‘session’ – surely one of the crappest words anyone can use..

Let me guess, you are middle aged and your wheels rarely leave the ground?

Mine turned up a few days ago. 4 and a half weeks.

they were perfect for giving me stress fractures in my feet, lovely

That’s the trouble with minimalist shoes, really easy to do too much!

Bet you’ve been having fun running barefoot in snow :-)

The whole point of the barefoot/minimalist thing is reduce running injuries not how to run faster.

I fully understand that however my point is that to be a fast runner, as well as training hard you need to remain injury free. If running barefoot reduced injuries then competitive athletes would soon adopt this method not because they want to run barefoot but because they want to run fast. Consistent periods of training make runners fast. If this correlation existed we would see competitive runners training and competing in races in their bare feet. I see none so I suspect the correlation doesnt exist.

Modern running shoes have done NOTHING to reduce running injuries and in some cases have made them worse.

You cant say this with any degree of certainty and the studies I have seen dont bear this out. It is impossible to know that if a runner hadnt run in built up shoes they would have been injured less.

As I said above Nike et all are out to fleece us all but that doesnt mean the latest shoes are bad or that a few people getting results (of which you cant give examples of) from barefoot running substantiate your hypothesis.

Most “runners” suffer injuries because they are always pushing the envelope in terms of both volume and intensity. Whatever they wear they will likely injur themselves at some point simply because they will continue to try to do more.

Making “joggers” (by that I mean recreational runners who have no intention of improving performance or speed) less injury prone is hardly a big win. A bit like my GP curing my running injuries by telling me never to run.

More technological mumbo jumbo = more sales, bit like mountain biking

I agree however barefoot running is the latest gimmick I think.

Cushioned running shoes allow people to run with awful technique.

But youve just made that up!

I suspect that there are loads more people running recreationally now there then ever were in the 70’s, hence there are loads more injuries.

+1. Running/jogging is mainstream and years ago the injury rate was very high.

I cannot be arsed to argue about it. Good luck with your cushioned shoes, if they work for you great, keep going with them.

so what? As long as their pain free who cares what their technique looks like.

I’ll say it again: Some people can happily go their whole lives running with terrible running form and not get injured, but the majority will suffer sooner or later. Cushioned running shoes allow people to run with awful technique.

Really? I’ve never seen anything from any running shoe company to that effect

Really? Never heard that you should replace your running shoes after 400-500 miles because of the cushioning? I wonder where that came from?

Remember running shoe companies want to sell trainers, to the most people they can

More technological mumbo jumbo = more sales, bit like mountain biking :wink:

The whole point of the barefoot/minimalist thing is reduce running injuries not how to run faster.

surely the whole point is to find a shoe that makes running for you pain free? rather than just say; barefoot: good. Running shoes: bad?

I suspect that there are loads more people running recreationally now there then ever were in the 70’s, hence there are loads more injuries.

Whether it’s a shoe, a slipper or running barefeet, whatever works and allows you to run injury free is the main thing. The problem is that running shoe companies have been preaching Cushioned running shoes = good, everything else = bad, which is total bollox.

Some people can happily go their whole lives running with terrible running form and not get injured, but the majority will suffer sooner or later. Cushioned running shoes allow people to run with awful technique.

Whether there are many competitive marathon runners is not the issue,

I think it is (and you mentioned marathon runners) if it works and is an alternative to the shoes that the majority of runners wear then why are competitive runners not picking up on this?

The whole point of the barefoot/minimalist thing is reduce running injuries not how to run faster.

Prior to the 1970’s when the modern cushioned running shoe was invented, everyone ran in thin soled minimalist shoes.

Yes they did, some even ran in boots! What is your point?

Modern running shoes have done NOTHING to reduce running injuries and in some cases have made them worse.

A huge proportion of runners have nagging injuries every year and running shoe companies have been feeding the public bollocks since the 70’s about injury prevention.

Most runners I meet have suffered injuries in some form or another and would like to find something that works to help them get back to running. Minimalist/barefoot running is something that is proven to help in a lot of cases and is not just a load of marketing guff cooked up by nike and other shoe companies.

Other than Bikila can you point to any competitive marathon runners competing barefoot?

