Vibram FiveFingers KSOs, worn and photographed by Dr Rajat Chauhan

15 October 2009: Rose Garden, Hauz Khas, New Delhi

 

 

This is day 2 of my active experimentation with (not counting the first struggle to don) the Vibram FiveFingers KSOs.

I was supposed to pace 2 running mates today for 10km. I started early, i.e. at 5:25am, thinking I would do a bit of running on my own before they joined in.

This time, it took me a couple of miles to get comfortable running in the Vibrams. The first 2 miles (about 3.2km) were very slow for that reason.

When I was done with those first 2 miles, the runners I was supposed to pace hadn’t showed up yet, and I decided to go for a longer 7km lap.

It was easier running in the dark as I wasn’t getting strange looks. Honestly, my legs still looked like a gorilla’s, just one who had waxed his legs a week ago. So I wasn’t missing much by focusing in front rather than having my attention drawn down to my feet. 

Now, after those first 2 miles, I was very comfortable. I was running faster. I was happy to not land heavily on my heels and still run fast. But it definitely was better when I was either on concrete or a slightly sandy surface, rather than uneven pebble.

In spite of having taken 18 minutes for the first 3.2km, I did 12km in 58 minutes. Not bad for a second day in my Vibrams. 

As I was finishing, I found Pooja, (a running buddy training with Back 2 Fitness for the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon) was waiting for me to pace her for 10km, so I couldn’t say no. She was supposed to do that in 58 minutes, based on her 2-mile time trial (projected time for half marathon based on running 2 miles as fast as she could). I told her very categorically to just stick with me, not to go faster or slower, and I would get her home in that time.

We probably started too quickly, though. In spite of her listening to my advice on controlled breathing, she was struggling after a kilometre. We took it easy for the next kilometre or so, and then again picked up the pace.  

It was a very comfortable pace for me in my KSOs and I wasn’t feeling a thing. I could have happily upped the ante, but I had to be careful not to push Pooja, though I must admit she is amazing at pushing through the pain barrier. At times I thought she would stop, but she just carried on. (I was her mobile water station as well. That definitely helped.) We managed to do the first 7km in 35 minutes, well within the projected time.

I knew that I had pushed her a bit too hard. So we slowed down a bit for the next 3km and still managed to finish in 52 minutes, shaving off 6 minutes from her projected time. She was over the moon. 

As for me, when I finally took off my KSOs today (after doing 22km in them) I noticed a blister under my second toe on the left foot. 

But then my first email of the day confirmed that my customized ‘huarache sandals’ have been dispatched by ‘Barefoot Ted’ (a guy who has popularised bare foot running and sells these sandals on www.barefootted.com).

And just as I was finishing this post, I got my Diwali gift: Nike Trail Frame sandals. (Bulbul, you are the best.) Tomorrow I try them.