Running With Shoddies

HairyBeast

HairyBeast

Barefooters
Jul 19, 2011
32
1
8
#1
I've just joined the running society at university, and I've decided to go fully barefoot even when I'm not running. I was hoping to have another barefoot runner already in the society but the odd looks I got when I turned up for the first run without shoes told me otherwise very quickly. I wasn't a runner last year so I have never met most of the people there, but every conversation inevitably ends up talking about my feet!

I'm just getting to know all these people so I was wondering how to explain why we do what we do concisely and without coming off as preachy. I'd obviously like to get to know some of the guys there instead of talking about my feet the whole time. I assume you guys would have had a few similar experiences at races etc. so what do you say?

Thanks for reading!

Jordan
 
#2
Hmmm... I am hearing Miss

Hmmm... I am hearing Miss Manner's in my head. One of her main rules of conversation is to ask questions, not to talk too much about oneself. So, a short answer followed by a question: "Why did you choose shoes?" "Did you ever think about running barefoot?" "Did you go barefoot as a child?", or perhaps more slyly "When did you have your last injury?" Or just ask them about where they like to run.

The other thing that she says is that there no compelling reason why someone has to answer a question he/she doesn't want to answer, especially an inappropriate question like "how old are you?" or "How are you doing after your divorce?". She has all sorts of hilariously evasive ways of getting around such questions, that usually follow the pattern of (in answer to the divorce question) "Well, divorces are always difficult. So, how are you getting along after your gall blatter surgery?"

In short, change the subject with a question. Her website is: http://www.missmanners.com/.

Cheers

Paleo
 
#3
That's funny Paleo, never

That's funny Paleo, never seen the missmanners thing before. I guess I just explain to people as briefly as I can that I had back pain and was no longer able to run without excruciating pain, so I tried numerous different shoes with no success and then came across Born To Run, and decided what the hell do I have to lose by trying barefoot/minimalist. I've been pain free, not injury free yet, but pain free as far as my back is concerned. For me it works, now lets please talk about anything else.
wink.png
 
#4
MM is hilarious.  Serious

MM is hilarious. Serious about manners, but devilishly ironic at the same time. Not at all like Emily Post.

Great fun.
 
#5
I'm the only barefoot runner

I'm the only barefoot runner in my shod running club of 200. I don't talk about barefoot running unless I am approached. I tell them the truth, that is why I run barefoot. "I can't run in shoes, since I have Morton's Neuroma." Then I add, "Not that I ever will want to again after what they did to my feet. I am permanently damaged by the shoes I used to wear." And I leave it at that. I have said enough to plant the seed. It's now up to them to think about, perhaps even to question if their running pains and injuries could possibly be due to the shoes they are wearing/running in. Then I go on to have conversations about anything they're discussing or I want to discuss. "Has anyone noticed the pothole under the Luther Glass Park tunnel? It's right about in the middle. I noticed it because I felt it, but it's big enough to turn an ankle in even if you're wearing shoes, so watch out in there."
 
#6
Today went pretty well, it

Today went pretty well, it was an 8 miler (my longest yet) around some of the trails around the Thames, so there was plenty of mud in places, and plenty of gravel in others. I ended up falling quite far behind most people on the gravel sections so I'll have to go there at some point and work on my technique. What works on most friendly surfaces doesn't work there, and it didn't help that my legs had seized up a bit after stopping for a while waiting to cross the road. Everyone was far more accepting of my barefootedness than I expected, but I kept my explanations short and sweet unless they asked more questions.

It was my longest run to date, and I was feeling pretty creaky by the time I got back to the organisers house. That was soon sorted out by a massive fry-up and plenty of hot tea, lovely stuff! I'm waiting with dread for how bad I'm going to feel tomorrow morning...
 
#7
LOL!  This topic hits home

LOL! This topic hits home for me. I'm also the only barefooter in my running club and every new commer to the Running Club seem to greet me with the same line when we first meet: "Oh, YOU'RE the barefoot guy!" Eventually they get around to the standards: "Why? Doesn't it hurt your feet, your knees, etc? How do you do it?" and our all time fav, "What about glass?" Even the club memebers who run in shoes have started answering these questions for me before I even get a word out. "No, it's actually easier on your joints and more efficient, etc etc." (I really lucked into a great group of people!)

My approach is just to give them MY story, this site and some references. I am never pushy or act like this is the only way to run and always point out that the principles between barefoot running and shod, if you want to run injury free, are the same. I always manage to find comon ground and am resolved to be "the barefoot one". I've even gotten "Barefoot-Jonny" a couple times. In the end, we are all runners and no 2 people run the same. I actually kind of enjoy being the odd duck.

-Jonny
 
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