Barefoot Ted's Adventures

Avalon Benefit 50 Mile Run Experiment

2012-02-06T01:06:00.000-08:00

Feet after 50 miles in Lunas.

It has been over 3 weeks since I ran the Avalon Benefit 50 Mile Run...and I am now finally getting a moment to take some time to record my thoughts on this event and share some photos...while sitting at my friends house on the other side of the world in Navi Mumbai, India.

Firstly, and most importantly, I want to point out that this run was a total experiment. I continue to test my idea about the least amount of training that works. Folks, I really don't train in a traditional sense anymore. I mean that I don't have a traditional training schedule. All I do is try and move well every day. I trot to the coffee house or market. I run the dogs. I trot over to the Luna Factory. I use my own two feet to power my life as much as possible and I error on the side of quality instead of quantity. My biggest inspiration to move is to see and feel natural beauty. My running is more like surfing and play. It's about exhilaration and joy and unexpected awesomeness and crazy gorgeous vistas (examples here). It's about freedom.

View from our rental

My working theory is to avoid turning running into a duty and instead turn it into a passion, an art of living. By listening to my body's own desire and need to move, I dance my running. Running barefoot or in sandals automatically encourages me to stay focused on form and keeps me tuned in. I believe that this style of running alone makes me a stronger runner and person. No junk miles along with no junk food. Running, walking and trotting between 2-5 miles a day maximum is enough to keep me fit and ready to run 50 mile plus events. This has been my experiment. Ultimate goal? Health and happiness and quick recovery leading to a stronger, healthier, happier me, and so far it's working!

Ready to start

So as I got on a plane to fly to LA, I really had to wonder if this style of "training"was going to be enough to allow me to complete a tough 50 mile course on Catalina Island. I was looking forward to finding out. Furthermore, I was going to be running in a pair of Leadville Lunas. It would be the first time running an ultra with the new ATS lacing system. In LA I met up with fellow Lunar Monkeys Patrick Sweeney and Reese Ruhland and we all got on a ferry along with Tracy Thomas (first Luna customer ever in 2007) and her partner Laura Vossman heading for Catalina. I had arranged for us all to share a rental house overlooking Avalon Bay. Good choice of monkeys and venue.

Race started at 5am on Saturday morning in darkness and immediately started with a long climb. One of the first things I noticed was the sound...of runners running in normal running shoes. It is loud...real loud. If we were a hunting party we would have been out of luck. In my Lunas, I was silent. I love the sound of silent running...am addicted to it. Up we climbed until we reached the ridge line. And then the most beautiful thing happened, we were all greeted with the most spectacular sunrise I have ever seen. Photos don't do it justice.

Stunning sunrise

It was a super clear day. It seemed as if you could see San Diego to the South and Santa Barbara to the North...a huge, dark coastline with the orange of the sunlight highlighting the silhouettes of dark mountains all along the mainland. Only the lights of Los Angeles could be seen. All else was black with the sunlight streaking across the 25 miles of ocean between us as if it were a smooth puddle. It was so inspiring, reminding me that regardless of all the baubles and gadgets humans create, nothing compares to the inspirational power of raw natural beauty of this caliber. Breathtaking. I had to stop and take photos. Something I continued to do for the entire 50 miles!

Mile 37's beauty

So, how does one run 50 miles on less than 25 miles a week of "training"? One thing I don't do - I don't waste any time worrying about time. No watch. No planned times to here or there. I just stay in my zone, my sweet spot. Running to me is a practice, an art of staying in the place that allows me to run effortlessly, smoothly and gently. My breathing remains lite and is primarily nose breathing...like yoga. Because of the beauty of the course I was continuously being awed by the views all around me. A deep sense of gratitude for being alive filled my mind. Music by Seattle composer Michael Maricle made up the background music along with wind and waves and birds and runners. I use headphones that leave my ears open, so I can hear music and the world at the same time. Highly recommended.

Breathtaking views everywhere

Light and smooth and gentle I made my way through the course...and what a course. Perfect for running in Luna Sandals, perfect for those who have learned how to run lightly even on the hardest surfaces. Much of the course is on fire trails. For many this was a bane. For me it was pure joy. It was sandal running territory par excellence. One long section after mile 25 had an out and back section that allowed one to see all the runners go by...over 300 of us. It was great getting a chance to see many old friends from the Southern California running community! Lots of smiling faces. I was beaming the whole way.

Loved my Lunas

The mile 40 aid station was one of the finest I have ever encountered in all my running days. Indeed all the aid stations were awesome. At mile 40, how about fresh Buffalo burgers and lobster? How about cold mixed fruit salads and a icy beer if you want it? How about a cool shower? They had it and more!

The last 10 miles are perhaps the most difficult. From 40 to 46 you are no longer on the coastline. The heat increased. But lucky me, I started picking Toyon Berries...and they happened to be the best tasting ones I had ever eaten. I was also admiring the profuse abundance of California native plant species on this section of the course. Most of them slightly different from the mainland varieties. All very interesting.

Cold ocean swim = priceless

Finally the last section came. 4 miles straight down a switchback road. After 46 miles of running, the legs are not as well prepared for so much downhill, but I was feeling good and let myself fly as smoothly as I could. It feels so good to be nearing the end of such a long race.

Now for the best part of all. When you are finished you are a stone's throw away from the ocean. Nothing is finer than a nice, cold ocean swim after 50 miles of running. Heaven on earth.

All in all a truly awesome experience. And to make things even more interesting, my best time for a 50 miler, a PR - 9 hours and 32 minutes and 69th out of 308 finishers. 22nd out of 59 in my class. All this without "training", taking pictures and having fun the whole way. I am onto something!

Adios for now, BFT

PS. One very cool fact is that another runner ran the race in Lunas!!! And it was his first 50 miler too. Congratulations Rusty (see photo below).

PSS. Lunar Monkey Patrick Sweeney wrote his own report...which will put a smile on your face to read http://bourbonfeet.blogspot.in/2012/01/avalon-50k-2012.html

100 mile circumambulation of Mt. Fuji in Japan in May

2012-01-06T11:10:00.000-08:00

Very pleased to be invited to this year's inaugural Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji, a 100 mile trail event in Japan. It is an awesome opportunity to spend 48 hours in the wilderness of Japan circumambulating the most sacred symbol of Japan, Mt. Fuji.

I am honored to be able to be part of this event.

from the official website (really love this me)

Self-Exploration

This race is not about being the fastest runner or about competing against other people. This race around Mt. Fuji is an incredible 160 km journey. A journey that covers an extraordinary distance by foot. They will be physically and mentally challenged and pushed to explore their limits and discover new possibilities within themselves.

To cultivate respect for the natural environment

Japan's culture has always been very deeply interconnected with the natural environment. However, in recent times, people have started to lose sight of this important connection. This race aims to make participants realize the importance of our coexistence with nature. It will cultivate and promote respect towards the natural environment through the outdoor sport of trail running while rigorously endeavoring to minimize any damage to the environment.

To share the trails with everybody

These trails have been created over many years by the people who live, work and enjoy the mountains. It is important for those that use these trails for recreation to understand and respect the fact that these trails are still actively used by these people. This race aims to provide a mutual understanding between these different users and help communicate and promote the sharing of these trails.

Katsushika Hokusai's "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji – Kanagawa-oki nami-ura (The Great Wave off Kanagawa)"

“Red Mt.Fuji” by Hokusai Katsushika.

Auspicious? I was born the year of the dragon and this year is the year of the dragon
and this box with Mt. Fuji and a dragon sits at the base of my Butsudan.

The Great Dance - A Hunter's Story | Film about the San People

2011-12-26T17:01:00.000-08:00

The film shares the San perspective of tracking thus:

"Tracking is like dancing because your body is happy. It's telling you the hunting will be good. You feel it in the dance. It tells you. When you are tracking and dancing, you are talking with God." (You can view the full film at bottom of this post. )

This film simply blew my mind. Here you have all the secrets you need to know about the nuance of understanding our ancestors had with their bodies and their environment: the animals, the plants, the winds and rain, fire, and the sun. They were highly skilled and tuned beings who could see the world so deeply, see the connections between things, read the signs all around them, and retell the story through words, hand gestures and movement, sand drawing and painting. They read their world well.

As a seemingly highly evolved 21st century Great Ape, I am fascinated by our genetic, cultural and spiritual heritage. I am also amazed at where we are now. Shaman-like, I believe it is our job to connect the past to the future, thereby creating the present. That's what I like to do, and I get a lot of inspiration from a deeper acquaintance with our hunter-gathering ancestors and their ways of being.

This film starts out with this quote:
"/XAÁ is the word for DANCE in the !Ko language of the Kalahari and also means to REVERE, or to show ONENESS."

It is so powerful, especially when you reconnect it to the idea that tracking is like dancing "because your body is happy". Our ancestors knew how to be happy in their bodies by being in the moment and connected to themselves and their world. We can do the same. I recommend it.

Now enjoy the film below and let me know what you think. I plan on sharing more of the insights I have gained from this film and these people in future blog posts.

"This is a film dedicated to the ancient !Xo San people, whose harmony with this vast Kalahari desert landscape inspired the movie. Use this to learn more about the !Xo San - the Kalahari Desert Bushmen - or to travel into their minds, hearts and landscapes through the unique images."

BFT

PS. I recommend supporting www.kuru.co.bw. An organization whose vision is that:
The San peoples of Southern Africa will achieve permanent control over their lives, resources and destiny. I want to see that happen too!

Inspired by "Born to Be Barefoot" by Christopher McDougall

2011-12-18T15:22:00.000-08:00

Born to Be Barefoot
Article by McDougall
Download PDF here

Reading Christopher McDougall's recent article titled "Born to Be Barefoot" was a great pleasure. His article succinctly confirms and validates for me the worthiness of the pursuit of personal understanding through self-experimentation and hints from the stories and traditions of our most ancient ancestors.

Christopher McDougall's book "Born to Run" has moved a lot of us to reexamine what it means to be human, what it means to locomote with two feet over the world. He has reminded us that we are not broken by default and that some of our most basic primal capacities are awesome before the admixture of anything, that we embody some pretty impressive ancient technology worthy of remembering and rediscovering.

Testing the Original
Vibram FiveFingers
January 2006

Since 2004, I have been committed to rediscovering for myself the joy of running, the joy of primal movement, the joy of tuning into my own body's sophisticated and time-tested tools for survival and play. That led me to the bare foot, but my investigation did not stop there.

I started becoming fascinated by the footwear of our ancient ancestors, footwear that has played a role in our species' ability to get to every nook and cranny of this planet on our own two feet. I looked for modern versions of these most fundamental designs and in late 2005 hit pay dirt when I was among the first to recognize the original Vibram FiveFingers as the perfect shoe for human beings, the first modern shoe that achieved full expression of the most amazing footwear design ever...the foot itself. (see my blog article "Paradigm Shifting Trojan Horses - Vibram Five Fingers")

Tarahumara Huarache Sandals
Made by Manuel Luna in 2006

One thing the footwear of our ancient hunter-gathering ancestors share is an elegance of design, a functional simplicity based on an underlying assumption that the foot is just fine as it is and at best requires protection from the extremes of hot, sharp and cold. Sandals and moccasins have played a role in our success from the very beginning. Go hither and thither on this planet and do some investigating...you'll find fine examples of minimalist footwear everywhere.

It is no mistake that the Tarahumara Indians of Northern Mexico happen to be among the greatest long distance mountain runners on the planet. They have remained true to a tradition of running and sandal making that goes back into our distant past. Simple sandals have proven themselves through the natural selection of human experience and use. The simplest, most elegant solutions that work tend to rise to the top: sandals like the Tarahumara huarache and the traditional Japanese waraji and the San people of South Africa's giraffe-hide sandal.

Traditional Japanese Waraji
Part of a long footwear tradition

Regaining an acquaintance with our own bodies is a first good step in getting a chance to taste what it means to be fully human. Learning how to move well in your own bare feet directly connects you to an aspect of the human condition that is as old as time and older. Every able bodied 21st century primate of the genus Homo can relive the magic and majesty of our species' bipedal mastery of movement in their own default equipment. It is a human birthright available to all, and when practiced well, brings health and happiness by virtue of being what our bodies and minds have evolved to crave. We know it when we feel it and humans have been practicing this amazing art for some time now.

Sandals of the Bushmen
Among our oldest ancestors

In the end, is barefoot and minimalism for everyone? Is it the new cure all? Will it make me faster, better, stronger? It has yet to be determined, after all, we as a cohort of humans in modern urban societies are the among the first who have ever been so differently-abled as to literally need therapy and coaching to reconnect to our own bodies' basic primal abilities. With insights from evolutionary biology and the cultures of our most ancient ancestors, we can pick up on a powerful riff of movement that when played through the instrument of our own bodies is instantaneously recognized by many as being the most perfect solution.

Using health and happiness as a motivator, you will find much to gain in reconnection to the earth and your body. 10 years ago, barefoot and minimalism was barely on the palette of footwear choices available to mainstream America. Now that it is actively being rediscovered, I feel like new-old aspects of movement culture can once again flourish. Running is not just about times, distances and speed. Running is about human exuberance and joy, about allowing the human animal to express and come alive, about mastering functional movements by moving well in one's original hardware. All you need is your own two feet and a patch of earth, the rest is up to you.

Walt Whitman

In my own personal investigation of running and living, I have gained much inspiration from the American Transcendentalists like Emerson, Thoreau and Whitman. In particular, I have been amazed to rediscover a similarly inspired anarchistic philosopher named J. William Lloyd who in 1890 wrote the first treatise on running as an exercise where he suggests that health and pleasure should be our primary motivation for movement, not competition. I plan on sharing much more about him and his insights in the future. For the time being, here is a great tidbit he wrote in a paper on coed running clubs and games in the 1890s:

"I would advise that each runner leave shoes and stockings at home, but of course this should be optional with the individual; next to bare feet are sandals, next to sandals moccasins, next to moccasins, soft, low shoes."

Deep insights into the human condition are timeless. Gaining access to some profound insights may be a bare foot away. Enjoy with gusto.

BFT

PS. And of course you can always take it one step further and run with the animal that has hung out with us from time immemorial, the loyal, loving dog ;-). I do.

With Hiko and Edgar in front of the BTR store in Seattle

Minimalist Runner - Barefoot, Sandals, Shoes - Since 2007

2011-12-13T12:24:00.000-08:00

Minimalist Runner Google Group
Since 2007

This group seeks to dispel the myth that you need an overly supportive, cushioned, orthopedic shoe-boot in order to push the limits of human potential in running and exploring the world.

We welcome discussions on topics brought up in Christopher McDougall's best-selling book "Born to Run". Since 2007 with over 3000 members.

Click here to learn more.

Part of my talk at Run and Become in London

2011-12-05T16:58:00.000-08:00

Alan Watts on Running as Play and Dance! - 1970

2011-11-16T17:36:00.000-08:00

Alan Wilson Watts (6 January 1915 – 16 November 1973), a British philosopher, writer, and speaker, best known as an interpreter and popularizer of Eastern philosophy for a Western audience, talks about running for joy vs. work, running on ball of foot rather than heel, running as play. Surely he'd be a Lunar Monkey if he were alive today!

You can learn a lot from his perspective on the Universe.

LINCHPIN SERIES: Barefoot Ted of Luna Sandals

2011-11-09T12:48:00.000-08:00

Was recently interviewed by Rachelle over at Barefoot-Running.us for their ongoing LINCHPIN SERIES.

Per usual, it is not easy to capture the torrent of words that stream out of my mouth when I start talking about Luna Sandals (McDougall captured that aspect of my character very well I think)...it flows and flows. She got the gist of my ideas, albeit, not perfectly...but my racing mind doesn't make perfect capture easy ;-)

Here are some tidbits:

"Luna Sandals is the coolest thing I could ever think about doing. It’s my passion. I’m the company’s storyteller. I’m just one of many who have had an ah ha moment, and I’m lucky to do this."

"Where we’ve been is awesome. Where we are is awesome. Where we’re going is more awesome still. It’s a beautiful organic story that is unfolding before our eyes."

"The goal is a better, more sustainable world. It’s growing happy, healthy people."

Read the whole interview here.

BFT

2ND ANNUAL NEW YORK CITY BAREFOOT RUN! September 24-25, 2011

2011-07-14T09:57:00.000-07:00

“The Woodstock of Wild Human Animal Mayhem” – Christopher McDougall

Don’t miss the definitive minimalist running event in the world.
Two days of events for both beginners and experts. Barefoot running and natural movement clinics. Minimalist footwear expo. Talks and panel discussions. The Run on historic Governors Island in New York Harbor – walk 2 miles or run a marathon. And a Kid’s Run (a lesson in good form).  See events.

Learn from the best in barefoot running, natural movement, posture, and health.
Christopher McDougall, Professor Daniel Lieberman, Barefoot Ted, Barefoot Ken Bob, Erwan Le Corre, Lee Saxby, Jason Robillard, Michael Sandler, Dr. Daniel Howell, Esther Gokhale, John Durant, and more.  See bios.

Register today – spaces are limited.
Two-day pass costs $75, and will increase closer to the event. Includes access to all events, ferry to Governors Island, tech tee, entry into runners’ raffle, discounts from sponsors, and complimentary food and drinks at events.  Register today.

Sponsored by

Vivobarefoot, Merrell, Injinji, and Luna Sandals

Fellow Space Monkeys Unite

2011-06-09T16:42:00.000-07:00

Lunatics, Lunar Explorers, Fellow Space Monkeys...

...this monkey is riding the biggest wave he has ever ridden...and loving it.

Lots of folks are wondering where I am going with Luna Sandals. Have I become a shoe salesman they wonder. "How can Barefoot Ted sell footwear? After all he's 'Barefoot' Ted, right?"

Well Space Monkeys, truth be told, I founded Luna Sandals in order to make the best sandals in the world...because my favorite footwear after my own bare feet are my Lunas. It's that simple.

Luna honors the foot first and the age old tradition of sandal wearing. Luna does not make the assumption that the foot is a broken, malformed appendage that lacks the functional ability to do what it does best, i.e., walk and run.

The barefoot alone is a marvel, one of the preeminently engineered human parts. Our foot and our head define us as a species. We are both smart and agile over varied terrain in our bare or minimally clad feet.

Luna's goal is simple. Spread the message of the greatness of the human foot and its capacities before the addition of any accoutrements while at the same time promoting the revival of footwear designs used by our hunter-gathering ancestors updated to fit the needs of 21st century primates.

Luna also wants future happy primates, so we move forward with the goal of using earth and people friendly processes and materials to manufacture Lunas in Seattle, Washington, USA.

Ultimately, Luna looks to facilitate and encourage now living humans to rediscover ancient styles of movement that our barefooted and sandal wearing relatives thoroughly and convincingly mastered over the millennia.

