Just a short note on today's short jog... Even though VFFs protect your feet from pavement, it still doesn't feel very good. I have a blister and some chafing under my second toe on one foot, but I should probably make sure there's no woods stuff left in there from the other day.
I ran on the grass boulevard.
Saturday, October 31
Friday, October 30
New Explorations
I've been sick most of the week with the flu, which gave me lots of time alone, at home, and with my computer (which I consider a valuable tool for exploration). I came up with a few new things I intend to explore over the next few weeks.
Fasting
Fasting came to mind as a result of wondering how long I could go without eating because of the flu. What do you know, I still can't comfortably keep down solid food and it's been five days. Online research (I'm not going to share my sources, but let you find your own if you so choose) showed me that there are many benefits to it, hence why fasting has been widely practiced by so many cultures. Obviously for the sake of getting over the flu, I didn't think that this week was a good time to start learning how to fast, but it is on my soon to-do list.
Holotropic Breathing
I'm still painting a clear picture of this for myself, but it came up in a book I bought the other day (the online appendage is here) The book calls 5 short, harsh breaths followed by a long deep breath, repeated 24+ times "Meth Breath" because they thought it gave similar results to methamphetamine. I tried it, but only felt dizzy. So I looked into the sources behind the book to understand where the idea came from. There are many healing organizations that use this as a 'rebirthing' technique (not that I quite enjoy the whole concept of reliving my birth...) and hold workshops and retreats and I might like to try one, just to see what it's all about.
Lucid Dreaming
I've had the same few elements and people occur in my dreams for the last week, that the vague memory of my dreams when I awoke propelled me to learn more about dream control or at least how to hang onto the thoughts of a dream once I awake.
I'm going to try hypnagogia (another suggested technique is to sleep on your back with an arm raised in the air which will fall when you sleep) for a week or so and see if I can actually recall my thoughts. More on that as I progress.
Fruitariansim
I love fruit. My ill body has been craving mangoes for some strange and un-seasonal reason. All the talk of fasting and juice and health led me to exploring the concepts behind this. Though I don't think that I will feel the same on an entirely fruit diet, I am willing to try it for a few days (with oatmeal and applesauce for breakfast... this is a lovely staple I am not willing to budge on.) and see how it makes me feel.
I really like this site. They seem like sweet people (no pun intended with the fruit) and they have lots of good ideas for integrating more fruit into a normal diet.
I've also spent some time re-reading Dr. Colin Campbell's The China Study, my vegetarian bible. I suggest it to anyone who is concerned about or interested in improving their health or nutrition.
Fasting
Fasting came to mind as a result of wondering how long I could go without eating because of the flu. What do you know, I still can't comfortably keep down solid food and it's been five days. Online research (I'm not going to share my sources, but let you find your own if you so choose) showed me that there are many benefits to it, hence why fasting has been widely practiced by so many cultures. Obviously for the sake of getting over the flu, I didn't think that this week was a good time to start learning how to fast, but it is on my soon to-do list.
Holotropic Breathing
I'm still painting a clear picture of this for myself, but it came up in a book I bought the other day (the online appendage is here) The book calls 5 short, harsh breaths followed by a long deep breath, repeated 24+ times "Meth Breath" because they thought it gave similar results to methamphetamine. I tried it, but only felt dizzy. So I looked into the sources behind the book to understand where the idea came from. There are many healing organizations that use this as a 'rebirthing' technique (not that I quite enjoy the whole concept of reliving my birth...) and hold workshops and retreats and I might like to try one, just to see what it's all about.
Hypnagogia
Is going to be my introduction to learning how to dream lucidly. Thomas Edison used this technique to think through problems in an altered state of consciousness. He would sit in a chair, holding a bottle in his hand, and think about the problem while he drifted off to sleep. When he actually fell asleep, the bottle would fall and he would wake and contemplate his unconscious thoughts on the problem.Lucid Dreaming
I've had the same few elements and people occur in my dreams for the last week, that the vague memory of my dreams when I awoke propelled me to learn more about dream control or at least how to hang onto the thoughts of a dream once I awake.
I'm going to try hypnagogia (another suggested technique is to sleep on your back with an arm raised in the air which will fall when you sleep) for a week or so and see if I can actually recall my thoughts. More on that as I progress.
