Well, there we are wandering around St Albans, taking in the Roman sites when I came across a  ”Make yourself a pair of Roman Caligae sandals” kit in the Verulamium Museum shop.

It was there that it struck me! Who would know more about walking, running and shoes? The Roman civilisation whose legions marched over and dominated Europe for centuries or ……..Nike?

So Kate kindly did the little bit of stitching required (sorry, I’m such a helpless boy),

kate, our resident caligae stitcher

And there I was POSE running outside St Albans Abbey at 10pm. Could this be the missing factor that barefoot running needs, an inexpensive layer of  leather  for basic protection that won’t interfer with your running style?

We’ve brought them back to Stratford to see if the particular version we bought, or the idea in general, has the potential for widespread application. So I wacked them on for  some POSE practise. As  a covering  for the soles of the feet they were great, but I found they began to rub a bit on top of my big toe ( Im also a wimp) ,

ow! my big toe was rubbed a bit by the nasty leather

Kate came up with this bit of new sandal advice.

Slather the leather and the top of your feet (obviously, not the bottoms) with moisturiser or vaseline, as it makes the bit that could catch or rub, slide. Mind you, the great thing about being a barefoot runner is that if your shoes rub, you just take them off.

But, you know what, I have quite high hopes of finding a hardwearing, problem-free design!

Ego emo mirus novus caligae!

I hate running. To paraphrase Bett Midler, If God had meant me to run, he’d have put diamonds at the end of the alley.

Nevertheless, if I’m going to get on with this Crossfit thing, running and jumping and humping heavy weights and hurling myself into gymnastic moves is all par for the course. That’s a lot of different stuff to be doing in one workout. And I’m sure, like you, wondered what the best thing might be to wear on my feet.

Last year I went to Runners Needs and, after being filmed jogging to analyse my gait, faffing about colours, a lot of chin-stroking by the assistant, I was prescribed some big squashy trainers. Fine for running (though all the barefoot and Vibram afficionados will vehemently disagree)

But seeing as running is only a part of Crossfit (the smallest part, If I ruled the world!) I just didn’t feel right or particularly safe doing the other things: squat cleans felt unsteady, my foot was awkward and big getting in and out of bands, and I’d just kick them off altogether for gymnastics.

Recently we went to the Crossfit Endurance certification, and the coach was wearing some very cool shoes. I tracked them down and now own a lovely pair of Inov-8 F-lite 230‘s, size 4.5. They’re brilliant: small, light, comfortable, low-profile sole and heel but with good grip. Bright blue. They’re described as mountain-racing shoes, and amongst all the blurb, “perfect for Crossfit”

I love them, they seem to do all the jobs really well, and absolutely everyone’s noticed them!

If you want to read more, look here

http://www.pro4sport.co.uk/outdoor/shopexd.asp?id=17708

But they now seem to have run out of stock until November! Wish they’d told me that before taking my money. Buy from Wiggle – they’re super quick AND give you free sweets!

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/run/8/Inov-8_F-Lite_230_Shoes/5360045959/

What are your favourite shoes? How do they measure up to Crossfit workouts? Share your wisdom and experience below

The fact that I have for some time worn Vibram Five Fingers occasionally, and that I’m one of the few genuine barefoot runners in London means, apparently, that I ought to have  a “position” on Vibrams.

For what they are worth, here are my personal Vibrams views.

They are not universally cool (yet) and as Graham discovered it’s quite possible to parade up and down in front of your girlfriend and be greeted by the words “gawd, I can taste sick in my mouth.”

There is a little way to go before be-gloved toes gain public acceptance.

Apparantly, according to Ken, if the police pull you over while driving and notice you are wearing them, they’ll caution you. I’ll have to check this. But I’ve trained with Ken for a while and I’m sure he would not lie to me about something so trivial. So don’t wear them to drive. My most recent pair of  Vibrams still have a cycle incident tear in them’  from when I caught my foot between the pavement edge and the pedal. Steven managed to break three toes while doing a gymnastic-ey bar thing while wearing them: so we should caution against driving, cycling and gymnastic-ey things while wearing them.

But we can , of’course, recommend them for going barefoot.

Urm, no not really.

Most people heel strike, with their foot out in front of them. Sure barefoot and Vibrams quickly stop you doing that, but most people convert to a ball of the foot “in front of you” strike that will screw your calf muscles very quickly. So I have to recommend that you learn a natural way of running be it POSE or Crossfit Endurance first (actually a plug opportunity: I’m qualified in both of those things) before you start running in Vibrams.

If you fancy strollling about in them as an alternative to flip flops,  oh why not. You can get in on all that “back to nature” stuff… you will feel the Chi flowing

They are easy to clean (bung them in the washing machine) which is just as well, as they quickly stink (it’s that rubber sweat combo).

