Discover the Surprising Health Benefits of Barefoot Running

Barefoot running is a growing trend that is gaining popularity among fitness enthusiasts and health-conscious individuals. The practice of running without shoes, or with minimalist shoes, has been shown to offer a range of benefits that can improve your overall health and wellness. In this blog post, we'll explore the surprising benefits of barefoot running and why it's worth considering as part of your fitness routine.

• Improved balance and stability: Running barefoot requires you to use your feet and legs to balance your body. This can improve your balance and stability over time, making you less prone to injury.
  
  
• Strengthened muscles: Running barefoot engages the muscles in your feet, legs, and core, helping to strengthen them over time. This can lead to improved posture, reduced pain and discomfort, and a reduction in the risk of injury.
  
  
• Better posture: Running barefoot can help improve your posture by strengthening the muscles in your feet and legs, and promoting proper alignment throughout your body.
  
  
• Reduced impact: Running barefoot reduces the impact on your joints, as your feet are better able to absorb shock and distribute weight evenly. This can reduce the risk of injury and help you recover more quickly after running.
  
  
• Improved mindfulness: Running barefoot requires you to be present and mindful of your body and surroundings. This can help you focus on the present moment and improve your mental health and overall well-being.

My personal experience has been wonderful. I was suffering from Plantar Fasciitis for quite some time. It wasn't until I switched to minimalist shoes that I felt relief. In fact, the relief was literally immediate. My very first run in Vibram Five-Finger shoes was completely pain free. Later, I switched to Merrell's which look more like a traditional shoe, minus the cushioning. It also has a very wide toe box which helps the foot fall naturally without being cramped for space. I started off with just a mile and then slowly built up. In January, 2022, I ran a half-marathon in my Merrells. The entire time training, running the race and recovering was pain free!

In conclusion, barefoot running has a lot to offer, from improved balance and stability to reduced impact and improved mindfulness. If you're looking to improve your health and wellness, it's definitely worth considering giving barefoot running a try. As with any new form of exercise, it's important to start slowly and gradually increase intensity over time to reduce the risk of injury. If you'd like more advice on creating a plan to switch over to minimalist running, please reach out and I'd be happy to help.

What is it Like to Run a Virtual Half-Marathon?

What is it like to run a virtual half-marathon?

Last year, I signed up to run a new half-marathon in my town. The Hot Chocolate Half-Marathon. I was super excited! At the time I signed up, I didn't think too much about it despite Covid being around. I was under the impression, Covid would be relatively scarce by the time the race rolled around. However, as the race date approached, there was now the new Omicron version of Covid. I can't afford to get Covid, so I decided to switch my entry to the virtual option. I was just too nervous to go and run with a large group of people, huffing, puffing and spitting all around me. The race did take precautions: Staggered starts, mandatory masks at the starting line, etc...but we all know all well people pay attention to mask mandates, right? 

Running a virtual half-marathon wasn't too different than going out for a long run. That is until I got to mile 10. This is usually when I grab a water or a Gatorade at the aid station. However, there was no aid station. But, let's start at the beginning: First off, I got to where I'd run but unlike an actual event, there was no crowds. No music. No porta potties for last minute pre-race tummy issues. It was just like I was going for a regular run. I tried to do my usual pre-race routine and it did get me psyched up, but not nearly as much as the usual energy felt at the start of a race.

The next obvious difference was that there were no mile markers or people telling you were to go. I know, I know. It's a virtual race so I was just required to cover the distance. Not the actual course. But call me old fashioned, but I ran the actual course. It was all along the greenways here in town so it was easy to look at the map and see what was what. The only exception is I wasn't 100% sure of the start and finish lines or where exactly the turnaround was at but I had a pretty good idea since it lined up with building I was familiar with. I figured as long as I was at the right mileage when I turned around, I'd be ok. 

I don't know about you, but my GPS watch is not the most reliable. In fact, when I go back and look at my route on my training runs, it has me running through buildings, cutting through people's yards, etc...so I know it's not 100% accurate. But when I got to the turnaround and my watch said I still had another tenth of a mile to go, I was a little upset. I'm still not convinced my half was 13.1. I think I actually ran more like 13.2 (which by definition, would be a half-ultra, since anything over a marathon is considered an ultra....LOL)

I had mentioned that since it was virtual, there were no aid stations. I knew this, of course, but I normally don't run more than 10 and have not felt the need for a water stop. However, yesterday, around mile 11, I sure could have used one. I know there are things I could have done. Planned ahead a left a water bottle in a tree. Wore a camel pack. But honestly, I'm lazy and that felt like a lot of effort to try an plan for.

To wrap this up, there's normally people at the finish line to give you a boost. Heck. There's normally a finish line! So I had to keep looking at my watch to see when it hit 13.1. I actually know fairly accurately how many steps I take to cover a tenth of a mile so I wasn't constantly looking, but still. Besides no  visual marker of a finish line, there was of course, no post race snacks. No free bananas which I know we all live for. And worst of all, I had to cut up my own orange! 

Don't get me wrong. It felt great to get out there an run a Half again. The last time I ran a half-marathon was in 2013. In January 2018, I ran a 10K with my son but I had not trained in forever. After the 10K, I had horrible plantar fasciitis which became very stubborn. In fact, I pretty much didn't run for the remainder of 2018. In 2019 I decided to get back into running but every time I made some progress, it would come back. Recently, I made some changes and I was able to get back to running pain free again, but that's for a different blog post. 

All in all, as I said, I'm super happy I can run 13.1 miles non-stop. However, I don't think I'd do a virtual half again. A 5K or even a 10K? Sure. No problem. But I just found the virtual half a bit lonely.