The Innovator: Mike Friton from Origami to Running Shoes

On vimeo I found this very nice interview with Mike Friton, 'The Innovator'. Stylist, sculptor, innovator, designer with Nike for 30 years and one time teammate of Prefontaine running the Steeple Chase.

This short but well made video gives a nice insight how he plays around with very different materials and structures to discover new posibilities.
The Innovator on Vimeo.

Blade Runner, Oscar Pistorius shoots girlfriend

Allegedly mistaking her for an intruder, Oscar Pistorius shot his girlfriend last night. Read more on BBC.

Tired of bottle belts or camelbacks?

Sometime ago I saw a runner who had a normal drinking bottle stuck between the waistband of his running short. It looked highly uncomfortable but hey, maybe he thought the same of me carrying a 330ml bottle in my hand.

Someone must have thought the same and came up with a solution. A bottle shaped to be carried along in the waistband of you short, skirt or even sports bra (see video). This guy used kickstarter to crowd source the capital required to produce his invention and here it is. Simple Hydration Water Bottle

the bottle in use

Myself being a skinny runner I fear of loosing my short if I weigh it down with a bottle so I stick to carry my bottle in my hand (it tones my arms as well;-) ). The bottle can carry 384 ml of 13 oz. share your experience, post a comment underneath this posting!

You can order the bottle on . amazon.com: Simple Hydration Water Bottle

Nike Flyknit Lunar 1+; Flyknit upper with Lunar Sole

A year ago Nike introduced the Flyknit. The upper was not made of various materials stitched together to make up a shoe. No, the upper is knitted. So no stitches that might cause discomfort and a lighter upper.

For the more 'average' runner is fancy upper is now combined with the popular Lunar Sole to produce the Nike Flyknit Lunar 1+.

It is widely available in (on line) stores.

Run, or exercise with classical music

Most people, who run with music will argue that it helps them perform better. And according to this Daily Mail article they are right. Best would be if we believe the expert Jack Lewis, to use classical music: "'Energetic but not overly-fast classical music can be ideal in the gym."

For those who spend time in a gym you will agree that the music played can best be described as 'a beat and not much more'. And yes, this upbeat music has a positive effect on the intensity and duration of the exercise but you might consider a classical alternative that offers the same beat. Why? It has added benefits!

It will reduce heart rate, blood pressure and lower perceived exertion, at the same time. In addition, relaxing music has been shown to lower levels of cortisol in the body, the hormone associated with stress.

According to Lewis the classical music that survived time is more sophisticated and has these nice side effects.

OK, but which music to pick? Lewis suggests music with a beat per minute (bpm) in sync with your heart beat. For the 140 bpm he suggests Beethoven's Symphony No. 4, the Fourth movement (Listen and download MP3 on amazon).

Lewis has more tips but to me these are not listed as 'classical':

• Michael Jackson's Rock with You (MP3 download) for warming up with 116 bpm
• Johnny Cash's Heart of Gold (MP3 en preview ) for the Cooling Down

Natural(?) running according to TeVa

Nop, the question mark is not a mistake. Read on and I will explain why I put the '?' in the caption of this blog.

The current development of running shoes is less sole, less drop, less cushioning, less heel landing and more forefoot landing. A more natural approach to running even resulting in, what I call 'gloves' for the foot.

TeVa looks at this development an thinks "Why not change the shoe instead of the running pose of so many runners? Lets take of the heel cushion and make a more round sole which makes it easier to roll from heel to toe.
TeVa want a chip of the growing market of off trail running such as mudruns.

"We took our testing beyond the traditional flat environments of a lab and developed a way to test both uphill and downhill movements, mimicking the various terrains of the outdoors," said Geoffrey Gray , Doctor of Physical Therapy at P3. "Our extensive data showed that the TevaSphere represents the best combination of performance and stability of any hiking, walking or running shoe we tested."

The TevaSphere design stands in stark contrast to bulkier, squared-off heels and over-cushioned insoles of other athletic shoes. It also addresses the poor support found in "minimalist" footwear that encourages consumers to change their stride to adapt.

"The majority of consumers continue to land on their heels whether running or walking," said Chris Hillyer , Innovation Manager at Teva. "We felt compelled to create a technology that allows people to transition through their stride in a natural way without expecting the consumer to change."

(quotes van PRnewswire)

TeVa thinks heel landing is the more natural style of running for most runners and instead of changing your style they adapted the shoe. Of course I am no expert and certainly did not do al the research they say they put into it but looking at all the developments going on I tend to the idea of the barefoot approach of a more fore or mid foot landing. Hence the question mark in the caption.
And yes I agree, I also land on my heels certainly when I am tired at the end of a run. But yes I try to change to a more forefoot landing, smaller and quicker stride.

According to the article the shoe will be available from February 2013. As of now I can only find two women shoes on Amazon.com (see below the video).

Requirements for an elliptical trainer

Every die hard runner prefers to go outside for a run but every now and then you have to resort to other training methods. No matter the reason the elliptical trainer is a good indoor alternative. It mimics the stride from running, training the same muscles at roughly the same levels of intensity from the perspective of cardio fitness.

"Why not going for a treadmill?" I can hear you think. It is completely similar to running outside. That is not entirely true. Because on a treadmill every stride is exactly the same as the previous whereas outside the pavement, or better still, the trails in the park changes all the time forcing you to change your stride. This avoids a monotone movement.
And yes the elliptical trainer is monotone as well as a treadmill but without the impact of the strides. With this in mind it is a good cross training method for runners.
Wanna buy one for yourself? First answer the following questions:

• How much space do I have available for the elliptical trainer?
• What is the body weight and length it can handle?
• Do I want a more heavy and stable frame or is it more important that I can easily move it around the house?
• Do I want to workout on various resistance levels?
• Do I want adjustable pedals for different users?
• What is the stride length (which is more important than the height)?
• Do I want a display and/or programmable exercises?

Did you answer the questions? Now you can find a suitable trainer matching the requirements you wrote down answering the questions. For example on Amazon.