Feel nature with bare feet, run happily and healthily

Liu Qunying

After graduating from university in 2011, I came to Shanghai to work alone. Due to the high pressure of work, my health was not good, and I also planned to travel to Tibet, so after work Whenever I have time, I go for a run in the park. Unexpectedly, I have not yet made it to Tibet. The total distance I have run in the past three years is almost equivalent to running from Shanghai to Tibet.

The first time I got to know barefoot running was after the Spring Festival in 2013, in the park where I often run. I saw a middle-aged man running barefoot in the rain, so I chatted with him about his views on barefoot running. Learn about the benefits of barefoot running and some tips you need to pay attention to when practicing barefoot running. So, in the days that followed, I started to try barefoot running. At first I just walked and felt the strange feeling of walking barefoot on the ground. Although I would get strange and unfriendly looks from time to time, as time went by, more and more people Under my guidance, people learned about barefoot running, and gradually participated in it and gained their own happiness. What I gained personally was the joy of having fun barefoot and more and more friends who ran barefoot together.

Before I started working, I left many people with the impression that I was a nerd, including my relatives and friends. I often held a book and was not very fond of sports. Ever since I was little, physical education has always been my favorite but not the one I am best at. I like it because I can escape all kinds of boring classroom content, but I am not good at it because I have always been below average in physical education exams. level. A long time ago, I positioned myself as a person who likes to play, but is not good at playing. I have poor athletic ability. This was also the case for a period of time after working, especially during the employee sports meeting in the first year of my first company. At that time, I signed up to run 200 meters and then ran 400 meters consecutively. The feeling of almost collapsing is still unforgettable. This is one of the reasons why I made up my mind to exercise. Although no company will organize similar employee sports meetings in the next few years, running still does not stop because of the joy.

?Now that I think about it, before I really ran barefoot on the streets of Shanghai, only the bicycle under my crotch and the cloth shoes on my feet had the honor to enjoy the scenery on the roadside with me. In December 2012, as a passerby who was not in the mood for soy sauce, it was raining when the Shanghai Marathon was held. I stood on Huaihai Road in Shanghai and watched a group of happy lunatics running in the rain, including many young and old faces. . I thought, there are so many people, ranging from teenagers to gray-haired old men, can I be one of them and experience the joy of running in the rain. I decided to start my first half marathon plan, extending my running distance from 10km to 25km. It took me three months to go from running three to five kilometers until I was exhausted and out of breath, to the point where I could finish the race successfully. With a distance of 21.0975km, I can also become a happy running madman. In the days to come, I will continue to run for a period of time every day, and continue to increase the running distance every week, from 10km to 15km, then to 20km, and finally run to 25km in my last breath. After completing the three-month plan, I signed up to participate in the 2013 Suzhou Golden Rooster Race. Lake Half Marathon, I finished the race in 1 hour and 50 minutes. It was my first time to run such a long distance. I kept getting cramps and soreness after the race, but I finally achieved my first goal, right?

? 2013 was the first year that I officially started running marathons. Due to the continuous increase in running distance, I encountered some running injuries. Although it was only a slight feeling, I still took the initiative to follow up. Others communicate. The first information I learned is that running a marathon is different from ordinary running and requires special equipment and shoes. Does that mean that you must wear a variety of gorgeous running shoes to run a marathon, or that some brands have a series of running shoes specifically for marathon sports? Are shoes really that important? Can all kinds of injuries be avoided by wearing all kinds of high-end, expensive marathon running shoes? This question has always bothered me and prompted me to continue to share my running experiences with more people. In the process of constant communication with runners from all over the world, I learned about the concepts of minimalist running shoes and barefoot running. So, I personally started my real barefoot running journey. Running barefoot in the park has become my main form of daily running, and running shoes have gradually withdrawn from my running life. Now, when I run, I go barefoot or wear thin-soled cloth shoes. I only wear running shoes when I am not running or when I have to climb mountains. The most important thing about running is not all kinds of high-end running equipment, but good running posture and a scientific training plan that follows the principle of doing things according to your ability, step by step, and varies from person to person.

