I Tried Barefoot Running

A breakdown of my attempt at barefoot running

Photo by Dan Russo on Unsplash

When I go on a beach trip, my excitement grows at the prospect of barefoot running along the shoreline for miles as time allows. Swimming sounds enticing, but only after a good hard run. Sunbathing is not for me, I like my uneven tan lines that symbolize hard-earned, scorching, sun-baked runs. (Side note: It is often laughable how stark those tan lines are when I wear a sundress.)

I recently read Christopher McDougall’s book Born To Run, and my curiosity peaked as he broke down the intricacies behind running barefoot from the perspective of the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico.

There is a growing subculture of barefoot runners, people who got rid of their shoes. And what they have found uniformly is you get rid of the shoes, you get rid of the stress, you get rid of the injuries and the ailments. -Christopher McDougall

I cannot offer a muscular breakdown including the multifaceted approach of foot strike, stride, posture, and joint impact when running barefoot as compared to running with shoes. What I can provide is feedback on my personal experience running barefoot on the beach of Pensacola.

The freedom I felt at doffing my footwear and feeling the warm sunbaked sand under my toes was invigorating. I chose to run on the bay…