foot fetish? six weeks to a marathon.
April 19, 2008
Last Sunday evening, your intrepid author was sitting at his desk, writing the next best-selling novel for Oprah’s Book Club, when he heard a loud noise from upstairs. Suddenly, two scruffy looking men burst into his office, brandishing a large revolver (or at least, a silly looking handgun):
Tyler: “Brett, you’re going to die. …[looks at Brett's Running Room Membership Card]… An expired Running Room Membership Card! What did you want to be, Brett?”….
Brett: “Barefoot runner”
T: “Why?”
B: “I don’t know”
T: “What did you want to be, Brett A. Legree? [Cocks gun/thumb] The question, Brett, was – what did you want to be?”
B: “Barefoot runner! Barefoot runner!”…
T: “Long races.”
B: “Yeah long races…marathons”
T: “Yeah marathons, I got that – that means you have to do more barefoot running.”
B: “Too much running”
T: “Would you rather be dead? You’d rather die, here, on your ergonomic chair in your basement office?”
B: “Please…no…” (trying not to laugh at the finger gun)
T: “I’m keeping your Membership Card. I’m going to check in on you. I know where you live. If you’re not on your way to becoming a barefoot marathon runner in 6 weeks you will be dead. Now go for a run. [Brett put on his funny shoes, and ran away into the darkness, smiling] ….Tomorrow will be the most beautiful day of Brett A. Legree’s life – his breakfast will taste better than any meal you and I have ever tasted.”
The Narrator continued: “You had to give it to him. He had a plan and it started to make sense in a Tyler sort of way. No fear. No distractions. The ability to let that which does not matter, truly slide.”
So I’ve mentioned before that I like to run. Twice in the past 8 years, I have got myself up to the point of being able to run 10 km non-stop. I think this is pretty good for someone with my stocky build. But I knew I could do better.
I always hit a plateau around 10 km. I never experienced intense pain, but I knew that I shouldn’t go any further using traditional shoes and running form. That is when I first started looking into barefoot running techniques.
I know I will do it this time. I will go further than ever before. As Tyler says, I’m going to die. Someday, but hopefully not today. In any case, I plan to run a marathon, barefoot, long before that time comes.
I have been inspired by the following people, to keep running:
- Wendi and her post The Courage to Start about John Bingham
- Ellen and Karen for the chats on Twitter about the Toronto Marathon, and the excellent writing they do
- (notice a trend here? All of these ladies can run circles around me!)
- Barefoot Ted for showing me the funny shoes and the inspiration to try something new – he too had hit a plateau, until he changed his way of thinking and moving
So here is the plan:
I am running Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings.
I will report in each Saturday with progress – how far, and how long. And how I feel doing it.
I believe that after only 6 weeks, I will be well on my way to being able to run a marathon. I will work at it slowly, and continuously add to the distance.
I can find the time, by letting that which does not matter, truly slide. My RSS feeds can wait. But not Twitter 
So without further ado, the Week 1 report:
| Distance | Time | Weight | |
| Monday | 1.8 km | 15 min | 200 lb |
| Wednesday | 2.1 | 17 | 199 |
| Friday | 2.5 | 20 | 196 |
And for a non-statistical report, the feeling – well, on successive each day, I felt that I could have gone further, and I felt alive after the run.
I have no pain at all, rather I feel totally connected to the earth as I’m running. I don’t even feel like waiting until Monday now, I want to run today. But I will mix it up and do some kettlebell training on my off days. Balance is a good thing.
(What do you think, Kelly – is this a fetish? Of course you know you nothing about such things. 
)
So go ahead, try something new. Work at it for 6 weeks, I’ll bet you’ll keep it for a lifetime.
My breakfast did taste good today, too. Thanks Tyler.
–
Epilogue: I hope that you enjoyed this post today, it almost didn’t make it up here fail early, fail often.
Geez, Brett. Alright, now I will get my ass in better shape – cough up a gut and all. I don’t know if I will feel more alive, but at least I can keep up with you guys. And it is KAREN who can run circles around me. 26.2 miles? Incoming – that’s the only sound that will make me run that far…
Mon, Weds, and Fridays are good days to start the whole shebang. Good idea. Toronto Marathon here we come.
