Michael rests as he muscles up the energy to pull himself out of his home hospital bed with a broken arm and new titanium hip and femur in 2006.

From RunBare Co-Founder, Michael Sandler.

It was four years ago today I was injured in a near death accident. I’d been out inline-skating, training for a world record ultra-endurance coast-to-coast attempt to help students and adults with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder. It’s something similar to what I’d done in 2004, when I rode my bicycle 5000 miles, in 40 days, solo and unsupported across the US to help with the same cause. That effort helped me reach people across the country, and yielded an invitation to speak before members of the House and Senate.

On this fateful day, after finishing training, I’d unlaced and sat down in the cool snow-melt run-off of the Boulder Creek to meditate and pray for safety and guidance. Then I laced up my skates and pushed off. The words from a new CD (Inspiration) from Dr. Wayne Dyer were resonating in my head “Everything happens for a reason”. I told myself to go slow, as I was in a touristy part of town and on a Sunday. However, I never expected what happened next. A tourist/father teaching his toddler son how to walk, inadvertently stepped out on the bike path before me. Even with a great brake sponsor, and going slow, there was no time to react.

I would either hit the baby, or hit the deck.

And no one hits a baby.

I threw myself up and back, a move that would have made an Olympic high-jumper proud.

In the air, I wondered if I’d still be able to do my cross-country skate.

And as I landed with a dull concussive thud, I had my answer.

And yet, I was smiling.

I’d prayed for safety and guidance, and somehow had my answer.

I wiggled my fingers, then toes, looked at the baby I’d avoided, and his dad, then up at the sun above.

Life is good, I thought. Life is good.

It was a moment that changed my life. And I knew it in an instant.

In 2006, doctors put together Michael's hip and femur. Today, he no longer sets off metal dectectors.

I’d shattered my femur, hip, and arm, and later found out shards of femur were less than a centimeter from my femoral artery, or a centimeter from death.

But I believed everything happens for a reason, and this event too would help my life.

It’s been 4 years since that event, or the ‘gift’ as I call it. A lot has changed in that time. They were lucky to save my leg, but with a titanium femur and hip (and near 1 inch leg-length discrepancy) told me I’d be lucky to walk again, and to forget about ever running. They were right, too, until I took off my shoes, felt the ground, and began to heal. Now I run 10 – 20 miles a day barefoot, touching the earth and feeling stronger with each step.

Since my accident and healing, I’ve gone on to help others, whether that’s runners looking to improve their performance, injured runners looking to heal, or people who used to love running but have quit because of their ‘bad knees’, ‘bad hips’ or ‘bad feet’…runner’s who’ve been told they just couldn’t’ do it anymore, or whose bodies just weren’t letting them. But once you go barefoot, and learn a lighter way to run, you find yourself dancing on the roads and trails, almost effortless, with a child-like grin once again.

Four years ago put me on this path to help others, to help us reconnect, run again pain free, and to dance with our feet.

I am very thankful for this day, and for where the ‘gift’ has taken me.

Thank you too for sharing in this special day, and thank you for listening.

With blessings,

~Michael Sandler,
Co-Founder, RunBare Company

By Erin Frustaci
Fort Collins Now

July 10, 2008

Michael Sandler barefoot running down trail in Boulder, CO with dog, Sawa in tow (also barefoot).

Each morning Michael Sandler wakes promptly at 2:50 a.m. With camera in hand and his two dogs by his side, Sandler heads out to the mountain foothills. As the stars fade away and the sun rises in vivid shades of pink and orange, he kicks off his shoes and, for the next two to four hours, sprints barefoot along the dirt trail.

It’s in these early morning hours where Sandler finds what he describes as his “quiet mind.”

Running along a mountain trail without shoes in the dark—risking everything from a broken leg on uneven trails to snake bites, not to mention trampling over sharp rocks and twigs—might not seem the ideal way to quiet one’s mind. But it is for Sandler, who’s mind hasn’t always been so peaceful.

In fact, throughout most of his life, it’s been a place of clutter and confusion, where dozens of thoughts dash in and out in no particular order. Throughout his life he has battled Attention Deficit Disorder, which affects about 10 percent of all Americans. He would argue that he was the poster-child for ADD, demonstrating severe symptoms that often prevented him from leading a normal life.

