Thoughts on the running industry.

The Hydration thread inspired me to start this blog post that I hope to update as thoughts pop up. I cc'd what I wrote there to here but will be adding to it as time goes on.

I learned how to run in the 80's. At that time no one had camelbacks or ran with waterbottles, etc. In practice we'd run as much as 18 miles in the hot California sun without water (unless there was a stream we could drink from somewhere) and no one ever passed out, got heatstroke, etc.

I moved back to America after almost 20 years of living in a place where running wasn't an option and after moving back several months ago, I can't help but notice how much stuff people are buying to go running.

I think it's important to think about hydration and drink when you can but it seems to me that we would do well to trust our bodies a little bit more and second guess the value of the running industry's next flavor of the month.

Running BF makes me want to go ever deeper into the less is more approach that seems to be increasingly grounded in research on how primitive man/woman ran.

Comments

Man, I'm done sucking nipples! Haha, too funny. :bigsmile:

I hear what you are saying though, when off all on your own in those wild woods anything could happen, (alien abduction, etc :wink:) but by listing those scenarios in our heads, are we not helping them to happen in some way? If we are paying attention, how likely are we to really hurt ourselves and should we let that likelihood prevent us from enjoying something with such potential for enabling us feel vital and alive?

Also, if one is not a victim of marketing but feels that buying the gear symbolizes a commitment to getting healthy, doesn't that make them a victim of marketing? To me buying gear sybolizes a commitment to buying gear.

I just feel like we are being sold "stuff" and we are being sold ideas. Ideas like what will happen to us if don't do this or buy that. No one is really interested in the perspective that we are made to survive and endure. I'm not saying that we should nail ourselves to crosses, I'm just saying that ancient cultures and current primitive ones make a pretty good cases for us being well made homonids.
 
I get where you are coming from but a lot of it is the purchasing market that creates the stuff being "needed". Camelbak was started as a hiking/biking tool which is great for both. Then crazy runners thought "hey why not use it for my runs?" any intelligent company is going to pick up on that and create models that are better suited for the activity.

i think hydration is underrated even still. i, like you, used to never get water on runs.i remember my cross country coach sending us out on 8 mile out and back runs where she would just park her suv at the 4 mile mark, give us water as we got there, and send us on our way. one small cup of water for 8 miles and yes we were usually fine. i also remember having to drop out of some workout runs because i was in 90 degree heat sporting awesome goosbumps and seeing stars.

studies have shown that optimal hydration happens by taking in 8oz for every 20 mins of intense exertion. sounds like an insane amount but if you want to stay at peak and not risk slowing down then the science says you need the fluids at a much greater rate than most will ever employ. i think things like this are where water belts come into play in a 5k. i know i want water in the first mile of any run i ever go on. i dont ever get it but i want it :)

there is something to be said for keeping it primal and testing our boundaries like the old days but science is telling us that's just our egos talking so why do it unless we want to be able to beat our chests at others to show we are stronger and more dominant than they are?
 
Hydration is only half the issue - it is just as important to replace the lost electrolites as well as water, but, as opposed to the marketing hype, simply eating salty nuts or chips whilst drinking pure old H2Ois enough. All those sports drinks are helpful if you really work out, but the added sugar also needs to be taken into consideration. I'm just new to BFR, but have been cross country mountain biking for a number of years - you wouldn't be seen dead on a mountain bike without water in a race that goes longer than 90 mins and even then, the average joe blow will have some sort of snacks stashed away somewhere.

But really, sure you are going to lose some fluids in a 5k, and because of the lose of fluids, your performance will suffer - you might lose a few precious seconds!! Has anyone ever considered the lose of performance from carrying an extra 2kg (of water) on thier backs?

The thing that has impressd me with the BFRcommunity is it appears to consider all elements of our sport as important and is accepting of all. If you want to wear you light weight, superior wicking, technical t shirt with your compression shorts (with the technical running shorts over the top, of course) that seems cool, but just as cool and more in line with the ethics of BFing is the guy who runs in whatever he got out of the drawer, or even off the floor that morning. Not only is he looked at as just another runner, he also has a bucket load of money left over from notbuying brands.

