I quit running...

...but I didn't decide it.
I always write down on excel sheets all the possible datas on my workouts. What I do, for how long, how far, how many reps... everything. It may sound excessive but on the long run it works, as it allows to keep track of the improvements but also of the changes in my training habits. I highly recommend to everyone into fitness to write things down.
Anyway, having a look at this year's sheet I noticed that I don't run anymore. I mean, I've never been a big runner but I used to go out running for 45-50 minutes at least once a week. Since the day I got my footbike, kicking and fast-walking replaced it totally.
I still do some running during my mixed cardio sessions, this means that I alternate running around my house (mostly hill-sprinting) and hitting the heavybag in my garage. Running in this case is limited to 3 or 4 sessions of few minutes but it's quite intense as it's mostly uphill.
I have to say that my knees and my back are doing way better since I quit long runs. I could imagine that running was bad for the knees but I didn't realize that it was so traumatic for the lower back too. If I knew it, I'd quit before.
Once again I find myself advocating footbiking as a substitute of running (not as a substitute of cycling): it's way better for your health.
If you don't want to buy a footbike, then consider fast walking, the cardio workout is quite the same and you can do it also with a regular pair of sneakers.

Crocs summer diary - epilogue 2012

I want to close the Crocs summer diary with an interesting article that I found on how to repair the soles of the Crocs. A bit later for sure, if I found this article early this summer I would give it a try.
Anyway, all you need is a pair of Crocs (or offbrands like me) an old street bike tire and shoe glue.
The article can be found here, have a look!
I'll keep an old bike tire for the next summer :-)

Crocs summer diary part 3.

Here we are, third part of the Crocs diary.
Another pair of the offbrand Crocs that I use for walking during summer is gone.

This time there is no picture of the next pair ready to hit the road because summer's almost over, the weather here is not that warm anymore (yes, I know that from abroad all Italy is sunny and warm but that's not true, northern Italy is cold and windy or cold and foggy) so it's time to go back to the regular sneakers for walking.
This pair lasted way more than the last one, 43 days for about 140 kilometers. I walked a lot less than in August, that's because I walk a lot when it's too hot for regular workouts, in the last weeks the weather hasn't been too hot so I went back to running, footbiking, tire-flipping and the good old things.
During this summer of 2012 I worn out three pairs of offbrand Crocs. It will be cool to know the exact number of kilometers I did with them. With the latest two pairs that I worn out I walked 250 kilometers.
I love Summer but I appreciate the first Autumn chills too, it gives more energy and you can train again like a madman.

Right from the trashbin... trekking poles.

Do you remember my diy trekking poles?
Now I have a new pair, and almost for free too.
It happened three days ago, I was fast-walking as here it's still too hot for the usual other cardio workouts and I've seen these ski poles at the side of a trashbin:

I took them immediately.
At home, I noticed that they are in good conditions just the lower end has some signs of abuse

So I went to the hardware store to buy the rubber tips, as I did with my DIY trekking poles, but unfortunately the diameter of these ski poles is too small, so I had to make some waxed tape work to add thickness...

And finally the tips fit perfecty.

It's always good to find free stuff that can be used to exercise.
Now, these ski poles have been used a lot by their previous owner, but actually I think that it's possible to go freegan with workout equipment. I mean, I am still sure that the best place to find training gear is the hardware store, but people still think that they need to buy expensive tools to stay fit. They buy those things, then they don't use them because they're lazy and they don't see the immediate result that was marketed. When they need room for something else, they throw away the almost new sports tools. It's quite common to see benches and similar stuff near the trashbin round here. I think that with time, dedication and a little DIY spirit it's possible to build a little gym right from the trashbin.

Crocs summer diary part 2.

Ok, ready for the second part of the Crocs Summer Diary. Today I found a hole in the pair of Crocs offbrands that I was using.

I started using this pair on July, 14th as posted here in the first part of the Crocs Summer Diary.

This pair lasted exactly 21 days and approximately 110 kilometers.

A new pair is ready:

Remember once again, these are not real Crocs but the cheap offbrands that you find at every supermarket, I suppose that an original pair of Crocs would last more.

By the way, I think it's time for a serious test. The next pair that I buy will be original Crocs. I want to test how much they last comparing to the offbrands.

Crocs summer diary.

