The “Best Debut” award is given when “The shoe represents a promising new addition to its category, receiving high marks from the Shoe lab, wear-testers and editors.”  

Congratulations Altra.  You deserve every bit of the credit you are getting, and I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us.

I have been writing my thoughts on this study and this advertising statement when I got an email from my friend The Maple Grove Barefoot Guy.  It was his latest post to his highly entertaining blog and it appears he too has some thoughts about both the study and the statement.  He pretty much said everything I wanted to say so instead of cluttering up the world with my thoughts I’m just going to share his.  The link below will take you to his post and I hope you enjoy it.  He’s a bit passionate about the topic, like myself, so you’ll have to excuse his use of some extra curricular verbiage (otherwise known as foul language) but he really did say what I was thinking so here it is.

http://www.maplegrovebarefootguy.com/2012/01/lies-damn-lies-and-barefoot-statistics.html?m=1

Yes, my running form has gone.  Over the years I honed a form that has been considered ideal by many.  I have had words like deer and gazelle used to describe the way I look when I’m really moving.  Most importantly I had developed a form that was efficient and left me with no pains during or after a run.  I loved my form, and I was extremely proud of it.  It took a long time to develop, and I had lost it before.  I was not born with very functional legs.  In fact I was at one point told by a specialist that I would probably never walk in my lifetime, and others said I would need some sort of leg bracing, crutches, or a walker.  I had already spent a good part of my young life being teased for my small size and leg awkwardness so I was not going to make it worse by needing some apparatus to get around.  I somehow figured out a way to use my legs in a way similar to those around me.  It wasn’t pretty as my feet pointed directly at one another, and I stepped over my own feet like a windup toy, but I could walk.

The next hurdle was finding a way to make my legs function normally, and the big dream was to be able to run and play like the other kids.  Most of my attempts at running ended with my face in the dirt after tripping over my own feet.  A brilliant doctor told my mom to take me roller skating.  “You can’t roller skate with your feet pointed at each other, and that can probably help teach his legs to straighten up”.  It was extremely simple, and it worked.  I would skate as much as possible any time I got the chance, and I learned how to keep my feet straighter during the day as I walked.  This all led to being able to run.  I was not fast, but I could do it.  Over the years and as I got older, I got faster at running but had a serious limit in my abilities.  After a biking accident where I was hit by a car, I spent a lot of time rehabbing and learning how to walk/run again.  During that time I really focused on form, and I learned all I could about the mechanics of the motion so I could try and be a better athlete.

It paid off, and right up until I blew out my knee I was a running machine.  After the knee injury I spent nearly nine years in pain before I finally had surgery.  I waited that long because at eighteen my surgeon told me to hold out as long as I could because the surgery techniques weren’t good enough then.  He said he could go in there and “fix” it, but it wouldn’t ever really be right, and I’d have problems for the rest of my life.  I heeded his advice, and all those years later I found out that they could in fact put me together again.  Three years after surgery I had finally found my form again, and I was back to running.  I’ve enjoyed the past couple of years being able to rediscover my lost love, and I’ve even more enjoyed hearing people tell me how good my form is.  It has taken a lot of hard work to get something that resembles good form, and I’ve been very proud of it.

Now with one quick blow to my noggin I have lost it all and am again sent to rediscover it.  It took me about two months to recover from the concussion, which is by far the longest recovery period I’ve faced.  The doc said to give it two weeks and go back slow, which I actually did, but every time I’d try to do anything, and my heart rate was raised I would feel weak, dizzy, and light headed and have to stop.  I would then feel weird for the rest of the day.  That basically kept me from training for the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon I ran in early October, but I gave the race a shot anyway.  In the two weeks before the race I was able to put in about six miles worth of running, and on each of those runs I just felt “off” and uncoordinated.  I spent some time getting treatment from my all around nervous system healer friend James, which helped, but during the race I could tell I wasn’t there yet.  I suffered joint pains and cramps and just felt awkward for the nearly three hours I was on the course.  I finished, but I was left in a lot of pain.  I even had to get my knee iced after the race, which is something I’ve never had to do.  My form is not so smooth anymore, and even now as I try to get ready for the Dallas White Rock Marathon it’s not quite there.

