Guest Post on Daily Improvisations

I am honoured to say that I will be a guest blogger on a friend's blog that will be posted on Tuesday Nov 27, 2012 and I am very excited about it.

I had originally posted it here on my blog, but after much consideration, I have pulled it and will provide a link on Tuesday to Laura's Blog, Daily Improvisations. She has taken my raw material and tweaked the format to make it flow as it was intended, and for that I am very excited as I have seen the finished product and it looks good, really good.

As soon as it is up, I will post a link from my blog to the post, and I hope you all enjoy it. But in the meantime, check out Laura's Blog at

Daily Improvisations

Have a great day of running everybody, I know I will.

Winter Barefoot Running Challenge - 2012/2013

The gauntlet has been thrown down,

The battle lines have been drawn,

The shoes have been removed,

The soles have been prepped,

The cold weather is here.................

Time for the yearly barefoot winter running challenge, 2012 Edition.

The rules are simple,

We want you to record your BARE FOOT running at temperatures below 5°C (41°F), whether you run once or 50+ times. The Challenge is about having fun and exploring barefoot running, in winter conditions. Besides, it's worth all the strange looks and dropped jaws you'll get from the disbelievers.

Here's how to play: Oct 01 2012 to Apr 01 2013
1. Go to this Winter Challenge link (charts are more interactive if you are logged on with Google account ie gmail)
2. Add your Member ID (1st sheet - row A)
3. Add your Country (1st sheet - row B)
4. Add your cumulative number of runs and distance for each temperature range (include Wind Chill --- here is a link to a Wind Chill calculator)
5. Add your coldest run (temperature and distance)
6. Check out the 'Stats' sheet to see how everyone is doing

Now, no you don't have to be like this weirdo,

but it will take the attention from your bare feet.

If you want to join the challenge or just keep track of how we are doing and 'just how low we can go' then here is the link.

Winter Barefoot Running Challenge 2012/2013

Happy Barefoot Winter Running.

First Below Zero Run of the Season

Been meaning to get this post out quicker but that's just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes, and after Gail's comment about my cold weather running I figured it was time to get er done so to speak. So here it is,

Finally got my first below zero run of the winter season a couple of Thursday night's ago with a base temperature of -0.2 Celsius with a wind chill dropping it to -5 degrees. It was good to get it out of the way, as there is always the hesitancy of how the bare feet will react to the cold the first time you go out. I have found that no matter what amount of preparation you do will take those thoughts away until you just get out there and start running. I think it also solidified some of the opinions of my fellow group runners at City Park, that I am indeed a little quirky as well. But it was kind of funny, it wasn't the bare feet that got their attention (I guess they are used to it now), but the fact that I was also still wearing shorts. What can I say, I don't like overheating. The following information is something that I cannot stress enough, the number one rule of running barefoot in the winter is to keep your core warm, as long as your core is warm you will stay warm so layering is very important.

It was a good run, I went out with Elaine and Harold for a chance to catch up on the events of the last few weeks. For I hadn't been out and also because I knew they would be running at a comfortable pace and I would not have to push myself to hard to keep up with the likes of the 'quicker' group. The plan was just to do a loop of the park, so a quick 5km run which suited me just fine as I have not ran in almost 2 weeks due to one thing or another.

As we headed out into the darkness, we all realized that none of us had a headlamp to light the way through the unlit park. Oh well, form and a light step would be very critical for this barefoot runner tonight, not that it isn't at any point.  As we waited to cross Portage to get over to the park, for some reason I was getting more odd looks than normal, yes I was bare from the bottom of the shorts down, is that really that strange, its only November in Winnipeg.

The concrete sidewalk was a little bit cool on my feet, but I knew once I got going that would change fairly quickly. We headed across the bridge and decided to stay on the roads to try to take advantage of the limited lighting that was available to help guide our way. This was a good choice, as when I looked over at the pathway as it hit the tree canopy vision would of definitely been a big problem. Traffic was limited so we were able to pretty much take up the entire road which was kind of nice. Not having to worry about traffic is quite the bonus when you really have to concentrate where you are planting your feet.

