Hao Style Tai Chi Chuan

Peter Mugglebee demonstrates tai chi
Thank you to Peter Mugglebee and Lily Lee for teaching me tai chi. Learning how to flow in control, a beautiful thing indeed.

BFT

Scott Wins Spartathlon 2007

Spartathlon is a 246 kilometre (152.85 miles) ultramarathon race held in Greece since 1983 between Athens and Sparta. read more >>>


Spartathlon 2007 - Scott Jurek - Start to Finish
Made while the experience was still fresh, a more comprehensive video
following the front runners from beginning to end to come in following months

Big! Thank Yous to Scott and Leah for inviting me to Greece and taking such good care of me. You can link to Scott's blog here. Wikipedia here.

Super special thanks to Shannon of Moeben Sleeves for co-sponsoring my trip and Robert Renfro of Solar Communications International. Greatly appreciated.

Glenn Tachiyama's excellent photos of the race found here.
Lisa Bliss' blog here and photos here.

Valmir Nunes (#3 - 25:37:40) , Scott Jurek (#1 - 23:12:14) and Piotr Kurylo (#2 - 24:29:41) at Awards Ceremony

Scott running through Ancient Nemea
Note: Nemean wine is VERY good.


Map from Spartathlon.gr


Pre-Race Interview Part 1


Pre-Race Interview Part 2

Scott with many of the top Japanese runners from club MY☆STAR.
This year's race including the following top Japanese runners:

IWAMOTO NOBUMI (7th) , MATSUSHITA TAKEHIRO (8th), SATO RYOICHI (10th),

KUMASAKA AKIHIKO (11th), SUZUKI MAKOTO (13th), IKEDA KAZUYOSHI (15th)

In the future, Scott hopes to make more trips over to Japan to both race and gain a deeper understanding of Japanese culture, especially traditional vegetarian food culture. Meeting this club is a good first step.

Luckily for me, I became fluent in Japanese after studying it in university and living in Japan for nearly 5 years. With 80 Japanese participants in this year's race, I had the unique opportunity of using my Japanese in Greece! My Japanese is a little rusty, but it comes out of me without thinking too much which is nice.

Great photo with Yukio Morishita (last finisher) and Scott Jurek (first finisher)

Scott shakes hands with the legendary John Foden, founding runner of the Spartathlon

What an amazing experience. I caught most of the race on video from start to finish. I have made a quick-fix video above, but plan on taking more time in the near future and putting together a video that highlights the top runners throughout the race.

Offical website: www.spartathlon.gr
Thanks to Christos Tsiakiris


Spartathlon was made possible through the exclusive support of the
Stavros Niarchos Foundation
The race is very fortunate to have such an organization supporting it. I think that the Sparatathlon is a fanatastic event with an amazing history. It brings together so many top-level runners from around the world in such a beautiful and friendly country.

BFT

Thanks to the following:

Spartathlon 2007 - The Crew

Dr. Lisa Bliss, BFT, Leah, Scott and Glenn Tachiyama at start line

On the streets in Athens...cheering ALL runners (video below)

Coffee Break...thank you!

Dr. Bliss teaches Glenn how to smoke!

Mark Godale, Lisa Bliss, Valmir Nunes, Scott Jurek
Top runners doped on nicotine thanks to Dr. Bliss?

Nunes' secret weapon?

Team Jerker at Awards Ceremony
photo copyright Glenn Tachiyama

Angeles Crest 100 - 27 Hours

Running down the El Prieto Trail, less than 4 miles from finish

A BIG thank you to Vibram for letting me run in some prototype FiveFingers and Green Foods for Magma Plus which I know had something to do with a 5 hours+ improvement on my time compared with last year!

At the award ceremony

Coming into Islip photo by Christina Hennessey

Thanks to Wild Mountain Runner founder Freddie Perez for giving me a ride to Wrightwood and support during the race. Big thank yous to Arturo Valdez and Jose Hernandez who paced me from Chilao. Thanks to Chris Rios, Deb Clem and Sunny Blende for aid station support...it helped a lot.


Coming into Buckhorn photo by Christina Hennessey

More to come...

Video of me entering 52 mile checkpoint

My report to the Ultra group:

Howdy Folks

I surprised myself big time this weekend.

My goal was to finish better than last year.

Last year's goal was simple: to finish...alive.

Last year's time: 32:16 This year: 27:00

How?

Prerace: pizza and beer with Freddie Perez in Wrightwood. Two
Newcastles and 7 pieces. Also, spaghetti dinner.

