Thursday, October 25, 2012

POSE METHOD® - by Dr.Nicholas Romanov

POSE METHOD® - by Dr.Nicholas Romanov:

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Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Traditional Japanese straw sandals "WARAJI"(1/2) - YouTube

This looks really time consuming, and they won't last for a long time, but it's an interesting link to some of our footwear origins.........  The background music will grate on you afterwhile, so you my want to turn your speakers off.

       Kind of interesting that they are "Waraji"  sounds eerily similar to "Huarache"....Makes you wonder about origins

Traditional Japanese straw sandals "WARAJI"(1/2) - YouTube:

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NOT ROCKET SCIENCE

THIS IS A "FOOT"
(I know, I know, I could have found a better looking foot, but this is the best looking foot that I own.  You don't want to see the other one.)




THIS IS A "SHOE" (OK, It's a boot, but I'm making a point, so work with me here...)



WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?!?!?!?!


     The point is, the "FOOT"  is a different shape from the "SHOE" (BOOT).  When you force the foot into the shoe anyway, you're gonna have a problem.  Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of your life......(Where have I heard that?)

Feet were designed to be shaped like, well....................FEET!          For some reason, there seems to have been a tendency, for hundreds of years, to put them into something not shaped like a foot.  You don't put on a small, square baseball cap and force it onto your head, then wear it all day.  You don't put on tight leather mittens in the winter time.  For some reason, though, people seem to be content to shove their only means of locomotion into hard, tight, leather casings and then mince around all day.  Women's dress shoes are even worse!  Many of those are the same way, plus you can add a 2,3,4 inch or more spike to balance on all day.

We are going to keep having these problems with our feet until we start wearing either no shoes (if possible), or shoes that allow our fee to be .............FEET!




Barefoot Inclined: Insanely Fast! Switch Eyewear Review and Giveaway!

Barefoot Inclined: Insanely Fast! Switch Eyewear Review and Giveaway!:

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Saturday, October 20, 2012

MY "FORREST GUMP" MOMENT

Do you remember the scene in Forrest Gump when he, as a boy, began to run and ran right out of his leg braces?  Well, this wasn't that dramatic, but it did bring it to mind.  I have been dealing with a knee problem, which the Doc suspected was a torn meniscus. (I'm not convinced, and didn't opt for x-rays, as it wasn't something catastrophic.)  Anyway, for the past 6 weeks or so, I was relegated to the dreaded elliptical trainer (which I hate!).  I've recently begun running again, and have used a neoprene knee wrap (more of a security blanket than anything, I think).

     Well, today, about 1 mile into my run, I just reached down and yanked it off, tossed it and kept running.  I figured "I'll pick it up on the return".  My knee hasn't felt this good in weeks!  After getting rid of the wrap, my knee could move freely, AS IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO.

     On the return, the wrap was GONE.  I looked for it, but to no avail.  "The universe must think I did the right thing!"  I thought to myself.  "Thou does not needeth thy knee wrap!"    Well, later I found out that my German Shepherd had picked it up and was carrying it!  I think he was saying "Thou should LAUNDER thy knee wrap."

     Well, the point of this is that, with braces, wraps, orthotics, etc.,  They put your body parts/joints, and such into positions that SOMEBODY ELSE thinks are ideal.  If you have something like this prescribed by a medical practitioner, wear it.  I'm not second guessing any body's doctor, for sure.  If you're buying things over the counter, or from a store employee whose JOB IS TO SELL YOU the device, you might want to think twice.  Your body was carefully designed and engineered over a couple of million years to heal itself, remain mobile, and function when injured.  Sometimes, at least for me, it's better to let it move the way it needs to move rather than forcing a square peg into a round hole by cinching up a brace designed to generally fit ANYBODY.

