Five Fingers? Cold feet? Sorted!!

While running in Vibram Five fingers is liberating and feels better than running in trainers.......you do get cold toes!

Found a solution though!!

Angora sole inserts!

They stay warm even when wet!!!!

Problem sorted!!!

Yesterdays run!

Yesterday we had some random lovely sun shine! So decided to go for a nice long run!

Went up to the Ashridge Monument and commenced my normal run (pausing for a little photo opp!

As you can see, fantastic weather for a run! Went all the way down to invinghoe beacon but instead of turning around and heading back, I felt pretty good to attempt the 16 mile round trip of the Ashridge boundary trail.

Map in hand and the wonder of the trail markers left by the lovely people of the national trust I headed off towards the hills. 

However as with all best made plans, things went wrong! I must have missed a marker or something, ended up running a couple of miles in the wrong direction!!! Mood heading downward I followed my map back towards the trail. Saw loads of deer on the way and found myself back at the monument, figured that someone up there didn't want me to do the full 16 miles so I stuck with completing a nice 8.72 mile route.

Satisfaction achieved!!

Five Fingers down!!!!!!!!!

My poor Vibram Five fingers took a beating last weekend entering the Hellrunner, hell down south!

My personal damage healed pretty quickly. Its only taken a few days for my calves to recover and my left foot is fine now!

However..............my vibrams............have ripped!!!!
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!
2 Months they've lasted! Gutted!

Ok as you see the tear isn't too bad! However its still bad! I love my shoes!!

God bless my textiles lessons in my middle school days! I can sew, they fore the damage has been sorted!

Time will tell, going for a run after work tomorrow. Hopefully the sewing will hold, watch this space!

Hellrunner!

Yesterday I, with a couple of thousand others, ran the 10 to 12 miles of Hellrunner - Hell Down

I did the same run 2 years ago, however this year I think route has been changed and is now a lot harder!!!! Not only because i was wearing my vibrams!

Me and my mates completed it within the 2 hour limit!! I think that's not bad!
More pics to come!

Plan "Z"

I've been watching quite a lot of zombie related end of the world stuff recently, its got me thinking about it (cheery person that I am)!
Maybe its all the mayan, end of the world, 2012 stuff we've all been hearing about (so they stopped they're calendar! We don't all go mad if Take That don't bring out one next year!)
Anyway, from watching the walking dead, dawn of the dead, other of the dead films, 28 days later (come on, they are zombies no matter what people say) and reading World War Z I think I'm now clued up enough for a Zombie defence list!

So hear we go: - this is based on the idea you are dealing with the slow moving ones from walking dead and resident evil

1. Location: not a shopping mall!!! Too much glass and too many entrances! Plus if the outbreak occurs during the day you'll have loads of walkers lurking! Try a housing estate that you can easily build defences around, avoid farms! Large open spaces = hard to defend against large herds.
2. Make friends with a cop or volunteer as a special so you know where a good cash of weapons and protective gear are! Also a police station would make a location to hold up in.
3. Canned goods! Find a supermarket, break into the offices and find they're distribution centre! Either that or go to your local Costco!! Bulk loot for the zombie apocalypse!!!
4. Safety in numbers! The more people you have the more undead you can take out! Although, be prepared to lose a fair few people!
5. Sorry to say this but.......as its the zombie apocalypse, prepare for the inevitable............you and your mates are probably going to peg it. Unless you're very very flukey and build an impressive line of defence! Or some random brainiac turns up with a cure and saves us all! We're waiting Mr Hawking!!!!

Well hopefully this list may prepare you! Enjoy!

Been a while.......

Been away a little recently, blogger was sadly not on my mind.

Few things have been going on, been injured which annoyed the hell out of me, been a bit on the busy side of things at work and the world spins on.

Got hellrunner down south this weekend which I've actually trained for this time! Did it 2 years ago and managed a time of about 1 hour 55 mins! Hope to do better this time! Running in my vibram five fingers! Wish me luck!

Aghh knees!

First the calves now the gosh darn cursed knees!
Legs......running would be so much easier without them!!

So I'm gonna have to make do with using a gym membership that I haven't used for several months! Oh joy!!