Through intense introspection and a series of unexpected challenges, Sandler learned how to successfully function with his “hyper-creative mind.” The 37-year-old—formerly of Fort Collins, but who now lives in Boulder—has made it his mission to help others overcome the challenges of ADD and appreciate its benefits.

He founded the Creative Learning Institute where he coaches students and adults with ADD, and recently released a new book titled College Confidence with ADD. Though there have been major advancements, Sandler said building awareness is an on-going effort.

“If someone’s missing a leg, we immediately understand the problem and offer assistance and accommodations,” Sandler writes in his book’s introduction. “If someone’s missing the ability to focus, manage time, organize complex tasks, control impulsively, or fit into a standardized learning program, we tend to tell him to shape up or ship out.”

It’s not the first time Sandler has made this argument; in fact, in the summer of 2004, he made it to practically every person he encountered while embarked on a cross-country bike ride designed to raise awareness of ADD. Like the idea of running barefoot in the mountains, the bike ride would seem to non-ADD sufferers like a form of acute masochism.

He planned to make the trip from Washington state to Washington, D.C. in 40 days. He traveled alone and killed the long hours by dictating his book, answering email with a PDA and conducting interviews with newspapers and radio stations along the way. Sandler learned long ago that being an ambitious multi-tasker helped tame his ADD.

It might seem a little ironic, then, that his new book—which was originally scheduled to come out in the summer of 2006—took two years longer than expected. But Sandler said it’s nothing unusual for people who suffer from ADD.

“Those with ADD are not known for follow-through, historically,” Sandler said. “Until 2004, I was the typical hyper-creative mind, being

College Confidence with ADD by Michael Sandler is a national bestseller.

fantastic at starting something, but not having the follow-through. I’d bounce from idea to idea to idea. … It’s typical for an ADD person to have delays, but at some point it clicks.”

For Sandler, it finally clicked for good in 2006 when he was faced with a serious accident.

He was nearly finished with his book. It was to be a how-to guide for college students with ADD. The vast majority of it had been written during his 40-day biking trip from Seattle to Washington D.C. Then, on April 2, 2006 Sandler experienced what he now calls “the festivities” or the “beautiful gift.”

He was out for a skating session in preparation for his next big adventure, his plans to skate across the country that summer. After meditating in the river, in which he prayed for safety and guidance, he laced up his in-line skates and started rolling along the Boulder Creek bike path on the west side of town.

A father, oblivious to the fact that the path was used by bicyclists and skaters, was using it to teach his young child how to walk.

“The father stepped out with his teetering toddler right in front of me,” Sandler said. “I had the choice of hitting the toddler or hitting the deck.”

Sandler flung himself backwards as if he were a high jumper and landed hard on the pavement.

“My body was broken pretty good,” he said. “I could see the baby was OK, and I could wiggle my fingers and toes… In that moment, life became more precious. I don’t know how to describe it.”

An ambulance rushed him to the hospital; he had a broken arm, shattered femur and a badly broken hip. Though surgery went surprisingly well, doctors weren’t sure if he would be able to walk again. The next few days were a struggle. He was moved to a rehab hospital that he said felt more like a place where someone goes to die rather than get healthy.

“My mind got in gear,” Sandler said.

He asked the staff what it would take for him to be able to go home. Then, he spent two hours doing mental exercises in bed. After modifying a walker so he could use it with his broken arm, Sandler spent the rest of the night learning to maneuver around his room. The next morning he asked for a doctor’s evaluation and proclaimed he would be going home.

“I put on my best poker face,” he said. “I wasn’t prepared to do stairs, but they had me do stairs. I got home and was in so much pain, I laid in bed all of the next day.”

At that point, Sandler knew he had to change the direction of his book.

He demanded that his publisher give it back to him so he could rewrite the majority of it. He wanted to incorporate his spiritual insight that came out of what was among the lowest points in his life. Before the accident, he wasn’t comfortable with writing about such personal experiences. He also wanted to add tabs and icons to make the book easier to navigate.

“I wanted to rewrite as much as I could to help students find passion and chase their dreams, but to also be happy in moments,” Sandler said. “I’m going to give every tool in the world to help them succeed in college, but also to succeed in life.”

