I am A Runner and I run in sandals, when I am not running barefoot. I started running in September 2009, at Run/Walk for Life in Sunninghill. I started with 700 meters and couldn't imagine every achieving my ultimate goal of the Comrades Marathon.
In January 2010 I finished my first half marathon. I walked most of it, vomited three quarters of the way thru' it and laughed myself silly from beginning to end. I was thrilled that I had managed the distance but was determined to do better, and so, I suppose, that's when "the addiction" started.In the first 9 months of my running I was dealing with pain in various parts of my body. It started in my third week of running when my knees got sore. Initially I thought it was because I started my run too quickly, then I thought it was one of the warm up exercises that I was doing that was causing the problem. I went to the chiropractor and altho' he couldn't find anything wrong, his manipulations seemed to help and I was fine for a month. Then the knee pain started again, by this time I was only running 3.5kms in a time of 27 minutes. Then the pain shifted to my hip/groin area. Again I went to the chiropractor and I went to an Applied Kinesiologist who gave me a heel wedge. The wedge helped for a bit and then my heel swelled up, went back to the AK and got a side wedge added to the heel wedge. This continued until April - I had numerous appointments with the chiro and so many with the AK, receiving all kinds of wedges, including a small one under my big toe. All the wedges helped for a bit but then the pain moved, often to the opposite side of my body. I was getting exasperated - it didn't make sense that I needed all this help from professionals to just run. I spent a small fortune on running shoes and they made no difference. Thousands of people run everyday without problems, what was going on with me? I had read Born to Run by Christopher McDougall at the end of 2009 and running barefoot was starting to sound like something that made sense to me.In April 2010 I ran another 21km and was in tears at the half way point. My left foot was so sore that i was sure it couldn't be any worse if I ran barefoot. It took me while to find the courage to take off my shoes and I ran the last 6km in my socks. When I finished that race, I said never again, running just isn't for me. But, I had enjoyed the barefoot run and I still did want to run the Comrades Marathon.I googled barefoot running, found http://www.invisibleshoe.com/ and ordered myself a pair of huaraches. I continued running, slowly and with pain but I wasn't going to give up until I'd tried my huaraches.I ran my first kilometer on May 24 2010 and haven't looked back since then. I took my time, knocked back my distance to 3km and felt no pain!! This was amazing to me!I ran my first race, a 10km on June 3rd in record time. It was cold and my feet were cold and I got a lot of silly comments and I felt incredibly self-conscious but I was running pain free.Two weeks later I ran a 15km which included a bit of off-road running and I managed that really well.Two weeks after that I ran my first half marathon in my new shoes and then I knew that there was no going back to regular shoes. Despite the silly and stupid comments, my sandals were a talking point and I was meeting interesting people and I had no pain - anywhere.
I started taking off my sandals and running barefoot where I knew the roads were good for barefoot running and I loved it. It is completely different to having sandals on and I immediately get a huge grin on my face and I feel like a child again. There are a few training routes around home that are great for barefoot running and in the last quarter of 2010 I was more often than not, talking off my sandals half way thru' and finishing my run barefoot. I totalled over 1000kms barefoot or minimalist in 2010.Since then I have run many half marathons, a few trail runs, 3 marathons, a 60km training run and my ultimate goal, The Comrades Marathon 2011.
In January 2010 I finished my first half marathon. I walked most of it, vomited three quarters of the way thru' it and laughed myself silly from beginning to end. I was thrilled that I had managed the distance but was determined to do better, and so, I suppose, that's when "the addiction" started.In the first 9 months of my running I was dealing with pain in various parts of my body. It started in my third week of running when my knees got sore. Initially I thought it was because I started my run too quickly, then I thought it was one of the warm up exercises that I was doing that was causing the problem. I went to the chiropractor and altho' he couldn't find anything wrong, his manipulations seemed to help and I was fine for a month. Then the knee pain started again, by this time I was only running 3.5kms in a time of 27 minutes. Then the pain shifted to my hip/groin area. Again I went to the chiropractor and I went to an Applied Kinesiologist who gave me a heel wedge. The wedge helped for a bit and then my heel swelled up, went back to the AK and got a side wedge added to the heel wedge. This continued until April - I had numerous appointments with the chiro and so many with the AK, receiving all kinds of wedges, including a small one under my big toe. All the wedges helped for a bit but then the pain moved, often to the opposite side of my body. I was getting exasperated - it didn't make sense that I needed all this help from professionals to just run. I spent a small fortune on running shoes and they made no difference. Thousands of people run everyday without problems, what was going on with me? I had read Born to Run by Christopher McDougall at the end of 2009 and running barefoot was starting to sound like something that made sense to me.In April 2010 I ran another 21km and was in tears at the half way point. My left foot was so sore that i was sure it couldn't be any worse if I ran barefoot. It took me while to find the courage to take off my shoes and I ran the last 6km in my socks. When I finished that race, I said never again, running just isn't for me. But, I had enjoyed the barefoot run and I still did want to run the Comrades Marathon.I googled barefoot running, found http://www.invisibleshoe.com/ and ordered myself a pair of huaraches. I continued running, slowly and with pain but I wasn't going to give up until I'd tried my huaraches.I ran my first kilometer on May 24 2010 and haven't looked back since then. I took my time, knocked back my distance to 3km and felt no pain!! This was amazing to me!I ran my first race, a 10km on June 3rd in record time. It was cold and my feet were cold and I got a lot of silly comments and I felt incredibly self-conscious but I was running pain free.Two weeks later I ran a 15km which included a bit of off-road running and I managed that really well.Two weeks after that I ran my first half marathon in my new shoes and then I knew that there was no going back to regular shoes. Despite the silly and stupid comments, my sandals were a talking point and I was meeting interesting people and I had no pain - anywhere.
I started taking off my sandals and running barefoot where I knew the roads were good for barefoot running and I loved it. It is completely different to having sandals on and I immediately get a huge grin on my face and I feel like a child again. There are a few training routes around home that are great for barefoot running and in the last quarter of 2010 I was more often than not, talking off my sandals half way thru' and finishing my run barefoot. I totalled over 1000kms barefoot or minimalist in 2010.Since then I have run many half marathons, a few trail runs, 3 marathons, a 60km training run and my ultimate goal, The Comrades Marathon 2011.
June 2011