Well, I graduated.
I moved from the sprint to the Five Finger KSOs. Amazing.
The day they arrived I was on my way to deliver flyers for an amazing open house I was holding on a central city urban remodel http://www.visualtour.com/shownp.asp?T=1447943. As most of you know, I do real estate. I usually have my flyers delivered by a high school kid, but he pulled out at the last minute and they had to get out. Looking at my KSOs I thought "put 'em on man and deliver them yourself!" So I did.
It was 110 degrees, but the historic neighborhoods of PHX have large mature trees and shade really is helpful. I had to run fast on sun exposed spots as the heat quickly made its way through the thin VFF sole. No matter, I was having an outstanding urban adventure. When finished my Garmin said 8.2 miles. Not to shabby for a work day.
The next morning I headed out at 4:45am for a trail run to beat the heat. This time of year out here is our "indoor time" due to extreme heat. If one is to exercise outdoors it has to be early, very early. The sun rises early here, so it is easy to get out of bed.
Behind my home there are endless valleys and canyons with abandon mines and even home foundations from desert dwellers of the past. As I crested a peak after 15 minutes of switchbacks the sun made its way above the mountain. It was a glorious awakening and I was glad I was there to witness the transformation from twilight to day. It's great to be a runner, isn't it? A full sun this time of year means extreme heat, so off I ran...not against other runners, but against the clock of increasing, scorching heat. An amazing morning for a life simplified and at one with its place in the universe.
Occasionally one sees a frightening friend (or foe) off in the distance. It's part of life here and they aren't that agressive really unless provoked. It's just disturbing seeing one.
Running is such an outward manifistation of an inward soul.
The heights by great men, reached and kept
Are not attained by sudden flight
But they while their companions slept
Were toiling upwards in the night
- Longfellow
More adventures to come...I'm back.
4 comments:
Ryan -
Do the KSO's prevent blisters? I'm still having blister issues - I typically wear the VFF's with a bandaid on my heel. Hehe. Wondering if I should go get a set of KSO's instead.
I've had no problem with the KSOs, at all. I do find they run a little big compared to the Sprint models. I know you are in the regular model, so not sure how they compare to that.
The thing that works with the KSO is the one continuous strap that wraps the heel and eventually is the velcro strap across the upper foot. Such a design allows a very comfortable and natural fit compared to the draw string format on your model.
I'm beyond happy with them. Just be aware they run a little big. I thought they would bother me because it is HOT where I live and the KSOs are full coverage, however, i prefer them. They are light, breathable and feel free on my foot. I'm sold.
Give 'em a try. They are superior for running.
I sold my Sprints on Ebay for almost as much as I paid for them and that offset the cost of graduating to the KSOs.
Going to get a pair for sure.
I read that the KSO stands for (Keep Stuff Out.)Funny.
I used to run in cheap water shoes that literally cost $2 at the tourist shop down here. They were great because you were virtually running barefoot...AND they covered the entire foot. The only downside was the thin rubber on the bottom wore holes in it easily and then started letting rocks and dirt in. The KSOs look like the best barefoot shoe out there to me.
Ryan,
You left a couple of comments on my Vibram post (http://mygaragegym.blogspot.com/2007/03/vibram-five-fingers-review.html).
If you come through Austin again, I am always up for a trail run and I love showing people my favorite "Powerline Loop" route on the greenbelt.
Shoot me an email if you are interested on your next swing through Austin:
peter dot keller at yahoo
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