     Adjust your stride, your gait, your tempo until it doesn't hurt.  Keep moving if you can, and that incredible machine that you walk around in will likely find its way back to functionality.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Just Received Xero Shoes Mocha Earth


MY NEW XERO SHOES



Yup, that's my old rough looking foot, but any bangs and dings, callouses, etc. were from too many years in "Running Shoes".  I've been in Xero Shoes for running, exclusively for over a year now, the callouses are diminishing, and running is FUN AGAIN.  This is my third pair.  Not that I've worn them out.  I'm still wondering if that's possible.  They do have a 5k mile warranty, just in case.  These are the new addition by Xero Shoes, now available in several colors.  I picked Mocha Earth, as it just fits my personality better than the brighter colors.  You can check them out on their link to the right.  I couldn't be happier with this new addition.  My regular black ones (6mm Contacts, all) are a half size smaller.  I am trying to decide whether to try to trim these, or leave them alone.  I will wear them for a while, then decide.  This pair, I plan to wear primarily for just "knocking around", and maybe for some hiking.  I'll try a run or two in them, also, just to compare the sizes and how they fit my feet.   

      You just won't feel more free in ANY kind of footwear, in my experience.   I never even notice the laces while I'm wearing them.  My first pair has hundreds of miles on them, and I'm still on the first set of laces, although I do periodically apply a bit of Shoe Goo if I notice any wear.  Anyway, I just wanted to share my new "dress" Xero Shoes!

Our Safety Nets-The Unintended Results

      As a society, we have, in the past few centuries, changed dramatically.  In our distant past, our ancestors had no choice but to be productive or die.  For the most part, there simply wasn't the luxury of feeding someone who, for any reason, did not help produce the necessities of their living group.

      We take care of our sick and infirm in our society today.  There is much debate about the extent to which we go in order to sustain those less fortunate members of our "clan".  We establish shelters for those without homes, we, through charities or government programs, provide food and medical care.  These are of great benefit to the recipients, to be sure.

     An incontrovertible fact, however, is that, without the need or requirement to expend energy to obtain life's necessities, the body becomes weaker, the senses less sharp, and the psyche less motivated than those of our distant cousins who lived in caves or makeshift shelters and scrounged, scrambled, and fought for every morsel of food or meager possession.

     Those of us who are fortunate enough to be employed don't fare much better,  Food is ubiquitous, and living daily life in our time doesn't really require much expenditure of energy.  As a thriving, inventive species, we have produced efficient ways of doing nearly everything that our distant ancestors who lived in the mists of time past had to to for themselves.  We have to walk very little, maybe from the car to the store or work and back.  Machines do our laundry, store our food, make our clothing, produce our shelter, give us heat in the winter and cooling in the summer, essentially serve our every whim.

      Is it a wonder that we, as a people are so fat and riddled with the diseases of a sedentary lifestyle?  High blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, the list goes on.  Unless we wise up, and begin to use our bodies as they were evolved to be used, modern medicine will be fighting a losing battle to offset those afflictions by putting chemicals into us.  Many people I know take medications for those very diseases, nearly all of which are preventable in most cases, by a simple change in lifestyle.  For many, maybe it is too late and they will have to continue the medications in order to sustain life.  Many people, however, are not to that point.  Any credible physician will suggest that one maintain a healthy weight, eat right, and get exercise, if the patient is otherwise able.

      As I have said, if you are under the care of a physician, take their advice.  Don't stop any medication against their advice.  Nearly anyone, though, can be healthier by giving that hunter-gatherer body what it craves, lower caloric intake, naturally available foods, and plenty of exercise.  I recently read that the best foods are those that don't require a label.  Keep it natural, guys.................

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Monday, October 15, 2012

What You Want Most

      I ran across a quote the other day.  It was something to the effect of "Don't sacrifice what you want most for what you want NOW."   Boy, what a mouthful of truth THAT is!  We train for races, fight over-eating and over-indulgence by doing just what that is talking about.  As much as I love to run, there are plenty of cold (well, ok Southern California doesn't compare to most places in that regard, but it can be in the 30s sometimes!), dark mornings when it would be WAY easier to sit by the fire and drink that extra cup of coffee.  I'll be out there, though running with a headlamp, feet eventually going a bit numb, putting in the miles.  I mostly do it for my health and longevity at this point.  I've resigned myself to the fact that I'm not likely to win any races, but I sure feel better when I've put in a few miles to start the day.

      Is it easier to skip the run?  Sure.  You have to decide.  Do I want to be warm and comfortable now, and deal with the high blood pressure, the high cholesterol, the overweight, the heart disease (and all the other sedentary ailments) later.  The answer?  Not just no............HELL NO!  I have a family who needs me HEALTHY.  Gets you off your backside and on the road or on the trail.  Keep your eye on what you REALLY WANT!  Now get out there.

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