As predicted my feet warmed up quite quickly once we hit our stride, it was interesting my gloved hands were colder than the lower portion of my body, funny how that happens. It was a good run overall, it still amazes me how the body adapts to the situation at hand and provides you with what you require when you need it. No issues along the way, I did end up stepping on one fairly sharp rock that I did not see but that is the advantage of a light and quick step, I wasn't on it long enough to cause little more than a 'Whoops' reaction.

I did get some looks and finger pointing from traffic as we waited to go across Portage, but I guess that would be expected, yup it's the crazy guy from Winnipeg out again.

Also got out for 3 more runs that weekend before the snow started to fly, so I totalled about  25km of barefoot running in temps around the -6 degrees range. Unfortunately, I was not able to get out last week with the fresh snow, but I expect there will be lots of opportunities in the upcoming weeks.

Stay true to your running and enjoy every minute of it like it is your last..

On on

Bob

Spring, Hey Spring Are You Finally Here

I have been anticipating the coming of spring here, since, well since November (when the first snow hit the ground). I don't know why, but this year's winter seemed longer than normal, colder than normal, and just gave the impression that it was not going away. It almost seemed like Mother Nature wanted to be sure she threw enough challenges in front of me to make my winter barefooting attempts interesting. This also made me feel like I needed to have one more L-O-N-G sub-freezing barefoot run before spring finally entrenched itself on our fair city in its full glory. I've had some very interesting experiences (and of course a lot of firsts) this winter, besides the biggest being just running around Winterpeg with my barefeet exposed to the elements. Now of course I did not run barefoot all winter, that would be 'CRAZY', somebody would of reserved a room for me in Selkirk or something if I did. But on that note, I did log 96.6 kms of barefooting from the time the temperature dipped below the big donut (I should say Cheerio, trying to eat healthier you know), till now. Now that may not seem like much, but let's put that into perspective shall we, almost 100 km in snow, slush, ice, freezing temperatures and my favorite road salt. I know some runners (you know who you are), that will not even go outside running in the winter because it is too cold and icy. Don't get me wrong, running in the winter is not for everybody, it can be cold, lonely, exhausting, did I mention cold, and you will never secure a personal best time as all you want to secure is your footing. But that being said, it was fun and challenging all at the same time, here is a quick recap of my running hi lites from this winter.

• 
  
  Of course almost 100 km logged (14 runs total for a average of 6.9 km)


• 
  
  Coldest Run: -29 degrees Celsius (this was a short one at 2.0 km)


• 
  
  Longest run: 20.9 km at -2 degrees.


• 
  
  Deepest Snow Travelled: up to my knees.


• 
  
  Set Trail for Hash House Harriers Running Group (Temp was around -20)


• 
  
  Odd Looks, Finger Pointing and "OMG's": To Many to Count.


• 
  
  Stopped by Police: None unlike some friends out east who were stopped a few times by curious officers.


• 
  
  Frost Bite: A couple of minor cases.


• 
  
  Road Salt Burn: To many, this is what limited my barefoot running.


• 
  
  Lost Toes or Digits: I am proud to say 'NONE'.

I want to express that I am not alone in this exploit, there are a number of 'Crazy Canucks' and even some 'Unbalanced Americans' south of the border that have taken up this challenge this year. Kudos to some of these individuals go to the following: Barefoot YOW , Alan T, Run Barefoot (longest run at 30 km), Kitty K, Inbetweenmytoes, Saypay45, Smelph (most runs at 29), Matt, and I know I am missing a bunch more and for that I apologize. Great job everybody!!

Overall a great experience this winter, now the question will I do it again next winter season, well it's to early to know for sure, since we are only just getting into Spring, only time will tell.

Now, I got a little off topic with all this winter stuff, since the title of this blog was suppose to be about 'SPRING' (added a little green to put me in the right frame of mind). Maybe a picture,

Well the picture is about Spring and she is barefoot, what more do you want?

Or maybe this?

Who doesn't like puppies?

