2 weeks 'till GC Marathon

2 weeks to go until the Gold Coast Marathon and the steaks are high.

Due to work/travel commitments training has taken a back seat over the last 4 weeks. To 'add injury to insult' I slipped chasing Gaz up the Coogee steps during a stair-sprint sess last Sat and have only run once since.

Step hit me above the kneecap and the bruising makes knee reflexion difficult. Will try running tomorrow am.
I feel pretty stupid. It won't stop me running the race,no chance, especially now that Team FiveFingers includes renowned barefoot runner/coach Tsuyoshi from Japan, Elite runner James Kuegler from NZ as well as usual suspects Sal, Scott and myself.

The lack of physical preparation will need to be made up for by attention to form and mental toughness. In layman's terms that translates as.."any way you do it it's gonna hurt". Bring it on :-) Max

Pics from TNF100

Here are a few images of Team FiveFingers in TNF100. Note the terrain, pretty full on! Both the KSO Treks and the Trek Sport were awesome.

Loving the Fives!

Team FiveFingers Australia complete TNF 100k taking 2nd in 14:22:00!!

It was a clear crisp morning in the Blue Mountains on Saturday, as 600 competitors lined up at the start line of what is widely agreed to be the toughest 100k race in the world, The North Face 100k.

Amongst them were 2 Team FiveFingers, one mixed and one male. The team event is a 2 person relay - 50k each.

It was a fearsome challenge. The terrain included picking our way through treacherous rocky ridges, up and down near sheer inclines, a total of over 3000 stairs and rope ladders hanging off a vertical cliff. The number of casualties was incredible. 393 made it to the end. Injuries ranged from broken ankles and feet to concussion and trauma from falls.

Team FiveFingers (Sally and Jase first 50k, me and Scott the second) ran shoulder to shoulder the whole 100k. 2 running in KSOTrek, 2 in Trek Sport. The Fives were amazing over the incredibly technical terrain. Loose rockfaces, creek crossings, steep wet rocky ridges were all sweet.

Even the night running was awesome.

Scott and I pushed the pace pretty hard, getting from the halfway point to the 89k checkpoint in 4hrs 35min. But the pace and a broken headlight made the last 11k real tough. The sadistic organisers also kept some of the steepest (both up and down) and most treacherous/technical running for the end. We were hoping to break 6hrs but poor visibility, cramp and tired legs saw us take some big hits on the toes as we tried to keep the pace up (but not our feet  )

Scott especially took some huge hits, with a suspected broken small toe and several others very close to. I was luckier but still copped some beauties, one sending me flying off the track and over the edge, narrowly saved by spiky tree branches that I managed to hang onto. It was too dark to see just how big a drop it was. Probably best too.

Coming through the finish line at around 9.30pm was one of the best moments of my life. A great victory for Team FiveFingers and for the simple belief that we are all born to run. We just need to keep our feet on the ground and believe in ourselves and our bodies.

By doing so we start a positive chain reaction that can reach further than any of us can imagine. Our support team, Steve the photographer who filmed us during the event, all out there day and night ensuring we had water, supplies and the warmest and loudest of welcome at every checkpoint. It was amazing, inspiring, and the initial spark that brought all these fantastic people together was obvious to anyone who looked down at their feet. 

Loving the Fives!!

BTW, some of the other gear we raced in is worth mentioning because it was just amazing.
Zensah calf compression is the best in the world without a doubt (RW mag in US said so but now it's official )

X-bionic top and shorts, swiss designed, made in Italy. It sure isn't cheap but we ran in 25 degree heat and then at night in -4 degree cold in shorts and a short sleeve top and it all felt the same.. not hot, not cold, just perfect.

TNF100 course pics.. something to look forward to!

Sally ran the entire course 2 weekends ago. 50K Sat, 50K Sun. (chica loca)

Here are some of the pics she took. It's going to be fun by torchlight.. very romantic!

Team FiveFingers TNF100K Training clip

Only 3 dats to go!!! The Sydney sky today is thick with ash from 'burning off' fires in the Blue Mountains, should make for an interesting race on Sat if it is still going on.

Here is a rough cut of some training. We will be filming during the race and posting the best bits on line.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1LOIAqoHQ8

Fake Vibram FiveFingers - Don't get ripped off!!

WARNING!! Over the past 3 weeks some factory in China has started pumping out fake Vibram FiveFingers. The main styles they are targeting are KSO and Speed. The Bikila, Speed and KSO Trek are going to take them a little longer as the sole mold is different, but it's only a matter of time.

I have seen some of these fakes, they are terrible. The stitching is so bad often you cannot fit your toes in, and the materials are cheap and weak. Subsequently there are some very disappointed ebayers out there.

HOW TO BE SURE??

Only use retailers listed on the official FiveFingers sites:

www.barefootinc.com.au
www.vibramfivefingers.com

Keep it real!

Running in Vibram FiveFingers, KSO Trek & Bikila

We (barefootinc.com.au) will be receiving our first delivery of Vibram FiveFingers KSO Trek, Bikila, Speed, and Moc in about 3 weeks.



