I have not been much of a runner.

[Mike Heywood]

I am not a runner. And certainly not a barefoot runner.
But then in the last year I have gone from 350# to 237#, so it is more of a possibility.
My feet already feel better.
Last time I ran for any length of time daily basis, I was eight and had not mastered the use of a bicycle.
I would like to try out some minimalist shoes. Twenty three years ago, when I was walking around all the time wearing mocasins (back before they had rubber soles and such) I liked it and they did fine.

 

[PB Junkie]

Welcome, Mike!

Where do you live?

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Welcome, Mike!

 

[Mike Heywood]

Thanks for the welcome, guys!
I'm just north of Kelso, Washington, USA

 

[migangelo]

welcome Mike. you're a human being. don't burden yourself with other labels. just be and do what you please. be proud of what you did because you weren't doing it yesterday.

 

[BFwillie_g]

Welcome Mike!

I'm curious about two things ie what drew you to the BRS and how did you achieve that incredible weight loss??

 

[Mike Heywood]

Welcome Mike!

I'm curious about two things ie what drew you to the BRS and how did you achieve that incredible weight loss??

A Facebook friend, a guy I played a couple games with at a local gaming convention, put up the note about the Vibram shoe giveaway, and I thought, "Oh hey! Free shoes!" But he's been talking on FB about his adventure in barefoot and minimalist running for over a couple years now, and it did intrigue me, so though I am not much of a runner yet, I was not adverse to signing up for an account and so forth to enter the contest.

As for the weight, I came to know over the last while that I am a food addict, not just a fat guy fond of his chow. I was using food like a drug to patch up whenever things didn't quite feel right. So I got into a 12 step program that promised to help from that addict angle. The story is a lot longer and maybe funnier than that, but that's the nutshell version. One day at a time, I weigh and measure my meals, I don't have snacks and I abstain entirely from flour and sugar, but the thing is that it is about the recovery. The weight loss, though really spiffy, I gotta say, is really sort of a side effect. One guy said it this way: If you mind your recovery, you lose the weight, but if you mind your weight, you lose your recovery.
Also I gotta brag on my wife who got into the program a year before I did and has now lost half her weight!

 

[migangelo]

congrats on that. you know i started running because it was more fun for my dog. i hated it until i took off my shoes.

 

[Mike Heywood]

Right on. I been watching you tube about it this morning and I think I might have a little jaunt this morning just to check it out for forty yards or so, or maybe down as far as the mailbox. I couldn't even run that far last year!

 

[rickwhitelaw]

Welcome to the group Mike. Congrats to you and your wife on the weight loss.

Why shoes? Go Barefoot. You don't need to jump right into running, just try walking for a while.

 

[Mike Heywood]

I tried it out! And I videoed the whole experiment.

The latter part of the video is just me talking, but I'm walking without shoes on for that part, too.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

A Facebook friend, a guy I played a couple games with at a local gaming convention, put up the note about the Vibram shoe giveaway, and I thought, "Oh hey! Free shoes!" ... I was not adverse to signing up for an account and so forth to enter the contest.

My way of getting new members. Hee. I'm sneaky that way.

 

[inakilt]

I am not a runner. And certainly not a barefoot runner.
But then in the last year I have gone from 350# to 237#, so it is more of a possibility.
My feet already feel better.
Last time I ran for any length of time daily basis, I was eight and had not mastered the use of a bicycle.
I would like to try out some minimalist shoes. Twenty three years ago, when I was walking around all the time wearing mocasins (back before they had rubber soles and such) I liked it and they did fine.

Congrats Mike!, and welcome to BRS. Back in 2003 I went from 265 to 200 between March and September, and would like to say that I haven't looked back, but that would b a lie. I have been up and down a bunch since then, but within the last year I re-discovered the love of running that I had when I was in my teens and twenties. I do barefoot and minimalist (mostly barefoot) and am up to a 10K time of 49 minutes, which ain't shabby for anyone, specially a 56 yr old grandfather that loves his beer.

Keep at it man. The folks here are very encouraging. You'll learn a lot (I did, even before I joined last year). Don't be afraid to ask for help.

Best to ya.

 

[Phil Hart]

Welcome to the crew, Mike. Slow and steady wins the race and keeps you from getting injured.

 

[BFwillie_g]

Slow and steady wins the race,

unless you're in a real race

Which we're not, of course, but someone at rwol had that as his sigline and it always made me laugh, lol.