U2 Stops the Traffic

(Admin note: this is the follow-up post to the trivia question I asked in this post about a certain landmark in San Francisco. The story itself has nothing to do with running, but if you’ve hung around here for any length of time, you know that's never stopped me before.)

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In November of 1987, U2 hadn’t comfortably settled into their newfound status as the Biggest Band in the World.

Earlier in the year, they released The Joshua Tree, the album that launched them straight into the rock music stratosphere, and were drawing tens of thousands of fans at every sold-out tour stop of the summer. They couldn’t walk down the street anymore without a flash mob and hundreds of photographers stalking their every move. Yet they still loved the youthful spontaneity of their early years, and felt like they were losing touch with fans who couldn’t afford concert tickets.

The documentary film Rattle and Hum was conceived as an effort to share the tour experience with that base, and one day on San Francisco’s Embarcadero, the band gave its fans the ultimate gift of spontaneity: a free lunchtime concert in Justin Herman Plaza.

Photo from U2tour.de

The concert was announced on short notice (less than 24 hours by most reports), but still drew 20,000 people to the foot of Vaillancourt Fountain to hear a nine-song playlist. The crowd spilled into the surrounding streets and brought traffic to a standstill in all directions.

Near the end of the show, Bono (a future Time Magazine Person of the Year, mind you) climbed the lower portion of Armand Vaillancourt’s Quebec Libre! sculpture and spray painted the phrase Rock & Roll Stops The Traffic above the impromptu stage.

Photo from U2tour.de

Afterward, San Francisco’s mayor was outraged, threatening fines and jail time as punishment for such a public display of vandalism. The argument escalated until Vaillancourt himself was contacted to learn if he supported the act.

The sculptor defended Bono's gesture, declaring that from a societal standpoint, graffiti is sometimes a necessary evil for young people who lack the same access to mainstream media that people of higher power and influence enjoy. San Francisco’s mayor knew better than to pick a battle with one of the city’s most popular artists – to say nothing of the Biggest Band in the World – and let the issue rest without further consequence.

Vaillancourt then supported the band in the coolest way possible: the following night, he personally attended U2's Oakland concert, and climbed on stage to write "Stop the madness" in front of 70 000 people.

The scene at Herman Plaza is forever captured in their 1989 movie Rattle and Hum (click to play):


Which is why the song "All Along the Watchtower" was playing in my head throughout last weekend's run.

(So I guess the story is a LITTLE bit about running ... )

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Anti-Monkey Butt Powder

(Admin note: I know I promised a U2 post for this weekend; that one’s coming tomorrow. In the meantime, I’m throwing together a somewhat odd product review that I’ve been extremely delinquent in posting. You’ll quickly see why.)

If there was ever any doubt about my willingness to accept just about any product offer that knocks on my e-mailbox, allow me to present a review of Anti-Monkey Butt Powder.

The Anti Monkey Butt Corporation (seriously – it’s a real corporation) was founded in 2003 by a couple of hardcore dirt bike racers, and their product is designed to eliminate the friction and chafing that cyclists and runners experience during multi-hour activities.

You know what I’m talking about; it goes by a lot of names: Saddle sore. Scarlet cleft. Jungle rot. Or, in this case, monkey butt.

So these two dudes created Anti-Monkey Butt Powder for improved comfort during long activity. They tested various formulas before settling on the right combination of ingredients (which are apparently top secret, as they’re nowhere to be found on the website).

Honestly, I don’t typically have severe problems with chafing, so it’s hard for me to vouch for the effectiveness of AMBP. However, I used it for a handful of mountain bike rides during the summer, and it seemed to decrease the amount of sweating in, um … delicate areas. So I guess I can say it works as advertised.

This clearly isn’t my area of expertise, so I don’t know how AMBP compares to using plain old baby powder, or BodyGlide or other types of saddle creams and balms out there. I will say that they have one of the coolest mascots I’ve seen in a while, and they sent me some stickers that my daughters love.