? Looking back on the first time I participated in a competition barefoot, I felt like I just got excited at any time. In the Li-Ning 10k Road Running League Shanghai Station in May 2013, I stood on the starting line before the start and felt the urge to finish the race barefoot. Before running the Li-Ning 10k, the farthest distance I had ever run barefoot was only 5km, and I still felt a little unsure. . After starting, I ran to the side of the road and took off my shoes, put my phone in the shoes, held the shoes in both hands and ran all the way, and finally finished the entire race with 52 points.

I still remember the excitement after the game, but it started to attack the next day. The soreness in my ankles was so severe that it affected my normal walking. Fortunately, it returned to normal after two or three days. I still feel scared. Fortunately, I recovered in time, and I have learned a lesson. You cannot challenge yourself casually. It is important to learn to take it step by step.

? The 2014 Xiamen International Marathon was my first full marathon, and it was also the first full marathon I ran wearing a pair of flat cloth shoes. Then, I tentatively ran the 2014 Suzhou Jinji Lake Half Marathon completely barefoot for the first time. The preparation before the race was to tentatively run the half-marathon barefoot. I didn’t feel any discomfort after the run. From then on, I confirmed that I am capable of running a half marathon barefoot. In Yangzhou in April, I ran the Yangzhou Marathon barefoot for the first time in 2014. I was completely barefoot and completely free of worries. After the Yangzhou Marathon, half a year passed. Due to drastic changes in life and work within half a year, the running training plan basically stopped. In November 2014, after about half a year of no systematic running training, I randomly ran a few 5km and 10km events, and completed the 2014 Shanghai Men's Marathon in flat shoes. After finishing the Shanghai Marathon, I practiced two 20-kilometers and several 10-kilometers. On December 21, I completed the Shangrao Half Marathon in a pair of cloth shoes in 1 hour, 47 minutes and 47 seconds. I am always preparing for my first full marathon in 2015, which is also my first barefoot full marathon.

?On January 3, 2015, the first barefoot full marathon ran the entire Xiamen Marathon course in 4 hours and 50 minutes. It was my first time to run the entire distance barefoot, and I also experienced some challenging hills in Xiamen. I ran more cautiously throughout the whole process in Xiamen. At 25 kilometers, the road surface became worse and the speed dropped from 6 to 7. After 30 kilometers, I ran through bad road sections and various small slopes. Apart from the fact that there were more people on the road, I could run at a faster pace for the rest of the distance. From 30 kilometers to 35 kilometers, I looked at my watch and found that my pace had reached 5 minutes per kilometer. When I ran to 35 kilometers, many people were walking in front of me, so I couldn't continue running so happily. You can only restore the speed to 6 minutes per kilometer and maintain this speed until the end. So far, I have just completed three half-distance races and one full marathon, and my results are pretty good, not much different from my results when running with shoes. In 2015, I started barefoot horse racing and started to communicate with more people about my barefoot running. experience and lessons.

?Look back on the experience of barefoot running in the past two years, summarize what you have thought, and use this to talk about your personal experience in barefoot running with many friends who are interested in barefoot running and are practicing barefoot running. Some practical experiences and lessons learned in this regard. My barefoot running has gone through the following processes:

A pair of cloth shoes is mainly influenced by the concept of minimalist running shoes. By subtracting all kinds of fancy and unreliable technology propaganda, I can truly pass the test. Improve your personal running skills to complete all running plans. Minimalist running shoes, minimalist life, and all simple beauty are what I like and admire. While other people are being confused by the sports technology advertisements launched by various sports brands, minimalist runners are already running happily on the road.

If you still feel uncomfortable after running in cloth shoes for a long time, why not try running completely barefoot? For people who are used to running in shoes, running barefoot all of a sudden requires an adaptation process both physically and mentally, so I chose to run on a different road wearing socks. Many times, when I am not sure that I am capable of completing a goal completely barefoot, I will choose to wear socks to slow down the pace, lower my expectations, and try to get closer to the goal.

When my body tells me that you can run completely barefoot on every section of the track, I will increase my running cadence without any scruples and let go of running. Take your stride, listen to the wind blowing by your ears, listen to the powerful and rhythmic heartbeat, and feel the gentle contact between your feet and the ground.

