Barefoot Running: What Not to Do Your First Time

I really only have two problem spots: the momma blister on the big toe and the tiny blood blister on the heel:

The other little blisters and scrapes aren’t really noticeable. At least not compared to those.

So why did I go barefoot running? Well,

A friend read Born to Run and loved it so much I had to read it > After reading it I went to the author’s website > Chris McDougall recommends the Barefoot Running website for more info on the subject > The Barefoot Running website had a post from Barefoot Ken Bob about his weekly fun runs with a map that I recognized as a local beach > It turns out that Barefoot Ken Bob lives 2 miles away from me! > Therefore, I HAD TO GO RUNNING WITH BAREFOOT KEN BOB!

And the rest is history. I showed up late last Tuesday night so I missed the run but I did still get to meet Barefoot Ken Bob and his buddy Bernard. We talked about running without shoes and said we’d be back for the Thursday night run. I was so disappointed about missing Tuesday that my husband and I showed up 30 min. early on Thursday. And I was so excited to get to know these two barefoot dudes that I didn’t really consider how far I should or should not be running barefoot for the first time as we set off on the beach path. The paved, asphalt concrete beach path.

Now, Barefoot Ken Bob is very conversational. His fluffy beard and happy eyes make him easy to just kind of watch and listen too as we ran along. He hops from topic to topic and has a little bit of the “distracted dog” (Squirrel!) in him, and an easy-going sense of humor.

So I just kept running. MISTAKE. Do not inadvertently run 2.8 miles the first time you run barefoot. I mean, I knew better, but I was having fun so I selectively forgot. I don’t regret it though. The first half mile was pretty prickly on the pavement but after that my feet just felt abraised all over so it was easier to ignore. If that makes any sense.

Jason & I had fun talking with the barefoot dudes and we’re looking forward future runs with them (Jason has no blisters or any other issues whatsoever with his stupid magical feet). For me, for now, I should probably pop that blister and let it heal up so I can run next week.

Some things I learned:

If you get blisters on your toes you’re striking too much on the front ball of your feet and you’ll want to hit more towards the middle. If you’re heel is still hitting first, you’re not bending your knees enough. With unseasoned supple flesh on bottom of your feet, little pebbles and debris will stick and stay with you for a few annoyingly pokey steps. Once your skin toughens up, they won’t stick anymore. Toughened feet skin doesn’t necessarily mean calloused feet skin.