Sleep: not so good at the Methodist Camp in same building as the
visiting Tarahumara along with Chris Rios and John Radich. Only slept
a little, but Jenn Shelton visited me in my dreams, so can't complain.

This year I ran in two different prototype FiveFingers that cover the
entire foot preventing crap from getting in the shoe. I had NO chance
to test the shoes before the race. I also wore Injinji socks borrowed
from Robert Andrulis as I left mine at home. These helped me
tremendously.

Finally had a chance to wear my Dirty Girl gators, and my Moeben
sleeves that Gary Hilliard threw at me as a prize as I was leaving the
Mt. Disappointment post-race party. Both were extremely effective
although Ken Hamada said I looked unusual, i.e., like a freak.

Nutrition. This year I used drop boxes. I prepared my own powder
using a mixture of malto dextrin, soy protein, Green Foods Green
Magma, E-Caps powder and Chia seeds.

GU: 2 an hour

Watermelon at many aid stations.

Progresso Chicken soup, drank cold out of the can 2 times, trick
learned from Flaco Mendoza.

Idlehour aid station: solid food and Miso soup. Thanks Joe. This is
the place to stop and eat at mile 82.

Pacers from Chilao to Chantry and Chantry to finish, Wild Mountain

Runners Arturo and Jose.

BFT, Freddie and Arturo at the finish

A lot of help from my friends.

BFT

PS. I leave for Greece on Saturday, filming and crewing for Scott.

Leadville 100 - Crewing and Pacing

Nearly 600 Starters, ONLY 210 Finishers

Caballo Blanco's (Micah True) Crew for Leadville 100 in 2007
Deborah (Cebolla), Adrian (Brocoli), Caballo, Ona (Monocita) and BFT (El Mono).

My interviews with Caballo Blanco Pre- & Post- Race


Club Mas Loco member Chris Labbe, aka Cabro,
finishes in under 25 hours
Paced from Haggerman Pass Rd. to the Dam
wearing Vibram FiveFingers Sprints

Leadville Trail 100, August 18-19, Leadville, Colorado

Elevation: 10,152 feet (3094 meters) from Wikipedia:

The historic City of Leadville is a Statutory City that is the county seat of Lake County, Colorado, United States. Leadville is a former silver mining camp that lies near the headwaters of the Arkansas River in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. The city's central district has an elevation of 10,152 feet (3094 meters), making Leadville the highest city in North America. The federally designated Leadville National Historic District includes many historic structures and sites from Leadville's dynamic mining era. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 2,688 in 2005.

Barefooting Leadville?

Many people have told me that Leadville indeed may be barefootable, i.e. doable by one conditioned and well practiced in the art of barefoot trail running.

One question I hoped to answer during my trip to Leadville this year was whether or not one could finish the course unassisted by footwear within the 30 hour cuttoff.

This question remains open.

While crewing and preparing to pace Caballo, I got a good overall picture of the course, but not much of the trails.

While pacing for Mas Loco member Cabro (Chris Labbe), I wore my FiveFingers Sprints.

Why not barefoot?

Well, it was not my place to experiment on a rocky portion of the course during the last 15 miles of a race at 3am in the morning in the dark on an unfamiliar trail with a runner who is close to breaking 25 hours.

The FiveFinger Sprints performed quite well in this section of the trail that I ran. It would have been much trickier to handle this territory at night barefoot during the last 14 miles of a 100 mile race..., but POSSIBLE in my estimation.

Perhaps I will give it a try next year.

BFT

Mid Day Cart Pusher

Very short video showing my pushing and pulling technique

Took my baby jogger out for nearly 5 hours today in order to see what it would be like running barefoot in the middle of the day on asphalt. All went well, but it only got into the high 80s today. Nothing special as far as heat goes, but a good test nonetheless. Feet are no worse for wear.

BFT

Badwater Ultramarathon 2007

Adalberto (Flaco) Mendoza, 11th Place. 32 hours
BFT, Nancy, Jose Luis, Flaco, Emilio, Milton
July 22-25, 2007

This video covers Flaco's race from start to finish.


This video covers Jorge's race from start to finish using Mari's video


Before the Race in Furnace Creek
Jorge, Jose Luis, Emilio, BFT and Flaco.


John Radich (33:08, 15th) at the Award Ceremony


Gary Hilliard (41:43) at the Award Ceremony


Tracy Thomas (37:26 3rd woman) at the Award Ceremony


Jorge Pacheco (26:41 4th) at the Award Ceremony

60" Highwheel Bicycle: Circus Prep

Video of me riding the highwheel

Borrowing Dave Moore's 60 inch highwheel bicycle

FiveFingers Sprints make good bicycle shoes
Need something to protect my feet when I jump off!

