Exercise: The Other Thing You Gotta Do

I've never been a great runner; I'm big and slow.  It does seem to have obvious value though so I try to work it into my schedule.  Even went so far as to buy a treadmill, which makes me feel like a hamster.  I don't mind. 

I'm one of those ridiculously tall people you see out in public once in a while, and I'm also accident prone (really accident prone)... so I'm especially worried about my joints being beaten up by the time I'm old.  It's a real concern!  TPT inadvertently to the rescue! 

Along with TPT comes a whole sort of "back to roots" mentality, which I really dig.  Part of that community is into minimalist running, so (once again tipped off by Bryan) I scored myself a pair of those five toed shoes.  The idea is to simulate running barefoot without having to toughen up your tender little toes. 

I went with Vibrams and it's the only pair I've owned so I can't compare and contrast between brands, but I will say this:  I frikkin love them!  Completely changed my opinion of running. 

Running used to be awful;  I'd hurt in random places during and afterward.  Not anymore! 

When I run now, my heels barely touch the ground.  I take much longer to tire and my calves have really benefited from the workout.  No shin splints either, which was a big problem for me.  Just that small change, letting my feet conform to the ground they way they were meant to do, has let my body re-learn how to run properly and the results are fantastic! 

I've been working the Vibrams for a good while now (several months) and I have yet to plateau.  I  go faster and farther every time and it takes less and less time to recover.  I don't dread it like I used to, and I'm not completely worthless and sore afterwards, which makes a tremendous difference. 

Look into it, there is a lot of literature online about it (http://barefoot-running.com/, for example)  The only real gripe that people seem to have is that they tried to do too much too fast and got blisters.  Gotta take your time!

TSN