Running in Mukluks, first run Review

Here it is, the first running review of my Hunter mukluks. I can’t wait forever for the snow to run, so I figured cold weather would be good enough. So I finally headed out to the Ranchehouse Ravine for a good running loop. Relatively cool, somewhere around the 0 mark, and easy, rolling terrain of various surfaces (dirt, pine needles, rocks, roots, gravel).

Run data can be found here.

Not exactly what I would call appropriate dress attire for running (cargo pants aren’t good enough), but a wool top and toque will suffice for now.

The mukluks fit nicely under the cargo pants. I tied up the calf drawstring and actually broke one. I have to remember that they are made of leather, not shoelace. My main concern was the the boots would “flop” as I ran, and sure enough they did. I have to find a way to hold the boot on the calf so that doesn’t happen.

First run in the new mukluks. Not much but a blur. I must be a super fast runner.

The Ranchehouse Ravine has such a great variety of trails, from single track through the grass to pine needle and rock. The thing I really noticed was that I could still feel the ground through mukluks as I did in my 5’s. A definite plus for anyone used to barefoot / minimalist footwear.

Roots and rock. The flat soles of the mukluks didnt’ disappoint with over-cushioning and such. I like feeling the ground, and these mukluks still allowed me to do that all the while keeping my feet insulated from the cold.

One thing I did notice in the mukluks was that walking up a very steep incline, my feet would slide back in the boot. This is largely due to the soft sheepskin lining, which I am sure will become a little more coarse as I wear the mukluks. It’s not too big of a deal, and I’m thinking of ways to keep my foot secured in the mukluk without compromising the feeling.

More variety of trails. So nice out, it felt great to run again.

No leaves, but what do you expect for November? I’m still waiting for snow. Forecast looks good. It was bit chilly, but the mukluks proved themselves VERY warm and soft. Nice.

Me running. I was able to keep the stride identical as if I were wearing my 5’s. The weight of the mukluk was not noticeable until they started bunching up around my ankles. Again, something I am trying to remedy.

My beloved mountains, always beckoning me to visit them. Soon enough. I have some trails that I want to try running in winter. Anyone care to join?

I would like to add that descending the grassy hills was a breeze. The Vibram sole in the mukluk provided TONS of grip, especially on the path covered in grass. No slippage or anything, and as I expected, my foot stayed planted in the mukluk. Points for that.

The Horseman, ever so faithfully watching over the town. Nice photo op too.

Looking up at Mr. Horseman of Cochrane.

All in all, an excellent run. You can see how the mukluks bunched up around my ankle. Not too big of a problem and it’s something that I am trying to solve. I am going to look for cinch straps to put in place of the leather lace. Ideally, if the boot came up to just below my knee, keeping the mukluks in place wouldn’t be a problem. But I am testing these out for this purpose exactly.

Total distance and time of my run was 4.5km and about 27 minutes.

Manitobah Mukluks Hunters: Flat and Cool

Pros: Super comfortable, stylish (always a bonus), warm, soft, as close to barefooting as possible in sub-zero temps, superior grip

Cons: Boot bunches around the ankle, leather lace more of a decoration than practical, sheepskin lining causes foot slide in boot on steep inclines

Overall: For an off the shelf mukluk that wasn’t made for running at all, these boots held up great. With a few tweaks and mods, as well as some snowfall and suede protector, these could be the start of something fantastic for those who wish to continue minimalist running in sub zero temps. For the conditions listed (dry, cool, relatively flat), I give these mukluks a 7/10.

I’m not done reviewing. I still have to see how these hold up on true trails (mountains), in snow, and in –10, –20, –30, –40 and perhaps –50 degree weather (that’s Celcius, my friends). I am also going to try them with snowshoes, on ice, and for sprint and interval trials and also with stationary workouts. So stay tuned and I will keep the reviews a comin’.

I would also like to add to the variety of locations that pushups can be done. Enjoy!!

Pushup #12 – Outside on a wooden deck.

Pushup #13 – On a fence. Challenges balance in many ways.

Pushup #14 – In the leaves. Man these leaves smell good.

That’s all from me. Coming up are more mukluk reviews and Parliamentary Pushups, French Pushups, perhaps pushups IN a plane and terminal pushups. Still open to suggestions,

Pushups on a plane?

Muahahaha! These truly can be done anywhere!

Pushup #7 – On a plane! This one is thanks to a suggestion from dear father in law.

No running in a week. The break has been good, but I’m rearing to go! I’ll probably ease into it next week! It’s still quite nice here and I have a few times to get. They should be fairly attainable.

