One is 50-something. Accomplished. Been a distance athlete for decades. 10k? Check. Marathon? Check. Half ironman? Check. But now, at this time in his life, he isn't interested in checking things off a list. He's a dad, but his kids are moving out of the house. He loves his job, but isn't interested in slaying the corporate dragon. He is happy, but he is not content.
Never one to go gently into the sunset, through this year of effort he fully intends to push the sun straight back into the sky. His workouts were getting stale and his enthusiasm was waning. He needed a project. A real, honest to goodness project. Woodworking wasn't going to cut it. So this is it.
The other one is 30 something. He used to run to stay in shape. Reluctantly. Been an alternative and team sports guy since he was a kid. Ice hockey? Check. Surfing? Check. Ultimate Frisbee? Check. He used to openly mock people who could find solace in the monotony of a long run. His kids are younger, his mortgage deed is signed and he is having to rethink his notion of the long haul.
One day, thanks to the other guy, he learned about running barefoot. It flipped a switch. Running was no longer something to be dreaded, avoided or insulated against. He now gets the random giggles from the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other. He used to find such joy throwing frisbees or in the hollow part of a wave. For him it isn't just about running barefoot, but by running barefoot he unlocked some serious potential for happiness.
Neither of them are very sure where this is headed, but they don't much care. They are both thinking about running some races and improving how they move. Each of them is trying to get something new out of one of the very oldest human pursuits. They will use this blog to document the year 2012. The Mayans think this is the last year of existence. The two guys writing this blog are hoping that's not the case. For in 2012 they start something new that they hope will carry them on for years.
