Sonship

I was doing a search on adoption quotes for #WorldAdoptionDay yesterday and I came across a quote that literally blew my mind and opened up Ephesians 5:1 on a whole new scale to me. Here is the quote:

"It is not imitation that makes sons. It is sonship that make imitators." Martin Luther

Why did it blow my mind? You see God has really been taking me through the grinder lately and focusing on bringing a healing and recalibrating how i see myself in Him and how i believe He see's me, basically my identity. Because of various circumstances growing up I carried an unhealthy view of my identity into my adult years, but through some loving father figures and some eina 'klapuccinos' with them :) God has begun a work to heal these cracked lenses I have been looking at myself and others through. At first I wanted to fight, you see the way I observed how to deal with conflict as a young boy was if there is a perceived threat you hit hard and you hit first, incapacitating the threat and thereby averting any further conflict. This filtered into most of my interactions with people, for example I would be corrected on a piece of behaviour that might not have been appropriate or fitting and instead of taking it calmly and adjusting I would perceive it as an attack, a threat that needed to be fought and nullified. This helped me to lose friends and win enemies. I began to view a correction or discipline as an attack on my character which often left me with feelings of lonliness as I tried to separate myself from the conflict and from any potential threat by avoiding family, friends or authority figures and by keeping everyone at an arms length, never allowing anyone close enough to penetrate my walls of protection (read seclusion).

You see I was living like an orphan. Perceiving rejection, but rejecting first before I could be rejected. Then God began to shine a light into my heart, as father figures began to speak truth to me over almost a 10 year period, which started on a couch in Anthony Meek's living room in 2005 and is still carrying on today. It was tough, there was tears, weakness, it was foreign, it was vulnerable, i hated being vulnerable, i tried to fight it but who can stand against the power of God, against the loving patience of His saints, against the shear redeeming force of His love? Like Jacob wrestled with God, I too attempted to wrestle although in my case it was not for blessing, but rather to remain comfortable. To not face the pain or heartache, to leave it buried, trying to convince myself I was ok all the while having it fester beneath the surface. I believe most people know where they need help or breakthrough but never take hold of it because there is something in our nature that once we are comfortable, even in pain, we will fight to stay there.

So because I was viewing my identity in God through a cracked lense I began to 'approach' Him as my lense believed was best. I read Ephesians 5:1 which says to be imitators of God... Cool, I thought, I can do that! So I set about trying to imitate God with every fibre of energy and zeal within me. The trouble is I was trying to become a son through imitation, obedience and zeal which in itself is works and a serious lack of faith. It is an attitude of having to earn my sonship, my adoption as God's son when in fact He was calling me to faith, faith that I was already His son, that my identity as His child was secure and not based on works. I was trying to live out the first part of Ephesians 5:1 without considering the second part. Yes, be an imitator of God, but be an imitator AS beloved children and not SO we can be beloved children. I can imitate God, because I am His son. I am not His son because I imitate Him, there is a massive difference.

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma." Ephesians 5:1

The Illusion of Independence

Independence.

Noun: the ability to live your life without being helped or influenced by other people.

There is an illusion being forced upon us, an illusion so subtle, so sly that we don’t even realize that we are slowly being made a slave to its ways. This illusion is the illusion of independence.  You might ask why I refer to it as an illusion? I say this because no matter how hard we try we will never be truly independent of others or other things.

Before I elaborate on my statement let me qualify that I see independence as having two main facets. The first is independence from tyranny on a governmental scale, a group of ‘Freedom Fighters” would for example fight for freedom from the tyranny of a neighboring country, who forces it’s own laws and terror onto their beloved country. The independence they fight for is to have rule over their own country and enjoy peace and prosperity as they build towards a common good and not the benefit of a single tyrannical person. This, for me, is the true sense of independence. The right and freedom to build a life in peace and unity with man and God and enjoy the spoils of ones own labor.

I believe though that there is another kind of independence that has sprung up in the last half-century or so, this illusion of independence that is slowly destroying us. This independence is not independence on a governmental scale, but on a personal scale. It is subtly wrapped up in the clear cellophane of a microwave dinner for one, or the meticulously thought out advert that tells you that you don’t need anyone, all you need is this fancy new perfume and your life will be complete. It is found in the desire to watch hours and hours of series on our laptop on our own, in the dark. You see this illusion of independence had led us to believe that we are fine on our own, that we don’t need anybody. As long as I am happy with my nice little white picket fence, my bonsai tree’s (this is not meant as a stab at Bonsai cultivators) and my TV shows then why should I need anyone else?