Ancestor worship starts at the feet. Bare, it represents your connection to the earth and all other beings. Sandaled, it finds a way to stay connected without being disconnected. Carpe diem.

Barefoot Ted

PS. Thanks to CodeMonkey Bookis for the new logo, it rocks!

PSS. Luna T-Shirts now available, see www.lunasandals.com

--

Luna Sandal Company Spokesmonkey - Me

2010-10-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

Spokesmonkey at work!

Luna Sandal Company | www.LunaSandals.com

Thank you for your ongoing support. We appreciate your participation in our little company’s expansion and development. We are grateful and love what we are doing.

Our philosophy: we are interested in the designs of traditional sandals from all over the world, sandals made out of natural, sustainable materials that are easy to make by hand with simple tools. We believe that the minimalist footwear traditions are part of our shared heritage and that we should preserve them and encourage others to do the same.

Our production sandals represent the best fruits of our experiences and experiments with old-school footwear and gleanings from insights that we have gathered from both our ancestors and our customers. Through small-scale, sustainable production, we give a growing audience a chance to try what we consider to be fine minimalist running sandals that happen to be great everyday footwear too.

In the coming months the Luna Sandal website (www.lunasandals.com) will develop into a place where you can share your experiences, get advice from other users, find resupplies and view the various production and custom sandals available. Your feedback and shared experiences are crucial to our continued growth and improvement.

Hecho en Los Estados Unidos de América by happy monkeys for happy monkeys.

¡Muchas Gracias! the Luna Sandal Team.

Luna partners include: Barefoot Ted, and the brothers Jules & Bookis Smuin

PS. By the way, we are constantly testing new materials and designs and will be releasing new models featuring recycled tire soles by the end of next month. Stay tuned.

PSS. If you are in Seattle, be sure to come on by the Factory for a Factory Tour...set up an appointment online at www.LunaSandals.com

1st Annual New York City Barefoot Run - AWESOME!!!

2010-09-18T17:23:00.000-07:00

How could I resist an invitation to this event?

Here's the info:

Announcing the

1st Annual New York City Barefoot Run

Sunday, October 10th

www.nycBarefootRun.com

It's about time that minimalist and barefoot runners had our own run. Well, now we do. We invite all barefoot, minimalist, or curious runners to join us for the 1st Annual New York City Barefoot Run on Sunday, October 10th at beautiful Governors Island in New York Harbor. More than just a run, this is a whole weekend of events to understand the benefits of barefoot -- walking or running. Saturday clinics, talks and presentations, a runners party, and oh yeah, there's a run too.

Come meet other leading barefoot runners, including:

Dan Lieberman, Harvard professor studying the science of running

Barefoot Ted, larger-than-life barefoot runner in the best-seller Born to Run

Jason Robillard, barefoot ultramarathoner, author of The Barefoot Running Book

Erwan Le Corre, founder of MovNat and 20-year barefoot running veteran

Daniel Howell, author of The Barefoot Book

John Durant, event host and founder of Barefoot Runners NYC

Participate in a totally unique race format: Run your distance

Everyone starts together, then run as many loops around the island (2.1 miles) as is right for you

Each runner will have to decide when to stop -- emphasizing the importance of listening to your feet and body

Wear VFFs, other minimalist shoes, or go barefoot...or even just wear normal sneakers

* Beginners are encouraged to walk 1 loop of the island *

Come cheer on Jason Robillard as he runs a barefoot marathon!

The events will last throughout the weekend

Saturday barefoot clinics in Central Park

Saturday evening Lieberman talk and panel discussion at the Terra Plana store

Sunday morning run at Governors Island

More clinics and product demonstrations after the run

The location is Governors Island in New York Harbor, with stunning views of

The Statue of Liberty

Lower Manhattan

Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Bridge

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Terra Plana's Vivobarefoot, for being so supportive of the run in its first year!

Registration for this event is limited to 500 runners. That sounds like a lot, but runs fill up quickly in NYC, so it's really not -- register soon. We have people coming in from North Carolina, Boston, New Mexico, Seattle, Michigan, and...Sweden. If you're coming into town on a budget, contact us and we will try to arrange for a member of Barefoot Runners NYC to host you.

All run details and registration at

www.nycBarefootRun.com

See you there!
__________________________________________________________

Some photos from the event...

2010 Leadville 100 Trail Race Report

2010-08-26T18:48:00.000-07:00

At the start: Greg Labbe, Cabro & Me

Feeling great after 100 miles in the Rockies.

My fourth summer in a row visit to Leadville, Colorado and my third completion of the Leadville 100 Mile Trail Race...what an experience. Deep gratitude for good friends and a strong body.

Finished!

This year's race was to be my second attempt at running the entire course barefoot and with my own Luna Sandals. Two years ago, I started with sandals, but had to change into VFFs KSOs at the top of Hope Pass in order to complete the race due to horrible weather conditions. This year I was able to run the entire race with my sandals (see www.LunaSandals.com) and in bare feet...a pure joy fest.

At the finish line carpet, McDougall at my side.

I spent the week before the race acclimatizing in Leadville staying at the Labbe Family Compound behind the famous Tabor Opera House. The week leading up to the race included lots of great reunions with old friends along with a couple high mountain hikes. I have thankfully not suffered from any serious altitude problems while participating in the race...which I believe is connected to my practice of deep nose breathing throughout the week and throughout the run.

Pacers Jules and Bookis Smuin and me - Post Race in Proven Grounds

This year, Mas Loco veteran Chris Labbe, aka Cabro, came up with a terrific strategy. Both he and I had not really been training hard in preparation for the race. In his case, he just didn't have time. In my case, I have been purposely finding out what the lowest amount of training is necessary to complete the race well. For me, that meant averaging less that 15 miles per week throughout the year, completing a marathon in May (Copenhagen Marathon - barefoot), a 50K in June (Vashon Island 50k in Luna Sandals) and a 50 miler in July (White River 50 Mile Trail Race - barefoot & Lunas),...and concentrating on running gracefully and joyfully everyday.

I also want to add that I spent one week in West Virginia in July training with Erwan Le Corre and practicing MovNat. Now that added something to my overall fitness for sure.

Matt Mahoney and me pre race.

So Cabro's plan seemed genius: we would run to Winfield (the 50 mile point) in 12 hours and 30 minutes and come back in the same amount of time...thus getting in at or under 25 hours...and getting the big belt buckle prize. Sounded good to me.

The key to this strategy was going be avoiding trying to go too fast...as a matter of fact, we were going to have to go slow...slower than our bodies craved when fresh, slower than most everyone else on the course. No easy feat.

However, I bought in to his plan, mostly because it meant I could take it easy and just enjoy the run through the wilderness...barefoot and in my sandals...and focus on staying focused and smooth and graceful and happy. I think I succeeded.

Me and Cabro entering Mayqueen outbound | Photo Matt Mahoney

All was going according to plan until we started climbing outbound Hope Pass. Cabro just could not keep his speed down. Up he went, passing one runner after another...even though we had already tested the idea of keeping the intensity down on this climb. I tried to stick to the plan, but was sad to see him go, for I was relying on his knowledge of the course and the splits we needed to maintain in order to get under 25.

On my way outbound to Hagerman Pass | Photo Matt Mahoney

By the time I got over to Winfield, I was pretty tired. It's amazing how much energy one must have in order to run 50 miles and still have enough energy to run 50 more. Once into Winfield, I met up with my first pacer, Dennis Shaver, and was given some homemade burritos (thanks Joey!) that really tasted great after having basically been living off of gels for the last 12 hours. Dennis' job was to get me up and over Hope Pass a second time...not easy even with fresh legs, but we did it and found ourselves in Twin Lakes for the second time...and me really starting to feel good.

Matt Mahoney captured this shot of me on my way towards the Hope climb

In Twin Lakes I picked up my second pacer, Luna Sandal wearing Jules Smuin. Jules was in for a treat. As we left Twin Lakes and started our 9 mile journey to Half Moon, I started to feel stronger and stronger. About half way to Half Moon, I started passing runners and would continue to do so for most of the rest of the race. Note: it is a delight to be strong during the last half of a 100 mile race. While others have spent the day running in the heat to gain position, I was able to preserve myself. Running at night is easier, primarily because it is cooler. And with headlights to chase in the distance, one has something to follow and aim for...persistence hunting ones way to the finish.

Crossing river out of Twin Lakes | Photo Matt Mahoney

At the Fish Hatchery I picked up my third pacer, Bookis Smuin sporting sandals too. He paced me up and over Powerline and down to Mayqueen. We were amazed at the power of my newest light, a Fenix PD30 - the brightest light you could ever hope for, small, lightweight, a dream...making it possible for me to run sections of the trail that proved impossible last year without good light.

Tracy Thomas and me, day before race.

Upon arriving in Mayqueen inbound, I picked up my final pacer, Born to Run author Christopher McDougall and he too was wearing sandals. Now, I truly did have a lot of juice left in me, but I was not about to just run without talking to Mr. Oso. We turned the last 3 1/2 hours into a time for catching up...hearing about all the exciting things happening including a possible film adaptation of BTR. Very cool stuff.

Outbound at Powerline

We finally arrived at the finish line at 7:16am...27 hours after I had left. Me feeling great. Feet feeling great. It is great to be alive.

BFT

Sponsors: I want to thank the following folks for providing materials necessary for the success of my run: Chocolate #9 of Seattle, ProBar of Utah, Amanda McIntosh and Hammer Gels, Extreme Outfitters of North Carolina and Vibram USA and of course the Luna Sandal Company of Seattle :-)

Cabro & me entering Treeline outbound

PS. My recovery seems complete less than 4 days after the race. I am stunned and amazed by the body and its capacities...if treated well. Moral of the story: treat it well.

Video of me coming into the finish with McDougall at my side and my trusty stick :-)

...

Summer Monkey Business

2010-08-16T11:43:00.000-07:00

Running barefoot with sandals in hand at the White River 50
photo by Glenn Tachiyama

What's EL MONO doing, you ask?

Well, I am working on my third summer preparing for the Leadville 100 Trail Race in Leadville, Colorado coming up on August 21. Leadville is becoming a summer mecca spot for me.

My training is not as extensive as most seem to require. Overall fitness and lots of easy running is key for me. This year my training for the Leadville 100, apart from my little daily runs with the dogs in Volunteer Park, is thus: In May, the Copenhagen Marathon. In June the Vashon Island Ultra Marathon. In July, the White River 50. That's it...and should be enough.

At the top of Hope Pass...acclimatizing

So, in this year's Leadville 100, I hope to do the race in my newest Luna Sandal model dubbed the LEADVILLE (see below):

Prototype dubbed LEADVILLE before 50 mile trail run

So far, my tests with this new sandal have given me the confidence to believe that they are ready for a full 100 mile tough trail race...as long as it doesn't get too muddy. So stay tuned, by this time next week I will have a report to share...and it should be interesting ;-)

Prototype dubbed LEADVILLE after 50 mile trail run

BFT

PS. The new LEADVILLE model will start being available for sale online starting August 25th. If you are lucky enough to be in Leadville this week, we will be offering them for sale in town.

PSS. I am staying in veteran Mas Loco runner Chris Labbe's Family's house behind the Tabor Opera House in Leadville...feel free to drop by and say howdy.

Interviewed by the UK's Marathon Talk Podcast

2010-07-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I was interviewed by Tom Williams of Marathon Talk (www.marathontalk.com), a popular Podcast on running based in the United Kingdom.

Tom's interview with me starts at 25:45 and continues until 1:14:58

I am indeed a loquacious spokesmonkey, almost embarrassingly so, yet I think some good comes out of all this talking...you can judge for yourself.

Yours Truly, BFT

Download Podcast here.

...

First Production Model Luna Sandals Started Shipping

2010-07-09T20:34:00.000-07:00

Letter to the first 300 production Luna Sandal customers - www.LunaSandals.com

Luna Sandal Company | July 8th, 2010

Thank you for ordering Luna Sandals. You are among the first to try our inaugural production model. These sandals were cut in a solar powered workshop in Oregon and assembled in Seattle by me and Jules Smuin. It has been a labor of love.

The footwear of our hunter-gathering relatives has always fascinated me. Early in my barefoot running experiments I started testing out various indigenous sandals from around the world. I was fascinated with the traditional footwear of Japan and of the sandals of the Southwest, particularly the sandals worn by the original natives of Los Angeles, the Tongva People.

Then in 2006 I headed to the Copper Canyon. There I deepened my fascination with the Raramuri huarache sandals and learned how to make and wear them thanks to Seňor Manuel Luna and others. After returning, I started making sandals for myself and then started selling kits and custom made sandals. I have been experimenting ever since.

This first production sandal represents the best expression of all my sandal testing experience. Through small-scale, local production, I can give a much larger audience a chance to try what I consider to be a fine minimalist running sandal. We are looking forward to getting your feedback so we can continue to improve and grow and share.

Please visit www.LunaSandals.com to get information on how to tie your sandals. Luna Sandals come untied. Each user must tie the sandal to their own foot. It is the only way to get the perfect fit. Production Luna’s can be tied either laced above ankle or using a slip-on style.

In the coming weeks and months the Luna Sandal website will develop into a place where you can share your experiences, get advice from other users, find resupplies and view the various production and custom sandals available. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.

Luna Sandals make for great running sandals, but they are also excellent for hiking, walking and casual wear. They look great with jeans and are made in Los Estados Unidos de América by happy monkeys.

¡Muchos Gracias!

Barefoot Ted

Luna Sandal Company, 956 10TH AVE E (GARAGE FACTORY), SEATTLE, WA 98102 | 206-395-8238

Luna Sandals: the next generation of my huarache company | LESS > MORE

2010-06-11T14:40:00.000-07:00

Running in the latest model of Luna Sandals - (*yes, these are the sandals I have been making since 2006...only getting a little better each generation).

It took a while before I really warmed up to wearing my sandals again. Mostly because barefoot is by far the simplest and freest way to run and move, the most sustainable, the most enjoyable...especially in ideal barefooting situations of temperature and terrain.

The second reason I had not been wearing them as much is because I never found a tying system that I really loved. Many of the traditional tying methods take too much time...so on and off can be a chore. I needed a fail-safe slip-on method of tying. Many over at the Minimalist Runner Google Group had been sharing various tying methods, but none perfectly satisfied...until now.

Maybe you like me have found that here are many situations where a simple slip-on sandal is nice to have. Luna Sandals are now able to play this role...and look great at the same time.

Indeed, Luna Sandals are about to move into a new phase of production. I am working with the idea that a sandal company can grow and thrive in the Pacific Northwest. No overseas materials or labor required. I am able to personally oversee every aspect of the creation of the sandals: the materials, the designs, the workspaces...all shall be as friendly as possible to both earth and primate alike.

Stay tuned for some exciting news about the next generation of Luna Sandals.

Barefoot Ted aka El Mono

Now accepting Pre-Orders of the Production Model >>> click here
(Starts shipping July 1st., 2010)

(Pictured above: My well-worn 6mm Vibram® sole with hemp laces)

So, you wanna start running barefoot?

2010-04-29T10:23:00.000-07:00

Firstly, before you begin, you want to evaluate what it is that is leading you to even accept the logic behind the concept of barefoot running. We all know that barefoot running has gotten a lot of attention lately. Much of it is valid and deserves your attention.

Yet, one must still ask: is this a viable option for me?

Before you answer that question, let me explain why I think barefoot or minimal footwear running may not be good for you. It is not good if you are thinking it is some sort of cure-all that only requires taking off your shoes and starting to run injury free without radical changes in the way you may have been thinking of running up to now. If your running strategy has been about very specific time or distance goals, and you have been willing to push through pain to injury, then I would caution you: your bare feet will not allow you to continue this way.

Alas, the hallmark of my barefoot running philosophy is regaining connectedness, mindfulness, and presence in your running and in your body.

Barefoot running is not about blocking or pushing through pain, or at least it shouldn't be. Rather it is about tuning-in to your own body's highly sophisticated set of integrated awareness systems, systems that communicate through feelings and senses that are being collected in real-time as you move. From my perspective, learning how to run well means learning how to tap into the feeling of running well, which more often than not requires baring the foot to get the full feel of what happens when you move.

However, even if you decide that barefoot is the route for you, take one step backward and realize you are most likely in the process of rehabilitating your feet and legs from years of being differently-abled, shoed, and cast. Atrophy, loss of range of motion, weakness, neglect, the foot has not been treated well lately. All the padding and support and protection has not led to stronger feet...sadly.

So, the first key is to start slowly, incrementally and avoid over-exuberance, avoid being driven by your ego. Think orchard growing, not fast food. Think lifetime of development and growth. Think joy.

So, what are my secrets, what is it I share with clients who take my Introduction to Barefoot Running Clinic?

My goal is to get people to learn how to feel what good running feels like. I want them to develop a feeling for it. One of the primary feelings becomes an awareness of the texture and hardness of terrain and of impact. This awareness is the beginning.

To master this awareness, I have clients learn to move on hard surfaces first. Not focusing on distance or speed, I have my clients first walk and then trot on hard, fairly smooth surfaces. I work with them to focus on and begin to master three goals: quiet, quick, in-balance.

The Three Goals

1. Master gentle, quiet, forefoot-centric landings, silent and smooth.

Learn to move with no hard edges, no pounding, by learning how to have the impact of landing flow through the entire foot, starting in the forefoot and quickly spreading through the legs smoothly. Notice how silent your movement becomes. Imagine the movement of a big cat. Watch your dogs trot. Let them be models for tuned-in, flowing movement that wastes little energy on pound or sound.

2. Quicken your cadence: Running in bare feet encourages this naturally.

Some shoe runners are plodders. You can hear them coming. Lots of wasted energy on poorly timed impact. Quicker cadence ends up making sense when you realize that your ability to absorb and recoil energy through elasticity in your body dissipates quickly and is lost if not used. Learning how to get back in touch with the sweet spot of optimal recoil efficiency is easier to find when you can feel your feet, feeling that encourages a landing phase with foot more in line with your center of gravity (thinking about how you land if you jump down onto a hard surface in barefeet, not on your heels!). Over-striding is discouraged, nearly impossible barefooted.

3. Stable upright posture: balanced head, core engaged, unbent torso, the feeling of balance, relaxed, yet strong.

I think that good running can be judged aesthetically. It should look good, not painful. When you see someone moving or running well, it looks smooth and fluid and graceful and efficient. The opposite looks painful, when someone is hunched and stiff, robotic and plodding. Indeed efficient running is tall and stable, the upper body acting as the fulcrum from which the legs and arms can move freely with a serious lack of bouncing or swaying of the head.

Ultimately my coaching goal is to help people perfect what I call a persistent hunt trot...a gait not purely about speed, but about smooth, flowing, efficient, sustainable movement, movement that leaves you ready to hunt or play another day.

Barefooting itself is all about mindfulness and presence. Running like an upright Primate, not like a Robot. Aware of your body and your environment AT ALL TIMES.

