Image by Scott Beale / Laughing Squid via CrunchBase

By now the internet has been set on fire by Tim Ferris‘s media blitz in promotion of his newest book, The 4-Hour Body. I’ve already ordered it and looking forward to learning some new “hacks” to increase my fitness and health.

Just like Tim’s last book, The Four Hour Workweek, the title of the new book implies peak results in little time. This is misleading. Even Tim is clear that the goal is not to just work for a few hours and sit around being bored. The point is to spend less time needing to do stuff and more time doing what you are passionate about.

In the same way, I am expecting The 4-Hour Body to provide great time efficient tips for growing strength and endurance, but the point won’t be to spend the other 164 hours of the week slouching around, sleeping and eating potato chips. The point is to integrate it into a lifestyle that is more active and physically aware. In other words, a 4-Hour Body style approach to fitness will give you the tools and motivation you need to make caring about physical well-being a natural and desired thing and not some tax you have to pay.

I also think that in the midst of all the hype around getting massive results quickly, we can jump to the conclusion that real effort and hard work is not required. This is a big mistake. Even if you only train for 4-Hours a month or 4-Hours a week, the level of intensity (I’m talking about physical and mental focus) needs to great. This is evident in Tim’s “Geek to Freak” experiment, which I also tried a few years ago.

If you are going to be in the gym for a few minutes a day and expect massive results, the intensity will need to be incredibly high. If you are going to go from 5K to 50K run in a few months (I just did this!), you need to be very diligent in how you train and focused in getting proper rest and having tons of mental strength to push through discomfort on race day.

This is the truth about a 4-Hour Body. It will take massive focus and lots of effort, though perhaps not a ton of time. The point is NOT to assume that less time and more efficiency = easy results!

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I’m heading tomorrow to XC Ski camp in the Methow Valley in Washington State. Should be a few fun days of snow-time and endurance training! I then fly to Ecuador for 10+ days exploring Quito, the surrounding highlands, maybe the rainforest and then on to the Galapagos Islands for a 6 days boat tour! I’ll drop a few updates to my blog if I find an internet cafe while traveling.

Vibram’s President also announces that they will be releasing a brand new version of the VFFs for running in February 2010! I can’t wait! Below is the full clip.

I’ve been a runner for the past 15 years. Over this time I’ve suffered countless injuries. Training for marathons and Ironman Triathlons can be tough on your body!

Shin splints. Stress fractures. IT band issues. Knee issues.  Plantar fascia issues. I’ve suffered through it all. I can run injury-free as long as keep my mileage fairly low, around 30 miles a week. If I get above 40-50 miles a week for a month or longer – I tend to develop issues. My easy response to this is just to keep my mileage low and cross-train heavily.

There must be a better way to stay healthy while training – without having to cut back on mileage.

Lately, there has been a lot of buzz about barefoot running. The benefits of ditching traditional shoes have been discussed in Men’s Health, bestselling books like “Born to Run” and by popular blogger Tim Ferriss. Running and walking barefoot is what we were built to do as human beings. Ditching heels and overly cushioned trainers are said to be a huge help in curing lower-leg and back injuries as well.

I always enjoyed running around in my yard barefoot when I was a kid, but hardly ever do so nowadays. I spend my work-days in an aweful pair of dress shoes, train in standard running shoes and only walk around barefoot in my home and during my yoga practice. It makes sense that spending more time barefoot is a good thing for lower leg and foot health, so lately I’ve made it a point of doing so as much as possible.

In fact, last month I ordered a pair of Vibram FiveFingers running shoes. They are basically a glorified sock with a 2mm tough rubber sole. Here is what Vibram says about their shoes:

The typical human foot is an anatomical marvel of evolution with 26 bones, 33 muscles and hundreds of sensory receptors, tendons and ligaments. Like the rest of the body, to keep our feet healthy, they need to be stimulated and exercised.

That’s why we recommend wearing FiveFingers for exercise, play, and for fun. Stimulating the muscles in your feet and lower legs will not only make you stronger and healthier, it improves your balance, agility and proprioception.

What’s my verdict? I am now a total convert. The shoes feel incredible, and though I am still “breaking them in” and getting used to running with hardly any padding, I definitely feel better running in them.

I feel more connected with the ground when I run. There is less jarring in my joints since my stride is shortened and quickened. I feel more agile as I run. Running just feels more fun in these barefoot shoes.  Just a few hundred yards in these and my stride began to compensate. I can no longer get away with pounding and heel-striking my way through a run. I have naturally shifted to a more mid to fore-foot strike. This results in far less stress on my joints and is overall a more efficient way to run.

I’ve worn the Vibram FiveFingers for about a half-dozen runs and a bunch of walks around town. Already my feet feel stronger. I’ve also worn them in the gym, and I feel much more in control and powerful when lifting – particularly squatting and lunging. I also think that running around in these shoes is helping my balance in yoga practice, so much of balance depends on foot, ankle and toe strength and control.

If you are a casual or serious runner, I highly recommend checking out these shoes. If you are lucky to live in a place where you run around grassy fields barefoot, that is ideal. Otherwise, the Vibram FiveFingers will keep your feet safe and give you all the benefits.

If you are planning to get a pair of these, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• You’ll probably need to get at least 1 size smaller than normal for a good fit.

• Fit for these shoes is super important. Try to go to a retail store that carries them to make sure you have a snug fit. The heel should feel snug. If you can’t find a local retailer with them, make sure they fit well before running in them – and be prepared to return them for the proper size if they don’t! I ordered mind through Vibram’s website, ran 100 yards on clean black pavement – realized I had the wrong size and sent them back for the correct size. They processed the return in about a week.

• I like the Classic variety (open-top), but there are several other types. I haven’t run in the others, but I like the minimalist look of the classics.

• Expect to get a lot of looks from people. These are great conversation starters! Really though, expect to stand out in a crowd for these. I have gotten plenty of looks from people trying to figure out what I was wearing, particularly in the gym! The black color is the most inconspicuous (the kind I have) if you don’t want to be the center of attention wherever you go.

• When starting out, just plan on running a mile or so at a time. Give your feet some time to adjust gradually. Wear them for walks around town to break into them.

• If you experience any rubbing on your Achilles (like I do) – put a small strip of medical tape on your tendon and you will be fine. I am hoping this friction will go away once the shoes have broken in more (or my skin toughens up).

Are you a barefoot runner? Do you run in the Vibram FiveFingers? How do they feel? Please post a comment and let me know what you think.

It is a worthwhile exercise to consider the worst-case scenario when confronted with a big decision. Write it down. Look at it. Laugh at the absurdity of the chance of it actually happening. Recognize that even if it did happen, that you would still be OK at some level (you would still have physical health, or emotional health or good friendships or peace of mind ….etc.). Then press on with newfound confidence that the worst isn’t really all that bad.

What’s the most weight (muscle or fat!) that you’ve gained in a single month?

For me: +10lbs. Back in 1998, after school let out for the summer, I had an internship in NYC. I went from running, swimming and biking a ton, to just lifting a ton (and eating a ton) and not doing much else. The weight came on pretty easily. After the first month, I gained about 2 pounds each of the remaining 2 months.

During my 12-week challenge last year, I managed to gain +10lbs of lean muscle in 12 weeks.

Gaining 34lbs in 4 weeks is crazy. Even 1/4 that gain would be tough. The kicker is, Tim did it while training only 8 hours a week! I need to learn that technique.