I’ve done all I can do to try and correct it on the fly, but it may be time to go back to the drawing board.  I’ve found that my beloved minimal shoes and even barefoot running are not working for me.  I actually feel the most awkward when wearing minimal shoes, and barefoot running is not far behind it.  In a very strange twist I am actually the smoothest when I run in my Altra Instincts which is a fully cushioned running shoe just without the elevated heel.  In minimal shoes my feet aren’t landing correctly, and my legs are not travelling in the proper lines, which causes my knee to ache severely.  When I go barefoot I can’t get my feet to relax and land smoothly.  Instead I am too far up on my toes and sort of prance more than actually run.  When I run in my Instincts I can make adjustments to my motion, and I am actually smoother without trying.  I question all of this, as it goes against what I have always taught and believed, but I’m dealing with unnatural circumstances.

I have a feeling some serious video analysis is in my future as well as some specific drills and strength training.  I may even bring in a coach to try and figure out where my groove has gone because I want the gazelle back.  I’m tired of feeling like an unfolded lawn chair when I run.  All of this will be put on hold as I try and get ready for White Rock in a mere eighteen days, but this is most definitely something that cannot be allowed to go on beyond that day.

I anticipate being forced to draw on everything I know and use all my years of knowledge and studying to get it worked out.  Then again perhaps I can sift through the concussion cloud that was left behind and find that which was lost.  Only time will tell, but I won’t give up because I’ve worked too long and too hard to get here, and I want my love back.

You can do this routine a few different ways.  You can run through the exercises one at a time taking rest between each set or you can get through them as a circuit, taking your rest in between each round.  Either way you will get a great burn in the core and tighten up the waistline.

Exercise 1: Mountain Climbers.   This is a great exercise for getting the heart rate up, warming up the core muscles, and strengthening the rectus abdomius.

Exercise 2: Plank.  This exercise lets the heart rate come down while focusing on strengthening the lower back and rectus abdominus.

Exercise 3: Knee Unders with Crossover.  With you exercise you will once again get the heart rate cranking as well as hitting the hip flexors, obliques, and transverse abdominus.

Exercise 4: Leg Raises:  A basic old school exercise that will round out the routine but incorporating the lower portion of the rectus abdominus, hip flexors, and lower back.

Rest 45 seconds between each exercise unless you are doing these in a circuit, in which case you should do a set of each exercise and rest one minute between rounds.  Do each exercise for 30 seconds for beginners, 45 seconds for intermediate, and 1 minute for you crazies out there looking for an intense burn.

I have done many things over the past two years to try and stay hydrated on long runs.  I’ve mapped all my routes around parks with water fountains and that works great until one of them isn’t working or the city turns them off for the winter.  I have run with a Camelbak which is also a great option until you drink all the water and then have a light floppy pack on your back.  I’ve run loops where I leave water bottles at the start line so I can just grab a sip as I need it but then I always have to worry about someone taking my bottles.  All of these are great options even though they have some potential drawbacks.

So why look for other options if all these are viable?  Because every option I have has a spot where it is not ideal and I hate carrying water in my hand.  This brings me back to the belts.  In theory they should be the perfect option since they are light, can carry multiple bottles, and they can even carry your belongings if you get the right one.  I just cannot get past the look of it so I went for what I thought might be the next best thing and that’s the Fuel Belt Wedge.  The wedge is a 7 ounce bottle that is the same bottle used on the Fuel Belts but with a twist: you carry it without needing the belt.  I found that very appealing for a few reasons.

The wedge has a simple metal clasp that holds the bottle on the elastic waist band of your pants or shorts.  I found that to be ingenious even though it could not be any simpler.  I got very excited when I saw this product the first time and I ordered one shortly after.  I said before that I tend to keep my runs around paths that have water fountains on them but sometimes those fountains are not working.  I felt this gave the Wedge a huge point of value for me.  Being able to carry 7 ounces of fluid with me for those times where I might have had to go without until the next water fountain is great and the Wedge does not disappoint.