Listen to your body...learn to hear what it is telling you. Adjust accordingly. Advance accordingly.

Best Regards, Barefoot Ted

PS. Be sure to join the Minimalist Runner Google Group, link below:

http://groups.google.com/group/huaraches

The Way of Barefoot Running

2010-04-21T12:02:00.000-07:00

Here is the working text for my Op-Ed piece in Monday's Christian Science Monitor, titled by the paper as "Boston Marathon and beyond: Running is ready for a barefoot revolution" (read online here)

The Way of Barefoot Running: One Step at a Time

Our ancestors moved over the earth...and found their way into nearly every nook and cranny of the planet...with their bare or minimally clad feet. The foot has been the primary vehicle of our success as a species, allowing us to fulfill our desire to explore, discover, achieve and eat. Yet, most people these days have come to see their feet as broken appendages, unfit for the real world, sickly and weak, prone to injury, in need of support and padding, doomed to suffer. Why?

Good question. What did happen? What made our feet sick? Did we devolve? Perhaps it has something to do with the shoes we wear?

Well, arguably, we are the first generation of runners who have worked with the hypothesis that more cushioning and support equals safer running and reduced impact. We have concluded that modern surfaces, hard and unforgiving, require ever-thickening sole padding to help counter the shocks of landing, but is that true?

It is counter-intuitive, but the truth is, and studies back this up, that the more you block out the feeling of impact in your feet, the more impact you are likely to put into your body, at the wrong time in your stride, by moving and landing differently than you would if you actually felt what you were doing.

All those nerves on the bottom of your feet have a purpose after all. Dulling them from sensing seems to be a bad idea...and the dulling seems to set in motion a series of unfortunate events that ultimately leads to movement patterns unknown to our preeminently capable ancestors...patterns that seem to lead to inefficient movement and injury.

By taking off your shoes, you give your body a chance to reuse some amazingly useful, built-in systems that help you move in a way that need not be jarring nor pounding regardless of the hardness of the terrain, a way of movement that more effectively captures and re-releases stored energy through elasticity in our bodies: the splaying of our forefoot, the arch in our foot, tendons in the lower legs, calves and quads, and form, all positioned ideally to absorb and recoil the energy of movement, smoothly and efficiently, operating in real-time, on the move, a kind of primordial physical intelligence, a birthright of Homo sapiens. This built in recoil system puts to shame the claims of the marshmallow soft, spring loaded shoes that capture the imagination of so many.

So, what went wrong?

My hunch is that we got unplugged...detached...from our own bodies, from our own feet. That disconnect has led to gait patterns and running styles that are unique to a generation of runners...we the first cohort in the history of the world to run distance with cushioned, high-heeled shoes. I think it is a case of the cure becoming worse than the ailment, the ailment being hard surfaces and tired bodies, trying to continue moving when the safe form of moving has exhausted itself and the feet and legs would normally protest about continuing...unless you could give it a little relief, i.e., block pain brought on by less-than-best landing patterns, but once become a habit ends up being a fundamental change in running form...and in my opinion, a dying branch of cultural evolutionary experimentation.

Does it have to be this way?

Nope. Learning how to master the fundamental human capacity of running, sans shoes, is a lot easier than you think...and does not require a purchase. Simply take off your shoes...and start listening to your feet, listening to your body, moving without internal hard edges, with flow. Focus on incrementally redeveloping your feet and lower legs...one step at a time, giving them a chance to feel the world and grow from interacting with it, learning from it. And become a student of your own body and of movement, share your experiences, learn and be inspired by others. Crack the nut of joyful movement in your own body, your own unique vehicle. The resources are available unlike at any other time for our generation. Google it.

The paradigm shift away from the over-engineered shoe is connected with other shifts in thinking about our bodies and being human. In your barefeet you are more connected to your body, better balanced, more aware, mindful, present. Those characteristics are good qualities to mimic in your mental life. There is a relationship between the two.

Becoming healthy in mind and body is an incredibly effective way to experience happiness it seems, and all my research into this topic leads me to feel confident that if you follow these insights to their logical conclusion, you too will become a happy, healthy and free thinking individual, comfortable and satisfied with the awesome inheritance your feet and body represent.

BFT

PS. More on my barefoot running philosophy with tips here:

http://barefootted.com/coach/philosophy.html

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PrimalCon 2010

2010-04-06T22:29:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true, I am speaking and presenting at this year's inaugural PrimalCon convention...and very much looking forward to it. I have read Mark Sisson's book "The Primal Blueprint" and think that it has some incredible insights that help us rediscover and reapply some of the life practices of our most ancient ancestors.

Below is my write up for my presentation at PrimalCon 2010 which is being held April 23-25 in Sourthern California (learn more here)

-------------------

The friendly and flowing savage, who is he? Is he waiting for civilization, or is he past it, and mastering it? --Walt Whitman

All this talk about barefoot running lately…what’s up with that?

Well, think about Grok (your primal ancestor). Think about his footwear. Do you think he needed supportive, cushioned, orthopedic shoe-boots in order to make it through his day? Nope. He was born with the best footwear money could buy…his own bare feet.

Grok’s footwear = self-nourishing, self-healing, get-stronger-and-smarter-with-use material, directly connected to the brain, proprioceptive. Good news, you have the same.

Fast forward to today. A world where most people are completely disconnected from their own feet and the marvelous capacity they contain. So disconnected that an entire generation of Americans have grown up thinking that they could not move without shoes. But is that the case?

My own personal journey for finding an answer to this question is best outlined in Christopher McDougall’s best-selling book “Born to Run”. If you haven’t read it, you should. It is perhaps the best evidence available to help understand why humans are the premiere endurance animal on the planet. Our success as a species is connected to an amazing human capacity called persistence hunting.

Our need for meat is directly connected to our growing brain and our fabulous trotting abilities. Grok can out trot just about any other land animal when you add distance to the equation. That ability along with burgeoning brain power turned Grok into an amazing hunter, even before he had mastered some of the weapons that would follow. Grok was able to literally run an animal to death. And some of our ancestors are still doing it today (search YouTube for persistence hunting to see).

Grok was a barefoot trotter. Super efficient movement: fluid, light and smooth…these are hallmarks of animals that can cover territory without waste. Grok was a master at this.

And indeed, my goal is to help you revive this skill sans traditional running shoes. I want to teach you how to reconnect to the very best tools you were ever given for learning how to move well…and it's all about reconnecting with your own body…not blocking out the feeling of the world, but rather tuning in to it…like Grok and all other animals that move with grace and fluidity.

By taking off your shoes or wearing some minimal, non-cushioned shoes, you give your body a chance to reuse some amazing systems to help you move in a way that is not jarring, not pounding. It is counter-intuitive, but the truth is, and studies back this up, the more you block out the feeling of impact in your feet, the more impact you can put into your body. The typical shoe ad has made you think you need more padding to protect your body…and all that padding has often led to more injuries and more pain. Why?

My Introduction to Barefoot Running Clinic is designed to help answer this question. I have had the opportunity to teach 1000s of folks how to move in a way that is joyful and smooth. I have developed a methodology that gets people to tune into the feeling of running well…which has nothing to do with enduring pain, but rather is all about finding and maintaining a sweet spot of efficient movement that is addictive and primal.

My clinic will leave you with the tools you need to self-analyze your own barefoot trotting progress. Indeed, my goal is to teach you what I call the persistence hunt trot, a trot that once mastered gives the Grok in you the ability to cover large distances efficiently and smoothly when needed.

I look forward to sharing with you.

Barefoot Ted

PS. Remind me to tell the story of the photo above. It contains an allegory.

Google Talk on "Born to Run" and Barefoot Running

2010-03-19T05:12:00.000-07:00

Had the pleasure of giving a Google Talk recently and would like to share the video with you. When I look back on videos of me talking, the sentence below always comes to mind...Christopher's description of me in Born to Run:

"Barefoot Ted talked the way Charlie Parker played the sax: he’d pick up on any cue and cut loose with a truly astonishing torrent of improvisation, seeming to breathe in through his nose while maintaining an endless flow of sound out of his mouth."

In the end, I truly love telling the story of my barefoot journey, primarily because I think that it is a journey worth taking for any sophisticated, 21st century, highly evolved primate with human ancestors. Done well, running makes us happy and fit...and if done thoughtfully and presently, running reconnects us both to one of our greatest fundamental physical capacities and to the earth. We are ultimately rewarded with joy.

I say don't obsess about distance and speed...rather seek out that sweet spot of joy in running and let that be your guide. In the end, joy is a great teacher...of both your mind and body.

BFT

Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon 2010

2010-03-06T20:04:00.000-08:00

Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon CUMM 2007 (the second year for me)

~~Tomorrow~~, March 7, 2010, ~~will be the start of the running of the~~ 2010 Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon. I ask all of you to send good energy to all the participants this year.

To have been blessed to be part of this event has been life changing. To have gotten a chance to come to know and love the Raramuri people and all the friends of the Tarahumara has been a true honor...a major blessing for me, adding richness and insight to my life in doses so large that it continuously boggles my mind and leaves me with a deep sense of gratitude and thankfulness.

Indeed the Raramuri culture of korima is something that touches all of us with its simple beauty and trust in the human-divine spirit of sharing and mutual love. Let that spirit live on in all of us as we recognize it in our own lives and in our own circles of friends, family and colleagues...and other co-inhabitants on this incredible planet.

Someday, you too may be blessed to run in the Canyons, to meet Caballo Blanco and touch fingertips with Arnulfo or some of the other local legends. In the meantime, you can always try and book a trek in the canyons with the ole' Caballo himself (see: www.caballoblanco.com) or support the Norwas de Raramuri - Friends of the Running People - non-profit founded by Caballo (see: www.norawas.org).

May the Raramuri continue to run free and strong...and you too.

BFT

PS. The photo montage above I made in 2007 shortly after returning from my second year of participating, the year after McDougall came down, the year following the year covered in the book "Born to Run". It is an amazing tribute to the beauty of the experience.

RUNNING AS AN EXERCISE - 1895 report

2010-02-03T09:49:00.000-08:00

I have been looking for the oldest article on running for health. Here is the oldest I could find that was about running and wasn't focused entirely on sports competitions... Bold GOLD highlights must reads below - BFT

RUNNING AS AN EXERCISE

By Dr. J. William Lloyd

Published in 1895 in the Journal of Hygiene and Herald of Health, Volume 45
_____

We have in running, as I shall proceed to show, one of the most perfect exercises which a man may take without apparatus or assistance from others.

The first great merit of running is that it applies exercise mainly to those parts and organs used least — toes, feet, legs, lungs and heart. It exercises least the arms and back most used in ordinary work. Therefore it serves the first great purpose of any remedy, it balances the circulation and equalizes the functional energy.

To keep the head cool and feet warm is the great desideratum [something desired as essential] because the head is so near to the heart, the large blood vessels reach it so directly, the tendency of our civilization is so to overwork the brain, that the least deficiency in the circulation of the extremities is sure to be avenged by a congested head, leading by repetition to headache and insomnia. Running secures a cool head and warm feet. Can you imagine a frequent runner troubled with insomnia?

BETTER THAN WALKING

Walking is dull work. There is scant pleasure in the exercise for its own sake. You must always be going somewhere, and if you cannot continually go to some new spot you are bored. The pleasantest walking is a quiet, contemplative stroll, but that is of little value for exercise, and rapid walking is almost always forced. But there is a spirit and verve about even the shortest little dog-trot which the most vigorous walking altogether lacks. Start running and the breath quickens, the pulse leaps, the brain brightens, as the freshly oxygenated, purified blood begins to bound through it, the eye sparkles and the charm of your boyhood has returned once more.

How much of the exhilaration of our childhood was owing to the fact that we then were ever running? And if adults ran more would they mourn so much for the lost illusions of early years?

The blows which the sole of the foot receives in running are of real value in improving the circulation in the feet. Those who have studied the merits of muscle beating do not need to be told this. These sharp vigorous strokes running up through the great sciatic nerve to the spinal cord and brain are stimulative and tonic in a high degree; and the quickening goes all through the body. Every nerve fibril feels it, the liver is shaken and jarred into action, the stomach grinds merrily away at its welcome grist, the bowels start their weird serpentine peristaltic action, the capillaries flush with blood, the pores open, and all is vigor and motion. Not a terminal fibre, not a corpuscle of blood but shares in the jubilee and revival. Running is “the universal alternative.”

OBJECTIONS

“Do not run; it is too violent an exercise for your health!” How often is that advice given; wisely enough, perhaps, to those with organic heart disease, but foolishly enough to the majority who need precisely this exercise to strengthen their hearts against sloth and luxurious living. For the heart is muscle, and suitable exercise is the one thing which every muscle must have, or it atrophies.

Very rapid and vigorous walking is good for the heart, but it takes vastly more will power to walk hard than to run easily and the running will do the heart more good. Of course, men with weak and fatty hearts should take this exercise with caution; a few yards only should be the extent of the run at first, and when this grows easy and pleasant, a few more and so on; working very gradually until a quarter of a mile becomes a bagatelle [something of little value or importance; a trifle].

When a quarter of a mile causes no distress that heart may cease to be solicitous about its safety. If adults ran as freely and frequently as children—I do not hesitate to say it—heart disease would be rare. But when I praise running for the heart, competitive racing is always excluded. That has ruined many a heart. Health and pleasure is the only prize for which to run.

I lately conversed with an athlete, an ex-champion in the Caledonian games, and he told me of the physical condition of some famous runners he had once examined. “The muscles on their abdomens were so hard that when I tapped them with my finger it was like tapping a board,” he said.

Observe the flabby sac which retains the bowels of the average sedentary man and think what this difference must mean in absence of abdominal obesity, constipation, prolapsed bowels, piles and hernia, to say nothing of a host of other pelvic weaknesses. Fine vigorous abdominal muscles mean healthy viscera and pelvic contents in a normal position. What would this be worth to our women? A woman who had avoided corsets and heavy skirts, and had taken a quarter of a mile vigorous run daily since childhood, would be wagered upon by an enlightened physician as perfectly free from “female weakness” or malpositions.

AS A REMEDY OF CONSUMPTION [tuberculosis]

Consumption is a dread scourge. Over and over it has been shown that nothing is so healing to sick lungs as pure air taken freely; and in no other way can it be taken so freely, and so purely, as when running in the open air. As a breathing exercise alone running is priceless, as a preventive of consumption nothing can excel it, and he is a dull hygienist, indeed, who cannot see how very valuable an agent it might become wisely employed in checking lung disease. Were I to start a “consumption cure,” running would be my sheet anchor. Indeed, running would be my chief resource in treating those chronic diseases in which the patient has the use of the lower extremities.

We hear so much of the medical use of oxygen, nowadays, but there is no better oxygen than that which Mother Nature has provided in the open fields, and if we fill ourselves with this, feasting on it as we run, every drop of our blood will thank us for the treat. Running furnishes oxygen more rapidly an abundantly than any other spontaneous exercise.

PERSPIRATION. MELANCHOLY.

When you run you perspire. Thousands upon thousands of little pores begin to drain off impurities, and thus relieve the other excretory organs of overwork. No Turkish bath can excel a run, no sudorific [causing or inducing sweat] will produce a more thorough sweat. In the corporation of man running means clean streets, good drainage, perfect water-works, and public sanitation.

Running is pleasant and inspiring. It enlivens the mind and dispels melancholy. It exercises every muscle in the body, and chiefly those not commonly much used. It cools the head and draws blood to the lower extremities. It cures rheumatism, corns, cold feet, headaches, insomnia; prevents stiffness, varicose veins, apoplexy, consumption, hernia. It stimulates and tones up the nervous system. It shakes and arouses to action all torpid viscera. It insures appetite, digestion, assimilation, excretion. It will certainly cure obesity, for nobody ever yet saw a hard runner who was fat. It requires no apparatus. Taken all in all is the most perfect single exercise known for health, pleasure, and all-round development.

DRESS, ETC.

If you feel the need of running have the courage to do it, and you can soon persuade others to join you if you must have company. Children at least will be always glad to accompany you. The dress should be appropriate. The cap should be very light and close, so as not to blow off easily. Much of the time when you run fast you will carry it in your hand, anyway.

Let all the clothing be woolen, so that the perspiration quickly passes off, and chills are avoided. Have no flapping skirts, coat-tails, or other loose ends. Wear knee-breeches, woolen stockings, and low running-shoes, or, better still, wear no stocking and no shoes whenever the weather will permit.

There is wonderful comfort in a bare foot, as everyone knows. Contact with the earth is healthful. And in summer, after a rain, or in the dewy morning, how refreshing a running foot-bath through wet grass! Even in winter a short run, barefooted, through the loose snow may be made perfectly safe for those who have taken the right training, producing a warmth and glow in the feet which will last for hours.

PRIZES.

Never race for prizes, or run against time, or compete for anything. Avoid over-strain. Don’t make work of your sport. Leap and bound down hill, and you will find it jar you much less than straight running.

Run up hill zigzag. Stop whenever you feel any discomfort, get your wind, and then run again.

By constant practice a man could run as long as he could walk. In some places in the Orient outrunners and footmen accompany carriages and keep up with the horses. In the bardic chronicles of Ireland we read of the horse-boys running all day by the side of the tourist, ready to be at the bridle whenever the master halted. And wonderful tales travelers tell us to-day of runners in Mexico, Japan, Africa.

But such running, if wonderful, is not perhaps desirable, and is hardly to be attained without too much expense to other faculties. The runs I recommend are through the dewy meadows of morning, over the hills of afternoon, or through the aisles of forest temples—runs with an easy breath, a light foot, and a gay heart.

You may not, like Selkirk [inspiration for Robinson Crusoe], become able to run down wild goats, but you can at least run down your avoirdupois [weight], run up your spirits, and run out, if not outrun, your doctor.

Alexander Selkirk inspired the character Robinson Crusoe

_____________

This article was in the The Journal Of Hygiene And Herald Of Health V45 published in 1895. The entire journal can be downloaded as a PDF via Google Books. (352 pages)

Before the article index is the following quote, attributed to Grant Allen which I want to uphold in my own practice:

“Health culture is an aim for all; an aim which will make each stronger, and saner, and wiser, and healthier, and better. It will make each in the end more helpful to all. To be sound in wind and limb; to be healthy in body and mind; to be educated, to be emancipated, to be free, to be beautiful—these things are ends toward which we should all strive, and by attaining which all are happier in themselves, and more useful to others.”

Runner's World Interviews Me: Ted's Great Adventures

2009-12-30T11:59:00.001-08:00

You might enjoy reading this interview online at Runner's World.

Per usual, I enjoy sharing stories about running and life and coaching and just-about-anything with anyone willing to listen and share back. I love stories. Humans are among the best story making beings in the universe. Make'em, share'em and celebrate together.

Interview topics include: my post-Born-to-Run-life, barefoot running, trail running, coaching, 2010 schedule, running 100 miles, my skateboard world record and MovNat. Enjoy.

