I’ve been running for around four or five years (basically as soon as I graduated from college.) I started my running “career” wearing running shoes, as it had been ingrained into my brain that you needed the best running shoes to run to the best of your ability. After a few years of casual running, I started entering some races over the past two years just to see what kind of times I could put up and for a sense of accomplishment of passing a finish line (great feeling by the way!)

After finishing my first and only half-marathon to this day, I realized that I will most likely never win a race outright and that’s when I saw my first advertisement for Vibram Five Fingers. Coincidentally I then read the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall and was convinced that minimalist running shoes were the way to go. I ran for the better part of the year in my VFF KSO’s and eventually entered my local 5.5 mile road race in them. I was one of only two guys in the entire race (about 500 people in the race I think) and it felt awesome.

After that though, I kept reading more and more about real barefoot running on blogs (some of which I’ve linked to on the sidebar) and I’ve decided that it’s the way to go when possible. Unfortunately I decided this at the start of Winter and it’s been tough to get in barefoot sessions, but I’ve been mixing and matching runs with the VFFs and barefoot until it’s lighter and warmer out (and less snowy) in the Spring, when I plan to run almost exclusively sans shoes. I plan to run two half-marathons this year and while they will most likely be in my VFFs, I would love to run either my local Turkey Trot or that same 5.5 mile road race barefoot when the time comes (in the Fall.)

Interestingly, I’m engaged to marry a beautiful lady named Sonya…who happens to be a Podiatrist! We’ve already had many “discussions” about the merits of barefoot running and while she doesn’t completely object to me running without shoes, she is hoping I don’t hurt myself seriously. However, I figure that’s why she’s there…to fix me up! One day I’ll convince here that barefoot running is the way to go, but in the meantime maybe I’ll sneak into her office start telling patients about it while she’s out of the room.

Anyways, feel free to follow the blog as I document my transition to barefoot running and hopefully I can help some people out there who have questions about barefoot running or potentially convert people to the cause! You can also follow me on Facebook or Twitter, if that’s what you’re into Thanks for visiting and hopefully I’ll “see” you again.