Running in Mukluks, Update!

Since I posted a few years ago about running in Mukluks, I have had thousands of hits on my blog from all over the world. Yes, that's right, I can see you and what you are reading. Big Brother aside, I would like to post an update to running in Mukluks in our cold, Alberta climate. I headed out this morning for an easy 5km around my neighbourhood. It was about -10C outside, or 14F for you American friends.

I borrowed a GoPro3 Silver for this photo shoot. I accidentally set it to take a photo every 0.5s, so I ended up with about 4800 photos at the end of the run which I had to sift through. Below are the photos from the run.

 Here I am, setting up the GoPro and getting the oblivious selfie of me wondering if I am doing this right. Well, I guess I was, sort of...

 There was cloud cover, so GPS was slow to pick up. It did eventually, but I couldn't wait to start running.

 Here I am, ready to go. Green toque, blue jacket, grey pants, tan shoes. No colour coordination or fashion points for this run. For the mukluks, I had to tie them up with hockey tape and tuck them under my ski pants. They do still bunch up around the ankle, but ground feel and contact still remains on par with VFFs or my NB Minimus.

 Running along and trying to get photos of your feet is tough. These mukluks provided great grip and feel on snow, but not so much on ice. It is what I expected, and if you are sure-footed, you should have no problems handling the icy conditions.

 My concern about soft-soled footwear is obviously warmth and true-to-feel ground contact. Here I am, still happy, so my feet weren't cold. The plush lining of the boots is really comfortable.My feet now, however, feel a little warm to the touch where my foot strikes the ground, a sign of chafing and potential blistering. It could be the sock I am wearing though (Wigwam foot liners).

 At the "apex" of the run you could see the beautiful Rockies. Yeah, I know it is a neighbourhood and not a wonderful trail, but from my front door, it is pretty decent.

 Feet still good, so I am happy :-) . My feet stayed warm throughout the entire run.

 My wife calls this my sad whale eyes. I was not in pain or anything, but I was more caught off guard at how hard it is to run at altitude (again). My home is at 4000 ft, and I had pretty much spent the last month at sea level. So my needs are to readjust.

 More beautiful mountains to the west. Gosh I love it here! My next run should be on a trail. You know, I may just do that.

 My run is complete! My feet were happy and body was sore. My lungs were a bit chilled from the winter running (and altitude), but I would call it a success.

5.23km in 36 mins. Not a blazing pace, but a run nonetheless. I was trying to figure out the GoPro and re-acclimatize to my area. Hey, at least I was out and running :-)

Overall, the Mukluks still perform as expected. I wish they would stay up and not need hockey tape every time. A lacing system would be ideal, like a corset with stretch lacing along the calves. The hockey tape holds at first, but as soon as your calf muscles start to work, the hockey tape loses it's function. I had to make sure to wrap the tape around my ankle to hold the boot on. The plush lining would likely cause blisters on anything longer than a 10km run, but given the right sock that may be avoidable. I have a 10km run on Tuesday to do, so I will see how they hold up then.

These are the mukluks here. http://store.manitobah.ca/collections/mukluks/products/hunter-tall. Their original design has leather laces at the cuff, but mine broke after a few uses. Pssst, I think they are decorative. Maybe these would work with a new lace. http://store.manitobah.ca/collections/mukluks/products/tracker-mukluk.Regardless, if you want barefoot feel and still want to run through winter, Manitobah Mukluks are the way to go.

:-)

Mukluk 1/2 Marathon, but this one is not all about me…

This past New Year’s Eve day, I followed up on my commitment to run with Marathon 250’s Martin Parnell, who is on a quest in 2010 to run 250 marathons for the Right To Play charity.

Well, his 250th marathon came up and I decided it would be best to join him in the –30 Celsius weather. Off I went!

I walked the course along the Bow River at first to see it nicely cleared. Martin was running 2km loops so that anyone could run with him if they wanted to. Nice move! The river was freezing over and made a fantastic iceberg-ish sound as it flowed. So very cold.

Pre race interviews. It was very exciting to see all of this happening. I even called my mom!

Official Race start. If you watch the CTV news clip, you can see me recording. I am a nerd.

The run is underway! No races here, just support for this local man!

Coming in from the second to last lap!

 

The reverse angle of that previous video. I never really realize that I am full head taller than most people until I see a photo…

This man has run a lot this past year. I asked him what his plans are for the new years. He told me that his resolution is to NOT run 250 marathons and he’s sticking to it! Well done sir, you deserve the break!

The countdown to the final lap! Way to go!

It was so encouraging to see so many people come out and support this local man! I think there were around 320 runners at the end of the run. Even the horses who flanked him at the start of the run couldn’t keep up!

With just 1 km to go in his 10,500km journey, Martin took off for an additional 400m of running to make his 42.5 km distance officially recognized! It just goes to show how focused he was at all times!

The big finish! Such a huge accomplishment! It is so inspiring to see this man’s dedication.

Martin finished with all the kids around him. I’m sure there could have be no better finish for him.

Awesome news coverage can be found HERE. This run truly was about Martin’s dedication to his goal of 250 marathons. It was so amazing to see him run and to be a part of it. He has given me one more reason to be proud to live in Cochrane. Way to go Martin!