Love or hate it.......London

Ah the capital city. As I write this I am on a train screaming back to England's green and pleasant lands. Where people are a damn sight more cheerful! I know people say London is too big for you to smile or smirk at everyone, but come on do you have to look so miserable all the time?!?

I personally love visiting the city, not sure if I could live there though! Not enough green for me!

Spent the evening with one of my best mates, we went to see Michael McIntyre. Bloody funny bloke!! Highly recommend you see him if you can.

Oh and on a personal note......to the person who is singing next to me on the train.........sing in tune or not at all!!!!!

Busy busy busy!!

Tough old week this one! Only half way through! Today I had several people in my face screaming at me and others around me! When did mob mentality become the norm??!

Anyway, tomorrow is a beautiful day off and to celebrate I'm back in the Fivefingers! Been giving them a miss recently due to road running, back on the trails tomorrow! Whoo hoo!!

Run to make myself feel better

Yesterday got some bad news. So today I went for a little jog today.....that turned into a near 7 mile run! Funny how you get lost within the rhythm!

Curse you Calf Muscles!!!

Last week I ran my favourite route in my favourite shoes using my new favourite running form........and paid the price!! Friday morning my calf Muscles on both legs were in so much pain I could barely walk without limping like an old man! Add the fact that on my run I missed judged where a rather large stone was and hit it right on my heel!! Ouch is not the word! So I've rested the whole weekend.

Training continues in the new week! I will conquer the half mile in my vibrams before Hellrunner!

Trail lovin'

I love running trails!

I'm lucky enough to live within the Chiltern hills in England which, other than being stupidly expensive to live in, has gorgeous countryside and some wicked trails.

One of which me and my mate run. Its a nice 6 mile route with nice scenery and more importantly its varied! Steady, hard and slow slopes followed by killer vertical climbs!

Next run planned for Friday. Gonna try for a long random trot through the country side.

Gotta also say.....the vibrams are performing beyond my wildest dreams!! Wicked!!

Five finger fun!!

Went for a run with my mate this morning and broke out the Vibrams!

Well I noticed a difference from the start! I felt quicker and more agile!
I was able to almost bounce from obstacle to obstacle with an ease that would be unheard of in normal shoes!!!

I was concerned my early attempt of five finger running would result in injury, but no injury!!! The only problem I have is slightly sore toes!

Countdown to Vibram!

Today I ran a new 6 mile route off and on road, a pretty good route!
Went through fields and along a river in the middle of nowhere. Apart from a fairly iffy moment involving a herd of peed off looking cows the route was great! Cleaned up my form nicely and it was painless!

I believe it may be time to break out the vibrams! Friday is D-day!! Just a short trip around the block is my plan.
This way I don't kill my calves lol!

Not all about the running!

I'm a huge fan of cooking! Always have been! Last week me and the Mrs went to Tunisia for a very over due holiday! Spotted the below Tagine in a local shop, having always wanted one I grabbed it!
This weekend gone we decided to test it out with fantastic results!

And so was created with my fair hand a chicken, apricot and prune tagine! Yum!!!

Strong feet less injury!!!

Today I've started a foot strengthen exercise program that's on the vibram website.
Apparently if you do these 8 or so exercises for two weeks and while you walk around barefoot or in the five fingers, not only will you avoid injury when you (finally) run in them but you will also have feet as strong as the hulk!
They also suggest a new running technique, favouring a better form of running. More landing on the ball of your feet and not overstriding and against the knee shattering heel strikes! As luck would have me and my mate have been retraining our technique to this for a couple of weeks now!! Yay!!!

I tell you what, it better be as good as they say! A lot of effort to run minimalist!

Walk before you can run!

Well then, Vibram walking has begun as a new hobby! Today I went for a walk with the Mrs before work. Barely a mile but I felt it in my calves! Must be doing something right! No pain no gain!!!

To Vibram Five fingers.....and BEYOND!!

Yesterday I purchased a pair of Vibram Five fingers from "10 point" in Amersham near chesham, bucks (England). What a shop! Run by a ultra runner who runs 87 mile races in five fingers!

I bought these shoes with the intention of strengthening my feet and avoiding the injuries which occur from running with standard shoes which have unnecessary support!

This morning I started my foot conditioning by walking with the Vibrams on as I have been told if I run too soon I could damage myself.

The long road toward barefoot begins!