To read interview online at the Runner's World website, click here.

Barefoot Ted

The Orange Curtain 100K, 2008. Photo by Barefoot Ken Bob Saxton

My Barefoot Running Partners: Edgar & Hiko

2009-12-29T17:42:00.000-08:00

Hiko, me and Edgar

I've been busy. The last month has been an amazing adventure for me.

In November, Leah and I adopted another Siberian Husky (and Samoyed mix?) from the Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue organization. His name is Hiko (a name that means ice in the Inuit language). He was a dog slated for euthanasia.

The Boys: Edgar & Hiko

He had some problems in Oregon...killing chickens and also is on medication for epilepsy. Not a big selling point for most adopters. We would be his third owner in his short 3 year lifetime. But, we knew we would all get along just fine, that he would quickly fit in with our pack and get what he needed most: lots of love and lots of exercise. He got it and he's now thriving!

Urban Mushing in Volunteer Park

I am fascinated by the co-evolution of humans and dogs. I have become an urban musher taking the dogs out on running adventures every afternoon. Leah runs them every morning and then another walk before bed. Lots of movement. Lots of play. Lots of sleeping. Lots of happy dogs and humans!

Barefoot Running!

Hiko has become a permanent member of our little tribe. I am amazed by his intelligence and charm...his depth of soul...and his running strength. 6 weeks ago he was a dog with an uncertain future. Now he is a strong and happy dog, full of life and radiating good cheer to all whom he encounters...with a little help from his friends. Amazing how the universe works.

The new year and decade are upon us all. It has been an amazing year for me. I look forward to sharing my adventures with all of you and hearing your stories as they unfold in 2010. Be well...and see you next year.

Barefoot Ted

Order Vibram FiveFingers KSO Treks by clicking here. Thanks.

Paradigm Shifting Trojan Horses - Vibram Five Fingers

2009-10-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

So, it has been nearly 4 years since I got my first pair of Vibram Fivefingers...several months before they were launched to the public in March 2006. I have been testing the next generation prototypes ever since then...and it has been amazing to watch as they have grown in popularity, and greatly satisfying and validating to be playing a role in their popularization.

(photo to right, Boston Marathon 2006)

I remember how excited I was to get my first pair...they were the first shoes that I felt came close to a true barefoot feel and would also allow me to run more comfortably on tough mountain trails. Furthermore, they were the first minimal shoe that I tested that didn't fall apart after 20 miles of hard trail running.

My progress with the FiveFingers came fast and furious, but keep in mind, I had already been running for nearly 2 years barefoot, and had already completed several road marathons barefoot.

Some of the firsts I was privileged to do wearing Vibram Fivefingers include the first marathon, first Boston marathon and Boston qualifying marathon, first ultra marathon and first 100 mile trail race in VFFs.

I really felt that I was playing a small part in facilitating a stretching of our collective imaginative boundaries of what is possible and looked forward to seeing others stretch their own boundaries, carrying our fundamental human capacity, to run, further along while at the same time more closely mimicking the way our ancestors moved...on foot.

(photo left Los Angeles Marathon 2006)

I still think that barefoot is best, but barefoot is free..., and I always knew that the only way barefooting was going to become a true, mainstream hit was that there was going to have to be a product...something people could buy. And the VFF is that product..., or from my perspective, Trojan Horse.

The Vibram Fivefinger is a foot glove. No support, no real cushioning. Yet, it is a thing I can buy. A solution that can be purchased. Consumer cultures feel comfortable with it. But what is its real message? It seems the real message of the VFF is that your foot is just fine AS IT IS! That regaining strength and range of motion in your foot is a worthy goal. That you are not broken by default.

Furthermore, I wanted to see the concept of barefoot running enter into the dialogue of contemporary popular culture. The publishing of McDougall's book "Born to Run", from my point of view, was a pivotal, paradigm shifting moment in the re-awakening of the American consciousness about barefooting and our capacities as humans...before the addition of the padded shoe.

So run free if you wish, or buy a pair of VFFs or other minimal shoe, but always remember, you already have the best pair of shoes you will ever own...and they are the only ones that are self-nourishing, self-healing and get stronger and smarter with use...the only ones you can grow...by eating.

(photo left by Luis Escobar, 2006 Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon)

Viva barefoot.

Barefoot Ted

PS.
Order Vibram FiveFingers from here and smile :-)

Living Barefoot Show Interview

2009-09-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

From the www.LivingBarefoot.info website: We Interview Barefoot Ted: An avid barefooter, Barefoot Ted tells us the story about how he became a barefooter, started his own line of huarache running sandals, and was featured in the best selling book, Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.

Duration: 60 minutes

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Leadville Trail 100 - 2009

2009-08-31T09:53:00.000-07:00

Order Vibram FiveFingers KSO Treks by clicking here. Thanks.

Inbound at Twin Peaks

What an amazing experience...running 100 miles in 25 hours and 54 minutes up in the Colorado Rockies in the town of Leadville, Colorado, 10,000 feet above sea level (how many meters is that?)

From my point of view, this year's race was blessed from the beginning...sporting my new Vibram FiveFinger KSO Treks (to be released this month)...and some sponsorship money to pay for the race and some travel...thank you Vibram...I was also blessed with a fantastic crew and pacers...a luxury I did not have last year...made all the difference being part of a team! Thanks!

(Please click on image to right to read Michael Sandler's excellent report on the race.)

This was my third summer in Leadville: 2007 crewed Caballo Blanco and paced Chris Labbe from Mayqueen to Tabor. 2008 my first LT 100 in 28:33. Each year I stayed part of the time at the (in)famous Labbe Compound...Mas Loco Chris "Cabro" Labbe's family's Leadville vacation house. Lots of stories being made and shared there. Thank you!

My crew was headed up by Dave "Rem" Remy of Mercer Island, WA. Dave was one of my Introduction to Barefoot Running clients who got the itch to see what an ultramarathon looks like. When he asked me if he could help, my first inclination was to say no, just seemed to logistics oriented and more trouble than it would be worth, but I thought about it for a moment and realized that it would be an excellent way to share my experience...expanding all our boundaries...for the better. So, I agreed to have him crew. Did he know what he was getting into?

I left Seattle on the 14th and headed to Boulder. Michael Sandler of the Boulder Barefoot Running Club picked me up at the airport. He hosted me on Friday and on Saturday morning I had a blast giving a on-the-fly barefoot running workshop to the members of the club. At this meeting, I was lucky enough to meet a bunch of great folks and share what I had learned about barefooting. The next day, Sunday, a group of us headed for Leadville and a day hike up the famous Hope Pass...barefoot! What an experience...and great training.

(Click image to left to see my Facebook race report entry. Image on right is me with Nick Lang on Hope Pass)

Lucky for me, several of the hikers up Hope decided to come back to Leadville the following week to pace and crew with Dave. Wow!

I spent the week hanging out at the Labbe Compound and acclimatizing...eating Buffalo burgers (you heard me right...free range, grass fed, live-free-until-the-end critters...thank you!) and making sandals.

Dave showed up on Thursday, took a tour of the course with Senor Labbe on Friday and was ready to play by 4am on Saturday morning, start of the race. Thanks to Cabro, I had a spreadsheet with all the cutoff times at all the aid stations that I would need to get to in order to run under 25 hours and get a big silver buckle :) Thanks Cabro! I really wasn't training for speed or anything...just trying to maintain good overall fitness...and running well within myself and with excellent form. Perfect practice makes perfect.

Boulder Barefoot Running Club Members Scott, Dennis and Joey joined Dave on Saturday to divide up crew duties and get ready to start pacing me after the 50 mile point at Winfield. We agreed to have Dennis take me back over Hope Pass and Scott to take me to wherever it would be that Michael would catch up after giving a book presentation in Boulder. The race was on.

Started out by chatting with Ladislav Lettovsky who happened to be THE last out of Winfield last year who made it to the finish in time...after me. It was a coincidence that he had just read "Born to Run" so we had a great conversation.

Met my crew for the first time at Hagerman, and was running a bit too fast...after all I saw Cabro there...and he should have been way ahead, so I walked up Sugarloaf and took it fairly easy coming down. Was about 15 minutes ahead of schedule at Powerline, but the heat was starting.

Got to Treeline in good form, got my cap and bandana and headed out through the new course section heading to Box Canyon instead of Half Moon due to a military helicopter crash. It was a hot section and I found myself filling up my bottles in streams as I found them.

Got into Twin Lakes feeling good and ready for my big climb. Felt good to "baptize" myself in the river crossing. Headed up Hope Pass with just one bottle with the idea of filling it up in the streams as I went...a great plan until the bottom of the other side where I had to run the entire 3 mile dusty road, in the heat, with just a swiggle left in my bottle and no streams. Ouch! This was a mistake that I would pay a little upon my return climb...feeling a little dehydrated.

Got into Winfield in good time, still on schedule and left with Dennis as my pacer/mule. Dennis tried to keep me amused climbing the backside of Hope, but it was taking a lot out of me and I could only answer with forced and not very energetic one-word grunts. But we finally got to the top and started running down. Dennis stuck it out and helped me a bunch. Great experience.

Got into Twin Lakes inbound feeling ready to run 40 more miles. Picked up my pacer Scott who was sporting red VFF Sprints...and off we went. Just before we took off, I downed a Chili Chocolate Mocha from Proven Grounds in Leadville...it was delicious...but it didn't mix well with the other stuff I crammed down my throat, so Scott's first taste of ultra nastiness was me upchucking the coffee just after climbing out of Twin Peaks. Vomiting while walking-running is a ultramarathon skill. Scott was a bit taken aback, but we soon got in stride making our way to the finish.

Scott ended up staying with me all the way to Powerline...25 plus miles on his first pacing adventure. What an amazing job. Excellent company the whole way. Thank you!

At Powerline I picked up Michael who had spent the afternoon in Boulder giving a presentation on Adult Attention Deficit Disorder...only to follow it with a run/walk into the night of the last 25 miles of the Leadville 100. Tragedy struck us after we reached the top of Sugarloaf...ready to run down the steep, rocky backside...our lights were dimming...and we did not have backups with us.

The aburdity of not having enough lights is big...I had been sent 20! lights from Princeton Tec...all excellent, bright lights, but we only had two...one dying, one dim...and it really hit me like a ton of bricks...I was not going to be able to run down...and I was most likely, therefore, not going to make the 25 hour, big-silver-buckle cutoff. Crap! Took me a bit of time to adjust to the new reality. It is amazing how hope can keep wind in sails...and hopeless...not so much.

After getting to Mayqueen and pretty much resigned to my over 25 hour destiny, Michael and I had 3+ hours to hobble our way to the finish...and having Michael there started paying off. He is a very interesting person with a lot of great stories and we shared and walked and hobbled our way to the never ending finishing line....which seemed so far away...the last 12 miles.

Finally we found ourselves climbing the last stretch of the rocky "Boulevard"...two miles that seems more like 6 at this stage of the race, but alas the asphalt road leading to the finish came into view...1 mile to go...uphill.

As we ran the final stretch, Michael had the presence of mind to suggest I pick up the pace to finish under 26 hours. He stretched the truth a little when he said there were 7 minutes left and I had to pick it up. There actually were 9+ minutes. And I picked up the pace big time...running the last 1/4 mile and finishing in 25 hours and 54 minutes. Wow!

Ended up in the medical tent getting checked and souped up on chicken noodle soup! Did I mention how AWESOME the volunteers in the race are...well they are!

All said and done a big team effort...a success.

Barefoot Ted

PS. I want to thank ProBar for sending me some of their latest organic fruit bars that have both black and white chia seeds in them. They definitely helped. Also, thanks to Amanda McIntosh for sending me Hammer Gels...I love them too. When I ran out, it sucked sucking on the PowerBar gels...YUCK! Can't handle sweet like that. Also, thanks to Princeton Tec and Extreme Outfitters for providing me with lights...if I had only had some extra with me at the top of Sugarloaf. Next year!

WE made it!
My crew: Dennis, Joey, Rem, me, Scott, Michael and Jessie! Thank you!

Denver Post Barefoot Running Debate

2009-08-19T07:28:00.001-07:00

The Denver Post has been printing some interesting articles on barefoot running...stirring the debate about barefooting...pro and con.

It turns out that the biggest opponent of barefoot running is Mark Plaatjes, the owner of the Boulder Running Company. He makes the argument that running barefoot is not for Americans because "98 percent of the U.S. do not grow up barefoot, walking barefoot" and that "If you do not grow up barefoot, it is a really difficult thing to do."

Granted, Mr. Plaatjes is correct that many if not most Americans did not grow up barefoot..., but making the case that since they did not, they should not, is not the kind of argument one should make without a lot of evidence backing it up. And that evidence is not there.

My experience tells me that you can regain use of your feet, one thoughtful step at a time. For many, the foot has atrophied and become weak from years of wearing shoe casts. Constantly supporting the foot leads to weakness. Strengthening the foot requires patience and care, but the results are so well worth it. Your foot is an amazing and beautiful piece of magical equipment that you've inherited from a long line of successful movement. Self-healing and self-nourishing, your feet get stronger with use...the best shoes you'll ever own.

Michael Sandler of Boulder is the article's main barefoot running proponent. Sandler says that "When you are barefoot, you are forced to run the way ancient man ran, which is a soft dance," and I agree. He further points out that even his upper body is getting stronger from barefooting. I understand this too.

One of the other proponents, Ivo Waerlop, suggests that barefoot running allows muscles to strengthen and work in different ways than they are familiar with while in shoes. Runners experience a more natural stride when they are barefoot, he says, and I agree. Further, he points out that when in training shoes, runners are more likely to land on their heel before rocking through to the toes, and that is not a good thing.

They also quote me in the article thus:

"When you take away the feeling of the impact of your feet hitting the ground, you end up putting much more impact into your body than if you felt it and adjusted your stride," said Barefoot Ted, perhaps the most well-known barefoot running enthusiast. He lives in Washington and has spread the gospel of barefoot running for five years.

"The more padded the shoe has become, the more impact people are putting into their body," Barefoot Ted said.

No shoes = bigger smiles

Further in the article, it suggests that we (Sandler and me) are on the extreme side of the barefoot spectrum..., but is that exactly true? We are just showing what is possible and suggesting that barefoot and minimal running be included in the dialogue of mainstream's understanding of running rather than resorting to scare tactics to make people shy away from being barefoot. We are living proof that it can be done...and that it is joyful.

I suggest you give barefooting a try. Start slow and build slow. Be thoughtful, mindful and gentle. The rewards seem very high, and I have been receiving a lot of emails with amazing success reports.

If you live near Boulder and you may be interested in meeting up with the Boulder Barefoot Running Club. It is an enthusiastic group of folks proving that the foot is just fine as it is.

If you are near Seattle, I do coach barefoot running technique in an introduction to barefoot running workshop which I like to do one-on-one or with small groups. See my coaching page here.

I plan on starting a Seattle (Capitol Hill) Barefoot Running Club in the near future using Volunteer Park and the Arboretum as the club running grounds. Should be fun.

For the original Denver Post article, click here.

Barefoot Ted

Radio Interview about Barefoot Running with Barefoot Ted

2009-07-22T21:30:00.000-07:00

Please enjoy listening to this radio interview with me and Cody Stoots of 1560 AM The Game, a sports radio station in the glorious city of Houston, Texas, where my grandfather graduated from high school with Walter Cronkite in the 1930s.

In this interview, you will learn about how I came to start running barefoot, how I found Vibram Fivefingers and how Christopher McDougall's book "Born to Run" has helped facilitate a paradigm shift in the running world...suggesting we are not broken by design.

Duration: 30 minutes

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PS. Cody it was great talking with you today! However, I must protest the description of me as "the Michael Jordon of barefoot running"...as flattering as it sounds. I feel more like the little kid who pointed out that the king has no clothes in the classic tale.

FiveFingers KSO Trek – New for Fall ’09

2009-07-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

Order Vibram FiveFingers KSO Treks by clicking here. Thanks.

BFT running with the new Treks in the Dalles

From the upcoming Vibram trade catalog:

The Men’s KSO Trek is a more rugged version of our popular KSO. The Kangaroo leather upper and sock liner are soft against the foot, yet strong and tear resistant, with outstanding breathability.

A 4mm EVA midsole offers plating protection from stone bruising, and a lightly cleated 4mm Vibram performance rubber outsole delivers improved traction on trails and over more rugged terrain.

KSO Trek is best for: Light Trekking, Trail Running, Fitness Walking, & Travel.

Vibram Five Finger Treks...trail running shoes...bitchen!!!

My experience:

When I first put these shoes on, I knew that I had finally felt the most comfortable VFF yet. The kangaroo skin's soft side is INSIDE the shoe...so your foot is encased in smoothness. Under 6 ounces. Rugged. Breathable. Thank you Gawd!

These are the shoes that I am going to use for this year's Leadville 100 mile trail race. As many of you know, I have done trail ultras in FiveFinger Classics, Sprints and KSOs, but this seems destined to be my favorite 100 mile trail shoe. Thank you Vibram!

My favorite footwear for everyday running? My bare feet.

My new favorite footwear for 100 mile trail running? VFF Treks

BFT

NOTE: Two most asked questions in the comments section...answered:

From Tony Post, President of Vibram USA

To answer the questions for your website:

Suggested retail in the US is $125 for the KSO Trek. Premium Kangaroo hide is not cheap.

The shoes can be machine washed (be careful here as the leather can bleed, so wash alone or with dark colors on a gentle cycle). The shoes should be air dried out of direct sun and away from a heat source (strong sun or drying near a heater source could cause the leather to shrink and pull away from the bottom, causing sole separation or de-lamination).

PS.
Order Vibram FiveFingers from here and smile :-)

Minimalist Runner - Barefoot, Huaraches, FiveFingers...

2009-07-03T12:27:00.000-07:00

Howdy Folks

You may have found your way to my blog after reading "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall. If so, welcome.

Many of you are probably looking for answers to the question how to run barefoot or with Vibram Fivefingers or with huarache sandals. You can learn from my experiences over the last 5 years recorded in this blog or participate in one of my coaching seminars.

However, to be up-to-date and part of a larger and growing community of footwear minimalists and barefoot explorers I suggest you check out the Minimalist Runner Google Group I started a couple years ago. You will find many like minded folks who are sharing their insights from a growing body of research and personal experience.

The mission of the Minimalist Runner Google Group is to share experiences running with minimalistic footwear, footwear that allows the foot to feel and to develop strength naturally, barefoot being the gold standard.

This group seeks to dispel the myth that you need an overly supportive, cushioned, orthopedic shoe-boot in order to push the limits of human potential in running and exploring the world. As a matter of fact, many in the group like me suggest that not only do you not need them, you are better off without them.

Please feel free to join and share YOUR experiences and YOUR adventures, big or small.

