Running Tip #31 - Modified Nike Free

Note - This article is now hosted at fellrnr.com


As you may know from my previous post on primal running shoes, I modify my Nike Free shoes. The Nike Free is an ideal starting point for modification. Instead of a separate cushioning midsole and a hard rubber outsole, the Free combines the two into a single layer. This cushioning is much tougher than a conventional shoe, so it withstands the abrasion without an outer sole. Modifying a conventional shoe requires removing the outsole, cutting away at the midsole, then reattaching the outsole. With the Free, you just remove what you don’t want. (Note that I use the Nike Free 3.0.2 as the starting point.)

Stage One - The Sole

Here is an image of the underside of the unmodified shoe, which is my starting point. Notice the deep groves in the shoe and the lack of outsole (other than the small patches that are black).


As you can see here,the unmodified shoe has a much higher heel than forefoot.


The first stage is to mark where the sole needs cutting. Do this approximately and conservatively first. It is best to remove slightly less than you need to, then try them out and remove some more if required. I find you need to remove material from not just the heel, but the arch support and right up to just behind the all of the foot.


I've tried quite an array of tools for modifying these shoes, and my preferred tool tool is a cheap sheath knife. The knife is a Clipper and is a remarkable knife for the price - I've abused mine horribly and it's still in great condition.


Cutting away at the sole is harder than you might expect. The way the sole is in sections makes it a little easier, but only a little.


Here you can see how much of the sole was removed.


From the side, you get an idea of how far it has been cut down. Note how rough the cutting is - this seems to work fine.



Stage Two - the toe box

See how the toes overlap the sides of the shoe and the shoe is a different shape? I've never understood why shoes are not the shape of your feet. I did not have a problem with the toe box of the Free until I started wearing Vibram FiveFingers. Once my toes had become used to freedom, they were very unhappy with a toe box.


Putting the shoe on, I can feel where the toes touch the side of the shoe. I mark the contact points on the shoe. Notice that there is a reasonable area where the shoe is away from the toes. I'll leave that intact and it will keep the shoe together.


Once the toe box has been cut away, my toes are free. When I first did this as an experiment, I thought my toes would push out too far and cause a problem, but in practice this is fine. I've run up to 30 miles in this type of modified shoe without any problems.


Stage Three - Traction?

The next stage may well be to add some extra traction for running trails or on ice. http://www.skyrunner.com/screwshoe.htm

Tangent - 2008 Grand Canyon Double Crossing

I was recently asked about the double crossing of the Grand Canyon I did in 2008 and I promised to post a link to the report on my blog. Instead of the typical 'race report', I did a pictorial report of 17 annotated images. You can find this on Smugmug.

Running Tip #30 - Running in the rain

Running in the rain can be great fun, with a wonderful sense of freedom. However, it does offer some interesting challenges.

The rain can cool you off. In the summer this could be pleasant, but in cooler conditions, it can be a serious problem. Even a light rain can soak you through and cool you off dramatically. A heavy rain in cool conditions can rapidly cause Hypothermia. If you stop running, you can become chilled very quickly. Shivering is a key indicator of your core temperature - see the notes on Hypothermia on the previous blog entry on running in the cold.

• A thin rain jacket can provide important protection and comfort. It is unlikely to keep you dry - you will probably sweat under the jacket, but it will prevent a lot of the evaporative cooling as well as the cooling effect of heavy rain.
• Rain is a real pain if you wear glasses. Wearing a baseball cap can help protect glasses from the rain and keep the rain out of your eyes and face. A wide brimmed hat can make running in the rain much easier, especially if you are running for a protracted time. I have used the Outdoor Research Seattle Sombrero and found it worked well, though it looks rather strange.
• If you are running in the rain for a protracted period, it will cause problems with your skin. The skin will absorb the water and become softer (maceration). This can cause blisters and chafing. The use of compression clothing can minimize chafing and should be the first line of defense.
• There are various creams that can help protect your skin in the rain. I have used Hyrdropel and found it very effective, especially on my feet.
• It is also important to protect any electronics you carry when you run. Most sports watches, heart rate monitors and GPS devices are water resistant. Cell phones and MP3 players are generally not. For good protection, a dedicated case, like Otter Box works very well, but I have found a simple Ziploc bag, sealed and folded over works remarkably well.
• In heavy rain or fog at night, having your light source on your head can just blind you. Using a light that attaches to your belt, such as http://www.rei.com/product/737855 works better.
  
• Wear clothes that do not absorb much water. Cotton should be avoided in any weather, but some synthetic materials absorb more water than others.
• Use common sense and caution for thunder storms. A lightning strike can kill, so it is best to avoid running in thunder storms.
• I have tried various waterproof styles of running shoes, and would not recommend them. For running through puddles they may help, but in any serious rain it is hard to stop the water from running down your legs and into the shoes, or going over the top of the shoe. Once a waterproof shoe is soaked, it stays wet. I find it much better to wear a shoe that drains well than one that is waterproof.

