tomato plants. I also planted eggplant, hot jalapeno, Serrano, banana, red chili & three kinds of bell peppers.

For the root type vegetables I planted red potatoes, garlic, & red onion.

I also planted watermelon, zucchini squash, mammoth sunflowers, sweet corn, Swiss chard, collard greens, and mustard greens. Today I got some celery, cilantro & summer squash.

I almost forgot I also planted last week some peas, green beans, black-eyed peas (cow peas), a grape vine & another blueberry bush.

I still have a raspberry vine & what I believe is a blueberry plant from last year that survived the artichoke bush from last year. Reminds me I also planted some asparagus I hope is out of the way. Last year the asparagus, grapes raspberries, greens, Swiss chard and other veggies were over run by the artichoke bush.

Last week I also made repairs and changes to the drip/watering system.

Today I also pulled up about 5 bags of weeds from the small corridor between homes I have as well as cut the grass and edged with the weed eater and pressure washed the patio and sidewalks in the backyard around the pool. Now I have the pool pumps going to get the dirt that inadvertently got in the pool from pressure washing.

All in all it was a long but productive day!

Tomorrow the finishing touches and time to hall off some trash perhaps. Ah yes I also got some ground cover flowers to go between my roses up front called "verbien tapien blue-violet".

Pictures later perhaps. For now I will have another martini & watch the pool lights change colors on this very pleasant night.

As I was removing 2 bags of weeds from my garden today I also took up some huge carrots I planted last year and noticed the artichokes are really starting to come in now!

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Went to Lodi California this morning and ran in the inaugural  "Run on Water" 5k that benefits helping clean and get decent water supplies in areas of the world where the water isn't very healthy. 

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These are the first Artichokes from my garden. The plant is huge and finally giving me produce! Artichokes don't produce until the second year and this is this plant's second year and this second year seems to be promising much produce from this artichoke plant!