I have two sets of sandals. A 6mm cherry with the invisible shoe lacing(on right in pic). The other set is a 4mm cherry with hemp laces(on left in pic). I use the 6mm for trail running only. I use the 4mm in a limited amount of stores. The IS lacing is easier to use on trails cause I can drench it after wards with water to clean, and they dry fast. The hemp gets really tight once it gets wet.
I also give myself a little extra soling in front of toes. This allows extra slippage room when I run down super steep trails. Though the cherry does have a anti slip texture so my skin does not move on cheery much.
Floppiness is not a problem. If it is that generally means lacing is too loose.
I've also tried the 6mm trail nubby vibram, but the tread makes it a bit too thick for me. Also the top of soling does not have the anti slip effect. Skin will move around more on that material.
My tie method really is as simple as it looks. Though lacing tightness is just as important as any other tie method.
Before I get you all worked up on a positive alternative you may not have heard of before. Please note the specialist are somewhat limited. So if you have poked around, and it interest you. The first thing you really need to do is see if a specialist is in your area.
Soon I will discuss my in office experience with MAT. Discuss how MAT thinks differently then the main stream. Why it works, etc.....
Stay tuned for more info on MAT.
Since this is a BF blog normally, and we are discussing muscle activation. For a little fun. Let's take a look at how many muscles we have in our feet, and where they are located........
To take it one step further. let's also look at the muscles in the lower leg. One thing we have to understand is these muscles are interconnected. Each muscle relies on the other muscles to activate properly. If even one muscles does not communicate properly it can effect how other muscles feel and/or function.
I have two MAT specialist I knew where I live. These two guys got the training via Greg then brought it here to Arcata. Originally they brought the service to one of the larger gyms. That gym allowed them to offer that service as it was something new. I was a member at the gym at the time. Had spoke to David about it numerous times. One time he gave me a short free session to expose me to the ideas as I showed interest.
It was some time after that I used it for the first time. They both branched our eventually with their own business of the MAT services. So we now have in Arcata a dedicated office to the practice. It's a three person shared office. Each being a MAT specialist.
The first time I used the practice was about probably two years ago. I had pulled a muscle in my back. In fact I may have pulled the muscle maybe even twice over a course of numerous months. Usually just icing after the injury, and rest. Then start weight training slowly working back up to strengthen what I thought was the injured area.
At one point I went backpacking. That same side of back muscles were really bothering me a lot. It was more like the upper, mid trapezoid area. That shoulder blade muscle area. Numerous muscles collide in that area. I had difficulty backpacking cause the muscles in the area were just not happy. I constantly had to re-adjust my pack. Those muscles just felt really tired.
I knew something was not correct. Originally I rested, and healed. Then I decided to schedule some physical therapy sessions at the gym. To help come up with a safe weight training program to recover from injury.
Well I ended up canceling that initial appointment. Instead I scheduled my first MAT session. During my first session I was convinced this work absolutely works. The body does not lie.
In the next post I will discuss some key ideas I learned during those sessions. Ideas much opposite of what we all learned in grade school.
These MAT folks know ever single muscle in the body, and many details about each individual muscle. Many are personal trainers. I've never met anyone else who is super in tune with bio mechanics, and the muscular system.
This video below is not MAT focused, but I've posted it to illustrate how we need to look at a individuals bio mechanics. To asses what maybe causing a reported tightness, injury, pain, etc. The body is a jig saw puzzle, but with many layers. Sometimes the layered have to be peeled away to find the root of the problem to correct it. In the video all those bio mechanical issues viewed can be fixed by MAT. Along with many other mechanical issues. As our muscular system firing properly is critical in proper bio mechanics. If the communication of how the muscles fire has gone offline anywhere within the chain. It can cause numerous types of negative effects in how we feel, ans move.....
Notice in the video. What a wonderful, but complex machine we are........
Ever have a injury ? Not sure what is going on ? Or do you have the same injury recurring ? Stretching, massaging most likely is not correcting the root of the injury. As the tightness is not the problem area.
This is when you may want to consider muscle activation therapy if you have a specialist in your area.
I have first hand experience with this treatment. What I can tell you is your body does not lie. The process works it is that simple.
what I will say for now is MAT is not that well known to most folks. The process is also opposite of what we are taught as children. So once you see that it works you have to re learn how to care for your muscle chain, and your body in general.
I'll talk about my experiences in the days ahead.
For now check out these videos below, or the link posted above......