The only trouble with wearing cloth shoes is that if the shoes are relatively large, it will be difficult to keep up with the running rhythm. If the shoes are relatively small, the feet will be restrained by the shoes after running for a period of time, or they will be bruised. Soaked, or uncomfortable being restrained by shoes. Wearing socks is actually to make a transition to going barefoot in the future. It is also recommended for friends who have just started to go barefoot. It can help us overcome hygiene problems, but there are still problems. One is that we still cannot directly feel the feeling of contact between the body and the ground. Another problem is that socks may rub your feet when they get wet. Being completely barefoot requires continuous experience, feeling, acceptance, and then continuous practice. It needs to be done slowly and step by step, and cannot be rushed.

From taking off running shoes to running completely barefoot, this change needs to go through a long process. Any idea of ??blindly pursuing how fast and how long you can run barefoot is not advisable. Although going barefoot can help us realize which of our behavioral habits are wrong, and also allow us to feel the joy of being close to nature, we need to continuously improve our self-perception and correct our wrong living and running habits.

Close your eyes and train your body perception. Standing training helps us maintain a good body shape, consciously adjust our breathing methods, strengthen abdominal breathing training, and consciously correct wrong "braking" behaviors and pedaling. Behaviors are very necessary.

From wearing running shoes to going barefoot, it is a process of constantly liberating one's body and mind. It is also a process of constantly adapting, constantly challenging oneself, and constantly gaining happiness.

Any idea of ??blindly pursuing speed and distance is very stupid. Speed ??and distance are the results of our running, not our goals.

From 2013 to now, there are not many barefoot runners around me. Few barefoot runners organize activities together. Most of them communicate online with barefoot running practitioners across the country. Although more and more people have accepted barefoot running in recent years, this group is still a relatively small part of the entire running population. There are currently no events that can specifically cater to the barefoot running crowd or set up specifically for barefoot running. In 2013, I was lucky enough to participate in a barefoot camp training session in Shanghai, where I learned some essentials of barefoot running with more friends. So far, there have been no other related barefoot running activities. I personally hope that the concept of barefoot running can be recognized by more people. I hope that more people can understand the concept of barefoot running and natural happiness, and join in the process of running barefoot and liberating the body and mind. I hope that after 2015, there will be more forms of barefoot running activities, more people will study barefoot running, more people will share their barefoot running experiences, and more sports brands will be integrated into the barefoot running trend. middle.

Running makes me healthy and confident. On top of that, barefoot running helps me gain more happiness and learn to perceive myself and have a clear mind. In the process of practicing barefoot running, we need to constantly learn the ability to perceive ourselves, and we also need to constantly pay attention to the entire running process. Running is like life. It is not goal-oriented like work. It is completely process-oriented. Once the process is completed, the goal will be achieved naturally. As long as you keep running in the right direction, you will get more of the results you want. Because I am young, I have rarely suffered any injuries from barefoot running for so long. I cannot tell you that this is 100% the benefit of barefoot running, but what I can tell you is that barefoot running can indeed help more people in these aspects. , keep everyone energetic, clear-headed, and reduce injuries.

At present, going barefoot in most places requires not only overcoming one's own psychological problems, but also the incomprehensible and unsupportive opinions of others. In many places, being barefoot is treated the same as being barefoot and is explicitly prohibited, which limits the scope of our barefoot activities. I believe that these are only temporary difficulties. As long as we let go of our inner confinement and train scientifically, one day you can lead more people to experience the joy of barefoot, just like it was as simple and happy as a child.

In 2015, let’s run barefoot together and look forward to more barefoot events.

Appendix:

Barefoot practice record:

2013 Chunping Barefoot Training Camp Shanghai Station

2014 Tai Chi Running Practice Course

Cloth shoe competition record:

2013 Beijing Marathon·Men's Half Marathon

2013 Hangzhou Marathon·Men's Half Marathon

2014 2014 Xiamen International Marathon·Men's Full Course

2014 Wuxi International Marathon·Men's Full Course

2014 Shanghai International Marathon·Men's Full Course

2014 Shangrao National Half Marathon·Men's Half

Barefoot participation record:

2013 Li-Ning 10k Road Run Shanghai Station

2013 Shanghai International Marathon·Men's Half

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2014 Suzhou Jinji Lake Half Marathon

2014 Yangzhou International Half Marathon

2015 Xiamen International Marathon Men's Full Marathon

2015 Wuxi International Marathon Men's Full Marathon

2015 Suzhou Jinji Lake Half Marathon

Personal Weibo: @ a pair of cloth shoes running the world