Post by Stealth on Aug 19, 2009 8:03:04 GMT -5
Barefoot runner from Woodmore takes college in stride
www.thenews-messenger.com/article/20090817/SPORTS/908170320
Woodmore graduate MariJean Wegert didn't really like being an athlete.
Until the shoes came off.
Wegert runs cross country and the 800 meter on the track team at Grace College, an NAIA school in Winona Lake, Ind., in the Mid-Central Conference.
"I don't know how to put into words why it's so much more fun," she said of going barefoot. "I remember feeling miserable (with shoes). It felt a lot lighter without shoes. I like to be different -- it's fun to have a way to run that nobody else does.
"When I first came to college, I wasn't an athlete. I like poetry and music and didn't like the athlete stereotype. It gives me a way to not totally fit into the mold of a jock. I can run faster and be more competitive."
Wegert, a junior, advanced to NAIA Nationals in the 800 as a freshman. Her 3,200-meter relay team qualified to nationals during the indoor season last year.
Wegert advanced to nationals for cross country and was 13th at Christian Nationals as a sophomore. She didn't run outdoor track because of a case of mononucleosis.
"I didn't run for two and a half months," she said. "I feel like I'm starting over. I'm building mileage.
"I'm really excited" to be back running.
Wegert wants to run under 18 minutes in cross country and 2:09 for the 800.
Wegert ran only during her final year in high school at the request of the coach. She was part of a 3,200 relay that qualified for regionals.
"I wasn't thinking about running in college ... I was offered a scholarship," she said. "I ran workouts barefoot as a senior.
She ended up doing it more and more because she could outrun her teammates. Wegert continued at Grace, and Coach Neal Butler didn't stop her.
In fact, Butler assisted.
"At a big meet in Indianapolis I started whining to Coach, "Do I have to run with shoes?," Wegert said. "Coach asked the official if shoes were necessary and 10 minutes before the race, I found out I didn't have to.
"I started too fast but it was so much fun, and I've run about every race since without shoes."
Wegert squeaked into the finals and placed seventh.
There are precautions to take with no shoes.
"I have to run carefully and watch where I'm running," Wegert said. "The track does tear up your feet, and I'll limp around after a race. It wasn't too bad after a while, and I have a couple layers of callouses on my feet (now).
"It was a gradual process building up callouses and endurance. Form is also important. Running barefoot actually helps my form a lot, because if I don't have good form I'd feel it the next day."
Friends from Elmore sometimes wonder aloud how Wegert can run without shoes, and she sometimes hears murmurs about "the girl that runs barefoot" at races, but most people take it all in stride.
Wegert, an English major, is enjoying her time at Grace.
"I always looked forward to college," she said. "Everybody learning together and eating together. That attracted me. I love having a deep discussion or talking about literature with friends after class. It's a good environment to learn, have fun with friends and find ways to be creative.
"I really enjoy the team, coach and the whole competitive aspect."
www.thenews-messenger.com/article/20090817/SPORTS/908170320
Woodmore graduate MariJean Wegert didn't really like being an athlete.
Until the shoes came off.
Wegert runs cross country and the 800 meter on the track team at Grace College, an NAIA school in Winona Lake, Ind., in the Mid-Central Conference.
"I don't know how to put into words why it's so much more fun," she said of going barefoot. "I remember feeling miserable (with shoes). It felt a lot lighter without shoes. I like to be different -- it's fun to have a way to run that nobody else does.
"When I first came to college, I wasn't an athlete. I like poetry and music and didn't like the athlete stereotype. It gives me a way to not totally fit into the mold of a jock. I can run faster and be more competitive."
Wegert, a junior, advanced to NAIA Nationals in the 800 as a freshman. Her 3,200-meter relay team qualified to nationals during the indoor season last year.
Wegert advanced to nationals for cross country and was 13th at Christian Nationals as a sophomore. She didn't run outdoor track because of a case of mononucleosis.
"I didn't run for two and a half months," she said. "I feel like I'm starting over. I'm building mileage.
"I'm really excited" to be back running.
Wegert wants to run under 18 minutes in cross country and 2:09 for the 800.
Wegert ran only during her final year in high school at the request of the coach. She was part of a 3,200 relay that qualified for regionals.
"I wasn't thinking about running in college ... I was offered a scholarship," she said. "I ran workouts barefoot as a senior.
She ended up doing it more and more because she could outrun her teammates. Wegert continued at Grace, and Coach Neal Butler didn't stop her.
In fact, Butler assisted.
"At a big meet in Indianapolis I started whining to Coach, "Do I have to run with shoes?," Wegert said. "Coach asked the official if shoes were necessary and 10 minutes before the race, I found out I didn't have to.
"I started too fast but it was so much fun, and I've run about every race since without shoes."
Wegert squeaked into the finals and placed seventh.
There are precautions to take with no shoes.
"I have to run carefully and watch where I'm running," Wegert said. "The track does tear up your feet, and I'll limp around after a race. It wasn't too bad after a while, and I have a couple layers of callouses on my feet (now).
"It was a gradual process building up callouses and endurance. Form is also important. Running barefoot actually helps my form a lot, because if I don't have good form I'd feel it the next day."
Friends from Elmore sometimes wonder aloud how Wegert can run without shoes, and she sometimes hears murmurs about "the girl that runs barefoot" at races, but most people take it all in stride.
Wegert, an English major, is enjoying her time at Grace.
"I always looked forward to college," she said. "Everybody learning together and eating together. That attracted me. I love having a deep discussion or talking about literature with friends after class. It's a good environment to learn, have fun with friends and find ways to be creative.
"I really enjoy the team, coach and the whole competitive aspect."