Fruitariansim
I love fruit. My ill body has been craving mangoes for some strange and un-seasonal reason. All the talk of fasting and juice and health led me to exploring the concepts behind this. Though I don't think that I will feel the same on an entirely fruit diet, I am willing to try it for a few days (with oatmeal and applesauce for breakfast... this is a lovely staple I am not willing to budge on.) and see how it makes me feel.
I really like this site. They seem like sweet people (no pun intended with the fruit) and they have lots of good ideas for integrating more fruit into a normal diet.
I've also spent some time re-reading Dr. Colin Campbell's The China Study, my vegetarian bible. I suggest it to anyone who is concerned about or interested in improving their health or nutrition.
Monday, October 26
That's Child's Play
Running the Komoka trail today again, with camera in hand, I made a brilliant discovery a half kilometre farther than I went yesterday -- a waterfall!! Well... little rivulets and some dams, but still super-cool. I jumped through some mud puddles like a small child, then washed them off in the falls, clambering over dams and fallen logs to the little pools. How did the VFFs stand up to water? A little squishy feeling at first, and the water was ice-cold, but I didn't feel timid of sticking my feet into the silt and guck at the bottom because I knew they were protected.
As for drying time, the neoprene was mostly dry by the time I had run back to the car. I had the shoes off for a half hour, then on again for an hour, and when I got home again they were 95% dry except the tips of the toes. Nice. One day soon I'll try washing them in the machines (says you can in the instructions)
As for drying time, the neoprene was mostly dry by the time I had run back to the car. I had the shoes off for a half hour, then on again for an hour, and when I got home again they were 95% dry except the tips of the toes. Nice. One day soon I'll try washing them in the machines (says you can in the instructions)
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Five Finger Convert Count: 3
Talked a hiker on the trails today into trying them out for his shin splints. Yay me!
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Here's those pics I promised of the lovely fall colours... I really had a hard time selecting just the best of the hundred or so I took....
Yep.. that's one heck of a climb and an even deadlier descent at high speed!
Splash!
Hikers are certainly going to wonder about these.... Bigfoot?
And this is why you get KSOs... to keep stuff out...
After a good day's work!
Sunday, October 25
The Five Finger Foot Transition
I was in a yoga class on campus a few weeks back and I saw this shaggy-haired boy with strange shoes on. They looked to me like water shoes with individual toes. I'm no trend-follower (quite the opposite, in fact), but I was all over googling those the instant I got home.
They were Vibram Five Fingers. If you don't know, check it out. THE BAREFOOT REVOLUTION IS BEGINNING. I was most intrigued. I have had problems with my hamstrings since I was a small child who ran and walked around the house on tip-toe, and a horse-enthusiast youth who cantered around the back yard on the balls of her feet and sailed over jumps... all lending to tight hammies. In yoga class I can barely lay my legs flat on the floor in front of me in staff pose, let alone lean forward to touch my toes.
I had done reading on not striking so much with your heel when you run, but trying that in my nikes tore my hamstrings to shreds and I couldn't walk upright for almost a week. I had to find a solution and apparently my brand new runners were not it.
My research:
So I hiked, stretching my hamstrings out on the sides of buildings every few minutes (much to the embarrassment of my friend) downtown to Novacks (an amazing store) to try these things on for myself. The clerk said he had eight pairs of VFFs left, and one was my size. My dreams of the solid black KSOs with the neoprene upper to 'keep stuff out' were dashed when he brought up lime green and blue-grey Sprints, but when he said that the price was going up with the next shipment, I figured I would nab them while I could.
I wore them out of the store, noting that the little grippy cuts in the bottom stick to tile flooring like some sort of spiderman feature. Cool.
Vibram promises that your foot will land in its natural centre of balance.
And it does.
Vibram promises that the multitude of little bones and tendons in your feet that are confined in a shoe will absorb the shock of running instead of your ankles, knees, and hips.
And they do.
Vibram promises a more natural-fitting shoe that allows you to be more in touch with the surfaces you tread on. True again.
Running in Komoka woods, I intentionally walked all over the smooth rocks, balanced with my toes on the fallen trees (which a flat-soled cross-trainer would have more difficulty doing) and shuffled through the meadow to feel the grass run between my toes.
