Calling all of the ladies, women, girls. Where are you? If I started this blog by calling you to a girls night out for a happy hour, a social group run or a coffee chat amongst friends…would you come? I bet so! So I beg the question now…where are you when we want to talk and try minimalist/barefoot running and working out? We all like to get our sweat on. So why not learn about a healthier way to move? If you are skeptical, that’s totally cool, but I challenge you (like any fun runner would) to read on.

Before I dive into the heart and soul of “us” and running, I thought these two quotes from “Born to Run” would inspire us to keep loving the run! (If you haven’t read this book, I challenge you, again, to read it. It will change your running life.)

“All she is doing is….running. Running and smiling. But the smile is strangely stirring. You can tell she’s having an absolute blast, as if there is nothing on earth she’d rather be doing and nowhere on earth she’d rather be doing it than here.”

We are women, girls, ladies. We are RUNNERS. It is a common thread that connects many of us. We run alone to dream. We run alone to escape. We run alone just to run. We run together to chat. We run together to push each other. We run together to help each other meet goals.  We run to be healthy.

So why are there so few women in the natural running movement?

Sweat is beautiful and a sign of strength (I like to refer to sweat as my “liquid awesome”. Each drip a sign of strength, determination and fun.) We run to be strong, to feel healthy, so why hide our feet? Why place them in coffins that take away from any sensory feedback from the ground that makes them, and you stronger?

Strong feet equal a stronger runner. They provide us with balance, alignment and efficiency. Strong feet make the run fun.  They sense the grass, gravel and road.  In turn, these surfaces listen and feel your body as you run to meet your goals!

Those few of us women who have made the transition to minimal and barefoot running, FEEL the benefit. We relish in the strength of our bodies AND our feet. We are just like any other fanatical or social runner out there, only we have less on our feet. We feel how our form has changed, and making running more efficient and enjoyable.

So where are you girls? We want you to join our tribe or to at least be part of the conversation. What is holding you back from learning about better form and barefoot running? Is it the transition time? Is it fear of injury? It is just weird to you?

Tune in on December 1st from 1-2 p.m. and 7-8 p.m. on our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/merrell for our first “Womenalism Chit Chat.” Skeptical, fanatical, curious? We want to hear it all! I’ll be live to comment on all of your questions (don’t be shy…I want to hear it all!)

12/01/11-1 to 2pm and 7 to 8pm-Emily Snayd

http://www.merrell.com/US/en-US/Blog/Article.mvc.aspx/d200882f-e290-481b-812e-7c3777ab3c89

12/08/11-1 to 2pm-Iris Sutcliffe-http://www.stetthatrun.com/

12/15/11-1 to 2pm-Caity McCardell-http://runbarefootgirl.com/

01/05/12, 1 to 2pm; Katie Kift-http://barefootkatiek.blogspot.com/

01/12/12, 7-8pm EST; Krista Cavendar

http://www.nakedonsharppointystuff.blogspot.com/

01/19/12, 7-8pm EST; Shelley Robillard-http://shoelessshelbell.blogspot.com/