There was a time once when community meant something; being apart of a community and doing ones part to benefit that community. I for one don’t even know the names of my neighbors in my apartment block, is that all in the name of independence? So that I can feel some measure of control over my life because I don’t have to be vulnerable and step out of my comfort zone. Each time I walk through the apartment block I live in all I see is the flickering of light flashes through the blinds of my neighbors living room windows as they immerse themselves in hours of TV shows, no dinner around the table, each person in their separate room. This is a sad state of existence, if this is what independence looks like I want to have nothing to do with it. Where are the dirty dishes piling in the sink, the spent wine bottles, the coffee stains on the rug, the hours of laughter spent in community, spent with friends?

I say it is a shameful thing to want to live your life “without being helped or influenced by other people”.  I have to ask myself, when last did I make a new friend? Not just an acquaintance that I greet on occasion in the frozen food section, but when last did I make a friend that I actively and intentionally find out what that person enjoys, or where they go when they are sad, or what their favorite meal is.

Is this the kind of independence that our forefathers fought so hard for, did they fight against tyranny so that we could all be comfortable in our safe shells, never really touching or making a difference in someone’s life? I imagine them to be turning in their graves thinking to themselves, “That’s not independence, that is lonliness.”

Is it such a frightful thing to be dependent on someone or something? There is a fine line between identity and dependence, if our identity is wrapped up in our dependence then I would say we are in for a tough time, but if we are secure in our identity and in ourselves then I would say that dependence is a very important natural part of our existence. To know that we can call on a close friend at any time of the day or night and they will be there in a flash with tub of Ben & Jerry’s and warm shoulder to cry on is a very comforting thing.

If that is dependence I will take it over the ‘neat-cellophane-wrapped-microwave-dinner-for-one-while-some-talk-show-host-shelters-me-from-the-reality-of-my-miserable-existence’ any day. You see we have come to the place where we are always bottling up, always withdrawing, never processing emotions, never really letting people in to help us out. No, that would be weak, which would mean I am dependent on something or someone and we can’t have that. What happened to us? No wonder society at large is hell bent on independence. We have used independence as a scapegoat, as a means of justifying our perpetual need to not be vulnerable in anyway for fear of appearing weak.

We see independence as freedom, freedom from really dealing with our issues. It makes sense, it is way more easy to burry my depression in 160 minute feature film filled with excitement, explosions and anticipation, only to return to reality after the credits have rolled up, and the sorry truth that no amount of entertainment can fill that void we constantly feel within us. This kind of independence isn’t freedom, it is slavery, and slavery breeds anxiety. Malcolm X said, "you cannot separate peace and freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom." True peace comes from true freedom, freedom to be truly open and truly vulnerable when we are struggling, freedom to rely on others for help, freedom to be influenced in a positive way by those close to us. Earlier I said that I believe no matter how hard we try we will never be truly independent of others and other things, I say that because I believe within each and every one of us there is an innate desire for love, for acceptance and for a sense of belonging.

Jodi Picoult put it perfectly when she wrote in Second Glance:

“Heroes didn't leap tall buildings or stop bullets with an outstretched hand; they didn't wear boots and capes. They bled, and they bruised, and their superpowers were as simple as listening, or loving. Heroes were ordinary people who knew that even if their own lives were impossibly knotted, they could untangle someone else's. And maybe that one act could lead someone to rescue you right back.”

Let us throw off independence, let us be those heroes of listening, of loving. Let us look to rescue in the hope that we ourselves can also be rescued. Let us be dependent on one another, and in so doing allowing others to be dependent on us.

Ode to Adventure

"Written by me but originally posted as a guest post on US based site: http://landonfaulkner.com/ode-to-adventure/"

Devote (verb ) – give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause.

Have you ever stopped and looked at the word, ‘devote’? It is not a word used very often yet every single one of us, in some way, is devoted to something or someone. I think the reason why the word is not used in most people’s vocabularies these days is because society in general is hell bent on convenience and comfort. There is no devotion in convenience. Devotion speaks of commitment, perseverance, an ability to remain patient and consistent through difficult circumstances or situations while pressing on to achieve a goal or purpose.
When my Grandfather was my age he would go down to his local food market which was run by a close knit family that knew each of their loyal customers by name, they knew what they liked and how they liked it. They were devoted to providing their customers with consistent personal assistance. Nowadays I go down to my local supermarket, no one knows my name, no one takes an interest in what I might be needing, everything is processed and vacuum packed for ‘convenience’. The only focus is ‘dollars and cents’. The only commitment, the profit margin. The only devotion, making something as cheap as possible to sell it as high as possible.
So what does all this have to do with adventure, or running or actually anything outdoor related? Well you see as everything around us has become convenient the concept of an ‘adventure’ as been so diluted that nowadays a trip to a different hair stylist is considered an adventure. Where are the Sir Edmund Hillary’s, the Ernest Shackleton’s, or the Ranulph Fiennes’s of today? Some people would argue that great feats of the past have been conquered, and there is nothing left to explore. We can see it all on our TV’s so why should we venture out. In one day we can see the vastness of the Grand Canyon, the peaks of Everest and the depths of Great Barrier Reef, all from the comfort of ones own living room.

