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WEBVTT REPORTER: TEAGE O'CONNOR IS ALOT OF THINGS, A WOODWORKER.A BEEKEEPER.AND PREDOMINANTLY, ASELF-PROCLAIMED MEDITATOR.>> WHATEVER QUESTIONS ARE BIG INMY LIFE OR JUST KEEP NAGGING ATME, RUNNING BECOMES THIS TIMEWHERE I SUBCONSCIOUSLY PROCESS ALOT OF THAT.REPORTER: THE ALASKA NATIVE ANDCURRENT BURLINGTON RESIDENT WILLRUN HIS 4TH VERMONT CITYMARATHON ON SUNDAY.>> I ALWAYS SORT OF LAMENTED NOTHAVING THAT INSPIRATION TO DOSOMETHING WHEN I WAS REALLYYOUNG, AND IT HIT ME A FEW YEARSAGO THAT RUNNING WAS SORT OFTHAT WAY FOR ME.REPORTER: O'CONNOR ESSENTIALLYENTERED THE WORLD WEARINGRUNNING SHOES.HE BROKE A SEVEN MINUTE MILE INTHE 2ND GRADE.IN THE FIFTH GRADE, HE HIT SOUTHOF SIX MINUTES.>> IN COLLEGE, WE HAD JOKEAWARDS, AND I GOT 'LEASTIMPROVED SINCE 2ND GRADE', WHICHI WAS PRETTY PROUD OF.REPORTER: IN THE PAST COUPLEYEARS, O'CONNOR'S PREFERREDRUNNING FOOTWEAR, I MORE HATEWEARING SOCKS THAN I HATEWEARING SHOES.HAS CHANGED, I WOUND UP GETTINGINJURED WHERE I WAS INJURED ONAND OFF FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARSWHERE I WASN'T REALLY RACING ATALL.I STARTED RUNNING ON THE INDOORTRACK AND I WOULD RUN BAREFOOT,AND IT WAS REALLY NICE AND ITFELT RESTORATIVE.REPORTER: THE METHOD STUCK ASO'CONNOR'S EXTREMITIES ADAPTED.>> RUNNING BAREFOOT HAS SORT OFSHIFTED MY MECHANICS OF HOW IRUN, STRENGTHENED THE TENDONS INMY FEET.MY SHOE SIZE WENT DOWN ABOUT AHALF SIZE AS MY ARCH DEVELOPED.REPORTER: AS HIS SHOE SIZEDECREASES, O'CONNOR HOPES HISMARATHON TIME FOLLOWS SUIT.>> I WANTED TO BE EFFICIENT,BECAUSE EFFICIENT MEANS FASTER,AND SO RUNNING BAREFOOT HASHELPED WITH THAT.REPORTER: COME SUNDAY MORNING,THE PART WOODWORKER.PART BEEKEPER.PART BAREFOOT RUNNER, WILL TAKETO THE STREETS OF THE QUEENCITY.

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Teage O'Connor is a lot of things: a woodworker, a beekeeper and predominantly, a self-proclaimed mediator. "Whatever questions are big in my life or just keep nagging at me, running becomes this time where I subconsciously process a lot of that," O'Connor said. The Alaska native and current Burlington resident will run his fourth Vermont City Marathon on Sunday. O'Connor said growing up, it took him a while to realize his niche. "I always sort of lamented not having that inspiration to do something when I was really young," O'Connor said. "It hit me a few years ago that running was sort of that way for me." O'Connor essentially entered the world a long-distance runner. He broke a seven-minute mile in the second grade. In the fifth grade, his mile time dipped south of six minutes. "In college, we had joke awards and I got 'Least Improved Since Second Grade,'" O'Connor said. "Which I was pretty proud of." The past few years, O'Connor's preferred running footwear has changed. "I wound up getting injured where I was injured on and off for about five years. I wasn't really racing at all. I started running on the indoor track and I would run barefoot, and it was really nice and it felt restorative," O'Connor said. "I more hate wearing socks than I hate wearing shoes." O'Connor's barefoot method stuck as his extremities adapted to his changing training style. "Running barefoot has sort of shifted my mechanics of how I run, strengthened the tendons in my feet. My shoes size went down about a half-size as my arch developed," O'Connor said. As O'Connor's shoe size decreases, he hopes his marathon time follows suit. "I wanted to be efficient, because efficient means faster, and so running barefoot has helped with that," O'Connor said. Come Sunday morning, O'Connor, the part woodworker, part beekeeper, part barefoot runner, will take to the streets of the Queen City for the fifth time -- shoes laced up.