Food/Diet and training hobbies
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@ryan-carruthers minging mate
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@sam-maccuaig Just looked at the Nike Free Rn they aren't that pretty are they lol
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@ryan-carruthers either Altras (zero drop, wide foot box, but good cushioning), or nike frees (thin and minimal but some toe drop and a narrow toe box)
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@matt-wood Ahhh thank you! I am usually, but when it comes to sport I have to really fight that urge, especially if I was good at it before. I used to run a lot and was pretty quick.....
I have to ask myself the question of why do I want to do it in barefoot trainers? Is it because it's going to be better - when I don't currently have injuries?!
Good shout with the treadmill running!
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@sam-maccuaig I agree 100% with you on the possibility of a person strengthening and improving their arches through exercises. Something the docs would have thoroughly HAARRRRUMPHed at me when I was younger
Fitness and health is a delicate balance between keeping an open mind and having 'correct' helpful knowledge.
That makes perfect sense for the comps, flippin obvious really
I can be a proper dumbass at times 
I always remember watching Zola Budd at the Olympics, probably showing my age here
She used to compete barefoot. -
@matt-wood to give you your dues I think you're in line with the general consensus, but a lot of the barefoot lot are challenging this and I have found it to be true, arches were flat because of weak feet, so you strengthen the feet and it fixes the problem.
I would say that the impact stuff is a double edged sword, lots of people swear by the barefoot shoes because they teach you to land lighter, but for me it's too much of a halfway house. Running 3 miles completely barefoot on gravel will do that for you perfectly, no need to adopt in everything.
No for comp's ill be in trail shoes, I always wear wide toe box zero drop shoes to mimic a more natural foot posture etc, but generally minimalist shoes or completely barefoot makes you slower and more careful (foot placement!), not a great thing for competition. I do have a longer term goal of running a road marathon completely barefoot
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@ryan-carruthers Surprises me that you say that about the time taken. You come across as a very methodical and practicable kinda guy. Probably why you are such a successful trader
Perhaps just walk in them for now but up the average daily steps to something like 10-12k. I regularly hit 15k daily and it is not as hard as it first sounds. Walking is VERY underrated as an exercise.
If you start running in them maybe try something like a treadmill to begin with as it offers a little bit of cushioning. Then maybe do smaller distances on the road and build on it each week.
If you get benefits anything like @Sam-MacCuaig has gotten they it would be worth trying.
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@sam-maccuaig Thats fantastic! My knowledge about orthotics and all matters orthopedic is probably very outdated now, also was never that extensive to begin with, something I regret a little
Yea I imagine once the distances start getting higher and higher the impact issues become much greater. Its why I cannot run for any meaningful distance now.
Will you run in such shoes for your competitions?
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The time it takes makes me think about not doing it lol but I am pretty much wearing barefoot all day and I walk a lot, most days 7,000 steps and that's usually in long sections - I feel my toes are more spread out as well from wearing them as crazy as it sounds.
I've broken into a run a few times with them which has been weird mainly toes only - could easily see how I wouldn't hold that for long though.
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@matt-wood I've had incredible benefits from Barefoot shoes. I would say that the opposite has actually been true for me. I used to have very flat feet with collapsed arches, I transitioned to only wearing barefoot shoes for about a year and my feet have gone down a full size and developed proper arches.
The issue I have found with running is that they offer enough protection to allow you to hammer your feet but no cushioning. If you're really conscious they can be amazing but it's a recipe for impact injury if you just keep running the same way, especially on roads.
I run trails mostly so not such an issue, but I wear barefoot shoes in all my day to day to promote foot strength and posture etc, then I do one run a week completely barefoot and the rest of the time in traditional trail shoes. Really has changed the game for me and taught a lot of much better running biomechanics etc, with the feedback from the weekly barefoot run to keep my form in check.
You're 100% right about transition time though, very tired feet and very tight calves for a long time but eventually you adapt
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@ryan-carruthers My running has been limited. Didnt really like it when I could do it and now I cannot as the impact is too hard on my spine post surgery.
I did used to do a bit of sprinting in my youth lol.The barefoot style trainers I have been told are very good. I never had a client use them and the closest thing I came to was boxing shoes.
From a (limited) orthopedic viewpoint I would think that if your arches are in good shape then they are probably great. If your arches have collapsed they might not be so great, although I am far from an expert
Either way I would think they might take a bit of getting used to initially, possibly expect some sore feet for a while if road running.
Certainly give them a go, give them time and if they work fantastic
if not move on -
@matt-wood Have you done any running with barefoot style trainers, I bought some Vivo's a while back for everyday use and they've been amazing - might look at using some for running (I'll re work my technique as well).
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@sam-maccuaig
Just watched this, dont watch his channel normally, but found this super interesting as I did little gait study as part of a biomechanics course some years back.