Anyway, enough getting off track, there are some sure signs of spring settling in, snow and ice melting, buds coming out on the trees, more daylight than darkness, the geese start showing up, potholes rearing their ugly heads (very common in Winnipeg), winter clothing hitting the closet, zoo animals get a little frisky (as one of my friends found out yesterday, you know who you are) and the tell-tale sign for me, the elusive runners come out of their caves to start training for summer marathon season, 'OUTSIDE' of all things. This is also a great time for me, as I can start shedding the winter foot coverings and dust off my far to long cooped up toes for hopefully a good barefoot running season.

I've got a lot of goals this year for both myself and my barefeet, and only a month to get my slightly tender toes conditioned for the season. It is only 4 weeks till May 1st, this is a very important day, not only is it the first race of the season for me being the Winnipeg Police Service half marathon. But it is also the 1st Annual International Barefoot Running Day, which I am proud to say I will be part of and trying to promote in my own 'under cover of darkness' way.

Insert Plug Here

The whole idea is to give barefoot running a try, whether it is for 13.1 miles like yours truly or one km, or even for a 50 yards, it does not matter. The freedom of running bare is exhilarating, and it cannot be described it has to be experienced. I know it might sound silly, but it brings me in touch with the earth (figuratively and literally) and my surroundings , I lose myself in the moment and my senses seem to come alive like nothing else. It has made running fun for me, and that is all that matters. Anyway I will write some more on this in a future post if there is any interest shown.

Anyway enough on this for now, back to spring and goals.

With the onset of Spring, my running will be going into hyperdrive as I try to prepare for the things I want to accomplish this year. Running barefoot almost 100 percent of the time being the ultimate goal and challenge, considering I plan to run a series of half and full marathons with a splatter of ultra trail marathons (50km) for good measure. I also want to surpass the 1,000 mile mark barefoot this year. Doing this with a wife that also loves to run long distance as well and two very energetic children will be a challenge but what is life but a big bowl of cherries..., no that is not right, I mean, Life would be boring without something to work towards.

I know I have a lot of work ahead of me, but darn it I will have fun trying to achieve what I have set forth to do. I will be trying to keep weekly updates on milage, etc as I go this year (mostly for me), for anybody who may be interested. So if you see some random guy running down the road, sidewalk or trail in Winnipeg with bare feet and a big smile on his face, wave and say hi, because that would either be me or some other like minded soul who is enjoying the freedom of running.

I know running barefoot is not for everyone, and it is not my goal to convert the masses, I just want the opportunity for people to give it a try, because you never know, you just might Like It!

Here's hoping everybody has a great running season, and I get a chance to meet a bunch more 'passionate about running' people this year.

It's A Great Day To Run Barefoot And Free'

B

ZEMgear shoes - Winter Running Review

Getting ready to head out to complete the Winnipeg Resolution Run on Jan 1, 2011 in my Zems. Its a balmy -29 degrees Celcius with the windchill, and yes I am wearing a kilt.

Winter running was going to be a different type of challenge for me then your average runner. I have found my running bliss in utilizing my au' natural soles, and did not want to resort to going back to running shoes to conquer the snow and ice of a typical Canadian winter. Even though I was planning to complete the occasional bare foot run through the winter, realistically once the temperature drops, or the snow on the trails was to deep, I knew I would have to utilize some type of footwear. This being said, I started on my journey of researching numerous types of minimalistic footwear, to find what would work best for me and my challenging requirements.

My first thought, was to utilize my current minimalistic footwear, the 'toe shoes' for my winter runs, but decided this would not be feasible since my toes were currently getting cold and numb in them, and we have barely started into the cold temperatures yet. I found a few other options, but I really did not like the looks of them or felt they were not minimalistic enough to suit my needs. At this point, it was looking like I would be going back to my old water shoes for the winter, not my first choice as they fit very loosely on my feet, which I do not like at all.