BFT

PS. The photo above ALMOST became the cover of "Born to Run" but I did not have a high enough resolution photo of it...a kind of self-portrait taken in the Verdugo Mountains near Burbank.

PSS. Learn more about making or buying your own huarache sandals at Luna Sandals www.lunasandals.com

Ideal Footwear: a barefooters perspective

2009-06-15T19:17:00.000-07:00

Hermes (Lysippos c. 350 BCE)

So, what is the ideal shoe from the perspective of a barefooter?

Firstly, let me make it perfectly clear...nothing comes close to the perfection of the foot as-it-is.

With that in mind, here's what you should look for in footwear:

1. Lightweight - we don't need any extra weight.
2. Extremely flexible - don't control my foot thank you.
3. No support - none, we want to get stronger through good form.
4. No cushioning - none, it's not needed (see above).
5. Wide - freedom for feet to be whatever they are...always.
6. Thin-soled - we need to FEEL the ground.
7. Puncture proof - as rarely needed insurance.
8. Durable - long lasting, wear well.
9. Easy on-and-off - please.
10. Portable and easy to stow - so we can travel together.
11. Fairtrade made - thinking about the future.
12. Green - earth safe materials, recyclable, duh.
13. Breathable - so as not to suffocate.
14. Good grip - let us stay upright when things get slippery.
15. Toe articulation - I have toes for a reason.
16. Beautiful - because we never tire of beauty's inspiration.
17. (added 8/8/09) No Stink - a shoe should not smell bad...ever.

What do you think?

BFT

Exuberant Animal Spring Trainer's Conference 2009

2009-05-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks for being you: Laura, Mick, Kwame, Monica, Dawni, Dave, Dan, Ed, Steven, Lauren, Robin, Teresa, Frank, Conner, Wolf, Josh, Charlie, Angela, Scott.

What amazing heritage and hope our minds and bodies express.

Thanks Exuberants!

BFT

PS. To learn more about Exuberant Animal, check out Frank Forencich's book:
EXUBERANT ANIMAL: THE POWER OF HEALTH, PLAY AND JOYFUL MOVEMENT

PSS. Frank's new blog here: blog.exuberantanimal.com

Fixed Gear Bicycle Zen

2009-04-27T21:57:00.000-07:00

Volunteer Park Seattle | photo by Don Ehlen

April 2009 has been a month of discovery...big time. I traded a Bianchi Veloce racing bike for a Fixed Gear bicycle.

As a highwheel bicycle rider for over a decade, I understand the feeling and motion of fixed gear riding...but I had never had a chance to ride a fixed gear safety bicycle. I am completely blown away. Safety bicycles have been around since the 1880s. The pneumatic tire brought a boom in sales starting around 1890 that brought us to today. Fixed geared bicycles ride like highwheels...you can't coast...(if you don't know about fixed gear bicycles and you have read this far and did not go to the Wikipedia link above, you are missing out here! You may want to read Sheldon Brown's write up on fixed gear bicycles here)

Fixed gear teaches you how to become the bicycle: You are the gear, you are the brake (for road riding, I use a front brake, but it is not as necessary as you might imagine). You learn to use your body and your technique to locomote yourself. Your body becomes strong. You become a purer, more integral part of the transference of energy into forward motion. The bike needs you as much as you need it. You become one beautiful, powerful expression of movement that is both practical and playful, art and science and human-powered speed.

I am going to be doing a lot more fixed gear riding...and turning other people on to the joy of riding a pure bicycle. Come on and join me.

BFT

PS. By the way, my FeelMax Niesas (soon to be available in the US) are excellent bicycle shoes. They work well with my Power Grip High Performance Pedal and Strap Kit.

My new fixie.

Not my best track standing, but you get the idea.

MovNat®: Explore Your True Nature™

2009-04-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

I worked with Erwan to recreate MovNat's website. I believe that it is the place to keep up-to-date with what is happening with MovNat and to learn a lot more about MovNat's founder, Erwan Le Corre and his upcoming retreats and seminars and soon to be announced level 1 MovNat certification courses.

Erwan Le Corre encourages us to celebrate and affirm our being, our true nature; to celebrate and affirm our connections to the universe and the natural world and to become strong, healthy, happy and free in the process. I couldn't agree with him more.

His message is spreading and is sure to have a major impact on how the world sees the natural movement of humans...or lack thereof.

Enjoy your journey and check out the updated www.MovNat.com
.
BFT

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

2009-03-20T18:09:00.001-07:00

As far as I know, this is the first ever public review of the book.

This is a masterpiece. A work on running that will define running for a new generation of runners.

Christopher McDougall asks a simple question: Why does my foot hurt?

His answer spans the centuries and brings us to the cutting edge of running revelations that are as old as our genes.

Our generation of runners have seen it all. Many today thinking that to run is dangerous and that the foot is a death-trap injury appendage waiting to happen. Makes sense, for many runners running today have never known of any other way to run than with big, overly cushioned orthotic boots...cuz our feet are no good and need lots of help, right?

Christopher tells a great tale using an obscure race and race director, a tribe of beautiful people and a rag tag group of ultra runners to weave a story that brings us to a place where rediscovery of our primal connection to running...free of marketing and big bucks and bad science...leads us to new possibilities and a change of thinking that is applicable to any human being wishing to locomote herself on two legs.

This book is at-one-and-the-same-time an adventure tale of impossible possibilities and a cutting edge running research journal entry.

Take a wild trip and read this book. You're gonna love it.

BFT

PS. The book I am reading is an uncorrected proof. Actual book to be published on May 7, 2009.

PSS. Did I mention I am one of the most garrulous characters in the book? Buyer beware.

PSSS. For the latest information about the race, i.e., the Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon, be sure to check out Caballo Blanco's website here: www.caballoblanco.com you can read this year's race report here.

Link below takes you to Amazon.com to ~~preorder~~ ORDER:

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

Link below to audio book ~~preorder~~ ORDER:

Born to Run AUDIOBOOK

Original cover photo by Luis Escobar...Billy with Caballo seated

>>>SPECIAL OFFER: order a signed copy of "Born to Run" with McDougall's signature and my footprint. Limited supply! (click here)

NOTE: The official fan site for the book is located at www.borntorun.org

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

....
Now available Born to Run T-shirts

"No Evidence" on Running Shoe Safety

2009-03-12T14:17:00.001-07:00

Note: For my minimalist and barefoot running friends, this is not new news at all. BFT

By Danny Rose, Australian Herald Sun

AUSTRALIAN joggers are being warned there's no hard science underpinning what they wear on their feet.

Scientists at the University of Newcastle wanted to find independent studies on the safety of sneakers that have cushioned heels and other features to prevent the ankle rolling in.

Dr Craig Richards said an analysis of the global pool of sports medicine research turned up nothing relating to the commonly used, and recommended, sports shoes.

"Since the 1980s, distance running shoes with thick, heavily cushioned heels and features to control how much the heel rolls in, have been consistently recommended to runners who want to avoid injury,'' Dr Richards said.

"We did not identify a single study that has attempted to measure the effect of this shoe type on either injury rates or performance.

"This means there is no scientific evidence (the) shoes provide any benefit to distance runners.''

Dr Richards said Dutch researchers had previously found between 37 and 56 per cent of recreational runners become injured at least once each year.

These injuries mainly affected the runners' legs and feet, and Dr Richards said the standard preventative recommendation was to wear what was called a PCECH shoe - a sneaker with pronation control to prevent the ankle from rolling in and an elevated cushioned heel.

"Not only can we no longer recommend a PCECH shoe, but the lack of research in this area means that we cannot currently make any evidence-based shoe recommendations to runners.

"To resolve this uncertainty, running shoes need to be tested like any other medical treatment, in carefully controlled clinical trials.''

Dr Richards' findings are published in the latest edition of the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Link to story above:

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25171370-5005961,00.html

Also, more information about the Dr. Craig Richards can be found in this article:

Aussie study challenges claims for hi-tech running shoes

And here is a link to his British Journal of Sports Medicine article:

Is your prescription of distance running shoes evidence based?

BFT

Why run barefoot?

2009-03-01T14:31:00.000-08:00

This is a nice little video demonstrating why barefoot or minimal running is beneficial.

From YouTube: Same runner, same day, with no instruction given in between videos. On the left, correct nice SHOE LESS forefoot strike. On the right, incorrect, with SHOES, heel strike, braking, straining. Sneakers are designed to affect the way our foot strikes the ground, yet in this video you see it affects what we do in the air. Try this experiment yourself.

BFT

Highwheeling at Volunteer Park, Seattle, WA

2009-02-24T18:14:00.000-08:00

Finally got my 56 inch highwheel back in commission. My goal...do an Ironman as-if it were 1890...the last big year of the highwheel bicycle, i.e., only using technology readily available in 1890.

Also, I found out today that the modern 24 hour distance record is within reach, 252 miles, set by Jamie Woodward at Mackinac Island, MI. I am thinking it might be fun to give it a shot.

However, apparently the real 24 hour record was set in 1887 by a 5' 6" 147lb rider named Stillman G. Whittaker a 19th century highwheel bicycle and early safety bicycle champion. He rode 323 miles in 24 hours on the road on his highwheel.

It turns out that the record was set by a Czech rider and highwheel bicycle builders, Josef Zimovčák, in 1996. He covered 324.67 miles (officially measured), breaking a record held for over 109 years!
Updated March 17th, 2009
It looks like in 2002 Manfred Cizek of Vienna, Austria broke Josef Zimovčák's 1996 record of 324.67 miles ridden in 24 hours. Manfred seems to have ridden 339 miles on a highwheel in 24 hours!

I am deeply intrigued by the athletes of the Victorian Age. Pushing the limits of what was possible on machines that were the cutting edge of technology. What a time.

I believe it is a better way to cycle, more comfortable, more analogous to walking or running, more upright, more human.

BFT...looking for a sponsor for his 1890 Ironman dream...

Mt. Lukens Barefoot in the Snow

2009-02-12T11:37:00.001-08:00

FeelMax Footwear, finally available in the USA, click here.

Erwan Le Corre and I climbed the highest mountain within the city limits of Los Angeles, Mt. Lukens at 5074 feet, on the 10th. About halfway up we found ourselves in the snow...barefoot. We continued on to the summit barefoot and shirtless. After a break at the summit, we dressed warmer, put on our FeelMax Niesa footwear and headed down. About 3 hours and 30 minutes. 8.8 miles round trip.

The back country of Los Angeles...different than you expected?

Ocean in the distance, downtown LA to the left

Le Corre sprinting near the summit...see barefoot prints?

FeelMax footwear a welcome relief after climbing up barefoot.

BFT near summit...wearing my climbing uniform...Hansen Dam in background.

Erwan Le Corre near summit.

Our trail about halfway up...and it only got deeper as we advanced.

To purchase FeelMax Footwear in the USA, click here.

Wild Rugged Los Angeles - Barefoot

2009-02-09T09:53:00.000-08:00

From the top of the Verdugo Mountains looking down on LA

Barefoot Ted and Erwan Le Corre at the summit of the Verdugos.

BFT with Sesi Genen (Snow Shaman) in Trail Canyon | Photo by Ben Fury

BFT, Ben Fury & Erwan Le Corre

The River

The Falls

Later I learned how to do this balancing without arms out

I took Erwan for a run in the Verdugos after he had been in LA for a few days. The Verdugos are definitely a challenging terrain for bare feet, but he adapted quickly. Our hike started by heading up a little explored creek bed and running into an abandoned marijuana farm!!! We are lucky to be alive.

Thanks to Ben Fury for taking me and Erwan for an excellent barefoot hike up Trail Canyon with his dogs Koko and Sesi on Sunday. It was a perfect day with a break in the rain. The river and mountains just as gorgeous as can be. Erwan was able to share with Ben his fitness and natural movement philosophy called MovNat, Explore Your True Nature...see www.movnat.com

We got so inspired by the hike, we decided to do a similar hike the two days later going up Stone Canyon to the peak of Mt. Lukens, highest point in the city of LA.

BFT

Running in Seattle with FeelMax Shoes

2009-01-25T15:17:00.000-08:00

FeelMax Footwear, finally available in the USA, click here.

Volunteer Park snow run

University of Washington Husky Stadium in the background

Up the Interlaken

Through the park on the way home

Tiger Mountain rocky trail | Photo by Laura Houston

Excellent feedback through sole - good for balance feel

My dirty, well-used FeelMax Niesas (set for European release June 2009)

1 mm thick puncture-proof sole

Howdy Folks

I am testing out a new shoe from a family owned company in Finland called FeelMax.

~~See www.feelmax.com (not yet available in the USA)~~

UPDATE 12/08/09, NOW AVAILABLE IN THE USA, CLICK HERE

I have the latest version shipped to me directly from their factory in Thailand.

I am VERY impressed with this shoe and will be writing more in the coming
weeks.

The version I have has a 1 mm thick sole made out of a Kevlar impregnated material developed by Continental for FeelMax. Amazing stuff.

Mine are VERY easy to get on and off. The feeling is amazingly close to barefoot. 1mm sole is very thin and very durable.

Happy.

BFT

PS. Read more here.

FeelMax Footwear, finally available in the USA, click here.

Verdugo Mountain Tree Planting - Coulter Pines

2009-01-23T18:56:00.000-08:00

View from the newly planted trees' perspective, downtown LA to left

I had an opportunity to join with a group of about 30 volunteers to go to the top of the Verdugo Mountains and plant some trees in and around the Experimental Forest on January 10th.

I helped plant three Coulter Pines also known as Big Cone Pines (Pinus coulteri) on the side of a fire road that runs along the crest of the Verdugos. They happen to have the largest pine cones of any pine (see here). These beautiful trees will look down on a fantastic panorama that includes downtown Los Angeles and the ocean!

Since these trees grow about 1 foot per year, I look forward to coming back regularly and seeing the progress. A big thank you to the City of Glendale's Dave Moreno and Jeff Weinstein for hosting the event.

Sir Edgar, BFT (me) and Roger Klemm after planting
(if you look closely, you can see my FeelMax shoes with 1mm sole I am testing)

Sir Edgar (Eddie) | My Siberian Husky Friend

2009-01-21T13:25:00.000-08:00

Introducing Eddie to Hansen Dam

My favorite lookout, Hansen Dam

Barefooters paradise...Hansen Dam

Eddie is very comfortable running at my side, Weathertop Farms

Sir Edgar with his new mama in Seattle's Volunteer Park

Sir Edgar Earl Grey, also know as Eddie, came into my life this month. He is a Siberian Husky. He spent the first week with me in Los Angeles before moving up to Seattle. More about him as time permits.

BFT

MovNat.com - Methode Naturelle 21st Century Style

2009-01-05T09:26:00.000-08:00

Erwan Le Corre has launched his website and released his latest video to the public.

I have been corresponding with Erwan since 2006 and have been anxiously awaiting the formal introduction of his school of physical fitness.

According to Erwan, Movnat is:

an education system that empowers zoo humans to experience their true nature. Our true nature is to be strong, healthy, happy and free.

Please take a moment to visit Erwan's website www.MovNat.com. I plan on becoming a certified MovNat instructor.

BFT

BFT's Newsletter - January 2009

2009-01-02T17:08:00.000-08:00

Hansen Dam Polar Bear Swim 2009

2009-01-01T12:22:00.001-08:00

I have kept the tradition alive...barely. Almost didn't make it to my 4th annual Hansen Dam Polar Bear Swim. I am sure glad I did. Per usual, it was a gorgeous sunny morning in the low 50s, but so nice in the direct sunlight.

My secret weapon this year? Practicing a little in a MUCH colder pool during the week. I decided I wanted to try and swim the entire distance rather than walk across or dolphin leap across the 100 meter pool.

At first it felt great, yet little by little my strength started to drain from my arms, as I got closer to the finish of the swim, the harder it became to make forward progress without allowing my feet to touch the bottom of the pool.

Why do I do it? Because it makes me feel alive. It makes the New Year really FEEL like a new birth. It cleanses me and awakens me to new possibilities and new hopes.

Also, it is the comradeship. People whom I see just once a year on this day at this place. The ritual we share: swimming, warming ourselves by the fire, hot chocolate, smiles and an attempt to sum up our past year in a flurry of flowing words and stories. Delightful.

If you haven't tried it already, I recommend a New Year's Day ritual that allows you to feel reborn and new. The polar bear swim at Hansen Dam is one great way to do it.

What's really beautiful for me this year is the fact that I can look out across the Hansen Dam Recreational Area and see where I live at Weathertop Farms, looking south across the big lake in Hansen Dam. It gives an interesting perspective on life when you can see beautiful mountains and hills, unspoiled by development, all around you...even in LA...a paradise to me.

Hercules Passes

2008-12-24T11:01:00.000-08:00

HERCULES 1996-2008
Goodbye Dear Friend
Your Big Heart Survives
In All Those You Loved
In All Those Who Loved You

Barefooting in the Snow in Seattle

2008-12-23T11:44:00.000-08:00

I have been reading about folks running barefoot in snow for years on Barefoot Ken Bob's Running Barefoot Yahoo Forum, but I have not had many chances to try it myself.

Well, my chance came this week while visiting friends in Seattle. Seattle has been snowed out for an entire week, and I have had several opportunities to go outside in the snow barefoot.

I don't like running barefoot in the snow... It is way too cold if you get the wet, icy snow on your foot! Wish I would have brought my FiveFinger Flows! Now I understand how they would have been VERY useful.

However, I did manage to run exactly one mile barefoot. That is my barefoot snow running limit, my PR. It is actually quite nice to run on packed snow. It's kinda like hard packed sand...just cooler.

I prefer wearing my moccasins in the snow as long as it's not too soggy.

BFT

PS. Short distances in the snow is fine and easy...as long as you go from a warm place to a warm place.

Survival Skills of Native California

2008-12-04T12:42:00.000-08:00

Book Excerpt: Survival Skills of Native California

"To forget the lessons of the past is to not only endlessly repeat its horrors but to lose its most magnificent possibilities....The early inhabitants of California had that folk wisdom, almost a gut intuition built over millennia, of what was good and bad, a sense of value which allowed them to make what must seem to us an astounding choice: they rejected progress, the tilling of the soil in favor of a hunter-gatherer way of life."

—Paul D. Campbell (from back cover)

from Introduction: Secrets of Indian Survival - Survival Skills of Native California by Paul D. Campbell, p. XIII

This book undertakes the task of restoring what we have methodically destroyed: California Indian survival skills. From the scattered bits and parts it seeks a critical mass of essential detail on each representative skill to recreate a whole technology.

Not an end in itself, California survival lore unlocks a paradise too long maligned as mere unused land marked for development. Beyond the sprawl, the asphalt, the final orchard gate, the very end of the last dirt road, looms the mystery and vitality of California wilderness. The stars there still glitter like ice, the sun burns more brightly.

Valleys, mountains, streams, deserts and sea--not long ago all of California was wilderness.

