See BamaDave Run (and Lift)

[BamaDave]

Thanks, Jeff!

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TUES. 4.17.07

AM BIKE RIDE:

DISTANCE: 12.15 miles
TIME: 53:05
AVE. SPEED: 13.7 mph

-- pretty good ride... I could feel some leg fatigue from Sunday, though. Nice morning weather! Tigger appeared again this morning, but thankfully decided to stay in the Hundred Acre Wood instead of galloping alongside me while I was riding.

Some lower body dynamic mobility stuff and then...

AM RUN:

DISTANCE: 2.04 miles
TIME: 14:42
AVE. PACE: 7:12/mile

-- I know this may peg me for the insane asylum... but yesterday I bought a pair of Nike Free 7.0's to wear to work because I had noticed that whatever shoes I wore tended to cause some aches and pains... way more so than when I was barefoot at home. The 7.0's were the only version I could find yesterday in town. These are supposed to be less "minimalist" than the 5.0's and 4.0's, although still very minimal. I really liked them as soon as I put them on yesterday.

At any rate, I did some reading on them yesterday and ran across anecdotes from people on orthotics who switched to these "barefoot" shoes and wound up doing really well. So I decided to give them a try this morning on a 2-miler. I was shocked by how good they felt - very natural. And I didn't have any pain at the knee, which is what I feared since any attempt to run in my Asics DS Trainers pre-orthotics had me limping. Truthfully, these felt WAY better than my running shoes with the orthotics. Nike recommends breaking these shoes in with walking before running in them, but I am normally barefoot when not at work or out somewhere and have been working out barefoot for a long time. So I figured I was "broken in" on being barefoot and decided to give these a whirl.

The most surprising thing for me was when I ticked off mile 1 at 7:34 -- and this is a hard mile with a long uphill stretch. Then mile 2, easier, but still with some uphills and a fairly significant one at the end, in 6:51! And I wasn't making a hard effort to go fast. And this was just after biking 12 miles, so I had some leg fatigue.

I feel good post-run... if anything, better than post-run with the orthotics. This really makes me wonder about the inserts.

[cappuccino]

hmm, so maybe it WAS the shoes afterall that started your problems. Maybe they forced you to run unnaturally. I was surprised how well you've been running with the inserts. My orthotics were not magic.

I have 5.0's but haven't tried runnining in them. I have walked pretty long distances in them and get some leg fatigue. They're great for working out. Maybe I should try mine on my 12 min run tomorrow.

let us know how you're feeling tomorrow! Still foam rolling??

[twinsavsvikingsfan]

Interesting about those shoes, Dave. What's the max distance you should run in them?

[BamaDave]

Cappy, who knows on the shoes - but it does make me wonder! You may like running in the 5.0's - I'm thinking about buying a pair of those and eventually using them for shorter runs and/or speedwork. Yep - I'm still foam rolling at least once per day. I've noticed that my hip adductors (I think) are really tight, and that is new since I started running with the orthotics, so I'm wondering about that as well. I've also been doing the dynamic leg warmup almost every day. I keep waiting for a neighbor to ask me what the hell I'm doing on my driveway before runs!

Jim, Nike recommends the shoes for something like 20 minutes per week of running... but, I've read reports from a number of runners using them more frequently or even for all of their training... even running marathons in them. There are people who eventually run marathons completely barefoot, so I imagine it is all about adaptation and individual differences with the feet, muscles, etc. I have often thought about how back when I first did long distance running (at age 12) and even long after that in high school and college for different periods of running obsession, I didn't even think about shoes. In fact, I'm pretty sure I must have run as a 12 year-old in my white Nike leather tennis shoes with either a red, navy, or black stripe depending on what the guys decided was cool for that year. LOL! I never had aches or pains and really never had any kind of serious running-related injury until this recent ITB thing. It does make me wonder about overly stable, overly cushioned running shoes for me.

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TUES. 4.17.07
PM WORKOUT

COSGROVE'S UNDULATING PERIODIZATION PROGRAM PHASE II
UPPER BODY - HORIZONTAL WORKOUT 7
PHASE WEEK 7/ WKT 1

A-C = 3 sets of 12; 301 tempo; 60 sec rest between sets and supersets
D= 3 sets of 12/321/60 sec rest

* Warmups from Inside-Out
A1. REVERSE GRIP BENT OVER ROWS: 175#: 12; 12; 10

A2. BENCH PRESS: 160#: 12; 11; 8 (F-9)


B1. DB ROWS/ ELBOW OUT: 55#: 3x12 each side

B2. INCLINE DB PRESS/ PALMS IN: 55# e/h: 11; 11; 10


C. EZ BAR LYING TRICEPS EXTENSION: 52#: 12; 12; 10


D. DB SWISS BALL CRUNCHES: +100#: 3x12

-- This went okay. I was pretty tired, so I'll use that as an excuse for not improving more versus the last time I did this routine. Especially on the bench press... I really don't seem to be making gains on that exercise at all at this point, except on the dumbbell version. The rows were aggravating my lower back/hip . Deadlifts are on tap for tomorrow morning, but I'm not sure I'll be able to do them.

