Back to the Blog

So, I haven't kept up with my blog for a while again, and this will be the 3rd time I revamp it into something new, but hopefully it will be something I will continue to work on this time. I have been reading Barefoot Josh's blog and have been inspired to give it a try again. I too would like to post witty bragging of my mini everyday adventures in hopes that my musings will entertain and possibly even inspire others. I have been a dancer for a long time, and I have tried a lot of different kinds of dancing and love most all of them. Dance is something I'm good at and I've come to be comfortable with, but every once in a while you have to try something new and daring. It's the spice of life. 


Early this year I decided that I should start running. This "crazy" idea came for 2 reasons. 
1) My dad is a runner and so I've always had this interest in running. 
2) I wanted to improve my cardiovascular endurance... you know.... so I could get more awesome at dance of course.
Anyway, I started running Monday, Wednesday, and Friday every week on the treadmill in the dance training room during my free time between classes. I did great! ....... for about 3 weeks. Then I started making excuses about being tired or something and went less and less. 


UNTIL, my dad started talking about this barefoot running thing. My dad is gettin OLD. Don't tell him I said that, but it's true! That being said, he's one of the most fit people I know. Anyway, back to the old part, since he's getting old he's getting more injuries and starting too creek and such. So, while he was out with a knee injury he read "Born to Run" and decided to give this barefoot thing a try. Well, once he started that's all he talked about! I would call home and every time he would tell me more about barefoot running and what it was doing to his feet and how it was helping his form and how he didn't hurt as much anymore. He kept saying that he was getting blisters on the bottom of his feet when he did things wrong and that was what hurt the worst. Once he got his form down, no more blisters, no more pain. 


So I got to thinking, "Hey, I'm a contemporary/modern dancer.... I have callouses on the bottom of my feet to start with... I run barefoot everyday in dance class... short distance of course, but still, barefoot running.... it's even this ball heel thing he's talking about... why don't I give it a try?" So with a little internet research and a lot of talking to my dad I started barefoot running about end of March. I have been on and off in my training due to times when I was just way to busy to even fit in 15 min of a run and some times when I was just plain lazy, but it's working for me. Since I made the switch to barefoot running I actually enjoy it! It also doesn't hurt that there's a lot of fun in other's reactions to a barefoot runner. Almost every time I go run I pass other runners and I see the look on their face "Barefoot?! Where are your shoes? You must be LOCO!" and in my head I'm saying "Shoes?! Where are your feet? Why do you do that?"


Sometimes I feel superior to others who have made the switch to barefoot running...muahahahah :) Why, you ask? Well, there are a couple reasons. 
1) It didn't take some massive injury that put me on the bench from running for me to make the switch. I just started running, thought "hey, I don't like this," heard about barefoot, and jumped right in. Most runners I've heard of making the switch only did so when they had an injury and had no other choice but to try something new until they healed. 
2) I wasn't a runner before, so none of this "Well, I'm still not as fast/going as far as I was before I made the switch" stuff. Before I started barefoot running I couldn't even run a whole mile without walking for part of it, and now I'm running a mile and a half pretty easy (I've even been crazy enough to sign myself up for a 5k this week, but more on that another day.) Before barefoot running it took me about 15 min to go a mile, now I do my 1.5 mi in that 15 min. Basically, I'm WAY more awesome at this barefoot thing than the shoe thing and I'm having tons of fun doing it!


Well I suppose this has been a long enough post about my start in barefoot running and where I'm at with all that jazz now. I'll try to keep posted on how things are going.