Just an update on my continuing saga with the running room....
A recap first. The running room is a running store mostly in Canada and some parts of the USA. They also teach running clinics anywhere from the 5km clinic, to the marathon clinic. I’ve had the pleasure of being the clinic instructor in years past for the 10km, triathlon, and marathon clinics. I’ve also done some pacing at least twice to my recollection for the half marathon clinic. My point is I’ve have experience running clinics, although not for a while the last one I taught was 2005. I started barefoot running last year due to a chronic achillies tendonistis injury I have. The barefoot running actually makes my tendon fell better after running.
Anyhow I approached the running room last fall about teaching a barefoot clinic come the spring and got told flat out “no”. The running room doesn’t sell minimalist shoes, or endorse barefoot running. Although I would like to see their policy change it’s their choice what they want to sell or teach in their stores. Anyhow it puts me in a unique position as I have a history with the Running Room, both instructing and running with the athletes who frequent the store (who are anti-barefoot), and my own personal beliefs about running in general, that have changed over the past year.
Ever since January of this year I’ve been receiving emails from them from time to time advertising for clinic instructors or pacers for the various clinics they hold. I’ve often responded that I was interested in teaching again and gave a quick background of my experience. Most often I would not receive any sort of response by them. Finally after asking several times in the past I get an email from the regional manager stating that he wanted to talk with me at the store. After arriving at the store approximately 30 minutes before they opened the manager shows up and locks both me, him and the store manager in the store, and proceeds to give a speech. Essentially he told me I was unable to teach or even be a pacer because of “conflict of interest”. Just a few days before I started a barefoot clinic at my gym. At first I was unsure if it would be popular, or have anyone turn out, so I was still looking into being a pacer. I got one person to sign up with the possibility of another, so in effect 2 people. Of course I asked them where they were teaching their barefoot clinic. And they stated it didn’t matter because I was teaching running. They tried argue that I was “stepping out on my own”, but in effect what they did was to push me out and then when I asked to come back in declined to let me and blamed the reason on me for it.
When I was just about to leave the store the district manager started to rant about how people like me (I’m assuming bare foot runners) only advocated for one type of “shoe” while he has a whole shelf to offer people. I just commented that I’m only advocating that people learn to run in their own two feet and then look at what shoes they may need afterwards. He had no response to this, I completely shut his argument down before he started.
Interestingly enough he didn’t say I couldn’t come out to run on their open run days, and I told him I may take him up on the offer. I also may even consider signing up for a clinic in the future, I’m assuming that would be ok if I’m giving the running room money. It may be interesting to see them squirm when they do the shoe talk, or when they attempt to teach “proper running biomechanics” with me in the crowd. I'm sure to have lots of comments and questions.
A recap first. The running room is a running store mostly in Canada and some parts of the USA. They also teach running clinics anywhere from the 5km clinic, to the marathon clinic. I’ve had the pleasure of being the clinic instructor in years past for the 10km, triathlon, and marathon clinics. I’ve also done some pacing at least twice to my recollection for the half marathon clinic. My point is I’ve have experience running clinics, although not for a while the last one I taught was 2005. I started barefoot running last year due to a chronic achillies tendonistis injury I have. The barefoot running actually makes my tendon fell better after running.
Anyhow I approached the running room last fall about teaching a barefoot clinic come the spring and got told flat out “no”. The running room doesn’t sell minimalist shoes, or endorse barefoot running. Although I would like to see their policy change it’s their choice what they want to sell or teach in their stores. Anyhow it puts me in a unique position as I have a history with the Running Room, both instructing and running with the athletes who frequent the store (who are anti-barefoot), and my own personal beliefs about running in general, that have changed over the past year.
Ever since January of this year I’ve been receiving emails from them from time to time advertising for clinic instructors or pacers for the various clinics they hold. I’ve often responded that I was interested in teaching again and gave a quick background of my experience. Most often I would not receive any sort of response by them. Finally after asking several times in the past I get an email from the regional manager stating that he wanted to talk with me at the store. After arriving at the store approximately 30 minutes before they opened the manager shows up and locks both me, him and the store manager in the store, and proceeds to give a speech. Essentially he told me I was unable to teach or even be a pacer because of “conflict of interest”. Just a few days before I started a barefoot clinic at my gym. At first I was unsure if it would be popular, or have anyone turn out, so I was still looking into being a pacer. I got one person to sign up with the possibility of another, so in effect 2 people. Of course I asked them where they were teaching their barefoot clinic. And they stated it didn’t matter because I was teaching running. They tried argue that I was “stepping out on my own”, but in effect what they did was to push me out and then when I asked to come back in declined to let me and blamed the reason on me for it.
When I was just about to leave the store the district manager started to rant about how people like me (I’m assuming bare foot runners) only advocated for one type of “shoe” while he has a whole shelf to offer people. I just commented that I’m only advocating that people learn to run in their own two feet and then look at what shoes they may need afterwards. He had no response to this, I completely shut his argument down before he started.
Interestingly enough he didn’t say I couldn’t come out to run on their open run days, and I told him I may take him up on the offer. I also may even consider signing up for a clinic in the future, I’m assuming that would be ok if I’m giving the running room money. It may be interesting to see them squirm when they do the shoe talk, or when they attempt to teach “proper running biomechanics” with me in the crowd. I'm sure to have lots of comments and questions.
Daring work, to be sure, but punishing.