The first Californians lived in harmony with that untamed place, using skills refined over 10,000 years. For those who believed in the sacredness, it was a garden, carefully tended. Conquest, greed, the mercantile juggernaut of Western civilization, in a few short decades crushed a marvel but weakly understood. California native skills were lost, buried beneath highway and city without end...

BFT's Newsletter - December 2008

2008-12-02T20:34:00.000-08:00

Download the pdf version of the newsletter here. Web version here.

Barefooting Joshua Tree National Park

2008-12-02T10:31:00.000-08:00

My 1966 VW Beetle at camp in Indian Cove, Joshua Tree National Park

Spent the long Thanksgiving weekend scrambling the gorgeous boulders of Indian Cove in Joshua Tree...barefoot naturally.

Indian Cove Campground from on High
(if you have good eyes, you can see the Volkswagen on close-up photo)

The beauty and primordial elegance of a landscape of boulders is almost too much to bare. One wants to run and jump and play among such wonders. The eye cannot take in enough. The feet beckon to explore and climb and see. And that is what I did.

The Beetle from Afar

Most people assume that the desert is totally unsafe for barefooting. Filled with hot rocks, plants with sharp points, poisonous animals...it must be far too dangerous to barefoot, right?

Wrong!

Barefoot Boulder Play

With your eyes open and your senses keen, one can make one's way through the maze of Joshua Tree unscathed and pain free. I must admit, 10 years ago, before I had been barefooting as much as I do now, I did do a day hike barefoot in Joshua Tree and found it to be difficult at the end of the day.

Many of the rocks, although appearing smooth, can sometimes be quite rough and sharp. But my feet were fine this time.

Bliss of Barefooting

I spent several days just climbing among the boulders, finding my own routes up to the top, playing a giant rock puzzle game with endless possibilities.

Cholla...best not to step on...

All in all, I would say that Joshua Tree is a barefooter's hiking, climbing, scrambling paradise and look forward to a barefoot hiking group camp out in the future.

BFT

Trail Trash - Hansen Dam, CA

2008-11-24T15:21:00.000-08:00

This (see photo above) is what I typically collect each day along the horse trail leading into Hansen Dam from Shadow Hills.

Everyday, beer cans and beer bottles thrown on the ground.

Do some of these riders think that this is a kind of offering to the poor or something? I mean really. Trash is NOT charity. Carry it out and deposit in trash can. Do NOT throw it on the ground or in the bushes...please.

Perhaps some shared space understanding and training is necessary here. I am working on it.

Why barefooting? I believe it makes one more aware of one's surroundings. You are part of the world, grounded and connected to it. Barefoot, you feel the connection to the earth, and therefore want the earth to be healthy and beautiful and pure...

There is a connection.

BFT

PS. BFT's Challenge: pick a place in the world, a public place, and become its caregiver. Your care will carry over to those who use that space. All will benefit. Encourage others to do the same. Smile.

BFT's Newsletter - November 2008

2008-10-31T17:45:00.000-07:00

Download the pdf version of the newsletter here. Web version here.

Brent Mayne visits BFT Land

2008-10-22T17:25:00.000-07:00

Retired professional baseball player Brent Mayne stopped by today. Brent has a very interesting life history and has recently written a book (the book) about baseball catching, you can read more here.

He dropped by to pick up a pair of custom Vibram-soled huaraches and learn a little about how to wear his FiveFinger Sprints. He is convinced through research that the way to go for running is more minimal. We went for a little run in my backyard testing grounds at Hansen Dam. I was impressed with Brent's overall form. I believe he has started a very interesting fitness journey, one repeated by so many of you, discovering that LESS is MORE when in comes to running shoes.

Brent had a chance to see the lay of the land around the 15 acre horse ranch I live on. It was a perfect day in the upper 80s with bright sun, clear skies and a cool breeze. SoCal October. Nice.

Being a personal trainer who helps people re-think and re-evaluate what it means to be fit, and how to go about being fit, is my goal. Join me.

BFT

Leather Lined Vibram FiveFinger Sprints

2008-10-22T14:09:00.000-07:00

BUY VIBRAM FIVEFINGERS

Leather-lined Sprints

So, I finally tested out something I had been wanting to do for a long time. I lined a pair of Vibram FiveFinger Sprints with upholstery quality black leather and glued it in. Oh my Gawd! These feel nice...

Vibram, let's hear it for a beautiful leather FiveFinger in the future!

I prefer to wear my FFs without socks. Most of the time that is just fine. However, I always wondered what it would feel like to have a soft leather interior. Now I know, and I like it.

Leather-lined would not be good for situations where you would be dealing with a lot of water. It is just a fun experiment to try...to see what is possible.

Perhaps I will start offering kits to line your FF too. Basically, a couple strips of fine leather and a special shoe rubber cement, so you too can give it a try.

BFT

My Neighbor and His Leather FiveFingers
Copyright BFT's Adventures

Barefoot Ted's Adventures - NO TRASH

2008-10-13T13:15:00.001-07:00

We abuse land because we view it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.

—Aldo Leopold

From Hansen Dam Tunnel

While I start my personal training business and am introducing folks to the beautiful Hansen Dam Recreational Area that we in Shadow Hills are so fortunate to live next to, I am also making a commitment to having NO TRASH anywhere on the trails that I use as my outdoor gym.

From Hansen Dam Tunnel

There is nothing quite like the beauty of pure nature...untouched by man. Nothing destroys that beauty more quickly than trash. Living so close to an urban environment makes it difficult to keep trash from collecting. Many people need to be educated about litter. It does seem to make it harder to litter if the area is kept clean. That is my goal.

From Hansen Dam Tunnel

I want to be able to make my way through the Hansen Dam without seeing a single piece of trash. If more of us make this commitment, the Dam area will start looking more and more like that gem that many of us have already fallen in love with.

From Hansen Dam Tunnel

You can support my cause by taking advantage of my services as a personal trainer, computer coach and other small businesses that I operate locally.

From Weathertop Farms, Shadow Hills, California

My location at Weathertop Farms puts me in the perfect location to act as a mini-caretaker for our entrance to Hansen Dam. I have been doing it for years, but now feel like pushing it to the next level and integrate trash clean-up into my regular exercise routine.

BFT

PS. Learn more about my personal training business, Barefoot Ted's Adventures, at www.BarefootTed.com/pt/

PSS. Learn more about my famous running sandals at www.BarefootTed.com/shop/

PSSS. Learn more about Hansen Dam and the Tujunga Watershed at www.theriverproject.org

BFT's Newsletter - October 2008

2008-10-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

Download the pdf version of the newsletter here. Web version here.

Half Dome Yosemite - Barefoot

2008-09-21T19:35:00.000-07:00

Half Dome, Yosemite, CA (wikipedia here)

Had a great time this weekend traveling to Yosemite with some friends and climbing Half Dome...barefoot of course.

Had no idea what the hike would be like with nearly 5000 feet of elevation gain in about 8 miles, so I brought my FiveFingers along just in case. Didn't need them...the path was barefoot friendly.

One thing that was really an eye-opener is how many people attempt the climb so late in the season. There were 100s of folk climbing up! A permit is not required (except to enter the park). Next time I go, I want to run up.

On the way down, I stripped to just my running shorts and backpack. Nothing like the freedom of being able to move through nature with just the bare essentials.

One of the highlights of the trip was meeting up with fellow barefoot runner Noah Elhardt, 21, who is studying at UC Davis. We just happened to run into each other. How's that for a coincidence? Two barefoot climbers...should get people to start thinking that this is not so uncommon or impossible after all. I hope so.

I would strongly recommending climbing Half Dome. You won't soon forget the climb nor the views.

The following morning we had brunch at the Ahwahnee Hotel. It doesn't get better than that!

Big thank you to Lily Lee for the invitation!

BFT

2008 Angeles Crest 100 Trail Run - Idlehour Aid Station

2008-09-16T10:48:00.000-07:00

2008 Idlehour Aid Station Volunteers - Photos by Don Merten

Sadly, when I tried to apply for the Angeles Crest 100 (AC 100) this year, I was already too late. The race was full! Still smarts from that error (not signing up sooner). So, I did the next best thing...I volunteered at the Idlehour Aid Station (around mile 85) and hung out with a bunch of cool people all night long while assisting runners making their way to the finish line.

Idlehour's aid captain is a veteran of the race and a super great person named Joe Franko. He has turned the Idlehour aid station into one of the best in the business. :-)

I will get some highlights down soon...before my memory is gone:

Joe Franko (Ye Olde Chanticleer) and BFT

Latest Painting by Chase Chen - Daughter and Me

2008-09-12T11:59:00.000-07:00

BFT and daughter Ona, Hansen Dam

Chase Chen's latest oil painting (large) is of me pulling my daughter Ona in a pony cart (Sulky) over in Hansen Dam in Shadow Hills. I modified this cart adding the rattan seat and used it to train a lot last year, preparing for a self-assisted Badwater attempt that was not meant to be.

I am moving back to Shadow Hills to be closer to my daughter. More reports to follow.

BFT

2008 Leadville Trail 100 - 28:33

2008-08-20T13:14:00.000-07:00

Photo by Lorraine Gersitz, leaving Winfield

I did it! I may have set a record for lateness leaving Winfield and time back to finish. I actually had one of the 13th best Looking forward to getting the data (Note: check out Chris Labbe's website on Leadville statistics for some very interesting data and charts, LT 100 Data Project).
Actually, the data is now available here.

Ran most of the course in Vibram FiveFingers, some with huaraches and quite a bit barefoot!

BFT

Highlights:

1. Spending a week in Leadville acclimatizing and meeting old and new friends.

2. Doing the entire race carrying all my own gear from start to finish except for food which I had in drop-bags at the various aid stations.

3. Running over half of the trail from Half Moon to Twin Lakes barefoot and going up to Hope Pass aid station barefoot...just too muddy for shoes and finding a great hiking stick somewhere along the way.

4. Dealing just fine with freezing cold wind, slippery mud, icy rain, hail so thick the trail was unseeable and snow. Crazy.

5. Being treated like a king by the best volunteers ever at each and every aid station. Thank you!

6. Feeling strongest while leaving Half Moon on the way back, running and running and running.

7. The joy of putting on my VFF KSOs after running and hiking for so long barefoot.

8. Staying consistent with my nutrition all the way through the race. Every aid station I would mix up my sports drink (maltodextrin, hemp protein, green magma, rehydration salt), chewed two Clif blocks and slurped some of my Hammer Gel with shelled hemp seeds. Never felt nausea, never felt low energy.

9. Realization that huaraches DO NOT work well in mud and rain!

10. Seeing the finish line after 28+ hours of adventure.

____________

A huge thank you to Vibram Five Fingers for getting me through this race. Five Fingers are the ultimate footwear for those who want to learn to run with the trail. It is not about beating oneself up or enduring more pain, no, not at all. Rather, it is about learning to run gently and thoughtfully through a rugged environment. Learning how to feel the trail and respond to it. It is about subtle balance that the toes need to be part of. It is about freedom and elegance and simplicity. Give them a try.

Leadville Trail 100 - Footwear & Nutrition

2008-08-14T13:03:00.000-07:00

Leadville 100 Footwear: FiveFinger KSOs & Huaraches

Hemp seed mixed with Hammer Gel - ready to slurp.

Howdy Folks

The big day moves closer. I am getting my stuff all lined out. Per usual, I have mixed my own sports drink: 3 parts maltodexrtrin, 1 part Nutiva Hemp Protein, 1/2 part Green Magma and some rehydration salts. I will take this at every aid station.

This time I have mixed up my own sports gel using Hammer Gel (thanks Cabro) mixed with Nutiva Shelled Hemp seeds. This is a new mix for me, so very much interested in seeing how it goes. The nutrition found in hemp seeds is mind boggling.

Footwear will be primarily FiveFingers, but I may wear huaraches on long, flat, rocky sections. I may be too lazy to switch back and forth, especially when it is raining. In my experience, huaraches are not so good in rain. We shall see.

BFT

Prerace Interview with Dru Pashley - Leadville 100 2008

2008-08-13T11:53:00.000-07:00

Was lucky enough to run into Dru Pashley over at the Provin Grounds Coffee shop in Leadville the other day. Dru is a local runner who will be attempting his first 100 on Saturday.

Dru works at High Mountain Pies, a pizza shop that makes the best pizza in Leadville. He has trained extensively on and around the course for the last year and a half. This fellow is fit and fully prepared for his first Leadville 100.

I predict (based on what I have seen and heard) that this guy is going to do VERY well. Enjoy.

BFT

Leadville, CO through the 19th

2008-08-10T20:39:00.000-07:00

Future home of BFT's Huarache Factory...Leadville, Colorado

I will be in Leadville, Colorado through the 19th.

Give me a call at 206-405-0872 or meet up with me in town at the Provin Grounds Coffee house or at the Club Mas Loco member Chris Labbe's (Cabro) garage at 130 St. Louis St., Leadville, CO (behind the Tabor Opera House).

I am hoping to make as many pairs of sandals as possible. I am a sandal salesman, and I am proud of the product. See here.

Trivia: Did you realize that the Leadville Trail 100 Mile race has been won in a pair of huaraches?

BFT

* 5% of all profits on custom sandals will be donated to small independent organizations and groups that strive to honor, validate and preserve the great running traditions of the Tarahumara people.

Huaraches (Akaraches) for Sale

Why Huaraches?

2008-08-06T10:32:00.000-07:00

(*note: you can now buy huarache sanals, both kits and complete >> www.lunasandals.com)

Yes, most of you know me as a barefoot runner or a runner who endorses Vibram FiveFingers barefoot shoes. Both of these things are true. But I have been fascinated by the Tarahumara (Raramuri) Indians' footwear known as huaraches (or in the native tongue akaraches, ah-ka-ra-cheese) for a long time. Some old hippies call them Jesus Sandals, and some history buffs might think of them as gladiator sandals. But that's another story.

Running in Huaraches

My fascination with huarache sandals goes back to when I first read about some Tarahumara who had run the Angeles Crest 100 mile trail race wearing such seemingly unconventional footwear. How could it be done? Didn't they need more support? What about cushioning?

My research eventually led me to try barefoot running. A decision that led to great improvements in my running ability. Learning how to run well barefoot seems to be a fundamental first step in finding the best way to move your body on two legs, a fundamental step that is the beginning of a path of stronger and healthier running and living.

But what about rocky trails? What about urban environments and hard surfaces? Is barefoot always best?

Some folks enjoy being purists. They want to be barefoot everywhere and always. It can be done and is a viable option. However, I think some of the purists make the mistake of assuming that ALL footwear is bad in All situations. True, so much of the sports shoe industry has been built on junk science and mass marketing, but does that mean all footwear is bad? No, I don't think so. I am looking for balance.

My thinking has led me to study indigenous people and the footwear they use. You can learn a lot by studying shoes worn by people who survive on their feet, people who rely on their speed and agility for survival. The Tarahumara of Northern Mexico are such a people. They don't use footwear because of brands or logos, they pick it for practicality and effectiveness. It is always quite comforting to find shoe designs that have lasted for generations, footwear designs that are made by the people who wear them. The huarache or akarache is such a thing.

Other times and places have come up with designs and materials best suited for those environments. Yet, the huarache is designed and worn by people known for their long-distance, mountain running skills, worn by a people whose name for themselves, Raramuri, means fleet of foot. The fact that these proud running people wear huaraches made it clear to me that I was going to have to give them a try.

My first opportunity to try huaraches came in March 2006 on my first visit to the Copper Canyon. I was invited to participate in the Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon put on by Micah True a.k.a Caballo Blanco (see his site here) in the town of Urique deep in the heart of the Sierra Tarahumara. While on the trip, I spent a lot of time trying to understand the huaraches. I even got so lucky as to have famed Tarahumara runner Manuel Luna make me a pair of huaraches. That started my love affair with these amazing sandals.

So, starting in April 2006, I began trying to run in the huaraches that Manuel had made for me. It was not easy learning how to tie them. I made a lot of mistakes. Furthermore, the pair he made for me were quite heavy, for he used the thickest, most expensive tire tread available (you buy section of used tire tread in little shops in Urique. They display the pieces like dried fish on hooks...He picked the best for me, so he thought).

I started imagining that perhaps there was a better material to make huaraches. I talked with one of Vibram's sole designers and asked if he had any material that he thought might work as a sandal sole. He sent me some stuff that I tested and liked. I have been experimenting ever since trying to find the perfect balance of lightweight, grip, cushion, style and strength.

Then I went back to the Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon in 2007. This time I ran the race in a pair of my own huaraches. I also paid even more attention to the Tarahumara, learning the nuances of tying and designing the huaraches. This was a fantastic experience and greatly deepened my understanding and appreciation of the sandals.

I started selling huarache sandal-making kits and started making custom huaraches, learning as I went. I started experimenting with different sole materials and different strapping materials and different ways of building the sandals. I shared what I knew as I went forward and learned a lot from others on the internet.

At the same time I kept testing and using Vibram's FiveFinger shoes. They helped me to complete the Angeles Crest 100 mile race two years in a row. Something that I knew I could not do barefoot, and something that I was not sure my sandals where ready for.

Now I have come to the point where I think I have learned how to make a sandal that can handle the rigors of a 100 mile trail race. My newest huaraches sport a leather top footbed to add strength to the sides and comfort. I am also quite intriqued with a new neoprene sole material that is lightweight (less than 4 ounces) with surfside sand-like cushioning and strength. I think they are the best ever.

I believe that there are a growing number of runners and outdoor enthusiasts who are looking for time-tested solutions to the challenge of traveling on foot over rugged terrain. The huarache is a viable alternative, and it is an alternative that you can learn how to make yourself.

The sandals I am wearing in the photos above are my 6mm Vibram neoprene soled huaraches with leather footbed (for strength) and leather laces.

BFT

PS. You can get a kit to make your own huaraches >> www.lunasandals.com. There are also instructions on how to make a pair to download for free.

PSS. You can learn how to tie you huaraches here.

White River 50 Mile Trail Run and Skateboard Training

2008-07-29T17:48:00.000-07:00

Photo by Glenn Tachiyama

What was I thinking? I have not been running much since April. Skateboarding took over my life starting in May. Yet I am signed up to run the Leadville 100 miler next month in Colorado, so I had to find out if I could still run trails.

Question: Can one train for a 100 mile trail run with just long distance skateboard training and one long trail run? Answer: probably.

I planned on doing this run with a new pair of huaraches I had just made using a new Vibram sole material that is super lightweight and 7mm thick with a beautiful leather footbed that I added. Barefoot Jon had warned me about parts of the course that were hard fire road with sharp pebbles on a long downhill. No fun. I was going to bring my FiveFinger KSOs along in case I had a huarache malfunction.

Well, I had worse than a huarache malfunction... I forgot to bring my huaraches!!! Left them in the kitchen. Ouch!

So, I was going to have to run with a new pair of KSOs...2mm of sole.

