Review Tough Mudder Midlands 2015

Why was Tough mudder midlands 2015 a bit of a flop. In my eyes.

Big hype from the start and the chance to be a great obstacle race I took the plunge and paid close to £90 for Tough mudder.

I am in shape and like a challenge so when this race was announced close to home I signed up and despite the high entry cost i was convinced this could be something. 

The mudder of all mudders, plenty of photos and video footage to back it up, sounded like something great to achieve.

On the day itself we had to arrive early and it became apparent that this is a big money making machine. Extra for parking (in a field!) extra for dropping off your bag. Etc. Why? Surely the entry cost, double that of other obstacle races should cover that?

Then the start, so busy, you would think the whole midlands were invited for a free beer. Wave after wave was filled up so our starting time moved by an hour.

Finally race underway and even though it is not timed you do want to push yourself and feel like you have given it your all.

After a few simple obstacles we found out that you can, and lots of people do, just walk around obstacles. No penalty, no nothing.

What a joke. Then the obstacles themselves, often too busy and certainly covered in mud making them impossible to hold on to even with dry gloves.

Fast forward to the end we completed the event as a team and though I enjoyed that part it was overshadowed by the sheer amount of people dodging obstacles and still getting the finishers headband and some obstacles being boring or just madly made.

All in all no real challenge I personally felt, and the day probably cost me £120 with parking, baggage drop en lunch not to mention travelling cost.

The goodie bag advertised was a joke. Finishers towel, honestly, you call a 20x30cm piece of fabric a towel? I could not even dry my feet with that! And a very cheap non technical T-shirt. Bit disappointing.

So i will not be doing a Tough mudder again as it is not that tough and there are better and cheaper races out there.

And I also would not recommend it unless you want to show off to people that do not know and live in the illusion that this is an amazingly hard event to complete.

Paleo day 7 and the last

Well, i weighed myself again this morning and in 6 days i have lost over 2Kg

That might sound great to some but the last thing I want is to loose weight.

That combined with how much this has cost me in organic fresh vegetables and meat it unfortunayely unsustainable for me.

Do i feel healthier, a bit.

More or less energy? About the same but more hungry on average.

Any odd sympthoms. Nothing out the ordinary.

I feel slightly less bloated and my skin does look good.

What have I learned.

It is much better to eat less pre-packed food and more fresh.

I will be eating more protein and less wheat.

I have found quite a few nice recipes whilst researching paleo and will keep making these.

So a waste of time? No.

I have learned there is life after boring sandwiches in the office and with planning & prep you can make exciting lunches.

So i will be taking that info with me and adjusting my current lifestyle with different choices.

Paleo day 6

Breakfast of some nut granola and bacon

Snack banana

Lunch salad with egg, broccoli, pear & tomatoes.

Snack home made muesli bar

Dinner cougette pasta with tuna

Energy wise I feel fine, lost 1kg so far which for me is not good as I am quite lean anyway.

Will weigh myself again Saturday

Paleo day 5

After breakfast of some chicken breast and 2 eggs, off to work.

Snack. Some nuts

Lunch. Chicken , egg, carrots, ham and olives.

Afternoon snack. Satsuma 

Got home at 6:40 and starving as well as a headache.

Drank plenty of water so must be low blood sugar. Ate some granola and yes the headache started to go.

Dinner. Cauliflower rice with curry chicken.

Very tasty!

And so easy to make with my new friend the food processor

Been reading about paleo and the pros & cons a lot.

Most people start this diet because thry eant to lose weight, I don't.

I am naturally lean and struggle to put weight on. I eat generally quite healthy and mostly avoid pre packed foods and sugar.

I run quite a bit and go to the gym.

Saying that I was curious about this Paleo diet. 

Eating more organic with plenty of protein, less diary and sugars would be good for most people.

However  some nutritionist say that the paleo diet is not diverse enough, lacks in calcium and too much fat out of meat leads to blocked arteries & high cholesterol.

