The Fear of Man Shoes & P90X Update...

First, an update on P90x. I started this crazy workout program in February. Its broken into three phases that are four weeks each. Basically a month per phase. The first time I started I made it through phase 2...so I guess I did P60x. The reason I stopped was because when we got back from Spring Break my schedule got crazy with work and final exams. So I took a break for about a month. Then I did phase one again off an on, not as consistently but I didn't quit. Then Andy (my bro) and his wife Caitlin got the DVD's and I decided to start over again so we would be on the same pace. I figured as long as I continued working out it didn't matter what phase I was on.

So, I'm almost done with phase two - again. Its still a great workout and I'm strangely not bored with it. I've done it so much that I've got most of the exercises memorized so I take my workout log with me and just go to the gym and do it there. Its a nice change of scenery. Plus I get to use the free weights which are better for me than the bands. That's not to say that the workout bands are bad. I'd still recommend them, but the free weights just work differently. I'm still eating better, but not following the plan exactly just because its impractical for me to do it on our budget and on my schedule.

p90x gives you three options for your workout regiment. You have Lean, Classic, and Doubles. Lean is a little easier than the others and focuses on losing weight without building as much muscle. Classic is the program in the basic form. Then there is the Doubles option. This is what I've started doing. Basically I continue doing the regular workouts 6 days per week but now I run 3 times a week in addition to the workouts. I run on the days when I primarily do weight lifting and not on the days when I do cardio - like Plyometrics or Yoga. Although I don't really like the Yoga because its long and kind of boring so some days I do half the Yoga and then run.

The running brings me to the "Fear of Man" Shoes. What are these? They are the Vibram Five Finger Shoes. Why do I call them the Fear of Man Shoes? Because they aren't the best looking shoes I've ever put on my feet so to wear them I can't hang onto that pesky fear of man that plagues me. They are, however, super comfortable. Now, why these shoes? I've been having some knee tendinitis and some back pain. I'm getting old(er) ya' know. And, my old running shoes are, well, old, and the insoles have knotted up at the heel and feel like I have pebbles in my shoes. The Five Fingers look like gloves for your feet and are as close to barefoot running as you can get. They cause you to run on the balls of your feet rather than the heel-to-toe running that I'm used to. It takes the impact off of your knees and back and is supposed to eliminate the pain and promote proper running.

The guy at the shoe store said I really need to ease into them. I'm going to continue to run in my regular shoes (I'm up to 4 miles/run) and then add an additional 1/2 mile or 5 minutes to the end of my run in the Vibrams. I'm supposed to do that for a week or so and then add 10 minutes and go from there. The reason is that I'll be using muscles that don't normally get used and they say you get really sore at first. I don't like being sore so I'll follow their instructions. They feel a little weird at first - especially in my pinky toes. I'm not used to having something in-between them.

They're not overly expensive, especially for running shoes. They're cheaper than Nike's or NB's. Shana got a pair too. Her shoes were about 4 years old. Mine are the black ones pictured below and she got the gray ones. There are a lot of colors, but the KSO's (mine) only come in two. Anyway, do you any of you have them? Your thoughts? I'll post again in a week or two with my review.