Yesterday I went out to Apple Valley to meet up with Dave Moore. He is the my guru for all things turn of the 19th century. Among many other things, Dave is famous for building bicycles, old style highwheel pennyfarthing bicycles, styled after the originals.

I own one of Dave's 56" highwheelers that he built for an Australian race. It has an very thin and lightweight 56" wheel and is amazing to ride. However, it is currently out-of-commission, so Dave is loaning me this massive 60" highwheel bicycle.

Two reasons why I am riding again:

1. I still want to complete an IronMan race as-if it were 1890, using technology and techniques that would have been available in that era, the era just before pneumatic tires and the modern bicycle.

2. My daughter and I hope to perform in an upcoming performance of Seussical a Broadway musical inspired by Dr. Seuss being performed by Showcamp.

BFT

My Neighbors Entertained.

Ashtanga Yoga - My Ideal

It was recently suggested to me that I take a look at Ashtanga Yoga. I have done a little research and must say that I am very much captivated by this practice.

BFT

Forefoot vs. Heel Striking

This clever animation created by the Newton Running Shoe Co. is pretty cool albeit necessarily oversimplistic.

I think that I agree with it as a barefoot runner, but personally believe that each runner has to figure it out on their own. Self-discovery through trial and error.

The Way of Running.

BFT

Hansen Dam Barefoot Training ala Methode Naturelle

Note: I am an extreme and total novice when it comes to MN. Please read the comments to this blog for emails exchanged between me and Erwan Le Corre about MN.

Please visit Erwan's website at methode-naturelle.com

Decided to take my video camera along for my Saturday afternoon run.

In this short video you will see a me running on all kinds of different terrain. I think that it is good to mix it up. Hansen Dam is the perfect training playground to develop your body and mind.

This video shows the beginnings of my interpretation and application of Georges Hebert's Methode Naturelle.

I hope to become a instructor/promoter of his ideas.

BFT

PS. Music comes from album PHARAOH OVERLORD The Battle Of The Axehammer (Live) I found at www.aquariusrecords.org

Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon - Week in Review

The above slideshow complete with Phillip Glass music was put together using photos from taken by several members of the Grupo Animales otherwise known as Club Mas Loco.

These photos cover the beginning to the end of the trip, including the hike over from Batopilas to Urique the pre-race ceremony, the race and post-race celebration.

Results from (www.CaballoBlanco.com) : The Ultra Marathon had 38 starters and 20 finishers.

1) Scott Jurek (33)--El Venado--Chumari'--Washington-- 6:32
2) Arnulfo (27)--Chepatare--Batopilas canyon 6:50
3) Billy Barnett (22)--El Rana Lobo--Wolf Frog--Virginia 6:59
4) Jenn Shelton (23)--La Brujita--Little Witch--Virginia 7:00
5) Manuel Luna (42)--Gavilana--Batopilas canyon 7:47
6) Arnulfocito (18)--Santa Rita--Batopilas canyon 8:00
7) Nacho Palma (42)--Quirare--Batopilas canyon 8:03
8) Martin Gallito (21)--Chepatare--Batopilas canyon 8:10
9) Leonardo Cleto (22)--Piedras Verdes, Urique canyon 8:12
10) Jose Hilario (22)--Piedras Verdes, Urique canyon 8:13
11) Sebastiano (37)--San Jose, Batopilas canyon 8:16
12) Mike Adams (38)--El Perro Grande-Big Dog-Washington 8:48
13) Micah True (54)--El Caballo Blanco--White Horse--???? 8:58
14) Barefoot Ted McDonald (42)--El Mono--Monkey--California 9:44
15) Charlie Crissman (38)--El Buho--The Owl--Washington 9:54
16) Chriss Labbe (37)--El Cabro--The goat--Colorado 10:02
17) Jamil Courey (22)--El Carnero--The Ram--Arizona 10:16
18) Deborah Bezanis (49)--La Cebolla--The Onion-Chicago 11:33
19) Samuel Warren (38)--El Girafa--The Giraffe--Washington 11:33

20) 36 miler: Leah Jurek (30)--La Venada--Dear--Washington 8:20

BFT

SURVIVAL SKILLS INTENSIVE with Christopher Nyerges

from www.christophernyerges.com SURVIVAL SKILLS INTENSIVE, Saturday, March 17, 10 a.m., $51. We'll be in a higher elevation where we can make shelter, practice weaving, make fire without matches, and put together a great meal from wild plants. Switzer's Camp, Angeles National Forest, Location 3.

