A 'New Wave"?

I read a piece by someone the other day where they said they just LOVED the "New wave" of minimalist running. The trend that less is more and you should be running bare foot or in Vibram five fingers...

"New Wave" my ass!

Pictured above are my first real pairs of running shoes. Look at the soles on these things!

The left is the Onitsuka Marathon (Onitsuka later became Asics) And the right is the Boston '73. I went through three pairs of those and several pairs of Marathons before trying Addias, Etonic Street Fighters and then on to Nike Waffle trainers....

The first great running wave, that I was part of in the early 70's were bolstered by shoes like the ones above...you could wear them till they fell apart the soles almost never wore out and you could run 100 mile weeks in them, and I often did when I lived in Colorado. If the bottoms got funky you slapped on some Shoe Goo and went back out on the road.

Talk about strong feet!

Now were into the third (some say fourth) running boom since running really took off in this country. During every up tick in running in this country, at some point someone runs out the less is more thing, the Tarahumara indians, and running barefoot. It's here for awhile and then fades.

Oh, to be sure...there are people that run barefoot all the time and have for years and that works for them. There are folks that never stopped running in minimalist shoes all the time, but they call them running or racing flats which is what the shoes above were called, even though you ran in them ALL the time.

Running this way ISN'T for everyone...just like running marathons or even 5k's isn't for everyone. Many folks would have you believe it is. Don't be a sheeple. Try it and if it causes problems switch to what WILL work for you.

Vibram Five Fingers look really interesting and couldn't have existed years ago because the technology wasn't there to make them.

I've talked with many runners who have tried running barefoot or with VFF's or even minimalist shoes...they they talk about about their injuries and how much they still love the VFF's and happy to say they still get out "once in awhile" barefoot.

Now, tomorrow, I hope to get off the injured reserve list and get back out on the road. (read some previous post to find out what's been shaking with me, if you don't already know).

I am going to return to running the way I started, in "minimalist shoes" Nike Frees and racing flats and see if I can re-build the kind of foot strength I had 30 years ago. I believe that running in super cushioned shoes have made my running more sloppy and have caused more injuries than they prevented. I can say that...I have a frame of reference.

Recently had a chat with a lass who waxed on quite well about how people were meant to go about barefoot. "Why, they have always done it." she said.

I pointed out the the "Iceman" from an Italian glacier was found in leather shoes with moss stuffed in them. The Roman legionaries walking across the globe in leather hob nailed boots with foot clothes in winter. Felt shoes in ancient China, leather shoes on European mummies, rope sandals on the dead found in the High Dry of South America.

Yeah, sure people walk about barefoot, but given have a chance they'll put shoes on and with good reason. Going around barefoot will mess up your feet.

Thera -Band Land

Six weeks post surgery now...Wo-Hoo! One more week and I'm off to the doctor again and hopefully get this bloody walking boot off, can go back to shoes on BOTH feet and being able to drive.

Any way...WHO came up with the term "walking boot'? It's really a "hobble boot"! If you limp in it you run risk of messing up the opposite side hip or knee, so if you try and walk in it correctly...it's all baby steps.

Have been going to PT for two weeks now and things are improving daily. I'm in the office three times a week and continuing PT at home, x2 daily, in between. The exercise shown here is just one of the ones I do.

It's done with a Thera-band which is a big rubber band. They come in different strengths. I'm on "Green" which is the easiest one. It's where I should be. The last thing I'd do is jump into a hard one out of hubris and mess up my ankle. It's not my choice really...PT handed me that color and and when I asked about harder...they pointed to the green one. Nuff said.

The therapist does some massage, ultrasound to help break up the swelling, stretching and working with the bands, some ankle weights, toe raises...then electrical stimulation, icing and done. Doing the same thing at home...

I like the office and the PT is just aces.

I'm keeping the PT time in my training journal, as well as some upper body work I'm doing and also working on the next 50 Core Challenge over on the Trifuel website to get my core nice and strong.

Looking forward to next week...I'm ready for this to be done and despite what some folks think (and you know who you are) return to running.

Arg! Pfffft! ugh! huhhh!

Don't use a muscle for four weeks. I dare you. Not some weenie muscle but one you really need like...your quads or hammies or your GASTROCNEMIUS! (calf)

After four weeks of being bound up in fiberglass and having no use of my lower leg muscles now I can use them again.

Wednesday I was off to the doctor and got my walking cast, as noted in a previous post. Yesterday morning I woke up and following doc's orders I used my crutches until I got the feel for my walking boot...It didn't take long. I'm in good shape and have good balance and know my body pretty well..so by yesterday at lunch time I'm clunking around the house like a zombie in "Thriller." At least I'm mobile!

By yesterday evening...my calf was cramping and seizing and I even noticed it in my quad.

OK ,so I walked a bit too much on it. The doc did say use it "just a bit" at first...well my "just a bit" is one hell of a alot bigger than most folks!

Still...I hadn't used those muscles in 4 weeks, not to mention the abuse of surgery that my ankle had undertaken...Sore today. Wearing a compression sock under my walking cast.

So today I'll back off and ease into it.

PT starts Monday! I'm sure that will be "fun!"

I have been able to keep up with some core work during all this but not much. I even managed to lose weight instead of pack it on...but that may have been partially because of the narcotics!

They Gave me The Boot.

Today was just great! Just as I reached the "Get me out of this thing!" point with my cast, I had a doctor's appointment. Esposa Favorita drove me as I 'm unable to drive. Once there, waited for just a bit and off to get the bloody hard cast cut off. Wonderful little device. Looks like a Dremel Moto Tool ( the coolest tool ever) except that this one vibrates back and forth instead of whirring. No damage to skin that way... The tech cut through the cast, which I kept.

Skippy ( the teen age looking doctor came in) and took out my stitches and complimented me on being a fast healer. (I had an advanced healing class in college...you got to love a liberal arts education) He said it looks like I'm doing everything right. Yeah!

He dressed the wound and said I could start showering again tomorrow. Yes, I've been keeping clean but when you're a one a day shower(at least) guy cutting way back makes you feel...yucky.

Three weeks in the walking boot, take it easy and walk on for short bits at first, start PT and still no driving. I don't think the boot would fit in there anyway and he really wants to make sure the reattached bone stays put.

Hopefully in three weeks I'l be able to get back to some form of aerobic exercise.

Feeling good about things right now...next appointment on June 30.

I d have to say...I am absolutely pleased with this doctor and his office and the staff. They have done a great job and I have no complaints....

S-l-o-w M-o-t-i-o-n

Now...three weeks post surgery and everything seems to have shifted into slow motion...At first the time seemed to be going quickly, but now it's not. I have to check a calendar to see what day it is...my days are marked by what time Mythbusters comes on and bed time is usually after Cash Cab.

I miss work like mad. I know if I were still able to get to work and ...work, the time would be just ripping by. It always does this time of year. But here at home with my leg up the time just drags...I miss the kids.

I'm not having much pain now, but still take a half a pain pill from time to time when I get this disquieting uncomfortable feeling inside my foot. I understand why I have to keep my foot up most of the time. My skeletal/muscle pump can't work in my right foot as it's completely immovable...so leaving it down for short periods of time makes the toes turn blue and look like sausages...it gets uncomfortable. Put it up, and in a few minutes, it's good to...not go anywhere.

One more week till I'm back at the doctor and get my stitches out. I'm hoping for a walking cast, but ML reminded me that I'll probably be in a removable boot...but still unable to walk on it.

Nuts!