Sunday, June 26, 2011

First contact with the Toulambi tribe - videos

In 1993 filmmaker Jean Pierre Dutilleux filmed "first contact" with a group of members of the Toulambi tribe in Papua, New Guinea.  Videos of this happening have been circling around the web and I just finished watching them and had to share.  I was blown away by the footage and can only imagine the wonder, fear and excitement that must have been felt by both parties.


You can view the rest of the footage below:


Go to Jean Pierre Dutilleux's website to learn more about the Toulambi his documentaries.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Need a new pair of Vibram FiveFingers...



I've had my Vibram FiveFingers Sprint shoes for over 2 years now and I've worn them 2-4 times a week, almost every week since I got them.  By my estimate I've logged over 400 hours in them.

They been my trusted companion in the gym where I strength train, hiking on trails, canoeing Algonquin, my martial arts classes, and pounding the road.  Hell I think I'd wear them everywhere if I could (except restaurants- for some unexplainable reason, that's totally unacceptable ).

I first got them as gym shoes, as an alternative to having to Squat and Deadlift barefoot.  They kept me closer to the ground and didn't compress as I loaded more weight and I grew to enjoy wearing them a lot.  I noticed that my calves got much stronger after wearing them for a few months, and even my posture improved.  Wearing the shoes also changed how I walked, finding that when I wore them it changed my foot strikes from heel first, to ball first.  This put more focus on my Achilles tendon, allowing it to strengthen and absorb more of the force.  This doesn't sound like a big deal, but it actually made jogging and sprinting more enjoyable for me, which were things I had always despised.

As soon as spring came I hit the trails and was wearing my FiveFingers on them.  It was a weird sensation wearing them outside for the first time, feeling the coolness of the ground, every pebble or twig under my feet.  It didn't hurt...but I was able to feel connected to the ground and was more mindful of how I walked.  The shoes actually forced me to start taking my time and I was actually able to enjoy my surroundings more, rather than feeling like I had to keep pushing forward on the trail.  The shoes completely changed the entire experience!

I've noticed these shoes are becoming more and more of a fad in the fitness circles.  This is kind of worrying, because with any fad, people tend to take things too far too fast.  I've read stories about people who probably didn't take the time to ease into them (there's a steep learning curve) or aren't suited to wearing them (people with flat feet should avoid these shoes) injuring themselves.  Hearing about cases of Plantar Fasciitis developing isn't uncommon, and I can only assume we'll be hearing more about it as barefoot activities become more popular and the trend continues


Lately the wear has been showing as some seams have needed to be hand stitched, and the adhesive glue is starting to give on the sole...but still I carried on with them.

Now I'm afraid it's time to retire them.  Walking down the street a few days ago I noticed a sharp pain in my foot and when I checked it I realized that I've worn them so much, I've literally worn a hole into the soles and now there is no more protection.

I've been looking at the Vibram website, and things have changed since I made my initial purchase over 2 years ago.  Some of the model they offer now look like they're damn near bullet proof, which makes me excited to try them out...however I still mourn for my Sprints.  They've given me so much, I don't think I can send them to the trash heap just yet.  I think I'll keep them around for when I go to the beach, but in the meantime I'll need new outdoor FiveFingers.


These caught my eye.  The new KomodoSport look like they have more durable soles and might be better suited to the outdoors.  I'll have to start searching the local retailers to see who's got them stocked in my size.