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Why I Run Barefoot

Our new barefoot blogger, Bob Nicol, discusses the reasons why he ditched the running shoes.

I am proud to say that my wife was the one who initiated me on this journey of enlightenment, yes I am giving credit where it is deserved, I have no problem shouting out to the world, ‘YES, MY WIFE WAS RIGHT!’ Now that we have gotten that out of the way here is my story in a nutshell.

Since I started this journey three years ago, I have been asked numerous times why I run this way. Well, there is no real simple answer to that question as there are many reasons why I lost the shoes and prefer to hit the trails with my soles bared to the world. Some reasons are typical of the average barefoot runner some are my personal ones that I am willing to share so you can have a perspective from my point of view.

The following are some of the reasons the average barefoot runner recites:

1. Injury prevention: This may seem a little strange but I can tell you from my own personal experience, other than a pulled groin and a tweaked knee due to a barefoot ultra trail run the other year, I have been injury free, knock on wood. Sure I have had some bumps and bruises from experimenting with longer distances and different terrain types, but for the most part nothing has kept me from amassing over 1,100 miles barefoot this year.

My explanation for this is as follows, your feet are one of the strongest parts of your body (think about the weight they have to carry around all day), and they were designed to be used, not coddled in a pair of overpadded shoes. Now I must also note this with a big disclaimer, you can’t just take the shoes off and assume you can run like you do with shoes. Just like when you are developing any other part of your body or if you try a new sport, you have to learn how to do it right. Can you put on a pair of skates and just start skating like a pro? Not likely. Baby steps you have to learn how to walk before you can run.

2. A strong and healthy body: The majority of shod runners are not utilizing their feet to their full potential. It is my belief and many others share as well, that your feet were designed as shock absorbers and if used properly they distribute the force of the foot landing on the ground to your entire lower body not just isolated locations like your knees or hips. This allows you to run longer with less effort and in my books more enjoyment.

3. Enjoyment of the Run Experience: It is hard to explain, but the freedom you feel and the sensations that your feet feel are absolutely exhilarating. Once again, baby steps. “To Much Too Soon” (TMTS) is an acronym that I use a lot and it is a very important one. You have to build up slowly, if not the chance of injury from over use of unprepared muscles can seriously hamper your ability to run free.

Here are a few personal reasons why I choose to run barefoot:

1. It hurt to run in shoes: I started running a little more than three years ago, and like most, I was using a pair of running shoes. I found that I was only able to go for about a mile before my knees started to ache (I have had seven procedures on my left knee due to various medical issues) and I wasn’t having any fun. That was when my wife as a suggestion bought me a pair of $7 water shoes and told me to go for a run. I was surprised, it felt more natural. My stride turned into a mid-foot strike. My step got lighter, and the biggest shocker: no pain. I got home and started doing some research and discovered that I wasn’t the only one who had discovered this. There was a whole forum on the internet specifically geared to this type of running called The Barefoot Runners Society. I was intrigued so I started experimenting and off came the shoes.

2. To Be One With Nature: this one may seem a little silly to some, but there is no other way to explain it. When I run barefoot, I just seem to go into this zone. I notice things that I normally don’t, and every sensation just seems to pop. To me going out for a run, every run is an experience and an adventure. You just don’t know what will be laid out in front of you.

3. I like the attention: I never would have said this a couple of years ago when I was happy to be in the background going about my business more of an observer than out front and centre type of guy. But I will admit I enjoy when people come up to me and start asking me questions, or make comments about my running style. Have you ever had random strangers take pictures of you as you run by, or stop you for a picture, it is an odd feeling but kind of fun.

4. The challenge: To see exactly how far I push the limits and to see exactly what the foot is capable of doing (there will be more on this in future posts). As I noted above there are a lot of great resources out there to learn more about Barefoot and Minimalistic Running, including The Barefoot Runners Society, The Barefoot Running University.

The most important piece of advice that I can give to someone who wants to try it out is to “Go Slow and Easy,” you will not want to miss a step.

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