Once Sandler was back at home, he diligently hobbled around his apartment building. He even crutched the Bolder Boulder with a broken arm, setting the record for the fastest time for a person on crutches. And he didn’t stop there. The Denver Half Marathon was next.

“That was just stupid,” he said with a laugh.

He started walking for hours a day, then jogging and eventually running. Sandler has always thrived on an active lifestyle. He has spent several years bicycle racing in Europe and loved being outdoors.

But at first running caused him some problems: With all the titanium in his leg, he was somewhat off-balanced. He corrected it simply by taking off his shoes. Today, he runs 10-20 miles a day barefoot—something he was told couldn’t be done.

“There’s a way to find focus,” Sandler said. “Whatever they tell you you can’t do, they are wrong.”

For the last two years, on the anniversary of his accident, Sandler goes back to the exact spot on the trail where he was injured to pray and give thanks.

“It turned out that accident, which wasn’t an accident at all, became the most beautiful experience of my life,” Sandler said.

The first indication of ADD came when Sandler’s first-grade teacher told his mother during a parent-teacher conference he was the worst student she had ever had in her life. He was diagnosed with ADD in second grade. His family moved to a new school district in Massachusetts, and Sandler was prescribed Ritalin.

“It allowed me to sit quiet and focus enough to muscle my way through,” he recalled.

In junior high he was taken off medication and slipped into trouble. Two junior highs and two high schools later, Sandler managed to make it to graduation. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Colorado College, but would argue that cycling was his real major. After a cycling accident in Europe, Sandler found himself working in retail .

“I was successful at what I was doing, but I wasn’t able to juggle all the pieces,” he said. “My desk looked like mini Mount Everest. I felt like a square peg in a round business world.”

Quietly, his world was crashing down. He quit his job and attempted to start his own business. He said he really went off the deep end when he impulsively moved to California to become a professional triathlete.

It didn’t last long. In 1997 Sandler moved to Fort Collins where he pursued not one, but two master’s degrees at the same time.

“My ADD mind said more is better,” he said.

But Sandler learned the hard way. He was completely overwhelmed and bombed his first quiz. That’s when he really decided to confront his ADD. He read as much as he could about the disorder and was put on medication.

“A pill is not a magic answer, but it is like glasses for the near-sighted,” he said. “It let me put on my glasses and see the problems around me.”

Michael still rises before the sun and never leaves for the trails without his trusty camera and loyal dogs, Pumpkin & Sawa.

Sandler learned what worked best for him, but it wasn’t easy. He reevaluated every aspect of his life, found what worked and tossed out what didn’t. He found answers through meditation and nature, and is now the calmest he has ever been.

His focus is to share his experiences with other students so they can avoid similar pitfalls. He doesn’t want other students to bang their heads against the wall, like he did. His book is chock full of tips, tools and anecdotes.

Even with the release of his new book—and its audio version—like a true person with ADD, Sandler isn’t ready is sit back. He’s already looking toward the next thing. He said he is working on several other books, but isn’t sure which will come out next. All he knows is he is content and happy.

“I feel we were all born with a gift wrapped around our hearts,” Sandler said. “If we follow that compass, wherever it directs us, we can’t help but be successful.

“Then you too will be barefoot, running in nature.”

Michael Sandler in a hospital bed one day after surgery on his shattered femur, broken hip and broken arm.

Michael Sandler, former speed skater and professional level cyclist, suffered multiple injuries over the course of a lifetime, the last of which occurred just over 3 years ago. Weeks before a planned inline skating world record attempt across the country (LA to NYC) to raise awareness about ADD/ADHD, Michael experienced a life altering accident. While inline skating down Boulder Creek Trail in Boulder, CO, a father teaching his toddler how to walk stepped in front of Michael’s path. To avoid a collision, Michael threw himself up and backwards and landed mid-rotation on a cement sidewalk. The result – a broken arm, broken hip, and shattered femur. Doctors told him the usual story – he may not be able to keep his leg… he may not be able to walk again… and he most definitely would never be able to run again.

Fortunately, Michael doesn’t believe in limitations. He’ll be the first to tell you he doesn’t believe in the word, “Can’t”. Slowly but surely, through a combination of determination, meditation, trust in the universe and the power of nature, along with a healthy dose of rebelliousness, Michael became a walking miracle.