I had problems with my KSOs. My little toes were not staying in the toe holes and I had failed to trim my toenails thoughtfully and it was starting to bother me through the race.

This race consists of two loops, both starting at Buck Creek. Each loop consists basically of a big climb and then a big descent. My first big mistake of the day came when I decided to follow a lady down the first loop. We ran FAST, real fast. It was fun, but not having a lot of trail training in my legs, it took its toll. I was very sore coming out of Buck Creek to start the second climb. The soreness remained throughout the rest of the race and prevented me from picking up the pace.

Conclusion: Long distance skateboard pumping is not the best way to train for a mountain trail ultra marathon. My endurance seemed to be intact, but my speed was greatly diminished and my quads were not trained to work well on the downhills.

I long to get back out on the trails testing some of my new huarache sandals. I am determined to find a way to eventually run a 100 mile race in shoes (sandals) that I have made myself.

BFT

My race registration fees and travel expenses for this race were paid for by SCI International: Technology without Intrusion. They are famous for building cellular towers that blend into the environment, helping to hide what can be the ugly side of the wireless world we live in. Thank you very much.

Technology Without Intrusion

Seattle to Portland on a Skateboard: STP 2008

2008-07-14T10:31:00.000-07:00

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic, or STP, is an annual one and two day supported bicycle ride from Seattle, Washington to Portland, Oregon in the United States. The STP "is considered one of the 10 biggest recreational bicycle rides in the country, drawing riders from across the nation and from other nations", and has been operating for more than 25 years and is organized by the Cascade Bicycle Club.

It is approximately 200 miles (322 km) in length. Most riders complete the distance in two days; however, about 15% complete the ride in one day. Only two have completed it on skateboards (see below).

James Peters of PavedWave.org (see excellent Seattle Times story here) and Barefoot Ted
Photo by Dave Nottingham around mile 165

James Peters and I did the entire STP course on skateboard. What a trip!!!

Photo by Dave Nottingham

Many folks took photos of us and we are looking forward to receiving photos to add to our blogs and record the history.

TOPICS (to be expanded on?):

IT'S THE JOURNEY DUDE: SPIRITUAL ENDURANCE

ALIEN TECHNOLOGY: THE BICYCLE

LONG DISTANCE PUMPING: NATURE'S ANALOGS

NUTRITION | HYDRATION | ELECTROLYTES | FRUIT

FOOT POWER

THE ROLE OF HUMOR IN TRAVEL

EXPANDING THE POSSIBLE: THE IMPORTANCE OF INSPIRATION

MEDITATION FOCUS AND THE EVER CHANGING ROAD

SYNERGY: THE MAGIC OF FRIENDS

Photo by Craig Howard somewhere near Spanaway, WA

Skateboard from Subsonic Skateboards in Portland, Oregon

JUNE 14th, 24-HOUR ULTRASKATE IV - World Record Set

2008-06-17T03:31:00.000-07:00

See a list of skateboard world records here. See newly added video clip below...

Photo by Taylor Barrett, more of his photos here.

Beyond my expectations...I set a new world record for 24 hour distance skateboarding...242 miles at this years Ultraskate IV... Find more information at PavedWave.org...

from PavedWave.org forum...

Howdy Folks

Slept a lot yesterday, but feel fine today.

Went skateboarding over at Volunteer Park. Really enjoyed it...even feeling stronger.

A HUGE HUGE thank you to James Peters and all the crew in Seattle. It is hard to believe that I had never even heard of Long Distance Pumping before April 1st this year! What a blessing to have met James on that day at Green Lake.

Couple weeks later, James lets me borrow that magic board. My gawd what a beautiful, magical thing it is...Subsonic Pulse 40.

After James let me borrow the board, I rode like a maniac for days and days...crashed...took a couple weeks to recover...went to LA for some healing sun and great training rides...and then back to Seattle.

I am going to write down more about my experience during the ride, but just to let everyone know my secrets:

1. Be sure you have an excellent LDP (long distance pumping) board...I did (see Subsonic Pulse 40).

2. Train yourself to run an ultramarathon...i.e., learn how to pace youself for a full 24 hours

3. Study about 24 hour nutrition and hydration and electrolyte needs. Nutrition is key. In my case, I relied on my own special sports nutrition drink mix which includes maltodextrin, soy or hemp protein powder, Green Magma powder and Rehydration Salts. I also ate GU's and Hammer Gels and drank some coffee. I also took two Advil during the race and 1 Succeed! S-Cap every 2 hours.

4. Have strong healthy feet...and let them have the freedom to move around to get blood flowing everywhere...that's why I wore my Vibram FiveFinger shoes...allowed my foot to do what it does best.

I went into the event just trying to see what it would be like to go 100 miles..., but the weather was perfect and the energy strong. I just could feel Eric Lowell's energy and his energy got me inspired to keep going too. I was determined to go the full 24 hours and Eric helped me have someone to follow.

After some rest and some skating today, I have come to the conclusion that someday, someone in this sport is going to achieve 300 miles in 24 hours. Before yesterday, I would have said that 220 is impossible...

So all you out there, live strong and push the envelope of the possible...

Look forward to seeing you on the giant paved wave...

BFT

PS. A big thank you goes out to my cousin Robert Renfro and SCI, Technology Without Intrusion for sponsoring my travel to this event.

Photo by Taylor Barrett, more of his photos here.

FiveFingers as a Skateboard shoe

2008-06-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

BUY VIBRAM FIVEFINGERS

The biggest problem with using Vibram (pronounced vee-brum) FiveFinger barefoot shoes as skateboard shoes is if you have to do a lot of foot braking (foot braking involves using the shoe sole to slow down the skateboard). Foot braking can quickly wearout any skateboard shoe and it is especially true with the thin soles found on the FiveFingers.

The solution is simple.

I have been using Sure Foot stick on sole patches. They fit perfectly on the ball of the FFs and help slow down wear and tear.

I have been doing a lot of skateboarding (long distance pumping) with and without FiveFingers. If I am on a course the will require no foot braking, I go barefoot. It is the purest way to skate.

BFT

Long Distance Pumping in San Pedro, California
see map below

View Larger Map

Earthing™ Technology

2008-06-03T18:01:00.000-07:00

I was contacted a couple months ago by a company called Barefoot Connections™. They manufacture bed sheets and recovery bags that allow people to sleep as-if they were sleeping ON the earth, i.e., grounded. Apparently there are health benefits for being grounded to the earth and science seems to be backing them up.

I know that since going barefoot nearly full time several years ago, my own health has improved significantly, so I agreed to try their products and am pleased with what I have discovered.

Earthing™ Technology – What is Earthing™?

Many people have noticed that they feel better when they spend time barefoot in the outdoors. Now we know why!

Earthing™ (re-connecting with the earth) is a recent idea. It is based on scientific evidence confirming the long-suspected necessity for barefoot contact with the earth. Modern science has determined that standing barefoot on the earth (or otherwise connecting to the natural frequencies of the earth) has a wide variety of effects on the human body.

Standing barefoot on the earth (or otherwise connecting to the natural frequencies of the earth) connects the human body with an unlimited supply of free electrons resident in and on the surface of the earth. Standing barefoot on the earth also connects the human body with rhythmic cycles of the earth’s energy field. These are essential for synchronizing biological clocks, hormonal cycles and physiological rhythms.

Because our modern lifestyle prohibits most people from spending time in direct contact with the earth, Barefoot Connections™ products were designed to help make the connection – in the comfort of your own home or work place. In today’s world, re-connecting with the earth (Earthing™) could be one of the most important things you do!

Best Regards, BFT

Skateboarding and FiveFingers...duh!!!

2008-05-11T21:51:00.000-07:00

BUY VIBRAM FIVEFINGERS

Thanks to James Peter's of PavedWave.org for inspiring me to reignite my skateboarding passion. Visit his website to read about his amazing feats of long distance skateboarding (known as long-distance-pumping or LDP), including world record 24 hour distance rides. He currently has given me a loaner to use. I am burning it up!!!

The board is a Subsonic Pulse 40, essentially a handmade longboard. It is a magical thing...being able to tranfer pumping motion into forward momentum.

Volunteer Park, Seattle...Pushing

Yes, muscle memory is real. Yes, barefoot is best for balance sports. Yes, Vibram FiveFingers make a lot of sense for skateboarding.

from the www.northwestlongboarding.com forum:

Thanks to Shane and volunteers and sponsors for putting on this event (the Seattle Push Race, May 10th, 2008)

I think I found out about it yesterday (or the day before) from James.

Very inspired by James' pursuit of long distance and 24 hour riding. I enjoy trying to push the envelope. This race and ride was like the 3rd time I had been on a board for any time in over 25 years!!! But I loved it.

I had to take the downhills VERY conservatively because the shoes I had on (Vibram FiveFingers) are paper thin and not great for foot braking. It also turns out I rode the board James let me borrow...backwards!!! Felt a little odd. Oh well. Still made 8th place. Not bad for an old fart like me.

My quads were burning during that race. I definitely need to learn to push with either leg.

Look forward to seeing any photos, especially showing my FiveFinger shoes. I want to send them to the company and suggest they do something about making a skate shoe. I really do think that a lot of flexibility in the foot is good for balance and helps make the foot strong...do what it does best. I really am not a fan of these huge, heavy shoe-boats that are the rage for most skaters these days...at least for pushing on flat surfaces and pumping.

I have a lot to learn about skating these days. I have never seen so many DIFFERENT kinds of boards and wheels and trucks!!! Too much for my old-man head to take in all at once. Some sort of skateboard renaissance seems to be happening.

The downhill and slalom era came and went pretty quickly in my day (mid to late 70s). We got a taste for pools and the world changed and I've got scars and brain damage to prove it...we didn't wear helmets much...

So, thanks again. Hope to be out there riding for 24 hours next month and see if I can break 100 miles or more.

Barefoot Ted

PS. Make sure you ride with a HELMET (I have one now) and other protective gear. It is well worth it. The only downside to skateboarding for older riders is the unfriendly feel of pavement on the falling body!

PSS. The idea of barefooting and skateboarding and FiveFingers is cropping up here and there. Check out this post on the Paved Wave Forum, click here.

Volunteer Park, Seattle - Barefooted

2008-05-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

Arigato Noguchi-san - Black Sun

My explorations of Seattle include spending a lot of time in Volunteer Park in the Capitol Hill section of Seattle. It is an ideal playground, even for 43-year-old kids like me. Things to climb, paths to explore, fountains, wading pools, excellent views, balancing bars and friendly people.

Hug Worthy

Upward Path Beckons

Hand Railing Fun (video below)

Tower of Power...Running
(Volunteer Park Water Tower)

Tower's Spiral Stair Master

Up, up, up. Smile. Down, down, down.

Inaugural Dizzy Daze Green Lake 50K & 100K

2008-04-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

Barefoot Ted, Barefoot Jon and Barefoot Chris

Very impressed with Barefoot Jon's and Barefoot Chris' performance at the inaugural Dizzy Daze Green Lake, Seattle 50k & 100k. Too cold for me!

Caballo Blanco Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon

2008-03-06T13:38:00.001-08:00

BUY VIBRAM FIVEFINGERS

Passing through the middle of Urique

Race report by Race Director Caballo Blanco see www.CaballoBlanco.com
Photos from Josue Stephens and Chris Labbe
Click here for all photos

Primary result: Beauty

The seventh running of the Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon, and the fourth annual running of the CCUM in the Urique canyon had about 100 starters and 37 finishers. There is nothing quite like it, anywhere. I am just the RD horse. What do I know?

Leading a group to Los Alisos two days before the race

There was almost $6,000 in prize money spread among the top 10 finishers, $1,000 of that for the top three women, and all finishers split 30,000 pounds of maiz accordingly. ALL participants will also be awarded maize.

A big thanks to all who care enough to read about it, and especially to those who have participated over the last few years and have become Mas Loco!

Caballo Blanco

1--JOE GRANT--EL TORTUGA--OREGON--6:24*
2--JOSH BRIMHALL--EL ANTILOPE--NEVADA--6:42
3--Isidro Lechuga--Piedras Verdes, Urique--6:49
4--Florencio Quimare--Ocorare, Batopilas--6:58
5--Arnulfo Quimare--Chepatare, Batopilas--7:11

6--Cervando Gutierez--Huisuchi, Batopilas--7:14
7--Antonio Luna--Munerachi, Batopilas--7:19
8--Silvino Cubezare--Huisuchi, Batopilas--7:32
9--Dolores Estrada--Huicorachi, Urique--7:35
10--Corpus Estrada--Huicorachi, Urique--7:36

11--Arnulfocito Mendoza--Santa Rita, Batopilas--7:42
12--Silverio Ramirez--Tatoguichi, Guachochi--7:51
13--Ignacio Nacho Palma--Chawaloco, Batopilas--8:04
14--JOSHUE STEPHENS--EL LOBEZNO--TEXAS--8:08
15--AMANDA MACINTOSH--LA YEGUA NEGRA PELIGROSA--TEXAS/COLORADO--8:23
First woman!

Second River Crossing

16--Leanardo Cleto--Piedras Verdes, Urique--8:38
17--PETER MARSTON--EL PUMA--ARKANSAS--8:40
18--FRANCO MARCHETTI--El AGUILA ALPES--ITALY--8:42
19--Epitanio Quimare--Chinivo, Batopilas--8:52
20--Santos Reyes--Basiguare, Guachochi--8:56
21--Sebastiano Gutierez--San Jose, Batopilas--8:57
22--Sergio Mancinas--Urique--9:01
23--ABI STEPHENS--LA LINCE--OREGON--9:07---Second woman!
24--Enrique Moreno--San Rafael, Urique--9:09
25--THERESA DO--LA PALOMA--COLORADO--9:15---third woman!
26--CHRISS LABBE--EL CABRO COLORADO--9:25
27--TED MCDONALD--EL MONO--CALIFORNIA--9:29
28--Luis Cleto--Piedras Verdes, Urique--9:32
29--Jose Cruz--Piedras Verdes, Urique--9:32
30--Arnulfo Gonzales--GUadalupe Coranado, Urique--10:00
31--LEAH JUREK--LA ALMA HERMOSA--WASHINGTON--10:23--fourth woman!
32--PAUL CHARTERIS--EL KIWI SALVAJE--NEW ZEALAND/CALIFORNIA--10:23
33--Lorenzo Catsro--Guadalupe Coranado, Urique--10:31
34--Margarita Lerna--Panalachi, Bocoyna--10:38---FIRST TARAHUMARA WOMAN, fifth woman overall!
35--Jesus Perez--Munerachi, Batopilas--10:38
36--Carlos Concheno--Urique--11.00
37--GABI STEPHENS--LA LAGARTA--PENNSYLVANIA--11:30--sixth woman!
38--GORDON MONTGOMERY--EL CHANGO--IRELAND/TEXAS--11:45

Race Brochure in Spanish

Sunday, March 2, 2008 was just another beautiful day in the deep canyon country of La Sierra Madre.

On the previous Wednesday they came, 4 gringo runners and El Caballo Blanco walking over from the deep canyon town of Batopilas, encountering 14 Batopilas canyon Raramuri en route, and walking together over la Sierra then down into the 6,200 foot deep canyon town of Urique, where we encountered more Raramuri and the rest of the gringo runners, men and women.

There were 136 running participants, of which about 100 started the
47 mile ultra. 36 local townspeople and a few international runners
participated by running one of the two 18 mile loops with us, either
the first loop upriver, or the second downriver loop. Many excited
children ran short distances with us when we were entering and
leaving the deep canyon small town of Urique beginning and ending
each loop. EVERYBODY participated!

The ultra run finishes with an 11 mile out and back after the two
longer loops.

Out of the 100 or so ultra starters and 38 finishers, 15 were from
the United States, France and Italy, 6 Mexican runners from
Chihuahua, and one local Urique Mexican man, whom finished near to
last, and was awarded $100 for being the only towns-person runner to
do so.

First place went to a humble and relatively unknown young Oregon Man named Joe Grant-
-El Tortuga Lluvia--Rain Turtle. The 24 year old turtle does not run, nor looks
much like his animal helper. In Fact, the Turtle broke Scott Jurek's-
-El Venado, the Stag Deer, course record of 6:32, lowering the
record to 6:24!

Nevada speedster Josh Brimhall--El Antilope Desierto, Desert
Antelope, was second, followed by 8 Raramuri--Tarahumara runners
rounding out the top 10. ALL United States, and our new Italion friend, Franco--
El Aguila del Alpes, Eagle of the Alps, finished.

The first place woman was Amanda McIntosh--La Yegua Negra
Peligrosa, Dangerous Black Mare, from Texas and Leadville, Colorado. Amanda
generously gave her $500 winnings to the 3 Tarahumara women
participants. Yes, Raramuri women came, And the bridge between
running cultures has now been constructed and crossed by our lovely
Mas Loca women runners, acting as the messengers--Andale!

Josh and Joe also gave their combined $2,500 winnings back to the
Raramuri people in the form of sharing some of their winnings with
the 8 Raramuri rounding out the top 10, and putting the rest into
the CCUM Seed Farm--sustainable agriculture project we have begun in
cooperation with Native Seeds Search. Nobody had to do that; and
they Did!....Korima.

Theresa Do--La Paloma--Dove, won cash and corn by finishing 3rd woman.
Abigail Stephens--La Lince--Lynx, finished second and
won $300. Yes, we have prize money for the top 3 women. There was a
grand total of about 9 women ultra runners....not bad odds -:

As well as the cash prizes of about $5,000 for the top ten overall
and another $1,000 for the top 3 women--who have a chance to
double their winnings when taking a top 10 overall spot, a ton of corn is
awarded to each of the top 5 finishers, and a half ton to the 6-10th
place finishers. ALL finishers after that are awarded 500 pounds of
corn.
All gringos gave the corn back to the people however they wanted to do
so, and we now have to deliver, I can only guess at this early point,
about 30,000 pounds of corn....A horse`s work is never done -:

Thanks for mucho help and support in many ways from Chris Labbe-
-El Cabro Colorado--Mountain Goat, whom also printed up beautiful
calenders from last year`s race event and gave them to the Urique towns-people.

The CCUM is sponsored by this kind of generosity, called Korima in
the Raramuri language--sharing, a gift, unconditional and beautiful,
the reward for giving being whatever may come back around in the
circle. And what does, along with whatever else, is always beauty.

Andale...

May the Raramuri and all of us contunue to run free.

Caballo Blanco de La Sierra Madre - see www.CaballoBlanco.com

OC 100 Kilometer (62 mile) Race - Barefoot

2008-02-18T19:23:00.001-08:00

Yes, I know that I was going to run with the newest Vibram FiveFingers called KSO's, but the course was so smooth and I wanted to demonstrate that training with FFs (which I did) did not cause me to loose my capacity to run barefoot. The mechanics are nearly identical, with the FFs giving a sense of security and some gentle cushioning that does not cause the foot to loose the feel of the terrain.

