My Second Race Will Be: The 1st Annual New York City Barefoot Run

When I first heard there was going to be the 1st Annual New York City Barefoot Run I was very excited, and of course I wouldn’t miss it for the world.  As I read about all the barefoot personalities who would attend – including Barefoot Ted, Jason Robillard, Harvard Professor Daniel Lieberman, Movnat Founder Erwan Le Corre, -- I became even more excited and certain that I would simply have to attend.

But when I found out it was on a weekend where I had a very important family commitment, I was so disappointed.

Then came my DH to the rescue.  Although I was committed to be somewhere on the first day – October 9 registration day when all the great free workshops and talks were going to happen – and would not be able to attend, he told me he would take over important-family-commitment duty on the next day -- Sunday morning, October 10 -- so I could slip over to Governor’s Island and participate in the actual running event itself.

And what is even more exciting is that my new barefoot running buddy friend is going to come too, so I won’t have to make my way over there alone early in the morning.

This race is going to be so much more beginner-friendly than the 8-mile Harlem-to-Brooklyn run with Chris McDougall was.  In that run, even though they encouraged everyone – beginners to advanced alike – to participate for as far or as little as they wanted to run, it was a little tough just running a part of the run and then catching up with everyone at the end.

It seems as if they have been very sensitive to this for the upcoming New York City Barefoot Run.  They have planned a 2.1 mile loop around Governor’s Island, and the runners will be able to just do one or two or three or however many loops they can.  I love this aspect of the spirit of the barefoot running movement.  Everyone is included, encouraged, and accommodated. The best runners would run right alongside the least in order to help them learn to love running too. And yet there is room for it to be competitive too.

I think I will like doing the loop because I will not feel so behind everyone.  I may get to actually run along with some people if they start to pass me the second time around the loop.  I am really looking forward to it.

Yup, you heard me right.  I am planning to try to run 2 times around the loop.

But it will be perfectly fine if I don’t get that far.

I am planning to dedicate 1 mile of my running on that day to the 10-10 Virtual Race that Barefoot Neil Z is having to celebrate his 10-10-10 birthday this year.

It’s only two weeks away!  Stay posted!  I will most certainly be taking pictures!