Running Free...We'll See

I bought a pair of Nike Free 5.0 shoes the other day. Following our brutal climb in the Sisters, I was actually looking for a trail running version of my ASICS 2140's because the rocks caught me wrong a couple of times wearing my standard issue pair.

I ran in Nike's for years - being from Eugene, this is what we always did. Support the local team, so to speak. But the more air they put in them, the fluffier (and less functional) they got in my humble opinion around the late 90's.

I switched to the ASICS 2140 (aka 2120 or 2130) about 8 years ago and never looked back. Just a good fit for me. The nice thing is they update the technology, but don't totally change it up (like Nike always did); forcing one to go out and find a new shoe.

I'd been considering the Free's for awhile. The story goes that the African (specifically, the Kenyans) runner's essentially run injury-free. While we American's have all sorts of issues. The argument is that the Kenyan's run barefoot from the time they are 6 years old and never look back. They are trying to correct over-pronation or supination with a pair of heavy shoes. They run like they run and let their bodies correct whatever it is they naturally do. Our heavy shoes tend to keep us nice and straight (in theory), but many of the small twitch muscles become lazy because they don't have to come to the party like hams, quads and glutes.

Enter the Nike Free 5.0. They are supposed to in varying levels (3.0, 5.0, 7.0); each a little thicker, be like running barefoot. The 3.0 are as close as you can get. They fit like slippers/gloves, have arch support, but very little for the balls of the feet or heels.

I was instructed not to go out and bust out my usual run in them as I'd be in agony afterwards. Instead, I was to walk around in them for 3 weeks and then run a mile the next week. So, I walked around for a week and ran 5 miles in them yesterday; finishing the final 4 miles in my ASICS. Initial results were good, if not miraculous. I was a little sore in my legs in areas that I'm not normally, but I was slightly sleep deprived and had run lots of miles the prior 5 days which had me slightly beat up anyway.

So, the jury is still out on this. But, I'm going to give it another go tonight and see how I feel over time. I sure like the story though.......