Moved Domain registrar from Godaddy.com to Namecheap.com

Hello there!  I just moved my domain from Godaddy.com to Namecheap.com.  This is a test post to make sure everything is working.  I'm sorry that this isn't about running, like most of my posts.   After I moved the domain, I had some difficulties getting it working again.  Luckily, I am a computer professional.  LOL.

I was a bit unhappy when Godaddy supported the SOPA legislation, but I was not so unhappy that I was motivated to move registrars, like many others did at that time.

What prompted my move was the cost of Domain privacy.  Godaddy wants like $10 per year, per domain.  If you have a number of domains, that cost can add up, quick!  Namecheap has free "Whois Privacy" for one year with a new domain registration or transfer.  After that, it is only $3 per year, per domain.  And you can get it even cheaper if you buy it in 5-packs.

I had an issue when I transferred the domains, in that I did not begin by reading all the suggestions thoroughly.  I just jumped right in.  I forgot to turn off privacy on a couple of my domains.  This resulted in my transfers being blocked by Godaddy.  I then had to chat with Namecheap support.  I spoke with Lana, and she was very helpful at 11:30pm on a Saturday Night.  (Yes, I have no life!)  She canceled the transfers, and refunded the money to my Namecheap funds account, I canceled my Godaddy Privacy, which is also called Domains By Proxy, and then I redid the transfer.  Worked flawlessly that time.

One downside to moving domain registrars is that you lose your Privacy for a short time when the domains are being transferred.  Also, if you don't properly document your settings, you might not be able to get your site(s) back up and running afterwards without a bunch of googling for help.  I did several domain transfers at once.  I don't really recommend this, especially if you depend on money that your websites or web properties generate.  If you move all of them at once, and then you can't figure out how to get them back up, you aren't making any money!  Which leads to very sad face...

The better solution is to move them one at a time.  If there is a problem, you only have one site not making money.  Also, once you get it working, the next ones should be easier.  I recommend moving your least important domain first.

Another thing I wanted to mention, is that you need to keep on top of the process, monitor the email accounts, check your spam folders, etc.  The entire process can be done in a matter of a few hours.  It can take days if you are not paying attention.  Some of my emails were incorrectly flagged as spam, and I only caught them because I was looking in my spam folder.

Don't forget to verify that the email address in your registrant info is accurate and still valid, and that you can still log into that account.  Some of my domains were first registered in 2002!  I used an old hotmail account that I almost deleted a couple times.  I'm glad I didn't!

To Sum up:

1. Read about the process BEFORE you do it.
2. Document, Document, Document your settings first.  Some registrars like Godaddy can do data exports into .CSV or .XML files.  Or just do old-fashioned screen captures.  Or do both!
3. Verify that you can still access the email accounts that you used when you registered the domains.  If not, change them to a current email account, FIRST.  I suggest that if you use a third party email service like Gmail, Hotmail or perhaps Yahoo.  I DON'T recommend using an email account that is pointed to a domain you are moving!  You will lose access to that account while you are moving.
4. To maximize the speed of the domain transfer, Check your email accounts during the process, including your spam folders.  If you have some kind of email feature that automatically deletes spam, you may want to turn that off during the process.  If it goes to a spam folder, you can still get to it.  If it is deleted, it is gone.

Welcoming myself back

Hi!
It's probably been a year since I last posted to this blog.  I took time off for the usual reasons:  I got injured, I got busy with work and personal life, etc...  I also thought the name of the blog was kind of gross and lame.  But several people said they like the name, so I decided to keep using it.  I like writing in general,  and sharing my running experiences might be helpful to others.

8 tips on starting to run in Vibram Five Fingers

I had another good run in the Vibram Five Fingers tonight.  5.21 miles on city streets in about 42 minutes.  This works out to 8:03 per mile.  Yeah, that sounds slow, but I am still getting used to the VFFs and I tried out a new strategy.  When my calves start to burn and get tight, I walk and or stretch.  I used to do this when training for 50K races, so I figured it would work for adapting to running in minimalist shoes, as well.  I also ran a course that had some grass near the sidewalk, so I could run on the grass when it was available.  This way, I was able to last more than my previous best with VFFs on city streets: 2.75 miles, in fact, I was able to double that.

