the mojo is back . . .

It was a long journey to get my mojo back. My running has been fine but something has been off ever since I decided, for not apparent reason, to make a few tweaks to my running form to see what would happen. Well, the old saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," is a ageless saying for a reason. Maybe they should change it to, "if it ain't broke and you change it, you are a dumb ass."

Specifically, I switched from my natural forefoot landing to a mid-foot/whole foot landing and lowered the carriage of my arms. My thought was the former would be easier on my achilles (even though I had no achilles issues) and the latter would improve Vo2 max as it has been reported by Ryan Hall's dad when he recommended that Ryan run with a lower arm carriage. Well, this didn't work for me and I lost that feeling of running completely effortlessly but I finally regained it when I significantly increased my barefoot mileage and stopped with those changes and one day (a few weeks ago actually) I finally felt that effortless running again and it has been the same ever since. It is truly magical to float along and to feel effortless while you run, whether running faster or slower. I've also accepted where my shoe journey has rested.

I've tried really hard to run in true minimalist footwear but it's too hard on my body. I think it has to do with my personal resonance frequency and for whatever reason the Nike Zoom Streak XC which would be ultra minimal for 99% of runners fits me perfectly as does Barefoot Ted's Luna sandals. I feel great when running barefoot on the treadmill and whatever frequency level that creates is the frequency level I need to maintain while shod and it stays within accepted levels while running in the Nike XC's or Luna's. I can't explain it and I don't care to since it works.

However, I never imagined ending up in Nike's when I started this journey almost 6 years ago. In some corners of the minimalist world the word "Nike," will get you into some serious hot water but so be it, that's what works for me. Now, granted, the Nike Zoom Steak XC is a 5.4 oz. ultra light weight minimalist racing flat (only a 3mm heel differential) so we are slicing hairs in some respects. The great news is the Nike XC is commonly available for under $50 and I've but well over 1,500 miles on a single pair, and it's excellent on all surfaces from roads to trails.

As for walking, my go to walking shoe is the Inov-8 F-Lite 195. I love that shoe for walking as it feels great. It's light, flexible yet provides adequate protection for all surfaces and environments.

Well that's the current update . . . I'm floating along with a smile on my face in bright green Nike's or my Jesus sandals (Luna's) . . .

Harry