A few days later, I was reviewing some postings on the Barefoot Runners Society web page (www.barefootrunners.org ), and I came across a post regarding these shoes by ZEMgear, that some of our members were using. I will admit, I was drawn to the name first of all, so I thought I would read some of the postings and see what they were about. After reading some of the comments, I was intrigued, and decided that it was worth taking a closer look and accessed the ZEMgear website (www.zemgear.com). After spending a couple of minutes on the site and looking at the shoes closely, the hamster wheel in between my ears starting whirling with reckless abandonment, Zem's would be my winter running shoes.

All filled with excitement I contacted ZEMgear by email, expressing my interest in their product as well as what I wanted to use them for, I honestly felt like a little kid in a candy store with thoughts of grandeur and anticipation of things to come. I must of intrigued someone at ZEMgear, because a couple of hours later I got a return email from one of the co-founders of the company, that's what I call personal touch. They were intrigued by the idea as well, to see how their product would hold up to the cold Canadian winters.

So with this a new adventure has begun.

My new Zem's (I was utilizing the Lo Boot Round Toe model), arrived in mid October, and I started utilizing them for my everyday activities as much as possible. Because this fall was unseasonably warm and we did not get snow until mid November , I did not want to give up my barefoot running until I had too, so the running trials for the Zem's did not start until that point. But when they officially started they started with a bang.

The Review - Concerns

Taking into account that Zems were originally designed as beach volleyball shoes, I honestly did not know how they would hold up to everyday use in the cold and snow with a mix of salt and chemicals from the sanding trucks that are typically utilized to keep the roads clear, etc. Throw in asphalt and concrete sidewalks and the thin sole and the unique wrap around fastening point of the uppers of the shoe to the bottom would be truly tested for endurance and stability in the winter. The other concerns I had are listed below and would be tested and graded along the way:
Warmth - if you ever spend anytime outdoors in the cold in Winnipeg in the winter, this is always a concern, even winter boots can sometimes not keep the feet warm enough. Toes get mighty cold at -30 degrees and lower.

Traction - The soles of the shoes are thin (this was one of the things I was drawn too), and traction is minimal at best.

Resistance to Salt and Chemicals - As noted above the city uses a combination of salt, sand and chemicals to keep the roads and sidewalks clear and from becoming a icy skating rink.

Reaction to Getting Wet - As you go into a warm area then go back out into the cold, there is a large possibility that the shoes will get wet, and then have to endure freezing.

Reaction and Performance of the Tech Bands - Would the tech bands hold their shape and perform as intended with the added stress of the cold.

Flexibility - With the cold temperatures will the flexibility of the shoe remain, or will they become stiff and rigid subject to cracking or outright breaking?

The Feel of the Ground - This is my most important test, will I loose the feel of the terrain as the weather, the shoe and ultimately my feet get colder?

First I have to say, I have been wearing my Zem's as my where ever I go shoe (other than work) since I have received them, and they have quickly become my favorite to date. These are definitely the closest to barefoot that I have come across, that still give me protection from the frozen ground that I was seeking. I wanted to put them through the worst conditions that our climate has to offer so I could get a true test of what they could handle and where the shortcomings are. Yes they have worn through in places, but considering what they have been used for and what surfaces they are being utilized on they are performing well beyond my expectations.

I have used them for everyday use so far this winter including snow shovelling, tobogganing, walking, travelling back and forth to work, driving, etc. I have also used the same pair as my running shoes since the snow got to deep and the temperatures have dropped below -20 degrees Celsius. Overall the one pair of Zems have been subjected to 2 plus months of Canadian winter abuse (Nov and Dec and parts of October), and more than 100 miles of running mileage thru snow, ice, drifts, frozen concrete sidewalks, asphalt, chemicals, salt, puddles, slush and numerous freeze/thaw/freeze scenarios and conditions. I made a point of not avoiding anything that was in my path of travel to ensure I could give a truly objective review.