(Funny tangential story: My 5-year-old daughter continually confuses the names of a couple of products I’ve received – so in the mornings, when I’m in the process of making a monkey shake, she asks me, “Are you making your Monkey Butt Shake, Dad?,” which of course sends her siblings into hysterics. It’s happened enough times that she’s probably mixing the names up on purpose now – but it’s always good for a nice laugh before heading off to work or school.)

I don’t have much more to add here, other than to say that if you suffer from monkey butt, you should definitely consider Anti-Monkey Butt Powder as one of your prevention options. A 6-oz bottle is available for less than five dollars at Amazon.com, so it's a pretty inexpensive product to try.

Or, if you'd like to try it for free, I've also got two unopened single-use packets available for a giveaway to the first person to e-mail me at the address below. (UPDATE: They're already spoken for.)

*Product provided by Anti-Monkey Butt Corporation

** See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you'd like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com

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What a Relief!

The world of marathoning has been getting a lot of press recently – unfortunately, for nearly all the wrong reasons.

Most serious and tragic was the story this month of three runners who died in the same race – a nearly inexplicable occurrence, especially in the absence of severe heat or other extreme conditions. On a more lighthearted note, there was the “scandalous” disqualification of both the first- and second-place women’s winners of a marathon in Milwaukee: the first for drinking from a forbidden water bottle, and the second for wearing an iPod (yes, really).

Somewhere in between these extremes of tragic and ridiculous is one of the better marathon stories I’ve heard in quite a while, about a senior runner from Michigan who dealt with unusual adversity in just about the most admirable way you could imagine … and was almost immediately penalized for it. His tale (which is 100% true) is the subject of our most recent Monterey Herald column, which follows below.

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Running Life 10/22/09 “What a Relief!”

When running towards an aid station in the final miles of a marathon, most runners are looking for similar things: fluids, energy gels, some uplifting words from the volunteers, and perhaps a little Vaseline for problem areas.

At this month’s Twin Cities Marathon, Jerry Johncock was looking for a urinary catheter.

According to the Minneapolis-St Paul Star-Tribune (original story is here), Johncock is an 81-year-old who has finished more than 100 marathons since taking up running at age 50. He also suffers periodically from blood clots that block his urinary tract. During the marathon, he recognized the painful condition happening again and stopped to ask for assistance at the mile 22 aid station. He had hydrated well, but his bladder was struggling, and he couldn’t relieve himself. The medical staff at the race told him they didn’t have the necessary equipment to assist him, and recommended that he drop out of the race and go to a hospital for treatment.

Jerry Johncock; photo from Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune

To nearly everyone’s surprise, a spectator in the crowd stepped up to say that he had a catheter in his car that the runner could borrow. The anonymous stranger retrieved it, the first aid worker helped insert it, and … problem solved! Johncock later called the Good Samaritan’s act “a gift from the Lord” in his time of need.

With his bladder freshly drained, Johncock was completely relieved and ready to roll. He ran strong to the finish, and even with the delay was able to win his men’s 80-84 age group (there were only two runners in the category, but still). At the Twin Cities Marathon, that honor carries a cash prize of $225.

Predictably, since nearly no good deed goes unpunished, when race officials heard of the incident they immediately suspended the official race results pending an investigation and consultation with USA Track and Field, the national governing body of road racing. They wanted to determine whether Johncock should be disqualified for violating race rules when he received the assistance.

From Twin Cities Marathon website

According to USATF rules, a competitor who receives assistance from any person aside from official medical staff may be disqualified. There was also a question of whether Johncock re-entered the course at the exact same location where he stepped off the road while using the catheter.

Fortunately, common sense prevailed – although it took four full days to get there – as Johncock’s time was allowed to stand. He collected his money and was declared the official age group winner. When the race director called him with the news, Johncock had no hard feelings – in fact, he said that he plans to return to the race next year.

If that happens, he said he’ll take one additional precaution: "I'll strap a catheter around my waist."

