The Barefoot Running Book- Second Edition Giveaway!

To celebrate the new Barefoot Running University website, I will be giving away a copy of the second edition of The Barefoot Running Book!  All you have to do to enter is become a friend of the Barefoot Running University site using Google Friend Connect.  The Google Friend Connect box is located in the far right column:

The winner will be randomly chosen this Saturday, September 11th.  Best of luck!

Also- the Barefoot Runners Society is now open to the public!

http://barefootrunners.org

 

The Second Edition of The Barefoot Running Book: Availability and a Giveaway!

The second edition of The barefoot Running Book is now available!  For those that pre-ordered, the books should ship on Wednesday.  They are currently available on the Barefoot Running University website.  For those of you that prefer Amazon, they will be available very soon (see page here).  

The cost is $14.95.  I kept the price the same as the first, but it expanded from 61 to 188 pages.  Check out the BRU book page for more information!  

To celebrate the finished project, I am holding a contest to give away two books.  Here's how it will work:

1. Think of your best barefoot running tips.
2. List each one as a comment under this post.
3. I will send one copy to the person that lists the most legitimate tips, and I will send one copy to the person that left the last tip when I wake up tomorrow morning.  For those of you that like strategy, it will help to know about what time I normally wake up.  Facebook friends, you may have a bit of an advantage with that one... :-)

Good luck! 

Barefoot Workshop/Talk in West Michigan

If you happen to be in the West Michigan area tomorrow (Tuesday, August 17th), stop by Schuler Books on 28th Street in Grand Rapids!


http://www.schulerbooks.com/event/barefoot-runners-society-workshop-28th-st

A bunch of randomness...

Over the last few weeks, I've been busy with my various adventures, then documenting said adventures.  There are a lot of happenings occurring in the very near future, lots of news to share.  Let's begin!

My Achilles Injury

When running in the Burning River 100, I tweaked my left Achilles.  As of last week, it was still sore and inflamed.  My plan was to simply rest in preparation for the Fallsburg Marathon this upcoming weekend.  Late last week, I was emailing Dr. Scott Hadley, a barefoot running friend of mine.  He had read my race report about Burning River and suggested I try a self-treatment he developed on his TrekoClinics site.  I felt a bit foolish; I had forgotten I had access to one of the leaders in the field of diagnosing and treating.  

Based on Scott's recommendation, I used the treatment he described in the sample video on the site's main page.  After three days, the Achilles feels perfect!  The tightness and pain I had felt completely disappeared.  I tested it with a four mile tempo run yesterday at a 7:20 pace.  This would constitute one of my two training runs before tapering for the marathon.  The Achilles was 100% both during and after the run.  Bottom line- the treatment worked.

Barefoot Track Meet

My friend, occasional training partner, and Barefoot Runners Society Michigan Chapter president Andy Grosvenor is helping to organize a barefoot/minimalist shoe track meet this Friday in Rockford, Michigan.  The idea is simple- it's a fun event to help raise the awareness of barefoot running.  I'm still working on my schedule, but am planning on being in attendance.  I'll be running the longest event, but doing it very slowly.  I'll be happy to answer any questions people may have about barefoot or minimalist shoe running.  Additionally, there will be at least a few more VERY experienced barefoot runners in attendance.  It will be a great opportunity to learn.

All are welcome!  Here are the details:

WHEN: Friday, August 13th, 7pm
WHERE: Rockford North Middle School Track,
397 E Division Street Northeast, Rockford, MI
WHAT: 440, 880, 1mi, 2mi, and 3mi in nothing but the bare of your barefeet [or some interesting MINIMAL footwear, if your feet can't take it...]
WHY: because we can, to raise awareness of barefoot running, and for a groovy homemade medal!

Book Signing/ Barefoot Workshop

I will be leading a discussion on barefoot running at Schuler Books in Grand Rapids on Tuesday, August 17th at 7:00pm.  I will be joined by physical therapist Dr. Dave Asselin and Gazelle Sports.  The workshop will be more topical than my usual workshops due to time constraints, but we will have ample time to answer questions from the audience.  The event is free!