As already written in this post on Crocs shoes, summer is the time of the year when I walk more, and everytime that I plan to have a walk on paved roads, I use Crocs-like shoes.
I decided to keep a little diary on how much time (and kilometers) it takes to worn out a pair of them.
Keep in mind, I always buy offbrands, so probably an original pair of Crocs would last more.
Anyway, yesterday I found that my current pair of Crocs-like shoes were ready for the trashbin:

So today I had my first walk with a new pair:

Now I know it would be more accurate to know the exact number of kilometers that a pair can take, but I don't think I'll go that technical to bring a gps or a pedometer everytime that I go for a walk.
Approximately, when I don't do other workouts, I go for two walks a day, one in the early morning and one when it gets dark, 45-50 minutes each for something more than 5 km. That would be about 10 kilometers a day when I just walk.
I don't remember exactly when I started to use the pair that I just worn out, I think it was about the first week of June. No... ok, it's too messy to try to calculate things this way. I'll start to keep track of my walks with this new pair.

Croc shoes and walking.

Everybody knows Croc shoes. Fashion people hate them, but I think that they are probably the most used and and copied shoes of the last years.
No, I'm not speaking about fashion here, I'm just wondering how many people have tried them for walking. I don't mean going to the grocery store and back home, I mean long walking at a reasonably fast pace. They're wonderful.
Summer is the time of the year when I walk more. When it gets too hot for intense workouts, I just walk a lot (and I mean a lot). I would not believe that Croc shoes are so good for walking, fact is that last summer I worn out 4 pairs of them just walking (to be honest I have to say that I have never bought a pair of original Crocs, but the common offbrands that you find everywhere, so maybe an original pair of Crocs would last more). They are only 4 euros a pair so buying many pairs is no big problem.
They are soft, light and provide excellent support to the feet when walking on paved streets. I feel much more comfortable walking with Crocs than with a cheap pair of sneakers. Not that I care so much about aesthetics, but I think that they look way more decent that those horrible flip-flops.
Then, obviously if you decide to go hiking or to walk in the forest, then forget about Crocs as you feel every little stone of root under your feet, and that's not good.
But if you just want to keep in shape during the summer with fast walks in the city, my advice is to go buy 2 or 3 pairs and save your regular training shoes for else.

Nordic walking: DIY poles.

The very first time I came in contact with Nordic Walking my impressions weren't good. "Another gimmick to transform a natural and easy thing like walking in something complex and expensive"... that was my feeling about those poles that people use for Nordic Walking.
Then I tried it myself and I discovered that it's not that bad, it's a great workout for people who just walk and never train the upper part of the body (and believe me, there are many of them).
Like most sports, it has to be performed correctly to be effective.
The basic movement is this one:

Then there are a lot of variations that can be applied, especially when going downhill or speeding things up a little. But it's very important to be able to perform correctly the basic movement without loosing coordination between arms and legs.
Well, it's true that many times the sports' equipment industry tends to promote mostly-useless gimmicks just for the money (nothing wrong with that, as it's an industry and it's their job) and Nordic Walking makes no exception. There are poles of every kind to choose, many of them look like ski poles, others are telescopic, so it's easy to put them in your backpack when you don't need them. Pretty handy but they're quite expensive especially if you are new to Nordic Walking and you want to give it a try without spending too much.
In this case, you can follow my advice to try Nordic Walking poles with very little money. It's cheap and easy to make.
First of all you have to find out what's the lenght of the poles that suits better for you. The easy way to do it to multiply your height for 0,68. Well, this won't give you an exact result, but you get the idea. Then head to the hardware store and look for a broomstick of a lenght similar to that one you have obtained multiplying your height for 0,68 (there are many lenghts of broomsticks and usually the lenght is written on the label near the price). If you find a broomstick softly covered, it's better as you'll have a better grip. Buy two broomsticks (you don't need the mop). You'll notice that the final part of the broomstick is screwed, and its diameter is standard (17mm). Then, always in the hardware store, ask for those little rubber tips used for crutches, buy two of them with a diameter of 18mm.
Ok, you have all the parts for two very basic Nordic Walking poles and I suppose you have spent less than 3 euros.
Now assembling them is a breeze:

The broomstick diameter is 1 mm less than the tip diameter.

So it will enter easily.

Screw it up and press a little.

It's done.

If you didn't find a broomstick with a soft rubber cover, then a good solution will be to use race-bike tape for a better grip. It didn't have it so I used waxed tape for my DIY Nordic Poles.

They won't look fancy as the ones you can buy in sports' stores, but I've used them for some months without any sign of strain.

Homemade Nordic Walking poles.

 I suppose that it would be easy also to add a handstrap but it's something that a Nordic Walking beginner does not really need.

If you get hooked to Nordic Walking obvioulsy you can spend some money for something better, but to give it a try these DIY poles can do the trick!