Rich on Running: North Shore wakes up to barefoot running

Sunday was International Barefoot Running Day, and the festivities included an event at Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield that seems to have gone very well.”It was honestly the best reaction I’ve seen,” said co-organizer Todd Byers of Huntington Beach, California, who has run over 100 marathons without shoes. “All participated, and they actually enjoyed it.”The event drew about 30 people (mostly men, although there were about three to four women) with an estimated age range from the mid-30s to 65 years old. Byers and fellow barefoot runner Preston Curtis guided attendees through a workshop and fun run.”If you run barefoot, there’s no margin of error,” said Curtis, a Gloucester native who now lives in California. “A lot (of people) have unfounded fears. They’ve never really done it before. They think they’ll step on something, and possibly there are social barriers. (People might think) ‘Why am I doing it?’ But once everyone does it, they feel how natural the running style is.”Curtis and Byers explained how to transition from shod to barefoot running.”We teach that if you land on the front (of your foot), slowly come down,” Curtis said. “The heel should be last, under your body, as opposed to in front.”While I wasn’t in Wakefield on Sunday, I did try out barefoot running myself that day, on the concrete of the bike path in North Cambridge. I didn’t run very far – maybe .02 miles? – but it felt good enough to try it for similarly short distances on Monday and Tuesday as well.Curtis said that knee and hip problems are part of the reason why people run without shoes – and why they do it with a forefoot strike.”When your heel is out front, it kicks back into your body,” Curtis said. “The stress is taken up by your knees. Running barefoot, on the front of your foot, the pressure is on your calves” – which he described as “a big shock absorbing system,” adding, “Knee problems go away in a matter of days.”Sunday’s two-hour workshop featured no stretching ? but it did include jumping.”On a jump rope, you can’t jump with your heels,” Curtis said. “The springing action will be on the front of your foot ? It’s part of training, moving your foot up and down.”Attendees participated in short jogs and then had a choice of either a mile run or a 5K. Ninety percent chose the 5K.The group did most of its running on pavement and concrete, with some grass mixed in. Byers recommended that barefoot beginners try a hard surface like tarmac or concrete, as opposed to the softer surface of a golf course or sandy beach.”You’ll better know what your footfall is doing actually,” he said. “You’ll get immediate feedback. Once you’re more comfortable, you’ll be doing it more effectively.”Curtis said that he and Byers got positive feedback from attendees.”There was validation, and no one got injured,” he said. “No one stepped on anything.”For those who weren’t in Wakefield on Sunday and might wish to try barefoot running, Curtis said to avoid the initials TMTS – Too Much, Too Soon.”The act of running can be exciting,” he said. “You feel the freedom of being barefoot or in minimalist shoes and you overdo it. Sometimes, pain and reaction is delayed. You could have foot meltdown or blisters ? You could put too much pressure on the front of your foot. You could not land properly or get bad advice, and it backfires. Take it real slow.”Curtis also suggested visiting the website barefootrunning.org.The “Gold Star Run for Honor,” a 5K/10K road race, will take place on Saturday at the Clarke Elementary School on 100 Middlesex Ave. in Swampscott at 9 a.m. The race honors SPC Jared Raymond of Swampscott, who died at 20 in Iraq on Sept. 19, 2006. Online registration closes Thursday night. For more information, visit www.active.com.Rich Tenorio writes a weekly column on running for The Item. Email him at [email protected].