I have recently in the last few months adopted a very free approach to running. By this I mean I run naked. By running naked I mean I refrain from devices when I run. Yes, I still run with cloths on, and I plan to continue that, but I try to back away from electronic devices when I run.
Background Info: For a guy like me to banish technology from anything I do is a huge thing. I am a technology integration coordinator for a school district. My sole job is trying to get people to realize how much technology can improve and impact what they do. I used to run with my smart phone as my mapmyrun app would run and calculate distance, time, pace, calories burned, speed, route, etc. I have friends who run with watches that do all sorts of fancy things. I have friends who run with stop watches. I have friends who run with music. For me, I run without any of this.
One day I was running and found that I was spending too much time focusing on how fast I was going, how far I was going, and at what pace. I started to get annoyed because I was inconsistent and I wasn't actually paying any attention to what mattered most, my body. Nine times out of ten, now, I lace up my running shoes, walk out the door and just go. No distractions, just me, my shoes, and the open road. I am able to focus on me, not on what song will come next, when I'll hit the next mile, or what my pace is. The bottom line is, I run based on how I feel. If I can speed up, I will. If I have to slow down, I do.
The only time I ever use a stop watch is when I am on the track doing speed work, and even then I hold back here and there and just try to run fast. You might be asking, what about pace? I still focus on pace work, but as I run more, my body has learned what a 6 minute mile feels like, and this works for a lot of my pace. This post is not to say I condemn technology for runners, but it is an added stress, I believe. I will use things every once in awhile, but I don't rely on it. Some of my night runs I will ditch the head lamp and run in the dark. I feel as a runner it is important to be in tune with the body, and when you have to focus on ten other things while you are running it takes away from this. I also like to enjoy my runs and take in the scenery. Fort Dodge does not have a lot to offer in this department, but every once in awhile I will see some wildlife and it is kind of cool to take that in.
I challenge you to drop the devices, walk out the door and just run. Care free. You can actually go run, then map what you ran later if you are worried about distance (this is what I do, since I like to log my miles). Try running without music and start focusing on the outside.
Monday, May 19, 2014
On Cloudracer
About a month ago I was at Brown's Shoe Fit Company in Fort Dodge and noticed they had an advertisement for an event called "Third Thursday Fit Night". The idea is to promote a healthy lifestyle for people n the area by getting them out to run 2-5 miles and provide them with healthy food courtesy of HyVee Drugstore. When I arrived I was surprised to see a shoe representative there who was willing to let people try the shoes he was selling and take them for a jog to test them out. This weeks company was On, a Swiss shoe company.
I decided to try the On Cloudracers which are On's closest thing to a minimalist shoe. I ran 5 miles in them and was very happy with the decision to try them on. On the bottom of each On shoe they have these cushion supports, that the company has named "clouds." These provide a cushioned ride where the cloud slips back and propels forward. You can see them in action on there website here: https://www.on-running.com/en-us. The shoe was very lightweight and was not overbearing on my fore foot strike. The company itself markets the Cloudracer as a competition shoe, but for a minimalist runner like myself I could see myself using it to train in.
The price is a little steep at 130 dollars, but the shoe itself seems durable enough to last a while, since all of the impact is distributed onto the clouds, which promote a lighter step, or at least for me it did. You can buy these shoes in Fort Dodge, IA at Brown's Shoe Fit or order them online.
After I finished my run, my only complaint was that I liked them so much I wanted to buy them, but had recently purchased my New Balance Minimus shoes and could not justify spending another 130 dollars in the same week on shoes. I would definitely recommend this shoe to anyone. I have spoken with others who use their shoes as trainers for Cross Fit or just working out in general. I think the Racer makes an excellent light weight running shoe and would be great for a minimalist/barefoot runner to use as a recovery shoe.
I decided to try the On Cloudracers which are On's closest thing to a minimalist shoe. I ran 5 miles in them and was very happy with the decision to try them on. On the bottom of each On shoe they have these cushion supports, that the company has named "clouds." These provide a cushioned ride where the cloud slips back and propels forward. You can see them in action on there website here: https://www.on-running.com/en-us. The shoe was very lightweight and was not overbearing on my fore foot strike. The company itself markets the Cloudracer as a competition shoe, but for a minimalist runner like myself I could see myself using it to train in.
The price is a little steep at 130 dollars, but the shoe itself seems durable enough to last a while, since all of the impact is distributed onto the clouds, which promote a lighter step, or at least for me it did. You can buy these shoes in Fort Dodge, IA at Brown's Shoe Fit or order them online.
After I finished my run, my only complaint was that I liked them so much I wanted to buy them, but had recently purchased my New Balance Minimus shoes and could not justify spending another 130 dollars in the same week on shoes. I would definitely recommend this shoe to anyone. I have spoken with others who use their shoes as trainers for Cross Fit or just working out in general. I think the Racer makes an excellent light weight running shoe and would be great for a minimalist/barefoot runner to use as a recovery shoe.
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