I used my KSO fivefingers on concrete for the first time last week. I ran four miles, the entirety of which was on a mix of street and sidewalk. I felt great during my run, but as soon as  I stopped I felt tightness in my calves. I stretched them as well if not better than I would ordinarily stretch after a run. Despite my efforts to stretch the muscles, the tightness continued for the next three days. I started running again after a one-day break, but went back to the low arch-support running shoes while I transition and got rid of the muscle stiffness.

Switching over to the fivefingers is going well, but it doesn’t happen quickly. Just be smart about it if you are trying to make the change.

Humans most likely began their running evolution out necessity. Maybe they needed to run from a predator, to hunt their next meal or for shelter in a tumultuous situation.

We know that running as a profession began as early as Egyptian times, when servants were given the responsibility of running ahead of a ruler to announce his arrival.

We also know that the Olympics began in 776 BC with nothing more than a sprint. There was no javelin toss, high jump, or tennis tournament. No, it was all about running.

In the 17^th century, English noblemen began betting on runners much like they would with horses.

These heavily bet upon races gave way to “paper chases,” which featured two groups of runners. The first group placed paper markers throughout a course, while the second group chased the first group’s paper trail.

In the early 20^th century, runners began training multiple times a day and increasing their distances to dozens of miles.

Organized track running has only existed for 200 years, which was showcased to the world in the 1896 Olympics. It was Greek distance runner, Spiridon Louis that won the first marathon on a track in these Olympics, clocking in at 2 hours 58 minutes and 50 seconds.

Since then, running has exploded. The first NCAA national championships for running were held in 1921, and recreational running hit a boom in the 1970’s.

Technology has certainly helped speed the growth of running. The advent of the modern running sneaker, treadmills, medical aids like wraps and anti-inflammatory medicines have led to an exponential growth of the running population.

Today, over 950,000 high school students participate on school track teams and it is estimated that over 15 million Americans jog or run on a regular basis for fitness purposes. There are all sorts of races, including 100 meter dashes, marathons, 4X400 relays, trail runs, ultra marathons and much more.

Running records are being set all the time. Usain Bolt became the “fastest man in the world” when he ran 100 meters in 9.58 seconds, while Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot recently won the Boston Marathon with a time of 2:05:52.

My amazing finacee bought me a brand new pair of Vibram FiveFingers for my birthday. She originally bought me the Bikila model, which is designed exclusively for running. The Bikila’s have a thicker and stronger soles, which is better for street running.

Unfortunately, the size wasn’t exactly right so I went back to the store to get re-fitted. I came to find out that the store didn’t have any Bikila’s in my size because they’re flying off the shelf. After talking with the store clerk and thinking about it more, I ended up switching models to the proven KSO. The Bikilas have received some complaints about durability, so I made the switch with confidence.

I’ve been walking around in the KSOs while doing yard work for a week now. I even played some ultimate frisbee in them, which included jogging, sprinting, jumping and other types of physical activity. I still haven’t tried them out on the street, but that is the next step.

I’m super pumped to keep using them. I originally thought of switching to FiveFingers after reading “Born to Run,” but wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t have a reason. My stress fracture in my shin was my reason. The FiveFingers are exciting and reinvigorate my passion for the science of running. I’ll keep people posted as I break the KSOs in.

I participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Raleigh this weekend. The events were held at Meredith College, just outside of downtown Raleigh. It was an amazing experience, with about 25,000 people coming out and supporting the cause.

I had never been part of a race that large. Despite the immense amount of people in attendance, the event was run quite smoothly. Participants were asked to park at the nearby RBC Center (home of the Carolina Hurricanes), from which they were bused to the race site in what seemed to be a never-ending stream of buses. The race course weaved through a picturesque Raleigh neighborhood, ultimately ending back on Meredith College’s campus.

I participated in both the competitive race at 7:00am and the casual walk/run at 8:45am. By my watch, I ran the competitive 5K in 20:56 . I wasn’t straining to get an amazing time partly because there was no room to maneuver through the traffic of people and partly because of the intense humidity. I was then able to take a nice liesurely walk with my co-workers for the casual walk/run, which allowed me to take in the crowd a little more. I saw large groups like AKA sorority and Panera Bread represented, as well as groups of survivors that stuck together and shared their stories. Parents were out with their young children, dogs with their owners and people even traveled the course in electronic wheel chairs.

It was a great experience and an amazing cause. I will post photos as soon as I get them.

I’ll be running the Raleigh/Triangle area Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure this weekend. I won’t be running it alone. A good portion of my office mates will be running it as well. The goal for us is obviously to raise awareness and funds for the Komen breast cancer movement, but also for team building purposes.

For those that don’t know, Komen has raised over $1.5 billion for breast cancer research since the organization was created in the early 80’s. The Race for the Cure is a series of 5K races and walks around the US. They commonly have over 1 million people participate in their races each year.

Even though this will only be a 5K, I’m excited to run the in the competitive grouping with some of my coworkers. I’m expecting a significantly more crowded scene than I would normally see at my marathon, mud and trail races, but I’m hoping its not too crazed. I’ll let you know how it goes.

It’s been quite some time since my last post, but that’s not because I haven’t been running. I’ve been unbelievably busy with work, planning a wedding and all the other things that go on in life. I’ve been using all the spare time I have to get out and run.

What better time to start posting again than NATIONAL RUNNING DAY!!! I woke up and ran 12 miles this morning before work. I will try to get in another 6 miles this evening when I get home from work.

Hopefully everybody will take today to get out and run, even for just 15 minutes if that’s all you have.