Nothing too exciting to report from the week of running on my end, but I do want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!! This completes the third year for me posting to this blog, and regardless of my successes and failures in races, I'm always so grateful and thankful for everyone who follows along and sends in words of encouragement and advice. I've learned so many great things and met so many wonderful friends in the running world through this site, and without question all of this has made me a better ultra runner. Thank you!!
I just remembered one quick story from my long run yesterday, so I'll pass it along:
About half-way through a 30-something mile run on the icy/snowy Mt. Vernon trail, I passed another runner coming toward me. I did my usual 'nod & smile', and since the wintry conditions had kept 90% of the usual running/biking crowd home on this Sunday morning, I added a little "good morning!" to my greeting as we passed; Sort of an implicit sign of solidarity to someone also willing to tough-out the cold and wind along the Potomac. ...Of course that effort to be nice caused the guy to look up at me instead of focusing on the snow and ice below, and his feet immediately slid out from under him causing him to land hard on his back-side! I'm such an idiot.
I felt horrible since it was obviously my fault he fell, but as I apologized profusely and helped him up, I looked at his feet and saw he was wearing Vibram 5-fingers with completely smooth bottoms! I know everyone has their opinions and preferences for the barefoot running craze, but wearing them on an icy/snowy trail? No wonder he fell! Forget just wearing shoes with more tread, this was most definitely a YakTrax or Screw Shoes kind of day. Having seen the unnecessary pain suffered by this fellow runner, here's a special holiday message to everyone who runs in Vibrams:
Dear Minimalist Runner,
I promise the Tarahumara indians won't be upset if you leave the 5-fingers at home when things are icy this winter. Otherwise, you'll need five fingers of whiskey after every run to dull the pain of your many bruises. If you promise to wear shoes w/ better traction, I promise to keep my mouth shut when we pass so I don't break your concentration!
Merry Christmas!
5 comments:
Merry Christmas to you and your family Dan!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Dan. . . maybe in '11 you'll learn not to be so darn pleasant to other runners. I mean, who says good morning anymore? It's so 2009.
- Adam
that's an awesome story! I promise to never take my 5fingers out in the snow. not sure they'll find the light of day till winter's over. If Santa doesn't bring yaktrax I'll be ordering them pronto
Merry Christmas Dan
May 2011 be everything you hope it to be!
Michael Henze
Forget the traction problems, what about cold toes? Until Drymax makes a pair of toe socks, I ain't wearing my Five Fingers from December to February here on the East Coast. Injini's are wonderful, but warm they are not (at least the ones I've tried) when the temps go below freezing.
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