Recently in Health & Wellness Category

I have been ramping up more on doing track intervals trying to increase my speed for running 800 & 1500 meter events. I have noticed that when doing the shorter intervals particularly anything 400 meters and below in the VFF's this puts a bit more stress on the calves since you are on the forefront of your feet & toes even more.

This took me back to when I first started running in the VFF's in September last year but of course the recovery has been quicker.

I did a time trial with a running buddy that I work out with for track intervals this morning and it went well considering we were both leg weary from the weeks intervals plus I hit the weights hard, including the legs, Tuesday right after doing six 800 meter intervals.

As we walked from the parking lot to the track I thought no way would I be able to run this 600 meter followed by a 400 meter time trial even after warming up. Once we ran the trials my legs and calves felt a lot more relaxed than when we got there and still do now and that was 0800 hours (8 AM)!

I think running intervals in the VFF's will give me further flexibility and push once I really start getting in shape for these distances! I mean I haven't done interval training in over a decade at least and probably beyond that!

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That's right I am now officially trying to get in shape for the all-comer track meets and attempt to run my old races the 800m 1500m and maybe the 3000m runs on track.


I ran the 800m this past weekend to see where I was at and it wasn't a great run but considering that I was leg dead from my weight & runs, plus I stayed up until 4am in the morning still got up early.


I also had to replace and rebuild my starter(replaced plunger & contacts internally) on my truck after getting virtually no sleep after a hectic week in which I had to get my trucks rear end rebuilt, had electrical issues plus I had to repair some critical components on my servers.


Back to the running I was worn out as heck but now I know I need to do intervals more dramatically and work on my speed I felt very tight.


The other reason I wanted to run out here in California,at least locally here in Sacramento the funding is no longer there for the high school sports and my little entry fee helps them.


Stay tuned they are having the 35 and over championships here in Sacramento this year and I intend to be an entrant and work towards more than being decent in the 800m.

Its been a while since I posted on my workouts but the Vibram Five Finger workouts are going great, whether using them in the gym or running in the street or on a track.

I'm pushing the frequency & distances of my runs and no signs of shin splints or anything like that for the first time in my life!

 I am also starting to push my gym workouts harder increasing weight.

As far as my runs the 7mile runs are increasing in frequency per week and once again I'm hitting the push-ups, crunches (on Roman chair), leg raises and trunk twists immediately after my runs on days I'm not hitting the weights. Push-ups right now I do 3 sets of fifty, Roman Chair crunches I do 3 sets of 40 now soon to increase, leg raises I do 3 sets of 40 and three sets of 200 trunk twists.

I have always found that increasing core strength and endurance really helps posture and performance in runs. Hitting abs especially helps with breath control and stamina for running!

I'm also starting to do intervals with a running buddy on some days.

I missed an all-comers track meet I was intending to run the 800 meters & 1500 or 2 mile runs as well due to my truck's rear end going out.


Oh Well time to take a run down to the gym which is a little over a mile away and hit the weights and then on the way back instead of hitting the treadmill I will run a bit over 4 miles in my Vibram Five Finger KSO's!

 

Well since I have been running in my Vibram Five Fingers whether KSO's or Flow's the seven mile runs have become routine. I judge the runs being routine from he comfort I feel during my runs, my pace during the run and how I feel after the runs. In all phases I mentioned I feel comfortable relaxed and strong.

Now I just need to stop staying up late (2am -5am) working on items to start getting up early again with the proper rest! When I stay up late I rush to get things done make phone calls, get to appointments, etc... and subsequently any little issue may prevent me from getting my runs in.

I have been running & working out in my VFF (Vibram Five Fingers) KSO alternating with the VFF Flows I purchased last month and increased my frequency and distances.

I now run 4 miles after my weight work outs and 7 miles on days I don't hit the weights when there is enough daylight.

Now I will have to start revising my LSD (Long Slow Distance) and find a bit longer course and map it out to maybe 10 miles.

I'm loving that I'm picking up my pace as well on the treadmill in the gym.

This is usually when I start shedding the weight as long as I keep pushing and now I can do that without any stress injuries this time!