Back to the questions above, these are my findings:
(Ratings are out of 10)

Warmth: I first starting wearing the Zems outside without socks to see how low the temperature could go before I would resort to them, I was pleasantly surprised that -10 degrees Celsius could be achieved for a reasonable period of time. Once below this temperature I could comfortably wear the Zems with a pair of ankle high sport socks and as long as my feet were moving they were comfortable (similar to a pair of running shoes), so far I have hit -31 with the windchill for reasonable periods of time. Note when you stop moving, your feet do get cold fairly quickly due to the thin layer of sole between your feet and the ground. So in short, movement is a must. For running, I have utilized my toe socks and a pair of thermal socks over top to assist in regulating my foot temperature with great success. Even bounding thru snow drifts and pounding the pavement per say have kept my feet quite warm, with no loss of feel for the ground. Overall rating of this category is a 7.0.

Traction - This one is a little harder to evaluate, as when I run, I lift my legs instead of the typical leg swing that most runners utilize, so traction does not affect myself or most barefoot runners quite as much. But this being said, I also used these for day to day use as well, and the general consensus is there is little to no traction available. Going up hills can be a challenge, but if you tread lightly and walk on the mid to front of your foot, you can accommodate for this. Overall rating of this category is a 3.0.

Salt and Chemical Resistance - I really was not sure how the Zems were going to hold up with the onslaught of salt and chemicals that are put all over the roads and sidewalks of Winnipeg, especially since there really is no buffer zone between the upper shoe fabric and the ground surface. I figured that the chemicals and salts would eat away at the upper materials as well as the tech bands and I would be scrambling to find a product to keep them together and function able. Not the case, although there is definitely some visible wear around the edges of the shoes, the tops and tech bands are holding their own. Also with the wash ability of these shoes, the lasting effects of salt is not a factor. Overall rating of this category is a 8.0.

Getting Wet - I was expecting good things from the shoes in this regard, and here I was a little surprised with how they performed. I figured with the existing uppers current material (a four way stretch Lycra), and that they are used quite frequently in water sports, they would far exceed the standard running shoe in this category. Unfortunately, in the cold conditions when they get wet, they hold the moisture in and freeze quite easily (no wicking that I noticed). They perform on about the same level as a typical shoe, but will get wet quicker due to the closer proximity to the ground. Thermal socks do give added protection from the moisture but Gortex socks would be a must for early spring and the snow melting season. Overall rating of this category is 4.0 (same rating I would give a standard running shoe).

The Tech Bands - I was pleasantly surprised at the performance of these features, as they definitely create a secure feeling for the shoe to the foot, and they did not lose any of their performance in the cold or when switching from barefoot in the shoe to socks or a couple of layers of socks. The shoes never felt loose or felt like they were slipping no matter the conditions at hand. Overall rating of this category is 9.0.

Flexibility - In normal conditions the flexibility of the Zem shoes is unbelievable, you can roll a shoe into a ball if you want too, this is one of the reasons that I like them so much, because they form to the ground so well. With colder conditions you would naturally expect the flexibility to be reduced and become more rigid, and with the decrease in temperature you would expect the soles to be subjected to cracking or even up to even breakage. Boy was I surprised, I have taken my Zems out in weather approaching -40 degrees Celsius with the wind chill and i have felt no sign of drastically reduced flexibility and there is no evidence of crackage over the period of time they have been in use. Even going from the cold outside to room temperature inside have produced no weakening of the soles nor reduction in flexibility that I have noticed. Now this being said, I am only inspecting with my eyes and touch, so this should not be assumed that there has been no damage done by the cold, but I am impressed none the less. Overall rating of 9.5.

Feel of the Ground (Comparison of Barefoot) - Well it should be said, that there is no comparison to the feel of your barefoot in contact with the numerous different types of ground conditions, but Zem's performance are quite impressive indeed. I find they have a better ground feel than the toe shoes, and some others that I have tried previously. So taking this into account, and especially in cold conditions. Overall rating of this category is 9.0 (no product can receive a 10.0 in my books, but these take a close 2nd).

In summary, the Zem's have performed very well so far based on my current winter experiences with a Total Rating of 7.0 out of 10.0, not bad for a shoe that was designed for Beach Volleyball in Southern Florida.