The Wedge feels light on your belt line and doesn’t try to pull your shorts off.  The company says to put it on the back of your shorts but I find I like it to ride on the side of my shorts a lot more.  I imagine this is different for everyone but when it’s placed in the back my shirt tends to catch it when I pull the shirt up to wipe my face.  Sitting on my side it’s also easier to get to and it slides right off without lifting my shorts up.  The only negative of the Wedge comes when you try to put it back on your shorts.  The little thing is really hard to get on because of the closeness of the clasp to the bottle.  I’ve bent the clasp some to make this easier and that worked but it also made the Wedge feel less secure so I guess you have to pick your poison.  Perhaps there is a happy place somewhere in the adjusting that can make it perfect but out of the box I found it almost impossible to get on my shorts while running.

The nozzle is very nice on the bottle as well.  I’m assuming this is the same for all Fuel Belt bottles but this being my first one I was very impressed.  It stays open when you open it and it stays closed when you close it.  It also offers a good flow when you want a drink.  In fact I choked myself a little when I took my first drink out of it because it shot the water hard into the back of my throat!  Yes that moment was bad but I like that it can do that because that allows this little bottle to offer a nice spray of cool water on my head when I don’t need the water for drinking.

At 7 ounces this is not something to sustain you over the long haul but as a supplement it is great.  I have also found that I can mix my Generation UCAN in this bottle to have an energy pick-me-up on long runs.  My only complaint in terms of its abilities is that my fluids don’t stay cold.  My body heat makes my water warm but this is something I’m used to since it happens with my Camelbak as well.  I drop an ice cube or two in there and that goes a long way towards keeping my fluids cool so that is an issue that can be avoided for a while.

So that’s the Fuel Belt Wedge.  It’s not the end all, be all in water carrying options but it does allow me to carry a smaller amount of water that isn’t in my hands or strapped around my waist on a fanny pack.  It’s a light and easy option for having something to drink with you out on a run.

Ok yes it’s the same bottle used on the belts.  Yes I imagine from a distance one might think I’m wearing a Fuel Belt because of that but up close that’s not the case.  Up close it just looks like I’ve got a water bottle stuck to my shorts in a very non fanny pack way.  I think the fact that the bottle faces the body instead of sticking out goes a long way in helping it look less awkward to me.  I will also say that even though it’s probably crazy I don’t feel uncool only carrying the bottle.  I feel resourceful and intelligent for having such a crafty way to make sure I don’t dehydrate.

To recap: the bottle works really well and doesn’t make you feel uncool.  Works for me.

The first thing that needs to be addressed is the look of these things.  Yes, they look weird, but you and everyone around you will get used to it.  The looks have purpose, and there is a function behind every aspect of the styling so there’s really no way around it.  When mine first arrived they were in a big yellow padded envelop which made me think that I had received a true test pair that didn’t even come in some sort of packaging, but I was wrong.  These things are really thin and don’t need a shoebox so why use one?  They actually come in something that is very handy – a clear plastic carrying bag that fits nicely in a big yellow envelope for shipping.  I pulled them out, thought about how they looked as weird in person as they did in pictures, and then immediately started fitting them to my feet.  While I was putting them on I started to think that they looked much cooler than I thought they would, and the truth is that they do.  On my feet I really like the way these sandals look.  Sure they look sort of futuristic, but that’s part of the coolness so I say go with it.

On foot they felt a little odd at first because of the material between my toes.  I like to wear flip flops and of course those crazy toe shoes so I’m no stranger to having things between my toes, but this felt different.  The difference is in how far apart these sandals keep those toes.  This is obviously to better secure the sandals on your feet, but it is something that will take some getting used to in terms of the way it feels.  The strapping system is comfortable and is fairly adjustable.  Overall these sandals are easy to get on your feet once you get used to them.

I wore them around a bit the first day and they felt good, a little awkward but good.  I say they felt awkward because of the bit between my toes and my needing to get used to it.  I also played a little with the strap to figure out just how tight I liked them which is something I recommend.  The only thing left for me to do with these wonderful sandals was go for a run, and I did.