I walk past the sports stores now and often break into fits of laughter at all the new fangled shoes around. Keep it primal, look good doing it and do it till you drop.
 
Hey Jimmy, you know I'm a huge fan of yours. Your participation and expert input in this community is phenomenal and I am healing an ITB strain partly with your advice. I am appreciative and want to shout out a THANKYOU for all to hear.

I posted this on my blog though so I could speak my mind and not filter it so as to alienate people with my ideas that are not necessarily mainstream.

I have been living outside of America for nearly 20 years and have seen a different attitude towards commerce and commercialism than we have here in America. At first I found myself feeling outraged that shops would not be open on the weekend or that at 5pm, everything closed down for the night. Often a store or bank would be closed for an hour and a half when I needed something done. It wasn't long though that I understood the value in slowing down and the almost punk-rock attitude that people should come before commerce. In Tahiti money is often crumpled instead of folded before being put in a pocket.

So now I'm in America. I'm half American and love this country as much as anybody but I can't help but notice how industry and commercialism pervade so much of the current culture.

When I am fully healed I would love to run an ultra and will surely be purchasing or making my own kind of Camelback. I'm not saying that hydration isn't important, I just don't get the hysteria that drives people to obsess about it. To me that hysteria is a market driven phenomenon. I've seen my share of goosebumps and stars (always wondered what that was about :bigsmile:) and I don't feel any worse for the wear.

When you say that products are a result of demand I say that yes, that is sometimes true. You don't have to look far though to see countless examples of companies selling stuff to make money, not to fullfill demand. I should know. I am a pearl-farmer turned pearl seller. I sell pearls for a living which means that at the end of the day I can take my shoes off, grab whatever clothes I can put my hands on and go for a run.
 
Thank you Fito for the tidbit about salty nuts and good ol' H2O. Will keep that in mind when I get over my ITBS and start reaching for longer distances. :)
 
Hmmm... I might opt more for misfit than mystic.

I might seek out physically dangerous situations because there is a little buzz there or maybe it's because things need a little spicing up. I don't have a fast car, mistress or any of those truly dangerous things.

I'm not advocating boating without lifejackets, I'm talking about trusting in our bodies and paying attention. :)
 
OK, sweet. Happy to have a :beer: anytime. I thought you defriended me for minute. :wink:

Between my last post and this one, I went out and blasted a 2 and half something mile run. Inspired by our "less is more" discussion Iwent in only shorts to see what it was like. It was almost dark and in the upper 40's and raining pretty hard. At the end I was cold but not uncomfortable and still had perfectly good sensation in my feet. Now though after showering I'm feeling an (in Jimmy's word) awesome bout of asthma coming on. How interesting to feel my lungs diminish in volume and struggle to breath properly. :D
 
Joshh I respect your style and thank you for appreciating me :) I do not disagree with the things you say at all but I really believe the average runner takes hydration too lightly. Maybe that's just me watching all these Texans out running long miles in the summer heat without taking care of themselves. I think all of us being in different regions adds to our looking at things differently in that way. Here I feel hydration is a majorly important thing...maybe the most important but the folks up north aren't running in the temps Iam and they all seem to think it's not a big deal to go run for an hour without water.

Either way I hope the ITBSis getting better and you get the option to run with or without water.
 
Yeah, I think location has a lot to do with what we think too. Here in Oregon it seems to rain a lot and hydration pretty much happens all on it's own. It's been a huge voyage of discovery for me moving here and adapting after a couple decades of 85° 24/7. I spent all my free time there in or under water so I've really enjoyed getting back to running like I did way back when.

The ITBS is definitely getting better. I have been doing the strengthening hip exercises you recommended a few times a week and a stretch I found on YouTube that I'll post about on the ITBS thread. For me, your experience shined through when you emphasized the balancing and strengthening of the pelvis. Made a lot of sense to target the root of the problem. Thanks again!
 

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