My point was that there are plenty of people running long distances on hard roads either barefoot or in minimalist shoes. Whether there are many competitive marathon runners is not the issue, its about running without getting injured, not how fast you can go. Prior to the 1970’s when the modern cushioned running shoe was invented, everyone ran in thin soled minimalist shoes.

what people miss when they harp on about barefoot running is that you still need some cushioning when running on roads. Our ancestors may well have run well barefoot, but across open plains where no cushioning is needed. I use minimal cushioning on the fells, but if I’m going anywhere near the road or hardpack for most of the run then I’ll thank the last 20-30 years with of developments that mean I can have my shins and knees intact.

Nope, plenty of people running marathons and long road runs barefoot and with minimalist shoes.

I echo what bomba has talked about. I used to wear specialist orthotics for 10 years every day and since I have been running in minimalist shoes, have got rid of them.

If you are new to minimalist running you want to take it easy or you could end up getting injured.

My trail running shoes are inov8 f-lite 230’s which are great. the heel is still built up a bit too much for my liking, but they are grippy while also being flexible. http://www.startfitness.co.uk/uploads/images_products_large/40441.gif

I had an apollo as my first mountain bike. It was crap, but better than nothing.

That one would make a great lakejumping bike.

They also make a 29er, which even I will admit looks pretty cool :-)

Not the prettiest thing in the world, but looks like it would be brilliant fun to ride. Shame they don’t make em anymore.

it was ace but kept egging me on to try things way above my skill/bravery level…. if I’d have kept it at some point it would have gone all “earth/sky/earth/sky/ambulance” in a major way!

Yep the ridge has a habit of doing that as well. :D Love it though, best bike I have ever ridden.

The splinter looks like it would take a hammering :-) How did it ride?

Have you thought about getting a turbo trainer or spin bike so you can exercise at home?

Turbo set up in cellar. Haven’t used it for a while – not since birth of my daughter in August. I have been riding to work up to 4 days a week (approx 35 mile round trip). It helps, but not as much as a no pressure ride in the daylight.

However, i wonder if an initial kick from some pills might get me through this patch.

Mrs North has spoken to the same organisaiton she used for her CBT, and someone is going to call me tomorrow.

Cheers, Tom.

Hi Tom,

I find that just riding my bike helps, but it is only when I get up to about 75% of max hr for 40 minutes that I really get the benefit.

If I do not get my heart rate up high enough and keep it there I get a bit of benefit, but it doesn’t really pull me out of being depressed.

I’ve done a fair bit of reading about this and the consensus is that you have to go pretty hard for a reasonable amount of time to have any decent effect on mood.

If you don’t have one, it’s worth getting hold of a cheap heart rate monitor. 3 sessions a week of 40 minutes at 75%+ max hr will really make a difference to your state of mind. Laptop or tv is essential to stop the boredom.

I have struggled with depression for 20 years, have had tons of therapy and meds and it is pretty much the only thing that I can count on to work.

By all means look into ssri’s, but it is really worth trying hard areobic exercise as well.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&safe=off&biw=1440&bih=716&q=runners+high+depression&btnG=Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

Anti depressants have never worked for me for depression and i’ve tried a few different ones. The only thing that really works for me is hard aerobic exercise. I dislocated my shoulder on Saturday and by Tuesday I was falling into a pit of darkness not being able to exercise.

I have set up my mountain bike on the turbo trainer and yesterday did a session. Straight away I felt better. It is dull riding a bike indoors and the only way I can do it is by watching tv, but it makes a big difference.

When I am seriously depressed I cannot face going to the gym, but am able to do 40 minutes training in the spare room.

Have you thought about getting a turbo trainer or spin bike so you can exercise at home?

glucosamine, chondroitin and fish oil supplements + resistance training are things that will help.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/73956-whey-protein-drink-side-effects/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12701824

oh god, not this again…..

I’ve just heard you can get flame retardant socks. Might be worth the investment.

I’d be looking for something flame retardant if you’re likely to be drying them on a radiator

Do you know any socks that are? As long as they are not too expensive I don’t mind paying a bit extra for flame retardant ones. Think this is probably more important than the fresh feet technology.

Sleep.

Looks like fun. I’d be out, but my shoulder is knackered. Where in sussex were you riding?

Just to be clear, creatine will do nothing for endurance, so for cycling and running it is generally pretty useless. For weight training it is useful as it enables you to create more ATP, which is what the body uses to fuel short bursts of high intensity activity (lifting a weight or sprinting).