[UpNorth]

Dave, I'm glad you're giving the Free's a go. I've now put about 150 miles on my minimalist shoes and I don't think I'm ever going back. I'm starting to regard the differences between a traditional running shoe and the minimalist shoe like the difference between a smith machine squat and a free weight squat. It may be harder to do the free-weight squat but you are forced to strengthen your weaknesses rather than letting the machine compensate for you.

I don't want to sound like a zealot but my feet and ankles are much stronger, and my running is much smoother since the switch. However, I do find running harder in the minimalist shoe, but I feel that if you are paying attention to your form they are safer in the long run.

/ Getting off my soapbox now....

[Kevin Littler]

I'll definitely be following your story about the shoes. Come at a funny time, as I was unfamiliar with the Free's until Sunday just gone, where I looked them up after hearing Kevin Larabee talk about them on an old FitCast while on my long run.
If you can feel better without the orthotics, then this would be a much more desirable result. As I have mentioned previously, much better to train the body to align itself rather than rely on an an external device, but orthotics can help when unable to achieve this. Keep us posted!

[BamaDave]

Jeff, thanks for the feedback on the shoes. I remember you mentioning them, but I didn't know whether you were using them for all or most of your running. The concept makes a lot of sense to me. I agree that running feels a little harder at times, but mine are the 7.0 version and apparently more like a hybrid between the minimalist Frees and a typical running shoe. Nevertheless, they really feel different! I actually bought the Cross-trainer rather than the 7.0 Runner, because that's all the shoe store had in stock and I expected to just use them for work. I don't know whether that means these shoes are less desirable for running versus the Runner or what. The Nike Free website actually says their 7.0 Running shoe is fine for longer distance runs. I think I'll buy a pair of 5.0's and try those for shorter runs and use the 7.0's for longer and eventually get a pair of the 7.0 Runners. Assuming they continue to work for me.

Kevin, I would love to be able to ditch the orthotics, although I'll probably get some grief from Mrs. Bama for dropping so much money on them and not using them. I am pretty shocked by how good I feel after using these shoes. I actually ran this morning in them again and no sign of any ITB stuff and feel less achy than I did following runs with my orthotics. Maybe I'll become a zealot like Jeff!

What's really fun is to look up old threads on these shoes on the running forums. A lot of people are mortified by these shoes, and apparently some running stores don't like to sell them.

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WED. 4.18.07
AM RUN

DISTANCE: 7.35 miles
TIME: 59:35
AVE. PACE: 8:06/mile

-- A longer run in the Nike Free's. Yesterday's speediness on the shorter run did not continue today, but everything felt really good. I seem to have slowed down a little on the pace versus when I jumped back into running, but I guess that may be due to adjustment to mileage increase (back in the low 30's weekly). I'm also pretty tired... not sleeping all that well. Yeah, that MUST be it!

[kuri]

Are you sure it's the rows bothering your hip? Or are the symptoms just reappearing since you started running again?

In any case I'd do seated rows and go heavy on the foam roller/tennis ball. And stay on those mobility movements man.

[BamaDave]

Chris,

My hip has been bothering me since I had a "strain" doing deadlifts a couple of weeks ago. I think doing bent over rows just aggravated it. However, it seems to be in a spot that hurt at times when I was roadbiking using my cheap mountain bike. That discomfort went away when I got my new bike that was fit properly. I think the orthotics have aggravated it as well, because I really noticed it during my long run this past Sunday. I don't feel it as much with the Nike's.

[kmwest]

Hmm, interesting about the Frees. I might consider buying some minimalist shoes (I own racing flats) and seeing if that helps with my shin strain that I've been experiencing lately.

[BamaDave]

I never have tried racing flats. The closest to minimal I have used are the Asics DS Trainers, which apparently aren't all that minimal, and Mizuno Wave Precisions. I'm still trying to figure out whether the Free Trainer 7.0's I have are "supposed" to be used for distance running and, if not, why. Apparently Nike has just come out with the Free Runner 7.0. I'm thinking about buying a pair of those and a pair of the 5.0's for shorter stuff. I'll probably wind up in divorce court over this. Pretty soon I'll have as many shoes as Jim! :p

[kmwest]

If your wife gives you trouble, just tell her that it's a lot cheaper than your mistress used to cost before you dumped her. You'll defuse the argument, look thrifty and faithful, and be cast in a benevolent light.

[BamaDave]

Thanks! You should write an advice book on marriage. I can't wait for the Runners' Summit to hear more of your wisdom. And here my plan was to throw dishes at the wall and yell obscenities.

[twinsavsvikingsfan]

Wise beyond his years.

[GG300]

KM your advice reminds me of one of my Mom's old sayings "That would go over as well as a fart in church". Then again I am happily divorced what the hell would I know.

[kmwest]

Perhaps that explains why my dealings with women post-last-girlfriend have generally gone poorly.

[BamaDave]

Maybe you can hook up with Hot Gym Chick at the Runners' Summit now that Jim swore her off for good!

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THURS. 4.19.07
PM RUN

DISTANCE: 5.6 miles
TIME: 43:47
AVE. PACE: 7:49/mile

-- My urban post-work run... same as last week. A little faster this week, though. Orig