Vibram Kicks times two

Photo Courtesy of Allison's Phone: Good luck on your race this weekend!

This morning I had a delightful jog with a fellow "barefoot" enthusiast, Allison Davis. Well, she said the jury's still officially out officially on her Vibrams, but she ran in them this morning nonetheless...yes, we're pictured above in the Vibram Classics!

We did just over 3 miles; and I've taken the Vibrams as far as 6 1/2 (last Saturday's long run). They have never had company before today.

I like to run alone.

Well, I suppose it would be more truthful to say that I am always nervous to run with people. OK, it actually terrifies me. Because I know almost everyone says "I'm slow"... but their slow is always pacing at under 10 minute miles. To me, that's not slow... that's a painful 3 miles (or more!).

I think I mentioned (maybe tweeted?) that in the Law Day 5k I broke the 10 min-mile pacing barrier for my race. But that was a RACE...it's completely different than just a morning run, right?

That's amped up on adrenaline.
That's against the clock.
That's with an official start and finish line (not just the general vicinity of your block.)
That's with aid stations every mile or so....
That's without a 25lb child in your jogging stroller.

But to get to the point -- I loved my time with Allison this morning. Whether she was holding back because I had jogging stroller en tote; or she was playing it safe being outdoors instead of on a treadmill; I may never know. Maybe the pace seemed just fine for both of us. Or maybe like they used to say about Michale Jordan "It's gotta be the shoes." :)

Some of you have been asking about how the Vibrams are working out. And I've been intending to write a few posts about them:

• The first time I took them out for a spin
• The first time I made it 3 miles in them
• The first time I ran 6 miles in them

But they're all just part of the process. The reality is that I love them. Both Alison and I came to the Vibrams/the barefoot philosophy hoping it could be the answer to pain free running (me foot and knee; Al from a foot injury).

The shoes are not a miracle; really they're just a shoe (well, a covering if you will; and they sure beat socks and duct tape!).

But as far as I can tell they keep about every promise I've heard about them...

• no air-injection extra shock absorption
• no calibrated adjustments for over pronation/supination
• no extra thick sole for padding

Nope, these are minimalists. Everything I've heard says the Vibrams are the closest thing to running barefoot without actually being barefoot...

So I guess you could say they kind of do nothing. Which means EVERYTHING to me when I run.



****Epilogue: Al, I just mapquested it... turns out we did closer to 4.25 than 3 miles! Thought you'd appreciate that!****