I drank the ‘Born to Run’ kool-aid!
I read Christopher McDougall’s ‘Born to Run’ almost 2 years ago – it was a life changing read. I immediately changed to minimalist footwear and now find ‘normal’ footwear so very uncomfortable.
For the past couple months on Saturdays I have been running in my Xero Sandals and sprinkling in some barefoot running. 1k barefoot at the end of a longer run in sandals to begin with. Increasing distance every week from 2k to 5k’s consistently for the past 4 weeks. Yesterday I hit the 10k mark barefoot.
Everyone asks me ‘why’?
Most people do not care they just want to call me weird. And it is when compared to most of the population, but not when compared with our ancestral past.
The benefits of running barefoot – in my experience – are: stronger feet and ankles, increased cadence and shorter stride, lower heart rate training, and the experience is more enjoyable.
I find a greater connection to the earth when I am barefoot; I am much more aware of where I put my feet and the feeling of touching the ground without a barrier is refreshing. Wet grass is my favourite especially after running on rough pavement.
I have come to learn that not all roads feel the same, and not all parts of the road are as smooth as others. I try to look at the road and find a tire-worn path to place my feet – but sometimes it is what it is and the knees just have to bend more to absorb the shock.
Shoes are a good tool to protect the feet. Barefoot running is a good tool to strengthen stabilizer muscles and helping running form. Both have a time and place.