One Girl's Decision to Ditch Her Shoes

Two years ago, I had no idea what it would mean to ditch my shoes. I didn't know all the changes that were to come. I would like to think they were a result of that one decision.

I started out running barefoot but these days I run far more in minimalist shoes. I like running rugged terrain and for me that means some protection.

I grew up in a reserved family. I would call it repressed if I were to be truly accurate. I was taught not to adorn myself with jewelry and makeup. I needed to dress in a conservative manner and I should always worry about how I'm representing myself to the world. Instead I became someone who obsessively worried about what others think. I didn't say what I wanted to say because I had to be careful of offending someone. I didn't dress in the manner I would like to because you don't want to bring unwanted attention to yourself. My clothing choices couldn't be too baggy yet they couldn't be too tight either.

By taking off my shoes I was inviting people to ask me questions. Being the center of attention made me uncomfortable. After a few runs I got used to the looks and questions and even welcomed them.

My running clothes of choice were big, unflattering, and mostly black. I thought I could make myself more invisible by dressing all in one color. I could blend into the crowd. I always admired people who could dress up in costume. They weren't afraid to be silly and didn't mind attention. I told myself I was going to be that person one day.

Me before - all black

Slowly, I changed my running clothes of choice. It started with a running skirt (black of course) and eventually changed into bright (mostly pink) colors. Instead of worrying about what others thought, I started to dress how I wanted to dress. At first it was a mental check list I would go through. I would ask myself “What does it matter if a stranger doesn’t like what you're wearing? If they don't like it, perhaps that a reflection of their inability to dress how they want. Does it matter what this person who doesn't know me thinks of me?”

Me after - in color

By going through my check list I realized at the end of the day I didn't care what others thought of me. It became a liberating feeling. Eventually I ran my costume race and went on to run others.

Running in the Irish Jig

Running in Alger Heights 5k

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I decided I was going to take risks in the races I ran. My first big risk was signing up for a 12 hour ultramarathon. I would run as far as I could in that 12 hour time limit. It scared the piss out of me to think about running for that amount of time but I was going to do it regardless. That decision was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I made friendships that will last a lifetime, I learned I could push myself, and finished with 40 miles under my belt. Like other facets of my life, I realized I was the one holding myself back.

I signed up for my first trail marathon. Within 12 months I completed five more marathons. I attempted my first 50k in December and didn't finished. Instead of beating myself up, I learned cold weather is my krypnonite. I went on to complete my first 50 miler which was actually 54 miles because I went off course. I learned I could persevere in a race I was convinced I wasn't going to finish. If you had told me two years ago this was all in store for me I would have laughed and laughed.

This led to me taking a closer look at my personal relationships. I liked my new found ability to be myself and not care what others thought. I wanted to surround myself with like-minded individuals and for the most part I did. However, there were a few friendships that appeared strong but were actually draining and one sided. I was letting the few benefits I got from the relationship distract me from the reality that not all friendships were healthy. I had to make some tough decisions which ultimately were the best choices for me. It was a very hard decision for me but in the end led me to open myself to new relationships. In the past I would have closed myself off to those relationships.

This also led to taking a closer look at other decisions, like our careers. Jason and I began to questions our choices. We were both high school teachers but were restless to do something else. We also wanted to travel and kept coming up with reasons why we should stay in Michigan. We were creating reasons why we couldn't do what we wanted.

We decided that we were going to quit our jobs and travel. We could come up with a million reasons why we should stay in our relatively safe jobs and not take risks and do what we really wanted. We came up with a plan to quit our jobs at the end of the year and travel with our three kids. Initially, we weren't sure exactly how this would all come together. Our plan was to pay off any of our debts, get rid of our material possessions we wouldn’t be taking with us, and plan the details over the remaining eight months of the school year.

We should have been scared out of our minds. Instead we were oddly calm. It probably sounds glib to say things just fell into place but that's exactly what happened. One decision led to the next. We were taking a risk but I found risks weren't something to be feared any longer. Every risk I had taken, whether successful or not, was something that ultimately led to better things.

You're probably wondering what the hell does this have to do with barefoot and minimalist shoe running? For me, making that one decision was much more powerful than I realized at the time. It pushed me outside my comfort zone. It forced me to confront my own fears and anxieties which made me a better, stronger person. It led me to be myself and not care what others think. It led me to take risks and the ability to travel with my family. It led me the ability to run in spectacular places. It led me to quality friendships. It led me to a stronger relationship with Jason.

I no longer put self imposed restrictions on my abilities. Instead I think why not?

Racing with Jason

Lots of things have been happening and I have not been very good about listing any updates. Life on the road is awesome! I am having the most fun even in the moments when I wish my kids voiceboxes were removed.

One of the events we participated in granted us a free entry race into Freedom's Marathon, located in West Virginia. It's been a long time since we ran a race together and it was fun.

Although, I must say, it was also a strange experience for me. My finish time was 5:01 and some change. I seemed to have many issues that day. One being my bladder. I cannot remember peeing so much during a race. It was if I had retained water for a week and it came out on race day. From what I could tell I was the only girl peeing in the woods. They don't know what they're missing!

