Glenn Jasechko of Victoria placed sixth in Sunday’s Oceanside 10K race — and he did it with nothing on his feet.
The Oceanside Running Club Association event was Jasechko’s fourth race as a barefoot competitor. He said he found the route quite well laid-out and, for the most part, smooth and debris-free.
He did have to don a pair of light sandals for a gravel portion of the race, but other than that, was able to stay barefoot.
His soles at the finish line attested to his dedication to the style.
“It was a blast. It was a wonderful route and the organizers did a really good job,” Jasechko said.
He added he first got into running sans shoes after reading Wikipedia article about it.
“It’s just an amazingly efficient way of running,” he explained. “I do not train, I really don’t/ I run for fun and you just sort of cruise along.”
Taking care about each footfall is important , he continued.
“If you can’t see it, don’t step on it. That’s the number one rule. If you don’t know what your running on, don’t step there. There could be bees, wasps, glass, who knows.
“I’ve had things in my feet and it hurts a lot to take them out.”
Jasechko adds to learn the technique of barefoot running, there are books and tons of resources on the web.
“The best way to start is to find some nice, clean pavement ... and start hitting the ground barefoot and just be aware of what you’re doing.”