On the bus with my shoddie
On the bus with my shoddie running club to the Peachtree Road Race yesterday, of which I have run the last (now) three years in a row barefoot, this new member tells me that running in minimalist footwear is the same as running barefoot. I said simply, "No. It's not." He insisted it was. I repeated myself. He said, "Oh it is. It's the same thing. It's just as good or better." Here I am, sitting in my seat with my bare feet minding my own business, yet he wants to engage me in coversation to let me know that I don't have to "go all the way" to be called a barefoot runner; I could just run in huaraches. Since he invited the conversation and the lesson, I taught him what he needed to know. I summarized with, "See. These are feet. They are bare. Therefore, I am barefoot." When I was finished with his lesson, he just sat there dumbfounded not knowing how to react.
I'm all for smiling, being polite, explaining only when asked, etc., but times like these are just as worth it. He has something new to think about now, such as, "Hey. Maybe having something on your feet is NOT the same thing as being barefoot. Hmmmm."
While out running, I've also had people stop to ask me if I was okay, if I needed a ride, etc. These are genuinely sincere people who care about me and are worried about me. I appreciate good folks like this. I always say, "Thank you, but I enjoy running barefoot." Then they just smile back at me. It's nice.