No wonder devotion has been replaced by convenience. In the days of Sir Edmund Hillary anything short of a radical devotion to ones goals would mean, to them, a life of mediocrity and never having the chance of experiencing something great. Convenience didn’t cause Ranulph Fieness to become the first man to cross Antarctica on foot. Nor did it cause Reinhold Messner to become the first man to summit Mount Everest without the help of oxygen tanks. Convenience would have kept them at home, comfortably next to their fire place, warm and nestled up while they watched others achieve their life’s ambitions. It was nothing short of a radical devotion that enabled them to achieve the impossible. While everyone said it could not be done, they devoted themselves to finding ways to get it done. They were committed almost to the point of what some would classify as insanity, they persevered through failure and overcame great trials when everyone else gave up.
One of my favourite accounts of die hard devotion is one I heard of Scott Jurek at the Badwater Ultra Marathon, as far as I remember he collapsed on his face around half way totally dehydrated and spent. The distance between him and the leaders growing further and further apart. Instead of abandoning like most people would he got up, collected himself, started running again and went on to win the race when everyone said he wouldn’t be able compete against the roadies conditioned for that amount of pounding on the tar. That for me is a classic example of devotion. It would have been convenient for him to allow his support crew to carry him to the support vehicle and transport him back to the finish, it would have been convenient for him to skip a training session because it was raining or because he wasn’t feeling up to it but I guarantee you he had a goal to win and he was devoted, come hell or high water he was devoted to achieve it. Someone once said, “Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.” I disagree, I prefer to say, “Suffering is inevitable, the key is to suffer well.” Devotion will see you persevere through suffering, it’s not to say that you won’t suffer if you are devoted but it will keep you consistent, it will keep you committed. Convenience will give you the easy way out.

What if the Sir Edmund Hillary’s of today are the ones who courageously throw off the comforts of today’s convenience and devote themselves to making adventure. True adventure, not the ‘bolt on’ kind like those who kit their trucks out with the best expedition gear known to man yet their tyres never leave Hollywood Boulevard and their reserve tanks never see a drop of fuel. Their eyes never see the real thing, only a replica. Their faces never get covered with dirt from a place most people will never know existed. What if we devoted ourselves to the kind of adventure that gets your palms sweaty and raises your heart rate by just thinking about it. The kind of adventure that no matter what life throws your way, like Vincent Van Gogh you can press on and say, “The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.”

If by our lack of devotion we teach the next generation that convenience is better than devotion, that comfort is better than commitment. I am afraid the wide eyed hunger for adventure, the zealous passion for what’s beyond the horizon, the depth of the wandering spirit of the human race will quickly become as deep as the bottom of a wet grande half-caf skinny cappuccino to go.

Let us throw off convenience. Let us #MakeAdventure

VIVOBAREFOOT Breatho Review

Proprioception…

Now I think I know what you might be thinking, and I assure you this isn’t going to be another science lecture or one of those hippie types telling you to come run with the fairies with nothing but the wind in your hair and the sun on your bum cheeks. No, this is in fact a review of the terrifying VIVOBAREFOOT Breatho Trail Shoe. 

Before I get down and dirty with the shoe review lets look at this word, ‘Proprioception’, quickly and how it has anything to do with ‘Barefoot Running’. Proprioception is basically a fancy word to say that your body is good at running itself while you perform multiple tasks. So for example a guy, contrary to popular belief, can multi-task by turning the meat on the braai, drink a beer, watch the rugby and chat to a mate at the same time without consciously having to focus on each individual task all because of a few internal nerves that provide sensory feedback to the brain. This gives your body the awareness it needs of the space around you to perform the given tasks. So with running our foot which has 200,000 nerve endings, 33 major muscles, 28 bones, 19 ligaments becomes a biomechanical masterpiece providing a massive amount of feedback and data to the brain, data that it uses to control the bodies balance, forward motion, and lateral motion (the movement from side to side). The team at VIVOBAREFOOT have set out to create shoes that help the body make the absolute most of all that data and turn it into speed, running efficiency and most importantly… fun! 

