Barefoot Running Training

Barefoot Running Training and Technique

Barefoot Running has a lot of benefits such as it reduce risk of your getting shin splints and gentle on your knee. After start run using barefoot running technique my run getting more comfortable and better. No more niggling sensation on my shin as would normally came with heel strike run. Thus I could last longer and cover more distance and more important is I start to enjoy my run. I am not promoting run with naked feet here, but the technique and motion that naturally come with barefoot running, this is more or less quite similar with my post of how to run efficiently. Minimal cushion and cover up is encouraged to protect your feet from environment for safety and hygiene, unless you are Masai warrior that run barefoot chasing antelope is in your daily job description or you never run on route other than on rubber track, treadmill and from bed to toilet. As other ordinary Joe and Sally you need training and practice to master proper technique of barefoot running technique same as other barefoot run beginner. Hope these Barefoot Running Training lists would help you to train better and faster to experience and master barefoot running technique:

1. Keep you thick cushion trainer /running shoes in shoe rack and go out with your naked feet, if this is too extreme then opt for shoe with thinnest sole as possible.
2. Start by walking around barefoot. In first week, run no more than a half a KM and a KM every other day. Then increase your distance by no more than 10% per week.
3. Make mental note of how much or how little, it is bouncing up and down or left to right. The goal is just to move forward and keep in straight line.
4.  Keep vertical torso, bent knees, relaxed ankles, Bent forward from your heel not from your waist and land with your feet under your body (your center of gravity). If you land  with your foot in front of your body it will create braking effect and bad for your knees. Your body should be moving in front of the foot when it strike the ground.
5. Gently bend your toes up, this will stretches the skin on the sole of the foot before landing. Land on front half of your feet not on your toe and not on your heel because you are not walking and you are not ballet dancing either. Specifically land on the ball of your foot under the fourth and fifth metatarsal heads.
6.  At landing keep your ankle slightly extended then let your heel down gently. This will act as natural absorber and the most forgiving dynamic. This will reduce the amount of shock travelling through your body. 

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Hiking Tips

Hiker on Rainforest Trail

Hiking Tips 

No matter how well you have trained indoors. It would never match the real trail up to mountain. Never ever expect that you have trained enough to scale Gunung Kinabalu,   Gunung Tahan or Titiwangsa ranges just by running over treadmills. Simulate your training as close as the real challenge as possible. Ideally set up several pre small expeditions before the big one as that would condition your body and specific muscle better to suit what in need. Running around Lake Garden would never be the same with hiking up Gunung Tahan with 15kg on your back, count into consideration extreme temperature, mud, wet, wind, 70% degree slope what else? Learn to tackle them like a pro these ways with these hiking tips:

Hiking tips #1 - Look ahead – watch your posture, specifically 3 meters in front of you. This will ensure that your upper and lower body stays aligned. Bend your upper body too much at the waist will move your centre of gravity so that you leg will fight extra weight as you climb.

Hiking tips #2 – Use short steps – increase the pace if you want to go faster.
Shorten your steps or you will tire out faster as longer steps use more muscle.

Hiking tips #3 – Start slow - your physical exercise teacher sure have teach you right, warm up good for you! Start slow would prepare you body better to the next level; going full throttle may cause you to run out of gas sooner and it’s not easy to recover. Thus, keep your pace consistent.

Hiking tips #4 - Pack your bag properly
Ensure that your things and rations were packed properly inside your haversack. Pack it compact as possible, do not let anything loose as moving object in your haversack, worst - do not let anything hanging on your haversack  because this will affect your stability and without realize you has used more energy and you could end up tired prematurely.  Pack heavy things at bottom of your haversack to make it close with your centre of gravity as possible. String your things such as parang, camera, water bottle to your waist's belt is better than hanging on your backpack or your chest.

Hiking tips #5 - Relax, be cool, go slow mannnn...
Dont simply jump down from higher place into muddy path especially when you are descending, at montane forest trail its soil could be like muddy peat swamp, you could trap your feet through rotten root and hurt your ankle. The trail could be dry but the root, rock, slab could be slippery. Don't run don't get over excited.. you are inside high risk area  .. so safety first

Hiking tips#6 - Dont push too hard
Watch your breathing,  heart beat, dizzyness, any of your body sympton. Dehydration could cause dizzyness, instability, faint, increase body temperature, shock then death! straineous physical activity could cause asthma attack, don't let your heart beat like it to explode, over stress heart muscle could release harmful hormone and trigger heart attack... take rest  for a while then continue when you are ready

These 6 hiking tips will not make you experienced hiker overnight...   go and hit the trail, with experience you gain along the trail who know you will be the one to give your own hiking tips.