Crikey there is some bollox being posted on this thread. Advice to the OP, on the whole STW is not the place to be getting advice about diet and supplementation with regard to fat loss and weight training.

Have a read of the articles on here:

http://articles.muscletalk.co.uk/articles-bodybuilding-supplements.aspx
http://articles.muscletalk.co.uk/articles-bodybuilding-nutrition.aspx

Dislocated my shoulder on Saturday and my ankle is still knackered from last month.

Whey protein is great post workout.

why? how does it affect you? whats different about taking that rather than eating a few sarnies or whatever after a workout?

ideally id like to ‘re-distribute’ some weight from my waist (beer tum/ love handles), and turn into muscle. i do gym for 4 days on, then 4 off. and thats split between cardio one day, then weights the next.

will whey protein help that, or should i just try to lose weight really and hope it goes from my waist and not arms/legs/chest?

cheers

Whey is a fast digesting protein which is what your body needs to repair itself after a workout.

The best thing you could do is read up on bodybuilding nutrition as without a good diet + effective post workout supplementation you are not going to get the results you want. You may not want to be a bodybuilder but understanding how your body works with regards to fat loss and muscle gain is key to changing your physique.

I’ve had a fair bit of therapy over the last 6 years and it has helped enormously with OCD. I can’t say I’ve had much luck with depression though; exercise, routine and being around other people seem to help more.

I did a 6 week course in cbt and found it useful, but I did not commit to the process enough to really know how beneficial it is.

Creatine monohydrate will increase water weight. Creatine ethyl ester doesn’t do this so is more useful IMO. Whey protein is great post workout.

Both can be useful for fat loss. Weight loss is a bit of a misnomer as generally most people do not want to lose muscle, just fat.

Flog the 5 and get something a bit more meaty that you can use for downhill.

Another charge spoon fan here. Tried a wtb saddle and it was bloody awful.

cinning stint – cunning stunt

adobe lightroom, then name of the shoot i.e bluebells, sam studio shoot etc

Haven’t seen either, I’ll add them to the list. Looking forward to lifecycles and also the freecaster 2010 dh dvd.

lol I still have all my old skate videos, cannot bring myself to throw them out.

Youtube is brilliant, I’ve seen loads of classic parts as well as the newer stuff.

I had a go this summer for a bit, twisted my ankle trying a nollie heelflip and that was enough for me.

Talking about miniramp have you seen almost cheese and crackers? Mental.

Yeahp, that was me. I’m an Oxford lad so was lucky enough to skate with him a few times before he went global with Flip.

Shiiiit, remember being at Radlands way back when they used to call time on a session by just turning off the lights.

Mr Penny mid kick flip over the big funbox in the middle, lights out, much swearing, but he still rode it out!!

That’s pretty damm cool. He was amazing even as a kid. That radlands run is still my favorite of all time.

I remember seeing him skate a mini at a snowboard comp about 15 years ago. He slammed hard trying to land a big kickflip and crawled back up to the top of the platform. After drinking a beer and having a rest he dropped in and landed it first try and then switch frontside flipped out the other side. Legend.

Have you seen any of the videos in the last few years? Bloody ridiculous what they are doing these days.

I’ve given up skating as it hurts too much. Having said that I have dislocated my shoulder and knackered my ankle on jumps on the mountain bike in the last month so I might just be kidding myself….

Did you post the clip of tom penny in the sporting legends thread southern yeti? If so, good shout, penny is one of the all time greats.

It’s been a while since i’ve bought a board, but a decent setup costs about £130 I think. The best place to get a cheap one would be a proper skate shop rather than argos or anything like that.

Any of these would do the job:

http://www.skateboardsofchoice.co.uk/skateboards/completes/+price:35:50

I don’t know about nicest looking bike, but this 1990 bear valley will be one of the best I have seen when it’s finished. The amount of work that has gone into it is staggering……

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=43798&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=105

Personally I’d get the body only, and then buy a Sigma 17-85 2.8-4 IS lens which I’ve found to be fantastic (I have the older non IS non HSM version). Light ish, perfect range for biking shots + landscapes. Also nice and sharp.

This is good advice if you can afford it. Both sigma and tamron do zooms that are very good and cheaper than canon.

The kit lenses that come with these kind of cameras are generally poor, so your better off getting a cheap prime and/or a zoom from sigma or tamron.