A little bit different than most

It's funny that a year ago I didn't want to ever run a marathon. I enjoyed running but cycling was the only activity I would ever engage for more than 3 consecutive hours. Running hurt too much. No matter how expensive the shoe, running for me always lead to chronic injuries which wouldn't subside until I laid off the running for several days. Then I could run again; I could do 3 or 4 miles and be ok. But push 6 or 7 miles, and the pain would come back. So, I thought maybe I just wasn't built to be a runner. I was content to at least be a great cyclist. I could pass almost anyone cycling up hill. But deep down I wished I could run with the best of them.

Then I met an old wise man while climbing a mountain on my bike. We climbed along and got to talking and it turned out he was a newspaper writer and marathon runner and he told me I should read the book: Born to Run. He described it and I told him I thought I had heard of it, but I was mistaken (I was thinking about Way of the Peaceful Warrior which another friend had suggested. This turned out to be another very good book). This book changed everything. The promise of injury free running no matter how much you run. Really it's crazy. Really, it's true.

You should read and enjoy Born to Run yourself. It's a page turner and presents a new theory about humans and running. Central to the point is the idea of barefoot running, or at the very least, running in shoes, but with the same kind of motion you would use if you were barefoot. Therein had been my problem all along. My whole life, lacking a teacher to show me better, I was running in cushioned shoes and reaching my foot out in front of me as I propelled myself forward and landed on my heel. As I turned the pages of Born to Run it all began to make sense and before even my first barefoot run I was already certain that I would learn to run this way, and I would run a marathon and I would run injury free from now on.

I still sometimes like to run in shoes. They let me run down stairs and jump over stuff with a cushioned landing, but my style has changed. Now there are different pieces of technology I strap onto my feet for different occasions. If it's nice out, I'm putting on my Luna Sandals, the minimalist running sandals from Barefoot Ted, fashioned in Tarahumara style. If there is rain, or if it is cold, or if I will be running through mud, I'll put on my Vibram Fivefingers. And to make sure I'm running in with the best form that I can, every once in a while I'll carry the footwear in hand and give my bare feet some pure freedom.

I don't know about you, but there's nothing better for my own disposition than to keep an open mind, enjoy healthy food, and run every chance you get. Be a happy monkey and give it a try.