Ellen Wilson’s last blog post..The Sea of SEO
Hi Ellen,
I’ll bet you can still outrun me, incoming artillery or not
well, let’s do it together then, and see how we fare out for the Toronto Marathon!
You don’t need to wear the funny shoes though… that can be my personal quirk LOL
Maybe we’ll be able to catch Karen eventually!
Brett,
Darlin’, I think the kettlebells might be a fetish. Eeek!
But you’re good with the running. I can’t imagine doing it barefoot or with the funky shoes, though. I don’t envy you much—long distance running is grueling. I’ve happily avoided it since running track in high school.
I have to admire anything that can yank pounds off that fast. Whew!
Good luck with it. Mindset is everything, and you seem to be ready to conquer this demon!
Regards,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..Tip of the Week: What Are You Doing For Me After Hours?
Kelly,
I think you’re right about that one – hmm, kettlebell fetish, I like the sound of that
I know it sounds weird, but I did a lot of reading on barefooting, how it works with the body’s mechanics, and then just jumped right in. It feels more natural to me. Of course, it isn’t for everyone and there’s no reason you couldn’t use proper form with a more normal shoe. But for me, it just adds to the experience.
I wonder how much of that weight was water, or perhaps related to me being ill. I guess I’ll find out. That part of it doesn’t really matter too much to me anyway, it was just a convenient measure to see what happens. I sort of like the stocky guy look, nobody bugs me in dark alleyways!
Thanks for the encouragement too, my friend.
Brett
[...] 6weeks.ca wrote an interesting post today on foot fetish? six weeks to a marathon.Here’s a quick excerptLast Sunday evening, your intrepid author was sitting at his desk, writing the next best-selling nov [...]
So what IS the fist rule of barefoot running?
Crazy people runners… (walks off shaking her head)
Nicole’s last blog post..Blogging vs. Journaling
Oh, Brett, say it aint’ so…!? A Marathon?
Are you going to cross over to the DARK SIDE…and become one of those OCD fitness nuts? (you know the ones I’m talking about).
Strong in you, the force is. Resist the urge, you must.
(Otherwise, I wont’ be able to keep up with you).
I’m also setting myself a goal…I want to finish a 10 km sometimes this summer.
You know what would be cool? If they have weight classes in running like they do in boxing
….I’m sure I’d be in the top 10 percentile in the Clydesdale 275 lb. Category.
Friar’s last blog post..Friar’s Artist Tips: Cheap brushes work just fine.
[...] also noticed that Brett Legree started to train for the marathon, along with some other people I semi-regularly talk with on twitter. He has funny shoes Do check [...]
Hey that is soooo cool. I have to admit that running isn’t my thing since I’m totally out of shape, speaking of which I did feel the urge to mount my horse again ( that is the wheeled kind) and go pedal like a madwoman until I’m fit again.
Love hiking and walking and one day I’d love to run a marathon, just to defeat my lazy mind. But barefoot.
How do you do that? Just the thought of small stones on the road makes me go ouch.
Good on you Brett for following your dream. I know you will do this!
Monika Mundell’s last blog post..Freelance Writing Blog Crawl – Round Three
Good on you, Brett! I feel slightly ashamed to be congratulating you when I don’t have a lil 6 weeks of my own. Must think of something. Oh, believe me, there are several.
But back to you: well done, man. I’m glad you feel so good about it. May the feeling continue.
take care…
@ Nicole: if it is “do not talk about barefoot running”, Tyler’s going to get me… yes, we are a crazy bunch. I think the first rule of barefoot running is probably, “do not land on your heels” – but you’d find that out quickly
@ Friar: oh, don’t worry, I’m not going to become one of those guys who soils himself because he doesn’t want to stop running. Or one of those self-righteous people who buys a scooter to save the carbon emissions but flies to Vancouver to run a marathon
I think if you wear shoes and I do not, you’ll be able to keep up to me… besides, what do they call this – a stretch target? (damn, can’t keep work out of my head)
@ Lode: thanks for the trackback, I’ll stop over today to comment!
