Keeping soles tough this winter

Liz

Liz

Barefooters
Apr 3, 2010
109
0
0
#1
Hey guys,

I have a question for those of you with more experience than me. Last year I started to run barefoot, but my soles didn't really get used to it until I could consistantly run bf in the spring. I wore VFFs all winter except for unseasonably warm days. I am a morning runner, and this morning was the first time I put on "shoes" to run in since April. :( My question is this:

How do I keep the soles of my feet tough if I have to wear VFFs for most of my runs this fall/winter?
 
#2
You could line them with sand

You could line them with sand paper, and I'm partially serious about this. You could also try gravel bucket marching like Todd Ragsdale did to train for his 102.65 mile ultra just a few short months prior to running it. (His video technique can be found on the BRS's home page.) Some people think we shouldn't push the conditioning of our skin by "artificial or unnatural" means, but hey, if it worked for Todd...
 
#3
Bucket marching for sure!

Bucket marching for sure! I've been preaching that for a while.

Make sure you are barefoot as much as possible at home, at the stores and when you go for walks (if it is not too cold).
 
#4
Thanks TJ and Abide.My

Thanks TJ and Abide.

My husband will think I lost my mind for sure with the bucket marching, but if it works, I'm in.
 
#5
 you don't have to wear shoes

you don't have to wear shoes in the winter....
 
#6
Liz- I was worried about

Liz- I was worried about this, too, but found it to not be a problem.

Basically, I got out whenever I could during the daytime, when it was sunny. I live in Massachusetts, so winters are good and cold here. Turns out, two runs a week were enough to keep my soles in good enough shape. I ran a half-marathon in New Hampshire in early April, and I had no problem with transitioning back to barefoot for my long runs.
 
#7
I like Nate's

I like Nate's attitude!



Liz, just curious of what the temperature was during your run?

Last winter I went into the beginning of december before I broke out my Vibrams, but made sure to still get some barefoot running in during the winter. I ran barefoot a few times in the teens for about 4 miles, it was nice and dry, and wasn't to bad actually. So by the time march rolled around I was back with 100% barefoot running, some runs were sensitive than others, but within a week my conditioning was back.

I run outside all year long, and winter running is actually quite nice.
 
#10
I started running around 7/1

I started running around 7/1 last year and got a couple of months' worth of barefoot running before I lost any and all motivation to run any more and then it got cold and so on. The result of this: I didn't run a single step from September until late March and did my first barefoot run for the year around April 20. I haven't had any issues with sole conditioning, sure I was a little sore after that first run and especially after the second one barefoot, ten miles on mostly gravel, but I haven't had a single blister this year and I haven't exactly taken it slow.
 
#11
I'd hardly claim to be more

I'd hardly claim to be more experienced, maybe just more obsessed with finding all the possible info associated with barefoot running, haha. I'd agree with Nate that you don't have to wear shoes during winter, though none of us could think to blame you for doing so. Just because we run barefoot doesn't mean we're all totally crazy. (No offense Nate, but I'm gonna try it, and I do happen to consider myself crazy.) Theres another thread from Beth which talks about not wearing shoes and stuff.

If you do choose to wear shoes, you could do some gravel bucket marching. I would stress the "some" though. I'm one of those people TJ is talking about that disagrees with pushing sole conditioning, not so much in an unnatural way, but more to the point that the level of conditioning itself is unnatural. After the two weeks that I ran cross-country this year, the bottoms of my feet starting feeling really tough and leathery, and I didn't like it at all. We're not supposed to get away with not wearing shoes by turning our feet into shoes, at least not all the way. However for the purpose of maintaining sole conditioning I think gravel marching would be a good idea, but in small-ish doses, and don't make your feet tougher than they were before you started running in the Vibrams. Its really just a matter of all things in moderation, there are some benefits to the gravel buckets, I'm even planning on working some in before I hike Mt. Elbert barefoot next summer, but if you can't feel the ground anymore, and your soles are just one giant callus, then you've obviously done too much.
 
#12
Nate - My goal is to remain

Nate - My goal is to remain barefoot as long as possible. I was hopeful to even go bf in the snow this winter.

Adam - It was about 45 this morning.

I run at about 4:30am, so it's the coldest part of the night/morning. I guess I chickened out and came home for my shoes because I wasn't ready for the chilly weather. I was in the 90's this weekend, and I didn't think the temps would drop so fast.



Thanks Blind Boy. I hope I have as easy of a time as you did!



Danjo - I have to admit there are times when I wish I couldn't feel anything under-foot, but I do agree. I just got worried this morning that I wouldn't be able to adapt to the cold this winter, and I'm planning on running the Flying Pig in Cincinnati bf this coming May.

Thanks for the advice everyone! ;)
 
#13
There are two schools of

There are two schools of thought when it comes to "forcing" plantar skin conditioning. One is what material is used to toughen the skin up may be considered unnatural--even if it is a "natural" substance. (There is a product on the market just for this reason, and if I remember correctly, it's not considered natural.) The other is the time it takes to naturally condition your feet, meaning your skin may become conditioned quiker than your connective tissues, bones, joints, etc. You may feel you are able to do more than you should.

I'm not for or against forcing foot conditioning. It works for some people, but will it work for you? That's the question. You won't know until you try it. We all have to make that decision for ourselves and take responsibility for the decisions we do make.
 
