Vibram Five Fingers - Day Two - God's Shoes?

Well, today was day 3 of wearing & day 2 of running in the new Vibram Five Finger KSO's.  I have to say, I felt much better in them today.  I didn't feel the jarring sensation as much today while running downhill.  I noticed my stride seemed shorter, but my turnover was quicker.  I actually ran 25 seconds faster today than I did yesterday on the same 1 mile route with what seemed like the same effort.

Getting them on is much easier now too.  The first time was like trying to put gloves on a toddler.  Our feet are used to "mitten" like shoes....just one big open space.  Trying to get your toes into the little pockets was a bit tricky at first, but today was pretty quick.

I also realized that these "five finger" shoes oddly seemed familiar, but I couldn't place it.  Then it came to me.  Here's hoping Ed O'Neill gets a cut of every pair made.

Review of Vibram Five Finger KSO

I couldn't help it!  I found the Vibram Five Finger KSO (Keep Stuff Out) on sale and my curiosity got the best of me.  Yesterday, I wore them for a quick trip to the mall.  Let me tell you - driving in them is totally weird!  It really feels like you are driving with no shoes.  Not to mention what they look like.  I kept joking around that I had Gorilla feet, or that I was a Bigfoot.  My immediate thought was "How cool are these!".  They really felt great walking around.  I could certainly tell I wasn't in Shoe-Kansas anymore though.  This was definitely a new experience.

Today, I wore them for an easy mile run just to see how they felt while running.  I have to be honest and say that I actually have some concerns.  When I was in high school, I would run barefoot during some practices, in the grass, just to change things up a bit and use different muscles.  However, on the road is pretty different.  Perhaps it just takes some getting used to in order to not notice. When you run, it's as if 2.5 times your body weight is coming down on your joints.  This is why heavier people usually start walking and ease into running as they lose weight.  With my Nike Pegasus', I feel great.  Great support, great cushion - just a great experience.  With my Vibrams, I really feel the impact.  Especially on the downhills! I didn't really feel a lack of support, which I find really interesting, but the impact sensation was so noticeable.  I ran off into the grass a couple of times and that was very enjoyable.  Concrete and asphalt however, are not very forgiving.

I will keep running in them and give them an honest evaluation over the next few weeks. For heavier runners, I think I would recommend staying with well cushioned shoes.  These seem (at first try) to be much better suited to experienced runners that are more on the thin side.

I'll keep you posted!

Asheville Weight Loss Coach: Case Study 1

I have my first client since becoming a Certified Personal Trainer & Sports Nutritionist here in Asheville.  I want everyone to follow his progress and cheer him on.  Today is April 16th, 2011.  Michael is a stay at home dad - sedentary - Early to mid 40's.  His stats are as follows:

• Starting Weight = 166.4 lbs
• Resting Heart Rate = 66 bpm  (not bad at all for sedentary - Mike is a former athlete)
  
• Goal 
• 145 lbs 
• Run 1/2 marathon
  
• Issues to Overcome 
• Recent plantar fasciitis on left foot
• Calf strain on right leg 3 weeks ago
• Lack of flexibility so prone to further/repeat injuries
• Poor eating habits
  
• Good News 
• 22 Weeks until 1/2 marathon
• 22 Weeks to lose 21.4 lbs (1 lb per week) - Very Achievable
  
• Mike's Initial "Fitness Do-Over" Plan 
• Cardio training 4 times per week with focus on running
• Weight training 3 times per week using body weight, dumbbells, resistance bands
• flexibility training - daily
• Nutrition Plan

****Update on Micheal's progress: Micheal was very busy with lot's of things going on in his life.  By the time we got down to business, he had just 6 weeks left.  He still had trouble getting to our workouts and so we had to focus on quality workouts over quantity when he did show up.

Micheal averaged just 2 miles per day for the 6 weeks leading up to the Half-Marathon.  He stayed injury free, lost 3 pounds (he didn't diet at all...) and actually ran the whole way for the half marathon.  While he didn't run as fast as he would have liked, he did complete it - even running all the hills - and felt great after!  Way to go Micheal! 

What To Do if You Strain Your Calf Muscle

Yesterday began my 25 week countdown to the Asheville Citizen-Times Half Marathon. I really wanted to run a particular time so I set my self a long training window. Day one was great with an easy couple of miles. Then I had my son's soccer game, of which I'm the coach. While warming up with the kids, I chased after a stray ball, got ahead of it, turned my foot so the ball would stop - and POP...pulled my calf muscle. The technical term is a "Calf Strain". This is where the muscle pulls away from the tendon, hence the "popping" sound.

