Minimalist vs. Barefoot

I tried the barefoot shoes in January.  I made the mistake of buying Fila.  Rule number one of buying a new type of shoe: Don't Buy Cheap!  They were still more expensive than normal running shoes, but they were obviously cheaper than a quality brand like Vibrams.  I would wear them on a run, then I would have to switch back to my old shoes for the rest of the week.  I tried wearing them at my running clinic that started in March.  It is a fun conversation starter to wear shoes with toes, but it is still embarrassing to run around in something that will skin your heels.  I went back to my old shoes for a while, though they felt clunky and unnatural.  The barefoot shoe was fun because I felt like I was running with my whole foot, not just running on stumps.  I enjoyed the feeling of grabbing the pavement with my toes and hopping around like an elf.

When I first saw the Minimalist shoe (Nike and New Balance's solution to barefoot running), I scoffed at their toe-less unsophistication.  I had my heart set on wearing toe shoes and I did not consider a shoe to be in the "barefoot" class of shoes unless they had toes.  I have learned since then.  The Fila toes really did not add much to the experience.  The whole point of barefoot shoes is they lack the cushion that normal running shoes have in excess.

There is a New Balance store near me.  I went there to get minimalist shoes since the old shoes just don't do it for me anymore.  This store has sales people that have to explain how these shoes work and make sure you don't get injured from buying the wrong shoe.  I only had to repeat to the guy about 10 times that I have experience in barefoot running.  He tried to sell me the Minimus 10.  I insisted on the Zero.  I don't need a stepping stone.  At first I tried to pick out a "casual walking" shoe because I was going for uber minimalism.  The sales guy gave me a funny look and explained that those shoes wouldn't hold up for running.  It occurred to me that they would probably shred faster than running shoes.  Then I picked a "cross-trainer" and got another funny look.  Finally I just told him to point out the running shoes so I could get on with my life.  They didn't have a huge style selection, but I was still fortunate enough to get a non-yellow pair.

The minimalist shoes feel just as good as the barefoot shoes for running with the added bonus of being able to wear socks to prevent blisters.  I can even wear them while riding my bike, something I couldn't do with my Fila shoes because there was no extra room past the toe.  I'm barely tall enough for my bike with regular shoes.

Minimalist shoes are no nonsense primal footwear.  I know several people who have Vibrams toe shoes and love them, but Fila is a brand to avoid like the plague.

Primal Blueprint Day 1

Today I start eating according to the Primal Blueprint.  I cooked a giant turkey this weekend and still have plenty of meat leftover.  That leaves me plenty of time to experiment with vegetable dishes.  Last night I cooked cabbage for the first time.  I've eaten cabbage before but most of the cabbage I've eaten has been in the occasional egg roll.  I waited until the holidays were over to attempt this eating plan because communal meals with family and co-workers can make it very hard to stick to a plan as different as paleo diet.  Grains and beans are extremely difficult to cut out of a diet.  I've heard that the first two weeks will be the hardest.  I plan on stuffing myself full of things I can eat, like meat, fruit, veggies, and delicious fat during this time so that I don't feel hungry.  The body takes a while to adjust to getting energy from fat instead of carbohydrates.

I'm also breaking out the barefoot shoes for running again.  Last year I participated in the Little Rock Women Run Arkansas clinic and 5k in Conway.  This year I volunteered to be a group leader in the clinic.  There's also the Little Rock Marathon to train for.  I have no plans to train for the actual marathon this year, but they have replaced the relay with a 10k so that is my goal.  I have the Couch to 10k app on my phone.  Early this fall was running that program twice in a row three days a week along the river.  I stopped when it got too dark to see other pedestrians on the trail and too creepy to walk to my car at the end of the run.  The river trail is a real spoiler since there are not many hills (only one section forces an incline because it's a quick and dirty detour around construction).  My neighborhood is very hilly, and when I run near home I take my dog which adds an additional challenge of having him dart in front of me occasionally.  To train for running, I will start running and walking multiple laps around my neighborhood instead of just the one I usually walk.

Cold Weather Workouts

I tried jogging in the morning for a while, but the morning is not a good time to test my endurance.  In the morning I fly on autopilot through my routine, but cold and wet weather cut through my subconscious resolve.  If I don't have something to do indoors at those times, I often get bored and go back to bed.  Then even on the days that the weather is perfect, I feel no urge to get up early.

One way to take advantage of the cold weather indoor time is to do workout videos.  The main goal of working out is not to sculpt my body, although I'm sure that will be a result eventually, but instead I am exercising my stamina.  The video I'm currently working through is Gaiam's Cardio Pilates.  The real trick to exercise videos is to start out by doing small segments at a time.  There is no way I could do this entire video all at once in the current state of flab I live in.  I'm not that out of shape; I just don't exercise my core enough.  Pilates is an excellent way to work your core muscles.  Last year I worked out on the Total Gym for a few months and only went jogging sporadically.  When I did jog, it felt far easier to endure longer distances than when I just tried to jog without regular exercise.

Primal Blueprint law #4 is to lift heavy things.  I consider myself heavy enough (at 140 pounds), at least when I lift and hold as Pilates tends to encourage.  I don't need to add external weights to my workout because all I have to do is extend the time I balance myself to increase the difficulty.  Chronic cardio is a big no-no in the Primal Blueprint, but I do around 5 to 10 minutes of the Pilates video at a time.  Even though the video is Cardio Pilates, it's still just strength training for me.

One of my goals for 2012 is to run a 10k.  Fortunately, the Little Rock Marathon has replaced their relay race with a 10k.  There are lots of 5ks and half-marathons in Arkansas, but not many races are 10k.  I like the idea of stepping up in my endurance challenges.  I have run a few 5k races, and it is challenging.  But without the idea of a reachable next step, it's difficult for my mind to find the motivation to either continue 5k running or train up for the half-marathon.  I realize this is a mental crutch, but I'm trying to grow at a sustainable pace.  I could probably make it through a half-marathon at this point, but I would rather go into such a race having the experience of making it to the halfway point alive.  The marathon is in March, so I am making the most of my winter time with core training.