People say that marathon runners have to be tough, and willing to overcome whatever adversity they face on race day - and we've faced enough difficult extremes in marathon racing to appreciate just how challenging those rough moments can be. But in all our years of watching and participating in marathons, the toughness and determination shown by this octogenarian may be one of the most impressive displays we’ve ever heard of.

We know this story reads like satire but it’s absolutely true. It’s also a nice lesson on the positive attributes that years of marathon running can instill in someone. Our congrats go out to Mr Johncock for finishing his race, and we wish him many more in his future - although we hope the next one isn't quite so eventful.

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Barefoot Embarcadero

Last weekend our family took one of those “Let’s cram as much educational and enriching stuff as possible into 24 hours!” trips to San Francisco – so in between seeing King Tut and the science museum, doing some geocaching, enjoying the SF Symphony, and absolutely loving a trip (seriously - you have to do it someday) to Alcatraz, I snuck out of the hotel for an early-morning run through the city.

Without shoes, of course. Because if there’s anyplace on Earth where you're free to look like an absolute weirdo, it has to be San Francisco. And with that, I was on my way.

I always love seeing buildings in this town with early morning sunlight spilling through them. During the other 22 or so hours of the day, maybe not so much – but sunrise in the big city always carries the feeling of promise for the day ahead.


I made a beeline for Market Street, where it was a straight shot to the Ferry Building in the distance, where I’d pick up the Embarcadero.


This is part of Justin Herman Plaza across the street from the Ferry Building. The large sculpture is called Quebec Libre!, and sits in what’s known as Vaillancourt Fountain, because it’s 1) named after the scupltor, and 2) usually filled with water. On this morning, however, it was completely emptied …


… which made for a cool little picture spot.

(*Random musical trivia tangent of the day: the sculpture in Vaillancort Fountain holds a special place in history for hardcore U2 fans. I’ll tell the story in a weekend post, but feel free to chime in the comments box if you know its significance.)


As I reached my first dock, the morning fog was stubbornly clinging to the low-lying hills, like this one on Yerba Buena Island under the Bay Bridge …


… and to the tops of the buildings, like this thin veil atop the Coit Tower.


The Embarcadero is the main drag for recreational joggers in this part of the city, so I got plenty of astonished looks for not wearing shoes.

Most people were friendly about it – several even ran alongside me for a bit to ask the usual “Doesn’t it hurt? What about broken glass?” type of questions. One younger girl even took off her iPod earbuds to talk with me – that’s something of a compliment among twenty-something females, right?


It had rained earlier in the week, so there were lingering puddles scattered along the waterway – and of course, I ran through every one of them. No matter how many times I do it, I always get a charge out of looking back over my shoulder and seeing this image on the ground behind me.


Sunlight bouncing off the building, tree foliage just beginning to turn, and a wispy layer of fog … have I mentioned that San Francisco is beautiful in the morning?


My turnaround point was at Pier 39, where I moseyed up and down the docks a bit …


… and took a little picture break before heading back toward the hotel.



By my return trip, the sun had finally triumphed over the fog, providing some killer views of the nearby skyline.


Another cool thing I love about San Francisco: the older historic buildings that are dwarfed by skyscrapers on either side, but still stand proudly as a reminder of the early days. They give the city its character, and more than a little bit of class.



A farmer’s market was going on back at the Ferry Building. I got almost zero strange looks here: you have to do a lot better than jogging around barefoot to grab the attention of this hemp-growing, organic-farming, incense-burning, vegan hippie peacenik crowd. Not that I tried.


Given that I was in a farmer’s market in San Francisco, I was surprised that I didn’t see more signs like this. There were only about a dozen; I thought the number would be closer to fifty. Kind of disappointing, really.



From there, I just had a long trip up Market Street to get back to the hotel. The sidewalks on Market are made of red brick, which was almost the perfect texture for urban barefoot running: more traction than concrete, but smoother and less hazardous than the asphalt street. If I’m ever elected the barefoot mayor of a small town somewhere, I’ll lobby to have all the streets made out of brick.


