Monday, February 15, 2010

I Ran PF Changs Half Marathon in the Kangoo Jumps!!!


You are probably thinking to yourself, what the heck are Kangoo Jumps? They look like rollerblades with circular like springs on the bottom. Now...I'm sure you are wondering why on earth would someone want to RUN a Half Marathon in them??
1) Because we can.
2) They take 80% of the shock off the joints.
3) Burn an additional 25% more calories to your workout.
4) It's a great CORE workout!
5) Make exercising FUN!
6) Help improve muscle recovery time.
7) and at least 26.2 other benefits!!!

Some of us are a little CRAZY and like to experiment with different training modalities to see how we can maximize our workout time and burn the most calories with the least amount of impact on our body.
As runners, we all know that the liklihood of getting some sort of injury running can be very high. That is one of the big reasons why I love running in the Kangoo Jumps so much!
Several months ago, I had a knee injury and was told by the physical therapist to stay away from any impact sports and only workout on the eliptical machine. I slowly started introducing the Kangoo Jumps and was amazed at how quickly my body recovered from the injury. I'm finding more and more people that have always wanted to run but never did because of how jarring it can be on the body. Many of these individuals are now able to run with the Kangoo Jumps absorbing 80% of the shock off of the body! Also, people that use to be runners that are now suffering from injuries,hip and knee pain and some are now able to run again without the additional impact on the body!!
I'm honestly not sure how many people around the world have attempted to run full or half marathons in the Kangoo Jumps.
Then, to add another twist, having type 1 Diabetes.
It was a lot easier then I thought...however, my other teammates may beg to differ.
Pick your poison, 7.8 pounds heavier and 80% of the shock off of the joints.
I say, take the shock off the joints and burn an extra 25% more calories!!

What a WORKOUT!!!

There was 1 minor thing to be aware of when running in the Kangoo Jumps;
Make sure to wear tall socks with sufficient padding and be aware of any previous history of pronation or supination. As when you are getting started, the body will take a little time to get readjusted to a new kind of footwear!

For more information on running,other exercise in the Kangoo Jumps, or to purchase, you may contact me at info@kangooclubaz.com

Have FUN, Getting Fit!

Kyna
Kangoo Club AZ

5 comments:

Al Gunn said...

You mentioned that you should be aware of "previous history of pronation or supination". How was this a factor while using the Kangoos? Did it aggravate the problem? Help it?

Thanks for the post. I'm thinking of running a race in my Kangoos in the spring. If I can get over everyone always looking at me while I run. I'm shy!

Unknown said...

I am originally from Phoenix, but now live in the Tampa, Florida area. I too am thinking about doing a race or many races in the shoes. Did you have to ask the race organizer if it was okay to wear/use them for the marathon? Have you found race organizers to be supportive/accepting when you ask if you can run in their events with them?

Shannon said...

I went to a Kangoo class today and was thinking about using them for my next half marathon. Were there any issues with being allowed to use them on the course? I'm so excited that someone else has done this before!

AlanT said...

I ran the Tallahassee Half-Marathon in Kangoo Jumps about 5-6 years ago. I think they are a wonderful way to exercise. The only problem I have is that you have to replace the clamps quite often when you run on hard surfaces.

Unknown said...

I just finished the San Diego Half Marathon in Kangoo Jumps and am planning to do the San Diego Rock and Roll marathon in June. Anyone have half marathon / full marathon times to share? I started a blog at extremekj.blogspot.com to document details/issues about running distance in the boots.