It retains him on his toes.
A Lengthy Island ballroom-dance teacher doesn’t know the which means of de-feet — working six marathons barefoot, together with 4 in New York Metropolis.
“I do get, periodically, just a little shard of glass or one thing in my foot, and what I say is that that’s what the bib pins are for,” quipped 57-year-old shoeless sensation John Mazzei of Lindenhurst to The Submit.
“I may carry out minor surgical procedure on my toes now.”
Mazzei is used to getting appears to be like, together with throughout coaching, stomping on jagged roadside pebbles and different particles whereas working on the island’s bustling streets.
“I truly one time received pulled over by a police officer whereas I used to be working barefoot coaching for the [NYC] marathon,” the quirky runner recalled.
“I assume they thought I robbed someone, however I stated, ‘Really, I used to be doing an 8-minute mile.’ ”
Mazzei gained’t be working this yr’s Large Apple 26.2-miler — however solely as a result of he’s working to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
He has already heard it from marathon-route onlookers and folk in honking automobiles over time, equivalent to one Large Apple race fan who acknowledged him and yelled, “Barefoot John!” from a fireplace escape as he ran alongside.
“Individuals say, ‘Hey! You forgot your footwear! And I’ve provide you with the road again – ‘I simply forgot to tie them and ran proper out of them,’ ” he stated.
Earlier than going barefoot within the park whereas trotting by means of Manhattan for the New York races, Mazzei would run the standard approach — with socks and footwear.
He first received into working round 43.
However after simply three months, his sneakers had been mockingly inflicting extra ache on his knees than being barefoot ever has.
So he stepped away from working for a couple of years. It was solely after studying Christopher McDougall’s “Born to Run,” which focuses on the sports activities science behind barefoot working, that Mazzei gave it one other crack — sans footwear and socks.
“I feel as a result of I’m a dancer, I like educating approach,” stated Mazzei, who “hasn’t had any points” along with his knees since.
“I like the focus, learning the strategy of barefoot working.”
His new journey started with child steps outdoors his home that became a 5K and even higher distances, which conditioned his toes for the extra gargantuan duties to come back.
“The toughest factor to run on is gravel,” Mazzei stated. “I’ve performed path working and path half marathons and that stuff barefoot.”
Foot injury on common pavement has been primarily incidental, however Mazzei brutally remembers struggling blood blisters on the balls of his toes whereas working on a monitor throughout one scorching day.
“That laid me up for a month or so,” he stated.
Mazzei opted for his first New York Metropolis marathon within the early 2010s to honor his uncle, Thomas Stone, who was recognized with ALS. He nailed it in 3 hours and 48 minutes.
“Once I’m doing the New York Metropolis Marathon, working within the middle of the highway is lots cleaner anyway,” Mazzei stated. “Nonetheless, you get into sure components of town which might be rougher than others.”
Queens was “the gnarliest” because of jaggedly stuffed potholes, however “I’m not feeling something hostile on my toes or something,” he stated.
“I simply hold going,” added Mazzei, who has additionally run the Lengthy Island Marathon.
Mazzei took his years of progress all in stride and even opted for an impromptu marathon in upstate Goshen – simply because he felt prefer it.
“They had been shocked I signed up that day. ‘Oh, you’re signing up for a marathon immediately?’ Do you know you had been going to do that marathon? I stated I didn’t actually,” he recalled.
The legend of Mazzei has even grown within the high heats of the working world.
Meb Keflezighi, the 2009 NY city Marathon winner, as soon as signed his foot for good luck together with the message, “Run to win” at an expo.
“I’d say the folks you meet positively are essentially the most rewarding half,” Mazzei stated.
“I do get these appears to be like like I’m loopy or no matter. However it works for me.”
