If you think about it humans have been running barefoot for centuries, we were born barefoot and runners seem to have done just fine over the ages with a piece of cloth sown onto a rubber sole forget all the modern technology and keep it simple so a couple months ago I did just that. I decided to err on the side of caution by using minimal shoes as a transitional aid. It was hard to do but I traded in my comfy Montrail Hardrocks for a pair of La Sportiva Fireblade’s and my comfy Mizuno Wave Rider’s for a pair of Brooks Burn, believe it or not I put my green Superfeet insoles aside too. The first week of the experiment my feet hurt; my legs where sore and I’m sure I was on the path to an injury, I wanted my comfy shoes back. Then a couple weeks later like a beam of light, everything changed my running felt smooth, my stride was longer, I felt faster, I enjoyed the feel of the earth under foot, and the feel of my foot as it was flexing every footstep. What had I been missing and why did I have this conception I needed cushioned running shoes which controlled my natural foot motion and running stride. The transition to Vibram Five-Fingers Sprint was an exhilarating experience. The first time a ran in them I went 4 miles and the next day my legs really hurt especially my calves. I continue to run two days a week in the Five-Fingers, I it took a few weeks for my body to adjust but now I just love the freedom, you feel connect to the earth in a certain way. In my opinion running in these is more comfortable then any shoe but the recovery period after short miles is a lot longer so now I do 1 to 2 easy workouts during the week in the Five-Fingers to help strengthen my legs and feet and it’s also a nice change of pace. I’ve got a fun mix and my weeks look like this -
7 mile tempo run
5 mile Vibram Five-Finger Run
Easy Run
6 mile run with hill repeats
5 mile Vibram Five-Finger Run
Long Run
Next up I’ll attempt actual barefoot running :-)
RACE RECAP -
A belated MorFun Wapack Trail Race Recap -
I ran the Wapack Trail Race E2E on May 10th; it was a grand experience, sunny skies, majestic views, wonderful support from the all volunteers thanks to Ron, Thomas and others and a big thank you goes out to the race director Bogie D who was everywhere. The neat aspect of this race is you leave your car at the finish and hop on a yellow school bus which drops you off at the trail head and you run 21 miles south back to your car hence the End-2-End. I had a few ailments enroute but managed to complete the run in 4:38, just enough time to head home and enjoy the rest of the day with the kids.
Results
DEAL OF THE WEEK Montrail Highlander $59.47
QUOTE OF THE WEEK - "Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way.”
Dr. Seuss
YOUTUBE OF THE WEEK - "The Runner" Now's he's on a new quest for the CDT record stop by Sherpa John's blog for a recent interview with Dr. David Horton.
UPCOMING RACES –
The Schreechers are on a great pace for a great race on June 1st, we’re all looking forward to next weekend’s Corrib Classic 5K.
Good luck to everyone running Pineland Farms Trail Challenge this weekend especially Thomas and Ron the Buddha sends his best.
Spend a day at the beach -
6/29 Cape Cod Beach Safari - Race Across the Sand
Have a great 
Run short, run long, run here, run there, run up, run down, run one, run all.