I started with a nice warm-up, and my feet, or should I say the sandals, felt great.  Outside of running barefoot I have never felt so light and airy.  I set out on a loop that is roughly eight tenths of a mile long just in case something went wrong with my first trial run, and I’m glad I did.  Roughly halfway through the loop I felt a blister starting between my first two toes on my right foot and a hot spot on the other.  I finished my lap and took the shoes off to check the damage. The blister was a pretty good one so I stopped the test there.  Aside from the blister the Achilles were amazing.  I felt light and smooth, and my feet were cool the entire time.  The foot bed felt great against my foot, and the sole had good traction so I was happy.   The blister was a bummer, but it was something that I kind of expected.

I let the blister heal and went for round two in my Achilles on the same course for obvious reasons, and it again turned out to be a good idea.  I got a blister again in the same spot, but it was not as bad and it took longer to happen, which was progress even if it was disappointing.  Again I have to say that the sandals performed really well, and I absolutely loved the way they felt on my foot aside from the forming of blisters.  After the second run I thought I would check with Terra Plana to see if they had any advice about the blisters that might help me avoid the problem on my next run.  Their advice was that there really isn’t a way to mess up the fit of the sandals and that they expected people would develop some blistering at first.  They likened it to the first of summer and the feet not being used to wearing flip flops.  I thought that to be sound advice except for one thing.  I live in Texas and literally wear flip flops most of the year, and I had been wearing them for months when I got my Achilles.

So why was I having problems?  I thought about it, and I came to a conclusion that kept me positive about my ability to adapt to these sandals.  I wear leather flip flops and never wear the rubber/plastic kind because they rub between my toes, and it’s uncomfortable.  They tend to make my toes hurt and I sometimes get blisters.  That alone gave me enough reason not to give up on the Achilles as a great summer running tool, and I’m glad I came to that conclusion.

Since then I have adapted to the Achilles and can now comfortably enjoy running in them.  It took about four runs to get my feet used to the toe area, but it was worth the effort.  I love running in these sandals because of the free feeling I get in them.  It really comes very close to feeling like I’m not wearing any shoes at all.  I can feel the air blowing across my feet and that is great because it keeps me from sweating as much.  I also feel cooler in general when my feet don’t feel hot.  They are very protective of my feet without being intrusive, and they are a joy to run in.

I would recommend running in these sandals if you want a light and open footed running experience but go into it knowing you might have to put in some ground work.  You may have to go on a few really short runs to get your feet used to having a thicker than normal piece of rubber between your first two toes.  I do believe however that if you are willing to take the time to adapt that you will not be disappointed.

Specs:

Sole Thickness: 3mm

Weight: 6.5oz

Addition:  I’ve been asked what I think of the Achilles as a walking sandal.  I am currently dealing with a heal spur that makes walking in very minimal shoes awkward and often times uncomfortable.  For that reason I chose not to comment on the walking performance of the Achilles.  For the short periods of walking I have done in them I can say I think they would work well for that purpose, but my testing was not such that I can really speak on the subject.

I remember when I first heard that sit ups were bad for me, and I needed to switch to crunches.  I was much younger then, and I did not have the experience or knowledge that I do now.  It was in an infomercial for a piece of exercise equipment that was designed to help you do a crunch without straining your neck.  I could not figure out what the big deal was with sit ups at the time.  I had been doing them since the first day I exercised, and my back never hurt at all.  I was also a teenager so joint pain was not exactly a common occurrence.  I listened to what the infomercial guy had to say, and it made sense, but I never stopped doing sit ups.  Why?  Because my back never hurt from doing them so his point of view never applied to me.

He said that sit ups caused the lower back to strain, and that they put stress on the lower back so if you were one of the many people who had this problem then YOU needed to stop doing sit ups and buy his machine.  I personally was not one of the people he was talking to so I never listened to his advice.  Over the years I heard many people on many occasions speak to the negatives of sit ups, and I never listened.  Why?  They never gave me any proof to the claims.  The thing that people have held onto over the years is the stress that can be put on the back by two things during a sit up.

The first is the hip movement.  The hip flexors are pretty active during the majority of a sit up’s range of motion, which causes the hips to move slightly.  The belief has been that this hip movement causes instability in the lower back, and that causes pain.  If you’ve ever been doing a set of sit ups and noticed that you are moving across the floor then you have experienced this hip movement.