@ Monika: thanks for the encouragement! Well, you just need to keep your eyes open for the stones, I guess! If you want to try something like this, just start slowly. I know that I won’t be doing it in a hurry, ever.
My barefoot running speed is about 33 percent slower than with normal shoes. But that’s the way I like it… relaxed! Hey, if your weather is nice, grab your bike and take a nice ride out for a picnic. That makes it easy.
@ 2ThePoint: thanks to you too for the encouragement. If you do decide to start up a 6 week project, let us know about it and how you’re doing. I’ll bet you’ll do it, no problem.
Thanks to everyone for stopping in and for your words. They mean a lot to me!
Brett:
Running is one of the absolute worst things you can do to your body.
Ask any doctor who regularly sees people in their fifties and sixties: knee problems, foot problems, unhappy, miserable people, all from running.
A few (a very few) people can do this without harming themselves. Do you want to take that chance?
Also: running exposes you to far more air pollution from automobiles: http://www.copacabanarunners.net/i-pollution.html
It’s NOT good for you. Yes, it FEELS good (runners high) and it it great for your cardiovascular system, but there are less abusive ways to do that.
I know many people in their sixties who wish that they had never run. Seriously.
Tony Lawrence’s last blog post..No plans for a Mac or Linux version by Anthony Lawrence
Hi Tony,
Thank you for your concerns and feedback. I agree that if not done correctly, it can be bad for your body.
As I don’t live in an urban setting, air pollution is not a factor for me. If I ever move to the city, I’ll definitely not be running. I did take a run one time in Toronto and I could notice the difference.
Believe me, I’ve done a lot of research myself on running related injuries, and that is what led me to barefooting. I do most of my running off-road, on soft trails, and as I’m not wearing traditional shoes, my pace is very slow and careful. Also, many runners unfortunately use poor techniques that are amplified by modern running shoes.
I’ll come out and say it:
Modern running shoes are a sham, and they are harmful to your body if you are not careful. We were not meant to wear shoes, to be honest. Foot problems are a fairly recent invention, if you look at societies where people don’t wear shoes, you don’t see a lot of these problems. Sure, they step on stones etc., but that’s why you look where you are going!
(There, is that opinionated enough?
)
The way I figure it is this – like any exercise, listen to your body.
Anyway, thanks again for stopping in today and sharing your concerns. I appreciate that.
-Brett
PS – just to give an example of how clean the air is where I live – my neighbour is cooking bacon, and I can smell it – wafting out of his kitchen window, and into mine…
Well, I wish you luck – maybe you will be one of the lucky ones.
What bothers me is the doctors who say running is fine – IF you aren’t overweight, IF you don’t twist and turn, IF you don’t have a genetic structural problem. That’s a lot of if’s.
What’s overweight? My knees might be capable of bearing more weight than yours or vice-versa, so overweight really has nothing to do with excess fat and everything to do with your specific joints. Do runners go get a structural analysis of their joints and muscles before running? Are there even people who *could* give accurate predictions of how much stress is safe for YOU? I doubt it – but if there are such people, I bet they’d be expensive.
If you don’t twist and turn? One stone or depression you don’t see takes care of that. Rip.. my wife ruined her knee dancing on a lawn. Had to have surgery and it still bothers her today.
And a genetic structural problem? When do you think most people find out about that? Right, AFTER they’ve ruined their knees.
Given that there are many, many other ways to get equivalent exercise without the dangers of running, I just think it’s a dangerous path to follow.
Tony Lawrence’s last blog post..No plans for a Mac or Linux version by Anthony Lawrence
Barefooted running – good for you! Ha, I’m a martial artist and I’ll still only run if I’m, say, being chased by a bear.
I will have to respectfully disagree with you on the modern shoes thing, though. I NEED shoes, or else my left leg will go completely numb. As it is, I wore a pair of flats for the past two days and already, I can’t feel the 1st inch above my knee. I ALWAYS wear a pair, even in the dojang, where we’re supposed to be barefooted. My bad feet give me back, knee and ankle problems – when I’m barefooted, my foot curves in so much that it appears as though I’m walking on my ankles.
