Greg Grossart
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Personal Summary
Work hard, play harder
Integrity can only be measured by how we act when no one is looking.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” – Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 22:37-39)
Married to my best friend & fellow adventurer since 1997
- Professional Experience
- 14+ years of actuarial/retirement benefits consulting for a global HR consulting firm Bachelor of Science (summa cum laude), Mathematics, Valparaiso University Bachelor of Arts (summa cum laude), Physics, Valparaiso University
- Athletic Summary
- Amateur athlete with over 20 years of competitive athletic experience
- Adventure Racing
- 2010 – Rivers & Spires Urban Quest - Clarksville, TN (1st overall)
- 2010 – LBL Challenge - Land Between the Lakes, KY
- 2009 – Rivers & Spires Urban Quest - Clarksville, TN (3rd overall)
- 2009 – LBL Challenge - Land Between the Lakes, KY (5th co-ed)
- 2008 – Planet Adventure 24-Hour Challenge – Story, IN
- 2008 – Checkpoint Zero AR – Hiawassee, GA
- 2007 – Planet Adventure Urban – Indianapolis, IN (1st overall)
- 2006 – Planet Adventure Urban Sprint – Indianapolis, IN (1st co-ed 3, 2nd overall)
- 2006 – Planet Adventure 24-Hour Challenge – Leavenworth, IN (9th overall)
- 2005 – Planet Adventure Urban Sprint – Indianapolis, IN (1st co-ed/1st overall)
- 2005 – Indianapolis AR Long Course – Indianapolis, IN (Course Tester)
- 2004 – Circle City Sprint AR – Indianapolis, IN (2nd co-ed/5th overall)
- 2004 – Indianapolis AR Long Course - Indianapolis, IN (Course Tester)
- 2003 – Indianapolis AR Long Course - Indianapolis, IN (Course Tester)
- 2003 – Mid-America Extreme Max AR – Plymouth, WI (8th overall)
- 2003 – Planet Adventure 30-Hour Challenge - Bloomington, IN
- 2002 – Indianapolis AR Long Course - Indianapolis, IN (5th overall)
- 2002 – Wild Onion Urban AR – Indianapolis, IN (17th overall)
- 2001 – Appalachian “Not-So” Extreme – Fontana, NC (19th overall)
- 2001 – NOC/Subaru 30-Hour AR – Bryson City, NC
- 1999 – Pathfinder Transplant Challenge AR – Skokie, IL (3rd overall)
- Running & Other Athletic Interests
- 2010-2007 3 State 3 Mountain Century – Chattanooga, TN (6:05 PR)
- 2009 Cherohala Challenge 115 Mile Ride - Tellico Plains, TN (7:06 PR)
- 2009-2008 Clarksville Sunrise Century - Clarksville, TN (4:35:39 PR)
- 2009-2007 3 State 3 Mountain Century – Chattanooga, TN (6:18 PR)
- 2009-2001 Hilly Hundred – Ellettsville, IN
- 2006-1998 Indianapolis Mini (half) Marathon - Indianapolis, IN (1:25:10 PR)
- 2000-1995 Mrs. T’s Chicago Triathlon - Chicago, IL (2:19:53 PR)
- 2000-1997 Eagle Creek Mideast Regional Triathlon Championship - Indianapolis, IN (2:12:16 PR)
- 1996 Lake Geneva Triathlon - Lake Geneva, WI (2:15:23 PR)
- 1996-1991 Professional In-Line Speedskating
- 2010-1997 Multiple orienteering events
- 2000-1997 competitive softball league play
- Snowboarding, hiking, cycling, whitewater rafting
- Plans for 2010
- Race PA24, Defend title at PAU, possibly a multiday expedition length race
- Volunteer at PAS, NSAAR, Help Indianapolis AR with course design, testing, and race day support
- Train with the team whether in Indiana or Tennessee (Train fast enough and it hurts like racing, but it’s free!)
- Train for the 2010 B2B (Bar to Bar Expedition)
- Memberships
- Messiah Lutheran Church at Eagle Creek
- 2007-1998 Senior High Youth Ministry
- 2007 Camp Restore Mission Team - New Orleans, LA
- 2006-2001 Governing Council/Ministry Resources Team Leader
- 2004 Loma de Luz Mission Team - La Ceiba, Honduras
- 2002 Mercies Unlimited Mission Team - Lake Yojoa, Honduras
- 2010-2001 Cobblestone II HOA
- 2010-2007 Clarksville Cycling Club (Vice-President)
- 2010-1997 Center for a New American Dream
Monday, June 15, 2009
"Barefoot" Running
I have been toying around with the idea of barefoot running for quite some time now. I have always preferred using running shoes that were thin and low profile (like Nike Zoom for road running) and Birkenstock sandals when cruising around. My brother introduced me to Vibram five finger shoes (http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/) several years ago. He ordered a pair for himself and seemed to like them, but since he would definitely not consider himself a runner, he couldn't really offer me much insight as to their usefulness in that regard.