This will also be the first opportunity to purchase the second edition of my barefoot running book.  Twenty percent of the proceeds will be donated to the Barefoot Runners Society!

Barefoot Running Workshop

I will continue my series of regular barefoot/minimalist shoe running workshops at Crossfit Grand Rapids.  The next workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, August 24th from 7:30pm to about 9:30pm.  This is a comprehensive hands-on (of feet-on) workshop that involves actual drills and running.  Cost is $10 and you can reserve a spot by contacting Brandon Armstrong at contactus@crossfitgr.com or 616.916.7210.  Spots are limited and fill up rather fast, so it's usually best not to wait until the last minute.

616-916-7210 begin_of_the_skype_highlightingend_of_the_skype_highlighting

Paleo Diet

Shelly and I have been following a quasi-paleo diet for about a month now.  This will be a topic of a future post, this is just a quick update.  It is going VERY well.  Effects noticed:

• No intense food cravings, especially cravings for breads or sugary foods,
• Decrease in body fat percentage despite no reduction in caloric intake,
• Even energy levels throughout the day

The results are striking enough for me to continue with the experiment.  Again, I will write more about this in the near future.

Fallsburg Marathon

As mentioned before, I will be running in the Fallsburg Marathon this upcoming weekend.  I will be joined by at least two other barefoot runners (Andy G., the organizer of the barefoot track meet and Shelly, my wife).  The course is relatively barefoot-friendly, and they do have a 5K and half marathon option.  If you're in the neighborhood, check it out!  My goal for the race- beat my marathon PR of about 3:55.

North Country Trail Ultra

On August 28th, I will be running the North Country Trail 50 miler.  I'm looking forward to this event as it will reunite Shelly and I with our road-trip crew of Mark Robillard and Jesse Scott (among a lot of other friends).  This is a VERY barefoot-friendly course.  We will have at least six or seven barefoot and/or minimalist shoe runners, possibly MANY more.  If you plan on being there, look for me (I'll be running in my Sport Kilt again).  My goal for this race- complete my trifecta of PRs (100 mile, marathon, and 50 mile) in one month by running a sub-10:20 time!

Woodstock Running Festival

Shelly and I are planning on attending the Woodstock races this year.  My tentative plan is to crew/pace for Jesse.  Shelly's plans are still up in the air.  Like the North Country Trail races, there should be a fairly large contingency of barefoot/minimalist shoe runners on hand.  This is another great event with a large range of races  from a 5K up to a 100 miler... if you're in the area, check it out!

Reviews

In the very near future, I will be reviewing a variety of products.  I will continue to document my experiences with running in the kilt, I will give a few review of Barefoot Ted's Luna sandals, and should be reviewing a pair of GoLite minimalist shoes, Inov-8 minimalist shoes, and eventually some New Balance minimalist shoes.  I may be reviewing some Zensah compression sleeves, too.

Life Simplification

I haven't posted much about this topic lately, but I am continuing to simplify my life by purging excess material "stuff".  My goal is to eliminate half of my possessions by the end of summer.  I am about 75% done.   The long-term goal is to reduce my family's possessions substantially (down to about 25% of our current possessions) by the end of spring 2011.  Part of this process is culling our crap.  The other element is being EXTREMELY selective on new purchases.  So far, so good.

Workouts

If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you know I am a HUGE proponent of weight training as a form of crosstraining.  I have been training with Brandon Armstrong and John Devries of Crossfit Grand Rapids for about six weeks, and have been training with my friend Pete Kemme for several years.  Pete recently added a HUGE list of exercises and accompanying videos to his site. I credit these workouts for my ability to finish 100 milers despite a relatively low number of running miles (average about 40 miles per week over the last three months).  If you are a runner, you should seriously consider this style of workouts as cross training.  It's tough, but I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Finally...

I mentioned it earlier, but the second edition of my barefoot running book will be officially released in two weeks.  The book is available for pre-order right now at a discount ($9.99 versus $14.95) and should ship in about two weeks.  Once it is released, it will be available via Amazon.  For those that prefer Amazon, I will post the link as soon as it is ready!

Burning River Initial Report, The Barefoot Running Book Pre-order, and The Barefoot Book giveaway!