Shoes may not be for everyone, but don’t banish them yet
RLD: Taekwondo Happiness’s last blog post..Whoops!
@Tony,
Well, thank you for the wishes and concerns. Believe me, I am being careful about it as I know there are dangers. I guess it’s just one of those things with me. I’d rather be looking back at my life 30 years from now saying, “I tried it, and failed”, rather than, “I wish I’d tried it”. We all age, our bodies fail, and then we die.
I don’t plan on missing out on life now so that I can *maybe* live long enough to enjoy retirement, whatever that is. As the saying goes – don’t drink, don’t smoke, eat right, exercise, die anyway.
There is risk in everything we do, and reward. Whether we are willing to accept the trade-offs, is a personal choice for each of us.
@RLD,
Hopefully I won’t be chased by a bear… but they do live where I do, so I’m on the lookout when I run.
I guess I’m a bit opinionated about bad shoes and what they can do to you. A lot of shoes put form over function, and cause damage. For some people’s feet, is it a chicken or egg thing?
Perhaps you just always needed shoe support because of your unique feet, or perhaps bad shoes you wore throughout your life damaged and weakened your feet.
So it certainly isn’t for everyone.
All I know is this, since I started going without, or wearing thin soled shoes with no support, my feet and legs have become incredibly strong, my balance has improved, as well as my posture.
But as always, we are all different – so what works for me may not work for you.
Thanks for the debate, guys – I’m happy that people are starting to challenge me a bit here, it makes this all the more fun and we can learn from each other.
Tony,
I wrecked my knee when I was nine, falling over poor, hearing-impaired John Kleihbahn in 3rd grade, who didn’t hear me coming when he was bent over next to a desk, tying his shoe. I still have pain to this day, but I ran track in high school, I dance, I exercise, I get out and live.
I think 6 Weeks’ entire point (as a blog) is to cease fearing the world and be vibrant, whatever that means to you. To a lot of people, long-distance running is a way of being part of nature, of swallowing rays of sunshine and delighting in being a small part of our unique vastness here on earth. If you smash up your knee but you considered the risks, and lived first the way you wanted to, thank goodness for that. Life’s too bloody short.
& if you smash up your knee, Brett—keep right on living the way you want to. It’s the only way to show your kids to embrace life. Their little eyes are always on you.
If this came out a bit harsh, sorry. WAY too many people live their lives in fear.
Until later,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..Tip of the Week: What Are You Doing For Me After Hours?
@Brett – I’ve had this problem since I was about 4 years old, unfortunately. It stressed out my parents, because my crap ankles devastated shoes in a matter of weeks. It made sports much more complicated than they needed to be when I was growing up. I first threw my back out when I was 13 and my freshman year of college, I lost all feeling in my leg for about 2 years. Genetically, my family has skeletal issues, so it’s never a huge surprise to me.
Still, that doesn’t mean that you SHOULDN’T run out there with your awesome, unconventional shoes
I’m glad that you can celebrate your good health and strong body. I kind of envy your ability – you can do things that I’ll never be able to do!
I’m sure that you’re right – that people have ruined their feet on poorly-made shoes. I wish that I was one of those people, but the stark reality is that I’m not. That’s okay, though, because I’ve found a brand with a heel cup made of concrete, arch supports like wood and an indestructible outer shell. Any shoe that makes physical activity possible is okay by me!
RLD: Taekwondo Happiness’s last blog post..Whoops!
@Kelly – I didn’t think that you were harsh at all – you sounded positive to me! And what you say is so right: stop at the first sign of pain, and you stop living. What’s the point of that? Thanks for reminding us to live life to its fullest
RLD: Taekwondo Happiness’s last blog post..Whoops!
@Kelly,
It didn’t come out harshly at all – you captured the essence of my writing here perfectly. We needn’t be afraid of life, we should live it to the fullest as we desire, lest it be taken away from us. I appreciate your words today – you are a true friend.
@RLD,
I sort of had a feeling from what you wrote that it was a requirement for you – we are all different. Some people need the support – hey, you never know, I could injure myself tomorrow and then I’d need ortho shoes myself.
