Dudeism Blog 79. Slow Jogging? Is that Running but for Dudes?

...I wanted mellow exercise, not intense workouts

I've just come back from a run. Not a normal one. I haven't run anywhere for a good few years, and since I've been at this house (8 years) this is the third time I have been.

What got me running again? Slow Jogging. Have you heard of it?

In my early thirties, I would go to the gym a few times a week and do warm-ups and cool-downs on the treadmill. I also practiced Aikido and Tai Chi during the week and was fairly fit. I could run faster in my mid-thirties than when I was at High School.

I began to venture outside and loved loved loved running. I felt I was born to run. I'd run anywhere from a 5k (3 miles) to half-marathon distances. My 10k (6 mile) time was around 42 minutes, so no athlete but not a slouch either.

I used to put my times into a spreadsheet, measure my body size, heart rates, body mass indexes, and diet - you get the picture.

Can anyone spot the tension here?

And when I turned fifty, it became really difficult to shift extra weight. And being generally laid back and only practising bag work (Muay Thai) and Sofado (The Dudiest art of reclining) the flab was kinda hanging around enjoying a holiday.

Prof Hiroaki Tanaka & Magdalena Konoike of Slow Jogging International (their logo is a snail)

I was looking to get back to pounding the pavement but didn't want the intensity I had before; measuring everything, going faster, longer, thinner, with more colds, looking tired, yes feeling better, and with more endorphins than I could shake a stick at.

Going slow is filled with goodness

And I stumbled across the Slow Jogging International Association on YouTube. Here's a link to the video I saw:

Click the image to visit the YouTube video.

There's also a book on Amazon written by the Professor which I haven't yet read... The Slow Jogging book is HERE

So, why is Slow Jogging filled with goodness and ideal for dudes?

For the following reasons (as I see it, but they are like, just my opinion, man.)

1. I can go running without considering how fast I go, or what times I do

2. I can go running without being concerned about how far I go

3. Those two things mean that I don't need to record or measure anything, it's a being, not a doing

4. There is less wear and tear on the joints

5. It's still a good exercise without being too tiring (Chinese ancients would say to never tire the body too much and to exercise within comfortable limits)

6. It switches the mind off as the breath falls in line with the padding of my feet

7. I know I can go quite often without worrying about recovery and injury

That's my seven bullets of sacredness.

I have decided to go again tomorrow, and maybe every day that I take my son to school, as there are paths to run through the fields there.

Xero Shoes

Around three years ago I bought a pair of mark 1 Xero shoes for walking around in. THe title takes you to a link (non-affiliate), and I believe they are a European company. There are alternatives if you are somewhere else in the world.

If you don't know them, they have flat sole and heel, they are wider at the front to allow your toes to spread, because like, feet are wider at the front than the back but most shoes don't accommodate that much so your feet don't spread while distributing body weight. They are more flexible which means that your step has a natural roll to it, and if used for running they put you more on the balls of the feet than on the heel which regular running shoes do.

I've had my pair for three years, I wear them nearly every day, and they show hardly any signs of wear. The pair that I have are breathable with lots of holes in the upper and sides, so if you are running through water or mud, your feet will get wet.

Why am I blathering about this? Because Slow Jogging isn't as hard on the body as regular running can be, and the running gait is much shorter so there is less impact on the foot, knees, hips, and legs... you don't need such thick cushioning and shaping of the shoe. I'm not saying you must have them, but the above video shows similar low-profile shoes. If you do buy some, get used to walking with them first because your calf muscles need to work harder to walk in a more natural way than you are used to.

So that's it. Go slow folks. Enjoy the scene.

Rev. Thomo

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