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Let’s Be Friends! is a post from: MyFiveFingers.com - a Vibram, FiveFingers, Toe Shoes, Minimalist Shoes Fan site

He welcomed McDougall’s strong use of “word pictures” and I agreed with him, his strong use of imagery moves the novel along well, keeping a swift pace, like it’s subjects. For those unfamiliar with McDougall’s history or purpose in this book, Born to Run begins as he states with the question “Why does my foot hurt?” and follows his account of meeting with the same dead ends when encountering traditional podiatrists. Their solution: orthotics and a cortisone shot. Oh yeah. And stop running.

Stop running?

Excuse me? (My words, not his).

I was glad to find that McDougall did not really stop running, and eventually found a set of leads while out on other journalistic ventures about runners who logged 50-100 miles at a time, and were documented to reach distances of 300 miles in a day. 300 miles? That’s simply preposterous. Not for the Tarahumara Indians of the Copper Canyons in Mexico. This gentle group of Ruramuri, or “Running People” have stayed far removed from civilization after Cortez showed them centuries ago that outsiders should not be trusted.

The book continues on and documents other star runners able to run “Ultras” or super marathons totaling 50 to 100 miles at a time. That sort of number made me feel pretty wimpy as a recreational runner and thus sparked my intrigue even more deeply. How was it that people like me, who never liked to run, could one day just go out for a 20 mile jaunt in the morning and come home and do it again before bed? McDougall chalks it up to a certain demeanor in the end, highlighting that the peaceful Tarahumara not only run for transportation and survival, but also for the love of it.

He reveals other secrets in the book such as the fact that humans are BORN TO RUN due to the physiology. See your rear end? It’s big. I’m not making a pass, I’m saying that gluteus maximus is only present in running animals. The chimpanzee, our close genetic relative doesn’t have one because it is a walking animal. We are the only creature in the animal kingdom that cools itself through perspiration instead of our lungs, which means when any other animal gets too hot it must stop running or it will overheat and die because it is out of breath. Animals can only take one breath per stride meaning that they can only keep speed up for very short distances like the cheetah or deer and gazelle. Man usually averages two breaths per stride and because our lungs are free to breathe instead of cool, we can continue to run for extended periods, even enough to hunt an animal down just running.

The book leads up to the final face off between some of the best runners known nationally in the American circuit against the Tarahumara in a friendly 50 mile race organized by a “Gringo Indio”, a white nomad called Caballo Blanco, one of the rare individuals accepted by the Tarahumara.

The entire tale reads more like a story than a real analysis and while it describes the need to return to shoes pre-Nike of 1970, I feel it could have included more about some of the technical aspects of why in certain areas. Such as FiveFingers being mentioned, but not explained particularly, worn by one runner called “Barefoot Ted”. But making it a narrative broadens the audience and allows runners and non-runners alike to be able to pick it up and read it’s conversational tone.

Bottom line: go read it. Even if you aren’t the reading type, it was a fast, entertaining read that inspires if you have any inclination to run.

I am reading “Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner” next. Give me your suggestions for good running reads, or even movies if it can be found on Netflix.

If you’ve read “Born to Run” what did you like? Any gripes? Let me know in a comment below.

You Were “Born To Run”: A Book Review is a post from: MyFiveFingers.com - a Vibram, FiveFingers, Toe Shoes, Minimalist Shoes Fan site

How To Remove the Straps on KSOs

How to Get Started with the Paleo Diet

How to Repair a Hole in FiveFingers (see comments for suggestions)

9 Ways to Make Your Run More Interesting

Getting Started with Chi Running

How to Use Gold Balls to Relieve Foot Pain

Guides is a post from: MyFiveFingers.com - a Vibram, FiveFingers, Toe Shoes, Minimalist Shoes Fan site

I discovered the lads when I was a senior in high school.  At first I shrugged them off.  I love you, yeah, yeah, yeah, but I liked the Doors better.  It didn’t take long however, for my view to change.  As I shrugged off my brief affair with the Doors, and accepted what was true, I steadily realized that the band was musical perfection.  I can only guess that it was a similar emotion people, way before me, must have felt when they started listening to Mozart.  There’s this moment, where you are hearing the music and you realize that you are not finding the imperfections.  How can it be that clean?  Man, I love this!  Who are these masters?  I then knew I had a quest, and boy did I study.