This was a fantastic day learning how to do the following:

1. Create yucca cordage
2. Weave a net
3. Identify some edible plants
4. Identify good tinder plants
5. Build a lean-to shelter
6. Construct small animal traps with triggers
7. Start fire without matches

I was particularly happy to learn how to start a fire using a fire drill. The video footage below shows several people working together using just their hands to start the fire. Later, I did the same on my own, from building the hearth to using the drill and getting the fire started. Very cool.



BFT

How to Tie Huarache Sandals Part 2

A couple more videos showing the tieing of huarache sandals. Videos taken while participating in the Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon 2007.

BFT

Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon - Walking the Course

This footage is from two days before the race. We all walked the first section of the course together.

Some of the walkers include Arnulfo, winner of last year's race, and Scott Jurek, winner of this year's race.

Having fun hanging out with our Raramuri friends.



After the hike, we had fun at a swimming spot under the bridge complete with diving.

BFT

Can your running shoes do this? Part 2

Can your running shoes do this? Mine can!


Having fun learning how to balance. Taking full advantage of my environment. The horse trail rails are perfect for balancing. The FiveFingers help me feel a little better about falling off into rocks and cactus.

BFT

Verdugo Mountains Training Run - A Little Bit of Everything

Today's run had a little bit of everything:

Got in about 12 miles wearing huaraches, 8 miles barefoot and 5 with FiveFingers. The weather was perfect, hot but not too hot with winds blowing storm clouds in at the horizon.

Barefoot Freedom (at Experimental Forest)

Barefoot Freedom 2

Huaraches, Rock and Agave

FiveFingers Rail Walking (video below)

There are SO MANY great trails around here. I am looking forward to introducing more (but not TOO MANY) to this wonderful mountain playground we have in our backyards, with full-size cats to boot. These mountains deserve an ultramarathon. Winter 2008, let's make the first Verdugo Mountains 50 Miler.

Proposed Course: Start at Village Christian School go to Brand Library and on the way go down and up all the side trails.

BFT




Although it does not look like a big deal, that rail is razor thin at the top.
I just could not resist that background and my new joy of balancing.
Music by Deep Purple

Mountain Lion Snack - Deer Bones

So, I have been mentioning for over a year now how I am regularly finding mountain lion tracks on my runs, and a couple weeks back I caught my first glimpse of a local lion. Well, yesterday, I went a step further...I found a victim of the moutain lions, or should I say, I found the leftovers of a meal, a full grown deer. Click here to see the exact location on Google Maps. Amazing.




The video above shows me finding the bones as I find them. I was filming a new trail that I was on. I was following deer trails that criss-cross the hills near where I live. I finally got on a ridge and was heading towards the summit of a hill. Then I literally stumbled upon the scene where a deer met its fate. No corporation or government was involved. Nature 101.

After finding the bones, I decided to bring the antlers home. Its life was not in vain. It lived free until it died and its skull serves as a symbol of the wild mountains that surround us here in Los Angeles, wild mountains that invite us to share in the beauty and mystery of nature...if you can muster the courage to venture into them.

This is the ONLY mountain lion sign I have seen in the Verdugo Mountains.
It is at the entrance of the Whiting Woods Trail.

Sign Reads: Mountain lions are important members of the natural community and may be found in this area. Although these animals are seldom seen, they are unpredictable and have been known to attack without warning.

Keep children close, as mountain lions seem to be especially drawn to them. Avoid hiking alone. Make plenty of noise while you hike so as to reduce the chances of surprising a lion.

BFT

FiveFingers Log Board Workout - video

I use the environs of Hansen Dam and the Verdugo Mountains (both are one mile away from my front door, one North the other South) as my testing grounds. I have learned to run barefoot on all the surfaces that nature provides in this area, and that ends up being a lot of different surfaces.

The log board workout is one of my favorites. It can be done barefoot, but it is not nearly as much fun when you have to worry about splinters. With my FiveFingers on, I can surf the logs, i.e., log-boarding!

Enjoy.

BFT

PS. I hope to soon get some video footage of another throwback to early skateboarding. Remember skateboarding in washes? Stay tuned.

FiveFingers Do Rocks and Horse Trail Videos

A couple more mini-videos of me running in the FiveFingers Sprints yesterday at Hansen Dam. I really like the new Sprints. The ability to micro-adjust them helps a lot in making the shoe fit snug, but not tight. Perfect for balance sports and for helping you FEEL the trail, but not FEEL the pokes.

