Consequences of Freedom - Nike Free's Part Three

This is the third post in a series on my experience training in the Nike Free's.  As discussed in previous posts, these shoes are intended as supplements to your existing running shoe.  But, in true E form, I walked for 1 week instead of 3 and ran 5, then 6 miles on consecutive days when I was supposed to try running a single mile. 

My bad.  Really.  I've got this nice pain in my glute which is running down the middle of my hamstring.  And like my long ago sciatic issue, I'm not 100% sure yet if it's muscular or nerves shooting junk down my legs from my lower back.  I suspect it's the latter, but honestly I go back and forth.  For now, I'm running through it hoping it'll go away.  Stop laughing.  You've done it. 

I haven't given up on Freedom, just going back to the original plan.  Back to walking in them for now.....

Love my ASICS GT-2140's.

Run on friends.

Free Running - Day 2

Day 2 of Free Running.  In classic form I pushed the recommendation of how much to actually run in these "barefoot shoes".  Luckily, my friend H shouted at me on Facebook what my pea brain had been whispering to me tonight during a "measly" 6 mile run, "BE CAREFUL, we are not Kenyan and have been in shoes for a very long time.  The 2140 is a structure shoe; the Free has no support".  She went on to suggest something about the possibility of stress fractures in my feet; an area I've never had trouble with before. 

I will say this about day two, I like that more of my leg muscles seem to be showing up to the running party.  But, H is likely correct about pushing the mileage in this new fangled shoe.  I could sense some possible issues in my right ankle, my hams from my glutes down were doing something a little funky (not good funky) and I actually noticed my shins when I was done (not bad, but not in a good way either).  Finally, I noticed that in the second have of the run I had to pay closer attention to my posture/stride so as to not get sloppy and cause additional issues.

Key take-away at this point.....walk in them for 3 weeks, then do a mile the next week.  Not 12. 

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.......