The term ‘Barefoot Running’ has been thrown around a lot lately in running circles and if you are like me every time you hear it coming up in conversation you suddenly have to leave cause you think you might have forgotten the oven on at home or the kids suddenly need to be picked up from the in-laws. I tried to avoid it at all costs, most out of ignorance, but then one golden Autumn day in Cape Town, a pair of VIVOBAREFOOT Breatho Trail Shoes arrived on my doorstep, to say that I was terrified to run in them would be a massive understatement, to put it in perspective I watched just about every youtube video I could find on barefoot running, went through their site with a fine tooth comb reading every paragraph, and ran all my runs for 2 weeks prior to receiving them on a treadmill to try nail down my Barefoot Running technique. I have my fair share of ‘minimalist’ running experience but ‘minimalist’ and ‘barefoot running’ are two very different concepts. For more information on the differences click here.

So lets look at the shoe then,

Aesthetics and Key Features:

It is safe to say the shoe is very, very easy on the eye. The design and colour scheme give it a very relevant appeal in todays world of brightly coloured and designed shoes, mine came in a light grey and racing red combination which definitely got my heart rate up before even hitting the trail. Other colour options available are Black/Grey, Grey/Yellow, and my other favourite a Grey/Blue combination. The lugs at the bottom of the shoe are what caught my eye at first, all 4.5mm of them and with the bantam 2.5mm outsole they ensure maximum sensory feedback. Apart from the brilliant grip of the shoe I noticed on the first run how the breathable mesh really allows for great ventilation around the foot. The 3mm insole sports a hex-flex moisture management system which helps to keep the feet warm in colder conditions, you can run in socks in these shoes but to me that would be defeating the point so the moisture wicking lining is a welcome advantage. One of my absolute favourite features of this shoe is the added arch protection on the side of the shoe, some other trail shoes lack in that department and I have payed for it on more than one occasion. A sharp rock into the side of your foot is not fun, especially when there is nothing but fabric between your foot and the rock. I thoroughly enjoyed not sticking a rock into the arch of my foot in these shoes.

My other favourite feature, and for the weight weanies amongst us, these shoes weigh in at an incredible 272g, I had to look down at times to check I still had shoes on my feet while blitzing along the trail. They are seriously light which make them seriously fast, if Nancy Sinatra’s boots were made for walking, these shoes were made for flying!

A wide toe box helps your toes spread which helps all the more with balance and running efficiency, nothing worse than cramped toes. If you have ever been on a 4x4 trip you would know that on soft sand and rocky sections they let a great deal of air out of the tyres to increase grip by giving the tyre a larger surface area. The same concept works here, wider toe box gives more space for your toes and a wider surface area which gives more grip which gives more speed which gives more fun… I think you get the picture.

Performance:

The first thing I want to know when considering a trail shoe is what is the grip like, there is no point in spending on average a 1000 bucks on a pair of trail shoes that’s going to have you on the floor more than on your feet. The VIVOBAREFOOT Breatho Trail Shoes do not disappoint, with their multi-directional inter-galactic lugs on the sole of the shoe you have a shoe that provides optimum grip whether you are running on a flat trail, rocky sections, steep ascent, blindingly fast descent or the moon. The lugs on the heel of the shoe face the opposite direction as the front to help keep you on your feet in those steep and slippery descents. I descended down to Rhodes Memorial on Devils Peak in the rain on a very wet and muddy trail and I only lost grip once, in this case it was in very thick mud, to say that I was impressed with the grip would be an understatement. There is something great about having peace of mind in the ability of your shoes, knowing you can take a few more risks or be a little more adventurous than you normally would all adds to the fun factor, and what would trail running be without its fun factor.

The lightness of the shoe (that’s 272g’s) really make this a seasoned racers best friend, trying to focus on an increased step turn over in heavy shoes is not my idea of fun. The team at VIVOBAREFOOT help us to adjust to Barefoot Running all the more with a seriously light shoe. Lighter shoes equals less energy spent in carrying the extra weight, helping you go further or faster with less effort and trust me an extra 100g’s really does make a huge difference when it is attached to the bottom of your legs while tackling a mountain most people wouldn’t even dare to drive their 4x4 up.

