Running: Not so bad after all

I’m a huge fan of fitness. I think eating right and regular intense exercise are the cornerstones of preparing for adventures and life in general. Plus, as a member of the US Armed Forces, I’m required to stay physically fit. My fitness activities range from light days at the gym to hard core circuit courses. I usually prefer to get my cardio workouts on the trails in and around Colorado Springs, usually with a few pounds of gear strapped to my back. Unfortunately I don’t always have time to get out for cardio, so I have to rely on what the local fitness center has to offer. While stair climbers, elliptical machines, and stationary bikes all work fine for cardio, I know that the best workout in a short time is running. The problem is, I REALLY don’t like running. I’ve had to run for time pretty regularly since I joined Civil Air Patrol over 20 years ago, and I’ve never liked it. When I first joined the Air Force, my run times were average at best, I’ve never been a fast runner. As I’ve aged, I’ve developed minor knee irritations that have required a brace on occasion, which has definitely slowed my run times. While I still meet the standards for the AF, I’ve really felt that I’ve been held back a little. Last year a friend of mine posted on Facebook about a not-so-new running ‘shoe’ called the Vibram Five Fingers.

The premise of the Five Fingers is to mimic running barefoot, since barefoot running is much more efficient and safe than even the best running shoe. The philosophy is that humans have been running for thousands of years, yet running shoes have only been around for a few decades. The Five Fingers is basically a glove for your foot; each toe has its own pocket to go in. This logic made a lot of sense to me, so I decided to try a pair out. I called around to all the stores in Colorado Springs and only found one that sells the Five Fingers, our trusty locally owned Mountain Chalet. When I went down to try on a pair of Five Fingers, I was lucky enough to be helped by a salesperson that’s been a fan of them for years. She gave me a quick run down of the options and I decided that the KSO would be the best fit for me. When I first pulled the size 41 KSO Five Fingers out and tried to put them on, I immediately realized there was a learning curve here. I’m not kidding when I say it took a good 10 minutes to get that first shoe on. Even though the Five Fingers uses a more precise sizing scheme, everyone’s foot is a little different. In fact, I’ve been told that some people may not be able to find a size that fits them well. The key to learning how to wear these shoes is figuring out how to ‘work’ your toes into the pockets.

The second shoe only took 5 minutes, and now I can don the Five Fingers nearly as quickly as any other shoe. Let’s talk about results. While I can’t guarantee that everyone will respond well to the Five Fingers, if my results are typical, most people will see fairly immediate benefits. There is, however, a re-training period of a couple of weeks to get used to running more efficiently. While the specifics are beyond the scope of this article (see below for some great resources), suffice it to say that when you learn to run without slamming your heel into the ground, you’re going to be much more efficient. My run times (for the 1.5 mile fitness test that I’m required to take) have dropped by an average of 30 seconds over the last few months. Beyond that, while I’m still not a HUGE fan of running (you won’t see me in any marathons), with the Five Fingers I almost look forward to it. What’s more, I’ve not had to wear a knee brace at all since I’ve been using these shoes. Since running is more efficient and less jarring, the impact is less intense and my knees are very thankful for that. In fact, there have been times that my knees have hurt (from wearing dress shoes at work) when I began running, but stop hurting after running for a few minutes in the Five Fingers. I’m not sure if this is typical, but it sure has me sold! I’m considering buying a set of KSO Treks for light hiking this summer. I’ll let you know how that works out. When it comes to indoor training for any type of adventure, good cardio is a must. I’ve become a huge fan of the Vibram Five Fingers and the barefoot running philosophy in general, it really makes sense. If you’re looking to increase your running efficiency and decrease the impact, head down to your local outfitter and try on a set of Five Fingers.

RESOURCES

Vibram Five Fingers KSO – Mens  (Buy) A great resource for barefoot running.

A Harvard study on barefoot running Great video showing the benefits of barefoot running. A Barefoot running blog