I’ve been following what you’re doing with your taekwondo and it is awesome. *You* can do things that I cannot do, so you should celebrate that.
Okey dokey
You are dead right about personal choice. I may be too influenced because I walk regularly with a few people who bitterly complain that they wish they had never run in their youth. But then again, one of them played football (American football), so he may be blaming the wrong sport..
But Kelly – I don’t agree that life is too short. If you think it is slipping away from you too fast, well, you just aren’t doing it right.
Seriously: I hear many people my age (60) moaning “Where did the years go? It all went by so quickly!”. I’ve never felt like that – I feel like I’m looking backward over a huge landscape of memories and experiences. My guess is that those people spent too many years in the same mundane existence, “different day, same old crap”, so when they look back, it all blurs together.
Oh, by the way: my wife still dances, still goes to the gym. She’s in pain every day (from far more than that knee), but like you, she isn’t going to stop living. I hate it when she hurts herself and I listen to her moan in her sleep, but I know that she has to live.. sitting down and giving up is not an option.
If that’s you, start doing something about it now – even if it’s just taking a different route to work now and then.. it all helps. Make new friends, seek out new experiences – skip your favorite restaurant and favorite vacation spot and do something different. All these things stop your life from slipping away too fast.
I’m not ready to leave a tip and bow out quite yet, but if I had to, I could look back with satisfaction – I wouldn’t feel cheated. Sad to leave, of course, but I’d be OK with it – no big regrets, no longing for the unattained. Because life is uncertain, ideally you want to always feel like that – and if running is what helps Brett fulfill his life, then yes, he should do it.
Tony Lawrence’s last blog post..Bash Brace Expansion by Anthony Lawrence
Got a paragraph out of place in that last comment – sorry about that, but I bet everyone reading here is plenty smart enough to sort it out correctly
Tony Lawrence’s last blog post..Bash Brace Expansion by Anthony Lawrence
Tony,
I understand being influenced by what has happened to others around us. In my case, the influence sort of went the other way and it goes back a long time. My parents were almost killed in 1985 in a motorcycle accident, and at that point I decided that balance was important. Studying at school was still good, but hanging out with friends and enjoying life was also needed.
Again, I revisited my mortality in 2001 when my wife and I lost a child. Really, nothing in life truly phases me compared with that. My boss could fire me tomorrow, and I would just laugh and say, “you have no idea where I’ve been”. And again, in 2004 my wife had thyroid cancer. Luckily, she is doing fine now.
So you see, I figure it is important to enjoy life. I know from reading what you write that you, too, enjoy life. I’d like to think I’m pretty much like you, if I had to check out tomorrow I would say it has been a good run, but like you I’m not ready to do that yet – so I’m trying out just a few more silly things, like barefoot running
Anyway Tony, thanks for an interesting conversation about this.
I’ll leave everyone with a crazy idea – if you ever have a chance, go Zorbing.
http://www.zorb.com/
They have one in Tennessee now, but I did it in Rotorua New Zealand.
When I first saw this, it was before I went to NZ, but I knew in my mind I’d do it some day.
And I did. I plan to return there and do it again.
I’m not one for running but I love this post! I was laughing pretty hard after just the first sentence
Run Brett, run!!!
Me? I’ll skip off into the sunrise amidst a field of snow white daisies…
Melissa Donovan’s last blog post..Poetry Exercise Blitz
That’s fantastic. I think it’s really cool that you run *barefoot*. I love being barefoot, especially when dancing. Unfortunately, I don’t think distance running barefoot would be a good idea for me, since I’m flat footed and have all sorts of old dance-related injuries.
My six weeks? Two things. 1: Graduate. Shouldn’t be a problem, all I have to do is pass my classes and I’m good. Not much additional effort involved. 2: Get back into dancing shape. Someone I knew from my old dance company just asked me if I wanted to dance with his company over the summer, so I’m trying to get back into shape for that.
Good luck with your six weeks!
Allison’s last blog post..A Taste of Yellow
@Melissa: thank you! I’m glad that you enjoyed reading my post as much as I enjoyed writing it
I kept meaning to add in that part, “Run Brett, run”… maybe something for next time!