Since the outsole is a mere 2.5mm you need to be very conscious of not ‘heel striking’ on the hard pac or on the tar en route to the trail, at first my heels were a bit sensitive but as I ran more and more in the shoe I started to get the hang of the Barefoot Running technique, because of this it isn’t a shoe you can get ‘lazy’ in mid-run. I only ran once with the removable in-sole in as I way preferred the heightened sensory feedback you get without it but that also meant less cushioning so don’t be fooled, there are no gimmicks here, to run in these shoes properly you will need to adjust your technique, especially if you are used to running in shoes with standard cushioning. I can safely say that it is a massive amount of fun and after all my apprehension of the ‘Barefoot Running’ talk after 5 weeks I can totally see the benefits. I will even go as far as to say that it has completely revolutionised my approach and motivation towards running and as with any good revolution something significant has to change and stay changed. In this case it was my cumbersome ‘heel striking’, something that I could even get away with in a more minimalist focused shoe.

This wouldn’t be a proper independent review if I didn’t touch on the things I didn’t enjoy about the shoe so the first thing that I would change on the shoes is the laces, a silly and small thing I know, but they are far too long. I I didn’t tie them in a triple not they would keep coming undone as I ran. The last thing you want is to suddenly find yourself face down on a jagged rocky section because you tripped over your own laces. The elastic loc-lace type laces would be my first choice for a shoe like this, they will even get the weight down be another 5g’s or so. My other issue is on one section of trail I ran through there were smallish rocks hidden under grass patches which became very uncomfortable, the sole does an excellent job of protecting the feet from sharp objects but because it is a Barefoot Running shoe you do experience everything, and I mean everything on the trail so if you can’t see where any obstacles are you will feel them (which is the whole point of sensory feedback) but again as time went on my dainty feet began to toughen up and feeling the smaller stones was not as uncomfortable as at the start. I haven’t quite decided yet if I would use these as a training and racing shoe or purely a racing shoe. A part of me would be a bit more comfortable with slightly more cushioning for the longer ultra training type runs just because of the frequency, but then again this is a revolution, and you won’t know if you don’t try so I guess it is all or nothing for me. I will probably put the removable insole in for the longer runs, such a softie.

So my advice to you if you decide to buy these shoes is this, give them a chance. I didn’t like them much at all after my very first run, in fact apart from the great features I felt rather disappointed. I don’t know maybe I was expecting fireworks with all the hoo-ha on Barefoot Running lately but less is really more in this case, after 2 – 4 weeks they began to make sense and now 6 weeks or so into them I cannot imagine running in anything else. They really do grow on you as your body adapts and as you tweak your running technique to make the most out of them. I even secretly drew out writing this review as long as I could just to get a few more runs in them before having to give them back.

Pro’s Overview:

·         Lightweight

·         Mad grip

·         Helps your body make the most of the sensory feedback we were born to use

·         Stylish looks

·         Moisture wicking lining inside the shoe

·         Did I say lightweight?

·         Protects the arch of the foot very well (yay!!)

Con’s Overview:

·         Silly long laces

·         Not nice to run in on the tar if you have to get to the trail via tar (unfortunately            most of us don’t live in the mountains)

·         Once you get used to them you won’t want to run in anything else (think 3 year          old tantrum in the sweet section at Woolies and you will catch my drift)

My one word that sums up the VIVOBAREFOOT Breatho Trail Shoe>… Terrifying… Terrifyingly fast, Terrifyingly grippy, Terrifyingly light, Terrifyingly good looking, Terrifyingly fun (think roller coaster or base jumping), Terrifying at first but man what a jol and what is life without a bit of terror to shake us out of our comfort zones and give us a bit of fun?

Inov-8 Mudroc 290 Review

Inov-8 Mudroc 290 Test and Review:

I had the pleasure of testing out Inov-8's Mudroc 290 Trail shoe yesterday and I have to say I was very impressed. Rememeber this is a 'Natural Running' focused shoe so it isn't everyone's cup of tea but with some conditioning and 'easing' into a more minimalist approach to running your body will adapt, and you will not regret it. 'Natural Running' is basically a movement in the industry to have a shoe that is as little a shoe as possible, the term "less is more" is quite fitting. The shoe focuses on giving the runner the bare minimum they would need from a shoe to perform at a optimum level by letting the natural gait of the runners technique do the rest. In terms of the weight this works incredibly well to keep the weight of the shoe down.