Burning River

Well, I finished the Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run this weekend!  While I did not meet my goal of running the entire race barefoot (I decided to wear huarache sandals after mile 33.3), I did set a 100 mile PR (27:48 or so).  

It was an awesome weekend!  Tons of thanks goes to my excellent crew consisting of my wife Shelly, Jesse Scott, and Barefoot Art.  I met a ton of wonderful people, got to spend time with friends I don't see often, and experienced the full Burning River course.  A full race report will be forthcoming, but here are a few highlights:

• I wore a kilt for the entire race,
• My "Mike's Hard Lemonade and chia" iskiate worked as planned,
• I realized drinking 92 ounces of beer the night before a race and getting four hours of sleep is a bad idea,
• I am considering abandoning my goal of running a barefoot 100 miler and focusing on getting competitive,
• I am very good at powering up hills, but equally bad at running down hills,
• I need to do more back-to-back long runs to reduce the amount of walking after the half-way point,
• I am capable of a pretty good kick, even at the end of a 100 miler.  Thanks to Jesse's inspiration and Shelly's leadership, I managed to crank out a 12:00 pace for the last 4.8 miles, highlighted by a 6:45 sprint over the last 100 yards.

Photo courtesy Laurie Colón

The race report will be written over the course of this week and will be posted here.  Check back often. :-)

In other news...

The second edition of "The Barefoot Running Book: A Practical Guide to the Art and Science of Barefoot and Minimalist Shoe Running" is almost done!  I am very excited; this edition is a significant improvement over the first edition.  To celebrate, I am offering it for only $9.99 + shipping and handling for about two weeks.  For those that order it, the book should arrive from the printer around the last week in August.  I will ship them as soon as they arrive.

The book can be pre-ordered here: CLICK HERE

Finally...

Just a reminder- you can win a copy of Daniel Howell's excellent "The Barefoot Book" by following these directions before August 4th (this Wednesday). 

Barefoot Running Injuries... Broken Toes

During my latest barefoot/ minimalist shoe running workshop at Crossfit Grand Rapids, we had a lengthy discussion regarding barefoot running injuries.  I classify injuries in two categories: beginner "transitioning" injuries and injuries resulting from a lack of protection.  

The "transitioning" injuries involve the "top of the foot" injuries, Achilles/calf injuries, and blisters.  The "lack of protection " injuries involve puncture wounds, heat and cold injuries, blunt-force injuries, and maybe blisters.  I cover the topic of injuries on my website here.

Yesterday, Shelly experienced her first minimalist shoe injury... a broken toe.  We were running on an unfamiliar trail.  The trail was fairly technical as it was littered with large rocks, gravel, and many roots.  The trail was used primarily for mountain bikers.  Like most bike trails in the area, the terrain is rugged for runners in general and barefoot runners in particular.  

I was running barefoot and encountered several sections that required me to slow to a 14 minute/mile pace to traverse.  Shelly was wearing her Vibram KSOs. 

I was running behind her as I was tired from a crosstraining workout and five mile run I did earlier in the morning.  About a half mile into the run, she stumbled, took a few more steps, and stopped.  Immediately I knew something was wrong.  Shelly never stops.

I asked her what happened.  She said she caught the pinky toe of her right foot on a root and it bent laterally.  Her silence was the best indicator that it was pretty serious.  She started walking, then tried running.  Her obvious limp and grimace betrayed her attempts to play it cool. 

We stopped and examined the toe.  It was red an swelling; it did not look good.  

We were still about a half mile to a mile from our car, so we decided to keep moving.  Shelly put the KSO back on and tried running.  It was too painful.  She tried walking.  Again, it was too painful.  In typical Shelly fashion, she took off the shoes, walked a few steps, then took off her socks.  She ran the rest of the loop barefoot (one mile) with the broken toe. 

It is doing better today and will likely only sideline her for a few days.  She has a freakishly high pain tolerance, so she will probably push through any pain when she begins running again.  

