Do you feel sorry for shod runners?

Jeepmonkey

Barefooters
Oct 13, 2010
158
17
18
So I haven't been running as much as I'd like to lately, but I have managed to work in a couple runs every week. I'm running with a coworker who hasn't ditched his shoes yet, though he did tell me this morning he's reading Born To Run now. Anyway, we were running along the other morning and it suddenly occurred to me how much noise his feet were making. My feet almost started having sympathy pains for him! It really made me that much more aware of how light on my feet I have become since I started BFR.



Anybody else have similar experiences?
 
Man...my roomate is suffering

Man...my roomate is suffering from a huge blister under his foot. He continues to run shod and socks even though we have close to 90% humidity right now in Pittsburgh. Talk about feeling sorry :puzzled:
 
I feel sorry for shod (&

I feel sorry for shod (& minimalist) runners whose feet and arms are flailing about from such bad form. It just looks like so much energy, and I remember how hips, shins, knees hurt when I ran like that!
 
YES I FEEL SORRY FOR THEM! 

YES I FEEL SORRY FOR THEM! There. I said it. Most of them are miserable, and they still don't know why.
 
lol I think my arms flail

lol I think my arms flail around more now. Instead of being all stressed and rigid I let things go where they please



But yes I feel sorry for the ones that are hitting very hard on the heels, with knee braces and looking like they are in pain. Some others not so much. I live in the land of absurd quantities of money so alot of runners here have really high levels of training and coaching and have nice midfoot strikes and you can tell aren't in any pain. I don't feel so bad for them.
 
I don't feel sorry in a

I don't feel sorry in a snobby kind of way. I just feel sorry for anyone running who looks like they don't enjoy it.

And just last week, my girlfriend who's been running more often this year, is complaining about ITB pain and hip pain. When I was running with her earlier it pained me to see how bad her form was. I don't want to say she'll NEVER go BF, but she is not that into running and might not ever care enough to change her form or shoes.

I tried to give her some quick pointers that even a shod person can benefit from but deep down, if the injuries end up sidelining her, I'll WILL feel very sorry for her.

I do run by a dude all the time on this one trail that has imaculate form in shoes and is usually running quite fast (faster than I). He also looks happy so I guess there are a few shod's that are doing fine.
 
Agree with Bruno. I feel

Agree with Bruno. I feel sorry for the runners I see pounding along, dripping with sweat (they always seem to overdress given the temperature), who have a big scowl or grimace on their face. You can clearly see that they are thinking they _have_ to run instead of that they _get_ to run.
 
I dunno, I have massive ITB

I dunno, I have massive ITB and hip pain now running barefoot. I do feel sorry for them in hot socksand shoes. Mostly I am jealous because they are running and I am not due to aforementioned ITB and hip pain.
 
I ran shod today in my Altra

I ran shod today in my Altra Instincts and it wasn't bad but it was very different. Coming off a broken foot I'm taking it easy and playing it safe which is where the shoes come in. The bonus of the Instincts is they have a Zero Drop sole and I feel that makes a world of difference. I will say my feet felt HEAVY but I felt a great burn in my legs from it and I like that idea. Strength training while I run so I might add some heavier shoe running into my program just for that benefit.

Oh and Kean...not all bouncy strides are bad. It depends on how they bounce that determines whether or not it's a bad form. I've seen barefooters with a bouncy stride as well as some elites, like Ryan Hall who is considered to have near perfect form. I can't think of his name but the guy who won Boston this year is also bouncy with his stride and there is nothing wrong with their form. I do know what you're talking about though but felt compelled to say something.
 
AJB, AS I recall, you run a

AJB, AS I recall, you run a lot of trails, and in that case, the arms go where they have to to keep you in balance overall. No need for any sort of apology, as you well know.

I do feel sorry for the folks I hear clonking up from behind me when I've been running races on pavement. As mentioned in some recent posts, it's amazing how hard they can pound and how much noise they can make. Oye!
 
My arms go out too when I'm

My arms go out too when I'm rock-dodging; By "flailing" I just meant the arm-and-leg-swing thing I see sometimes when people are running along and it seems as if their body is being pulled in different directions all at once and I wonder how the knees can take the outward swing as the feet kick to the side. It's a morbid fascination for me.
 
I feel sorry for many of the

I feel sorry for many of the BF runners that comment on the internet. Many comments I have even read here. Many speak as though they are gods greatest creature. The common shod runner does not share this ego driven attitude about feet.

As far as injuries anyone who is active will get injuried it is just human nature. The type of injury will be diffrent depending on how you run.

Many of the BF runners need to ditch the ego, and realize running is the common thread. BF runners need to realize everyone changes/progresses at a different rate.

A shod runner today maybe a BF runner next year. A BF runner today maybe back to some sort of footwear in the future due to unforeseen circumstances. Life is full of cycles. The cycle of life.

One day many more will learn bare feet we were born with can care for themselves. Though that lesson will come at different times for each individual. If they opt to not believe it well that is their individual loss. Though that choice will not hurt my daily bare feet. To each his own.
 
shock.absorber wrote:I feel

shock.absorber said:
I feel sorry for many of the BF runners that comment on the internet. Many comments I have even read here. Many speak as though they are gods greatest creature. The common shod runner does not share this ego driven attitude about feet.

As far as injuries anyone who is active will get injuried it is just human nature. The type of injury will be diffrent depending on how you run.

Many of the BF runners need to ditch the ego, and realize running is the common thread. BF runners need to realize everyone changes/progresses at a different rate.

A shod runner today maybe a BF runner next year. A BF runner today maybe back to some sort of footwear in the future due to unforeseen circumstances. Life is full of cycles. The cycle of life.

One day many more will learn bare feet we were born with can care for themselves. Though that lesson will come at different times for each individual. If they opt to not believe it well that is their individual loss. Though that choice will not hurt my daily bare feet. To each his own.



Wow, great post, and it needed to be said.
 
shock.absorber wrote:I feel

shock.absorber said:
I feel sorry for many of the BF runners that comment on the internet. Many comments I have even read here. Many speak as though they are gods greatest creature. The common shod runner does not share this ego driven attitude about feet. As far as injuries anyone who is active will get injuried it is just human nature. The type of injury will be diffrent depending on how you run. Many of the BF runners need to ditch the ego, and realize running is the common thread. BF runners need to realize everyone changes/progresses at a different rate. A shod runner today maybe a BF runner next year. A BF runner today maybe back to some sort of footwear in the future due to unforeseen circumstances. Life is full of cycles. The cycle of life. One day many more will learn bare feet we were born with can care for themselves. Though that lesson will come at different times for each individual. If they opt to not believe it well that is their individual loss. Though that choice will not hurt my daily bare feet. To each his own.



It goes both ways.

Welcome!
 
Shock, good one. people in

Shock, good one. people in all shapes and sizes can have attitude and us especially need to remember to treat others as we want to be treated. you can't convert people by barking at them. there's a reason junkyards have barking dogs, to scare people away. i have to fight to keep my mouth shut. i want to say something to the people i see struggling huffing along. running doesn't have to be so hard. if you're tired, then stop. unsolicited advice makes you look like and arse, something i struggle with! to win converts they have to see how happy we are, not hear about it. it's easy to lie when words fly but the proof is giving by doing, not saying.





Mike