Doctor Dumbbell

There’s a colleague called Garrett Turbett doing a biomechanics research project in London, UK. He already has some willing test subjects. The study will compare running gait between runners who always run in running shoes with those that regularly incorporate barefoot running into their routine. There will be a couple of different running trials in each session – getting runners to run in and out of shoes. This seems to be indicative of the interest that scientists are showing in this area.

I have given barefoot running a go for the last week or so. I have a read a fair bit about it and I figured that it was time to start seeing whether some of the things are true.

Well, firstly I’m pleased to report back that I did not injure myself. I survived even though I did not have a cushion of air and arch supports beneath me.

I’ve also noticed that other runners aren’t interested in what I’m doing. This surprised me because I expected questions and comments. I wonder if the power of advertising has many people convinced that they need shoes to run. I also wonder if people are scared. Scared of change. Scared of injury. Scared of being different.

There are parts of the world where running barefoot certainly isn’t being different. Some of the best runners come from these areas. However, once they are on the world stage they usually have a sponsorship deal and they will run in shoes.

Now, my three 5.6 km run this week are not enough evidence of anything. In fact my times were a little slower. But common sense suggests that it’s wrong to not allow the foot to do what it was designed to do! Nowadays many forms of exercise or therapy try and restore how the body was designed to function.

There is a twist! Something that I haven’t told you about ‘my’ barefoot running and how I’m doing it. There’s a small prize to the first person who can guess what it is… email me: stephan AT doctordumbbell DOT com or leave a comment here…

I’m on a ‘well deserved’ break at the moment; enjoying the Mallorcan countryside. Whilst here, it has occurred to me that the beach body phenomenon is all about the end result and not the journey.  Once you’ve got your beach body, do you just want to become inactive and allow a flabby, saggy body to reform?

If you have summer holidays booked and you are shaping up to look great on the beach, perhaps start thinking about some activities to do whilst you are there.

Here are some suggestions:
•    Early morning or late evening jogs
•    Explore the surroundings with a hike
•    Find a scenic spot and practice Yoga or Tai Chi
•    Rent a bicycle and go to the next town or village
•    Bring a football and head for a pitch or open space (you’ll always find somebody looking for a game)

The great thing about all of the above is that it will inevitably lead to a stronger connection with local people and/or the environment.
Have fun and use the comment section to post your ideas for holiday fitness.

There are lots of ways to improve your health. These are seven ideas that are simple and effective.
Run. Running is simple. People often say that all you need is a good pair of shoes. I’m not sure. Remember Zola Bud? She ran barefoot and so can you. Your running technique will improve and you will have fewer injuries.  This is as simple as exercise gets: no gym, no shoes, no specialist equipment, no relying on others. Just you and your body.
Breathe! It doesn’t get any simpler than that! I walked up the stairs with a colleague this week. Our offices are on the seventh floor. At a fast pace, I was breathless when I get to the top. My colleague was as well but didn’t want to admit it and was suppressing his breathing.  It then took him twice as long for him to be able to talk normally. Your body needs oxygen, and when you are exercising it needs more.
Hydrate yourself all day, every day. Yes you’ve heard this before but are you doing it? Team up with somebody to have him or her remind you to drink. My wife used to ask me whether I wanted a cup of tea. Now she asks whether I want a glass of water.
Eat smaller portions. We have all got used to portions that are much bigger than we need.  Even people who eat mainly health food can get this one wrong. Then they wonder why they are putting on weight! Secret tip: use a smaller plate.
Build functional strength first. A squat is a good example of an exercise that builds functional strength. If you are short of time or want to keep it really simple then it’s a good one to include.  An abdominal curl (or sit up) is an exercise that does not have much functional relevance so think about whether you need it.
Improve your posture. This gives you an advantage. If you are exercising it means that your lungs can function properly. If you are at work you will make a better impression. If you are on a date you will be more attractive.
Stay balanced. Remember these are tips for health! Too much of anything is not healthy! A Tour de France cyclist is not healthy; an amazing athlete: yes, but not healthy. In fact if you look at the life expectancy of extreme endurance athletes you may be in for a surprise.

