Arising Runner | The journey of a novice runner

So my amazing wife and I were blessed with our son a little over a month ago.  Words cannot describe how happy we are to have him in our lives.  I would be lying if I said I haven’t already imagined him growing up a bit into a little man that runs with his father.  In fact, my wife, who within a couple of weeks looked like she never had a kid (and has received plenty of “joking” comments of “I hate you” from women she knows), has gotten more into running since our son was born.  Maybe we will become a running family…

First, though, I have to get back into running again.  Over the course of my wife’s pregnancy, I got lazy and put on about 20 lbs.  After seeing her lose every single lb she put on within 2-3 weeks after giving birth, I have managed to drop 8 lbs by running a little and trying to watch what I eat.  If I can keep it up, add in at least one more run a week along with hitting the gym at least three times a week, I should have no problem reaching my goal weight. I guess I will give it a month and see how it goes before I pat myself on the back.  Wish me luck!

I’ve read a lot of interesting articles on barefoot running over the past six months.  Some have been better than others, actually seeking out opinions from both sides of actual doctors and educated researchers.  Others have simply been rants and raves.

The gist of it is that we are built to run barefoot, but shoe companies have kept up from doing so for decades as they continue to come up with “better” shoes to “correct” the problems that we have with our strides.  Some people will benefit from running barefoot, but there are dangers to doing so.  Namely, there are things on the road (sharp rocks, glass, etc) that our shoes can help protect our feet, protection that barefoot running simply cannot provide.  The other danger is that we can injure our feet by thinking we can simply take our current shoe-wearing miles and switch right over to going barefoot for the same distances.  In reality, we need to adjust, as muscles we do not fully use in shoes are utilized when running barefoot.

It would seem that Vibram Five Fingers (VFFs) are a nice “happy medium.”  They provide you with as close to a “barefoot” experience as you can get while still providing you mild protection from road debris and from stubbing your toes.  At less than $100 for most pairs, they are also less than many running shoes offered today.

I just ordered a pair of VFFs online.  Once they arrive, I am not sure that I will be hitting the pavement in them right away (or possibly ever).  Instead, I am going to use them for weight training, as I think they will provide me with an opportunity to strengthen the stabilizing muscles in my feet for any exercise where I am standing, from the obvious squats and deadlifts all the way to bicep curls or tricep rope pulldowns.  I may also wear them around the office (if work doesn’t mind).

We’ll see how I like them.  Who knows, maybe I’ll end up running in them after all?

Anyone that has ever done any sparring or training on a heavy bag knows that boxing is as much a sport of endurance as it is of strength.  It works your core, your upper body, and provides an excellent cardio workout, often in less time than other training programs can offer.

Men’s Health offers up three intense boxing workouts to get you started.  For more in depth plans, check out RossBoxing.com’s “Intensifying the Heavy Bag”.

My heavy bag stand was purchased used at a great price, but the bag itself was exposed to the elements and along with signs of extreme wear, has developed mold all over it.  Time to toss it out and order a great replacement from Amazon.com, which happens to have free shipping on it right now (a plus, as 80 lbs is not cheap to ship): Everlast 4008 Traditional Heavy Bag (80 lb.)

Don’t forget that tomorrow, Wednesday, June 3, 2009, is National Running Day.

Lace up your shoes and hit the pavement or your favorite trail.

National Running Day.