What made the Beatles so special can only be described in a two part answer.  First, is that when separated, John, Paul, George, and Ringo, were not able to recreate the magic, or the music, as when they were together.  There were good songs throughout their solo careers, but nothing like the catalog of songs, and albums, that they revealed to the world unified.  ‘All you need is Love’ versus ‘Give Peace a Chance’ (John Lennon)?  Love wins in a knockout.  ‘Get Back’ versus ‘Band on the Run’ (Paul McCartney)?  Come on, be serious…  ‘While my Guitar Gently Weeps’ vs. ‘I’ve got my Mind Set on You’ (George Harrison)?  It’s a laugher!  ‘Octopus’s Garden’ vs. ‘It Don’t Come Easy’ (Ringo Starr)?  Umm, ok, maybe Ringo did get better as time went on, but its close!

Secondly, their music stands the test of time.  If someone came out with any of the songs they created, assuming that song wasn’t created in the first place, it would be an instant hit today, as it was in the early 1960s.    Having so many songs that are truly timeless, is another testament of the band’s position at the head of the Rock Roll line.  I’m sorry to tell you Rolling Stones (Their first hit song was written by a Beatle), Elvis Presley (Who was so threatened by the fab four, that he asked to have them deported, even though he had them over for a jam session), The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Queen, AC/DC, Metallica, U2, Spice Girls, etc.  No one has the massive catalog or cultural significance cache that can unseat them.

Now, with true dedication on my mind, I want to compare my heroes to my feet.  The feet?  Yeah, you know, the feet!  You stand on them.  I know, I know, why would you?  I hear you, but it serves a bigger point, and I think I can do it well.  The feet, like the Beatles, are perfection, for starters.  There is nothing on the human body that is more perfect then the foot.  The shape and design of your foot (everyone’s foot) is a work of art.  The arch, the toes, the heel, and all of the muscles and tendons that tie it all together, combine to allow us to stand, run, and jump upright.  If one compares the size of our bodies to our feet, it is amazing that we stand upright at all, let alone run, jump and maneuver the way we do.  Do we become the dominant species on the planet without our ability to think and maneuver?  Again, in my view, the feet are another gift from God.

So, with this premise in mind, I started contemplating that when you have something that is arguably perfect, why hide it?  Why screw around with something that already works to maximum efficiency?  You wouldn’t give the Beatles instruments that do not play, or worse yet, were too heavy for them to work with, just like you wouldn’t wear shoes that constrict and damage your feet.  Imagine Paul McCartney having to lug around a cinder block for each performance…

Let’s say Brian Epstein, the manager for the Beatles, has the big idea that McCartney will play the cinder block, kind of like a drum, I guess, on their first American tour.  McCartney does a couple of shows, makes it work slightly, and then throws out his back.  Now, Paul is done for the rest of the tour, really before it gets going.  Fab Three does not work like the Fab Four.  There is no Ed Sullivan show moment.  There are no ridiculously screaming fans where ever they go.  Sadly, even ‘A Hard Days Night’ film is scrubbed.  Their history is completely different now.

Really, do you give Paul a cinder block to play?  Hell no!  You have him play the coolest looking base guitar possibly ever built!  In the early 1960s, every Beatle is armed with an outstanding instrument so that their genius and talent are allowed to shine through.  That, my friends, is exactly what the Vibram Five Fingers are.  They are the tools, instruments if you will, that allow the perfection, talent, and genius of your feet, and you, to shine through!  Strap them on, go run, and allow your perfection to make beautiful music!

“We’re out!”  Can’t buy me Love, Love.  Can’t buy me Love

My Vibrams are Paul’s Guitar is a post from: MyFiveFingers.com - a Vibram, FiveFingers, Toe Shoes, Minimalist Shoes Fan site

We’ve reached out to Cindy via Facebook and we’ll be getting her info on the style and size of Vibram FiveFingers that she wants.

