DIY Huaraches Running Sandals

Lately I have been cruising through Born to Run, Christopher McDougall's exploration into ultra-running, the documentation of the running tribe, the tarahumaras, and the organization of a race that brought together an wild group of endurance athletes.

The rebirth of barefoot running is credited to this book. Of course, we have all see the Vibram FiveFinger shoes, which although are smart in theory, or extremely unattractive. Seriously people, you look ridiculous and I don't like seeing your toes individually wrapped. Anyway, this is not a rant on fashion, but rather my curiosity into the huaraches that were mentioned. Huaraches are running sandals and were foot covering of choice by one of the runners in the book. Previously being in the footwear industry I was interested in the process of how to make a pair at home.

I found these step by step instructions for a basic pair of running sandals created by Steven Sashen of Invisibleshoe.com (check out their blog here). I would definitely like to try making these sometimes. I am still not anxious to put a pair on and run, but maybe that will change when I make my own kick-ass pair. I haven't fully looked into getting all the materials needed for the sandals, but I did come across Luna Sandals, which offers a DIY kit as well as a la cart materials for purchase, or some pretty sweet looking, but spendy, already-made sandals.

Race Week: Triathlon Gear

Its the final day before the race. I just started packing and organizing my gear. This is the last time I have a chance to pick up any new gear that I may need tomorrow.

Bike : Cannondale (I have no idea what model it is. My friend Schuyler, another Ironman, was not satisfied with me not knowing). I am pretty psyched to have this bike. I have officially been out swimming more than I have biked, so I still have a ton to learn about bikes. Just having it is awesome to me. Thanks Bree Sherry!

Dan: Rack your bike by the seat post on the bar. Make sure to alternate your bike from the person(s) next to you to allow you to easily get your bike off the rack. You want your handle bars to be alternating from people next to you. If you get there early enough, try and take the spot closest to the end so that you do not need to between the racks to get to your gear. I have a very high seat post so I always make sure to test my spot on the rack and make sure that I can take my bike off the rack and roll it under the bar. Make sure you pump up your tires the morning of the race. ( I pump them up the night before as well that way you can check them in the morning and to see you lost any air over night which may lead you to realize you have a small puncture in your tire. There will be bike mechanics on site the morning of the race so if you do not have a bike pump they will be able to do that for you.

Bike pump: Blackburn Airtower I just purchased this pump and have yet to use it. I will be testing it out later tonight and will be sure to pump up my tires one last time in the morning.

Helmet: Bell Venture After seeing what types of helmets are out there, I know this helmet is more of a casual recreational helmet. Maybe an upgrade in the future.

Water bottle - I bought a water bottle last week and didn't realize till now that it doesn't fit into the water cages. Der!

Dan: One water bottle should suffice for a sprint distance race. You may want to think about putting G2 in there as opposed to water if you feel you may need some additional calories during the race.

Wetsuit: Rented Xterra sleeveless You can read more coverage here.

Goggles: Aqua Sphere Kaiman I just purchased these goggles the other day. What an upgrade from my last pair! They look huge on my face though.

Clothes: I still haven't fully figured out what I am going to wear. I do not have a tri outfit. I was looking at some shorts the other day and haven't decided whether I will splurge or not (haven't seen any less than $55 at retail.) Maybe I could get by with these spandex shorts and a bra. I am going to check some more out today.

Dan: Who needs it? - Try and have as much of what you are going to wear throughout the race on before the race starts. It will make your transitions faster and keep you from struggling to put on clothes while your body is wet.

Socks: When I ran my first half marathon, I did purchase running socks. Hello comfort. That was a great purchase. While putting down $9 or so for a pair of socks seems crazy to me, it was worth it.

Dan: Put these on before the bike (might consider bringing a towel to wipe off feet before putting them on)

Sneakers: Nike Pegasus I have put many miles on these shoes and will need a new pair soon...but not today.

Nutrition: GU and Shotbloks I am not sure I will need these or not, but will pack just in case.

To add:

Towel
Spare bike tire
CO2 cartridge

Dan: Race belt - to affix race number to. Have to have your number on the front part of your body during the run. (some races make you wear your number on your bike during the bike so this is where a race belt come in handy. You can flip it to your back on the bike and turn it to the front for the run.

Have I forgotten anything??