Loch Ness, Sasquatch, Aliens and the Barefoot Kilt wearing runner!

[Jonny00GT]

I have often, and not unfairly, been accused of being a bit oblivious...at times. I tend to do what I do because it's fun, makes me happy and causes no harm. I suppose I should not have been surprised when a running club friend asked me, in the middle of a run, "Do you ever feel like you're a rumor?" I was totally confused. She further expounded that there were probably people who saw me who went home or to work or mentioned to the clerk at the grocery store that they saw a guy running barefoot in a kilt...like an Urban Legend or something. She told me she had a few people she knew ask about a guy in a McKinney Running Club shirt, no shoes and a kilt, running through the streets, so there must be many more people who don't run or know about the club wondering if they really saw what they saw. Later that same week, another person who comes to the RunOn social run tells me about a friend spotting "this guy". This weekend, one of my barefoot friends heard from a friend that he'd spoted one of "his kind in a skirt". My favorite one has to be the e-mail my wife got from a friend of hers a couple weeks ago. Apparently, her son had been thinking about berefoot running or buying some Vibrams or something public he feared ridicule for...it's hard to say...I tend to color everything with a barefoot or running paint brush these days. Long story short, he and his mom spotted a "Barefoot Kilt Runner", to which he responded, "THAT guy sure doesn't care what people think! Maybe I shouldn't either." It would seem, there have been sightings all over McKinney! To me, I'm just doing what I enjoy, in the way I enjoy it, but I suppose I could be "a rumor". Let your freak flag fly, I guess! LOL!

So, if you think people don't see you, or they do and take no notice...think again! I'm not the first, I won't be the last, but I'm guess I'm doing my part to "Change the World, One Odd Look at a Time!"

REWARD for information leading to the capture of:

 

[NickW]

That's funny Jonny! I've had the same thing happen recently only I met these people that had talked about me to their friends and family. Some even looked on the internet to find out why I would run barefoot. I do think we are slowly changing the perception of being barefoot a little at a time just by us being out there in the world.

 

[pilotrunner]

Of the few here that I know personally, none of us give a piece of fecal matter what other people think... About, basically, anything.
Probably why we tend to hang around like-minded people such as ourselves. Ever notice when you are about done with a bowl of Cheerios how 4 or 5 will clump together in a big bowl of milk?

Same theory...

 

[Barefoot_AK]

Funny post, ties in well with my other post in my thread because as I was leaving the half marathon last Sunday I overheard many people talking to each other as we made our way through the throng of people. There were many "I saw a dude running barefoot!" or "Yeah I even saw somebody in a kilt with no shoes on, crazy!" or when people saw me I could hear them whisper, "THAT'S HIM! That's the guy I was just telling you about!"

 

[Jonny00GT]

Nick, it's a happy side-effect of what we do!

Pilot, I thought the cheerio thing had to do with surface tension...ohhhh...yeah, that's pretty much the same! haha! I'm pretty lucky...my running club is very supportive. They've all seen me grow from a novice barefooter running 5ks and training for a 10k to running 5 half-marathons since November and my first full this coming Sunday in SanDiego. We actually just added another barefooter to the club! She did her first 5k race this past weekend. I'll have to get Paula on here...

LOL! I know what you mean, AK! I've had more than one race companion ask me,"Don't they know that you can hear them?!!" I just waive when people cheer and laugh when they jeer. Besides...Chicks dig the kilt!! LOL

-Jonny

 

[The Ramzev]

It's always cool when after a race you over hear people talking about the "barefoot guy" By then lots of people are barefoot so you no longer stand out. Sometime I confess, but sometimes I just hang in the shadows to see what they say about me.

Jonny, I tossed the idea of a kilt to my wife the other day, not sure that's gonna fly. I tried to explain that it's almost mandatory that barefoot runners have a kilt, but she's not buying it. I guess there won't be any sighting around these here parts...except for some size 12 footprints through town.

 

[Barefoot_AK]

It's always cool when after a race you over hear people talking about the "barefoot guy" By then lots of people are barefoot so you no longer stand out. Sometime I confess, but sometimes I just hang in the shadows to see what they say about me.

Jonny, I tossed the idea of a kilt to my wife the other day, not sure that's gonna fly. I tried to explain that it's almost mandatory that barefoot runners have a kilt, but she's not buying it. I guess there won't be any sighting around these here parts...except for some size 12 footprints through town.

I went with the argument that is great for freedom of movement without the shorty-short look going on and blinding children...except I still wear my shorties from time to time.

 

[Zetti]

Jonny, I tossed the idea of a kilt to my wife the other day, not sure that's gonna fly. I tried to explain that it's almost mandatory that barefoot runners have a kilt, but she's not buying it. I guess there won't be any sighting around these here parts...except for some size 12 footprints through town.

sounds like a very similar conversation I had with my wife
O well....at least shes cool with the BF thing

 

[TMo]

haha... I'm that guy in my parts...I love to bust off a side trail and see peeps break their necks....the kids are the best...look mommy that guy is in a dress!