Now that its March, its time again to add another entry to the mix. You can retweet out the contest again in March for an additional entry (just link to the contest page and use hashtag #winfivefingers). You can also write another blog post or website update for an additional entry. At the end of each month we’ll randomly select winners and post them here on MyFiveFingers.com

We look forward to an exciting 2011 of Five Finger giveaways! Thanks to everyone who is participating and spreading the word. We’re building a great community of VFF fans here!

Thanks again to River Sports for their support of the community and the year long giveaway. Be sure to check them out for the latest and greatest Five Finger and outdoor equipment.

MyFiveFingers Giveaway Winner! is a post from: MyFiveFingers.com - a Vibram, FiveFingers, Toe Shoes, Minimalist Shoes Fan site

Today we are proud to announce that we have a new sponsor for the giveaway:  River Sports! It will now officially be titled “The MyFiveFingers.com & River Sports Year-Long Giveaway”.

River Sports is the original online outdoor equipment retailer, having been online selling great products since 1995!  They also have 5 physical locations that you can drop by if you are in the Tennessee area.  River Sports will be providing the Vibram FiveFingers to the winner each month, and will also be supporting our vibrant community in a number of other ways.

If you are looking to buy outdoor footwear or equipment, please pay River Sports a visit.  They are supporting our growing community here, and we’d love to return the favor to them!

How to Enter the Giveaway

If you haven’t yet entered the giveaway, there are a bunch of different ways you can do so!

1. Subscribe to this site’s newsletter using the form below
2. Like the MyFiveFingers.com Facebook page
3. Follow @MyFiveFingers on Twitter
4. Tweet out the MyFiveFingers.com Year-Long Giveaway with a link to this page and use the hash tag #WinFiveFingers
5. Link to this page from your blog or other website (be sure to leave a comment below with a link to your site so we don’t miss any)

Subscribe via Email to enter the giveaway:

You receive one entry for each method you use, and your entry is good all year!  So for example, if you Like us on Facebook, Subscribe to the newsletter (below), and follow us on Twitter – thats 3 entries!  You can increase your chances of winning by adding links or tweeting about the giveaway each month (options 4 & 5).

We’ll track the entries and randomly select a winner each month to receive a pair of Vibram FiveFingers.

The MyFiveFingers.com Year-Long Giveaway has a Sponsor! is a post from: MyFiveFingers.com - a Vibram, FiveFingers, Toe Shoes, Minimalist Shoes Fan site

Josh Duhamel isn’t the first Celebrity to be seen wearing Five Fingers and I’m sure he won’t be the last.   Time will tell if he’s able to convince Fergie into giving the Toe Shoes a try.

Josh is probably most known for his role as a soldier in Transformers, Transformers II, and the next movie in the series Transformers III.   He’s been known to be very particular about the way his lower body looks, and we imagine Five Fingers is his latest effort to help him look the way he wants.  The Daily Mail reported that Duhamel is known to have “asked for a movie poster to be retouched to make them look better.”  If you ask me, he’s on the right track with use of Five Fingers.

Josh Duhamel Joins The Five Finger Army is a post from: MyFiveFingers.com - a Vibram, FiveFingers, Toe Shoes, Minimalist Shoes Fan site

The Intro

By way of introduction, I am John Elder and am the Clinic Director for The Egoscue Method Nashville.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with Egoscue (pronounced e-GHA-skew), we are the world leader in non-medical pain relief and help our clients eliminate all types of musculoskeletal pain on a daily basis.  We see everything from chronic migraines to back pain to knee pain to plantar fasciitis.  And, we work with a full spectrum of clients, including runners, politicians, stay-at-home moms, and professional athletes.

This is the first entry in a four-part series (and maybe more if we get a good response) on function and biomechanics and how those relate to those of you wearing your VFFs.  I will talk a lot about running and injuries suffered by runners, but if you have questions about injuries that either aren’t caused by running, or you don’t believe they are caused by running, please don’t hesitate to call or email me.