The verdict? Satisfied! Ecstatic! Even if the neoprene doesn't last as long as I hope it will, I will HAPPILY fork out more money for new ones. Maybe multiple new ones. I'm even thinking KSO treks and injinjis for winter... but it gets damned cold here....
They were Vibram Five Fingers. If you don't know, check it out. THE BAREFOOT REVOLUTION IS BEGINNING. I was most intrigued. I have had problems with my hamstrings since I was a small child who ran and walked around the house on tip-toe, and a horse-enthusiast youth who cantered around the back yard on the balls of her feet and sailed over jumps... all lending to tight hammies. In yoga class I can barely lay my legs flat on the floor in front of me in staff pose, let alone lean forward to touch my toes.
I had done reading on not striking so much with your heel when you run, but trying that in my nikes tore my hamstrings to shreds and I couldn't walk upright for almost a week. I had to find a solution and apparently my brand new runners were not it.
My research:
- my bare feet
- Wired
- Birthday Feet (a subsidiary of My Bare Feet)
- Why run barefoot? (The video says it ALL)
- Nate's Barefoot Blog
So I hiked, stretching my hamstrings out on the sides of buildings every few minutes (much to the embarrassment of my friend) downtown to Novacks (an amazing store) to try these things on for myself. The clerk said he had eight pairs of VFFs left, and one was my size. My dreams of the solid black KSOs with the neoprene upper to 'keep stuff out' were dashed when he brought up lime green and blue-grey Sprints, but when he said that the price was going up with the next shipment, I figured I would nab them while I could.
I wore them out of the store, noting that the little grippy cuts in the bottom stick to tile flooring like some sort of spiderman feature. Cool.
Vibram promises that your foot will land in its natural centre of balance.
And it does.
Vibram promises that the multitude of little bones and tendons in your feet that are confined in a shoe will absorb the shock of running instead of your ankles, knees, and hips.
And they do.
Vibram promises a more natural-fitting shoe that allows you to be more in touch with the surfaces you tread on. True again.
Running in Komoka woods, I intentionally walked all over the smooth rocks, balanced with my toes on the fallen trees (which a flat-soled cross-trainer would have more difficulty doing) and shuffled through the meadow to feel the grass run between my toes.
The verdict? Satisfied! Ecstatic! Even if the neoprene doesn't last as long as I hope it will, I will HAPPILY fork out more money for new ones. Maybe multiple new ones. I'm even thinking KSO treks and injinjis for winter... but it gets damned cold here....
Komoka Trails
This was my third run in my VFFs and only my fourth run since a pretty bad experience with my hamstrings (note to self.. separate post on those, too) so I set out with the intention of taking it easy and trotting along a ways and walking back once I felt the slightest bit sore.
I FLEW!
Literally! The trail had every obstacle imaginable for this region: rocky crags, logs, inclines, roots that have been formed almost like steps up hillsides, bridges, little rivulets of water, meadows.... you name it. Each new obstacle screamed at my feet to challenge it and the VFFs stepped up with no problems at all. Once in a while I would hit the side of a rock wrong, but that would have happened in normal runners anyway. The straightaway path stretches challenged me, too.
Mere walking seemed so boring and slow. I turned for home when I felt some tension up my right hamstring, but I wound up trotting through about a third of the way back, too.
I'm going again tomorrow as early as I can with my camera. Hope I'll have some pics to share!
Once you step out that door...
... there's no knowing where your feet might take you. (J.R.R. Tolkien... my fav.)
This is my first post! I had a great outdoorsy day and I realised that I should be recording these experiences for myself and for others who might be interested in learning about some of the things I am encountering along my explorations.
I intend to set down and write of the best adventures and will try and bring my camera with me everywhere. I also have some back information on why I do the things I do and why I am who I am that I will probably get around to sharing in individual posts for interest's sake.
Thanks for reading and do check back often!
This is my first post! I had a great outdoorsy day and I realised that I should be recording these experiences for myself and for others who might be interested in learning about some of the things I am encountering along my explorations.
I intend to set down and write of the best adventures and will try and bring my camera with me everywhere. I also have some back information on why I do the things I do and why I am who I am that I will probably get around to sharing in individual posts for interest's sake.
Thanks for reading and do check back often!
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