People's reactions when you run

!How long are the barbs - look to be about 1/2 inch. Can they penetrate all the way? Do they break off under the skin? I am sure glad I don't have to worry about those bad boys!


Most of the ones I've seen (and stepped on) are a bit smaller, maybe 3/8 inch, but I've had some go through huaraches and VFFs, and I've read that they're even capable of puncturing a tire! o_O

You basically feel as if you've stepped on a needle, so it would definitely make you stop, but the good thing is that as soon as you remove it (and that's pretty easy as opposed to some glass shards) the pain goes away immediately.

What I ended up doing is learn to identify the weed that produces them (the goat head is its seed) and try to separate myself from them as much as possible.

BTW, they're called goat heads because some of them, when rotated properly, actually look like a goat head, as you can probably see in this image:
goat-head.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sid
Yesterday around town, a boy maybe 4 points and starts giggling and yells, "no shoes! HAHAHAHA no socks! HAHAHAHA." Girls he's with also starts giggling the same. I smile and wave, and their laughter is so contagious I start giggling the same. Laughing so hard I almost forgot how to run. :joyful:


Thats very funny....ya know they both got a thousand impromptu lectures from their parents about "going outside with you shoes and socks on", when they really just wanted to take them off and run around lol


You shared an inside joke with them on their parents :)




Kids are the most dedicated 'Barefooters', haha, they will physically fight for the right to run free and barefoot lol

They are also the most oppressed Barefooters in the western world. :-(

Maybe we should start a "Free the children's feet Campaign"! :)
 
Most of the ones I've seen (and stepped on) are a bit smaller, maybe 3/8 inch, but I've had some go through huaraches and VFFs, and I've read that they're even capable of puncturing a tire! o_O

You basically feel as if you've stepped on a needle, so it would definitely make you stop, but the good thing is that as soon as you remove it (and that's pretty easy as opposed to some glass shards) the pain goes away immediately.

What I ended up doing is learn to identify the weed that produces them (the goat head is its seed) and try to separate myself from them as much as possible.

BTW, they're called goat heads because some of them, when rotated properly, actually look like a goat head, as you can probably see in this image:
goat-head.jpg

OUCH! just seeing the picture of them makes me cringe!... Its like a punishment of some sort, but we don't know why! Yeah, they HURT! They itch after you pull them out too. They can go thru some types of min shoes, and they will cause flats on bicycle tires! They're hard to avoid because they grow like crazy! Most of us who live in the southwest have just learned to live with them. I can, for example wipe them off my feet and hardly miss a step. When we see a dog running on three legs, we just nod, knowingly and sympatheticaly. My best advice to avoid them is to avoid the desert southwest! A few tips, if you must be barefoot out here; Since they stick to almost everything, stay in the middle of trails, previous traffic will generally clear the way. If running (or cycling) on paved roads, Avoid the shoulder as much as possible, same reason. This includes gutters and the area around the edge of sidewalks. Have shoe wearers wipe their feet before coming in your house or car, because they will bring them along. And finally, Avoid the plants shown above.
 
This past week I took kids to summer camp in Colorado, which was awesome by the way, and got to run around all week barefoot, in vffs, xeroshoes and barefoot!! here's a few of the comments from the week;
A girl who looked at me crazy everytime I saw her, "You have wierd shoes!"
One kid to another, "So we don't have to wear shoes here?"
Another kid, "My mom said I have to wear shoes."
Someone down below as I was crossing the wire to the zip line, "Dude, that guy's wearing toe shoes!"
An adult cousellor, "Aww I should have brought my vffs!"
The head guy in charge of the camp, "I don't know how you can walk around without shoes like that."
Another counsellor who was wearing vffs, (I was barefoot) "You should try these. but don't get the low cut ones, they suck!"
Same guy next day, (I was wearing vffs) "Oh, you have some already"
About 80 thousand kids all week, "Doesn't that hurt?" about half refering to my barefeet, the other half refering to my piercings...
 
Through the las Vegas airport, my family got ushered through the express security line. Meaning you didn't have to take shoes off or remove belts. The TSA guard was very frustrated with me. "Doesn't anybody read the signs?" she said rudely. I just tuned her out, a skill I have perfected having four kids, while my wife tried to explain that I wasn't wearing shoes to begin with.
 
Got a " Your Awesome " this morning from a young girl runner while running a practice run on the Peachtree roadrace course. Stopped at the Atlanta Track Club water stop and the people there quiz'd me about barefoot running.. I told them its great but you have to progress very slowly...like a gradual 1/4 mile a week progression to avoid injuries.
 
Through the las Vegas airport, my family got ushered through the express security line. Meaning you didn't have to take shoes off or remove belts. The TSA guard was very frustrated with me. "Doesn't anybody read the signs?" she said rudely. I just tuned her out, a skill I have perfected having four kids, while my wife tried to explain that I wasn't wearing shoes to begin with.

Heh. When I came back through customs in February through Dallas, they all queried me on my (lack of) shoes. But the person I was traveling with (we got separated in customs) was ordered by the TSA to put on shoes. Because health codes. And despite a letter from the health department.

What Am I Doing Wrong?
 
Got a " Your Awesome " this morning from a young girl runner
I got called a freak this morning by a very cute woman who had passed me about a mile before - I was running silently but she was running silently in shoes which is a far greater accomplishment!
 
As I was running to my car yesterday in Atlanta a couple homeless looking guys passed by facing me on the sidewalk and I heard one say in a respectful tone..."no shoes at least he's got that right" and they both had shoes on and no shirts...that made me chuckle a bit.
 
Today I was called totally insane running barefoot, on a perfectly clean way, no glass, no nothing. I took it as a compliment from a woman wearing high heels...
The RacePunk