#14
Thanks TJ,I think I'll stay

Thanks TJ,

I think I'll stay cautious. I learned the hard way not to push my body further than I was ready to.



Side Note:

I love BRS! After I broke my pelvis I thought I was done running, and without you guys (and gals), I would never have progressed to the point I'm at right now! I learn something new with every forum topic I read and am greatful!

:X

Was that too cheesy?
 
#15
I think "tough" is kinda the

I think "tough" is kinda the wrong word for it, at least in my opinion. Like I said before, you don't want to turn you feet into shoes. Thicker skin isn't going to be a problem, and it has a lot of benefits. However you don't want your skin to be any harder. The only reason you'd need harder skin was if you were running incorrectly, or just on ridiculous surfaces like metal spikes or something. So I don't care much about the way you go about plantar skin conditioning, I think the motives behind it and the results of it are more in question. Also the connective tissues and the like are a reason to not condition your skin seperately, but in this case they're still being exercised in the vibrams.

Making the decision for yourself is also important. If we didn't do that, all of us would still be wearing shoes.
 
#17
Danjo wrote:I think "tough"

Danjo said:
I think "tough" is kinda the wrong word for it, at least in my opinion. Like I said before, you don't want to turn you feet into shoes. Thicker skin isn't going to be a problem, and it has a lot of benefits. However you don't want your skin to be any harder. The only reason you'd need harder skin was if you were running incorrectly, or just on ridiculous surfaces like metal spikes or something. So I don't care much about the way you go about plantar skin conditioning, I think the motives behind it and the results of it are more in question. Also the connective tissues and the like are a reason to not condition your skin seperately, but in this case they're still being exercised in the vibrams.
Click to expand...



Totally disagree with you. I want my feet to turn into shoes, but being realistic about it. I like pushing the limits. You want harder (conditioned) skin, at least I do, even if you are running correctly. You seem to be contradicting the whole aspect of running barefoot with this post, it's kind of confusing. You seem very cautious, which is okay.
 
#18
 I don't take offense to

I don't take offense to being called "crazy"....as a full time barefooter, I get the look often....but the joke is on everyone else, I know how awesome it feels :-D....

as far as foot "toughening" goes, walking/marching in gravel buckets, I think, would do exactly what your feet would do walking on a path of said material...it will condition up....it just sounds boring to me, I'd rather do it walking and running around....although we do something similar with our knuckles, hands, forearms, shins...etc...in the martial arts, by hitting them repeatedly over the years to condition both the skin of the body as well as the bones...and it works wonderfully.

I see no reason this would develop thick "callouses"...and those of us know, the souls and skin gets thicker, pads get thicker, and our tolerance increases, but I don't have those thick, dead-skin, growths called callouses on my feet....what I am developing is AWESOME ELEPHANT SKIN FEET :)...except they are pink (mostly) ;-D. Thick hide, not calloused hide.

At any rate, I am excited to push the limits this winter...it does get pretty cold here in PA, and in past winters I've been partial to my wool socks.....but I've been reading about cold-footing, and excited about how my feet adapt.
 
#19
I wouldn't really say I'm

I wouldn't really say I'm cautious, I'm a total limit pusher myself. But when I was running XC, my form wasn't that great, and the bottom of my feet got hard, and I actually did not like the feeling of my skin on my feet. When your feet feel like crap in shoes, you can just take them off, but you can't take your skin off. My feet were basically callusing the same way my fingers do from playing guitar, not necessarily the post blister dead skin calluses that most of you will be thinking of, but more like a super hard and compact layer of skin. It just felt gross on my feet. I don't know if gravel buckets could necessarily cause this, but it seems like if you over did it and the gravel was to spiky and you were just jumping on the stuff, it your skin could get all hard and nasty.

Nate hit it spot on, elephant skin feet is what we should be going for, not rock feet. I don't want to have giant rocks attatched to the end of my legs, even if they aren't heavy, it just wouldn't FEEL good. I don't really know how gravel buckets would affect your feet, and I'm sure it depends on how you approach it, but I'm sure you could get feelingless rock feet if you tried. Sure you could run without hurting your feet, but you'd probably just end up slamming your knees and everything else again like you did when you were in shoes.

Again, just because I'm not, I probably just come across as cautious because I've taken in a lot of Ken Bob's ideas. He's definitely cautious. Usually still sound advice though especially when learning. I suspect I'll diverge from his ways more as I increase my goals though, because I don't just want to be a "good barefoot runner" like its some kind of handicap. I want to be a good runner, who just happens to run barefoot.
 
#20
I alternated between aqua sox

I alternated between aqua sox and BF last winter. While BF I found I could tolerate temps down to 25 F. I didn't like hitting cold water when it was above freezing, but I could tolerate it okay when the temp was in the 40's.

Try wearing the Vibrams for a mile or so to get warm. Then go BF for a while. You'll know when to stop. Put the Vibrams back on and continue. I bet you'll be able to gradually increase the BF time with each run.



Hank

Spokane, WA
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Support Your Club

Luna Sandals

Forum statistics

Threads
19,157
Messages
183,654
Members
8,706
Latest member
hadashi jon

Latest posts

Share this page

Share this page
Top Bottom
Back
Menu