At around mile 11 we saw 2 runners on the side and asked if they were ok after spotting blood on the lady's knee. When we looked up she had a huge goose egg on her head and a swollen eye. Whatever fall she took, it messed her up. We offered to walk with them to the aid station because you never know with a fall like that. We walked with them for I think a mile and a half. The medics had a look at her and we found out later she was ok.

About halfway through I had what I thought was a bad reaction to peanuts and it turned out I had to visit the portapotty (as much as I hate them) and came out feeling 5 lbs. lighter. Was my body shutting down on me? :)

In the beginning I pushed myself to go faster probably because Jason was running with me. I have a tendency to run too conservatively and I don't think I push myself enough so this was a good thing for me. I didn't wear a watch so I had no idea how I was doing pace wise, especially after walking but I could tell I was running faster than if I were running solo.

The second half of the race was filled with some really big hills. I was disappointed the first half didn't have more hills and when we finally got to them it was a huge lift to my spirits. Jason would cruise to the top and wait for me. One day I might be able to keep up with him : )

Towards the end of the race, the temperatures cooled off, combined with a drizzling rain, I was getting cold. When we could see the finish line Jason pointed to a gentleman in front of me and told me to beat him. I wasn't sure I would be able to but I decided to give it a try which I have mixed feelings about. I ended up passing the guy but felt like kind of a tool about it. I caught up to him and told him "Sorry but my husband told me to chick you at the end." He was good natured about it and replied "Glad I could be of help!"

I was really surprised at my finish time given all the stops I had along the way. It makes me wonder what kind of finish time I could have had if I hadn't had so any issues.

It did give me pause for thought as to how much I push myself. I think generally I could push myself harder and have a hard time putting a finger on why I don't. It's something I'll have to think about for a bit.

My next race is in Connecticut. It's a 50k trail race that promises to get muddy! This will be my last race before Javalina 100 which is less than 5 weeks away! Can't wait!

Seattle Running

I flew to Seattle 5 days after my 50 mile race finish. I wasn't sure how my legs would hold up after the race but I knew when I got there I would be itching to run the trails.

I flew in on Thursday night arriving around midnight and was staying with a barefoot/minimalist friend I had met online, Seret. We visited for a bit when we got there and decided to run the watershed just outside her home the following morning.

My biggest concern post race was my toenail on my left foot. It had a big blister brewing underneath the toenail. Even with constant poking around, it was still very tender to the touch and wasn't quite done forming a blister. My left foot is bigger than my right foot and it's something I always struggle with since running longer distances. The shoe hitting the top of the toenail usually results in a blister of some kind. The mud at the previous race also didn't help matters.

My legs felt good and after a little footcare my toe was ok too. We headed out on the road, turned and Seret led Jason and I down the path. My legs felt a little heavy but overall the run felt great!

People talk about Seattle and how green it is but it's never quite what you imagine. There was tons of green and usually in Michigan or other areas you see other colors of flowers or weeds but in Seattle you see nothing but lush, full, green colors all around you. The forest is full of ferns, trees, moss and grass in almost a neon green color. To say it was beautiful is an understatement.

Seret was also taking us to Cougar Mountain on Sunday which I was really excited to run. I love running in the mountains and was anxious to see how it compared to the mountains I've run in Colorado and Pennsylvania.

We flew in for the Outdoor Fest on Saturday where Jason held a clinic. The people of Seattle seemed really laid back and friendly. One of the events organized was a 5k race in which people had to answer trivia questions and if they were wrong it would add a second to their overall time.

The race was sponsored by the Mountaineers which we learned was a group that focuses on getting outdoors whether that be running, hiking, kayaking and a variety of other outdoor activities. It was nice to see an area that put such a huge emphasis on physical activity. You really got the sense that everyone wanted to be active and outdoors.

Seret was the most accommodating host ever. We took a tour of Microsoft and saw just how huge their campus was and ate lunch in one of their cafeterias. The food choices alone were overwhelming. They had everything from grilled salmon to sushi.

Sunday morning finally arrived and we woke up early to run the mountain. The mountain itself was also lush and green. We were surrounded by moss, ferns and beautiful trees. I love hills and I was not disappointed when we ran because it was filled with many long climbs. Seret and Jason were much faster than me so they would run ahead a bit and eventually I would catch up. Seret is fast and she claims she is not. So far everyone I've met that claims they are slow are just being humble :)

Seret and me at Cougar Mountain

Jason and I at the base of the mountain

We had a great run and even ran into fellow minimalist runners who had read Jason's blog. Small world! We chatted with them a bit about shoes and races and then continued on our way. Seret was the best host. Her generosity to open her home to us and make us feel welcome was overwhelming. I can't thank her enough!

Seret and Jason on Cougar Mountain

We headed out later that night on the red eye back to Michigan. Our flight didn't take off until 11:30 p.m. How else to fill that time other than a few airport cocktails. I jokingly told Jason wouldn't it be funny if we fell asleep and missed our flight? Turns out, that almost happened.

We had a few drinks and still had 2 hours until boarding time. I laid my head on Jason's shoulder and fell asleep. Apparently, he followed suit and only woke up because he had to urgently pee. He saw a group of people standing in line and thought "What are they doing? Did they delay the flight and they're all trying to reschedule?" Without a thought to look at the time.

When he got back from the bathroom we finally realized they were boarding for the flight. Thank you Jason's bladder!

The following week we headed to New York City for the party of all parties.....details will be coming soon!