It has been a long time since I last posted anything. It is interesting as I reflect back on why this is the case and I chalk it up to a simple case of being too busy and having to "pare" some things away in order to stay focused on preparing for Ironman Canada this August.
I have really noticed the past 6 months how time consuming training for the Ironman has been. I did make a commitment to myself this year that I would put my training needs at the forefront of my daily requirements. But this has often times left me pondering all the other obligations I am leaving on the back burner until I get home. I many ways I have had to be very creative in when I train - sometimes when the kids are at ball practice or karate, riding the LONG way to a ball game etc. One thing I struggle with is getting up early to train as I tend to be up later in the evenings finishing work items and such. I also notice how my body is just not ready to forge ahead on the early mornings. Odd for someone involved in triathlon for sure but nonetheless it is what it is for me.
Lately I have been reading "Born To Run" by Christopher McDougall which probes into the Tarahumara Indians in the Copper Canyon region of Mexico. In short they are revered for their barefoot running abilities and ultramarathon prowess. The point I have found fascinating in the book relates to the running barefoot movement and the trends noted in the incidence of injuries in runners since the rise of the modern day running shoe. Why this strikes a chord with me is because my Achilles issues have resurfaced again about 5 weeks ago.
In reading the book and reflecting upon what happened I can almost trace the issue back to the time I bought two new pair of shoes. So my run training is going well, I think that I need to change my shoes because the "running authorities" have always said to change your shoes when they get worn out and so I do. Now I bought the same pair that I found worked very well for me last year so no difference in the actual model. However, I recall last year a period of time when I simply did not enjoy running in these shoes for some odd reason. Then after a period of walking around in them they all of a sudden became comfortable. In fact super comfortable to run in. Fast forward now to purchasing the new shoes and boom injury strikes. One of my complaints was a feeling of being disconnected to my lower legs and the ground which felt strange. So much so that I would look down to see if I was in fact actually striking the ground with my feet. Yeah sounds odd but it felt odd.
The book goes into some nice detail on some research on foot mechanics and the need for our feet to "feel" the ground and react to the ground. As it turns out our current day cushioned shoes which were designed to alleviate injuries may in fact be the root cause for many of our injuries. The rationale behind this thought is that when we wear shoes, our feet struggle to "feel" the ground and as such research has shown that ground reaction forces tend to be higher when wearing a shoe than when running barefoot as our natural shock absorbers can react better to the contact with the ground. I theorize that the new shoes provided so much more cushioning than in the "seasoned" shoes and that I really could not feel the ground effects which altered my gait somewhat and lead to additional strain being placed on my Achilles tendons. The book had cited that for many people the thought to be broken down shoes were in fact more comfortable and allowed for better sensory input to the foot. Perhaps then running shoes are not really ready to be run in until 200 miles of use have been walked in them? Maybe the worn out shoes you have can still be worthwhile trainers or racers??
So moving forward from here my plan is to wear the new shoes around to break them down more, start practicing some barefoot/Vibram Five Fingers running on grass, strengthening my feet and lower limbs with balancing, more massage, stretching and progressively rebuilding my running volume and mechanics. I doubt anyone will see me running around barefoot in races but then again there are a few in "Born to Run" who have found a new connection with running and have been injury free since they kicked their "kicks".
Food for thought...
JVD
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