1) 800m run in 4:20

2) 400m run in 2:04

3) 1 mile run in 9 minutes

 

Drop down and give me 100!!!

So in my quest for 100 pushups, I found some more ways to do them! Read on :-)

Pushup #4 – At the track, post run, in VFF Treksports. Yeah yeah!

Pushup #5 – Up the bleachers!

  Pushup #6 – DOWN the bleachers.

I ran on Friday for the first time in my new Treksports. So this is what I noticed:

1. HOT! These VFFs cover the tops of my feet unlike my Sprints or Classics, and I noticed that my feet heat up quickly. Man, I must be fast.

2. Squishy. The thicker sole is quite noticeable after running so long in Sprints. This is going to be great for the trails. I’m not talking shock-absorption thickness, but noticeably softer thickness. Methinks it’s a good thing, plus it’s preparing me for the mukluks.

3. SUPER-comfy! They have a different material inside of them. Not sure if this is model specific or subject to the whole VFF brand, but they were comfy to wear, even with my worn-out-leper-like-heel-blisters.

October 15th, 2010. First snowfall. Oh yeah! Me likey! Mukluk running here I come! I just need my mukluks now!

So after 1 week of the 100 pushup routine here is what I have discovered. My triceps are weak-weak-weak! I need to work on that if I want to get to the full 100. I also discovered that a faster tempo will get the job done with much less effort, however it will require a lot of anaerobic muscle work. I also need to work on proper hand placement to maximize my results! Here’s to week 2!

:-)

Pushups Anywhere!

Since I am in week 1 of my 100 pushup challenge, I figure I would explain the benefits of doing pushups. Pushups are great for many reasons:

1. They strengthen the upper body, specifically the triceps, deltoids and pectoral muscles.

2. They are a functional, multi-joint exercise.

3. The are a closed kinetic chain exercise, meaning they can be done safely with little risk of injury and with better control.

4. They make you look really good if done correctly. The thing I like about the program I am doing is that it also involves strengthening the back and biceps, core, lower back and shoulders. This prevents the hunched-shoulder look that so many people develop from overworking their chest. Strengthening the back literally pulls the shoulders back, and I am happy to do this as I don’t want to look like a muscle goon.

5. But most of all, I like pushups cause you can do them ANYWHERE! See below for examples.

Pushup #1 – At the gym

Pushup #2 – At the office

Pushup #3 – On my boss’ desk (seriously).

I will continue to post clever places to do pushups. I will even take suggestions for creative locations. See what you can come up with.

My Treksport VFFs came in yesterday! While my parents were travelling through the US, they stopped at REI and picked me up a pair! So awesome! My mom calls them monkey shoes, so she asked the sales clerk for “monkey shoes” and apparently he got very offended and said “They’re Vibram Five Fingers!!!”. My dad then said: “Don’t your feet have toes, not fingers?”. Oh well, thanks mom and dad!

They’ve got tread which will be great for the trails! They also have a slightly thicker sole, which will be super nice for those sharp pointies that nature seems to leave everywhere.

As you can see, the shoes were a little big for me, but I think I will grow into them.

I was driving home the other day and I pulled up behind this semi. The bumper sticker made me smile. It so beats those I *Heart* my Shih-Tzu stickers.

:-)

Season of Change

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone (although today is still the official holiday). It also marked the completion (or incompletion in my case) of the 10-10 Virtual Race. I had signed up for 100 miles of running, but in my over-ambitious state I bit off more than I could chew and could not complete the total mileage. That’s fine though, because I did complete roughly 132 kilometers in about 14 hours. I’ll live. But all the running made me realise that I had neglected strength training. My squats have become unstable and choppy, upper body strength has diminished (only 24 pushups!!!) and I just feel weakened.

So starting yesterday, I’ve started a 100 pushup in 10 weeks routine. This doesn’t mean that I have 10 weeks to do 100 pushups, lol, but at the end of this 10 weeks I’ll be able to do 100 pushups in a row. I think it’s a fantastic goal with huge benefits! Pushups are one of those exercises that I just want to be good at, and there is no equipment needed and they can be done anywhere. I’ve even had the inspiration to take 100 different photos of me doing a pushup in 100 different locations. Hmmmm…. Sunday, December 19th is the completion of this routine.

Also, by the end of this week my mukluks should have shipped and I can continue running as the weather cools off. Now that is exciting. However, my pushup training is taking priority and I will start building up mileage for my first ever marathon on December 31st with Marathon 250’s Martin Parnell. It will be his 250th of the year here in Cochrane, and my first, but I will be along side him in my sweet new mukluks (I’m not trying to steal the show, BTW)! I encourage everyone who is able to come out and join Martin on his run!

:-)