(My presentation on running and happiness.  Everything you need to know about me in 5 minutes)

Thank you so much for checking out NaturalRunningStore.com.  It is a huge honor to serve the running and CrossFit communities.  This company is a dream of mine.  I am very passionate about the running experience and how freaking amazing the body is on its own accord.  I have been involved in the running industry for most of my adult professional life and have been running as long as I can remember, which is good because I am terrible at most sports that involve a ball.

The idea for the store is something I had for a long time, but to be perfectly honest I didn't think it would ever go very far.  The business model for a running store that actively promotes barefoot running, puts a premium on athlete accountability and sells a very specific line of shoes is not one that most people would be too excited to jump into.  But I couldn't wait.  

It is a really special time in running.  Perhaps what I am most excited about, is the questions that runners are finally asking.  It won't take too much time spent with me to know that status quo or "because that's the way it is done" are unacceptable reasons to do anything for me.  I believe from these questions, we can eliminate some of the barriers to really great running experiences.  Never before have we had access to the kind of data and research that is available about how we as athletes can take a bigger role our running experience.  Whether that is for your first half, your tenth ultra or your weekly attempt at a tabata workout. 

Let's take this beautiful activity and not over complicate it.  Let's run because it brings joy and to some degree connects us to our ancestors.  Let's learn to appreciate the things our bodies naturally do very well.  Let's go for a run, armed only with a smile and the whole world in front of us.

See you on the road, trails and hopefully sooner than later.

Cheers,

Patton Gleason

President and Everything Else Officer