Barefoot at Work

I run on the local granite here and there, its such a tease...its really smooth but very wavy... my brain and eyes work together to stop me from running fast speed on it. There is some kind of mental illusion of danger that I find very hard to over come...its like I can't run fast on it no matter how hard I try so I'm forced to slow down in those sections.

TJ...Yup...your going to run again barefoot with me...count on it.
I think you are wary because you saw me slip and fall on an icy slab of granite! Ha! Remember that? Damn my elbow hurt.
 
Yes, but our "prey" have lives of their own, and when not being pursued, would tend to take the route of least resistance. Just because we focus on animals as food, doesn't mean that is all their lives are about.
Sweet.
 
When I have come upon deer where I live while out running barefoot, I usually could sneak up on them and get pretty darn close to them before they realized I was there. I was like a barefoot running ninja! Ha! Seriously though, they couldn't hear me as well because of my bare feet.
 
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Note that the deer was on or near the main trail before you came near them... Wild animals not only use the common trails (as long as there's no scary animals on it - like us humans), but they probably made most of those trails before humans lived here. Whenever I run or hike on soft trails, I can find many wild animal footprints along the way.
 
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I understand.

I was actually on an asphalt pathway (remember the pathways in Peachtree City, Ken Bob?), and the deer were in a field to my left.
 
Seriously though, they couldn't hear me as well because of my bare feet.

Yeah, I can't even tell you the number of times I have scared the s*** out of people because I was barefoot. They can't hear you one bit, they think they are all alone, then out of the corner of their eye they see some guy two feet away from them running past.
 
Note that the deer was on or near the main trail before you came near them...
Absolutely. I've seen deer on the main trails. Sometimes, I see their hoofprints on the trail, as I endeavor to leave my own beside them, while obliterating the shoeprints.

I must thank you for making a general recommendation to practice on rough surfaces, to someone in another post. It's helped me to learn how to step more lightly.
 
...

I must thank you for making a general recommendation to practice on rough surfaces, to someone in another post. It's helped me to learn how to step more lightly.



You're welcome.

Have fun,
-Barefoot Ken Bob
 
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Yeah, I can't even tell you the number of times I have scared the s*** out of people because I was barefoot. They can't hear you one bit, they think they are all alone, then out of the corner of their eye they see some guy two feet away from them running past.
That's why I always yell out to people from behind, 'cuz I've scared the older folks before, and I felt bad about it.
 
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That's why I always yell out to people from behind, 'cuz I've scared the older folks before, and I felt bad about it.

Or people wearing headphones with the music cranked up!
 
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That's why I always yell out to people from behind, 'cuz I've scared the older folks before, and I felt bad about it.

Not that I enjoy scaring people, but I feel like maybe if that happens the encounter will stick out in people's minds and maybe they will think "wow, when people run without shoes on, it is very quiet."

And then it will get them thinking more about it.
 
Not that I enjoy scaring people, but I feel like maybe if that happens the encounter will stick out in people's minds and maybe they will think "wow, when people run without shoes on it is very quiet."

And then it will get them thinking more about it.


Psychologically it helps in races. If you zoom past another runner before they can begin to think about where you came from, you can usually stay ahead of them (unless you wasted all your energy passing them - pace yourself). Then there's also the problem if you're near the finish line and the announcer let's your competition know you're coming...

 
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I hope this link works on here...

I just wanted to add this becaus there is a decently long clip of what appears to be smooth dirt paths in rural Ghana. These are the kind of paths I wish existed here and that I dream of being able to run on on a daily basis.
 
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I was a teacher at a community college (may yet again be, but that's another story) and I went barefoot in my classes all the time. Also walked around outside, and in my office, sometimes walking out into the main office to the printer to get stuff. I usually wore (and wear) moccasins, so could kick them off easily. Oh, also at committee meetings I'd sometimes take them off so I could sit crosslegged in my chair. There were a couple other instructors who I saw barefoot in their office, and/or walking around in socks. I never quite pushed it to walking around the halls, but I was definitely known as the barefoot dude. Would have been interesting to see, if I'd obtained tenure, how far I could have pushed it. I'm sure the Dean and Prez would have hated it.

My favorite memories are of the times some, a few, of my students tried out going barefoot in class. I think I made a few converts.

Also, my sister used to work at Disney Animation, and would go barefoot all the time.

Here in Portland, I've heard some companies are fine with people bringing their dogs in to work. I can't see how they wouldn't also be ok with people going barefoot, but on the other hand there is a sort of weird prudery among the hipster elite.
 
Here in Portland, I've heard some companies are fine with people bringing their dogs in to work. I can't see how they wouldn't also be ok with people going barefoot, but on the other hand there is a sort of weird prudery among the hipster elite.

True. At the place I work we practice both. Boss brings his dog to work on a daily basis and I am barefoot every single day in here. :)
 
Note that the deer was on or near the main trail before you came near them... Wild animals not only use the common trails (as long as there's no scary animals on it - like us humans), but they probably made most of those trails before humans lived here. Whenever I run or hike on soft trails, I can find many wild animal footprints along the way.
Not sure if Ken is making this point in contrast to something that's been said, but all I said was that animals leave trails as soon as they are startled or become aware that they are being pursued. I don't recall an animal ever keeping to the trail and running ahead on it once it became aware of my presence, as I stated above.

This ties into the observation I made of never having seen anyone run on trails in areas where trails are still used on a daily basis. Trails or footpaths are used for transportation, and few people go anywhere without taking something, bringing something back, or both, which necessitates walking in most instances.

The point being that I doubt people used to run on trails very much while hunting. You would want to conserve energy until you spotted your prey, and then once the hunt is on, the prey would quickly scatter off the trail, seeking to evade the hunters.

I'm not saying people never ran on trails, just that it probably wasn't as common as we assume.
 
Note: I am NOT an engineer. I am a technician. I work in the College of Engineering. It's a common mistake, just like people thinking I'm a teacher, because I work at a university. Anyway technicians are the people who make the engineer's designs work.
Have fun,
-Barefoot Ken Bob

You guys are the ones who get to tell us engineers that our designs don't work in the real world.

I wear socks in my office. I get a few jokes about putting shoes on but I don't think they care that much. I doubt I would get away with bare feet though.
 
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I wear socks in my office. I get a few jokes about putting shoes on but I don't think they care that much. I doubt I would get away with bare feet though.

Give it a shot ! That's what I thought too and was always wearing huaraches in the office but one day I just came barefoot to see what happens and nobody really cared.
 
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I'm always coming into work and leaving work barefoot, unless I'm cycling. If I rode to work, I'll take a shower after arriving and then go around the office barefoot for a little bit. A couple years back I was going barefoot most of the day, but the boss said to just have shoes on when clients come in (architecture office). But then the clients were coming in more often un-announced and he asked that I keep my shoes on, unfortunately. But fortunately I have just about the most comfortable minimalist shoes ever made, the Stem (Lems) minimal shoes that I got over 2 years ago. I never wear them anywhere except at the office 8-5 M-F, but still they have held up very well.

Since I cycle a couple days a week to work, I will leave my shoes in a drawer the day before and walk out barefoot. Then 2 days later, after cycling home the previous afternoon, my shoes are still in the drawer so I come into the office barefoot.