The problem with any diet is that people have so many opinions. With paleo almost all reviews I have read focus on weight loss.

There is few people who have wrote about their personal experiences interns of energy levels, feeling less or more bloated, any allergies etc etc.

The biggest negative I have found with the Paleo diet is cost.

Honestly, i have so far spend a lot more aweek on all this fish & meat.

If you think about it you substitute your potential sandwich lunch for another cooked meal.

A 1kg bag of pasta cost 80pence which gives the base for 6 meals. Compared to £1 for a cauliflower for instance which gives 2 bases for meals (cauliflower rice).

Seriously, I was adding my weekly Paleo shopping in an electronic basket of my supermarket and the result was staggering, I doubled the cost!

We are talking at over £220 for a weekly shop (this is for a family of 5 where I am the only one that is going paleo).

This unfortunately is unsustainable as this would mean £1000 a month on food.

So i am doing my best to keep Paleo on a budget but that might be the stumbling block..

Paleo journal day 4

A quick one as I am limited on time.

Breakfast

Nuts & seeds granola with soy milk

Snack (needed this as 6:30-12:00 is just too long without).

Peanuts & beef jerkey

Pre gym banana

Gym workout 45mins

Lunch

Sweet potato with chicken & broccoli & tomato & olives.

Snack at 16:00, satsuma

Dinner 

Chicken terriyaki and a salmon fillet with baby organic sweetcorn

Was starving when i got home at 7, it has been a while since my stomach actually grumbled for food loudly!

Paleo day 3

 

Day three is almost through and i did it.

Breakfast: scrambled eggs , bacon & tomatoes

Lunch: chicken breast salad with avacado & raisins

Snack: fruitcake & dates

Dinner: sweet potatoe mash with sausages and sweetcorn

And a glass of red wine.

Maybe not 100% paleo in some peoples eyes but fine for me.

Already started planning lunches for in the office as that is going to be the hard one..

Day 4 here I come!

Day 2 paleo

Well that was day two done!

Because it was a Saturday I had more time to prepare so that made it easier.

Breakfast of nutty cereal and a banana

Lunch of avacado, ham & eggs

Dinner of sweet potato with chili con carne.

I did feel hungry in between so snacked on some beef jerkey and dates.

I did not feel more tired and so far i have not missed my bread nor diary.

Saying that it is only day three coming up so early days yet.

What i have found is that in order to follow this "diet" through is that you have to change what you buy.

Some if these things are not mass produced ready available things.

Then there is the organic bits and the free range.

All in all the financial concequence is that you spend a lot more on this.

Yes it is better to give your body the best you can but for some of us this increase in food cost is just not sustainable.

So I will also try to look at paleo on a budget in the coming days.

Day three here we come!

Paleo day 1 of 30

Started my 30 day challenge of going Paleo!

Day one complete yeah!

Breakfast is not a problem as i usually have eggs anyway, just skipping on the toast now. Lunch is proving challenging as i love bread and also eat 6 sandwiches when i go to work.

First alternative was chicken salad with pine nuts & pumpkin seeds and pieces of bacon.

To get from 6:30 breakfast to 12:00 lunch proved quite hard and I needed a carrot and some fruit to get there.

The salad was fine but i went to the gym so should pack more food in next time to compensate for that.

Afternoon snack was a pear and dinner at home a stir fry of pak choi & prawns on egg noodles.

So far so good so day 2 here we come!

How to make your own Minimalist running sandals / huaraches

http://m.instructables.com/id/Minimalist-Running-Sandals-Huaraches/

Shin Splint

One of the most common injuries associated with running is shin splints. The pain will stop your training in its tracks. Even one simple step produces a feeling of broken glass rubbing in your shins. Shin splints are simple to diagnose and even more simple to treat.

The most common cause of shin splints is a weakening and a drop in your foot's arch. Once the foot arch drops, the shin muscle, called the Tibalis Anterior and its tendon will stretch and tear. This results in the loss of normal blood supply and the tendon will start to inflame and after a couple of weeks, results in painful degeneration. That is all it takes and you will have significant sharp bites in the front of your shin when you walk or run.

