Auto Dealership

Today started out pretty normal.  We got up and headed to our men's breakfast held on the last Saturday of every month.  Since I'm a single parent they allow me to bring my daughter, so the two boys, my daughter and myself all jumped into my van for the breakfast.  Then my van decided to give me trouble starting.  Last winter the battery would often be dead and I had worked trying to find what was draining the battery.  While the vehicle was in the transmission shop they said they found a short in the grounding line.  I thought that problem had been fixed, but maybe it hadn't.

I attended the men's breakfast barefoot as I had been for a while now and nobody said a word.  Afterwards we headed to the car dealership to see what we won on the flyer, (you know the kind that make it look like you won $25,000) we had received in the mail.  I told my daughter that we would be lucky to get $1 (we actually got $5).  I felt it would be a good lesson in how advertising works.

I only gave it a second thought before I decided to enter the store barefoot.  I was greeted normally and was escorted to a table to begin the dance.  As I walked past several of the other sales people they made comments about my barefeet.  I think one of them said I couldn't be there barefoot, but I just waved him off.  My salesman was treating me with respect and courtesy right from the start. 

While I was sitting at the table one of the sales people from the peanut gallery had found an extra pair of sneakers and walked over to offer them to me.  They were way too large and I told them I was all set.  During our negotiations one of my handlers mentioned that his uncle use to always be barefoot.  Not sure if I could believe him, but it was a nice way to try and smooth things over.  I took the comments as being playful and I don't think they meant to be offensive, though they may have been close to the line, but if you choose to be barefoot, you are bound to draw attention to yourself.

I took the vehicle for a test drive and than we got down to serious business.  I was not 100% sure if this was what I wanted so they sweetened the pot continually until I couldn't refuse.  I told them I wanted to take another look at the van and went out onto the blacktop on a bright sunny afternoon and spent a while "kicking the tire".  If this didn't show them I was a real barefooter, nothing would, that blacktop was very warm.

I was in the store at least four hours and barefoot the entire time and got no further comments until I went in to sign the papers.  When I arrived in the financial office to sign papers I was asked if I was always barefoot.  I told him as much as possible.  

So I learned not to teach my kid a lesson about advertising. Though if my van had started properly this morning I might have won out and drove away $5 richer.  But as it was my van was 16 years old, with 170,000 miles and numerous quirks.  It wouldn't last much longer before beginning to cost me a lot in repairs.

Amusement Park

Having foster kids has many rewards, most of them are not monetary, but today Canobie Lake Park offered free tickets to all foster and adopted children.  Those accompanying them would be charged only $10.  A very good deal and very nice of the park to offer.

Now the question is should I go barefoot.  I decided to enter the park with by Xeroshoes.  The park was paved and I was concerned about it getting too hot, but after a while my shoes started to bother me and I started walking around barefoot.  It did not seem to be an issue.

When we stood in line to purchase some refreshments the pavement did start to get hot, so I put my shoes on for a little while, but took them off once we got moving again.  We eventually arrived at a ride called the Boston Tea Party and it was a log ride where you got wet.  A sign stated shoes were required for the ride.  Considering that you can get really soaked on this ride, I thought it a very silly rule.  Since it was the rule, I took my sandals out to wear for the ride and after a short waiting line we were finally ready to board our own log and I was asked to put my shoes on.  

Leaving the area of wet rides we came to another sign that said shoes and shirts required beyond this point.  So the shoes went back on until we came to the next wet ride. To be fair some rides required shoes and shirts and they required a child in front of us to put his shirt on to ride, so at least they are consistent in enforcing the rules.

Overall I found the park barefoot friendly, except for being required to wear shoes while on most of the amusements.  They actually let you wander most of the park barefoot.  There are a few rides they allow you to go barefoot, and a couple rides even have spots to place  your shoes while you are on the ride.  Not all of those rides were water related either.

Having to put your shoes on for a water ride where you are sitting inside a log boat, with feet safely inside, has to be one of the silliest rules I have seen in a long time.  Considering the the shoe rule was enforced, consistently, politely, and only required on some rides,  I would say it had to be more insurance or some other engineering requirement than it is a simple dislike of barefeet.  I even ate at one of the sit down food places barefoot and didn't have any problems.

First Barefoot 5K Road Race

Last night I ran my first 5K road race barefoot.  My work offers to pay for the entry fee and also gets us t-shirts.  We gather together before the race and have our picture taken.  Then we split up to run the race and gather back afterwards for pizza.