Try these seven tips and see how much difference they make to your life

How do you plan your runs or bike rides? Do you get out a map and plot a route? Or do you just go through it in your head? What if you are meeting up with somebody?
Increasingly, I am using Google Maps. Especially when I’m meeting somebody for a bike ride. I have my favourite routes saved as ‘My Maps’ and I just email that out.
The’ Google Lat Long’ blog shows you how to do that here
I also use Google Maps to calculate distance. Many years ago when I was training for the London marathon, I found that a circular route around my local park was 2.6 miles. So ten times around would be the full marathon distance. This proved to be a simple and useful training tool. I could build up lap by lap. I’m sure that you can find a pleasant route of 2.6 miles somewhere near you. Give it a go. Let me know how you get on. Email me ( stephan AT doctordumbbell DOT com) or leave a comment to this post.
This Sunday, Doctordumbbell contributor Steve Berman is running the marathon. He has promised to post on this site just as he hits the wall at 20 miles…

Are you giving your children the best start in life? For me, I know that it’s easy to let my daughter play computer games. As these get more sophisticated I can even justify them. The Wii encourages physical activity doesn’t it? The truth of the matter is that none of the great games on the Wii can replace the running around that children have always done. There is evidence to suggest that if children don’t establish a habit of moving they will never go on to create this as adults (National Association for Sport and Physical Education, 2004). There is also evidence which seems to suggest that a child’s physical activity is related to general cognitive functioning and academic achievement in school (Sibley & Etnier, 2003).
In England the situation is not good. The Change4Life website claims that:
“…9 out of 10 of our kids risk growing up with dangerous levels of fat in their bodies. This can cause life-threatening diseases like cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Change4Life is a nationwide movement that’s there to help you and your family eat better, move more and live longer…”
They can provide you with a free action plan . If you have your own tips or ideas for keeping kids healthy and active please share them (just click on comments at the top of this post) or if you prefer email them to me (stephan AT doctordumbbell DOT com)

26 March 09 (One month before the run!)

Given that I have less than a month to go before I have the horrific experience that is called the Flora London Marathon, I thought it would be ‘fun’ to provide a running (get the pun!) commentary on my progress leading up to D-Day.

But I warn you its not gonna be a pretty picture. There will be blood, guts, sweat, tears, and lots of general suffering. And as if that isn’t bad enough I’m also going to be eating lots of pineapple and applying even more Vaseline, though not necessarily in that order! So if you think you can handle it continue reading. If not, then you might be better off reading the latest episode of Fifi and the Flower Tots “Fifi gets attacked by a gang of weeds, gets rabies and goes out of her mind”.

Anyway, I woke up last Tuesday knowing I had planned my first outdoor run since my training had started. I figured it would be an ideal time to assess my overall progress given that there was exactly one month to go.

I had planned to leave work at lunchtime and run home following a route I’d mapped out online. That meant leaving the office in Kings Cross at midday and hopefully arriving home in Hertfordshire by tea- time. (I use the phrase ‘tea time’ knowing it gives me between 3pm and 5pm depending on how good or awful I find the run). I’d worked out it was somewhere between 18.5 and 19 miles, albeit uphill much of the way.

Needless to say, it turned into what can only be described as a nightmarish nightmare!

As I got started I could barely keep my eyes open. I probably shouldn’t have stayed up half the night on the Internet, (but I can’t really visit my usual sites with the wife walking around). That said, I felt particularly tired. My feet were also hurting, though that was likely due to the weekly mileage I was managing to run up.

To make matters worse my back was stiff ( I have a slipped disc – everybody say ahhh!). In fact, I could barely get my trainers on. But being determined to run a good time I pushed past the pain. Fortunately my mind started to wonder about other things like what am I going to eat for dinner? Did man really land on the moon? and what it is like to have elephantises of the testicles? Just run of the mill stuff which took my mind off the ever increasing pain.

I was by now beginning to feel quite exhausted. The idea of running all the way home seemed impossible and to make matters worse I was now feeling hungry. At one point I swear I saw a mirage of macaroni cheese and a side order of clematis. YUM!

I found that the biggest challenge was keeping my feet moving. I so desperately wanted to sit down but I new that if I stopped moving I would find it even tougher to get going again.

But In spite of everything, my back hurting, my feet feeling sore, exhaustion, delusions and hunger I finally managed to pull myself together, get my running shoes on, grab my car keys and get out of the house.

I just couldn’t wait for midday when I would finally be able to have a go at running the planned nineteen-mile route home. But that will have to wait until my next blog.

Signing off,

Steve ‘Seb Co’ Berman