After about six miles of barefoot running, I was back in the plushly-carpeted hotel lobby from which I started. It was a good spot to sit for a minute …


… and take one more foot photo. You’d think I would have got some strange looks for taking pictures of my feet in a hotel lobby, but, you know -

It’s San Francisco.

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Sanuk Donny Shoe Review

“I'm looking for life, love and laughter -
Everything in between and what happens after -
I'm looking for life, looking for love, looking for laughter.”
- Donavon Frankenreiter, “Life, Love, and Laughter” (video after post)

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You’d be hard pressed to find a footwear company that gives off better vibes than Sanuk.


The company name is a Thai word for happiness and balance. One of their company mottos is “Smile! Pass it on.” And the goal of their business is to make your feet feel like they’re spending a day at the beach.

Sanuk was started in 1997 by a dude named Jeff Kelley, who thought he’d try making sandals out of inner tubes and indoor-outdoor carpet. While that prototype doesn’t sound particularly comfortable, he eventually developed a smooth, stylish, durable flip-flop and started attracting the most chill group of partners and consultants imaginable to promote and advance his product line.

From Outside magazine

Today, Team Sanuk consists of twelve charismatic athletes, all of whom are either professional surfers or extreme rock climbers. You’ve probably seen their crazy ads in outdoor magazines, which highlight both the products and the company’s unique brand culture. Their spokespeople are also a group who firmly believe in the importance of allowing the foot to perform without restrictions.

Think about it: what two groups of athletes are more reliant on optimal foot performance than surfers or rock climbers? If you want to carve a tight bottom turn or avoid making a barn door out of a dyno, you need as much natural foot strength and flexibility as possible. That same philosophy also determines what these athletes put on their feet after exiting the water or belaying down the rock face.

Doesn't have anything to do with footwear ... but I found this photo on the Sanuk site, and I like it: Team Sanuk member Alana Blanchard. Good vibes, indeed.

Sanuk footwear – referred to as sidewalk surfers – is built with the premise that the foot should function naturally. Or, as their website states: We think that nature has endowed us with a nice set of functional feet...they worked well for eons. Our guess is that the first shoes were designed to protect from the elements, but many societies stuck with sandals. Why? Because they are the closest things to walking barefoot.

One of Sanuk’s advertising tag lines is “They're not shoes, they’re sandals.” There are no rigid boards or shanks, and the thin flexible footbeds enable your feet to bend naturally when you walk. Imagine a lightweight canvas upper sewn onto a thong flip-flop bottom, and you get the idea. They call this approach Barefoot Un-Technology, which allows all the muscles in your feet to work as if they’re bare.

Yet another crazy Sanuk ad

The cool surfer attitude of the company founders is evident in every model in the Sanuk line. Per the company philosophy page, they strive to make products that are as much about funk as they are about function. That eclectic style is clearly apparent in the model I tested, called the Donny.

(I pretty much had to pick that one, didn’t I? Although the name isn’t short for Donald, but Donavon – as in Donavon Frankenreiter, the professional surfer and chill music badass whose music I’ve embedded on this site before. I mean, if you’re offering a barefoot shoe model that’s practically named after me, that promises happiness and balance, and is inspired by a dude who happens to be one of my biggest role models … you have me at hello.)

He can pretty much play guitar anywhere: Donavon Frankenreiter, from the Sanuk website.

The styling of this shoe is remarkably cool, both from a color standpoint and the way it looks like a well-worn beach shoe right out of the box. The canvas upper is very thin and immediately comfortable without any breaking-in period.

The Donny

Sanuk’s soft molded EVA footbed is just thick enough (at 22mm) to provide your feet with killer comfort, but maintains a lot of the ground feel you have from purely barefoot shoes like Vivo Barefoot or Feelmax. Given the beach theme, the footbed reminded me of walking on the firm sand of the ocean’s edge, where there’s a little bit of support underneath, but your feet are still doing most of the work.