The last 12 - 18 months or so has seen as a massive increase in the popularity of trail running, because of this the different specs and brands of shoes have massively increased. Company's that used to focus mainly on road shoes, like Asics, are now developing a number of trail running derivative's aimed at all levels of performance, based on the success of their road shoes. Then you have the company's like Salomon whose main focus in their shoe category is Trail specific shoes, with a few hybrids popping into the market. This leaves the potential buyer with a lot of choice and sometimes very little quality info on how the shoe actually performs. Thankfully there are sites, like RunTrail that help provide some insight into the world of Trail Running.

So with the abundance of Trail specific shoes what makes Inov-8 different? Well for starters they aren't just a company that is passionate about Trail Running. They make a solid effort all through their manufacturing process to protect the environment. What is the point of making a Trail specific shoe but don't make any effort to preserve the trail that your potential customers will use your product on? These guys are smart!

They even did an Environmental Audit of the company and this is some of the practical steps they have implemented to reduce their carbon footprint:

• Reduced impact freight: At inov-8, only urgent samples are transported by air. We have reduced road freight by shipping direct from the factories nearest local sea port. This has reduced over 1000 miles of road travel.

• Lean, green packaging: We use lightweight shoe boxes made from recycled materials and are recyclable. The local school even uses some of them for storing craft materials. We keep print on the boxes to a minimum reducing the use of chemical inks. We are currently investigating improvements to our bulk boxes and exploring ways of cutting out the use of boxes altogether.

• Minimising materials wastage: We have cut rubber and plastic waste to an absolute minimum of our total usage. We have reduced our EVA wastage to a minimum which is then recycled and used in the manufacture of children's footwear.

• Recycling : In our office, paper and card are recycled along with the shoe boxes, of course.

With the company background out of the way lets have a look at the shoe then:

The first thing that you will notice is the tread under the shoe, if you thought the Salomon Speedcross 3's were aggressive the Mudroc 290's are an animal. I actually thought I heard them roar when I put them (ok not really but you know what I mean). The second thing that I noticed was the lacing of the shoe, it took me a while 9a very short one) to figure it out but the way they have laced the shoe is genius. I am not going to try explain it because I can't and I will just confuse myself and you but the shoe laces to fit around your foot very securely. I had zero play inside the shoe when the laces were tightened, the laces double back on themselves at the lip of the shoe which ensures that the lacing doesn't come loose, brilliant. Back to the tread, it would be natural to think that a Trail specific shoe would have decent grip and you would be right, this shoe has grip and a whole lot of it. The shoe has so much grip I almost felt like I had to pull my leg upwards to dislodge the shoe so I could take another step. The amount of grip is definitely what I enjoy most about the shoe. I was expecting to feel some 'stud pressure' from the lugs on the harder terrain but the shoe felt surprisingly flat underneath while running on some cemented sections of the trail, which helps to make them feel very stable. On the loose gravel and rocks they were again very solid and I was able to descend the technical stuff much more confidently than I would normally. These shoes apparently perform their best in wet and muddy conditions (hence the name, Mudroc..) which I haven't had the chance yet to test in, but I have no doubt they will live up to their name. The fact that they were specially developed using rock climbing rubber technology to optimise grip in wet conditions should be proof enough.

Thanks to the focus on 'Natural Running' the shoe is very tight fitting and feel very streamlined. There are some shoes that just by putting them on you feel faster, these are one of those pairs.

Let's get to some of the cons: There aren't many, the most probable issues that will come in is if you aren't used to a more 'Natural Running' shoe or even Trail specific shoe. The sole, as with any decent Trail shoe, is quite solid with less flex than your road running shoes, this helps to protect the arch of your foot on the uneven terrain so if you are used to the more flexible road shoes you might get the feeling of 'shin splints' coming if you go out too hard too soon with these. In terms of cushioning, there is some but not much making them not the most comfortable Trail shoe out there, but we all know no one starts trail running for the comfort. However there are more 'comfortable' options out there if that is what you are looking for, like the New Balance 810's or the Adidas Supernova Riot 4's. Personally I would have also liked a brighter colour option like you get with the Salomon Speedcross 3's, I just really enjoy a brightly coloured shoe.

So if you are looking for a light, fast, seriously fantasticly gripping 'Natural Running' Trail shoe then I would highly recommend these, a word of caution though... they really do roar when you put them on!