My Fascination

I have been fascinated by the VFFs since I first laid eyes on them.  They completely go against what most of us have thought of as “normal” when it comes to our shoes.  The common line of thinking is that if you pronate, let’s put you in an anti-pronation shoe.  If you supinate, let’s put you in an anti-supination shoe.  You need custom-made orthodics.  You need more stability.  The thought of wearing less of a shoe is so foreign to so many people, yet I couldn’t agree more with that thought.  Years ago Nike came to Egoscue headquarters in San Diego, CA and pitched an idea for a shoe.  A couple years later, the Nike Free hit the shelves.  It was the first running shoe designed to allow for movement through the foot and touted “Barefoot Technology”.  That was, by far, the most comfortable shoe I have ever worn…until I got my first pair of VFFs.

Reader Poll

How many of you are struggling with any of the pains I listed above?  How many of you are struggling with a pain that wasn’t mentioned?  My guess is that somewhere around 75% of you reading this are hurting.  If you are a runner, I’m sure you’ve been told that you “upped” your mileage too quickly and you have “Runner’s Knee” as a result.  Perhaps you’re wondering how in the world you recently acquired “Tennis Elbow”, when you have been playing the game for 25 years.  Or, maybe you are the weekend warrior who plays basketball every Saturday and your hip pain is chalked up to “overuse”.

But, do you really believe it?  Think about it: If you upped your mileage too quickly and Runner’s Knee is the result, then both knees should be suffering instead of just one.  When it comes to your tennis elbow, you didn’t get a “bad” elbow all of a sudden after all these years of playing.  In addition, just like Runner’s Knee, both elbows should hurt if the game is to blame.  Again, we can use the same thinking with that pesky hip pain.  How can your hip pain be an “overuse” injury if both hips are running up and down the basketball court, and only one hurts, or one hurts worse than the other?

Focus on the Biomechanics

For our answer, we have to stay focused on the overall function and biomechanics of the body.  For those of you wondering what function and biomechanics mean to me, I’ll tell you: Maintaining proper joint positioning (posture) throughout a movement, regardless of the activity.  You are an amazingly created piece of machinery.  You are designed to move, and do it without pain or limitations.  And, you are designed to move BAREFOOT.

Being barefoot allows for optimum function in the body.  Your metatarsals are allowed to spread, the muscles of the foot and arch are allowed to do their job, and you create a functional domino effect up the rest of the body.  The ankle, knee, hip, spine, and shoulders all start to function better.  Remember, “the foot bone’s connected to the leg bone…”.  We can’t forget that good ol’ kid’s song when addressing musculoskeletal pain and overall function.

Take a look at these pictures.  These represent our design blueprint and where our bodies should be:

Notice that in both views the shoulder sits directly above the hip, knee, and ankle (and in the side view the ear is above the shoulder).  Now, take a look in the mirror and compare these diagrams with your current joint positioning.  How do they line up compared to what you see?  My hunch is that you’re “off” a little bit, and if my hunch is true, then I can assume that your body isn’t moving as efficiently as it can (and needs to) be.

Check Yourself

Do your feet point out to the side?  Which direction are your kneecaps pointing?  You might have one hip higher than the other.  And, don’t forget about your shoulders—I’m guessing they are rounded forward (if so, you’ll be seeing the back of your hands when you look in the mirror), and you might have one shoulder higher than the other in a similar fashion to your hips.

Rest assured that these deviations from the design blueprint are simply the result of muscles moving bones.  All we have to do is get the muscles to engage functionally and properly to move the bones back into their designed position.  We can’t brace that injured knee, or treat that pronation with corrective shoes, both of which decrease motion and function.  Instead, it’s imperative that the body is allowed to function like it’s designed to.  Remember that you are designed to run, jump, climb, crawl and fall…and do them all pain free.