So here is my up to date, somewhat tested advice on starting out with Vibram Five Fingers:

1. Start conservatively, then work your way up. Everyone is different. If you are carrying around extra weight, or are new to running, I would advise being way more cautious than I have been. In the past I have tried out forefoot and midfoot strides when overweight, and i got injured. (which is why I didn't stick with it. Also, I was using the wrong shoes with a thick heel and way too much arch support.)
2. Do the Run/Walk. Rather than doing what some advise, and doing 1/4 mile every day or every other day, I would advise doing the run/walk. Run in the VFFs until your calves burn (or arches start giving you trouble), then walk for a while and stretch. When you feel better, try running again. If your calves still feel like hamburger, STOP. Take a day off.
3. Stretch. Some advise that stretching is useless, and "every runner who does yoga gets injured". That may be good advice for some, but it DEFINITELY is not good for me. I started to have hamstring pain, excruciating even, and it only went away if I stretched fully before the run. For me, this was an old injury I got when using the kickboard in the pool. But it only arises when I don't stretch.
4. Running on grass is easiest, followed by trails, and then asphalt and finally concrete. I would not advise doing much of your earliest VFF mileage on roads/sidewalks. Find a grassy field with a road or sidewalk next to it, so you can try both. Gradually work your way up, running less on the grass, and more on the hard surface. Your form will be best on the hardest surface, but it can take a lot out of you, without taxing your aerobic system. Your legs are trashed, but you didn't get much fitness from the run. Running part on the grass and trails lets you still get in a workout, and lets you heel strike a bit without hurting yourself.
5. Don't split time between VFFs and conventional heeled running shoes. You are trying to teach yourself a new way of running. If you try to do both, you won't lock in the muscle memory(or whatever the technical term is), and you will likely injure yourself, as your ankle has to deal with the arch, and a raised heel. Once you get injured, you will likely give up on the VFF's, and feel you just wasted $85 to $125. This was me on my first attempt. Luckily, I decided to give them a second chance.
6. Consider getting minimalist shoes for more than just running. I found that I was having pain when switching to wearing various shoes for work, and my old sandals, etc... I found that if I removed the inserts from my work shoes, that mostly eliminated the pain. I think if I got minimalist shoes for work, it would work even better. But since I don't have them, this is just theory at this point.
7. ICE is your friend! Most people who have run long distances know this one, but any time you have muscle soreness after a run, ice will help tremendously. Some people take ice baths, I would do this if I had an ice machine, but I just spray cold water on my legs in the shower, and it is almost as good.
8. Recovery drinks work for soreness also. This is another one that most long distance runners know about. You can google it or ask your friendly local running store for their advice, but I use PowerBar Recovery Carb/Protein Sports Drink Mix. Best results are when consumed directly after exercise. Not 30 min later when you get home from the park. Right then.

This is my current state of knowledge, and it will change and be updated as I learn more about the Vibram Five Fingers.

Removing insole is key to wearing non-minimal shoes without pain

This is just a quick update that I felt I needed to share. Since I have embraced the minimal shoe movement, I have been having ankle and arch pain when wearing regular shoes at work. After following the forums at http://birthdayshoes.com and Minimalist Runner (http://groups.google.com/group/huaraches), I tried removing the inserts or insoles that come with the shoes. This is the exact opposite of orthotics. It allows my arches to do what they need to do, instead of what the shoe maker wants them to do. It also gives me more room in the shoes for my feet to spread out. No pain so far. I still need to get some minimalist work shoes, but this workaround may be acceptable for now. I'm writing this from my iPhone, so I'm not sure how the links will turn out. I'll fix them later.

Hour loop now 56 minute loop with the VFFs

Today, I ran at Patapsco again with the Vibram Five Fingers.  I am definitely getting better at running with them.  My feet are getting toughened up so stepping on sharp rocks doesn’t hurt (as much).  I ran my normal hour loop in 56 minutes today.  I am still way out of shape, as i had to walk up all the major hills, but I was able to totally bomb down the hills at speeds that I could never match in conventional shoes.

OK, maybe I was a wuss previously, but I had good reason to be.  I have had a few really gnarly ankle twists and sprains, so, at some point a few years ago, I decided to be really conservative in my downhill running.  I would actually spend lots of energy slowing myself going downhill so I wouldn’t risk crashing.

When I first started with the VFFS, I did the same, even moreso, since I was really cautious about stepping on a sharp rock.  Now that I am more used to them, and have been working on my technique, I can run much faster downhill.  I feel more stable, since I am lower to the ground, without a thick cushioned heel preventing me from feeling the ground.

I am pretty psyched to run the Mt. Penn Mudfest coming up.  It’s a 15K trail run in Reading, PA, put on by Pretzel City Sports.   If I can just improve my hill running/conditioning in the next few/couple weeks, I think I might actually be able to achieve a performance that I am happy with.