Most causes of shin splint are caused by bad footwear..

Look after your feet and strenghten them with excersise.

Arch supports in shoes will not strenghten your feet just make the arches weaker as they rest on a platform instead of being used.

So address your shoes, look after your feet and train them as you would other parts of your body. It takes time but strong feet means trouble free runs so why not start now!

Paleo Paws review

Testing The Paleo Paws

After a few weeks of testing here it is, my findings on the Paleo Paws minimalist running shoes, or running socks.

Or monty python chainmail shoes as some call them in jest.

But jesting aside, how do these "shoes" perform and compare to traditional running shoes?

I was fortunate enough to test the Anterra model last year and loved the concept. Running in a minimalist shoe that just offers protection, nothing more (and looks good as well tbh).

After walking and running in them for weeks I personally thought they were superb outdoor shoes for nature walks and off-road running.

So with the addition of the new pads underneath, are they now even better?

First of all I have to say that i have been running for over 10years, on and off road and minimalist / barefoot for the last couple of those. Barefoot running takes practice as your 'shod' and encushioned feet are not used to that anymore. 

So if you want to attempt it, take it easy and read the advice that is out there begore going crazy.

Now 'barefoot' running has become more and more popular with pros and cons flying around in various blogs. I can only speak for myself and say that in todays environment we do need some form of protection around our feet against dangerous objects and against the cold.

Minimalist running means running fore to mid foot and this means you land differently than to cushioned heel shoes.

Once you get used to this you realise that hard, man-made surfaces are not a lot of fun to run on and can have bad impact on your joints.

When running off-road is where these shoes really shine. Especially the Paleo Paws. They are lightweight, comfortable and perform surprisingly well on a variety of terrains.

With the addition of the pads one now can walk with more comfort on harder surfaces such as tiles and tarmac and they still are fabulous in the mud.

Last year I tested their predecessor in a mud run event where they really were put to the test and proved how good they are off-road.

Now with the addition of the pads they can also be safely used on harder surfaces enabling one to run straight from the front door without having to change shoes.

I have tested the new Paleo Paws on grass, track, gravel, tarmac and in the mud. Oh and even indoors in the gym!

That sure got some stares from people..

In short, they do what they say they will do. This is barefoot running with protection. Your feet will sense the environment and feel liberated. It is great to run almost barefoot without having to worry about looking where you tread.

Your feet are safe, having the added bonus of being protected against sharp objects and you get extra grip!

These shoes are made to your own feet by sending in your measurements. They are high quality German made and it shows.

With proper care they should last forever which is more than can be said of most shoes. 

After each run I just clean them in luke warm, soapy water or you could even put  them in the washing machine.

So are there any cons?

Well to be honest some small ones.

The initial cost. They are expensive but you have to take into consideration that they are made to your feet and will last 'forever'

And the other would be for me that i do not use them in the winter because of getting cold feet. Some people run in them in the snow but that is your own pleasure.

Conclusion:

These shoes are a great addition to your sport equipment. 

They are fun to wear, especially outdoors where you can be closer to nature, feeling where you tread and using your feet as they are supposed to be used.

With the new paws they perform better on gravel and tarmac offering a bit more dampening and the pads also offer better grip on things such as wet logs.

For running off-road as mentioned in my review of the Anterra's, they are just great.

They make you smile as you run, they really do perform very well on a variety of terrain and offer barefoot running with added protection.

Don't get fooled by their appearance, once you wear them you hardly notice wearing them and they have proven to be a very interesting "shoe" to use outdoors.

Wether you want a walk over the fields, use them on a wildlife trip (they are very quiet) or for running barefoot, they give the user this ability, to sense with your feet and perform in any terrain.

So compared to traditional trainers that get dirty, loose shape and encapsulate your feet the Paleo Paws are well, uncomparable.