Only one person in the office knows I run barefoot.  So I showed up wearing my old minimalist sneakers for the pictures.  Afterwards I snuck away and left my shoes in my cubical and walked down the stairs, hoping I would avoid meeting anyone.  As I exited the stairs a lady from accounting was just leaving the elevators and inquired if I ran in bare feet.  So much for stealth mode.

I stood in the shadows as much as possible before the race.  I was very nervous and could feel the adrenaline coursing through me.  Would the pavement be too hot, it was 93ºF and had been scorching hot all day.  Half the race was on older pavement, but the last half was on pavement laid down just last year and was still black.  I figured I could try and run on the concrete sidewalks if the pavement got too hot.  Also, my furthest distance running barefoot was 2 miles and on that run my legs began to stiffen up as I attempted to adapt to my new running form prescribed by my coach.  I figured I could run/walk the last mile or the whole race if needed.

I was in the middle of the pack and it took about 3 minutes to reach the starting line and then we were off.  The pavement was much cooler than I had expected, being shaded by the buildings along the street, the second half I was sure I wouldn't be so lucky.  As one runner passed me he commented on my bare feet and was duly impressed. Got at least one other positive comment as well, no negative remarks.

Around the mile mark we entered a residential area where the locals had put out a few sprinklers and hoses to help cool off the runners.  I didn't seem to get wet enough to make a difference.  At the water station I took a few sips and then just dumped the rest over my head.  With about a mile to go the fire department had set up the best sprinkler yet, it was more like a local rain shower.  That seem to help me a little bit. 

Around 2.2 I stopped running, which is now my longest barefoot run.  The rest was mostly walking with a few short runs.  At the very end of the race the city fire department had another hose showering the runners.  This location caused a large puddle to appear, which I gladly walked through, cooling off my feet.

I finished in 40:21, a few minutes slower than last year, but I'm very pleased.  It was 14 degrees hotter than last year, I was attempting to run using a new form I've just started working on and it was my first barefoot race. What more could I ask for.

After the race I went back to the office to grab my stuff and to grab a slice of pizza.  I went into the celebration room barefoot and while grabbing my slice to go and one of the guys commented on my footwear. 

Today at the office the lady from accounting asked if I ran the whole race barefoot and another lady inquired if she had heard correctly that I ran the race barefoot.  She was impressed but I could not convince her that my feet possessed no special powers.  So I guess half the office will know shortly that I ran the race barefoot.  This might be the best way to come out of the barefoot closet.

Longest Barefoot Streak at Day 5

Today we pack up our wet camp and head home.  It is an easy day on the feet as most of it is spent at the campsite packing up or on paved surfaces, no gravel paths today.  I'm pleased with how fast my feet are getting conditioned.

On the way home I stopped at a mom and pop store to pick up a drink and as I walked up to the cashier it seemed as though she noticed my feet and had a slight look of disapproval.  But she said nothing and treated me cordially when I checked out.  She probably figured I would be gone in a minute and I wasn't worth the effort of reminding me that shoes are needed to shop.

After unpacking at home I was very hungry so we walked over to the Bamboo Garden and ordered enough food for a few days.  I didn't want to have to cook again tomorrow.  My mother had also cooked us a boiled dinner, so I'm all set for a few days at least.

Over the past five days I have visited 9 different stores.  We actually went into the store at Gunstock to buy supplies on two separate days.  It was a very successful barefoot outing.  Can't wait till my next one.

Where My Journey Started

I was surprised after yesterday that my feet just don't feel as sore or bad as they did yesterday.  I definitely was missing the soft comfort of shoes for a while.  But today they feel a lot better and the draw of shoes has lessened.

It poured out late afternoon for about 15 minutes.  Afterwards I saw a lot of people walking around barefoot, though it didn't seem to last long.  On the walk back after the evening concerts the ground felt totally different then it had in the past few days.  While earlier it felt hard and unyielding, after the rain it felt softer.  It felt like the earth had become a sponge and had soaked up much of the rain.

This makes four straight days of being 100% barefoot, a new record for me and I'm proud I've made it thus far.  I will have to continue being barefoot until I return to this location to see how my feet have changed over the course of yet another year.  To think this is one of the places I started my barefoot journey and was first place where I was spotted by a friend while I was out in public barefoot.  It was just a random day I had chosen not to wear my shoes.  I hadn't yet even thought about being barefoot all the time, but had seen several people barefoot and wanted to join them in their freedom.  I didn't realize it at the time, but this one day set me on the path for my decision to be barefoot 100% of the time when possible.

