Who Runs a Marathon Barefoot?

I don’t know many people who can actually run a full marathon….let alone, barefoot.  But that is exactly what our friend Jon Eichert is doing this Monday in Boston.  He is an avid barefoot runner and has challenged me to new levels of fitness.  It’s amazing what our bodies can actually do when we make a decision we are doing it!  Jon started with simply running barefoot to his mailbox, then the next day a tenth of a mile, then gradually worked up to a mile. He carried his shoes with him, would slip them on after a mile, then finish his run.

We met Jon over a year ago and have seen his fitness level grow and his performance increase in many ways.  He is a “never-give-up” kind of guy.  His personal best marathon time 3:13. He is set to beat his time in the Boston Marathon.  But this time….it will be barefoot.

We met up with Jon last night before he left for Boston. BURSTClub is proud to be sponsoring his endeavors and he will be racing using Shaklee nutrition so we had to load him up with nutrition products and BURSTClub gear for the race. Before we left, I just had to ask, “Are your feet calloused and hard?”  He then proceeded to make me feel his foot. Eew. 🙂  But shockingly, they were as soft as a baby’s bottom. He said he “exfoliates” them every time he runs. Haha! 🙂

John was in great shape before (how else is the guy running marathons?) but since adding BURSTClub’s 3-minute workouts (a lot different than his usual training!) into his weekly routine, he has increased his overall speed and has dropped 5 lbs.  Now, this may not sound like a big deal to the average “Joe” who has more to lose. But if you are an athlete or are competitive at any level, you most likely understand just how big 5 lbs. is and how drastically it improve your performance and energy level!  Jon is leaner and faster than ever and we are excited to see him at the top!!!  Stay tuned for his race progress on Monday!

Jon Bursting with us at our house. He joins our BurstClub every week and drove over an hour just to work out with us!!  He is one committed guy!  You’ll notice he inspired Nathan and I to burst bare foot. I’ve been doing it for a while now and absolutely love it!

My balance and coordination have improved, and I have had spine, neck and back issues in the past but going barefoot is helping!  This is totally opposite of normal protocol. I’ve been told only wear arch supports, make sure to have a heel lift in my shoe at all times, and I even bought some MBT shoes!!  Oh, yeah, baby!  They were pretty sexy. It was a point in my life though when I couldn’t honestly barely even walk because of the pain in my feet and back.  I am loving that Jon really challenged us to go barefoot more and watch how our body realigns itself. This, combined with my favorite method of natural pain management, Egoscue with John Elder, I’m feeling great these days!

I highly recommend trying barefoot as well as Egoscue if you have any type of pain in your body. It works to retrain your muscles and give them a new “memory” to hold your body in the correct posture.

We are rooting you on Jon!  BURST on bro!!