You might already know this sort of stuff
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@sam-maccuaig
Wish I was still young enough and not broken to manage zero days of no activity lol Sounds like you listen to your body though which is good. So many people either dont know how or just ignore it.
Yea I felt really bad for the lad, he was only young too, 21 I think. I think he snapped the tendon at the insertion point so probably not so bad from a surgeon's point of view. Long recovery time though.
Exactly the right attitude to have with the training. If you enjoy it, keep doing it. I have known more than a few people that made themselves unhappy by only pursuing one style of training when they enjoyed many others.
I dabbled with the Wim Hof stuff a few years back. I should really get into it properly, as you say it is not that complicated and is really beneficial for a person.
Fingers crossed Wales opens up a bit then. I live about 20mins drive from the Black Mountains, they are stunning to hike on, doubt I could run them though
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@matt-wood no I don't have any zero activity days. I go off heart rate variability so if I'm a bit beaten up I'll just do handstand work, yoga and mobility etc, but it rarely happens (I think one day this month, I took three days off after the welsh 3000's challenge and then I was back in to training properly). The low HR stuff really isn't that taxing on the CNS it's mostly aerobic so I always have a day off from HIIT or Strength sessions and it seems to work well for my body. I also eat a LOT, and loads of fruit and veggies, so I think that helps too, and I am obsessive about running form after a few years of stress fractures.
HR monitor is just a chest strap that syncs to my gps watch, seems pretty good but was about £25 i think! Important thing is getting the zones worked out but you can test that by pushing yourself up to 95-100% and then calculating back down. Torn hamstring is my absolute nightmare, poor guy!
Re the weight for running question, I alternate blocks where i focus on strength vs running, but I'm never going to be a podium finisher. I enjoy all these things and I like the skill progression so I'm not worried if it stops me winning medals, and I'm not a big guy anyway (muscle wise I mean). Same goes for the gymnastics too, I would make way more progress if I focused on it but I love to run!
Breath work I do 3 rounds of wim hof and then a few mins of box breathing, used to do loads of fancy pranayama stuff but the simple stuff works just as well and is way less complicated, KISS is king not just in trading.
Thanks for the good luck, very excited about it and hoping wales relax their rules a bit so I can get some decent vert in soon
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@sam-maccuaig said in Food/Diet and training hobbies:
@matt-wood my 2cents on sleep, if you're having trouble getting to sleep then you aren't active enough. Wake up two hours earlier and go run a half marathon, see if you have trouble falling asleep that night :). A joke of course, but people are designed to move constantly, screen time and all that stuff is a factor but movement is the main thing.
Agree 100% here. My problem is injuries and being a naturally very light sleeper.
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@sam-maccuaig
Thats a lot work! You dont take 1 day in 7 for complete rest?
Love that running structure, fantastic way to increase your capacity in a very measured and controllable way. I am guessing you have yourself a top notch HR monitor?
I have always been super lucky with my hamstrings and never had issues with them. Once was at a tournament for Tae Kwon Do as a ref and a fighter on my ring snapped his hamstring. Sounded like a gunshot, poor lad, I took one look at his leg and his muscle was rolled up under his bum. Paramedics quick smart!Pistol squats and nordic curls! some toughies there. Love the nordic curl though
Sounds like your gymnastic routine is going to be building some muscle on your upper body, does that cause issues with your ultra running? I would imagine you dont want to be weighing too much given the distances you will be running!
What sort of breathing work are you doing? Anything like the Wim Hof methodology?
Great stuff though
Also Best of luck for the 50k next year! -
So i disappeared for a few days and totally missed this thread getting started up! Here is what I'm up to;
Trail Running
Gymnastic Strength + Handstands
FlexibilityI do some sort of training every day but it's organized to allow different systems to recover fully. I do all of my running (in training blocks that aren't in the lead up to a race) based on zone 1 - 3 heart rate, mostly 1&2. These runs are for time not distance, but as your aerobic capacity improves you can run faster at the same heart rate so distance naturally scales over time. Building back up from hamstring tendonitis but currently hitting around 35 miles a week. I also do two HIIT sessions (either sprints or burpees) a week for my red zone anaerobic fitness.
2 full body gymnastic strength sessions a week, bodyweight leg exercises (pistol squats + nordic curl regressions mostly), and ring work for my upper body (currently RTO dips, L sit pull ups, Straddle front level rows and RTO Pesudo Planche Push Ups).
I then also have a daily mobility and breathwork practice that is massive for recovery, and I do 10 each mins of handstand and cartwheel practice every day. This has been a long term project but I'm nearly at a solid 10s straight line handstand so pretty happy with my progress.
My big focus now is on building my cardio back up and shredding down so i can start hitting the races next year, I have my first 50k (snowdonia mountains) in March, then a 50 miler in August and I've got a long term goal of the Paddy Buckley Round and then eventually the Spine race.
