Born to Run

Warning: the following contains information about a book

I enjoy reading, but I'm not much of a reader. That being said I recently finished the book Born to Run and let me say it is hands down in my top 5. I could ramble on and try and tell you the story but that would be like me pinch hitting for Babe Ruth, not nearly as effective as the way Christopher McDougall tells the story. I will say this, so many different stories are weaved together in a fascinating way. I learned so much; about the Tarahumara, about ultra running, about the ultra running community and the whackjobs that make up the community, and about the idea of running without shoes.

Yeah, that sounds weird, but the data suggests it may be the healtiest way to run. Thanks to folks like Nike the athletic shoe industry is big bucks, but is it possible that all these high tech shoes designed to make your foot move a certain way are actually fighting against nature? There are barefoot runners that swear by it and while I can't vouch for their technique, I am going to try it.

My plan is to get the Vibram Fivefingers barefoot shoes this week and start breaking them in on some short 2-4 mile runs. If all goes well it will help me develop better running form and a stronger foot. I'm eager to see how it works and I will keep you posted on the success or failure of the barefoot experiment.

Ironman Florida

I am going to my first Ironman race this weekend. No, I'm not racing, not sure I'd be able to finish a race like that in any amount of time. I've got three friends that are racing, and my friend John has graciously invited me to come down for the weekend. I've done a lot of training with John, most of it on the bike, a little running, an even smaller amount of swimming. While I think I've made some huge strides in my fitness level this year, John just continues to amaze me with what he's done. I know he will have a great race. Part of the reason for going down is to support him, and my other friends Sara and Jessica Jacobs (she's a pro and really doesn't need my support, but I'll yell for her anyway) the other part of going down is so I can sign up for next years race. Believe it or not, despite the fact that these races cost way to much money to enter, they sell out as soon as registration opens. One way to ensure a spot is to sign up on site the day after. Scary to think that next year at this time I'll be getting ready to do an ironman. Can I really do it? Do I have the ability to actually train for something like that? The proper training schedule lasts for like 6 months. Lucky for me I'll have some help, John is doing it again next year and so is our friend Colin. They are both way better than me so hopefully they can drag me up with them instead of me dragging them down. I'm super fortunate to have met these guys, I mean what would I be doing if I wasn't running and riding hundreds of miles every month... probably drinking. Cheers to great race, a lot of training to come and a cold one when its over!