I ran my first 10k in my Vibram Five Finger (VFF) KSO's this morning @ the Davis, CA TurkeyTrot. I knew there was a 10k run today but wasn't sure where or if I wanted to run until I woke up this morning.

Searched for runs on this date around the area on the web and found the Turkey Trot which I have heard of before but never run.

The KSO's performed fine but my feet were really starting to freeze due to the cold concrete transferring the cold through my KSO's into my feet. Maybe the VFF Flows will be better for the winter or I need to keep my feet off the cold surfaces until close to starting time.

Forgot to look at my watch and stop the time or look at my time while crossing the line in a pack and then looking to get the sensor cut off my foot.

All in all a cool run especially considering I'm still in the stage in my running where I'm improving but mainly still getting the body shaped and losing weight for really affective running!

Like Ice Cube said "Today Was a Good Day" overall for running.

I'm finally starting to push the distances more frequently and getting very good results going on my seven mile runs with my KSO's and recent addition of Injinji socks.

I still find myself trying to lean back on occasion as I would do with my old (modern cushioned running shoes) footwear which throws me off for a brief moment. I think it takes one or two steps then its like my body auto corrects.

I am barely 7 weeks removed from running in my old footwear so an occasional slip back to the old form is expected but its so uncomfortable now to lean back and land on my heals wearing the VFF's it throws my stride off noticeably for a moment then I get my 10 - 15 percent lean forward and all is right again!

My 7 mile time is better just a bit than it was before even though I stopped a few more times and longer times for traffic.

I feel I am finally once again on my way to being in the shape I was before without the shin splints & stress fractures I used to endure when trying to run competitively when I was younger.

time wearing the Injinji socks withe my KSO's. Working out with the VFF KSO's & Injinji socks and it felt really good. Putting on the Injinji socks made putting on the KSO's a breeze!

The KSO's felt even more comfortable with the Injinji socks. Tonight I hit the weights upper & lower body plus 30 minutes on the treadmill at a decent pace.

Next I will try running with the KSO's & Injinji sock combination. Just think I initially only got the Injinji socks just to wear the KSO's around town to keep my feet from being smelly!

I am getting the feeling I will soon be able to really start pushing it with this barefoot alternative running thing!

I'm just back from my first run (hour ago) in VFF (Vibram Five Finger) KSO's of over 4 miles I should have done it earlier but head colds, home projects, schedule & trepidation delayed me a bit.

The first part of my run was pretty standard pace for my 4 miles runs and maybe a little faster than I wanted as there was a runner going the same way I was on my course for the first time I could recall in a very long time. The other runner kept me from backing too far off of my pace as you tend to do when running a longer distance than you had in bit.

During the run I reminded myself to keep a slight 10 - 15 percent body lean forward which seems to insure my proper foot strikes and stride.

Normally after my initial run of this manner my body feels a bit beat up and jostled around. Today I just feel like I had some cardio and my calves feel like they did some stretch work and I felt a tinge in my right knee (slowly going away) that has been there since June well before my introduction to the Vibram Five Fingers.

The trepidation's I had were my old reasons of the stress on the body I knew running this distance previously when not being in the best shape and how it keeps you from sometimes running again soon. I was also trying to ease into the VFF KSO's since I felt weird about being able to get so comfortable in them for the 4 mile runs.

Well I don't feel all beat up I don't have to get into my hammock and crash for a while and take it easy after this run! I now know I should have been doing this run about 2 or 3 weeks ago if not for the head cold!

I noticed that when I skipped my weight workouts where I hit my legs I'm not quite as flexible in my muscles as without hitting the weights.

I'm not talking about "peaking" or lots of weight and low reps to build bulk but medium to high reps with lower weights and an amount of weight where you can do at least 3 complete sets.

The leg exercises I'm speaking of are, while wearing VFF (Vibram Five Fingers) doing my presses, curls, extensions, calf raises and sitting on a bench with my leg fully supported with just my foot off the bench and placing a collar on my foot connected to weights and then puling my foot towards me.

The aforementioned exercises really help me feel a lot more comfortable when running in my VFF KSO's.

I noticed this week as I had been to busy to hit the gym last night and then ran right afterwards. My calves weren't as tight and it was very soothing after I was done and feels really stretched out today.