Rickshaw...anyone???

What the heck is up my friends!  What a ripper day to be alive for no other reason except to be alive!  I pray this rant finds you smiling like a fox!

Well things are going well in Grills land.  I have just completed my first week of my 50km program (Hares and Hounds) and this included 11.5km completely barefoot and 66.5km in sandals.  Apart from a little soreness in my right forefoot (which has now come good) it was a top week.  I have been hearing some funny stories from friends of friends etc about the 'bloke running in sandals', and hearing comments like 'do you really run with NO shoes on?!'.  This will then usually follow with a short conversation about same and some puzzled looks!  Makes me smile!  One particular conversation made me laugh the other day with a friend stating that barefoot running is such a 'new concept' that it hasn't had time to be tested!  Umm...I'm pretty sure SHOES are the 'new' concept...maybe I am missing something?!  I am also finding myself to go unshod more and more...this may cause problems with the wife?  Time will tell!  Ha!  All in all, so far it has been an enjoyable experience.  I have also been running with my hound, who LOVEs the run!

The Guru, Barefoot Ken Bob and Barefoot Ted

Beauty!

So, onto the title of this blog.  I have been inspired by Barefoot Ted and his Rickshaw!  I am on a hunt...call it a quest to find/build my own Rickshaw!  I have done some research on the net and mainly only located pedal rickshaws.  I however am looking for a pull along one, like the ones pictured (note the cool sign on the back!).  I seek your assistance!  I need some help in trying to either get an old one that I can renovate, or get in touch with someone who might be able to build one!  The dream I have it to acquire one and set up down at Bargara (the beach at Bundy) and take people for a trip along the coast line, possibly to Burnett Heads Lighthouse (about 10k) with me running barefoot or in my sandals!  I would then set up a little picnic for them, leave them alone for a hour and then run them back the 10k to Bargara.  I reckon it would be stella!  I would enjoy it anyway, even if they didnt!  I would love some feedback on your thoughts and as I said, any advise about acquiring a rickshaw would be GOLD!  

Apart from that, all else is bonza!  I am very excited for the next couple of days.  Tomorrow, Tegan and I go away and celebrate our 9year wedding anniversary!  It is hard to believe that that time has gone so quickly!  Every day spent with my bride has enriched my life and I am so thankful that she puts up with my madness!  It will be a super time away together!  We are then spending two nights in Brissy and yep, it is tattoo time again!  Cant wait!  Getting my left arm finished, very excited!  As usual I will be going to Westside Tattoo in West End, Brisbane, so if you want any drawings on your skin, head there and tell em I sent you!

Well comrades, I hope that your week is filled with joy and happiness!  Run hard, smash some hills, do a somersault, be nice to someone who is hating on you, kiss your dog!!  Keep smiling, fit and loving life.  Life is good people, no matter how bad things are, you are still blessed!  I love you all, peace, hippy and happiness!

Run on ombre's!

Sandals = Glory

Before...

Ahhh Sandals!  So, the reason for my bliss is I just ran my first organised race in my huaraches, and they were GLORIOUS!  And...I WON!!!  Well the Sandal category anyway!!!  The joys of being the only enterant!  Ha!  The longest distance I had done in my huaraches to date was 8km, and this was a 10km event.  Good times!  So, I rolled up, bare foot...the only way to be, carrying my new ‘footware’!  After lacing up my traditional laces, and getting a few odd looks/comments, we began.  The wind was howling but made for an easy 5km ‘out’.  The 5km home however was tough with 25-30knot winds!  I felt a little sick (which nearly never happens to me) but I think this was from pushing a bit and the resistance from the breeze!  I finished in 49minutes, the quickest I have run 10km in in a long time!  And I even stopped for about 30sec to a minute to help a little fella that went straight over his handle bars on his pushy!  OW!

Well done to Sherry and the Bundy Road Runners for organising the series!  I take my hat off to you for having a crack and getting a club started in Bundy.  It is something that the town has needed for a long time! 

Dad and I after.

To those local runners AKA ‘slackers’ who didn’t support the event ‘just because’, where were you??? What is the problem?  I had better not hear any of you whinging that there are no running events in Bundaberg when you couldn’t even support the ones that are here!  For those with legitimate reasons, well let you off this time!  Ha!

After...note my 'still buggered
 toes/feet from my 100mile race
 four weeks ago...bloody shoes!!!

So...the report!  The huaraches were SO good!  I have been reading Barefoot Ken Bobs book at the moment and during the race I constantly focused on maintaining a good barefoot style of running (wanna find out what this is???  Do some research into it...trust me, it will be worth your while!!!).  I really felt light and felt like I was floating!  I suffered no soreness/rub, however I did finished with hot spots under my big toes.  This is obviously still because I am getting used to the new treds.  I got to have some good conversation with some other runners about the benefits of barefoot and minimal running and it was wonderful to get out at an actual event in the huaraches!  I have decided to train for and run my next ultra in them.  This will be Hares and Hounds on the second weekend in January...CAN NOT WAIT!  I am VERY excited about a future of no blisters, black toenails or injury!  From now, at least until Hares and Hounds, I aim to train only barefoot and in my huaraches!  YES! 

Update on the first week of my 3month challenge...

So, for those meat lovers and vege haters…you will be happy to know that I am off the vegetarian diet already.  This week has been pretty tough!  I have run well, and quickly for me, however been SO tired the rest of the time.  I don’t know if this has been due to the reduction in calories or not eating meat; however I am back being a carnivore.  This low energy factor seems to always rear its head when ever I drop meat from my diet and seems to be compounded by my exercise induced anaemia…sucks!  Even though I have dropped the meat free eating at the moment, it will be back, I promise!  A vege diet is surely something that I would like to convert to 100% to in the future, but while I am running like a mad man, I think a bit of meat here and there is of benefit to me. 

Further to this, in my first week of calorie counting and eating well, I have had some great weight loss results!  I am now down to 83.8kg and things are going well!  Just have to remain consistent!  Good times!

So all round, good news!  I am now kicking back a bit for the weekend and looking forward to watching the Hawaii Ironman highlights on telly today!  For those out there reading this, have a ripper weekend!  Love life, go for a run, kiss the trail (not by falling over though) and appreciate what you have!  Life is good, we are blessed!

Until next time friends...Run on!

Barefoot Ken Bob-ism for the day...

In the beginning, we were barefoot.  Then we screwed up and invented running shoes!