The second is the weight that is put on your lower spine at the top of the movement.  When you have sat all the way up your spine is in an erect position without the support of its base, the lower lumbar.  This is said to put stress on the spine in a way that can be dangerous because the spine is in an awkward position to be holding the weight of the upper body.

So is it true?  Are sit ups bad for you based on the two things I just mentioned?  My answer is no, not entirely.  The first point has merit except for one thing, and that is the body is designed to move that way.  The hips have a range of motion that includes movement in a front to back manner so it’s not out of the ordinary to ask them to flex that way.  The issue comes from the position of the body on the ground and the weight the lower spine is required to manage when you move your hips that way.  Sit ups can be done without all the moving of the hips, so eliminating that movement will eliminate any risk.  Before you start your sit up you can lift your hips off the ground slightly and roll them forward.  This subtle move will lock the hip complex in place, allowing you to do sit ups without moving across the room.

The second point is valid in that the spine is not meant to be bent forward with the lower lumbar underneath the upper spine while supporting the body’s weight.  So what do you do? The answer again is to simply adjust the movement.  When I first learned to do a sit up I was told to reach forward over my knees with my chin.  That’s the area that creates the issues and should be avoided.  Instead of reaching forward with your head you simply keep your back straight with your chest out as you reach your peak position.  Keeping the chest out will make it uncomfortable and difficult to overextend at the top of the movement and put the back in a weak position.  You will notice that you do not come all that close to your knees anymore, and you should also feel less strain on the lower back.

There are some things that need to be addressed outside of changing the movement.  If you already suffer from lower back pain, poor flexibility, bad posture, weak abdominals, weak lower back muscles, or a previous injury, then you probably should not do a full sit up.  There are a lot of other abdominal exercises to take advantage of without risking further injury to your back.  In some cases you may just need to strengthen your overall core area and build up to doing sit ups.  Some of you may find that by making the proper form adjustments, you will no longer have pain in your back when doing sit ups and can begin adding them to your routine.

As with all exercises, a sit up may not be the best choice for everyone, but it also should not have to stay on a list of outcasts for being misunderstood.  Many people do sit ups their entire life without any issues, and athletes have been using them from the beginning.  The athlete’s world never bought into the idea that a sit up was bad for you, and they have always used them to strengthen their entire range of motion for many things like running, jumping, and throwing.  You want to train your muscles through a complete range of motion as much as you can, and the full sit up is a good way to allow some of the abdominal muscles to get that type of work.

So there I said it.  I like sit ups and believe they can be a beneficial exercise.  Do I believe they are well rounded or all that’s needed to give you a strong stable core?  Not at all because they only work to improve a specific range of motion but it won’t kill you to do some good old fashioned sit ups.

This can be done easily in any fitness center, park, and in some cases your living room with no equipment!  Perform the four exercises in succession resting 30 seconds between each exercise.  Repeat the circuit four times with one minute rest in between each round.

Exercsise 1: Single Leg Touchdown  

Exercise 2: Single Leg Step Up With Balance 

Exercise 3: Single Leg Lateral Jumps (also known as Ice Skaters) 

Exercise 4: Four Set Hops (done for one minute-15 seconds each movement) – video coming soon

-For the four set hops should be done by either marking a cross on the floor or just imagining two intersecting lines for you to cross on each jump.  The four hop variations are as follows: Both feet together front to back, both feet together side to side, scissor step front to back, and feet apart and back to center (like jumping jacks).

You will find this routine leaving you out of breath with tired and possibly sore legs and a lot of your day left to enjoy!

I was turned onto Play Harder by a fellow runner, and after a quick look at the website I was emailing them.  I’m always a little torn on the whole “contacting companies for stuff to review” thing, but if I’m being honest I have to say that I like trying new things and it’s nice when they are free.  I had a swift response that said they would be happy to send me a product of my choice which I thought was great.  You may be wondering what this company provides, and I haven’t said that yet because I wanted to talk about this email response first.  It was quick, and I liked that, but what I thought was really great is that the person who
contacted me is a fellow runner and she even had some barefoot experience.  It’s not every day that a company has the blessing of getting to employ someone who has participated in the sports that their product is geared towards.  Not only was that the case here but the person I was contacted by was also a fairly accomplished collegiate runner.  This may not be a big deal to the masses but I respect the opinions of someone who has been there and done that.

