Crosstrainers

[Nuage420b]

I'm due for a new pair of trainers. I've been training the past year in a pair of indoor soccer shoes instead of the heavily padded running shoes. I love it. I noticed when i joined the army and wore running shoes for the first time in my life that i just didn't feel as fast as i used to be. then with all the minimalist research and fashion waves it dawned on me that my indoor shoes are pretty minimal. go figure i quickly knocked a minute off my two mile time, my stride fixed itself my legs got stronger and most importantly my joints stopped hurting. Well i'm coming up on the last miles in these shoes and i'm not sure what to get next. It's in the air between the Nike Free TR's and going all out with the vibrams Five Fingers. I really wanna try them, one of my soldiers runs ultra marathons and he has worn the vibrams for three years now and can't say enough about it. Any of you active guys tried either of these? both of these? I'm wondering is i should get the nike free first then step down to the vibrams to gradually get into the barefoot running, or jsut say f*ck it and go for broke?

 

[Midnight82]

Running?

I prefer napping on the couch. If you're looking for a good comfortable couch, let me know. I've tried them all.

 

[beefy99]

If I could keep up on my running that is exactly what I was planning on doing. I have the frees now and was going to move to fingers when they wore out. I don't think I will ever do full barefoot (too much of a baby) I also have guys that do the fingers and say they like them, just don't stub a toe on a curb or whatever, from what I hear it's a bitch. If you have been running on your toes (sounds like it) the only thing you have to worry about is calluses, rubbing your feet raw, or blisters, it goes away just like a road march you might be walking funny for a week or so but you'll get used to it. Good luck[up]

 

[Nuage420b]

Thanks, yea i think i'ma brush the sand out my clam and go for the fingers. I used to barefoot run in high-school and on vacations to the beach. but now adays the ground is too damn nasty and dangerous to run on barefoot. i'll play barefoot soccer at a good park where the chance of broken glass is minimal. i was blessed with ruck marchin feet. i've never blistered or had skin sloughing. yea i'm a toes/balls of feet runner after 13 years of soccer and always being on my toes and changing directions. i think it was the change to running shoes and them making me start a nasty heel toe habit that jacked my knees up. i run 20sih miles a week and do a lot of sprints shuffles shuttles ect ect ect.

 

[netty2424]

The five finger shoes have an interesting marketing campaign and the basis is they reference the greatest runners in the world and these arguably are the kenyans. It's like the Sherpas at Mt Everest, theyre just built for it.

And the claim is that the Kenyans historically have run barefoot for days and 100s of miles. And this in theory requires you to run on your toes/balls of your feet rather than your heels, which in turns corrects your posture which results in many benefits, better posture, less joint stress, leg strength, less heel strikes, greater endurance, etc.

But here's my question, let's say all of that is true, are the best marathon runners which include those kenyans, are they wearing finger shoes in the Boston Marathon, etc? I don't think they are!

So maybe there's more to focusing on running posture than the shoes you're wearing? Not saying they are a fluke, because i believe there are some advantages to them. But to say they are hands down better than a good running shoes may be a stretch. Similar to lifting weitghts, if your posture or technique is correct, youll experience greater and/or more efficient gains with less weight. Rather than lifting heavy weights with poor technique. Poor lifting technique can result in injury.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Nuage420b]

You're not the first person to express those same sentiments. I realize it's not the shoe that makes the athlete. And there are actually a large number of marathon and ultra marathon runners wearing them and winning. don't ask me their names please, lol my soldier has bored me to death on many occasions telling me all about them. and truth be told i refuse to run more than 3-4 miles at a time unless it's required. i personally like 2 miles or less. but i love being barefoot and i also practice a lil mma in a gym that doesn't exactly allow for barefoot training. as far as kenyans it's actually a tribe from mexico that is heavily researched. there is a really great books called born to run that i admittedly slept on for a long time thinking it was some training manual by some running guru. but it's actually just some well researched stories about various people in various situations involving :::drum roll::: RUNNING everything from those crazy kenyans to a chick who ran for 48 hours at a 6minute mile pace. talks about how not everyone is made to run. large framed and short people. the obvious body types, 5'9"-6' 150-170's minimal body fat are the prime body type. tons of other cool info. i agree with you completely on the lighter weight and proper technique. every tour i do 90% of guys pump the roids and take the go-go juice and bust through the gym like the tazmanian devil. this goes rgeat for a few months even, then they get a hernia, or tear the rotator cuff, and whaddah know they shrink rapidly. i've been cross fitting at a beginers level, rucking, rowing, and short running and i'm healthier than ever and pain free and most importantly STILL TRAINING.

