Is It Really Just Us?

[Longboard]

There's been some chatter in that "other" group about how most posters there are actually shod even if minimaly so, and I suppose Rick really did keenly observe that. The name of the forum seems clear, but "barefoot" must be assumed to mean minimalist to most I guess.

My first ever race was this past May in Grand Rapids, and as I watched the 25Kers come in I saw Jason barefoot of course, despite the 35 degree F temp. along with a few others.

The previous night I ran with 130 something other barefoot people even if they were'nt necessarily real runners, but they understood what barefoot meant.

Today I ran my 10'th race of the season/my life, and for the first time since GR found myself in a BIG race as far as numbers of runners goes.

Sure, I enjoyed the attention I received at the smaller races being the only barefooter around, and placing in my age group a few times made it all the more fun.

The Crim Festival of Races today in Flint Michigan had over 17,000 entrants. Maybe not as large as the G.R River Run's 23,000, but definitly not too shabby.

Still, I was the only barefooter!

I see links daily from either here, the "other" site, the SBL, or just Google News that makes it obvious that barefoot running is written about or talked about somewhere new every single day,

but IS ANYBODY OTHER THAN US REALLY DOING IT????????????

BTW, RR just in case anyone is interested:

7'th in age group, despite the old brick road start and finish. Not pavers, just true old school brick roads, total for the other distances less than a block, but of course for the 5K and the 5K only they changed the start to include an extra long block of it.

Earlier inspection revealed chunks of glass in the uneven gaps, but I went for it just the same. Mild hills and wind, yet 2'nd fastest time so far, just 42 seconds behind the LB PR.

Circumstances had me solo at the event, and in a Michigan downtown large event I just could'nt help but flashing back to that May race that started me off into this current journey.

Thanks again guys for all of the motivational interwebs influence y'all provide.

 

[SillyC]

Hi Longboard,Nice work at

Hi Longboard,

Nice work at your race!

I live in Worcester, MA, and I have yet to see another barefoot runner here. I've seen plenty of people in Vibrams, though. If I head out to Boston, I may see a few.

Personally, I'm of the opinion that if a person does any running barefoot at all then that person is a barefoot runner. As for me, I've logged about 700 barefoot miles this year. But I've started running trails, and I'm putting on huaraches for that.

 

[Longboard]

Silly,maybe some of the many

Silly,maybe some of the many Vibram users I see at the races are doing some barefoot training, but I really am surprised how despite the media hype we are in reality such a small group.

If I didn't see another barefooter out of 17,000, that in itself doesn't mean there were'nt any, but the way people asked me about it made it clear that they knew all about BFR, but I was their first ever real live barefoot runner seen with their own eyes.

Small races, O.K., but 17,000? None of then ever saw one before?

Just a real shock back to reality for me I guess.

 

[Shacky]

A few people I know are

A few people I know are putting in barefoot miles but for the most part, they are running in minimalist shoes and only throw in a very small amount of barefoot miles. It is very time consuming to build up the miles for real bf running and most people just are not willing to commit to it.

Also, with shoe companies coming out with so-called "barefoot shoes", what are people to think? According to the labels, they are running barefoot!

I'm ok with being the only one I know in my area that enjoys putting in some long runs without shoes on my feet. Today I ran a very rocky trail (Noble Canyon) for 21 miles in my huaraches and kept thinking how wonderful it would be to tackle this trail barefoot some day. Hopefully next year!

 

[jschwab]

It's hard - even I am

It's hard - even I am slippping. I was up to half my miles BF and then this week, poof, - everything in water shoes. Don't even know why - maybe just didn't feel like carrying the shoes. My second run I was already running carrying shopping bags and maybe didn't want to look like more of a damn fool.

 

[Abide]

There are a few more out

There are a few more out there. Not very many though. I would say there are about 2-3 in the largest race here in the valley. Which I think is upwards of 35k runners.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Noble Canyon.  Is that near

Noble Canyon. Is that near I-805 which dissects I-94, Shacky?

I may have to get me some huaraches to get through those coldest days in winter. Does that mean I won't be a barefoot runner anymore? Rhetorical question since I spoke to my dear friend Rick about his thread earlier today. We have an understanding. We also spoke about your post, Shacky, and he said he really appreciated what you said.
I agree with Cali, if you run barefoot even some, you are a barefoot runner. This reminds me of that thread, "You know you're a barefoot runner if..." on "that other forum." Anyone want to hunt it down and share the link here? Please? It's pretty darn funny.

I believe there will always be more minimalist runners than barefoot runners, and that's fine. At least they won't be running in that crap classified as a so-called running shoe anymore. It's barefoot running that got these shoe companies to sit up and take notice of their flaws and open their minds to the possibility that they could have been (were) wrong these past 30 years or so.
I also believe there wouldn't be a minimalist running movement if it weren't for the barefoot running movement. There wouldn't be a barefoot running movement if it weren't for people like Ken Bob and Rick. So Ken Bob and Rick did this to themselves...and they should be very proud as I am of them.
At the BRS, everyone is welcome, those who run barefoot, those who run minimal, those who run in boat anchors, those who run in stilettos. It's all good. We are here to support those who've transitioned and those who are in the process of transitioning from one form to another regardless if it involves footwear or not as well as those who are just interested and wanting to know more. That's what is great about having our own barefoot/minimalist running club, we don't have to put up with those who dislike us because we choose to run differently, because we choose to not be brainwashed any longer by the boat anchor running shoe manufacturers. We have been released from the grid, the matrix, and we are free.
Okay enough with the cheesy.