VIVOBAREFOOT ULTRA Review

Whenever I hear the word Ultra, my heart instantly jumps up 10bpm. I think of altitude's of 2500m above sea level, distances of 50km's plus, trails so gnarley you wouldn't even be able to get there with a kitted out 4x4. The sport of Ultra running is not for the faint hearted, it's for the select few who can really consider themselves "hardcore". Granted the shoe in this review is not exactly suited for Ultra running but just like those 50k's + of trail running euphoria the VIVOBAREFOOT Ultra’s are part of that select group that can consider themselves, "hardcore". When I first saw the shoes on VIVOBAREFOOT's site I knew I had to give them a bash, I mean who doesn't remember being a kid and wanting to jump into every single puddle, especially when there was someone close enough to splash? I often hear people saying that we, as adults, tend to take things too seriously. That somehow we have lost the fun and adventure we used to craze as kids. Someone who is serious about their running is no exception! I mean what other breed of person wakes up to go running when others are just getting home from a late night jol, who deny themselves all of the chocolatey chocolateness of chocolate when others are loading their shopping trolleys full of all kinds of sugary goodness, or who are in bed earlier than some 2 year olds? We map out our programs months in advance, log every nano-byte of data after each run and compare our performance on yesterday’s effort to see if we can make any tweaks or adjustments to today’s effort. We take our running seriously, very seriously! If you want to achieve your goals it's fair to say you need to be pretty serious about them but there comes a time when even the most hardened and disciplined of runners need to have just a little fun!

Enter the VIVOBAREFOOT Ultra's...

Right from the get go you can see these shoes scream fun, I mean what other shoe can be totally submersed in water and not weight your feet down while you carry on running? I competed in this years Totalsports Challenge with these shoes and where they really came alive for me was on the final beach run, while other runners were trying to avoid the water to keep their shoes dry, which forced them to run on softer sand, I was blitzing through the waves on the hard sand. The advantage was priceless. As with all the other VIVOBAREFOOT models the shoes sport a very wide toe box, in fact in the Ultra the toe box is wider than the Breatho’s which really allow you to get some serious grip and prevent your feet from sinking into soft sand. It sort of works like a Camels hoof, Camels have very wide hoof’s at the base which allow them to move through the dessert at very respectable speeds, it’s the same for the Ultra’s. Even when I had to venture onto the soft sand I found my feet were not sinking in as deep as they normally would. This saved me a lot of much needed energy.

The VIVOBAREFOOT Ultra’s don’t have the aggressive lugs as you get with the Breatho’s or Neo Trails but they are by no means lacking in grip. I ran a river section above the reservoirs in Hermanus with these shoes and I was scrambling over the wet rocks and through the rivers without any slipping or lose of traction. The shoe is basically a rubber ‘sole’ that wraps around your foot. They are incredibly light and flex with every movement which gives you just about the most natural running experience you will ever have, short of running completely barefoot of course. VIVOBAREFOOT are all ‘proprioception’ and making shoes that allow your feet to give feedback to your brain about the terrain you are running on and to aid in balance, spatial awareness and momentum. I think they have hit the jackpot with the Ultra’s. The sensory feedback you get in these shoes is mind-blowing. They come with a removable ‘boot’ which clips easily in and out of the shoe for a little more protection on the foot and best of all you can use the ‘boot’ at the gym, on the treadmill or while you are doing strength training.

 I enjoyed the Ultra’s so much I used them on the tar as well, finishing about 4 half Marathon’s in them. Apart from the remarks I got from fellow runners admiring the shoe they are just about the lightest shoe you can get. The sole isn’t made specifically for the shredding power of the tar so if you get them solely for tar use they won’t last very long. If I had an issue with these shoes it would be, durability, but considering how much I ran on the tar (which they aren’t made for) with them it is more than fair to say they gave me my money’s worth.

What I didn’t realize while I was testing the Ultra’s was how much fun I was having in them, they allowed me to jump in every puddle, blitz through the waves and feel like a mountain goat over wet rocks and through flowing rivers. I didn’t count on them reminding me exactly why I started trail running in the first place. I didn’t count on them showing me how I had somehow lost the fun and adventure of it all. How I had become so focused on the minutes per km readings, distance travelled, elevation gained, average speed and heart rate, weekly and monthly mileage, was I hitting my goals and if not how could I make up for it. I didn’t count on them helping me find that kid again that loved jumping in puddles and running without an agenda, but rather for the love of it.

So I guess the question you have to ask yourself is, “Do you want to feel like a kid again?” If your answer is yes, then the VIVOBAREFOOT Ultra’s are for you!

The real sons of Anarchy!

