k r i s a n d r o

I’ve been talking about it on , and telling friends about my recent change I made for running.

For the last 4 weeks, I have chucked away my Asics running shoe and got myself a pair of Vibram Five Fingers KSO.

If you cannot tell from the image above, it looks like someone decided to stick a thin layer of rubber on a toe sock and in fact, the actual product isn’t far from the truth.

“What? You chucked away a S$130 Asics cushioned shoe for a pair of rubber gloves for your feet and YOU RUN IN THEM?“

You have to understand the benefits of barefoot running and what modern shoes are offering to understand why I made the change but I shall not go too deep into that (Read this awesome article to change your perception about regular running shoes). I actually wanted to test the Vibram Five Fingers for another few more months before writing a post about it but I have to share with you how awesome it has been so far.

 

First, some personal history and the hard facts.

I have been suffering from plantar fasciitis in my left sole since 2003 and weak ankles in both my legs since 2002 from one too many sprains. I decided to quit soccer to keep my ankles (Yes I need em…). I picked up long distance running in May last year after failing my IPPT for the 1st time in 7 years.

Between May and October last year, I ran a total of 66 runs, clocking 218.35km and the longest run was 21km in 2hr 43mins.

I stopped running from October last year due to a cough that persisted for months and only started running again in January this year.

In my Vibram Five Fingers KSO for the last 4 weeks, I ran a total of 16 runs so far, clocking 78.59km and the longest run was 8.8km in 52mins 29secs.

 

Now, for the experience of running in Vibrams VS regular shoes.

Way before and also throughout the 220km I ran last year, I suffered sharp pains in my left sole due to plantar fasciitis and it happens so randomly but frequently that I come to regard it as being normal. After all, running so much has got to hurt right? I am running in thick, cushioned Asics shoes that is backed by decades of research and specifically chosen for me after an expert studied my feet and pronation and still it hurts. Running has got to hurt. Running is not natural. Injuries are common.

Or so they say…

After 3 months of not running, and doing research on barefoot running, I came across Vibram Five Fingers and they are arguably the next best thing to barefoot running. I am always up for radical solutions and I went ahead and got myself a pair of KSOs and went for runs…

1st run of 2.19km. The familiar pain in my left sole shot up my leg at the end of the run and I stopped.

2nd run of 3.3km. The pain occurred at the 2km mark but I kept at it and felt better from the 3km mark onwards.

3rd run of 4.5km. Pain started at the 3km mark and occurred frequently throughout the rest of the run.

4th run of 5km. No pain at all till the last 10metres from the finish.

Since then, I have not felt the same sharp pain from my sole till this date. That is 63.6km of running without my plantar fascia flaring up. And considering that I am running at a pace between 30-40seconds faster per km and twice as much mileage per month this year, I cannot describe this experience without mentioning the word ‘miracle’ and you can probably only share my joy if you suffer the same conditions as me.

Any idiot can tell that the odd looking Vibram Five Fingers that I have been wearing for the last 4 weeks are not miracle shoes. They did not cure me of my plantar facsiitis as I still feel some distant strain on my plantar fascia during my runs but the sharp pain never came. But they did however, allowed me to reap the benefits of barefoot running while I keep my feet away from elements such as the rough asphalt, gravel, occasional small stones and frogs (yes I think I stepped on one the other day. Sorry dude).

I strengthened my calves and ankles that have been so shielded by those thick running shoes. I naturally changed my style of running to a mid/forefoot landing strike and I feel a much stronger runner in me when I take off running. I tried running in my clunky Asics the other day after 4 weeks of running in Vibrams and hated my whole run. My feet were heavy and I had no feedback from the ground at all through those huge pads of rubber in between my sensitive sole and the ground.

I know it all sounds too good to be true and so I am letting you on a reality check.

The top of right foot, right above the ball of my foot is now hurt and I think I have been too overwhelmed with running with the Vibrams that I have neglected the fact that I have been walking/running for at least 2 decades in thick soled shoes. My nearly naked feet are not conditioned to the kind of pounding I do on the asphalt roads and cement and I ignored the fact that I actually had to do a more gradual transition.

While I listen to my body this time and take a good break to let my foot recover, I am almost certain that barefoot running or in minimalistic shoes like the Vibram Five Fingers is extremely good for me. I probably need a whole year of running and even more to be sure of the benefits that has graced me so far and of course to make sure that I don’t solve a few problems and uncover a whole nest of bigger injury troubles.

But as far as I can tell right now. This is AMAZING SHIT.

If you are still skeptical, you can always incorporate some barefoot running on softer grounds like grass or track on top of your normal running or go purchase minimalistic shoes like the Nike Free so that you can run in things you still regard as shoes.

Do go read Christopher McDougall’s book titled “Born to Run” and be blowned away. (Still in stock at Kinokuniya I think…)

Or if you are already convinced by this post of mine, Vibram Five Fingers are sold in Singapore in quite a number of stores and the locations can be found here. (Link is down. Outdoor Life sells it at $175 $179 if you pay by cash. Cheaper than the top-end tier of shoes money can buy)

I’ll definitely keep running in them with the aim of completing my 1st marathon at the end of the year and I will update you guys with my progress in this blog!