While I was running to support Martin, I was also putting my mukluks to the test. I was delighted to have –30 weather and icy conditions, the very thing I am looking for while running this winter. So here is my review for the Manitobah Hunter Mukluks.

Manitobah Mukluks Hunters: Freezing Half Marathon

Pros: Warm and perfect. I couldn’t ask for a better “barefoot” winter shoe.

Cons: None, except for comments from people asking if I’d like runners. I will also add they still require the use of hockey tape (but we already know this).

Overall: These mukluks are the ultimate in winter running. They are warm and comfortable. They are stylish and they maintain their barefoot feel. I am blown away by their performance in cold weather, both static and running. The seams are well made, the Vibram sole is perfect and flexible at cold temperatures, the plush sheepskin lining wicks moisture away from your feet. Seriously, if you want to barefoot run in winter without getting frostbite, buy Hunter mukluks from Manitobah. You won’t be disappointed. 9.5/10.

Running in Mukluks; Snowshoeing,–20, and Snowy Reviews

Last week when I went out for my run, I was so disappointed that snow had not yet fallen, and that it was still relatively warm, and that the mukluks would not be used for their original intent.However, a week of Alberta weather changed everything by dumping over a foot of snow in the Bragg Creek / Cochrane area and plummeting temperatures to where they should be. Yeah, yeah, let’s go snowshoeing.

Four of us headed out to Silver Line in West Bragg creek to take advantage of cold weather. The temperature in the vehicle says it was –23 on the way out there. Oh yeah!!!

Over the past summer, I went mountain biking here. Those details can be found here. This area in West Bragg Creek is known for it’s cross country ski trails, and I was surprised to find unbroken trails. I thought that the recent snowfall would have brought the xc-skiers out sooner, but lucky for us they had not broken all the trails.

Friends of mine came with me. These two love the outdoors (moved all the way to Canada for it), but this was their first time snowshoeing.

This guy came on the Baldy Scramble with me back in August. I told him there would be no injuries this time. It was his first time snowshoeing as well, and he had very stylish faded red snowshoes. Snowshoes don’t really do much in a few inches of powder snow, until you take them off and try walking uphill. It’s amazing what those beasties can do for you on a slope.

There obviously were some skiers out ahead of us, but we didn’t run into anyone until later on in the hike. It was absolutely gorgeous out! The snowfall made for some very cool looking trees.

My snowshoes of choice are GV Huron’s. Traditional style baby. I used to use lampwick as my binding, but I did modernize a bit and do a ratcheting binding. Since the mukluks are soft, the straps tend to dig in to the top of my foot and reduce circulation. My toes got cold quite quickly. I expected this anyway.

So much snow in less that one week. Love it!

Hard to wipe that grin off my face. My hair got streaked grey by my breath, giving me frosted tips to my hair. Oh how vanity can prevail in nature.

I definitely feel in my element in the snow and cold! I always tell people I need to take a week off every winter so I can frolic all day in the snow.

It was suggested to me by someone to fix the problem of flopping mukluks to use hockey tape to hold them up. What a great idea, except that I forgot to do it this time out. No big deal cause my snow pants have elastic cuffs that held the mukluks in place.

Snowshoeing downhill and bushwacking is tons of fun! I got a C+ for navigational skills! (It started as a C-).

Since mukluks are soft soled, it’s very neat walking in snowshoes with them. I can feel all the webbing under my feet. I can also feel the spring of the webbing as I walk, something that I never really noticed. Perhaps I was more aware of what to look for. Regardless, after some adjustments to the binding straps, my feet quickly warmed up and the mukluks kept me toasty. I was quite amazed at the warmth of the mukluks as I was only wearing a stretch polyester sock. No wool or anything.

We stopped a few km’s into the hike for some tea and goodies. When I pulled off the snowshoes and loosened them off, my feet instantly warmed up. The mukluks proved themselves extremely warm in cold, static conditions. Proof that circulation being cut off causes cold toesies! I tried running for a bit and found that they performed extremely well for that as well. Again, as close to barefoot as you are going to get in sub zero, snowy conditions (and on trails to boot!).

We eventually ran in to some cross country skiers. Actually, lots of them. Probably 30 or so. It looks like fun, but I am going to keep my focus on shoeing this year. Can’t afford skis (yet).  I used to XC ski all the time as a kid and I would love to get back in to it as we live in such a fantastic area for it.

If you’re ever in West Bragg and need someone to go snowshoeing with, look me up! I’ll be there, cold weather and all!

Manitobah Mukluks Hunters: Cold, Snowy and Snowshoeing

Pros: Extremely warm. Soft soles in snowshoes provides unique feel. Still stylish. Running stills feels barefoot-ish, as close to being barefoot in winter as possible. Very grippy on snow trails while running.

Cons: Soft mukluk not the best choice for snowshoe bindings. Perhaps a binding that covers the whole foot, rather than uses straps would do better. Mukluks still flop (but that was my fault due to no hockey tape). Once wet, the mukluks stay wet and aren’t waterproof.

Overall: With the right binding, these mukluks would provide the recreationalist with a very unique snowshoe experience. For the conditions listed (snowshoes, snow, –20), I would give the Hunter’s a 8.5/10. Very pleased.

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,