With the Bikila or Speed for road running and the KSO Trek for the trails, transition to running in minimal footwear is now smoother and more accessible than ever.

Loving the Fives!

First 50K trailrun - Loved it!

I was very nervous driving up to Wingello State Forest for the Skinny Ass Run (50K Trailrun).
Due to crazy work schedule my training has been reduced to 2 runs max per week, a 100m hill repeats sess and either a longer hill repeat (400m x 10) or a stairs sess (90min). My last long run was a month ago. I told myself finishing was the only goal, even if I walked the last 20.

The course was a mix of fire-trail and forest single-track. Stunning. I ran in the Vibram FiveFingers KSO Trek, which were fantastic on the rocky tracks. no stone bruising issues. I did kick a few tree roots and rocks, so my toes are a little tender, but really no probs at all.

I do not understand why but I smashed the 50K. It felt great, the Treks kept me running light and efficient, the second half I felt strong and kept pushing the pace. With 6.5K to go I decided to see what was left in the tank and upped the tempo (did a 10min -ve split). I pushed 5min/K for 5Ks (felt like I was flying through the forest!) and eased off to cruise the last 1.5k.

Today i feel.. awesome! A little tight in the legs but only a little. I have 1 deep purple toe, but that's it. I am going to run an easy 15k this evening to see how the legs feel, but right now I feel ready to go again. Weird, it kind of doesn't make sense.

I think running in the FiveFingers played a big part by keeping me light, also I wore the Zensah calf compression. Just amazing. I carries on wearing it until I went to bed and I swear my calves feel fesh. incredible.

I am in Pear Beach for 4 days this week and will aim to do a 40+K wed/thurs. What can I say, I'm loving the Fives!

Feet feel fresh today. I can tell it's going to be a good running day when I spend the whole day breaking into a run at every opportunity.. the cafe, the bank, the car, the post office.

Just about to head out for my evening run.I was thinking of running in my recently arrived black KSO Treks, they have a black suede upper (very cool) with a much more trail specific sole & tread. Of course they are heavier and some proprioception will be lost but for TNF 100K they will make life a little easier.

Hopefully Team FiveFingers will all be sporting the new KSO Trek Sport by raceday. Hot off the press. Same hardcore sole with a kso style upper made of coconut fibres. Hard wearing, anti bacterial and seriously funky. Thanks Vibram.

Of all the things to get worked up about..

A well known Australian physiotherapist showed me a funny website today. Funny peculiar more than funny ha,ha I guess. It is called runningbarefootisbad(.com)

I spent about half an hour reading what the guy had to say, and the I realised all he had to say was that running barefoot is bad. No worries. Wear shoes, be happy I guess would be my advice to him.

There is no one group with a monopoly on defensiveness, negativity or tunnel vision. I think it was Gladstone who said all news is biased. All we have is our opinions to share with an open mind. I love running, my Vibram FiveFingers work for me and help me get the most out of my training. I know great runners/friends who swear by those Salomon trail running shoes. Not my bag but they look cool though. So what! Anyone ready to invest so much negativity normally has an agenda. The (anonymous) writer on the anti-barefoot site says he has no affiliations to shoe manufacturers. No alterior motives then.. except for the online running shoe store that is part of the site. Nice work!

Kidding apart I just hope the (anonymous) guy wakes up to himself, gives up the barefoot bashing and goes out for a nice stress free run (in whatever you want, Brooks Beast and a wetsuit for all I care!).. Running is fun. I love it, that's the point. Max

This week's training schedule..

Did an easy couple of Ks this AM. BOF still a little tender but it worked well as a training tool, reminding me to keep the knees soft, the hammies pulling and the landing soft.

The plan this week is:

Tues AM: 60 x 100m/60sec repeats Tues PM: easy 7Km
Wed AM: kettlebell sess Wed PM: 30Km fartlek - up tempo on all uphill sections
Thurs AM: rest, maybe easy 8km in the PM (work allowing)
Friday AM: swim, Friday PM: 10 x 500m hill sets (silly steep)
Sat AM: easy 10Km
Sunday AM: 25Km (hilly)aim to av. 4min/Km

Total week's K's: 94 :)

TNF100 training run Glenbrook to ..?

Sunday morning,5 am start. Picked up the rest of the crew and got to Glenbrook at the foot of the Blue Mountains by 6.30.
Struggled to find the start of the Oaks fire-trail, and even now I'm not exactly sure what trails we ended up on. Still.. Loved the forest tracks, even though the rocks embedded in the earth were deceptive. The bigger ones were no worries, but the almost invisible little ones occasionally hit my 'weak spot'. flush in the centre of the ball of the foot (BOF) between the 2nd and 3rd metatarsal. Grrr, every time it happens I stiffen up and have to force myself to relax.

Still this became my thought for the run. The more rocky the trail the more I have to flatten my BOF landing to protect my 'weak spot'and make it easier to roll my weight off a rock before any damage is done. Flat footed landing, very bent knees.

Final score 24.6Km, averaged at 5.40min/Km. so took it pretty easy but apart from a tender BOF I felt fresh and hammered the last couple of Ks.

Next trail run has to be 30Km +

Max