 

[Tender Toes Mark]

LB, great job on all the

LB, great job on all the races and PRs!

I know what you mean about being among the few. This summer, I've really enjoyed doing 90% of my running barefoot (still building mileage, and still can't do dirt/rock trails barefoot). Until recently I thought I was the only barefoot runner in my town. Today I enjoyed running with a fellow I met a couple weeks ago while I was out running. He saw me run past his house barefoot that day and talked with me because he had recently read Born to Run and had started running barefoot. So our barefoot run together, today, was a first for both of us.

I imagine even if a time comes when many runners try running truly barefoot, or use it as a training tool, most will still run only a small portion of their total miles truly barefoot. Most probably won't run barefoot in races, either, even if they do some weekly mileage barefoot. However, as more folks hear about it, perhaps it won't be such a novelty, even in races. If you enjoy the attention, perhaps you should enjoy it now.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

That's what I like about

That's what I like about having all the different barefoot/minimalist running chapters, Mark. When we run barefoot alone, we are thought of as freaks, but when we run barefoot with others we are thought of as intriguing.

I ran the Peachtree Road Race 10K, largest 10K field in the world with approx. 55,000 runners each year. ATL Oso set up his camera about 1 to 1-1/2 miles into the race and took pictures of all the barefoot and VFFs runners. He captured quite a few. Still, with 55,000 there weren't that many of us, but that's not what is important; what is important is that many of those 55,000 people probably saw one of us doing it. ;-) Check them out here: http://christiestudio.smugmug.com/Sports/Minimalist-Peachtree-2010/12936937_Qhhxw#935218311_gWKYF

 

[stomper]

Shacky wrote:Also, with shoe

Also, with shoe companies coming out with so-called "barefoot shoes", what are people to think? According to the labels, they are running barefoot!

This gets my goat, too, and I was getting miserly about it over in the other forum just a week or two ago. But when I saw myself acting negative, I knew my excitement about BFR was getting obnoxious. I resolved to make BRS my only BFR-related read for a few months, 'cause it's more positive here.

And I also resolved to put up an avatar that truly represented who I am.

At the BRS, everyone is welcome, those who run barefoot, those who run minimal, those who run in boat anchors, those who run in stilettos. It's all good. We are here to support those who've transitioned and those who are in the process of transitioning from one form to another regardless if it involves footwear or not as well as those who are just interested and wanting to know more. That's what is great about having our own barefoot/minimalist running club, we don't have to put up with those who dislike us because we choose to run differently, because we choose to not be brainwashed any longer by the boat anchor running shoe manufacturers. We have been released from the grid, the matrix, and we are free... Okay enough with the cheesy.

No, TJ.. some of need an occasional dose of cheesy. Thanks for all your work with the site.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

You're welcome, Stomper.  So

You're welcome, Stomper. So that's what you look like? Do you suppose you could shave, so we could see the "real" you?

 

[Barefoot TJ]

and then post another

and then post another picture?

 

[stomper]

Barefoot TJ wrote:You're

You're welcome, Stomper. So that's what you look like? Do you suppose you could shave, so we could see the "real" you?

Sorry, Sasquatches don't shave. The species is practically 100% hair. Or did you miss that piece in the New York Times, "Last known Bigfoot disappears in tragic waxing accident" ?

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Oh man!  I must have missed

Oh man! I must have missed that edition! That is so sad. Was he a relative of yours, by chance?

 

[Shacky]

@TJ - that would be the

@TJ - that would be the place. It was 38 degrees when we started and mid-80s when we finished.



@Stompers - do you happen to watch The Venture Brothers? There is an episode where sasquatch shaves so that he can sneak past the military.

http://video.adultswim.com/the-venture-bros/just-some-vets-camping.html

btw - on this show, bigfoot and Steve are lovers



...and now that this thread has properly been derailed

 

[Liz]

 Shacky wrote:Also, with

Shacky wrote:Also, with shoe companies coming out with so-called "barefoot shoes", what are people to think? According to the labels, they are running barefoot!


Stomper wrote:

This gets my goat, too, and I was getting miserly about it over in the other forum just a week or two ago. But when I saw myself acting negative, I knew my excitement about BFR was getting obnoxious. I resolved to make BRS my only BFR-related read for a few months, 'cause it's more positive here.



I don't know how many times I've told someone, "Nike Frees are not minimalist shoes".



I feel a little behind...What is the "other group" you speak of? :~

 

[Tender Toes Mark]

The "other group" is the

The "other group" is the Runner's World Barefoot Running Forum. Many of the folks who post there also post here. As LB says, still a small community ... but growing!

 

[Danjo]

Barefoot TJ wrote:  We have

We have been released from the grid, the matrix, and we are free.

Isn't grid matrix a saucony shoe? I think I own a pair of those. Obivously that wasn't intended, but it just further emphasizes the point of not having to wear shoes anymore. (Even though those are the only shoes I've worn in months, because they went through a track season and half a cross-country season, plus countless miles of walking, so they're pretty flat and tolerable.)

 

[Longboard]

Shacky wrote:...and now that

...and now that this thread has properly been derailed

That's fine, I got my answer.

17,000 runners really does only yield one true barefooter, so yesterday was just typical.

Move up to 35,000, and there may be two or three total.

Close in on 60,000 runners at a race and there could be a whopping three or four.

The only question remaining on my mind is:

If you asked 100,000 runners that enter at least four races per year whether or not they have ever seen a real live true barefoot runner in a race how many would answer "yes"?

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Ironic.  Isn't it?

Ironic. Isn't it?