The point of the story- barefoot or minimalist shoe running does present some dangers.  I broke a toe in 2007 in the middle of a 50 miler.  It happens.  When weighing the decision to run barefoot, realize it is not without risk.  Personally, I think the benefits FAR outweigh the risks, but the risks are real.

In Other News

I am currently reading The Barefoot Book by Dr. Daniel Howell.  While it is not specific to barefoot running, it is the perfect companion to the barefoot running books currently on the market.  I will give a full review soon, and will be holding a contest to give a copy away to one of my readers. 

Even More News

The second edition of The Barefoot Running Book is nearing completion.  I will be sharing the details as soon as possible, maybe immediately after Burning River next weekend.  It includes many new sections, a rewritten introduction, pictures, and contributions from many of the leaders in our field.  

I am planning on making it available via pre-order at a discount if there appears to be enough interest. 

A 5k training plan for barefoot runners

I've started working on the second edition of my book- "The Barefoot Running Book."  Among the new information I'm adding will be a section on training plans.  This in an excerpt from that section:

 My Training Plans

Once you complete each of the stages covered in this book, you will be free to run faster and longer.  Many runners run races as a means of increasing their running abilities.  To help you achieve your own running goals, I am including several of my own plans.

Note – I am not nor have I ever been an elite runner.  I am a recreational runner.  All of these plans are developed for recreational runners.  If high performance is your primary goal, seek the assistance of a qualified running coach.  Running coaches can be found via Road Runners of America (http://www.rrca.org) or United States Track and Field (http://www.usatf.org.)

If these plans do not suit you, there are many plans available online.  The workouts are as follows:

•    Repeats: A repeat is a very fast run (near-sprint) over a very short distance.  When doing repeats, you should not be able to talk.  The purpose of a tempo run is to build speed.  Repeats are expressed as “A” x “B” where “A” is the number of times you run and “B” is the distance you run.  Generally, I rest one minute between each repeat.  When running repeats barefoot, it is important to never increase your pace more than 15 seconds per mile per week.  This will help assure you remain injury-free.

•    Tempo Run: A tempo run is slower than repeats, but still a fast run (10k pace.)  Talking during a tempo run should be difficult.  A tempo run will cover a longer distance than repeats.  The purpose of a tempo run is to build speed over longer distances.  When running tempo runs barefoot, it is important to never increase your pace more than 15 seconds per mile per week.  This will help assure you remain injury-free.

•    Fartlek run: As discussed in the Intermediate Running section, a Fartlek run is a run of varying speeds and distances.  A Fartlek run is a type of interval training.  I vary the pace from a sprint to a walk and everywhere in between.  I like them because they add an element variety to a run.  Same deal as repeats and tempo runs… don’t increase pace too fast.

•    Long run: The long run is a slow-paced run over a long distance.  The pace should be slow enough to allow you to easily hold a conversation.  The purpose of the long run is to build endurance.

•    Hill repeats: Hill repeats are simple- you run up and down a hill.  This workout will build muscles, help develop hill running technique, and seem to improve speed.  The hills I use are sand dunes, stairs, or a local Midwestern ski hill.  Pretty much any sort of hill will work.  Hill repeats are expressed as “Z” x hills where “Z” is the number of times you run up and down the hill.  Generally, I rest one minute between each repeat.

•    Crosstraining: Crosstraining includes any non-running activity.  Some people use swimming, biking, or playing an active sport (croquet doesn’t count.)  I prefer a form of weight training known as high intensity interval training.  I will describe my workouts in the next section after the training plans.

Many of the workouts will have a specific distance recommendation.  There are a variety of methods used to track distances.  I used to drive around in a car and use the odometer, but the local high school track team complained my car took up too much of the track.  I then used a good map website (http://gmap-pedometer.com.)  I finally took the plunge and purchased a GPS watch.  This turned out to be one of the best running purchases I’ve made.

5K Cheetah Plan

This plan is designed as a first step after finishing stage four of the transition plan earlier in this book.  At this point, you should be able to run at least 2 or 3 miles barefoot without pain.  This plan will begin introducing speed to your workout.

The “Cheetah Plan” is designed to help you complete a 5k (3.1 mile) race.  At the conclusion of this plan, you should be able to easily complete a 5k race barefoot or in minimalist shoes. 