If you made it this far then you will now find out that 100% Play Harder is a compression clothing company with a very special twist.  What’s the twist?  That would be ICE.  All of their compression gear is fitted with pockets that hold special ice packs in key areas for recovery.  They offer knickers, calf sleeves, shorts, and knee wraps that all feature very technical compression as well as the ice pockets.

I went with the Transformer Shorts for two reasons. I have wanted to see what it was like to run with compression shorts and I was also interesting in seeing if these shorts could replace my ice baths.  The shorts were sent right out and I was really impressed with them when they arrived.  I wasn’t expecting much from these since they were coming from a company I had never heard of but I held out hope since the idea behind them was so cool (no pun intended).  The quality and construction of the shorts is top notch and just holding them in my hands they just had that high quality feel.  Like any self-respecting reviewer would do I immediately stripped down in my living room and slid these shorts on.  They felt great.  The fabric was smooth and soft with just the right amount of tightness.  I have found that getting the right level of compression can be a little tricky so it was a really nice surprise for these to fit so well and I was very excited to put them through the ringer.  The shorts come with the ice packs which at first seemed a littleintimidating to work with, but Play Harder has gone to great lengths to explain how they work.  They even print a little
message on the ice packs telling you to relax and that it’s not rocket science.  They were right about that.  All I had to do was run the packs under water until they absorbed enough water to reach the recommended thickness.  After that I dried them off and put them in the freezer.  They are reusable and the instructions even said that if the packs start to lose performance that I just need to put them in the water again.  The shorts also came with a really awesome thermal bag to carry the frozen ice packs in.  This thermal bag will keep your ice packs frozen for about two hours and keep them cold enough to benefit you for up to six hours!  For those of you who enjoy racing this is a great benefit.  Oh and just for those rare instances when you want some heat, well the packs can be heated too.

In terms of performance these shorts are nothing short of wonderful.  They do everything you want them to do which is support the muscles, improve and maintain circulation, and improve recovery time.  I had an initial concern about the shorts having two layers of fabric, one on the skin and the second to hold the ice packs.  I thought this extra fabric would make these shorts really hot but I went for it anyway, and I could not have been more wrong.  I felt no more heat in these shorts than I have in any of my other compression gear.  I ran and biked in these shorts and both times my legs felt great.  I also liked how the second layer of fabric on the rear gave me some extra cushion for the dreaded bike seat.  As great as these shorts function for compression during exercise they are even more impressive after.  I was very surprised at how wonderful it was to be able to come in after my run and slide ice packs in my pants.  I didn’t have to fill my tub and pour out my ice bucket from the freezer to sit in said tub for twenty minutes.  Instead I was able to slip a few ice packs around my legs, hips, and buttocks to enjoy catching up on some recorded shows.  I can also sit at my desk and get work done while icing down in my Transformer shorts, which saves me a lot of time.  The icing is cold but not overly so and you definitely get the desired results from wearing these things around after a workout.  You’re getting two great benefits for the price of one in that you are getting post exercise compression and icing which both have been shown to speed
recovery.  I also enjoy going for my run without the shorts and just slipping them on when I finish so I can recover and ice down.  The options that they give me are a very pleasant surprise that I did not anticipate.

Recently I went for a mid-morning run in the wonderful Texas heat which left me needing an ice bath to cool down properly.  I turned the faucet to its coldest setting and filled the tub.  During the winter this provides me with water that is almost too cold so I assumed the same would happen during the summer but I was wrong.  I got into a lukewarm tub of water so I got back out and wound up pouring my entire ice bucket into it, and the water was still not cold enough to provide the cooling I needed.  This is where the shorts have really been a huge benefit.  The heat outside has made my tap water so warm that I do not have enough ice in my house to cool the tub down but the shorts don’t have this problem.  The ice packs are perfect and when tucked into my shorts I get all the cooling I want any time I want.  For such a simple idea I am extremely amazed and impressed with these shorts and their ability to keep me from having to buy a bag of ice every time I want to take an ice bath.