The best way to treat this is to stop all activity - so my 25 week plan is going to be shorter - until the pain is gone and you can walk, run etc...with no pain. In the meantime, you should practice everyone's favorite acronym R.I.C.E. In case you've been living in a cave, or just have a horrible memory, R.I.C.E stands for:

• Rest
• Ice
• Compression
• Elevation

Rest is obvious. Don't try running, playing soccer, or any other sport. Try to stay off it as much as you can.

Ice is just that. I actually use an ice pack like you would put in a lunch box, but my favorite is a frozen bag of peas. Because the peas are so small, the frozen bag easily molds to the contour of your leg.

Compression - let's get back to this one in a moment - but basically you want to wrap it or wear a neoprene sleeve. Again, more about this is a minute.

Elevation means keep it raised up so the blood doesn't pool into your foot or lower leg.

O.K. - Compression. Knock on wood, but it's been a long time since I've had an injury. In fact, in all my years of running, I've not had a running injury. After all, this incident was warming up with the soccer team - not while training for my half.

Anyway, I went to get an ACE bandage and to my surprise, the old metal catch-claw is a thing of the past. Now, the ACE bandages are self adhesive. Just wrap and stick. WOW - that sounded so easy and it actually was very easy.  Start at the ankle and wind up the leg pulling it a little tight, but not too tight. No problem - piece of cake.

One teeny-tiny detail that the directions left off turned out to be a vital piece of information. Pre-wrap. You see, you only want to compress for a while, not around the clock. I went to remove the ACE bandage and it hurt like H-E-double hockey sticks! The self adhesive is great - except that it sticks not only to itself - but to the hairs on your leg. I suppose I should have known this, but since I've never had a running injury, nor has anyone I've trained had a running injury, I've not had reason to need to use an ACE bandage. The last time I had to use one for something my kid did, it still had the metal catch-claw that held the bandage on.  Had I used a thin layer of pre-wrap, the ACE bandage would have come off nice and easy, rather than sticking to my skin and leg hairs!

It's only been a day, and already I can put more pressure on it.  In fact, I moved a piece of furniture - so much for the "rest" part of R.I.C.E., eh?

I don't think I'll be out of commission too long.  Maybe just a couple of weeks...maybe just one as it seems to be healing fast.

Asheville Half Marathon Training

Well - as of today, there are 25 weeks until September's Citizen Times Half Marathon in Asheville, NC. I went out and helped to coach the Beginning Runners group this morning. Ran a touch over 2 miles with them. Then I went and coached my U-8 Soccer team. While warming up with the team, I sprinted, stopped and turned my foot to stop the ball and "popped" my calf muscle. Man, does it hurt! Been doing R.I.C.E all night. Tomorrow I'll probably wrap it with tape but I won't run again until I'm pain-free.

Anyway, if anyone wants to train for the half with me, I'll be starting a group in the next couple of months. I figure a good 12 week program will do the trick. I'm gearing up now (or was until today) because I'm trying to run a specific time...shooting for a 1:45:00 which is roughly an 8 minute mile the whole way.

If you're interested, let me know. 828-582-4373 or john@ashevillerunningcoach.com

Weight Loss Trainer in Asheville

Do you have a few extra pounds to lose? I'm a personal trainer in Asheville and I can help you. No fad diets, no dancing and jumping around with difficult dance moves or TV programs that are obviously not designed for beginners. What I offer is tried and true workouts that will help you build lean muscle, lose fat and improve your endurance.

As a Certified Personal Trainer & Sports Nutritionist, I can help you lose a healthy 1-2 lbs. of fat per week. Why wait any longer? Call today! 828-582-4373

Sports Nutritionist in Asheville, NC

Well, I did it! Just a week after passing my Personal Trainer Exam with ACT, I passed my IFA Sports Nutritionist Exam (International Fitness Association). The test was pretty challenging, but most of it I already knew from being a runner all these years plus my Kinesiology coursework in college. The ACT exam was very heavy on nutrition also so it was great preperation. The IFA course study materials were great and very informative - I just happened to be pretty much up to speed. Got a 97%!

So - looking for Sports Nutritionist in the Asheville Area? I can help you create a plan that will help you improve your performance & achieve your goals.

Contact me today at 828-582-4373