Hustle Into A New Decade

Hello and Happy Twenty-Ten to all you Hustlers!

Welcome back to The Hustle. We are all geared up and ready to go for an all new hi-def, wi-fi, digital decade and hope you are too. Say goodbye to the "noughties" and hello to the "teens."

EXTRA EFFORT POINT

First up. Ray Guy.

That's right, that punter dude from the 1970's and member of the NFL's much-ballyhooed 75th Anniversary Team. He invented the coffin corner kick and hang time. He is now on a list of 17 former players nominated to make it into the Hall of Fame. His great career includes three Super Bowl rings. Guy was the first punter ever taken in the first round of the NFL draft (after leading the NCAA in punting yardage for Southern Mississippi), and he was named a Pro Bowler six consecutive seasons.

There are exactly zero punters in the Hall of Fame. Electors could do a heck of a lot worse than to put in an all-time Oakland Raider great. And coming from a Steeler fan you know I'm being objective.

Bottom line - Elect Ray Guy into the NFL Hall of Fame.

Ray Guy4 out of 5 Doctors Recommend This For Snapping Your Hamstring.

TMZ SPORTS? OH NO!

Apparently hearing, "Ho-ho-ho! Merry Christmas!," was the last and only thing Ron Artest can remember about his holiday tumble down the stairs carrying boxes in his Beverly Hills home.

Maybe he was partying with Charlie Sheen and Santa.

I know Harvey Levin and his team of TMZ'ers will get to the bottom of all this right after they finish showing us the blow by blow dismantling of Tiger Woods.

So let me get this straight. Ron can go toe to toe with Dwyane Wade and is nimble and talented enough to match Kobe Bryant in practice but can't walk down a staircase? Hmmm. Probably a little too much Christmas cheer.

By the way, Hennessey needs a spokesman and Ron loves to be on camera. I smell an endorsement.

Kobe Bryant & Ron Artest Test Their New Men's Fragrance - Krazy Night

Will Ron snap? Will Kobe lose his patience? How will Phil manage his next dynamic duo?

Bare-Footin' Craze & Born To Run

I recently devoured a phenomenal book by Christopher McDougall called, Born to Run - A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen.

It is a MUST READ. Especially if your are a runner.

And being an avid jogger since I was a kid running barefoot through the Walker Woods in Toledo, Ohio this book was a Godsend.

Seriously.

As I've aged and continued running a 7-mile-run 4 or 5 times a week my feet began hurting, my ankles cracked, my legs became stiff and inflexible. My hips tightened. My back ached. My left big toe throbbed. And even my balance seemed off. All the while I was wearing conventional (and not to mention expensive) running shoes.

But then I read Mr. McDougall's wonderful tome.

At first, while reading Born to Run, I tried running barefoot wearing only my socks. After I had almost finished my run, I'd take off my shoes and carry them for a quarter or half mile while running on a strip of grass that runs along the Santa Monica Beach. It was blissful.

Something magically started happening.

I felt free. Like a kid again. Closer to the earth. I glided along, my heals barely touching the ground, gripping the grass with my toes. I loved it. So, I decided to try the Vibram Five Fingers Shoes mentioned in McDougall's book.

Now, I've been using them everyday on every run for over four months and they are amazing.

But be warned: There is a transition period.

I bought a pair and immediately tore off running like the wind. I ran so fast and was so exited. I really pushed it. Big mistake. The next TWO WEEKS were terrible. I was so stiff and could hardly move.

But I am stubborn and kept running.

My calves hurt like hell, but the muscles eventually adjusted with time. I had to slow down and rebuild and strengthen the muscles in my atrophied feet, weakened ankles, and unused calves. I had to retrain my long ignored core muscles. It is amazing to think how much damage I've already done by heel striking through the years. I hoped there wasn't too much permanent damage done.

McDougall is a great story teller weaving varied tales together as they intertwine into one great book.

The book starts with McDougall's journey into Mexico's Copper Canyon that began with the question, "Why does my foot hurt?" In his quest for remedies and answers, McDougall discovers the Tarahumara Indians, who are quite possibly the most intriguing and greatest distance runners on the planet. Their real name is "Raramuri" which translates into "The Running People".

The Tarahumara are literally born to run. From an early age, Taramuhara children play running games which continue well into their old age. It is not uncommon for 80-year-old Tarahumara to run literally all day long through rough, mountainous terrain on little more than a mouthful of Chia seeds and Pinole (a corn mixture used as a type of superfuel.). Not only are the Tarahumara excellent runners, they are also known for incredible health, long lives, serenity, and their peaceful and reclusive nature. They are the planets Zen runners.

Born to Run tackles many issues, including why are so many runners injured every year (some data suggests as many as 80% of runners get injured every year). McDougall exposes the questionable science and business practices of the running shoe industry and colorfully takes his readers into the entertaining and somewhat bizarre world of ultra-marathons.

Trust me, runner or not, if you're a human being, you'll love this book.

As I relearned how to run in my Five Fingers my speed and endurance increased. My aches and pains disappeared. I quit using Aleve. I bought some Chia seeds and used them in my oats, smoothies, and salads. My balance and flexibility increased and my core strengthened. My throbbing big toe improved and even my 4th and 5th toes gained "wiggle-ability." My arches are now tough and my back straight. Even my Grandmother commented on how "tall, trim, and healthy," I looked over the holidays.

Now I am looking forward to running my 28+/- miles per week again like I used to before I got hurt and worn down from wearing Asics/Mizunos/Nike/Brooks/NewBalance/Adidas/Etc.

I run on sand, grass, cement, and asphalt. Each surface requires a quick fine tuning as you adjust your foot strike to the surface. You must always remain mindful of landing on the balls and outer edge of your feet and toes instead of on your exposed and tender heels. I recently made my wife get a pair and she loves them too. She now has two pair and is starting to see positive effects.

To go barefooting as much as possible is the best thing you could do for yourself to start the new year and decade.

After all, aren't we are all "Born to Run" by our very nature, history and bio-mechanical makeup?

"You don't stop running because you get old, you get old because you stop running." - Born to Run.

Vibram Five Fingers Shoes - The KSO (Keep Stuff Out) Model Retails Around $85+/- Be the First On Your Block - If You Can Find A Pair

Thanks again in 2010 for reading The Hustle and remember... Give Peace a Chance!