Archive for the ‘outside’ Category

Half marathon success, minimalist style

Tuesday, March 20th, 2012

I don’t know how I never got around to writing about this, but after months of training, and culminating a few years after first hearing about barefoot running, I successfully completed a half marathon in my Vibram Five Fingers! Almost barefoot…

It was a long journey to get there, but in the end was a great success. I first wrote about my barefoot quest a couple years ago after reading the book Born to Run, and posted a few updates along the way.

The first 6 months or so of minimalist running showed significant progress, at which point I sort of tapered off. When I started pushing myself, I think I went too hard and injured my calf, which kept my distance low for a while. After over a year of just sticking to low miles, I decided that if I really wanted to up my distance I needed a […]

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Barefoot running progress report

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

It’s been a while since I started my barefoot running journey. Last fall I began experimenting, and though I was having mixed results at the time, I was definitely hooked. Fast forward almost 6 months, and I am happy to say that I am making great progress, though a bit slower than I would have hoped.

Last time I posted about it, I was just switching to my Vibram Five Finger shoes. The transition set me back, and for a while I was continuing to nurse a strained calf. But now I am happy to report that I have gotten over the first major hurdle. My calf injury is long gone, and for the first time in my life my runs actually feel like runs, and I feel like I am actually getting a workout as opposed to a beating.

The transition to the Vibrams definitely took some time due the changes […]

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Barefoot running update plus Vibram Five Fingers

Saturday, December 5th, 2009

For maybe 4 or 5 months now I’ve been experimenting with barefoot running. I’ve written about this before, so I won’t bore you with any old details. However, I am happy to report that after nursing my calf injury back to health, I’ve been able to get out and run 4-5 days a week now, mostly on rocky trails in the canyons near my house. I’ve not been going totally barefoot, but instead until last week have been going with just a pair of Speedo water socks. They provide adequate protection from the ground (from both the rocks in the trails and from the debris on the roads) and also are minimal enough that I’ve been able to adapt my running style and moderately strengthen my feet, ankles, and calves.

Because I’m still fairly new to “barefooting”, I haven’t been going more than 3 miles at a time, but the runs […]

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This weeks barefoot running update

Friday, September 25th, 2009

I guess it’s about time for my barefoot running update. The first couple times I tried to run barefoot I had extreme soreness in my arches and the lower part of my leg, I’m not sure of the muscle, but basically from the calf down to the ankle. There was no pain, but I definitely could feel the soreness, especially when I would get up after sitting for a few hours.

Two weeks ago I finally made it to Sports Authority to buy a pair of aqua socks. I know, not the most stylish footwear, but they do seem to work as far protecting my feet while still allowing barefoot style running. Right around the time I first tried going barefoot, I was having recurring calf pain while running in my sneakers, but since I’ve gotten the aqua socks, things are feeling better. I’m not even up […]

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Exploring the mud caves, Anza Borrego Desert State Park

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
Entrance to mud cave in the desert

Entrance to mud cave in the desert

With desert season coming here in San Diego, I figure it’s a good time to share some information about the mud caves out in the Anza Borrego desert. They are great to explore, all you need is a headlamp or flashlight, and a sense of exploration! Bring some water, make sure there’s no rain in the forecast, and don’t get lost!

Here is an excerpt of my previous write up about the mud caves:

I had always heard of the mud caves out in the Anza Borrego desert, and the fact that they are supposed to be some of the best in the world was enough to finally get me out there. I used the “Afoot & Afield San Diego County: A Comprehensive Hiking Guide

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Barefoot running update

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
Barefoot - Footprints in the sand

Footprints in the sand – Photo credit Apidya

The running, and more specifically the barefoot running, hasn’t been going as quickly as I would like. I am still nursing a sore calf, so any progress is limited as I can only comfortably run 2-3 days per week, and only for 20-30 minutes at a time.

Also, I have been lagging in getting to the store to get a pair of water socks to start running in. I read water socks are actually great minimalist running shoes, which around here I really need since barefoot is hardly an option, unless I make it down to the beach. (There isn’t a whole lot of soft grass in San Diego.) The theory behind the water socks is that they provide a fair amount of protection against objects on the […]

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What I’ve learned about running by reading about running

Friday, August 14th, 2009

There are a few things that I’ve recently learned about running that have me excited. I’ve always been a casual jogger, but have never been all that thrilled about it. Really it has been more of an activity to stay active than something that really intrested me. But after reading the book Born to Run, I have a renewed interest in it. I have been taking tips and drawing inspiration from where ever I can, including the book, a DVD called Chi Running, and some of the Superatheletes that were written about in the book Born to Run.

And so far, I’m happy to report that it seems to be working. My issue is still with my conditioning, but my runs — short though […]

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How to Climb Mt Whitney in One Day – eBook

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

How to Successfully Summit Mount Whitney in One Day – eBook

Interested in purchasing? Click here

The e-book describes in full detail how to successfully day hike Mt Whitney, the highest mountain in the continental United States. I have attempted the hike twice, and completed it once, so I know what makes the difference between a successful trip and an unsuccessful one. I also spent quite a bit of time researching for this trip, so I have wealth of knowledge to share.

Mount Whitney

Mount Whitney – The tallest mountain the the Lower 48 states, climbed in one day

For those of you who don’t know, I am just an average guy and I’m not an extreme athlete, but I learned from the first year’s mistakes and successfully trained to complete the hike the second time […]

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