[Advertorial]

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How many times have you pushed that idea or dream far back in the deep recesses of your mind and told yourself that it is too far fetched and beyond your means of fulfilling?

What if someone came up to you, listened to your dream, your idea; and said, “Anything you can imagine, you can make real. And here is $100,000 to help you realize your dream.”

This is what Sony is going to do for you with their new global brand message “make.believe” (make-dot-believe).

• make.believe: [make-dot-believe] stands for the power of Sony’s creativity, ability to turn ideas into reality and the belief that anything you can imagine, you can make real.
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• make = action, do, build and design
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If you are a Singapore resident or a PR, aged 18 years and above, Sony wants to hear from you. Take part in their “Dot Your Dream With Sony Contest” and submit your dream that relates to any of the 4 categories of gaming, movies, music or technology. Sony will be offering up to $100,000 worth of sponsorship to help one winner realize his or her dream.

Sony is also holding a photo contest that will bring 8 lucky winners to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Africa as fan photographers where you will be able to be right next to the action!

Individuals may enter both contests, so please do not miss these great opportunities. Visit the link below to find out more.

Sony make.believe

I’ve always loved playing the guitar and If I was eligible for the “Dot Your Dream With Sony Contest”, I would ask Sony to sponsor me an electric guitar, an acoustic electric guitar and a classical guitar (all top of the line and basically very expensive. hehehee…) and fly me to various countries to learn the various styles of guitar playing and immerse myself in the cultures and music while I’m there.

What is your big dream?

Share with me your dream by commenting below or better yet, share them here AND submit them in the make.believe contest.

Friends who know me most probably realize that apart from a few *cough* picky gripes about the service standard in Singapore, I am generally quite forgiving when it comes to receiving customer service.

Maybe it’s because I have tried working in the service orientated industry a few times and know how troublesome some customers can get and I also don’t want to be too pushy as a customer till the point where a waiter feels the need to add his/her saliva to my food when salt is all that is lacking.

With such a passive attitude towards the supposed ‘decline’ of service standards in Singapore, it was with great pleasure that I heard of this Singapore based website called “Are You Being Served?“.

Secret missions to uncover the standards in Singapore? I’m in!

I plan to make my way down to a steak restaurant in the heart of Holland Village where I use to frequent. It’s important to not be overboard with my service test and so, during peak hours when waiters are up to their neck with orders and requests, I would ask to change tables in the middle of the meal claiming that it is too cold.

The test will reveal how well they handle such a troublesome request when my table is full of food and the restaurant is busy. In the event that they can’t change my table, it will also test how well they try to make us comfortable despite the inability to accede to the request.

I’ll blog about my experience real soon….

Heh Heh Heh Heh Heh….. *rubs hands with evil glee*

There was a recent buzz in Singapore over comments made by the leaders of the country, encouraging the usage of mandarin and saying that learning or maintaining of other languages; specifically dialects, hinders the learning process of children and thus preventing them from being proficiently bilingual in English and Mandarin.

Such comments (or any comment by the government actually) stirs the hearts of many Singaporeans, especially those who are fluent in English, Mandarin and other dialects in which they treasure.

I suck at mandarin and it’s no wonder, considering the environment that I was brought up in. My parents and relatives speak English dominantly and throughout school life, I formed a pretty high resistance towards learning Mandarin and it came to the point of hating the language during a certain phase. The reasoning behind leaving a trail of blank Mandarin spelling test papers and frustrated Mandarin teachers was that English is the world’s universal language. Why should I waste time learning Mandarin when I use English to answer 10 of my other subjects. My computer games were in English, newspapers and magazines were in English, most of my friends spoke in English, I use English if I met a foreigner or somebody of another race. Hell, I even think in English.

If I felt so strongly about not needing Mandarin in my life, imagine how dialects are to me. Dialects to me, were used to communicate with the older generation and the occasional swearing I need to have a place amongst the cool ah bengs and ah lians. Apart from that, there wasn’t much reasons to pick up dialects at all.

Some people argued about the statements of our leaders that if the older generation is able to be multilingual, why not the younger ones? Some lamented that dialects contain rich heritage and shouldn’t be allowed to die off. Some pointed at our roots and called shame upon us for not speaking the language of our forefathers.

Seriously, what’s the point of preserving more languages?

Frankly, I would prefer everyone in the world to just pick up one language as it improves consistency and it would really help us understand one another better. But in the real world, there is just too much culture and tradition in languages such as dialects. Having them die off may be a pity. And I do find myself in many situations when my lack of proficiency in Mandarin or Hokkien left me frustrated.

But, isn’t it easier to learn just one language that is widely adopted than to learn many?

Are the reasons for preserving languages more important than a step towards one, universal language for the sake of peace?

*insert Miss Universe music*