It’s a pain getting the right size. Vibrams are mainly an internet phenominan so you need to know your own shoe size, and check up with the supplying company what their return  terms are. I own two pairs of Vibrams. Both are too small. Couldn’t  be bothered to return them (What? Repack them, queue  up in the post office, wait  in for couriers….but some people love this sort of thing).

There is much sizing advise around that includes one size less then your “normal” shoe size,  foot diagrams  and charts…do a mix and guess.

If you intend to lift in them, you had better have excellent ankle flexibility.

The biggest draw back is this: unless they fit perfectly, the chances are they will tug on your big toe. Not too awful you may say. But, if you go to our adult gymnastic classes (gosh, another plug) Amelia will,  if she see you struggling with an arabesque, tell you to lift your big toe up. This makes you supinate, which means, among other stuff, you get more stability. The problem is that most natural running styles rely on you harvesting  ground reaction forces (among other stuff). If your feet are forced to supinate because your big toe is being pulled in/up,  the opportunity to get ground reaction is very diminished. This is a bad thing.

So are they the best thing since sliced bread, No. Will you probably buy a pair? Probably yes, especially as prices are coming down, and alternatives are appearing.

If you have time, read  Michael Warburtons article “Barefoot Running”. It is one of the more interesting articles about barefoot running, although it is not without its flaws. There are interesting observations about injury rates in running, and how throwing away your clumpy trainers can reduce injury rates in runners.

But as a warning, even though the skin on your feet toughens up, it is no defence against stones, glass, nails or needles or extremes in temperature . I found running in Vibram’s to be a challenge over these last few winter months. My feet were bloody cold! ( I mean really)

I thought this warning was worthwhile repeating

Runners with poor sensation in their feet are particularly vulnerable to damage or infection when barefoot. Peripheral neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes mellitus. if you have diabeties, dont go barefoot  Actually, make diabetics wear shoes/trainers (ACSM/ADA, 1999; ACSM, 2000).

Over all the proposition is this, feet quite like the feedback they were built to receive. The more you cut this feedback off, the more chance of injury you have.

It  has an ok-ish reference list which is a useful start to your barefoot journey

American College of Sports Medicine and American Diabetes Association (1997). Diabetes mellitus and exercise: joint position statement. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 29(12), i-vi

American College of Sports Medicine (2000). ACSM position stand on exercise and Type 2 diabetes. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 32, 1345-1360

Anthony RJ (1987). The functional anatomy of the running training shoe. Chiropodist, December, 451-459

Bergmann G, Kniggendorf H, Graichen F, Rohlmann A (1995). Influence of shoes and heel strike on the loading of the hip joint. Journal of Biomechanics 28, 817-827

Burkett LN, Kohrt M, Buchbinder R (1985). Effects of shoes and foot orthotics on VO2 and selected frontal plane kinematics. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 17, 158-163

Clarke TE, Frederick EC, Cooper LB (1983). Effects of shoe cushioning upon ground reaction forces in running. International Journal of Sports Medicine 4, 247-251.

Flaherty RF (1994). Running economy and kinematic differences among running with the foot shod, with the foot bare, and with the bare foot equated for weight. Microform Publications, International Institute for Sport and Human Performance, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon

Frederick EC (1986). Kinematically mediated effects of sports shoe design: a review. Journal of Sports Sciences 4, 169-184

Hafner J, Burg G (1999). Dermatological aspects in prevention and treatment of the diabetic foot syndrome. Schweizerische Rundschau fur Medizin Praxis 88, 1170-1177

Robbins SE, Gouw GJ (1990). Athletic footwear and chronic overloading: a brief review. Sports Medicine 9, 76-85

Robbins SE, Gouw GJ (1991). Athletic footwear: unsafe due to perceptual illusions. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 23, 217-224

Robbins S, Gouw G, McClaran J, Waked E (1993). Protective sensation of the plantar aspect of the foot. Foot and Ankle 14, 347-352

Robbins SE, Gouw GJ, Hanna AM (1989). Running-related injury prevention through innate impact-moderating behavior. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 21, 130-139

Robbins SE, Hanna AM (1987). Running-related injury prevention through barefoot adaptations. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 19, 148-156

Robbins SE, Waked E, Rappel R (1995). Ankle taping improves proprioception before and after exercise in young men. British Journal of Sports Medicine 29, 242-247

Robbins S, Waked E (1997). Hazards of deceptive advertising of athletic footwear. British Journal of Sports Medicine 31, 299-303

Siff MC, Verkhoshansky YV (1999). Supertraining (4th ed.). Denver, Colorado. Supertraining International