Only a week out of his living room hospital-bed in 2006, he set the record for finishing the Bolder Boulder on crutches (and with a broken arm). Two weeks later, Michael finished the Denver Half Marathon on crutches (second to last) and became the only person to ever complete the half marathon on crutches.

When he finally got off his crutches, Michael gradually worked himself into barefoot running. He was still being told he couldn’t run anymore, and with a ‘leg length discrepancy’ of over 10 millimeters, struggled to find balance and overcome nagging pain. Known as ‘Mr. Plantar Fasciitis’ from before the accident, when he needed custom orthotics just to walk across the living room floor, going barefoot was a major leap of faith. The first day, he ran 100 yards. Then he iced his feet for 2 days. The second time, he ran 200 yards. Then iced for another 2 days. And so it went. Today, Michael can be seen passing cyclists while barefoot running up Flagstaff Mountain in Boulder. He’s capable of running 30+ miles barefoot and is currently averaging 80-100 miles of barefoot running a week.

To Michael, barefoot running is not running at all. He says, “I don’t run anymore. I dance.” The benefits are multifold. Barefoot running activates many more small muscle groups than running in shoes. It allows us to run as our hunter-gatherer ancestors did – the natural way our body was intended to run. It heals old sports injuries by promoting a more natural form. It gives us greater feedback with the ground, and by keeping us lower to the ground, helps us avoid new injuries. Barefoot running naturally promotes better, more efficient running posture and allows runners to surpass any speed they were ever able to attain with shoes. While the body heals, strengthens and economizes, the spirit heals and awakens. There’s something to be said about feeling the earth beneath one’s feet – feeling connected and grounded with nature. Suddenly, you’re thinking more clearly and you’re on top of the world.

For several years now I’ve been running barefoot through the snow, becoming somewhat of a ’snow runner’ when conditions are good. I’ve always wondered when the day would come it’d be captured on film. Two days ago we were working on a barefoot running video with Ray Keller when inclement weather began rolling in. We asked if Ray’d be up for shooting in the snow, and he was.

So yesterday Ray, Jessica, and I headed out in the snow to have some fun. It was a fantastic day, with over 18 inches of snow on the ground and falling! Thank you Ray Keller for filming in such difficult conditions, and Pearl Izumi for the gear. Enjoy this little clip, and enjoy Mother Nature!!!

Michael Sandler and Jessica Lee barefoot running on slickrock in Moab, UT.

In the Summer of 2009, Co-Founders Jessica Lee and Michael Sandler launched the Barefoot Running Club in Boulder CO. In three short months, the the club has been featured on the front page story for the Denver Post sports section and will appear in the November issue of the Competitor. Meanwhile, Michael Sandler has been interviewed for an upcoming documentary on ultra endurance athletes and has been contacted by athletes and experts across the country about the club and RunBare. The club’s huge success inspired Jessica and Michael to launch a barefoot running school to help people looking to heal, to get back into running, to overcome adversity, reconnect with nature, and find a different way of living.

Michael & Jessie skip around puddles on slickrock in Moab, UT.

In the Summer of 2009, Co-Founders Jessica Lee and Michael Sandler launched the Barefoot Running Club in Boulder CO. In three short months, the the club has been featured on the front page story for the Denver Post sports section and appeared in the November issue of the Competitor. Meanwhile, Michael Sandler has been interviewed for an upcoming documentary on ultra endurance athletes and has been contacted by athletes and experts across the country about the club and RUNBARE. The club’s huge success inspired Jessica and Michael to launch a RUNBARE, barefoot running school to help people looking to heal, to get back into running, to overcome adversity, reconnect with nature, and find a different way of living.

What’s in store for RUNBARE in early 2010?

• The publication of ”Barefoot Running“, a guidebook on how to transition into barefoot running (March 2010)

• Talks at running shoe stores, clubs, conferences and other venues nationwide.

• Barefoot running coaching to inspire and educate the public on the benefits and intricasies of barefoot running.

