DC Road Trip!

This morning I'm heading to DC for a brief visit. The main reason I'm going (as you may have guessed if you've looked at the right hand column on my blog) is for the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler. I'm not planning on racing this one since Boston is just two weeks away, but my office was able to hook me up with a bib for this otherwise lottery-only race.

Those that read the blog regularly know I went to undergrad in DC. In fact, DC is where I really got into running. First as a way to keep in shape, and later as a way of life. During my senior spring, back in 2008, I actually ran the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler. I had done the Marine Corps Marathon in 2007 so the Cherry Blossom was only my second "big" race. I shocked myself by finishing in 1:08:41, a 6:53 pace. At the time I was lucky on my daily runs to do much under 8:00.

Like I said, I'm not looking to race tomorrow (in fact, I will be disappointed with myself if I do!), just run to enjoy myself, but it will be interesting revisiting this course 4 years later. I've been back to DC dozens of times in between to visit friends (and even run a few races) but his will feel like a running homecoming. With any luck, I'll also get to enjoy the cherry blossoms along the course!

Training Essentials: Flexibility

Note: As we get closer to Boston (only 17 days to go), I'm going to highlight some of the things that have been "essential" to me during training. Now, for all you literalists out there, by essential I simply mean things I wouldn't want to train without. 

This morning's run reminded me that flexibility is key to any training plan. I don't mean physical flexibility, though stretching certainly has its place; I'm talking about rolling with the punches. It's been my experience that many--though definitely not all--dedicated distance runners are a little type-a, maybe even borderline obsessive-compulsive. In fact, in the classic novel about running, Once a Runner, John L.Parker wrote that being OCD is "probably an absolute necessity for a true distance man."

This compulsive drive is part of what helps dedicated runners log miles every day, even when they feel less than 100%. It's what gets us early morning runners out of bed at the crack of dawn when all we want to do is hit the snooze button (or better still, smash the alarm clock with a hammer). In other words, being a little compulsive can be a good thing, but like nearly every aspect of life, moderation is key. In this case, that means being flexible from time to time.

I've already talked about being flexible when it comes to the weather, but there are other times when it pays to walk the line between being committed to your training and being a robot. Being too compulsive can lead to things like burnout or injury, while being too relaxed might lead to undertraining. For me this cycle, being flexible has meant moving the time of my run on certain days to respond to other commitments; it's meant taking a few days off to deal with a potential injury; and I need to know that on Patriot's Day it may mean adjusting my time goal. I'll tell you what, though, sometimes it takes an awful lot of dedication to be flexible!
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Today's Run: 6.1 miles at 7:44 pace.

Barefoot Runners Revolt!

Okay, the barefoot runners didn't necessarily revolt, but they did file a class action lawsuit against Vibram, the brand that makes the FiveFingers line of footwear that is supposed to allow for a barefoot running form while protecting the soles of your feet from sharp objects and such. It's not often that my legal career and my love of running intersect, so indulge me as I delve into this "news" story. The suit, which purports to represent over 100 people, was filed last week in the Federal District Court for Massachusetts.

As I read the complaint (which you can find here), the plaintiffs are making 2 main allegations:

(1) Although Vibram's website and promotional material clearly states that it may take time for users to adjust their form and therefor they should transition slowly to the use of FiveFingers, some people will never adjust their form and Vibram has failed to publicize this fact. Basically, this is a failure to warn claim.

(2) Vibram made claims about the health benefits of its FiveFingers as compared to traditional running shoes but the claims are unsupported by scientific studies. This is a pretty standard false advertising claim.

So what do the plaintiffs want from Vibram? First, they want the company to stop making health claims about FiveFingers. Second, they want Vibram to "disgorge," or return, the profits it made off the consumers that it supposedly duped.

I'm a little rusty on false advertising law and I certainly haven't gone over this complaint with a fine tooth comb, but it seems like the case will come down to the quality of the studies that Vibram relied on in touting the benefits of its shoes and barefooting running in general.

I've never really bought the whole barefoot running hype. I read Born to Run and actually really enjoyed it, but it didn't make me want to abandon my shoes. That said, if I were set on going "barefoot" on my runs in the urban jungle, I would definitely want at least something between my feet and city streets. It'll be really interesting to see how this case proceeds given the still enormous popularity of FiveFingers (I saw at least four people in them on my run this morning). So far this story hasn't really hit the mainstream media, but if this case gets past summary judgment, I'm sure it'll make headlines sooner or later.
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Today's Run: 6.5 miles at 7:49 pace.