Stacoff A, Steger J, Stussi E, Reinschmidt C (1996). Lateral stability in sideward cutting movements. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 28, 350-358

Stefanyshyn DJ, Nigg BM (2000). Influence of midsole bending stiffness on joint energy and jump height performance. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 32, 471-476

Webb P, Saris WH, Schoffelen PF, Van Ingen Schenau GJ, Ten Hoor F (1988). The work of walking: A calorimetric study. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 20, 331-337

Yessis M (2000). Explosive running. Illinois, USA.  Contemporary Book

Andrew Stemler is a barefoot runner

This is a bit of a con, as I always intended that “part 2″ would be about POSE running. It really should have been because without POSE you won’t really run properly. Nevertheless, POSE takes a while to master, so it’s back to the basics of:

• Foot cuts,
• Fat youth
• Super glue

Which, as we all know, are the central issues of all barefoot running…(!)

Foot cuts

So, I managed to get my first nasty barefoot injury as predicted by, er, just about everybody.

“You’ll cut your feet!”

“‘Ere, bruv! Are you mad, bruv?”

But in my defence, it wasn’t really a running injury; I taught this month’s i-Course barefoot. It was great! No-one dared to comment, but during a mini break outside, having, as I always do, checked for glass, snakes, acid (yes I watch too many films…) I managed to swing my foot into the edge of a drain cover and sliced some of it off. No-one noticed the blood…I think…so when going barefoot, watch out for…er…. everything!

sliced some skin off my foot...urgh

Fat Youth (or is that yoof…?)

Especially ones that smoke drugs and waddle, will  get involved in your running and offer useful coaching tips like, “You’ll cut your feet!” and ”‘Ere, bruv! Are you mad, bruv?”.

So barefoot run and make new friends.

Super glue

Your feet can get a bit tender, so build up the vulnerable bits of your feet with super glue. No danger, apart from the risk of cynide poisoning (so don’t do this unless you have checked with a doctor) and glueing yourself to the floor.

No matter what the pack says, superglue can still be tacky five minutes after application. Don’t glue your toes together, or your fingers to your eyelid, penis, etc. Well, not unless you are a very fast talker in casualty…

DD NOT USE SUPERGLUE ON YOUR FEET: ONLY MAD PEOPLE DO THIS

But it’s a useful layer of skin protection. I do it because I’m insane. Ask anyone…

Watch out for ‘POSE and Foot Mechanics’, coming soon…but in respect of my distance, I’m now up to 30 minutes steady state running, with no achilles pain, which has reminded me about how much I hate running. Well I suppose it’s better than direct self harm.

My relatives and fellow directors cannot get a sectioning order quite as easily…!

Well, I’m finally back on the running trail,  and am barefoot running around Stratford and Bethnal Green

Three elements got me back on my feet.

1) effective stretch and strengthening regime for my achilles tendon.

2) An understanding of the POSE running technique

3) Going barefoot.

This article is how to sort your Tendinosis in 8 weeks

I began  using ice and , stretching,

Here are my two favourite stretches

the world famous tree pushing stretch

the not so world famous.. hold the top of your foot keep your knee straight and feel your calf being ripped off the bone, stretch

but I  also employed  ”eccentric loading exercises” ( the lowering part of  a calf raise, for you body building type)

• Get the balls of your foot on a block or a step
• and use  both feet  (handsupport) to get you above the block.
• then lower down with the weight on the injured side.
• I found being on a staircase with a handrail helped me control the load.

Here is a handy “You Tube” clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTyDsEg-8d0

After that, it was  3 sets of 10 reps . How awful the pain is suggests the amount of load you can work with in the early stages.

This was inspired by some ideas from crossfitter Philip Holbrook ( and his physio) and this report….

Eccentric calf muscle training for the treatment of chronic achilles tendinosis

by Toros Tsermakian, Ioannis Mitsakis, Christos Lyrtzis, Ioannis Tsartsapakis,  Menelaos Mitsakis, Christos Papadopoulos,  and Georgios Nousios,  who sort of observed/discovered the following

• Overuse injuries involving the Achilles tendon are common, especially among runners.
• The majority of Achilles tendon overuse injuries occur in men,
• higher rate in middle-aged athletes than do most other overuse injuries.

So,  they studied the effect of eccentric calf muscle training in 18 athletes with chronic Achilles Tendinosis with a long duration of symptoms despite conventional nonsurgical treatment. Calf strength and the amount of pain during running was  measured before and after the study.

At the start of the trail,  all patients had Achilles tendon pain so sever that they could  not run. There was also   significantly lower  calf muscle strength on the injured side.