I have included some pictures of my Zems based on almost 3 months of more that typical abusive use in Winnipeg. Also note I have done no repairs or modifications to the existing shoes, all wear and tear shown in the pictures have not been touched up. Considering the abusive nature of the conditions that I put the shoes through over the last 3 months, I expect them to last for the next 3 months of Winnipeg winter prior to having to break in a new pair. To me that is very impressive, and this being said, in my opinion, with normal use I would expect them to perform admirably.

My Zems after 3 months of abuse. Still holding up very well.

Some small visible wear spots thru the sole at the big toe from running with a front foot strike

Larger wear area of sole at big toe (I must have a heavier right foot) from running. Also note the wear at the heel, this from the miles of walking on concrete and asphalt, no repairs done period.
Tech band fastening points and shape holding up as required.

Another shot of the Zems from above, you can see the wear areas at the heels a little clearly. And yes that would be a lot of snow the Zems are sitting on a planter that is about 24" high.

The Seasons R A Changing

Here we are, its November 11th, normally this time of year we have a foot or two of nice white snow, and the temperature has dipped below 0 on a consistent basis. Not this year, we must have really pleased the weather gods or something because so far it has been absolutely fantastic for both weather and temperature. I have ran (up to today) with shorts or my kilt and a technical shirt and of course with no footwear to speak of. Although I do get some weird looks and of course finger pointing, when I go out for my lunch hour runs downtown at work. As even though the temperature has been consistently hanging between 5 and 12 degrees, most people I come across on my runs are bundled up in winter coats or at least heavy fall jackets, and I come along with bare legs and feet and a big smile on my face. I imagine some people are wondering what the hell that lunatic is doing, or am I just crazy. The only thing I can say is I am having the time of my life, and if people think I am crazy so be it.

This brings me to my run today, the weather is a little cooler, I think we were around 1 degree C and -6 degrees with the wind chill, not really knowing what to expect. I stepped outside the same way I was dressing all week, shorts and tech shirt, the wind hit me and I decided I better throw a pair of running pants on instead as all the hair on my legs were standing at attention.

That being done, I headed out for a run not knowing how my feet would react to the colder temperature along with the wet terrain (it had been raining with a mix of snow for most of the day). I headed north getting my feet warmed up (this took about 3/4's of a mile) and I was off to the races, so to speak. I seemed to be going at a pretty good clip, and as I passed a police car sitting on the side of the road, I looked up to see one of the officers pointing at my bare feet and giving me the thumbs up, while the other had this confused look on his face (I was just thinking to myself, please don't give me a ticket for speeding, as I must have been going over 7 miles an hour, lol). I carried on my merry little way and started heading east towards the new asphalt pathway system that the city has put in, very impressed with these, they have done a great job, kudos to the city and the province for investing in these. I passed numerous people out for walks with their dogs, many seemed a little confused at this guy running at them avoiding puddles as he picked his way along the trails.

I was making good time, not because it was cool out, not because my feet were cold and I couldn't feel them (on the contrary my feet were quite warm, it was my unmoving body parts that were cold like my hands), but because it just felt right. I finished the first 5 km in under 25 minutes, which is a PR for me, and I was averaging about a 9:20 mile or so. Then on the return portion of the run, I hit a good stiff wind, this slowed me down a little, but I was still amazed at how great my feet felt. My face was a little numb from the wind and my fingers were getting fairly cold, but damn my feet were perfect. I got some more looks from motorists, especially this young couple who backed up for me at a stop sign, and then I heard the girl in the passenger seat shout, "He's got no shoes", I just smiled and waved, as I shot past them. Even with the wind I finished up back at the house with 6.5 miles or 10.9 kms in under a hour. Thus 10 kms in 57:39, also a PR for me, and my feet were fine.

I did end up with a small blister just behind my toes of my right foot (I am assuming due to the wet sidewalks and asphalt), but other than that, my feet exceeded my expectations for how they did. I was only figuring I would get about 2 miles in before my feet got cold, and not only did I exceed it, I could of gone further, much further.

This looks like it will be an interesting winter, seeing what my bare feet will do, and for how long I can go into a Winnipeg winter running barefoot.

On On.