In other news, I have definitely confirmed that the more types of shoes I wear, the more problems I have.  Differing support, arches, heel widths, etc, all screw up my feet and ankles.  I can wear the VFFs, and flip flops.  Anything else hurts my feet.  I need to order some minimalist work shoes ASAP.  And my $3 flip flops are staring to fall apart with lots of use.  Yesterday, I went to the pool, and it was such a beautiful day, and I felt so good, that I ran to the pool with the flip flops.  Then I ran home.  Then, I ran an extra mile around the neighborhood!  I ran about 2 miles in the flip flops.  I learned that you need to spend extra effort to keep the flip flops from falling off when running, which might be a problem when running longer distances.  Also, my cheapo pair of flip flops started to chafe the skin on my feet, causing a raw spot.  I put some tape over the raw spot so I could keep wearing the flip flops.  Getting a good quality pair of flip flops is also a top priority.

My blog name doesn’t make much sense anymore…

I think the name of my blog no longer works for me.  I initially named it turtleheadattack.com because I was frustrated by the constant GI and digestive issues I was experiencing.  Since I logged what I was eating, and I figured out my “problem foods”, my issues mostly went away.  And recently, I started eating salads and vegetables and fruit, and cutting way back on meat.  This has pretty much eliminated (sorry for the pun) all of my elimination issues.  I know people have been telling me what to do for years, but I never could change until now.

Now when I get hungry, I think of carrots, and fresh greens, and fruit, not meat and fried foods.

The difference is truly amazing.  I credit Born to Run for finally encouraging me to make this change in my lifestyle.

So I could find a new name, perhaps one that follows my new interest in minimalist footwear, natural stride, and good nutrition.  But I kinda like my name, and I really like the banner graphic.  So I will probably keep everything the way it is.

Vibram Five Fingers Update

I’ve now been wearing the Vibram Five Fingers for a couple weeks.  I’ve learned a few things.

They say you are supposed to start with small amount of running, some say as little at 1/4 mile per day!, and slowly build up no more than 10% of your mileage per week.  At that rate, I would be dead and/or fat by the time I got to an amount that was enough to burn the calories I need to burn and enjoy the running experience.

Perhaps this is just for complete beginners, or people who don’t have much of a history of running.  I have been running for 25 years, I have a few mountainous 50K races under my belt, and have been at a somewhat competitive level at times.  So I am following my own training plan, listening to my body, and will work the transition at my own pace.

My first day, I ran on city streets in Baltimore.  I didn’t do much more than a mile, and my feet hurt.  I put the shoes away for a few weeks, as I thought I might have just wasted a bunch of money.

Then, pain from running in my conventional thick heeled shoes made me reconsider.  I decided to run on the trails at Patapsco State Park, which is on my way home from work, in between Baltimore and DC.  I can run much farther (or is it further?)  on trails.

I ran 3 miles one day last week at Patapsco, then 5 miles 2 days later.  I then attempted to run on pavement earlier this week, did about 2.74 miles at a 7:10 pace.  I felt pretty good, but I could tell that my form was lagging at the end, and my feet were taking a beating.  They hurt quite a bit the next day, and I was worried that I screwed myself up again.

The next day, I decided to take a chance, and see what I could do at Patterson Park near my neighborhood.  I ran carefully on the grass, and no pain!

Today, I ran at Patapsco, did my normal 1 hour loop in 1 hour.  This is good, since I’m actually way out of shape, I had to walk all the hills, but I had so much control on the downhills, and improved speed on the flats, that I still pulled out a decent time.  Once I get my cardio capacity back, I should be able to kill it.  My calves seem to be improving, and I’m developing Cro-Magnon foot pads, from stepping on so many rocks.  Perhaps after I get good at trail running in VFFs, I will be able to run decent amounts on roads.

I have noticed one issue so far with the info in Born to Run.  Some people suggest that stretching is not needed; stretching and yoga will just get you injured.  That may work for some people, but not for me.  When I tried not stretching, or minimal stretching, I got excruciating pain in my upper gluteous region.  So bad, I had to stop, and try again on grass.  I was able to tough through the pain, and eventually it didn’t hurt anymore.  Today, I stretched normally before the run, and I had absolutely no issues.  I will definitely be stretching fully before and after every run.

I have been noticing now that I have made the transition to running with no cushioned heel, that wearing normal shoes at work tends to hurt.  Anything that has a formed arch, including my sandals, hurts my feet.  My flat flipflops feel great, though.  So I am now looking for minimalist shoes to wear to work and casually.  (I can’t wear flipflops to work)  Some people on the minimalist shoe forums and blogs suggest just wearing their VFFs to work.  Since they are enclosed toes, technically, they meet most workplace requirements, unless you work in construction or a machine shop.  Mine get so muddy from trail running, there is no way I could wear them to work.  I would have to get another pair for non-running activities.

For now, I will just pull out the inserts of my boots or casual shoes, and hope that’s enough.