Looking Ahead

In the coming weeks we’ll discuss how you can eliminate your shoulder pain, change your breathing pattern, and increase function in your degenerative hip simply with the combination of VFFs and The Egoscue Method.  You will be well on your way to living PAIN FREE for life!  If you want to get started on living life pain free, CLICK HERE to receive four e-cises that will help kick start your path to optimum health.

——————————————————–

The premise of The Egoscue Method is postural therapy: realigning the body to its original design blueprint through proper functional muscle engagement and without the use of drugs, surgery or manipulation.  John Elder is the Clinic Director and Owner of the Franklin, Tennessee location.  John found the Method at the age of 16 after suffering for two years with a bulging disc in his lower back.  He has lived the last 16 years pain free and the last 5 years as an Egoscue Therapist sharing his story of hope with others throughout the south.  Contact John today by emailing johne@egoscue.com or by calling the Nashville Clinic at 615.771.8556.

More Shoe, More Pain is a post from: MyFiveFingers.com - a Vibram, FiveFingers, Toe Shoes, Minimalist Shoes Fan site

But there is something in the water in Austin.

Now, almost two years later, we have given up boozing, don’t touch caffeine, eat a strictly vegan diet and prefer running to put us under the influence.

But it was by no means a simple switch. We began by making incremental changes to improve our quality of life, and with each new adjustment came many more questions to answer and opportunities for growth.

We started by bicycling 20 miles per week (4 miles each weekday), and Jessica took up counting our daily calorie intake using a self-tracking website.

That was just the beginning. The more we tracked our progress, the more progress we wanted to make. We used lifestreaming as a life-design methodology.

Lifestreaming is the act of documenting and sharing one’s life online. Combined with support from our social networks, this public self-evaluation made us more accountable for our actions, increased our self-discipline, and strengthened our reputations. With this tool, we learned to recognize and eradicate the patterns and social structures that negatively impact our lives.

We started running in November of 2009, just a few short months ago. Before then, neither of us had run a mile in our lives (outside of gym class requirements). Ironically, we were looking for a way to increase our activity level so we could eat more pizza and drink more wine.

December 14th, we went vegan. February 14th, we ran our first half-marathon. February 28th, we gave up caffeine. March 6th, we gave up drinking (maybe not forever, but for now).

And now here we are. Running changed us. We were on the right track, but running altered our entire outlook on life. It is a lifestyle. Its something we want to maintain for as long as possible, meanwhile eliminating as many unnecessary influences as possible.

Which is why we purchased our first pair of Vibram Fivefingers on March 14th— minimal running shoes for a minimal lifestyle. Our posts here will chronicle our process of adapting to both.

Minimalism: In Running And In Life is a post from: MyFiveFingers.com - a Vibram, FiveFingers, Toe Shoes, Minimalist Shoes Fan site

Granted, I only think about it for a few seconds a day, but for those few seconds, I am embarrassed by how unprofessional I look to those who assume competence can be discerned by professional appearance. Because honestly, I fail that test hardcore.

Taking a Stand

I refused to buy new clothes until I lost weight. That was a year ago. Do the math. I’ve looked the same for a long time. In a poverty stricken nation, that’s no big deal. But in the corporate world where I meet with clients and prospects on a regular basis, it’s not so hot. Still, I’m committed. I’m not going to buy a ton of clothes and either get comfortable at this weight or lose weight and have wasted my money on clothes that don’t fit. So I’m in a fashion holding pattern.

I guess in a way it’s good that people stare at my shoes. It probably distracts them from the fact that I wear the same clothes so often. This one butch guy at work always chuckles (no, he actually giggles) when he sees my shoes. Every single time. He never said anything to me directly, though. Probably a good thing. Well, he was fired this week. In a totally unrelated circumstance, of course. It’s not like there’s a penalty for not liking my shoes (or is there?).

Need Your Feedback

What about you? How long have you worn your VFFs? Do you wear them every day? Do you ever feel embarrassed or inappropriately casual? Or is it just me?

Living in a Fashion Holding Pattern is a post from: MyFiveFingers.com - a Vibram, FiveFingers, Toe Shoes, Minimalist Shoes Fan site