WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS: running with those funky shoes

Vibram Five Fingers Bikilas

I am not an avid runner.  I've done 5ks, 10ks and even a marathon but I am not an avid runner.  But I do enjoy it!  So in 2004, I decided to join Aids Project Los Angeles to train for the New Orleans Mardi Gras marathon.  I mean how can you pass that up?  A good cause?  Mardi Gras?  Great food? Beignets, anyone?  So I trained, I finished, and New Orleans was awesome (so much so that I visited it again the next year for a friend's bachelorette party)!

So a few years ago, I decided to train for another marathon - the inaugural Pasadena marathon!  I started to train and train and train and when we got to up to 13 miles, my right knee started to hurt.  Well it was bound to happen as I was running a lot but I was sure it would go away.  So weeks later, my knee still hurt but even more so.  So I decided to see an orthopedic surgeon who happens to be the sports doctor for the USC Men's basketball team...and he was hot - thanks Jane for the referral!  He checked out my knee, asked the routine questions.  Have you been training? Did you change out your running shoes after so many miles? Do you stretch  before and after running?  I did everything correctly while training.  So his diagnosis - "You have runner's knee.  You really can't do anything about it." LAME!  So my knee will hurt if I continue to run.  I was pissed as I recruited a couple of friends to run the marathon with me!  So I stopped training. :(

I continued to run but not long distances.  Months later, my boyfriend (who is now the hubs) read about these funky shoes on Men's Health magazine, apparently they simulate running barefoot.  So he got us each a pair to try.  I was really excited as the hubs DID NOT like running AT ALL and he was all of a sudden interested in running, yeah! We put them on and went on a trail run.  It was AWESOME!  It was like running barefoot...I felt like a little kid running around this hiking trail.  It was exhilarating!  It was so much fun!  So we continued to run with them on weekends.  Months later, I noticed something - my knee no longer hurt!  These funky shoes worked for me.  They simulate running barefoot and humans are made to run barefoot...and it totally fixed my knee!

So now I can't really run using any other brand of shoes.  I tried going back to regular running shoes and my knee started to hurt again so I am never going back!  Funky Vibram Five Finger shoes it is (my second pair now) or someday, I may be courageous enough to go all out and run...barefoot.  Whoa! We shall see!  :)