BFT



FiveFingers Do Rocks




Vibram FiveFingers Horse Trail Trotting

FiveFingers Tight-Rope

You ask, "what can I do in those FiveFingers that I can't do in my regular running shoes?"

My answer: "This!"

The FiveFingers let your feet do what feet do, i.e., really flex, really feel, and still get the bonus of a little protection which goes a long way in some environments...like jumping down onto rocks, or if you go the wrong way, onto yucca and cactus!

BFT

Huarache Training Run - 20 Miler on AC 100 Course

Elevation guide showing Sam Merrill

Short clip running down El Prieto Trail from Upper Brown Mtn. Trail
Music by System of a Down from my daughter's iTunes purchased list

This past Sunday was a good test for the huaraches. I took them over to the last portion of the Angeles Crest 100 Endurance Run course to see how they could handle some nasty, rocky switch backs.

I started up the mountain near where the AC 100 ends at Johnson Field. Caught the El Prieto Trail to the Upper Brown Mountain Trail over to Millard Campground. In the early part of the course, I was having to go through a bunch of little streams and puddles, so I had some more testing of wet sandals.

From Millard I headed toward Echo Mtn. eventually on the Sunset Trail, and then from Echo Mtn., I got on the Middle Sam Merrill Trail which brought me up to the junction of the Mt. Lowe Road, Idlehour Trail and Inspiration Point Road. Elevation 4700 feet. So total run had about 4700 feet of climbing.

On the way back I got to test the huaraches' ability to handle downhills on some potentially slippery swithbacks. Not a single stumble. Not a single stubbed toe. I was on my game.

Map of my run, 10 miles up and 10 miles down...

Per normal, I took my FiveFingers along in case of huarache malfunction, but I didn't need to use them.

BFT

New Red FiveFingers Sprints - BITCHEN

Getting ready for another huarache run today. Off to the Angeles Crest.

Notice my new RED Sprints? Those are coming with me. I got them this week and have already put some great test miles on them. I hope to get some video soon, but these new barefoot shoes allow me to do some really cool things over at Hansen Dam, including some great balancing/tight-rope walking, incredible rock, steep-ledge and log scrambling. These suckers grip like mad.

BFT

PS. Today's music on iPod Shuffle: Solid State Deluxe Podcast from www.podomatic.com

Barefoot Rocks

Just wanted to make it perfectly clear that even though I am wearing Tarahumara huarache sandals these days, I am still able to barefoot in extreme situations. It is all about being light on your feet and focused.

As a matter of fact, until you are able to barefoot on hardcore trails, you will not have mastered the technique required to run in low profile, minimal shoes or sandals off-road, in my humble opinion.

BFT

PS. There is some sound at the very end of the video...for effect.

Tarahumara Huarache Sandal Sandy Riverbed & Broken Boulder Running Tests

Again today I took my huaraches out to Hansen Dam and put them through some more testing. I ran several miles through a sand filled, dried-out riverbed. My 5mm thick, four ounce Vibram-rubber soled sandals handled the situation flawlessly. The sand does not stay trapped under the sandal.

For the second part of my test, I headed to the dam structure. The backside of Hansen Dam is a giant broken granite boulder field. It is a great place to build strength and balance while running. I tested the Tarahumara huarache sandals on this terrain and they passed. No room for mistakes here. No forgiveness. But, great for learning how to stay focused and balanced.


Music: Rage Against the Machine

Tarahumara Huarache Sandal Rocky Trail Running Test

I took my huaraches out to Hansen Dam in Los Angeles and put them through some thorough testing today. I ran about 10 miles on some of the rockiest trails I could find. My 5mm thick, four ounce Vibram-rubber soled sandals worked perfectly.

You can usually trust indigenous design when it comes to active footwear. These sandals and others similar have been around for 1000s of years, and I know why. They have no frills, just exactly what you need and not a bit more. Elegant design.

What I am also finding is that nothing gets trapped under the foot. The strapping system is the very minimum, and with no straps and other excess, the stones, sand, etc., don' t stay in.

I will be wearing these sandals in the upcoming Copper Canyon Ultramarathon on March 4th in Mexico.

BFT

PS. By the way, I am able to run barefoot in all places you see me running in the video. It is just a lot easier to do with the huaraches. The point is that wearing huaraches does not mean you can plod your way down rocky hills safely. The real trick is learning how to be LIGHT on your feet.

How to Wear Tarahumara Huarache Running Sandal - Video

This is just a quick look at how to put on a Tarahumara-style Huarache Running Sandal.

BFT