My Barefoot Journey

I started running in the summer of 2009 while training for the Air Force half marathon.  My husband had completed a full marathon in the spring and wanted to try training together for the Air Force marathon.  We went to a specialty running store in order to get fitted for the appropriate shoes.  Due to my extremely high arches, I was told that I would need a shoe with a lot of support.  So I purchased a pair of high end running shoes and hit the trail.  Training for this race was extremely challenging.  I quickly developed shin splints and tried to work through the pain.  I was miserable.  By the time the half marathon arrived, I was only up to 9 miles and that was a combination of running and walking due to excruciating pain in my shins.  As a new runner, I thought this was just a part of getting used to the new activity.  Little did I know that I was doing serious damage to my legs.  I completed the Air Force half marathon that year but it took me 4 hours!  I made an appointment with my primary care doctor who suggested that I just overdid it and should stay off my feet for 6 weeks while my husband pampered me.  I was in the first semester of graduate school so this was not an option (and should have never been suggested anyway) so I pressed her for further examination.  Unwillingly she ordered scans of both my legs, which revealed multiple and severe stress fractures in both legs.  I was then placed in a walking boot for 8 weeks.  I think most people would have given up on running at this point but I am fairly stubborn and my husband thoroughly enjoyed running.

So on to the next challenge.  We signed up for several more races in 2010, which included a full marathon relay, a full marathon, and another half marathon.  Throughout training I continued to have problems with my knees, shins, ankles, etc.  I switched to a different shoe that was less supportive and that seemed to help me get by but I continued to run with pain.  I would frequently ask my husband when I would learn to love running as he did.  He told me that eventually I would enjoy it but it would take some time as I was still working out the kinks.  Two years go by and I never fully work out the kinks.  I continue to run because my entire social network now revolved around group runs on the weekends and the next race we were running together, but I was not happy.

Fast forward to late summer 2012 where my husband and I found ourselves in a new city trying to find a new group of running friends.  I was attempting to train for the Air Force full marathon when yet another ailment struck.  I had a severe case of Achilles' tendonitis.  I was out for a solid 6 weeks before the marathon, which meant absolutely no running.  I ended up walking the full marathon and finished in just under 7 hours.  I know what you're thinking at this point, "When is this chick going to get it together and realize that running just isn't her thing??"  Trust me.  I was wondering the same thing myself.  It was after the Air Force marathon that my husband decided to read the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.  This book is about one man's adventure to figure out why his feet hurt so much while running.  One day we are out for a nice 5-miler and as I near the end of my run, my husband tells me to take my shoes off.  I look at him like he has two heads.  He told me to trust him and he stood there while I handed him my shoes and socks.  I took off running for about 1/4 of a mile.  It was the best 1/4 mile run I have experienced to date.  It felt good!  My husband ran behind me and immediately noticed that I was running with the best form I had ever used.  After that short run, I was sold.  I began taking off my shoes at the end of every run.  After several weeks, I was up to running a mile completely barefoot.  I still wanted to keep up my mileage so I would only run barefoot at the end of a run.  Winter comes and goes and I don't get outside much to run but I continue to run barefoot on the indoor track at the gym.  So far, so good.  No pain like I had experienced in the past.  I did have to build my barefoot mileage very slowly, otherwise I would end up with very sore calf muscles.

In March 2013, I attended a running clinic for the 2013 Air Force marathon where I met a group of barefoot runners.  Up until this point, I thought I was working up to run completely in Vibram Five Fingers.  I had no idea that people actually ran barefoot 100% of the time like I was doing at the end of my runs.  They invited me out to one of their group runs and we showed up.  Shod.  I think they were all confused about what we were doing there as they were all completely barefoot.  I continued with my routine of running and then pulling the shoes off for the last mile.  It wasn't until after we met for coffee after the run that Doug explained to me the benefits of going back to square one and slowly building mileage completely barefoot.  I wasn't planning to compete in a race for a while so I took his advice and began building slowly but surely.  After a few weeks, I found out that I was pregnant and so I had a decision to make.  Put the shoes back on to run or continue on my barefoot journey.  As you can already guess, I decided to leave the shoes behind.  I have a wonderful support system of barefooters that are guiding me and have my best interests at heart.  I have had to slow down...even slower than before...in order to ensure that I am keeping a good heart rate while running.  I am very happy to report that so far things are going smoothly with no complications at this point.  The best part...I am now running completely injury free for the first time in over 4 years.    

Barefoot and Pregnant...and still running!

I created this blog after searching the web for other stories detailing the journeys of other pregnant barefoot runners.  Guess what?  They are few and far between!  So after receiving encouragement from my fellow barefooters as well as support from my husband, I decided that I will blog my journey in hopes that someone else may benefit from my experiences one day.  I plan to blog throughout this pregnancy and on to motherhood as I make that transition as well.

First of all, I have a few "shout-outs" to make to my wonderful friends and coaches who have been supporting me and helping me along this journey.  The first is the leader of our group...Doug.  Here is a detailed journal of his experiences as well as invaluable information for anyone interested in getting started on their barefoot journey:  https://www.facebook.com/DaytonBarefootRunner

Next is Trissa, who has slowed her pace on our Saturday morning runs so that I have someone to run with and troubleshoot any problems that have risen so far during this pregnancy.  She is the one who encouraged me to create this blog so she deserves some recognition!

I also wanted to provide a link to Dr. Nat's blog.  Dr. Nat is a family physician in Australia who has provided a very detailed account of running barefoot while pregnant.  She offers more than just running advice as she takes part in a multifaceted workout routine.  As a physician, she also offers invaluable advice and resources for anyone considering this lifestyle:  http://doctornat.wordpress.com/

Welcome to my blog and I hope that you find what you are looking for when it comes to running barefoot and pregnant!