Campout Day 3 - Miss Wearing Shoes

Day three and we are all still alive.  Today I notice that my soles are sore.  They certainly have been abused the past few weeks from the high mileage in Manhattan to the rough terrain in Missouri.  Now I'm giving them yet another workout. 

We are in sight of one of the rockier walkways.  I watch the shod people casually stroll down the hill, chatting with their friends and paying no heed to where they step.  Occasionally I'll see a brave soul carrying their shoes walking down the path and I notice how they pay much closer attention to the ground in front of them.  I feel a little envious at the freedom of movement the shoes give and contemplated writing an Ode to Shoes.  I have to remind myself that I have just started on this journey and haven't been truly 100% barefoot for all that long.  My feet will toughen up eventually, though there will always be some disadvantages to being barefoot, just as their are disadvantages to wearing shoes.

So far I have managed to resist the temptation to wear my shoes.  It probably helps that I my only shoe option is my Xero shoes, which don't offer that much protection and I haven't gotten use to the strap between the toes.  Also, my desire to continue my conditioning is a lot stronger than my desire for temporary comfort.  Too wear shoes for just a few patches of tough terrain just doesn't make sense, especially when most of the campground is relatively barefoot friendly.

On the way back from the second night activities, my daughter was leading the way and I actually had to ask her to slow down.  In the dark I needed to go much slower.  Thankfully I have the time to take it easy and we are on vacation and there is no need to rush.  Maybe that is truly another advantage to barefoot walking in this hectic age we now live in.

Campout Day 2 -

We are camping at Gunstock Ski Resort in NH.  This is my second day at being 100% barefoot.  There is no indication that I will be required to wear shoes at any time while at the campground.  My only concern is the few rocky paths we use and from last year I remember a rocky section of ground for about a block while your entering the Revival stage area.  So it will be a matter of me being able to handle the rough terrain.

Today my right foot had a very itchy spot where the blister use to form between my big and second toes.  I found myself constantly rolling a small rock or something under this spot to sort of itch it.  It does not appear to be another blister.  Other than that I feel pretty good considering I hadn't run much lately.

With three kids to watch ages, 3, 8, and 11, I hope to get out for a run at least twice while here.  My daughter can watch the kids when needed, but since the two younger boys are foster kids I need to be a little extra careful.  It is also both boys first time camping, so they haven't gotten the hang of the whole thing yet.  My daughter on the other hand has been camping every year of her life, so is becoming a camping pro.

Six Stores Barefoot

Today we packed up and headed to Gunstock for SoulFest.  Before we left I had to do a few errands.  We visited Members First Credit Union, Aldi, Radio Shack, Circle K, Dollar Tree, and Walmart.  I'm not feeling as uncomfortable about walking into a store and being confronted.  If they want me to leave I will.

I only brought my Xero Sandals with me.  Since my bike has clip on pedals, which are not at all comfortable barefoot, I grab a spare set of barefoot friendly pedals and my bike tool kit.  Once at the camp I realized my tool kit didn't work on the pedals.  So we went to Walmart to buy a bigger wrench.  I bought a large set of wrenches and sockets since my set is old and missing parts.  Got out to the vehicle and check the wrenches and realized the largest wrench in that set was too small, by just one size.  So back to the store and got another set the next size up.  Good thing is I now have a complete set of wrenches and the second set fit.  I'm sure you can guess what the bad part was.

Back at camp I struggle with figuring out which way to turn the pedal, but finally figure it out and get the pedal off.  When I went to put the replacement pedal on, it was too small.  All that money for tools and I was still without my bike.  Felt like going back to Walmart and getting some pedals, but couldn't bring myself to spend any more money.

Today was a 100% barefoot day and I hope to spend the rest of the week without shoes.  It will be my longest length of time being barefoot yet.  Wish me luck.

Barefoot run with my Coach

Today I had my second appointment with Derek, my new coach I found on Coachup.com.  The first time I ran on the treadmill while he took videos of my form to critique.  His gym doesn't allow street shoes and I'm still not sure how they would respond to a barefooter, so I wore my Xero sandals and brought some socks to wear in the gym.