At the end of the study. Almost everyone was cured. It bloody well worked for me.

for a fuller report visit here http://www.jssm.org/suppls/11/posterpresentations.pdf

• In the early stages i used ice after the exercise to help with the swelling.

coming soon,the magic of Barefoot and POSE

One of the great things about barefoot running is that you actually start switching the muscles of your feet back on. You can actually feel the ground rather than bouncing around with a pair of pillows on your feet. Which begs the question, do you always need to run barefoot to feel the floor?

Well obviously the flatter you buy your trainers, the less bounce and “fluffy” pillow effect you get. So everyone is beginning to look at shoes with less and less support, hence “Five Fingers“ have become very popular. The only unpopular bit is the price. And yes I know all the  ”blah, blah” you get what you pay for, but let’s face it, what could be better than inexpensively delivering what you need?

So I started looking at flatter shoes like the pair featured above.  Solid rubber soles I thought.

Nah…

Hidden padding...the bastards!

Even this cheap and nasty pair had a built in “aero-pocket running facilitator” with a high squidge (this may not be a word!) factor. So try and find a back up pair of shoes to compliment your barefoot running for those days when you don’t fancy going unshod.

I am experimenting with a pair of  Rucanor Albufeira Aqua socks (£5), and we will let you know if they are ok.

With my achilles tendonitis spiralling agonisingly out of control, it’s time to seriously consider barefoot running. As I had suggested before, start with wandering barefoot round your flat, but, eventually you have to take the (stupid) step of going outside.

My first strategy was to go out in light plimsols. Find a quiet area, and slip them off. When I built up the courage to leave my secluded circuit  to run home, it seemed more acceptable to have a pair of shoes slung over my shoulder – at least I could prove that I was wealthy enough to own a pair of shoes.

Still, I’d been out barefoot in the metropolis – only for 5 minutes (after a 20 minuted shoed jog)- but my feet had been naked in public

On the second run, I plucked up courage to do the whole thing barefoot. Ten minutes of very cautious padding about round the back of  Stratford shopping centre, up the service ramp, round the car park, back down, round to the Mall entrance (without being seen!), back around the service route, and back to the flat.

So what are the early barefoot  lessons?

• Darkness is your friend while you build up your confidence , but you need to see the ground in front of you.
• Experiment with your foot placement
• Some pavements are soft
• Some pavements are hard
• Tarmac can be hard, but some can be smooth
• Tarmac can be very nobbly and painful
• Watch the road in front of you for glass, stones and stuff that could stick in your feet.

As to the actual running lesson: make your early runs modest, say 1000m at most. Stay close to home, experiment with your foot placement. I felt this time lifting my toes a bit, and trying to put the whole foot down (perhaps with a slight ball of the foot lead) felt right, rather than heel-striking (out of the question) and staying on the balls of my foot (which felt to0 nasty on my achilles) Maybe I was POSE running, but I found myself running through some of the guidance given by  Gordon Pirie.

Getting back home, you cannot take dirty shoes off, so you need to either brush your feet off, and get to the shower.

Watch out for the next instalment of this nude foot experiment

Forward rolls and cartwheels as a fun warm up…

“DT” – A hero workout!

• 12 deadlifts
• 9 squat cleans from the hang
• 6 push jerks (rxd 70kg)

In honor of USAF SSgt Timothy P. Davis, 28, who was killed on February, 20 2009 supporting operations in OEF when his vehicle was struck by an IED. Timothy is survived by his wife Megan and one-year old son T.J.

Some beginners followed after with a kettlebell, overhead squat,  lunge combo.

Crossfit London Beginners, woo hoo!

Followed by a POSE mini clinic complete with POSE conga…

…and here is the great group who POSEd so beautifully, led by Lee Saxby, BBC hero and POSE 4 level coach.

Thanks to the lovely Kate for the fab photos

Now thats what I call a Sunday!

CROSSFIT LONDON mini POSE TECHNIQUE MASTERCLASS

with LEE SAXBY ( POSE Coach level 4)

Sunday 7th February 12.30 to 3.30

£35

This is a fantastic opportunity to get to grips with the basics of the POSE RUNNING METHOD. In 3 hours Lee Saxby (POSE Level 4 coach), from Zoo Human will take you through the basic drills you need to begin to practise the POSE method.

This could be a turning point in your life as a runner. At the moment, accepted running styles injure 85% of runners (shin splints, knee issues, etc.) This could  be  your chance to run injury free.

The controversial POSE technique, designed by Nicholas Romanov, has already been adopted by the official triathlete body in the USA. This masterclass could be an ideal stepping stone for you  to begin to practically understand the technique

Book your place by hitting the Getting Started button, above.