By How Barefoot Helped Me Get My Life Back
By: Kim Diedrich, Watertown
I had contacted Abby about Barefoot in September of 2012, but never did anything with it. I was nervous about being in a group setting and decided to stick to my home equipment and running shoes, thankyouverymuch.
In April of 2013, my dad passed away. Difficult? Yes, but an unfortunate side effect of adulthood. I was lucky to have had 30 years with him. Fast-forward to April 2014; I lost my mom. Calling that difficult would be an understatement.
For six weeks, I lived on caffeine to keep me going through the day, and wine to help me shut my mind off at night. I lost interest in everything- reading, exercising, socializing, playing with my kids, the list goes on. I was doing the best I could to take care of my family, hoping that soon I’d wake up and feel normal again, but it wasn’t happening. Knowing that regular exercise and avoiding isolation could help fight depression, I emailed Abby again and decided there was no going back. I needed this. My family deserved this. I deserved this.
Getting out of the house was a great first step. I was motivated to be there; I was paying for it after all. But beyond that, I wanted to be there. It was fun; I had never enjoyed working out until Barefoot. And it was starting to show- I was sleeping better, feeling better, and looking better. Not only did I want to take my kids to the park, but it was no problem to hoist them above my head to help them skirt across the monkey bars.
Three months in, I completed a six mile obstacle course – something I’d always wanted to do, but would never have been able to finish prior to training at Barefoot. My last vacation included a 27-mile bike ride around the lakes in Minneapolis, and it was amazing to be able to take in all that scenery and actually enjoy it because I wasn’t struggling and tired after five miles.
The camaraderie here is incredible and the workouts never get boring. I’ve gotten stronger, my endurance has increased, and I’ve become more confident – even confident enough to train others. I love being a part of something that can shape a person’s life so positively.
– Kim