Running Tip #28 - Learn the lessons

There are many lessons that we learn in running. Races are particularly intense learning experiences; I have had very few races where I have not learned at least one important lesson. It is important that we actually learn from these lessons; if we don’t the lessons will be repeated, and they are often unpleasant.

I have a checklist I use for each race. After each race, I go back over the checklist and update it with the lessons I learned. This checklist has become my treasure trove of knowledge and tips.

On my last race, pacing a marathon, the weather at the start was mid 60s and drizzle. The weather forecast was for 50% chance of light rain and a slight drop in temperature. I chose not to carry a waterproof, believing the forecast. This proved to be a mistake when the temperatures dropped to the mid 50s with heavy rain. As a pacer, I could not pick up the pace, so I became quite chilled. I was not hypothermic, but I could have been. So my race checklist now has the line ‘if there is a possibility of cool rain, carry a waterproof’.

Lesson learned.

Tangent - Jennifer's Questions

I was asked a few questions, and I thought I'd share them, and the answers, with you.

Jennifer: Does anyone write your running plan or has anyone ever written it, if not, then how do you know what to run?

Jonathan: I have used a number of marathon training plans when I was racing marathons. My favorite was Jack Daniel’s Running Formula, which I still think is one of the best out there. When I changed to running ultras, there are no established plans available, so I found a few guidelines and made up my own plans. Since then I’ve looked at other runner’s programs, studied some sports science and come up with my own approach. I believe in taking far more days off, so that my easy days are actually complete rest, and my hard days are hard. That means I do a lot of quality work.


Jennifer: Do you worry about what you eat before races?

Jonathan: Yes, what you eat before the race is critical on a number of levels. If you get it wrong, you can be depleted of energy, or worse, have an upset stomach. It’s not just the morning of the race that impacts you, but at least the day before as well. I have found that eating a high fat meal the night before a race works much better for me than a high carbohydrate meal. The morning of the race I make sure I am up early to hydrate, eaten and taken care of the other end of digestion, so to speak. Before a race is the one time I do eat junk food - something easily digested, like Pop Tarts, seems to work well.


Jennifer: What are your thoughts on all the products out there on the market, gels, endurance drinks, and candy? Also if you use these items, do you have a schedule you follow while you train and race?

Jonathan: When I’m on training runs I generally take little in the way of gels, drinks or candy. I am prone to weight gain, and I also think I benefit from forcing my body to burn fat. So for runs up to 4 hours, I generally rely on water with added salt. On some longer training runs (4+ hours) I may use Gatorade with extra salt, sometimes gels or M&Ms.

For shorter races (50K or less), I think Gels are great. They are very quickly digested and easily carried. It’s important to ‘sip’ Gels, mixing them with saliva. Simply swallowing them fast can cause problems. My favorite is Gu, and my least favorite is Clif.

On a race I eat whatever appeals at the time. I don’t plan what to eat on a race at all; I believe that the appetite is the result of the body’s analysis of its needs. Sometimes I’ll come into an aid station and want salty cheezeits, sometimes cookies; it all depends on what appeals. I also let my hunger direct my intake. When I’m not actually running, I avoid sports drinks, gels and candy, even candy marketed as ‘protein bars’.


Jennifer: Why running, I know why you started to exercise, but why running?

Jonathan: It was not what I expected. I started off doing aerobics with my next door neighbor and had a blast. I was intending to add in some cycling, as I’d always thought of myself as a cyclist, not a runner. However, I started doing a little bit of running (a mile), and even though it was tough, I just found myself hooked.

Jennifer: Do you ever want to throw in the towel and what motivates you to keep pushing if you feel yourself start to drag?

Jonathan: I’ve never seriously considered giving up. I’ve been at the “I’m never doing this again” stage, and the “why do I do this” stage many times. I’ve decided that I’m not cut out for ultra running a few times, but always licked my wounds and come back for more. Motivation is a very tough question; I don’t think I am self aware enough to know the answer, but if pushed I would say it’s because it’s who I am. I am a runner.
On a more day to day basis, having a race to train for keeps me focused. I know that if I don’t get out the door, I will suffer that much worse on the race. Generally, I don’t have a problem with motivation to run, though actually getting out of the door can be tough.

Jennifer: What is your favorite, I cannot leave the house, running product? I.e. brand of sock, gear, Garmin etc.

Jonathan: I’ve blogged on a number of products that I like, but the one thing that has been my constant companion is my Polar Heart Rate Monitor. I don’t think I’ve run without it in well over 10 years. I don’t always look at on my runs, but I rely on it to create a training log on the PC. It allows me to look back at races in previous years and see what training I did, and how the race went. It also tells me how I’m training now compared with last month, or last year.

Jennifer: Where would your perfect place to run be?

Jonathan: The English Lake District without a doubt. There are few trees in the Lake District, so you can see for miles. It is a beautiful part of the world, and the landscape changes as you travel. A lot of the south east is ‘the long green tunnel’ – you’re in the woods the whole time.

