Good morning, my friends! I hope you had a wonderful weekend!
One of the things Dave and I did was make a trip to Bob Ronker's Running Spot, because I have taken up the hobby of trail running. I decided that, while I enjoy pavement running, I wanted to get more in to nature. So, I signed up for a 4 mile trail run in two weeks! And if I am to be running in the muck, that means it is time to get shoes just for that!
So we went to get some trail shoes for me! Aaaand, well, while I had originally been planning on some basic trail shoes, I got giggly happy looking at some of the crazy "Vibram Five Fingers" shoes that are so popular with barefoot runners!
Look at those crazy things!! But, as I have read, a lot of people prefer running with this "minimalist" feel - you have the ability to flex individuals toes, you can feel the ground better, and you're forced into a gentler stride rather than pounding on your heels because the thick soles of other shoes keep you from feeling the pain of bad form. They ended up being the same price as the other trail shoes I had been looking at, so I just went with it! They made me so happy because they were fun, and SO comfortable! And since I usually hate wearing shoes to begin with, I thought my tootsies just may prefer these. I have to plan a day to get out to a trail and try them out!
And with trail running comes trail mix snacks! I usually like to make my own so that I know what's in them, and can make it however I want. An easy mix can just include nuts, dried fruit, and dark chocolate bits. Then you can season if you like with salt, cinnamon, cayenne, etc. Whatever flavor floats your boat!
Here's my mix this week:
Simple Trail Mix:
Pecans
Almonds
Pumpkin Seeds
Dried fruit mix (raisins, papaya, pineapple, cranberries)
Dark Chocolate (88% cocoa)
Dash of sea salt
Toss in a jar or other container, shake, rattle, and run!
And this is such a healthy snack, too! Nuts and seeds are good sources of proteins and healthy fats, great for exercise and healthy joints. Pecans are rich in antioxidants (great help healing after a good workout), almonds are a good source of calcium to help with strong bones good for pounding the pavement (or trail now!), and pumpkin seeds have a collection of wonderful minerals. Fruit and chocolate add a little carb kick for quick energy, and salt helps replenish what you may have lost sweating. What a great treat after a long run!
...Now I just need to go TAKE that run so I can enjoy the snack! ;-)
Happy week! See you all back here later!
~Katie
WOW! I know I need a new pair of jogging shoes for this year. I think I'd love those shoes, but would they be appropriate for me if I'm running most of the time on pavement?
ReplyDeleteI bet you would, you dancey twiddle toes!! I have to admit... I am wearing them right now in the home... they make my toes smile :D (Plus, I thought it'd be good to get used to how they feel since it's different.)
ReplyDeleteYes, the ones I bought have a softer but more tractioned sole just for trails, but they also sell some that are smoother but tougher for pavement. And all sorts of things in between!
Sign up for 6 of the Cincy trail runs and you get a 20% off coupon at Bob's ;-)
Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteMy experience is that in 5 fingers compared to "regular" running shoes one uses really different muscles, ones that have been neglected for a life time even if one is comfortable running long distance often. So to prevent injury it's key to build up slowly- start with very short distances (like 1/4 mi or less) on soft surfaces.
Yay! Five Fingers! I have some too and love them!
ReplyDelete@anon - thanks! Yeah, they warned me of that when I bought them. I guess I need to take them seriously :) Hopefully I can go do my little 5-10 minute trail loop later this week, and just start there.
ReplyDelete@Steph - you do?! How fun! Maybe we can run together sometime if we're both visiting the ol' homestead :) (Know good trails there??)