Recently, I have come across several articles criticizing the running shoe industry and their creation of a "solution" (running shoes) for a problem that doesn't really exist(http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywork/200906/running-shoes-barefoot.html). That got me perusing barefoot running on websites like http://barefootrunner.org/ and http://www.barefootrunner.com/ and thinking more and more about barefoot running. As a person who loves to experiment with fringe outdoor gear and isn't quite ready to run completely barefoot, I figured it was time to give it a try so I ordered a pair of Vibram fivefingers (the KSO model).
Well, they arrived today so I had to go and take them for a spin. Knowing I didn't want to try them on the road for the first outing, I went to a local trail system (Dunbar Cave State Park) and took them for a nice 3 mile trail run so that I would hopefully not overdo it. While it took me a couple of minutes to make sure I got my toes in each of the "fingers", they really weren't all that tricky to put on. Using the sizing guide on the website, I picked exactly the right size as the fit was snug but not too tight.
The first part of the trail was sort of rocky and I quickly identified a limitation to these shoes. While walking over rocks isn't really a problem, the impact of running over rocks was a bit uncomfortable as I definitely "felt" the rocks through the soles of the shoes (unlike when I wear my trusty Salomon XA Pros). On this section of the trail, I didn't feel like I was able to run my usual pace as I was trying to be careful so as to really watch where I was going and avoid stepping on any sharp rocks.
However, after I got through the initial rocky section of the loop, I got to a portion of the trail that was primarily hard packed dirt and tree roots. It was on this type of terrain that the shoes really shined. With the thin sole and free toes I felt very nimble and connected to the trail. I literally felt like I was flying along the trail. It was a really cool experience. After I finished my loop, I went back to run the smooth section again because it was really that fun.
So, I would deem my first "barefoot" run as very positive. No blisters, a couple of ouch moments on the rocks, a decent workout (considering it was only 3 miles), and a ton of fun. While at this point, I certainly can't imagine them ever replacing my Salomon XA Pros for an adventure race, I look forward to regularly incorporating them into my training. Hopefully they will improve my running and toughen my feet up in the process. But, even if they don't, I anticipate having a lot of running pleasure along the way.
Recently, I have come across several articles criticizing the running shoe industry and their creation of a "solution" (running shoes) for a problem that doesn't really exist(http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywork/200906/running-shoes-barefoot.html). That got me perusing barefoot running on websites like http://barefootrunner.org/ and http://www.barefootrunner.com/ and thinking more and more about barefoot running. As a person who loves to experiment with fringe outdoor gear and isn't quite ready to run completely barefoot, I figured it was time to give it a try so I ordered a pair of Vibram fivefingers (the KSO model).
Well, they arrived today so I had to go and take them for a spin. Knowing I didn't want to try them on the road for the first outing, I went to a local trail system (Dunbar Cave State Park) and took them for a nice 3 mile trail run so that I would hopefully not overdo it. While it took me a couple of minutes to make sure I got my toes in each of the "fingers", they really weren't all that tricky to put on. Using the sizing guide on the website, I picked exactly the right size as the fit was snug but not too tight.
The first part of the trail was sort of rocky and I quickly identified a limitation to these shoes. While walking over rocks isn't really a problem, the impact of running over rocks was a bit uncomfortable as I definitely "felt" the rocks through the soles of the shoes (unlike when I wear my trusty Salomon XA Pros). On this section of the trail, I didn't feel like I was able to run my usual pace as I was trying to be careful so as to really watch where I was going and avoid stepping on any sharp rocks.
However, after I got through the initial rocky section of the loop, I got to a portion of the trail that was primarily hard packed dirt and tree roots. It was on this type of terrain that the shoes really shined. With the thin sole and free toes I felt very nimble and connected to the trail. I literally felt like I was flying along the trail. It was a really cool experience. After I finished my loop, I went back to run the smooth section again because it was really that fun.
So, I would deem my first "barefoot" run as very positive. No blisters, a couple of ouch moments on the rocks, a decent workout (considering it was only 3 miles), and a ton of fun. While at this point, I certainly can't imagine them ever replacing my Salomon XA Pros for an adventure race, I look forward to regularly incorporating them into my training. Hopefully they will improve my running and toughen my feet up in the process. But, even if they don't, I anticipate having a lot of running pleasure along the way.
posted by Greg Grossart at
8:41 PM
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