That’s a nice image… I can see you doing that.
@Allison: it is a lot of fun and it is much like you could imagine if you like to be barefoot anyway, but it isn’t for everyone – you have to be very careful to watch where you are going, and some people’s feet just won’t work that way for various reasons.
Thank you for the encouragement, and good luck with *your* six weeks. I know that you will be able to do both of them. You have it in you.
Well that’s certainly some interesting timing. I found the site last week or the week before and liked the concept. Fight Club has always been one of my favorite movies. I’ve definitely thought about that scene in the same way, but never really did anything about it. At any rate, I started running again last week. Perhaps this will help me stick with it.
Thursday: 18 min
Saturday: 17 min
I’d like to get on the Mon/Wed/Fri routine, but it may have to wait until next week.
Sivren,
I’m happy that you liked what you saw, and I have a lot more in store for this place. Thanks for taking the time to stop in today and say hello.
That scene really was the catalyst for me to start many changes in my life, stuff that I already had inside of me.
Congratulations on starting to run again – you will do it, I know it. I’ll be posting regular updates on my progress, so feel free to stop in and share your own experiences if you like.
Nice to meet you, and hope to see you around again!
-Brett
Brett,
When you’re done with a run (hey that rhymes), here’s just the thing:
http://blog.timberry.com/2008/04/why-didnt-i-thi.html
When I got the article today I knew it was for you. Life’s too short!
Later,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..Is Boredom Killing Your Business?
Kelly,
That is *awesome*, just the thing I need for my tired old ass
Thanks for sending me that – best laugh I’ve had all day!
Talk with you soon – Brett
I just discovered your blog and I love it!
I just wanted to confirm that you know this quote by Tom Robbins:
“So you think that you’re a failure, do you? Well, you probably are. What’s wrong with that? In the first place, if you’ve any sense at all you must have learned by now that we pay just as dearly for our triumphs as we do for our defeats. Go ahead and fail. But fail with wit, fail with grace, fail with style… Embrace failure! Seek it out. Learn to love it. That may be the only way any of us will ever be free.”
Albert @ Headspace’s last blog post..TEN WAYS TO GIVE YOUR KIDS A LITTLE HEADSPACE
Hi Albert,
Thanks for stopping in tonight, and thank you for your words.
I actually was not familiar with that quote, and it is great! Thank you so much for sharing it – very appropriate. I just had a look at your blog, and I’ll be subscribing – a lot of good stuff there.
I also see that you are .co.za, which means you are in South Africa – my wife Cathryn is South African
Nice to meet you, and hope to see you again.
-Brett
Brett, my feet were dancing as I read this awesome post. Your challenge inspires me to get up a little earlier and run a little farther (with shoes on). There is no doubt in my mind that you will meet your goal my friend. What a joy it would be to run beside you, okay maybe behind you, way behind you but still a joy! Also, I finally saw that movie clip (yea, yea, way behind!) and so the opening scene totally resonated. LOL! I guess I better finally rent Star Wars just in case I’m missing some really important references.
Brett, you are a true inspiration.
Karen Swim’s last blog post..Getting to the Starting Line – What Running Taught Me About Goals and Wants
Karen,
Thank you very much for your kind words! When I hear that you are also pushing ahead, that makes me want to run farther as well (without my shoes
). Yes, it would be a pleasure to run with you as well – perhaps we will get the chance someday…
I like what you wrote over at your blog too – very timely, and very inspiring.
Thank you for that.
It was a busy week and I didn’t really have a schedule set, but:
Thursday: 15min
Saturday: 20min
Sivren,
That’s great! Keep it up, the times and distances will increase, as I’m finding out myself. I have two other friends in town also running (Friar, who comments here, and one of our mutual friends), and we may do a couple of races together this summer.
Glad you stopped by to say hello – keep on keepin’ on
[...] Foot Fetish? Six Weeks to a Marathon [...]
[...] also noticed that Brett Legree started to train for the marathon, along with some other people I semi-regularly talk with on twitter. He has funny shoes Do check [...]