Yesterday I ran in the Wharf 2 Wharf race that is held annually here. It’s a 6 mile or 10K race from the wharf by the Boardwalk in downtown Santa Cruz to the wharf in Capitola (hence the name).
I’m not a runner. I know there are much better ways to get in shape, not to mention less boring, then to run miles upon miles. It’s fine if that’s something that you enjoy doing. If that’s you, all the more power to you in doing it.
But the majority of people in the world think running a marathon is the epitome of health and fitness. That’s where I have some issue. Anyway…
My brothers were doing it (one of them IS a runner) and they convinced me to join them. In my regular training I don’t run much. In the past two months I did a little running on the trails near my house twice. Probably a total of 3 or 4 miles. Not really steady pace but sprints and walking. Basically some form of intervals. That’s it as far as what I did to specifically prepare for this event.
But I’m almost always up for a challenge. I knew I wouldn’t even come close to my previous best time of 38:Something but was there just to have some fun.
Going Barefoot…sort of
And to add to the challenge I ran the race in my Vibram’s. (I have three pairs of shoes – my Vibram’s, my regular everyday Van’s and a pair of dress shoes so I didn’t have much choice.)
For those who have not heard about these shoes or barefoot running I’ll give a short recap. The human body is not meant to strike the ground with the heels on each step. With over-engineered running shoes and their thick cushions they allow you to do just this. Instead running is meant to be done on the balls of the feet.
Heel striking results in a complete biomechanical change to the way running should be done. And this results in pain in the low back and/or knees of many people.
Vibram’s are made to mimic being barefoot while still giving you some protection with a thin rubber sole.
Let’s get to the race. With over 15000 people running this race it’s no easy start unless you’re at the very start. For me the first mile was spent dipping and weaving through people trying to get ahead.
By the second mile the area had opened up and I was free to run at my own pace.
Running Into Problems
On the third mile I ran (no pun intended) into problems. Without the prior training my feet were not prepared for this run. Even if I had done more, running on trails is different then running on asphalt.
The pad right below my big toe was getting sore. As the race went on I figured blisters would be forming.
And my calves were getting fatigued. Staying on your toes does take muscle. Once again the lack of preparedness stopped me from going.
These two things combined meant I had to ease up on the running on the toes. My run became flat footed. And as I didn’t have much cushion this caused a dramatic slow in my pace especially in miles 5 and 6. More of a shuffle than a run.
I kept trying to pick it up but every time I tried I just suffered more. I decided I’d just finish the race without stopping, even if I was only moving at a slow jog. I did and came in at the finish line at 50:50, my slowest race time ever.
I was planning on going all out on one of the miles to see how fast I could do it, but was held back. Because I ended up going so slow I didn’t even come close to testing my conditioning and wasn’t even tired after the race.
My takeaways:
- Barefoot running is great. It works more musculature and is in general better for your body. I recommend you trying it if you haven’t.
- Barefoot running is also self-correcting. If you can’t do it correctly anymore its time to stop running (of course unless you happen to be one third of the way in a race).
- Going all out in a race without the preparation is a good way to hurt yourself. Part of me was worried it would end up worse than it did.
- Sometimes its fun to test your mental toughness. Sometimes its stupid. Often times its both.
Writing this the day after I’m happy to report no blisters. Just a little soreness in the feet and a lot of soreness in the calves and ankles.
And in case you were wondering I did see about five other people in the race running in Vibram’s as well. Didn’t get to compare experiences with them though.
My brother, the one that does run, decided to go actually barefoot taking of his shoes and socks for the last mile. And he says next year he’ll go completely barefoot for the entire thing. Maybe I’ll join him…Maybe I won’t…
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Filed under Conditioning, Mental Training, Running by on Jul 26th, 2010. 9 Comments. 
Oh no, here it comes again.
Every single time I train for this, right before the pull, I’m swearing like a sailor. Its because its painful, very painful. And as I get ready I’m thinking about how painful its going to be.
I’m talking about pulling vehicles by my hair. As mentioned in a recent post, Strongman Picnic, I’m set to perform in less than two weeks from know.
I’ll be pulling a fire engine. Its big. Much bigger than what I’ve been pulling. So in training for it I do what you do in any other training. I make it progressive. More weight at first then I had do switch to more of an incline when I was pulling the biggest vehicle I had available.
I’ve also played around with the setup and my technique as its not likely something I’m going to get coached in.
Back to the pain…
This is an area familiar to strongmen. Pain tolerance.
Bend a piece of steel or a horseshoe across your leg? That’s going to hurt. And the first few times you do it, it’ll leave bruising (sometimes massive amounts). You’re might even be strong enough to bend that steel if only your leg could take the drive.
One tip I received in learning to bend nails is once you get to the point where its starts to hurt and you want to quit, that’s where you need to double your efforts and crush it. That’s the point were the nail WILL bend.
You’re not seeking this pain. In some feats of strength its not so painful. But in some it is. Many feats can cause rips in skin, various bruises, just plain pain or much more.
