Ep. 11: Take a Step Outside Your... Shoes?
Welcome to Episode 11 of One Step Beyond, a show that encourages you to take a step outside your comfort zone and enrich your life.
Ten years ago, Bill Hoffman was just another busy, middle aged, married 40-something father carrying an extra 40lbs of weight around his midriff. He hadn’t run since high school, and had barely engaged in any other athletic activity during those 25 years either. Then he read Born To Run, the best-selling book by Christopher McDougall, and took more than a step outside of his comfort zone. He took a step outside his shoes as well. Inspired by the notion of minimalist footwear as practiced by the Tarahumara Indians of the Copper Canyons, the featured 'Hidden Tribe' of Born To Run, Bill bought a pair of Vibram Five Fingers, and started running again, a mile or so at a time, alternating with his bare feet, and before he knew it, he had qualified for the Boston Marathon.
Bill has now run over 40 marathons and ultra-marathons, including Boston five times, and the feared and revered Leadville 100 twice. Not once has he competed in "normal" shoes. He does all his running now in the open Luna Sandals, the Tarahumaras' huaraches as made by another star of Born To Run, Barefoot Ted. On the last Friday of August, I drove to meet Bill at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve and try the sandals myself. While we ran together, Bill explained why shoes are not good for you and how anyone can follow in his own footsteps to athletic success - unshod, that is. We also talked the importance and influence of Born To Run, the madness that is the Leadville 100... and Barefoot Ted himself.
Resources for this episode:
(All links can be found at https://shows.acast.com/onestepbeyond/episodes/ep-11-take-a-step-outside-your-shoes)
Bill Hoffman's TED Talk, From Couch to Ultra Marathon
Bill's article on the Luna Sandals blog. Running the Leadville 100 in Lunas,
Bill's article on Running (and swimming) the Lake George 12str in Adirondack Sports (Page 10.)
Mountain Dog Running on Facebook
Luis Escobar Road Dog podcast Episode 105: Finding the Flow with Barefoot Ted McDonald.
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