The shorts have proven to be an amazing addition to my growing arsenal of gear and I could not be more impressed with them.  My first interest in them was to determine whether or not they were a gimmick and they have proven to be a serious asset instead.  Compression has shown to give great benefits.  Icing has shown to give great benefits.  The two together is quite simply amazing with the benefits they yield and 110% Play Harder has created an ingenious product that I highly endorse.

Check out the full line at 110% Play Harder.

EDIT: There are more pockets than what are shown in the pics.  I put ice packets in two places for an example only but you can literally wrap your entire leg in ice packs if you want to.

EDIT: Play Harder has also just recently released arm and elbow sleeves for those of you who are looking for some upper body cooling and/or compression.

Let’s start by looking at some definitions, which I love to do.

Running as a noun is simply the act of a person or animal that runs.  As an adjective it means to proceed rapidly at the gait of a gallop.  The definition of run is to move the legs more rapidly than a walk in a way that, for an instant in each step, both feet are off the ground.  So basically running is just moving your legs fast enough that you are no longer just walking.

Racing is defined as a contest of speed, a competition to achieve superiority, and to run, move, or go swiftly.  The last part is the one that really caught my attention.  Part of the definition for racing was to run, which could lead one to believe they are one and the same, but I think that last part has to be left out in this discussion.  The important part of the definition is the part about achieving superiority.

My initial stance was that there is a difference between runners and racers.  A lot of runners never enter a race, and the vast majority of those who do enter races are there to run more than they are to race.  In any given race you may find that maybe 20% of the participants are there to try and win it (I may even be overshooting with that completely self-derived statistic).  A lot of the people at a race are there to simply finish, which makes them runners but not really racers, and those who are there to win the race are racers while still getting to be runners.  So runners might not be racers, but racers are always runners.  What about those who are there to race, but the goal is to beat their own personal best?  Are they runners or racers?  It’s about this point that things start to get really convoluted.

Maybe this whole argument needs to get put on the same shelf as the argument about whether or not running slow or fast determines whether or not you are a “real” runner?  I won’t put it there just yet because I don’t think it’s quite as ridiculous an argument.  Placing yourself in one of these categories can help dictate what type of training program you are going to need, and that is very important.  As a running coach my first question to a client typically centers on their desire to finish or finish fast.  In essence I’m asking if they want to run or if they want to race, but who are they racing?

When I was younger and competed as a runner I raced every week.  I lined up, and I raced a field of other runners to see who was fastest.  Now I go to a race, and my goal is centered on crossing the line in a certain time.  Back when I raced, I had a motto,
and I taught it to the younger runners on my teams.  The idea was always “It doesn’t matter what your time is if you cross the line first”.  To be honest I rarely ever cared what my times in races were.  I asked about my time as a curiosity, but it didn’t actually matter.  If I won the race then I went fast enough, and if I lost then I obviously did not.

Fast forward to today, and I run races, but I have no thoughts of crossing the line first.  I often laugh when I see just how many people finish in front of me.  I’m a former racer who now just runs, but is that true?  I have goals this year of running my fastest times ever: post-surgery.  So I’m a racer, right?  I’m racing myself, and I’m racing the clock so I’m a racer.

I’m hoping that by now you’ve caught onto what I’m going for, and that is that it’s sort of a blurry line.  The truth is that some out there are runners, and that’s all they want to be.  They will never enter a race, but they might run every day.  There are also
those who will enter a race, but they are there for fun, to enjoy some atmosphere, and maybe get a new shirt.  There will be some at that same race who will line up, and they will chase themselves as they try to beat a time on the clock.  There will be a select few who line up right on the starting line, and they will take off in such a flash that the majority of the field won’t even know they were there because they are there to race and potentially win the whole thing.

So does it matter which category you fall into?  I say not at all.  I personally am trying to get back to being a racer after spending a year or so just being happy with finishing.  I want to race.  I want to race and beat myself.  Maybe if I’m lucky and sign up for the right race on the right day I just might race and beat the rest of the field again someday, but if I don’t it won’t change the fact that I’m a runner:  a runner who also likes the idea of racing.

Runner or racer? It doesn’t matter as long as when you’re finished you can say you had fun.