Dennis Rogers once drove a nail through his hand…backwards. Usually the feats works without much effort. In this case it was not so.
It comes with the territory.
This is just the first batch that came out after the pull. I lost more in the shower later.
Whatever the reason this one hurt more. And I lost more hair. I always lose some when doing this stunt. (I like to think that all the weak ones must go.) But this time there was more. Here I could hear the hair rip from my head at one point in the pull.
When I finished a few large chunks came out. Nothing noticeable as far as how I look is concerned and I seem to have plenty left. But certainly not comforting.
Such is the life of a strongman.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. I wrote an article over at Straight to the Bar. Lift weights? So what? Check it out.
Filed under Feats of Strength, Mental Training, Oldtime Strongmen by on May 3rd, 2010. 10 Comments.
The kettlebell snatch is one of my favorite exercises. And the kettlebell snatch test is one of my favorite tests of endurance and mental toughness.
Several minutes into a kettlebell snatch test
I didn’t stop there.
My next goal was 250. I hit that a couple months back (actually got 251).
Now my goal is 200 with the 32 kg. Its tough work. My best so far is 160 and I’m making my way up step by smooth step.
Of course, I’m not trying to brag. If I was I wouldn’t tell you just how hard snatching was for me in the first place. But I’ve come a long way. I no longer tear my hands up doing this and I make progress each and every time I set out to do it.
I know there are many others out there who want to add numbers to their snatches. And believe me there is a lot that goes into that, from techniques to pacing, programming and more.
I’m thinking about putting a DVD together that shows you everything I know about the kettlebell snatch test in its many forms. And I mean everything.
So here’s what I want you to do. I have a two question survey.
Kettlebell Snatch Test Survey (survey is closed).
Even though its tiny I still want to give you something for completing it. I shot a video showing you two tips that you can start using right away to increase your snatch numbers.
If you want it all you have to do is answer my easy questions and you‘ll get access to it.
Sound fair?
Kettlebell Snatch Test Survey (survey is closed).
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Filed under Conditioning, Kettlebells, Mental Training by on Apr 12th, 2010. 2 Comments.
Sometimes you have to push the limits.
I didn’t plan this workout ahead of time. I just started bending and kept going.
In the end I had bent 50 60D nails in just under 30 minutes. This video shows the aftermath.
Now I know I’m a bit crazy for doing this. My hands have open wounds on them right now where the skin tore and blistered in many places. (It ain’t the first time and won’t be the last.)
Looking back in my records my previous best was 22 nails in 42 minutes. That was one year ago. That means I did over twice the volume in just over two thirds the time. That’s improvement.
Do I recommend doing this for everyone? No.
But sometimes you have to push the boundaries of what you’re capable of, even if that’s through comfort and pain. In your training and in life.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. If you’re interested in bending nails, get this must have resource from the Diesel Crew.
Filed under Feats of Strength, Hand Strength, Mental Training, Oldtime Strongmen, Videos by on Nov 28th, 2009. Comment.
I woke up this morning, laced up my shoes and set out on a jog. No I wasn’t preparing to run several miles today (sorry I find that boring) but I was heading to a nearby hill.
And at the hill the jog turned into an all out sprint.
After several times walking down and sprinting back up I jogged home. Took much longer this time because I was fatigued.
The hill may have won this time, but soon I’ll be dominating. I’ve just added hill sprints back into my routine and every time I come back to this exercise I’m reminded of how much I love it.
Find out all the reason why and how I do it in this new article on hill sprints.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. I lay out exactly how I train with hill sprints. Follow the plan and you’ll get all the benefits (and there’s plenty of them).
Filed under Bodyweight Exercise, Conditioning, Mental Training by on May 27th, 2009. 1 Comment.
Received an excellent couple of questions the other day about size and strength, specifically of the old-time strongmen.
My most concern is that I’d like to know how somebody could be a strongman without being as huge as nowadays’ strongmen. What did the old-time strongmen did to be so strong and be this small in size but being able to do all feats that strongmen of today are doing?
I’ve got four factors that play in the role of size and strength.
1. Size does not necessarily translate into strength. There are many big bodybuilders today that are big but are not strong in even the basic lifts. And there are many small guys who you wouldn’t even give a second glance at that are unbelievably strong. This isn’t even talking about weird lifts, odd objects, and the like.
2 Strength is connected with the mind. The deeper you get into strength training the more you realize this fact. Knowing that you can do something, whether you’re big or small, goes a long way in making you strong.
3. Its all in how you train. There are specific ways of training to get strong and stay small, to hypertrophy the muscles without strength, and to do both. And if you want to do specific feats you need to work on those. And the feats performed by the old-time strongmen are not the same ones done in today’s competitive strongmen contests. Those doing the old-time feats are often not big guys at all.
4. The use of drugs. Can you get big and strong without them? Definitely. Can you get as big as some people are today without them? No. And I’m not just talking steroids. There’s all kinds of ‘super-supplements’ and other things that can do the same.