On the other side of the footbed, Sanuk makes a rubberized EVA “Happy-U” sole. The traction of it isn’t super – about the same as you would have in a pair of flip-flops – but there’s one point worth a closer look:


Lots of little happy faces! I guess that’s why it’s called Happy U.

Truthfully, a lot of things about this shoe make me happy – an extremely comfortable fit, a ‘very close to barefoot’ feel, and a classic surf dog design. It will definitely be my number one choice for casual outings when I can’t get away with going barefoot, but still want to channel my inner beach bum. If there’s a shoe equivalent of enjoying life, love, and laughter, it would have to be Sanuk.

The Sanuk Donny retails for $60 from Amazon.com.
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*Product provided by Sanuk
** See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.

**
Donavon Frankenreiter, "Life, Love, and Laughter" (click to play):

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Soft Star Coupon Winner!

The official drawing was held this evening at the Running and Rambling household, with my 5-year-old daughter doing the honors of drawing a number out of the hat ...

Trailrat - shoot me an e-mail (info@runningandrambling.com) with your address. You've won!

Thanks to everyone who participated. If you'd like to formally protest the result, I'll refer you to my complaint department:

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The Purge

Before today’s post, two quick reminders about recent product reviews …

First, if you want your name in the hat for a $20 Soft Star coupon, leave a comment on this post right now. I’m assigning numbers and pulling one out of the hat on Monday night.

Second, the coupon code discount (R&R20) for 20% off Vivo Barefoot shoes ends on October 31st, so get going if you want to save a few dollars. I have an additional Vivo Barefoot announcement as well as a second shoe review, but I’m saving those for a later post.

For now, today’s entry should be a brief one …

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“ … And when it became clear that one side had to go, one side had to be purged. I did what I had to do.”
- Ben Linus, from season 3 of Lost


For as long as I’ve been a runner, I’ve been a packrat with my running shoes.

Once I’ve exceeded its recommended mileage life span, I’ll keep a pair of running shoes around the house for years afterward. Some I use for walking shoes; some are for hiking or mountain biking; others are set aside for yardwork. Some have very specific roles, such as mowing the grass or doing indoor chores, and others are available for general use – they sit in the cabinet by my front door for the times when I just need to throw something on my feet in a hurry before exiting the house.

The result, of course, is that I accumulate a lot of shoes.

However, since undertaking this whole barefoot experiment, I’m finding that the type of shoes I reach for nowadays are very seldom the super-cushiony, pronation- and motion-controlling stability models that I’ve used for decades. Instead, I seek out the minimal amount of shoe necessary for the task at hand.

I’m not yet sure what the endpoint of this barefoot awakening will be, but there’s one thing I know for certain: from this point forward, I’m a firm believer in the “less is more” philosophy of running shoes. Even when I eventually return to the high-mileage, high degree of difficulty trails of my favorite ultra courses, it will be with shoes that are as lightweight and low-profile as I can get away with.

Consequently, I recently realized that I had at least a dozen pair of shoes lying around that I would most likely never care to use again. As Ben Linus would say, it was clear that one side had to go. One side had to be purged.

One-half of the donation

Later that week, I rounded up all the old shoes I could find, stuffed them into two garbage bags, and hauled them over my shoulder like Santa Claus into my local running store's Reuse-A-Shoe bin. Dropping their weight off my body felt remarkably therapeutic, like when a drug addict finally flushes his pills down the toilet, or a porn addict burns his stash of magazines and videotapes (um … so I’m told). A small part of me wanted to seek out a 12-step group somewhere, to help guide me through the transitional uncertainty.

Maybe I’ll see the old shoes in another life, if they get reincarnated as an all-weather track somewhere, or as reused materials in a minimalist shoe a few years from now. Perhaps they’ll be given away intact to people who have far less means and far greater concerns to worry about than what’s covering their feet. Either way, I’m hopeful that somebody can put them to good use – but that somebody almost certainly won’t be me.

My name is Donald, and I’m a barefoot runner.

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