 

[jhnlzn]

hey nuage, remember me? bummed out dude next to blimpies at hood cause i layed my bike down going all of two mile per hour . . . . holla!

i always buy my kicks from www.roadrunnersports.com and i'm always satisfied. they have it broke down in gimmicky caveman vs. spaceman style. helpful, though.

i also had the same prob adjusting to Army run style and found that the more i spent on a shoe, sadly, directly impacted my run speed and strength for the better.

so, i train in asics kayano classic 15 (they are on 17 but i prefer 15), and pearl izumi syncro infinity. cheaping it out by sticking with what was pricey a couple years ago, and works for me! although i've been wanting to try the mizuno wave prophecy. i've heard good things about the vibrams, but outside of prosports, the only two dudes i know who wear them do so only for talking points. but i agree, i just want to try them!

my experience leads me away from "crosstrainers" and stick with deliberate gear for the right tasking. my issued gear, namely body armor (which was always a size too tall, and made me look like a ninja turtle, but a damn sexy one!), never fit my awkward body (because of a large chest and upper back on short legs) and forced Me to adapt causing bulging disks and lost elasticity or strain or tears. all my guys wanted to work chest and arms, but i always had to focus on legs and core to match my natural barrel chest. im 5'5" and on a good day 5'6". =) sometimes i think i should have juiced . . . naw, i kid, i could do that **** all day, any day!

i'm not a natural runner, so for me it is something i have to do if i want to be able to do it at all, and for me, knowing the right shoe type for my feet is first step, followed by run style. i won't ever really go barefoot because i do get plantar fasciitis when i do that. my feet are just too used to cushioning.

sorry for long read, just wanted to say howdy!

 

[Nuage420b]

holy **** man whats up! you should of come on here sooner! I had a ton of wild rides after that day! if you're still in hood next year come out and play dude!

 

[jhnlzn]

sadly, after we met, i went to knox for a little bit, then back to hood, and i got pissed off cause somebody took it upon themself to decide i didn't need a left mirror. which i don't, but legally . . .you know . . .

yeah, i was in transition on getting out cause my squadron treated nco's like little kids. i was pent up in barracks and out of interwebs. pretty hostage like, dude, but i always wanted to go outside and play. the barracks weren't in our AO which you may know, we worked so close and your unit may have had the same logistical situation, but yeah, one of the engineers that worked in the B's we, scouts in case you forgot, lived was prob trying to adjust mirror and snapped it.

the grass definitely got greener right before my departure with old comrads even coming in and work feeling like good old days, but no it was time to leave.

get this, i havent worked since october 2010! yeah, pretty cool, but i am just now returning to real life and should be in workforce here pretty soon. huhah! i still haven't even written my resume!

i'm still a cowboys fan, but i'm camping out in wisconsin for now. playing in texas is fun though!

 

[jakestolar]

Well on the topic of shoes. I am active duty. So I wont bore you w/ details or descritions you aready get it. I run religiously in Mizuno Wave Creations and 5 fingers. I train in the 5 fingers I dont run more than 5 miles in them. Once I am so exhausted that I begin to lose my form and run sloppy I always stop. Because it defeats the purpose of the 5 finger shoes.
On days that I actually have to run Via pt test or some type of competion/school I use the mizunos. Every time I stray from that pattern I injure myself.
One example being I had some mizuno shoes that I used for everything. Weight training, running and everyday use. They wore out quickly but I did not replace and continued to use them until every joint from mid back down to my feet were screaming in pain.

That is my .02 and it works wonders for me

 

[Nuage420b]

thanks jake. i'me thinking of doing the same. having a pair of competition flats for my pt test.

 

[jakestolar]

I have always wanted to try something like that for my PT test. Never have tho. Think it really makes a difference? I run about 1330 2 mile I really want to get it under 1300