So, my goal was to run it under 10 hours and 30 minutes in order to qualify for the Spartathlon. All was on pace until around mile 45. I could tell that my legs did not have it in them to keep going at the necessary pace, so I slowed down and enjoyed chatting with fellow runner Dmitri Chechuy.

In order to keep it as close to the conditions of the Spartathlon as possible, I never ran on the dirt trail that ran parallel to the course. I stayed on the asphalt which is what I will have to do in Greece...for 153 miles!

Ended up finishing in 11 hours and 52 minutes. Those last miles were very tough with worn out legs and sensitive feet, but I knew I could do it injury free, so I continued. Plus, like many endurance runners, we like to do it because we can.

A Big!!! thank you to the legendary Barefoot KenBob for crewing me during the race and taking video and film footage. Thanks!

BFT

Photos courtesy KenBob Saxton and RunningBarefoot.org

Rose Bowl 45 Miler - OC100K Training - KSO's

2008-01-21T09:46:00.000-08:00

Spent the last two Sunday's running around the famous Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Last week did 30 miles, this week 45. Why? I am training for the OC 100K on February 16th.

Vibram's latest FiveFingers called KSO's are my favorite so far

I am very impressed with Vibram's latest creation, the FiveFinger KSO (Keep Stuff Out). I have been testing prototypes since the summer 2007. I have been testing the production model for nearly a month, and I love it. It will be available starting March this year. Go to www.VibramFiveFingers.com for more details.

For long runs, longer than 10 miles, I wear my Injinji socks, otherwise I start having chaffing problems in the arch of my foot, perhaps from too much flexing. The Injinjis prevent that by covering over the rough area at the seam within the FF.

I ran the 45 miles in 7 hours and 42 minutes, about the pace I need to achieve for the 100k (62 miles) in order to qualify for the Greek Spartathlon in 2009. Running so far in the middle of the day requires careful preparation. Every 3 miles I stopped and refilled my water bottle with electrolytes or my own sports nutrition drink (maltodextrin, soy protein and Green Magma) along with a few gels. Winter in California is nice, but can be quite warm in the direct sunlight. But I ain't complaining!

The electrolytes that I am using are a little secret I learned from Jorge & Mari Pacheco. It is a rehydration powder that NGO's give to refugee camps to prevent dehydration from illness. I did some research and found the powder and had to order a huge amount, but I love it and the price ends up being lower than many of the other popular electrolyte supplements offered to ultrarunners.

Rehydration ingredients per liter (which are regulated by UNICEF):
Sodium Chloride: 3.5 grams
Potassium Chloride: 1.5 grams
Trisodium Citrate, dihydrate: 2.9 grams
Glucose Anhydrous: 20.0 grams

Notice my igloo in the background. Had my cold electrolyte drink ready every 3 miles.

This feels SO good after running SO far.

PS. I started taking Iyengar Yoga classes last week and look forward to reporting my findings in upcoming blogs.

PSS. Missed a yoga retreat today and am sorry that I did. Thought I would finish sooner (by starting sooner), but it wasn't to be.

Polar Bear Swims 2008 - Hansen Dam & Cabrillo Beach

2008-01-01T19:03:00.000-08:00

Mom and Me 2008

My family's tradition continues: Polar Bear swims at both the Hansen Dam Swim Lake at 8am (48 degrees) and then at Cabrillo Beach at noon (52 degrees).

This year was especially fantastic because my mom made my Grandma's old recipe for black-eyed peas and corn bread. Oh my GAWD was that good.

Here are some more photos:

The Family, 2008 here we come!

What I want to be when I grow up.

PS. A BIG! thank you to Green Foods. I have been using Green Magma everyday before lunch for the past 3 months. Doing that along with drastically cutting animal products has brought me down to a much lighter 160lbs. from a previous constant of 175lbs. Happy.

Eschew the shoe by Sam McManis

2007-12-20T12:00:00.000-08:00

Sacramento Bee newspaper article link here
Published 12:00 am PST Thursday, December 20, 2007
Story appeared in SCENE section, Page E1
Title: Eschew the shoe: Runners go toe-to-toe with the competition
By Sam McManis

Sam called me about a month ago and interviewed me for this article. Here's what he wrote about me:

'Barefoot Ted' on a mission

Currently, barefoot running hardly qualifies as a "craze." Though a hardy community of barefooters has congregated on the Internet, where one Web site boasts 1,000 members, the practice still is considered alternative and marginal.

That soon will change, if "Barefoot Ted" McDonald, a serious marathoner from Sun Valley, near Los Angeles, has his way. McDonald's blog charts his odyssey of being a shoe-saddled runner who couldn't go an hour without intense pain to a shoeless runner who has completed the Boston Marathon in under 3 hours, 20 minutes, and completes 100-mile endurance races with no pain.

McDonald, in a phone interview from Southern California, recalls his first barefoot run five years ago as a "religious" experience.

"It was so mind-boggling to me," McDonald says. "It was like, 'Oh my God, I was running ball-heel-ball with no pain.' Within a year of running barefoot, I finished a marathon. Within another year, I had qualified for Boston barefoot. It's been a rapid and wild transformation."

So, if running barefoot can be so beneficial, why don't more people do it?

"Because the sports shoe companies make us believe that if we don't wear these specialty shoes, we'll get hurt," McDonald says. "It's one of the highest profit-making businesses in the country.

"But if people will only try it and ease into it, they'll find there's something elemental or spiritual in (barefoot running)."

If it seems at times that barefoot runners are zealots for their cause, it's because they firmly believe in a shoeless society. Most of the barefoot runners contacted for this story go shoeless full time.

Little Girl Needs Help

2007-12-18T10:08:00.000-08:00

SAD TO REPORT - NACKETNA PASSED AWAY IN JULY, 2008 - RIP

Nacketna, an 11 year old living in the town of Urique, Mexico, located in the deepest canyon in the Sierra Tarahumara, host of the Caballo Blanco Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon, NEEDS OUR HELP.

She needs a bone marrow transplant. She has donors but needs around $11,000.00 to pay for the procedure. Otherwise, she will be gone in one year or less.

My dream is to see the ultra running community step in and help this child.

I would love to see her at the start of all future Caballo Blanco Copper Canyon Ultra Marathons as a symbol of life and love and korima (the Tarahumara word for unconditional giving).

The above photo is a scan of a flyer that was given to me by her uncle. See translation below. It includes information where to wire funds.

Let's keep the race alive. Let's help Nacketna and the beautiful people of Urique and our running brothers and sisters of the Sierra Tarahumara. Let's make a beautiful story together!

BFT

TRANSLATION thanks to Josue Stephens

Nacketna Dominquez Ramirez

Age 11

Grade 6

Mother: Nereyda Ramirez Mariscal

Father: Octavio Dominguez Ayala

Aplastic Anemia occurs when the bone marrow stops making enough blood-forming stem cells.

This is the disease little Nacketna suffers from. She is currently hospitalized at the General Hospital in Chihuahua City.

Aplastic Anemia is a grave disease and its treatment is very costly. The medicine Nacketna needs costs around $14,900 USD per dose and requires two doses. If this treatment does not work, Nacketna will need a bone marrow transplant in Monterrey or Mexico City. The bone marrow transplant would cost around $112,000 USD

This is why we come to you now to ask for your financial support with these medical costs.

The Dominguez Mariscal family thanks you in advance for your support.

(Bancomer 1225993881)

May the Lord Bless You Forever

Note: Please visit the following website for more information on Aplastic Anemia

http://www.aplastic.org/aplastic/disease_information/about_the_diseases/aplastic_anemia.php

CLICK HERE TO DONATE USING PAYPAL

SANTA BARBARA NINE TRAILS 35 MILE ENDURANCE RUN

2007-11-25T10:02:00.000-08:00

SANTA BARBARA NINE TRAILS 35 MILE ENDURANCE RUN

Thanks to Luis Escobar and Friends for putting on a great race this year.

Have you ever wondered if it is possible to put 50+ miles of toughness into a 35 mile slice? Nine Trails does it.

You can read all you want about how much climbing and descending you will encounter on this mighty course, but you can never understand until you taste it, taste the 10,500 feet of elevation gain and loss in 35 miles.

I tasted it. Me like.

What you can only appreciate by being up in those rugged mountains is the view, looking down into the Santa Barbara bay, looking out over a wide ocean with distant Channel Islands siloutted against the horzion.

California at its best. High beauty.

The trails were often very steep and slippery.

There were SO many different textures and footings.

And I felt them, all of those textures, and for me, mostly, they felt wonderful.

I wore an upcoming Vibram FiveFinger shoe nicknamed KSO (Keep Stuff Out). It is similar to the FF Sprint, but it has a top foot cover.

Photo by Scott Dunlap of A Trail Runner's Blog

My KSOs along with a pair of black Injinji toe socks made the running of this race very comfortable for me.

However, when you run with FiveFingers on rugged trails, you must think:

Every step (every single step) must be made consciously.

You will perfect this skill more and more, because your foot will get tired of feeling the pain of kicking things.

My feet felt as if I were running on the hard-packed low tide sand at the beach...with a lot of obstacles.

My feet and legs feel fine today. But keep in mind, I stayed in control the whole race and ran very conservatively since I had never been on the course before.

Time 9.21. 40th out of 80 finishers, 108 starters.

Highly recommended, and do attend the pre-race dinner at the Savoy Cafe the night before the race. I have never enjoyed such wonderful pre- and after- race food. Quality healthful delicious food.

BFT

PS. Big thanks to Luis Escobar, el Coyote. Thanks to Deb getting me to SB, getting me a place to stay and getting home. Greatly appreciated. And thanks to Marina for hosting us, and Andy, thanks for that beer!

PSS. It was great to see Gary Hilliard up and about. Keep moving forward!!!

Thanks Deb, and thanks Marina

Trail friends

Winter Tether Swimming in Salt Water Pool

2007-11-21T18:42:00.000-08:00

Started adding swimming into my overall physical fitness routine.

These days, you will find me running barefoot and with FFs, doing Tai Chi, progressing with Yoga, and swimming. I am feeling very fit. Some diet changes include further reduction in animal products (not a vegan...yet), more whole grains and vegetables, daily Green Foods Green Magma drink, less beer.

The results. Feeling much stronger and getting leaner and lighter. Could be good.

Upcoming races include:
Saturday's 9 Trails race in Santa Barbara.
Orange Curtain 100km in February 2008 (Spartathlon qualifier)
Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon in March 2008

All this activity leading to:

IronMan 1890 (2008)
Badwater Solo Attempt 2008
Spartathlon 2009
Catalina to Mt. Wilson 2012

Live Free or Die

2007-10-24T12:33:00.001-07:00

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

•

"Live Free or Die" is the official motto of New Hampshire. It is probably the best-known of all state mottos, partly because it speaks to an aggressive independence inherent in the American political philosophy, and partly because of its contrast to the mild sentiments usually found in such mottos.

National mottos

"Ελευθερια η Θανατος" Eleutheria i thanatos "Liberty or Death" is the national motto of Greece and comes from the motto of the Greek War of Independence (1821-1830).

Hao Style Tai Chi Chuan

2007-10-12T20:48:00.000-07:00

Peter Mugglebee demonstrates tai chi
Thank you to Peter Mugglebee and Lily Lee for teaching me tai chi. Learning how to flow in control, a beautiful thing indeed.

BFT

Scott Wins Spartathlon 2007

2007-10-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

Spartathlon is a 246 kilometre (152.85 miles) ultramarathon race held in Greece since 1983 between Athens and Sparta. read more >>>

Spartathlon 2007 - Scott Jurek - Start to Finish
Made while the experience was still fresh, a more comprehensive video
following the front runners from beginning to end to come in following months

Big! Thank Yous to Scott and Leah for inviting me to Greece and taking such good care of me. You can link to Scott's blog here. Wikipedia here.

Super special thanks to Shannon of Moeben Sleeves for co-sponsoring my trip and Robert Renfro of Solar Communications International. Greatly appreciated.

Glenn Tachiyama's excellent photos of the race found here.
Lisa Bliss' blog here and photos here.

Valmir Nunes (#3 - 25:37:40) , Scott Jurek (#1 - 23:12:14) and Piotr Kurylo (#2 - 24:29:41) at Awards Ceremony

Scott running through Ancient Nemea
Note: Nemean wine is VERY good.

Map from Spartathlon.gr

Pre-Race Interview Part 1

Pre-Race Interview Part 2

Scott with many of the top Japanese runners from club MY☆STAR.
This year's race including the following top Japanese runners:

IWAMOTO NOBUMI (7th) , MATSUSHITA TAKEHIRO (8th), SATO RYOICHI (10th),

KUMASAKA AKIHIKO (11th), SUZUKI MAKOTO (13th), IKEDA KAZUYOSHI (15th)

In the future, Scott hopes to make more trips over to Japan to both race and gain a deeper understanding of Japanese culture, especially traditional vegetarian food culture. Meeting this club is a good first step.

Luckily for me, I became fluent in Japanese after studying it in university and living in Japan for nearly 5 years. With 80 Japanese participants in this year's race, I had the unique opportunity of using my Japanese in Greece! My Japanese is a little rusty, but it comes out of me without thinking too much which is nice.

Great photo with Yukio Morishita (last finisher) and Scott Jurek (first finisher)

Scott shakes hands with the legendary John Foden, founding runner of the Spartathlon

What an amazing experience. I caught most of the race on video from start to finish. I have made a quick-fix video above, but plan on taking more time in the near future and putting together a video that highlights the top runners throughout the race.

Offical website: www.spartathlon.gr
Thanks to Christos Tsiakiris

Spartathlon was made possible through the exclusive support of the
Stavros Niarchos Foundation
The race is very fortunate to have such an organization supporting it. I think that the Sparatathlon is a fanatastic event with an amazing history. It brings together so many top-level runners from around the world in such a beautiful and friendly country.

BFT

Thanks to the following:

Spartathlon 2007 - The Crew

2007-10-01T02:23:00.000-07:00

Dr. Lisa Bliss, BFT, Leah, Scott and Glenn Tachiyama at start line

On the streets in Athens...cheering ALL runners (video below)

Coffee Break...thank you!

Dr. Bliss teaches Glenn how to smoke!

Mark Godale, Lisa Bliss, Valmir Nunes, Scott Jurek
Top runners doped on nicotine thanks to Dr. Bliss?

Nunes' secret weapon?

Team Jerker at Awards Ceremony
photo copyright Glenn Tachiyama

Running Greece - 2007 Spartathlon - Crewing for Scott Jurek

2007-09-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

Scott and Leah spent over a week out near Pylos in a town called Gialova. I joined them on the 23rd for sevaral days of relaxing and swimming before the race. Best time ever.

Scott and Leah fed me very well during my stay. It would be easy to be a vegan if it meant eating like they do everyday. Well, Leah and I did eat the yogurt, too. Greek yogurt is good stuff.

Very cool map of the area click here.

Climbing up into Navarino Castle with Voidokilia Beach in the background

Scott and Leah Jurek enter the gates of paradise?

Looking down at Voidokilia Beach mentioned in Homer's Odyssey

In front of Nestor's Cave

Sphacteria Island in background where the Spartans lost to the Athenians

Running up to the top of Mt. Nickolas

Slow food.

Angeles Crest 100 - 27 Hours

2007-09-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

Running down the El Prieto Trail, less than 4 miles from finish

A BIG thank you to Vibram for letting me run in some prototype FiveFingers and Green Foods for Magma Plus which I know had something to do with a 5 hours+ improvement on my time compared with last year!

At the award ceremony

Coming into Islip photo by Christina Hennessey

Thanks to Wild Mountain Runner founder Freddie Perez for giving me a ride to Wrightwood and support during the race. Big thank yous to Arturo Valdez and Jose Hernandez who paced me from Chilao. Thanks to Chris Rios, Deb Clem and Sunny Blende for aid station support...it helped a lot.

Coming into Buckhorn photo by Christina Hennessey

More to come...

Video of me entering 52 mile checkpoint

My report to the Ultra group:

Howdy Folks

I surprised myself big time this weekend.

My goal was to finish better than last year.

Last year's goal was simple: to finish...alive.

Last year's time: 32:16 This year: 27:00

How?

Prerace: pizza and beer with Freddie Perez in Wrightwood. Two
Newcastles and 7 pieces. Also, spaghetti dinner.

Sleep: not so good at the Methodist Camp in same building as the
visiting Tarahumara along with Chris Rios and John Radich. Only slept
a little, but Jenn Shelton visited me in my dreams, so can't complain.

This year I ran in two different prototype FiveFingers that cover the
entire foot preventing crap from getting in the shoe. I had NO chance
to test the shoes before the race. I also wore Injinji socks borrowed
from Robert Andrulis as I left mine at home. These helped me
tremendously.

Finally had a chance to wear my Dirty Girl gators, and my Moeben
sleeves that Gary Hilliard threw at me as a prize as I was leaving the
Mt. Disappointment post-race party. Both were extremely effective
although Ken Hamada said I looked unusual, i.e., like a freak.

Nutrition. This year I used drop boxes. I prepared my own powder
using a mixture of malto dextrin, soy protein, Green Foods Green
Magma, E-Caps powder and Chia seeds.

GU: 2 an hour

Watermelon at many aid stations.

Progresso Chicken soup, drank cold out of the can 2 times, trick
learned from Flaco Mendoza.

Idlehour aid station: solid food and Miso soup. Thanks Joe. This is
the place to stop and eat at mile 82.

Pacers from Chilao to Chantry and Chantry to finish, Wild Mountain

Runners Arturo and Jose.

BFT, Freddie and Arturo at the finish

A lot of help from my friends.

BFT

PS. I leave for Greece on Saturday, filming and crewing for Scott.

Mt. Whitney Summitted Barefoot #3

2007-08-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

Photo by Patrick Fitz

Last month while climbing Gorgonio, highest peak in SoCal, I suggested to Larry that he should try climbing Mt. Whitney barefoot. He had read of my previous successes, and as a 10 year barefooting veteran, I knew he was up to it.

Well, that's exactly what we did.

Larry and his family got a camp space in Lone Pine Campground (camp 38, same one as on July 4, 2005), got some permits and gave me a call. I was still a little sore after Friday night's all-night run, but could not think of turning down a chance to climb Whitney again.

I drove up from LA on Monday evening, had a bite to eat, went to bed, got up at 4am, started hiking by around 5:20am, got down by 2pm and was back on the road to LA by around 4pm and home by around 7pm. That is a LONG day.

I went up barefoot and came down wearing my Vibram FiveFinger Sprints. Larry came down wearing his BFT Huaraches. I got up and down in about 9 hours. It was a fantastic day.

Looking forward to climbing again. I am even thinking about attempting a dual summit climb, i.e., climbing to the summit twice in one day. Dreaming.

BFT

PS.
First Summit Report here
Second Report here
Great map here
Great Video of the Trail here
Whitney Portal Forum Link here