Anarchy, as a word or concept has always brought with it a negative connotation. It brings about thoughts of riots, destruction, lawlessness, and death. Not a pretty picture and in many cases these are the direct results of a state of anarchy. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines anarchy as, "absence of government or a state of lawlessness or political disorder due to the absence of governmental authority." I believe the world right now is in a state of anarchy, but it is not at a national level as most would automatically think but rather an international level.

I believe, because the world is in a state of anarchy, we are seeing a union of states trying to impose their "universal laws" and basis of morality on national governments throughout the world. To them the world is without a governmental authority. Right now each government's control over their own country is slowly disappearing. All you have to do is look at the bills which are being pushed to become laws throughout the world, countries are pushing to make it illegal to discipline your child with a spanking, abortion is being legalised, families who home school their children are being prosecuted as sects and are having their children taken away from them and this is happening in South Africa, the States as well as Germany and many others. Anyone who express their freedom of speech to voice their beliefs are being sued and persecuted.

Recently South Africa's leading opposition party put forward a bill in parliament to essentially make it illegal to home school your child without using a government approved syllabus which leaves no space for the parents freedom of speech or freedom of religion. Anarchy is not a concept, anarchy is being fought as we speak. A church in South Africa has been taken to court for its beliefs, business's are being sued because the owners cannot in good conscience fulfill the prospective customers wishes because they are contrary to their beliefs. The days of freedom of beliefs is all but gone.

The reason why I think anarchy is being fought in international relations is because this union of states see's the fact that countries with different laws pose a serious threat to each other. The threat of war and political instability is far greater when two countries have completely different precedents than when they follow the same set of rules. So in the interest of world peace and ensuring we all get along a "New World Order" is attempting to be established. This "New World Order" recognizes that when it comes to international relations and international politics we are in a state of anarchy, we are without a "world government", we are essentially in a "state of lawlessness". Countries are in constant conflict with each other, therefore as far as a realist approach to the concept of anarchy goes the world is in a state of anarchy.

The spin off of having no higher authority than a nations authority is argued to lead to a self-help system among the different countries (Weber: 2009). Lebow quotes a definition of this self-help system by Mearsheimers as "a brutal arena where states look for opportunities to take advantage of each other" (Lebow: 2007). What the world doesn't realise is that while we might have "peace" it is at the cost of our freedom and no price is worth paying if it means we lose our freedom. Malcolm X said, "you cannot separate peace and freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom." So by seeking to bring about peace by taking away a persons right to freedom you in fact create no peace at all, only an illusion of peace. It can be argued that a love for humanity and our existence is the fuel behind a desire for ultimate peace, wars destroy people and wars can be said to be caused by an international state of lawlessness and anarchy. This might be true but if love and compassion is really at the centre then how can there be love without freedom? If love is at the centre could it really bare to see the object of its affection suffer the pain of a complete lack of freedom? The key is love but it is not a love as the world loves, which gives and expects something in return. If love, concern and compassion is to be the fuel it has to be unconditional.

It could be argued that war is inevitable because of "original sin" or as Albert Einstein put it, "man has an active instinct for hatred and destruction". So if war is inevitable then by taking away a mans freedom, or by prosecuting them for voicing or acting on their counter-cultural beliefs war therefore no longer inevitable as there is control. The trouble with this short term thinking is when there is no freedom a new kind war is inevitable. Take the popular films "The Hunger Games" into consideration. In the films a hyper-controlling "world order" dictated their laws with brutality by ruling with fear. There was no freedom, the people lived as prisoners, there was no equality. Although there was supposed peace in the different regions eventually a war broke out, the battle was for freedom. The very system put in place to prevent war brought about a war and it was the government that lost.

In South Africa a few weeks ago a bill was passed in parliament that, if it wasn't amended by some sharp people, it would have meant that if I got up in public and said "the husband is the head of the home" I could have been arrested and sentenced to 5 years in prison. That my friend is a loss of freedom, and for what? So that the world can be in a pseudo sense of security because our laws are finally the same? The truth is we are already at war, it is not a war fought with guns and tanks but a war of relations. It is a war being fought behind closed doors. A war that we can't even fight because we don't even know it is taking place. A war that will inevitably mean the loss of the freedom we currently enjoy.

The sons of anarchy are no more the rebellious teenagers of the past or the freedom fighters who fought against tyranny. The sons of anarchy are no more those who seek to build a new future out the rubble of a collapsed government. Our governments are collapsing but it is not as we might think. They are collapsing under the pressure of international relations, under the idea that conflicting laws between nations means a global state of lawlessness. The new sons of anarchy, the real sons of anarchy, are not fighting to protect freedom, or to win freedom. They are fighting to destroy freedom!!