Hello from Cleveland, OH!
My name is Kenzie Meiners (22) and I have always loved being barefoot since I was a little kid. Shoes were never my thing. I never found joy in running and could barely run a mile until about 2 years ago when I switched my mindset. Just the thought of running a marathon (26.2 miles) seemed horrendous and impossible, so I decided to sign up for one. I love facing my fears and proving my brain wrong. We are capable of so much more than what we tell ourselves!
I started training in socks and would consistently run around the track at my university's RecPlex. Yes, I would get many looks and stares but I didn't mind. It actually would motivate me. Once the snow melted I was itching to get outdoors, the track became too similar to a stale hamster wheel as I ramped up my mileage. After a few barefoot runs, I decided to buy "Skinners" Comfort 2.0 footwear online. I would describe these minimalistic "shoes" as socks with a thin rubber bottom. Highly recommend. Even though my heart was set on running completely barefoot, I guess I would say I caved due to the fear my peers & family instilled in me of stepping on something sharp, like glass. However, I'm no longer a newbie barefoot runner and I've discovered that I possess a tremendous tool to avoid perilous obstacles - my eyes! All I have to do is watch where I'm going.
On October 29th, 2023 I ran the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) in my Skinners. It was an incredible experience and I credit all the glory of that major accomplishment to God. Without Him, I am capable of nothing. I had suffered from a stress fracture several months before race day and was in a boot for 2 months. I feared that injury and dent in my training would set me back too far and not allow me to run the race, especially not in my minimalistic footwear. During physical therapy, the doctors highly advised me to get zero-drop tennis shoes. The thought of having to wear shoes crushed my soul (you barefoot runners know the feeling). I appeased the doctors and bought tennis shoes. I went on 1 or 2 runs in them before kicking 'em to the curb. I got right back to training and while my foot felt better, I started to experience right knee pain. The farthest I had run before the marathon was a half marathon. I put ALL my trust in God and ran the race in my Skinners as I envisioned. I whipped them off mid-run for the last mile (final stretch) and crossed that finish line with a beaming smile on my face! Best feeling ever. I DID IT.
Fast forward to today- I am training for the St. Jude Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Nashville on April 27th. I plan to run this completely barefoot
Super stoked. Training is going well so far, I just finished reading "The Barefoot Running Book" by Jason Robillard which is what brought me to this forum's page! I realize now that my previous injuries stemmed from TMTS (too much too soon) which is very common among new barefoot runners according to Jason.
Feel free to comment on this post or text me at (440) 522-8149 if you are a barefoot runner in the Cleveland area! I have yet to find a barefoot running buddy.
"You have never truly experienced running until you have gone on a barefoot run and felt the ground beneath your feet." - Michael Helton
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My name is Kenzie Meiners (22) and I have always loved being barefoot since I was a little kid. Shoes were never my thing. I never found joy in running and could barely run a mile until about 2 years ago when I switched my mindset. Just the thought of running a marathon (26.2 miles) seemed horrendous and impossible, so I decided to sign up for one. I love facing my fears and proving my brain wrong. We are capable of so much more than what we tell ourselves!
I started training in socks and would consistently run around the track at my university's RecPlex. Yes, I would get many looks and stares but I didn't mind. It actually would motivate me. Once the snow melted I was itching to get outdoors, the track became too similar to a stale hamster wheel as I ramped up my mileage. After a few barefoot runs, I decided to buy "Skinners" Comfort 2.0 footwear online. I would describe these minimalistic "shoes" as socks with a thin rubber bottom. Highly recommend. Even though my heart was set on running completely barefoot, I guess I would say I caved due to the fear my peers & family instilled in me of stepping on something sharp, like glass. However, I'm no longer a newbie barefoot runner and I've discovered that I possess a tremendous tool to avoid perilous obstacles - my eyes! All I have to do is watch where I'm going.
On October 29th, 2023 I ran the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) in my Skinners. It was an incredible experience and I credit all the glory of that major accomplishment to God. Without Him, I am capable of nothing. I had suffered from a stress fracture several months before race day and was in a boot for 2 months. I feared that injury and dent in my training would set me back too far and not allow me to run the race, especially not in my minimalistic footwear. During physical therapy, the doctors highly advised me to get zero-drop tennis shoes. The thought of having to wear shoes crushed my soul (you barefoot runners know the feeling). I appeased the doctors and bought tennis shoes. I went on 1 or 2 runs in them before kicking 'em to the curb. I got right back to training and while my foot felt better, I started to experience right knee pain. The farthest I had run before the marathon was a half marathon. I put ALL my trust in God and ran the race in my Skinners as I envisioned. I whipped them off mid-run for the last mile (final stretch) and crossed that finish line with a beaming smile on my face! Best feeling ever. I DID IT.
Fast forward to today- I am training for the St. Jude Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Nashville on April 27th. I plan to run this completely barefoot
Super stoked. Training is going well so far, I just finished reading "The Barefoot Running Book" by Jason Robillard which is what brought me to this forum's page! I realize now that my previous injuries stemmed from TMTS (too much too soon) which is very common among new barefoot runners according to Jason. Feel free to comment on this post or text me at (440) 522-8149 if you are a barefoot runner in the Cleveland area! I have yet to find a barefoot running buddy.
"You have never truly experienced running until you have gone on a barefoot run and felt the ground beneath your feet." - Michael Helton
View attachment 11043