Looking at these four reasons you can see why many strong people today are bigger then those in the past. Not to mention the precedent of guys getting bigger and bigger all the time.
The important thing to do is look at your goals and see what it is that you want to achieve.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Filed under Mental Training, Oldtime Strongmen, Strength Training Concepts by on Dec 2nd, 2008. Comment.
The majority of the time you should be content to make small jumps improving in your workouts. Great progress over time is made by these small steps.
But once every so often its great to challenge yourself. Doing a workout that is longer and tougher than the normal fare.
Over the years I’ve done many of these of all different types. Like the Ultimate Royal Court Challenge. Or a 1000 rep kettlebell snatch test.
These workouts are always grueling and tend to stick with you for some time, even if you never doing something like it again. And you’ll always be paying for it in soreness then next day.
Above all else these challenges are a battle of mental toughness. Its so easy to give up and quit and takes so much effort to keep on going.
One reason I bring this up is that for those celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow may find themselves with extra time on their hands (I suppose unless you’re doing the cooking). And that time can be put to good use in a challenge workout.
Afterall, you can put to good use all the food you’ll be eating in repairing your body.
If you take up a challenge or have done some great ones in the past I’d love to hear about it.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. On a different note, there’s a new feat of strength page on the site, this one on phonebook tearing.
Filed under Mental Training, Recovery, Strength Training Concepts by on Nov 26th, 2008. Comment.
Happy Labor Day!
We’re into the last third of the year. Almost the home stretch. Are you on pace to accomplish your training goals for the year?
Personally I almost skipped my workout today. But the little gremlin in my mind telling me to do so was defeated and I had a great workout.
It wasn’t as simple as going from ‘I don’t feel like it’ to ‘Let’s do it’ in a snap of the fingers. How to go from one to the other is the topic of a brand new article just up on the site.
Go check it out especially if you want some extra motivation to workout or to train a bit harder.
The article is on 10 Ways to Get Out of a Slump and Ready to Train.
Go check it out.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Filed under Mental Training by on Sep 1st, 2008. Comment.
Something important in training is to do what you enjoy doing. You won’t make the same kind of progress you if you just go through the motions of a workout you dread, that’s if you train at all.
But when you love what you do you’ll never miss a day plus you’ll be training harder because you enjoy it.
That’s why a lot of the guys at the top of the game are at the top. The Olympic athletes that I’ve been watching late every night. The strongmen I’ve been showing you pictures of and will continue to show.
One of the things I’m best at is kettlebell juggling. People keep telling me how impressed they are with my skills (now if only it was an Olympic sport I’d be golden).
It’s a little surprising to me. For one thing it didn’t even take long to get as good as I am. And two, it didn’t take any real effort. No effort to toss around large weights?
Yes its true. Simply because I have fun doing it. I have fun testing my endurance and coming up with new stunts. While it may be physically demanding my mind is playing around like a kid.
Not everyone wants to throw kettlebells around. Not everyone wants to even use kettlebells. Its a highly personal thing.
But if you are interested my new DVD set covering everything kettlebell juggling has just been released. Go check it out.
Whether you lift barbells or just your bodyweight, you have horseshoes bent across your neck or swim laps in the pool, toss around heavy weights or just swing them is your choice.
Whatever you choose, make sure its something you enjoy, then push yourself and the levels of what’s possible.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. The DVD’s are at a special introductory pricing and I’m not sure how long it’ll last. Get in on the even sweeter deal now. The Definitive Guide to Kettlebell Juggling
Filed under Kettlebells, Mental Training by on Aug 15th, 2008. Comment.
Today we feature two rising stars in the small world of performing strongman. You may never have heard the name Chris Rider before. But you will now and definitely more in the future.
In just over a year of practicing these feats he is already one of the top guys. Here are a few pictures of him destroying a big horseshoe. This thing was a beast.
Pat Poviliatus is known as the best horseshoe bender in the world, but that title may soon fall to Chris. You can see the determination of his face. But you don’t get to see the full effort he put out in order to complete this bend. Or hear his yells.
It was awe-inspiring and gave a glimpse of why these guys are so good. They’re willing to push themselves to levels that would scare most people.
He also has strong hair. Although there’s no picture we all witnessed him snap a chain in half using his hair.
Mike ‘the Machine’ Bruce is the other. He has the World’s Strongest Neck but that’s not all. Here we have Tim Fox jumping off a ladder onto his stomach. Yeah, he’s got strong abs too.
But one of the most amazing feats involved both Chris and Mike. Combining their abilities as only they could. Chris bending a horseshoe across the throat of Mike. Another picture of intensity.
These guys were good, no doubt. But they’re also some of the friendliest people I know (everyone at the event was). It was a pleasure to meet and get to know them.
Check out their blogs at the following to find out more about them and their feats:
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Filed under Feats of Strength, Hand Strength, Mental Training, Oldtime Strongmen by on Aug 14th, 2008. Comment.
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