There are a few things that I've recently learned about running that have me excited. I've always been a casual jogger, but have never been all that thrilled about it. Really it has been more of an activity to stay active than something that really intrested me. But after reading the book Born to Run, I have a renewed interest in it. I have been taking tips and drawing inspiration from where ever I can, including the book, a DVD called Chi Running, and some of the Superatheletes that were written about in the book Born to Run.

And so far, I'm happy to report that it seems to be working. My issue is still with my conditioning, but my runs -- short though they may be -- have been more enjoyable and with no apparent issues. One of the biggest things I have learned is about how our feet are intended to function, and how wearing high performance running shoes changes that. According to many sources, running shoes generally hurt running performance rather than help. This is for several reasons. Apparently while wearing shoes, the ability for the foot to feel the ground and thus ensure that we are running with proper form is hampered, in turn causing bad form that can lead to potential injuries that would be prevented if running barefoot or with very flat or thin soled shoes. Heel striking is a common injury that wouldn't occur without these "performance" shoes. Also, with feet kept continually in shoes and supported, many of the muscles of the foot are allowed to weaken, which further increases the chance of injury. I have read of people whose running injuries have totally disappeard within months of starting to run barefoot! Additionally, I have heard accounts of people with so called flat feet (like me) who adopted barefoot running and subsequently lost the flatness and developed an arch.

It's just amazing what our body can do.

The biggest thing that I repeat in my head now as I run comes from Caballo Blanco, who was introduced to me in the book Born To Run: Run easy, light, and smooth. Amazing how much that works.

Also what I am focusing on:

• Keeping my knees bent to help absorb the shock of landing, rather than letting the shoe do it
• Avoiding heel striking by being lighter on my feet and taking shorter strides
• Trying to lift up my feet from the ground as opposed pushing down to propel, to make the movement easier, as taught by Danny Dreyer of Chi Running
• Posture - keeping my shoulders over hips, and my hips over feet
• And while my hips stay aligned with my feet, I picture my feet as wheels doing a smooth circular motion rather than scissoring

I am still a beginner at this, but I definitely have a new outlook on running...


Related Links:
Ultra marathons and barefoot trail running

Labels: reading, running

Shantaram
Gregory David RobertsAs promised last week, here is my review for one of my favorite books of all time, Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.

The book is very long, over 900 pages (!), but because it is so action packed it can be a quick read if you have the time to let yourself get involved. In brief, the book is about a man who escapes prison in New Zealand and ends up in Bombay working as a slum doctor. Thus the book is about the life he build in Bombay, and follows him over several years, first as a slum doctor, then moving on to mafia man and then mujahadeen fighter. The twists and turns of the plot make you want to keep reading, never knowing what will happen next. What makes this even more interesting is that, while fictional, much of what happens is based on experiences from Roberts' life. In real life Roberts had been a former heroin addict who managed to escape from prison in Australia and ended up in India. There is debate as to which events in the book are true and which are not, however Roberts claims that most of it is fiction. Never the less, there is at least some that is based on true events, and the book is sure to hold you attention.

In real life Roberts is ultimately recaptured to serve out the remainder of his prison sentence, and it is during this time that he wrote much of the novel, which makes the story even more amazing. There are many parts of the story that seem like they could be exaggerated, scenes that you wonder if could ever have really taken place, but the reality is it doesn't matter since this book is a novel, and a great one at that. He manages to write in such a way that as the reader you feel like you are experiencing the heart and soul of Bombay, and being taken to places that you will likely never venture on your own.

Shantaram is a real piece of work, and I would highly recommend it to most anyone, especially if you have an interest in adventure, travel and/or India. That said, there are parts that contain extremely violent events, so keep that in mind before picking it up. But if you choose to read it, you will not be disappointed.

Related Links:
My Top 10 Books

Labels: books, interesting, random, reading

I always enjoy reading other people's Top 10 lists, and I thought to myself that I've never done one. Usually I'm not great at picking favorites, but just for fun I decided I'd put together a list of ten books that I've thoroughly enjoyed over the past few years, plus a few extra just because I can't narrow it down to ten.

Keep an eye out for some reviews of these books in the future. I have actually written some for another site I used to run, so over the next week or two I'll try to get a couple posted up here. Also, for a list of all the books I've read over the past couple years, take a look over here.

Here is my list (in no particular order). What are some of your favorites?

• Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
• Dharma Bums - Jack Kerouac
• The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway
• Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse
• The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
• A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway
• Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky
• Life of Pi - Yann Martel
• Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen - Chris McDougall
• A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail - Bill Bryson

And some runners up:

• Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
• On the Road - Jack Kerouac
• Into the Wild - Jon Krakaur
• Veronika Decides to Die - Paulo Coelho

Labels: books, random, reading

Falling Uphill,
Scott StollFor the last two months or so I have slowly been reading my way through Scott Stoll's book, Falling Uphill. It is quite an enjoyable and inspirational book, and the fact that's it's been taking me so long to read it actually bodes well for the book, ironically enough. I find that if I am enjoying a book, I tend to take it slow because I am not ready to be done with it. The exception to this rule is for novels that end each chapter with a cliffhanger, in those cases I have been known to sit and read for hours.

In Scott's book, there is plenty of substance, and quite a bit that gets you thinking about life. I particularly enjoyed the following quote of his, and wanted to share it with you.

I like the challenge of cycling up a mountain: breathing hard, my body burning, and the feeling of peace when I reach the top: sweat being whisked away by the wind, watching the lizards scuttle, listening to the birds sing, sitting on a rock, the whole world spinning beneath me. That's what I enjoy most in life. I want to walk through the world barefoot, as if I were a child again, letting the leaves of grass tickle my toes even if my feet get dirty.

As I mentioned last week, if you know of any inspirational blogs, websites, or stories, please share them with me. I am always interested in reading and promoting stories that inspire.

Also, check out Scott's blog here, as well as his twitter.

Related Links:
Long Walks and Inspiration

Labels: biking, books, inspiration, reading

I just finished reading the book Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert, and I must say, it was a very good book. I was a tad embarrassed to be seen carrying this book around because it is a bit of a "chick book", however it was a great book.

Funny, witty, serious, inspiring, it really kept me interested. In brief, it is a biographical book about the author documenting her travels over the course of a year. This year is following several difficult years prior, in which she went through a difficul divorce, another failed relationship, and the hardships faced in coming to terms with being a newly single 30-something woman in New York. As the title indicates, the book describes her four months in Italy eating, four months in India praying, and four months in Indonesia loving.

A very good read, especially for anyone looking for direction or support in their own life.

Labels: books, inspiration, reading