Conditioning?

Barefoot TJ

Barefoot TJ

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Mar 5, 2010
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#1
So, now that spring is finally coming, who here has lost some of their plantar skin's conditioning? I have been running in my neighborhood a bit more lately because the surface is pretty rough here (versus where I normally run), and believe me, the next day, I can tell it. I'm sure within a couple of months, I'll be back to "normal," but right now, I'm having to take a day's rest between runs.

How about you?
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#3
Bragger!  That post was three

Bragger! That post was three weeks ago, BTW, and I'm doin' pretty fine myself now.
 
#4
Well, I am still trying to

Well, I am still trying to build up my initial conditioning, but I do have a nice sore spot in the ball of my left foot after two miles BF today...
 
#5
Hi, Joe.  Those hot spots

Hi, Joe. Those hot spots will become a thing of the past and only resurface should you lose your conditioning, say if you stop running for a period of time for some reason, weather, vacation, etc. It'll get better. For right now though, take a look at your feet after each run to see how you ran. Sometimes while we are running, we can't tell that we are developing blisters or hot spots. Note where on your foot/toes those tender areas have developed, and see if there is something you can do next time to prevent that from happening, i.e., not push off, not drag, etc.

Welcome here!
 
#6
I haven't had any blisters

I haven't had any blisters for a while now. My right foot has felt good for the last few BF runs but my left one seems to be taking a little longer... Hopefully it will get on board with the program soon!
 
#8
And I saw you ran another

And I saw you ran another 10-miler today! Already working on your next 100m huh? Go, Jason, go!
 
#10
I ran barefoot on my

I ran barefoot on my treadmill five or six days a week all through the winter. It seems to have helped in building a nice base. I've had minimal blistering so far this Spring, with barefoot distances up to 14K.

Alan
 
#11
Last Place Jason wrote:And I

Last Place Jason said:
And I saw you ran another 10-miler today! Already working on your next 100m huh? Go, Jason, go!
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Yeah, I'm going to try this one barefoot. Gotta prove the nay-sayers wrong.
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Jason, is it true that no one has done a 100 miler barefoot yet?
 
#12
Hi! I'm new at barefoot

Hi! I'm new at barefoot running so the skin on my feet have no conditioning. I finally got up to a mile this week and after my second run at a mile I developed my first blister and some hot spots to go with it. After doing some reading up on blisters I'm thinking I may be pushing off too much. So once I get the blister gone I'll give it another whirl.
 
#13
It is very common for new

It is very common for new barefoot runners to develop blisters and/or hot spots, so you're not alone. It could very well be that you are pushing off. Where are you seeing/feeling the hot spots and blisters exactly? Sometimes they are key to telling you how you should run the next time (after they've healed, of course). Once you develop a more proper barefoot running form, one that works for you and may be unique to you, the blisters and hot spots will be a thing of the past.
 
#14
 Matt - I've never heard of

Matt - I've never heard of someone finishing 100 miles barefoot and Ken Bob doesn't have anyone listed either under distance or timed events. I am looking for an appropriate venue to try in 2011.

What do people think of Ken Bob's assertion that the soles of the feet don't need conditioning, it's just a matter of good form? Or do I have that right? Sometimes I think I'm quoting him and he points out a slight difference like maybe "conditioning" is needed but "toughening" isn't? Anyways, I've always wondered how one would find that out because by the time one has real barefoot form they've probably also conditioned/toughened their soles. So I guess the question is, after Spring is it a matter getting your form right again or do your soles need to adapt?

I find that even after a short time away from barefoot running my soles are more sensitive, but that this seems to be more about my nervous system than the skin on my feet.
 
#15
Barefoot TJ wrote:It is very

Barefoot TJ said:
It is very common for new barefoot runners to develop blisters and/or hot spots, so you're not alone. It could very well be that you are pushing off. Where are you seeing/feeling the hot spots and blisters exactly? Sometimes they are key to telling you how you should run the next time (after they've healed, of course). Once you develop a more proper barefoot running form, one that works for you and may be unique to you, the blisters and hot spots will be a thing of the past.
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The hot spots are on the ball of my foot on the front towards my toes. The blister is on the ball under the bone that leads to the 2nd little toe, the one next to the pinky.
 
#16
Matt- My goal is to run a 100

Matt- My goal is to run a 100 barefoot before Zeke.
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As far as I know, only the two of us and Ted have run a 100 in VFFs, and Zeke just put a hair under 105 in a 24 hour. Ken Bob obviously doesn't list it, but I think that performance is the longest in VFFs/barefoot.

I have a huge advantage over Zeke... midwest ultras are more barefoot-friendly. I'm planning on Burning River at the end of July. I ran about 35 miles of the course barefoot in '08, and about another 30 in VFFs before DNFing. It's a decent course with only one really gnarly rocky section (~5 miles.) The rest of the course is asphalt, crushed limestone towpath, or dirt-based technical trails.



Zeke, any chance you could make it to Ohio at the end of July? It would be sweet to do it at the same time (though I'm certain you're MUCH faster than I am.)
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#17
I understand exactly what you

I understand exactly what you are saying when it comes to KB's assessments on conditioning/toughening the plantar skin. I know that he doesn't like to consider barefoot runners "tough," but instead "sensitive." He says that's why we can't wear shoes...they hurt too much, so therefore, we are not tough. Rick has the exact opposite philosophy. He believes running barefoot isn't for "sissies." He thinks if you are weak in the mind and feet, you won't be able to run barefoot. I agree with both of them. I see both points. I too feel the way you do though, Zeke. If I don't run for a while, my feet lose some of their "conditioning." I definitely notice areas of my plantar skin have thickened; the pads are thicker, more bally. (I just made that word up.) I call this conditioning. Is it toughening? I think so. My skin is tougher from running barefoot versus living barefoot or living in shoes. It's visibly noticeable. Some areas are smooth like the bottom of worn moccasins. Those same areas are not at sensitive to the touch as they were before I began running barefoot. I have seen Rick's feet in person. He definitely has very, very thick skin on his feet. I haven't seen KB's yet, but I would definitely like to compare them. Rick is able to run in single-digit weather in the winter through ice and snow; KB doesn't do this. I wonder how their skin differs.

What do you mean by your nervous system being sensitive, Zeke?
 
#18
I think Zeke may be talking

I think Zeke may be talking about sensory adaptation. Over time, the tactile sensory cells in the skin of your feet become less sensitive to the terrain. It's like a bad smell. At first, it is overwhelming. After a little while, you start to "get used to it."



I agree with you guys, I think there is something to your skin re-adapting to being barefoot after an absence. This happens to me every spring. it usually takes four or five runs to get back into the groove. Part of it is form, but part does seem to be some physiological adaptation of the skin.
 
#19
Maybe where I run, the

Maybe where I run, the asphalt is rougher, 'cuz it takes me more than just a few runs to get back to where I was last summer. I mean, I ran through the winter but no where near the weekly miles I had before.
 
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