Michael Sandler’s Story

Michael Sandler, former speed skater and professional level cyclist, suffered multiple injuries over the course of a lifetime, the last of which occurred just over 3 years ago. Weeks before a planned inline skating world record attempt across the country (LA to NYC) to raise awareness around ADD/ADHD, Michael experienced a life altering accident. While inline skating down Boulder Creek Trail, a father and toddler stepped in front of Michael’s path. To avoid a collision, Michael jumped backwards, landing on concrete. The result – a broken arm, broken hip and shattered femur. Doctors told him the usual story – he may not be able to keep his leg… he may not be able to walk again… he most definitely would never be able to run again.

Fortunately, Michael doesn’t believe in limitations. He’ll be the first to tell you he doesn’t believe in the word, “Can’t”. Slowly but surely, through a combination of determination, meditation, trust in the universe and the power of nature, Michael became a walking miracle.

In 2006, a week out of his living room hospital-bed, Michael set the record for finishing the Bolder Boulder 10K on crutches (and a broken arm). Two weeks later, Michael finished the Denver Half Marathon on crutches and became the only person to ever complete the half marathon on crutches.

When he finally got off his crutches, Michael gradually worked himself into barefoot running. He was still being told he couldn’t run anymore, and with a ‘leg length discrepancy’ of over 10 millimeters, struggled to find balance and overcome nagging pain. Known as ‘Mr. Plantar Fasciitis’, as he needed custom orthotics just to walk across the living room floor, going barefoot was a major leap of faith. The first day, he ran 100 yards. Then he iced his feet for 2 days. The second time, he ran 200 yards. Then iced for another 2 days. And so it went. Today, Michael can be seen barefoot running up Flagstaff Mountain passing road cyclists. He’s capable of running 50+ miles barefoot and is currently averaging 80-100 miles barefoot running a week.

To Michael, barefoot running is not running at all. He says, “I don’t run anymore. I dance.” The benefits are multifold. Barefoot running activates many more small muscle groups than running with shoes. It allows us to run as our hunter-gatherer ancestors did – the natural way our body was intended to run. It heals old sports injuries and by promoting a more natural form, gives us greater feedback from the ground, and by keeping us lower to the ground, it prevents new injuries. Barefoot running naturally promotes better, more efficient running posture and allows runners to surpass any speed they were ever able to attain with shoes. While the body heals, strengthens and economizes, the spirit heals and awakens. There’s something to be said about feeling the earth beneath one’s feet – feeling connected and grounded with nature. Suddenly, you’re thinking more clearly and you’re on top of the world.

Michael Sandler’s History

• 1988-1992: Trained at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for both speed skating & cycling.
• 1990-1993: Competed as a professional level cyclist in Europe.
• 2000: Harvest Moon Half-Ironman – Completed last 10K in 35 minutes.
• 2000-2001: Competed in the Ironman and other long-distance tri-events.
• 2001 & 2002: Cycling Track Colorado State Champion; Beat the National Team in the Olympic Sprints competition.  
• 2002: 7th in Master’s Nationals Cycling Sprints; 10th in Points Race.
  
• 2003-2004: Sponsored by Rollerblade.
• 2004: Biked across the country, 5000 miles in 40 days, solo, unsupported to raise awareness for children and adults with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). He was interviewed by 40 different television stations, including CNN and the CBS Early Morning Show, before being invited to meet members of the House and Senate on Capital Hill.
• 2006: Coached professional Japanese running teams residing in Boulder, CO (Including cross-training: Pilates, Strength-Training, Ball & Balance work, Stretching, Visualization Exercises).
  
• April 2, 2006: Shattered femur, broke hip, broke arm; Told by doctors he would never run again and may never walk again.
  
• 2006-present: Studied the mechanics behind barefoot running and now runs 10-20 miles/day barefoot.
• 2009-present: Coaches the Barefoot Running Club in Boulder, CO. (170+ members)

Our Mission

Healing Body, Mind & Soul One Bare Foot at a Time

The mission of RUNBARE is to promote and inspire healthy lifestyle changes and improve overall physical awareness, fitness, and performance by encouraging individuals to spend more time outdoors barefoot, grounding with the Earth and connecting with oneself.

Our Core Values

• We are dedicated educators, who aim to help our clients run for a lifetime.

• We inspire and motivate our clients.

• We care about our clients’ health, happiness & overall well-being.

• We create opportunities for our clients to surpass their personal expectations.

• We encourage children and their families to spend more time in Nature.

• We support social & environmental responsibility.