The last time Derek gave me some tips on what to concentrate on while he worked on a more comprehensive plan.  Mind you the advice he me gave is specific to my body.  He told me to work on pushing my knees out and mentioned activating my glutes.  I worked on this just walking, due to my crazy schedule this past month.   I found that when I pushed my knees, I tended to stand up a bit straighter and activated my glutes.  When I explained to him the muscles I felt stretching during my walks he said I was on the right track.

Derek's plan for today was to start with a 2 mile run.  I had nothing to run in, since my Xero sandals still bother me walking around, so I had to run barefoot.  Strange how this gave me pause, perhaps since this was my first barefoot run with anyone.  Derek knew that I was training to run barefoot, so it didn't surprise him.  I'm not sure if it was because I was running with someone else or if the tips Derek gave me the last time but this was my best run of the year and my first two mile barefoot run.  Though it was probably a bit of both.

During the run my right leg definitely felt some strain, but nothing that I felt like I was pushing too hard.  Tonight after everything has settled down I don't feel the normal blister bubble on my right foot between the big toe and second.  I do have a little spot now on my left foot that feels slightly off, but I can't seem to pinpoint it.

New Bike Rack

Tomorrow we head out for one last vacation for the summer.  Usually my summers are not so busy.  This every other week business is starting to wear me out.  I also don't usually have this much time off, but I saved one week from last year to use to volunteer at the camp this year.

Tomorrow we head out to camp at SoulFest and I've decided to bring the two foster boys with me.  This will be our fourth year and I just didn't feel right passing the kids off once again when it seems like we just got back.  Staying in NH also meant they could come with us, unlike our vacation out of state to Manhattan.  Last year I just tossed the bikes into the van and my daughter had fun riding back and forth, but this year I would need a bike rack to carry the three bikes, no bike for the 3 year old yet.  So after work I stopped at Cycle Etc., on 450 Second Street in Manchester, NH, and found a really good rack at a discounted price (display model).

 The rack is a Yakima RidgeBack 5 and will hold 5 bikes (will take some work to get 5 totally different bikes on the rack).  The arm folds down when not in use and the whole rack will tilt down so you can still open the back of your vehicle when the rack is attached.  And of course I visited and purchased the rack barefoot and no one blinked.

 

Flying Home

View of Washington Monument and the Capital (far right) from Regan National Airport in DC.

On my return trip I added Chicago, IL and Reagan National Airport in DC. I took American Airlines and they never once said anything about me being barefoot. I don't think the check-in person noticed I was barefoot, so that might have helped.  I also was never first in line and always made sure I approached the counter behind someone else and maintained eye contact.  The federal security agent was once again inquired about my lack of shoes, but didn't seem to care that I was walking around barefoot.


A few days after my trip I found a rule on American Airlines website that requires shoes. Seems like I really did get lucky.

https://www.aa.com/i18n/customer-service/support/conditions-of-carriage.jsp#AcceptPass

Scroll down about halfway to Acceptance of Passengers and you'll find the following.

12. Are clothed in a manner that would cause discomfort or offense to other passengers or are barefoot.

Good thing I didn't see this the before I left.  I have heard that this is left over from a bygone era when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was more involved in regulating the airlines and it just hasn't been removed from the old list of rules.  Which may be why many airline employees may wrongful state this is a Federal regulation.

 Knowing this I'm not sure if I would have done anything differently. If I had been told I needed shoes on this trip, I would have pulled out my sandals and put them on. You don't argue with the airlines these days, they have enough to worry about.  I had wondered what they would have done if I said my shoes were on my checked bag. Hmmm, now I think that would be a very bad thing to pull.

I did notice the guy behind me on the other side of the aisle had his flip flops off the entire time. Other passengers slip their shoes off as well. I think if we just need to be mindful that a lot of people think bare feet are dirty and smellier than shoes are and they think being barefoot is just wrong. For most of us being barefoot is a pleasant experience, for a few it is a necessity. I'll be thankful I can wear shoes without any painful consequences and put on shoes when necessary. It is not a matter of me having my rights violated by having to put shoes on. They have the right to require everyone to wear shoes and as long as everyone has the same requirement it is fair. They could require anyone flying on their airlines to wear red shirts and it would be 100% lawful, though maybe not good for business. Maybe someday there will be enough barefoot people to carry some weight in these matters. Until then I'm mindful I'm in the minority and enjoy being barefoot whenever possible and respectful at other times.