One could try to compare them to other minimalist shoes such as Vivo or Inov8 as they sort of fall in that spectrum. Each of those shoes are different and are good for minimalist running but none is more different than the Paleo.

I conclude by saying there is good shoes for on the road, good shoes for trail running and then there is the Paleo Paws. These are very good all round off-road shoes where they really shine in natural terrain.

Paleo Paws

The new Paleo Paws arrived today from Germany!

Very excited to test them and compare them to the original Anterra's.

I will post the findings here and on Facebook.

Running in minimalist shoes will cure injuries

This is often thought by people who make the transition from heavy cushioned trainers to minimalist footwear.

This unfortunately is not true.

Running minimalist / barefoot does not guarantee you will be injury free..

It might help your entire body and proper footwear will help to reduce your chance of injury.

But a lot of injuries are caused by other factors:

Training

Diet

Stress

Especially Diet is very important as what you eat & drink affects your immune levels, how your body functions and rests as well as affecting your cardiovascular system.

Your diet will influence your entire body from joints to tendons, ligaments and how your muscles function'

So footwear is important but maybe less so than proper diet or training

If you do not look after your body, it will let you know when it is not happy. Usually with pain!

The Human Foot

The Human foot

Some facts:

The foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles

This means that ¼ of all bones in your body are actually in your foot!

When walking, each time your heel lifts off the ground it forces the toes to carry one half of your body weight.

Only a very small part of our population is born with feet problems, yet almost 75% of the western world experience feet problems in their lifetime..

It is neglect and a lack of awareness of proper care - including ill fitting shoes - that bring on most of these problems.

Your feet mirror your general health. Conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, nerve and circulatory disorders can show their initial symptoms in the feet - so foot ailments can be your first sign of more serious medical problems

In a pair of feet, there are 250,000 sweat glands which raises the question, why cover and smother them with socks and heavy shoes?

The first foot coverings (mainly to keep them warm) were most likely animal skins.

The Romans actually invented the first pair of distinct left and right shoes

The average person takes 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day, which adds up to about 115,000 miles over a lifetime. That's enough to go around the circumference of the earth four times.

Our feet and footwear:

The human foot is a highly developed, biomechanically complex structure that serves to bear the weight of the body as well as forces many times the weight of the human body during propulsion.

Before the 1900’s people used to walk and run quite safely with their fore or mid foot in minimal or no shoes.

Shoes were mainly invented to protect from harsh/dangerous environments. Unfortunately as time went by shoes became more and more a fashion accessory and we were bombarded by the media fuelled by shoe giants to wear heavier and more cushioned shoes, effectively encapsulating and numbing all those feelers in your feet.

This will affect your foots natural centre of gravity and reduces sensory feedback of the ground conditions to your brain.

If you must wear shoes, your feet should not be restricted by them but just protect you from extreme temperature and dangerous objects.

People seem to get painful feet in shoes (especially women in high heels), they find them unsafe causing them to trip and fall, it makes them more tired to run and walk in, by covering them severely they block the sweat glands and then complain of bad stench..

All these problems yet we still continue to wrap our feet in uncomfortable boxes.

Or are we?

Awareness of the barefoot benefits is growing!

And where footwear clearly has benefits, we should look at when we actually need it (maybe just outdoors? And maybe only when it it’s too cold or too hot?) and what type.

Barefoot or minimalist shoes are getting more common and offer a great zero drop alternative for “normal” footwear, doing what it should. Protect the foot but not blind it to its environment.

Let’s hope more and more people will see the benefits of treating your feet kindly and reap the overall 

Training with a busy life

How to fit in training with a job, family and other commitments?

Planning, determination & drive!

Weekend running!

It is weekend!

Are you planning a run? And are you a morning or evening runner?

Have fun whatever you plans are!

First one!

Finally managed to set up a blog!

this is going to be all about barefoot and minimalist running.
Including gear reviews, articles and experiences and thoughts..

Any questions just ask or anything you want to share on this subject, contact me!