The Day I Started Running Naked (Barefoot, that is)

CCM 2015.  I ran my first official full marathon race at Cebu City Marathon (CCM) last January 11, 2015.  Though I finished the race with a good PR of sub 4:10, I suffered from terrible leg cramps that started at KM 30. BORN TO RUN.  On the following days after the race, I found my self surfing the web and reading just about anything related to preventing running injuries.  I found the articles of Christopher Mcdougall in his website where it talks mainly about barefoot running or running with the least of protection between the sole of the feet and the ground.  Christopher also wrote a book titled Born to Run which is about the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s Copper Canyons running more than one hundred miles barefoot or with just sandals made from old tire rubber.  With no training regimen, the Tarahumarans reportedly are considered supper running athletes with almost no record of running injuries. Other articles I read speak about the topic of barefoot running from an evolutionist point of view;  where in, we human-beings have evolved to become runners.  Being bi-pedals, we are meant to run; we are born to run. CREATED TO RUN.  My view on the other hand does not argue with the proposition that we are born to run, being bi-pedals.  From the perspective of a creationist, I stand contrary to the statement that we have evolved to become runners.  My view is that, more than being born to run, we are created to run! I believe that we are created beings, as such we have a Creator and I believe this Creator is the Creator-God spoken in the Jewish Scriptures and the Christian Bible.

Psalm 139:13-16  “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,  your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

With this mindset, I consider my feet created by God perfect and there’s nothing defective with it.  It does not need sophisticated running shoes with its support and cushioning technologies that claim protection and injury prevention caused by prolonged running.  With our set of feet, I believe that it could be trained to run and cover long distances with minimum protection between the sole of the feet and the ground being sufficient.

RUNNING NAKED.  And so, armed with this renewed mindset in running, on January 16, 2015, I ran naked!  Barefoot, that is.  I covered 10K on my first barefoot run.  Interestingly, it was a rebirth experience for me.  I felt that I discovered something hidden, something secret, and even something divine while running barefoot.  Could running barefoot or minimalist be the perfect running style that optimizes our legs to run long distances without the risk of running injuries?  This is the claim of the Tarahumarans, but I still have to personally experience it myself.

without shoes I went straight ahead to the water at Marigondon beach, turning point for our usual morning date/prayer runs

RUNNING SANDALS.  I have not yet attempted running bare for more than 10K, though.  With my mother-in-law begging me not to run without shoes because of safety reasons, I am now seriously considering the next best thing to barefoot running and that is running with huaraches.  These are thin sandals made of hard rubber designed for running, patterned from the sandals used by the Tarahumarans.  I ordered my pair at KAI’s running sandals a couple of days ago and a couple of days more to wait before I could pick it up at their store.  Here’s their address should you decide to try a pair as well:

KAI Stickers

Villagracia Bldg (Across Cortes Hospital, behind Mercury Drug)

155 S.B. Cabahug St., Brgy Centro,

Mandaue City, Cebu

Philippines

The store is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm

Or you can email Mr. Jacob Ong, it’s proprietor thru ongjacob@gmail.com

 LOVIE’S BAREFOOT RUN.  My wife also tried running barefoot with me during one of our morning date runs.  Feeling the ground with the sole of her foot is no longer strange to her for she usually wears very thin walking flat shoes.  And I’d like to think that she likes the experience though not more that she likes wearing running shoes for the protection it offer.

Lovie’s happy feet after trying out running bare

RUNNING STYLE.  I still run once in awhile with my shoes on.  Don’t get me wrong.  With or without shoes I now run with a barefoot running style –  fore or mid foot strike, and running light with my legs allowing me to be more aware of the grounds underneath the soles of my feet.