Week 1:
•    Sunday – Rest day
•    Monday – Tempo run: 1 mile
•    Tuesday - Crosstraining day
•    Wednesday – Intervals: 2 X 400 meters
•    Thursday – Crosstraining
•    Friday – Rest day
•    Saturday – Long run: 2.25 miles

Week 2:
•    Sunday – Rest day
•    Monday – Tempo run: 1.25 miles
•    Tuesday - Crosstraining day
•    Wednesday – Hill repeats 2 x hills
•    Thursday – Crosstraining
•    Friday – Rest day
•    Saturday – Long run: 2.5 miles

Week 3:
•    Sunday – Rest day
•    Monday – Tempo run: 1.5 miles
•    Tuesday - Crosstraining day
•    Wednesday – Fartlek run: 1.5 miles
•    Thursday – Crosstraining
•    Friday – Rest day
•    Saturday – Long run: 2.75 miles

Week 4:
•    Sunday – Rest day
•    Monday – Tempo run: 1.75 miles
•    Tuesday - Crosstraining day
•    Wednesday – Intervals: 4 X 400 meters
•    Thursday – Crosstraining
•    Friday – Rest day
•    Saturday – Long run: 3 miles

Week 5:
•    Sunday – Rest day
•    Monday – Tempo run: 2 miles
•    Tuesday - Crosstraining day
•    Wednesday – Hill Repeats: 4 x hills
•    Thursday – Crosstraining
•    Friday – Rest day
•    Saturday – Long run: 3.25 miles

Week 6:
•    Sunday – Rest day
•    Monday – Tempo run: 2.25 miles
•    Tuesday - Crosstraining day
•    Wednesday – Fartlek run: 1.75 miles
•    Thursday – Rest day (taper)
•    Friday – Rest day (taper)
•    Saturday – RACE DAY!

Fellow Bloggers- How to make a little extra money with Amazon Associates

Quite a few people have been asking me if I plan on setting up an affiliate program so people can sell "The Barefoot Running Book."  The short answer- maybe later this summer. The logistics will be difficult to set up, but I am working on it.

Until then, I'd recommend using the Amazon Associates program.  It works like this:

1. Sign up for free.

2. Choose  products you think your viewers/readers will be interested in (such as The Barefoot Running Book.)

3. Amazon will provide you with code, just paste it in the appropriate spot on your blog or website.

4. You can either suggest people buy the product through your site or just wait for people to click on it.  For each purchase, you get a certain percentage of the sale price.  You can even add a "search" box so people can find other products.  This is great if you know people that do a lot of shopping via Amazon.

I've been using the Associates Program for a number of years for my website's "store."  It provided enough income to keep the site alive in the beginning.  Many people use the program, including Ken Bob. 

Mind the Ducks... Let's make this fun by giving away a free book!

In a little over 48 hours, I'll begin the Mind the Ducks 12 Hour Run in Rochester, NY.  To make it fun for my readers, I'm giving away a copy of "The Barefoot Running Book" to the person that can correctly guess the mileage I manage to put up over the course of the 12 hours.  

This is how it will work: Post a comment to this message.  Make sure your comment includes your name and the mileage.  You must post the comment by 7am est Saturday May 15th.  The person that is closest to my mileage without going over (Price is Right rules) will win the book!  I will post the winner then ask them to email me.

Relevant information:  Course is a flat asphalt loop approximately 1/2 mile long.  My longest runs were a 21 and 24 mile back-to-back run.

Good luck!

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The Guinness World Record Largest Barefoot Race, Mind the Ducks, and General Barefoot Ramblings

Today is the eve of the Barefoot Runners Society "Largest Barefoot Race" where we will set the Guinness World Record.  I have been fretting over the details of the event for weeks and am finally getting excited!  The world record aspect of the event seems relatively minor.  I'm excited about having the opportunity to meet many of my Runners World Barefoot Running Forum friends AND many local runners.  