Jennifer: Do you do any other sports?

Jonathan: No. If I had the time, I would like to do a little Yoga. Not for the flexibility, but for the mediation and peace it brings.

Running Tip #29 - Cold

This post includes a few simple tips for running in moderately cold temperatures, down to around 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Running in extreme cold is outside of my experience.

• The 20 degree rule. A good approximation is to dress for temperatures that are 20 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the actual temperature. So if it's 20 degrees out, dress for walking in 40 degrees.
• Dress in layers. Layers will keep you warmer than a single layer, and allow for flexibility of removing some of your insulation.
• Shed after warm-up. If practical, you can overdress for the first mile or so, until you warm up. This requires you having somewhere to discard the extra clothes, or a way of carrying them.
• If your hands are cold, wear a hat. This is an old boy scout saying, but it works. If you core temperature starts to drop, your body will protect your vital functions by sacrificing your extremities, such as hands and feet.
• Don't sweat through. If you wear too many clothes and sweat too much, you will sweat through your clothes. Once your clothes are soaked, you will become suddenly chilled. This means you will probably have to dress to be slightly cold, rather than toasty warm.
• Windproof layers are a mixed blessing. A windproof layer will boost the insulation value of the underlying layers, which can really help keep you warm. Unfortunately a windproof layer also stops sweat evaporating, which regulates your temperature. This makes it much more likely that you will sweat though and become cold. I use a windproof layer, but open it up as soon as I warm up, then try to stay slightly cool. A windproof layer is very useful as an extra layer, as it can be wrapped around your waist easily. I will wear it until I warm up, then carry it in case I need some extra warmth later in the run.
  
• Hydrate. Just because it's cold doesn't mean you don't need to drink. Use your thirst as a guide - for more on hydration see http://fellrnr.blogspot.com/2009/09/running-tip-14-practical-hydration.html and http://fellrnr.blogspot.com/2009/09/running-tip-15-hydration-101.html
• Try to stay dry. Rain can chill you very quickly, so in cooler conditions, you need some rain protection. More on this in the next post.
• Your lungs are fine. Your lungs will not freeze, not even at -40 degrees. Your lungs may get irritated by the low humidity, but they will get used to that. It is possible to get exercised induced asthma, which is a narrowing of the airways when exercising. If you suspect you have this condition, seek medical advice.
• No cotton. This is true for any conditions, but worth restating here. Wear clothes made from synthetic, wicking fibers, such as CoolMax.
• Watch for frostbite. Your extremities may go numb early in your run, but they should warm up. Anything that stays numb needs to be checked.
• Watch for ice. Slipping on ice can pull muscles or cause falls. You can get traction aids to attach to your shoes if ice is a significant problem – look for Yaktrax or similar.
• Hat and gloves. These are important to keep you warm, but they can also be taken off and tucked in a waist band easily. This allows you to adjust your insulation for the conditions. I like gloves that convert into mittens (more on these in a future blog)
• Vaseline. If you are still having problems with your hands and feet, spreading Vaseline over them before putting on your socks or gloves will dramatically improve the insulation. It’s a bit strange the first time you do it, but it works very well.

Hypothermia

Hypothermia is often thought about in connection with very cold temperatures, but mild temperatures (50s) and rain are common causes of hypothermia.

If you are shivering, but can stop if you make an effort, you are suffering from mild hypothermia (core 96-98f). This will reduce your coordination, which could be a problem on technical trails. The biggest problem is that mild hypothermia will make you mildly stupid, and less lightly to make good decisions. It is important at this stage to correct the problem as soon as possible.

If you are shivering and cannot stop even if you try, you have moderate hypothermia (core 91 - 95). This is a dangerous condition; You need to get warm and dry urgently.

“The first casualty of hypothermia is good judgment.” If you are hypothermic your decision making is likely to be impaired. If in doubt, seek shelter, get warm and dry. If you are with someone who appears to be hypothermic, you may have to look after them more than normal.

Running Tip #25 - Gear Review - SunUp Dawn Simulator

I prefer to run in the morning, but I struggle getting out of bed. The best aid I have found to waking up is the SunUp light controller. This device acts as a programmable light dimmer; It will bring up the lights slowly at a given time. I find that the light tends to disturb me at a point in my sleep cycle when I am sleeping most lightly. Occasionally I will come around with the light full on, but this is rare.

The SunUp does not have a built in light, but is a controller for ordinary lights. You can configure how long the light takes to go from 'off' to 'full on'. You can also use the SunUp controller to go down, acting as a dusk simulator, which helps me go to sleep.

The SunUP is not cheap at $160, but it is well worth it to me.

http://www.lighttherapyproducts.com/sun_up.aspx
http://www.amazon.com/sunUp-Dawn-Simulator-3005/dp/B001167HNK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1253909909&sr=8-1