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Rainforest Outdoor Skill - Traditional Wound Antiseptic - Daun senduduk and Jambu

Long before we invented modern medicine of antiseptic and wound cream our forefather of those panglima and pendekar who has gone through battles and parang fight, pathfinder in deep rainforest looking for bunian princess for itchy ruler, clear up jungle for new village and settlement then suffered cut and wound, losing limb and skin in the process has faithfully practising traditional way of treating wound and cut using herb and plant from our rainforest and jungle.

Boiled water of bitter leaves such jambu batu was used as antiseptic water to clean up wound and senduduk leaves was known for wound healing and to stop bleeding. In emergency you can chew senduduk leaves and put the chewed leaves with its juice on the wound.

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OUTDOOR TIPS - TO PREVENT FOOT BLISTER

Foot blister hurts, spoil your mood, affect your gait, and slow you down. What normally cause this? Simply your rubber shoe is too new and too hard, or your shoes is too tight. The solution: Wear two layers of socks!! So the friction is between socks not between your skin and shoes. Choose for combination of thin and normal socks so your feet will not feel too tight.

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TREKKING POLES / WALKING POLES - Hiking better

Outdoor Gear and Equipment - Trekking Poles / Walking Poles help you to hike better

Trekking poles / walking poles are intended to make hiking easier. Not only as third support for those with weak knee but for strong leg as well. Initially it looks clumber some for me especially when climbing through dense and muddy jungle whiles you have to shuffle between crawling under fallen log, hanging on roots up or down a slope and keeping poles at your hand. Lately I found it really useful particularly when you need extra push to walk up high stairs of trek. It even more useful as cushioning your step when ascending and it save your knee cartilage, better precautious now than sorry at years later. Don’t take your knee for granted, you may not feel the effect now, but running downhill with 10kg backpack will ruin your knee. I learn my lesson during descending of Mount Trusmadi. Back at lodge in Kota Kinabalu I feel sharp pain on back outside of my right knee that makes walk down staircase really hard. Fortunately my reconstructed ACL left knee was okay.

Study by James Madison University found out that hiker using walking poles / hiking poles work out harder without feeling any extra effort. It means that you feel better using walking poles while in fact your body work harder and burn more calories. This is because “ the workload is spread over entire body, not just the legs”. Hiker with poles used 10 percent more oxygen and heart rate 6 percent higher than hiker walking at the same speed without poles.

My Walking Pole



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THINK LIKE A MOUNTAINEER

Going into wilderness is no joke. What more if you won’t see the civilization for many days. It isn’t just fitness and endurance, it demands more than just that. Years in mountaineering activities help me to identify some frame of mind that share by mountaineers or general ethics what they should possessed.

#1 Micromanage – go into details
You cannot afford to leave your headlamp at home when you have to trek overtime hours into dark night through dense jungle to reach next campsite. Before every trip experienced mountaineers need to preplan what they going to face. Body conditioning is a must up to level match with what the trail demand. Maintaining checklist of individual equipments and personal needs is important. Meeting and discussion between members held to discuss regarding essential things - equipment, rations, route, schedule, task, cost, transport, etc

USE IT – at work
Handle all projects bestowed on you like a perfectionist. Show your capability to see small but important things that other worker used to forget. Take time to think out every little routine you have ahead.- Plot the meetings, errands, and deadlines you have ahead of you. You will be more efficient at work!

#2 knows your team.
Every person has unique strength and weaknesses. I know what to expect from them, and they know what to expect from me.

USE IT
Place suitable people for right jobs. Know the character of your subordinates and co workers, just pick up the most vocal of them all then half of leading is settled.

#3 Be a team player
Be aware that you are not trekking alone. Otherwise you won’t dare to, and will not get the opportunity to see what others don’t . Except that you are exceptional or practitioner of singulars idea. Complement each other. If my team mate already set up the campsite, I would volunteer to get water supply. Outdoor enthusiast would always meet new people. Theirs capability to mix together at first meeting would always amaze me.

USE IT
Your team is stronger with united head. A team player would blend easily with others and new situation. If you could blend easy and fast with new situation then that would be an edge advantage for you. Be flexible!

#4 Control your emotion
Nothing dangerous than a hiker who amuck on mountain. Mountaineering needs all physical and mental strength. Sometimes only mental strength that would make you going after days of trekking, when your body can’t take no more. Emotional wreck will not last long in outdoor activities. Either they have enough of the challenges or others just don’t want him to be part of them. Sensitive level goes north when physical body is challenge. But bear in mind that you are not the only one. Mountaineers know not only where to place their step but also their head.

USE IT
Get your emotion in check whether in relationship, works, sport etc. You don’t want to be label as a psycho right.

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