This event has and should continue to generate positive local publicity for barefoot running.  My goal of making Grand Rapids a epicenter of barefoot running in the Midwest is coming along.  Luckily, I have a tremendous amount of help from some great people.  My wife Shelly has done a wonderful job of organizing things behind the scenes and accommodating my busy schedule.  Andy Grosvenor has been a lifesaver as far as helping with many race details.  Dr. Scott Hadley has also removed a significant burden by helping to plan and organize various elements of this weekend's festivities.

If any readers happen to be in the Grand Rapids area this weekend, please join us!  

Once the Fifth Third race is completed and our barefoot after-party is done, I will finally get to focus on my first significant challenge- Mind the Ducks 12 Hour Run the following weekend (May 15th) in Rochester, NY.  This is the longest race I have ever scheduled before summer.  It is also the longest road race I've ever attempted.  

When presented with challenges, many people plan and train diligently.  For Mind the Ducks, I should have been running every single day.  Instead, I've taken the "train periodically" approach.  I've been doing longish runs on the weekends, but haven't done any speedwork and very little crosstraining.  Mind the Ducks may be a bit difficult.  We'll see...

On the "General Barefoot Running" front, the barefoot movement continues to pick up steam.  Interest in barefoot running continues to grow at an exponential rate.  I will share my thoughts on the growth in the near future.  For now, it's back to the last-minute planning for the World Record Run!  Before I go- here are a few things that may be of interest:

• Pineland Farms 5k Barefoot Race- check it out!
• The Barefoot Running Book is now on Amazon and Facebook
• Chris McDougall will be speaking in Shepherdstown, WV on Friday (May 7th) at 6:30 at Mellow Moods Coffee Shop.  They will also be holding a Family Fun Run at 5:00 at the C&O parking lot where Chris will demo barefoot running.  or further information contact Mark Cucuzzella afrundoc@gmail.com.

The Barefoot Running Book Giveaway and T-shirts for the World Record Run

Life has kept me busy lately.  I haven't had an opportunity to write much, and I desperately miss it!  I have a ton of ideas floating around  in my head, but no time to write.  At any rate, I do have some news to share regarding "The Barefoot Running Book."

The book is now available on Amazon.com; it can be found here:

http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Running-Book-Practical-Minimalist/dp/0615354440/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271844203&sr=8-3

It is continually out of stock right now; I assume it takes some time for Amazon to estimate appropriate inventory.  Check back periodically.

I have also created a page for the book on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/The-Barefoot-Running-Book/112492762123836

I will be giving away one copy of the book to one random fan of the page.  To qualify, all you have to do is go to this address and "like" it.  I will choose the winner Sunday evening (May 2nd.)  In the very near future, Angie Bee, a fellow barefoot runner, blogger, and friend will also be giving away a copy of the book.  Check out her blog!

On the Guinness World Record front, planning is going well.  I'm finding that race planning is not my gig, but I am getting a lot of help and support from Shelly, Andy G., Scott H., and Adam F. The t-shirts for the event are designed and can be ordered here: http://barefootrunninguniversity.com/shirts.html.  The caveat- they have to be ordered by tomorrow (Friday April 30th) at noon EST.  We need an accurate count to give to the shirt printer.  All proceeds will go towards supporting students at my school.  Here's a pic:

The Barefoot Running Book Update and Rumors About New Newton Shoe

The Barefoot Running Book

I received the first printing of The Barefoot Running Book on Friday.  I packaged and shipped all the pre-orders by Saturday.  With orders over the weekend, I'm only left with about 15 books.  In the event you are considering ordering, the books will likely sell out by late Monday or Tuesday. 

I already started the process of initiating the second printing, but they will not be delivered until Friday or even possibly next Monday.  I may still accept back orders for the rest of the week in an attempt to meet demand, but my supply chain will be a bit dicey for a few weeks.  I sincerely apologize for the delays. 

New Newton Shoe

Newton is developing a super-light moccasin-like shoe for the minimalist market.  Details are still a bit sketchy, but it sounds as if the shoe will weigh less than five ounces, has a zero heel to toe differential, and a relatively thin sole.  The sole will not be wafer-thin as Vibrams or Terra Plana's EVO soles.  Instead, it sounds more like a racing flat sole.  I'll share more details as they develop.