What I hate about spring

[JosephTree]

I had forgotten how much I hate getting my feet back into condition, and only realized yesterday why it sucks quite so much.

The reason is that it's SPRING!

While it should be lovely and fair - tra la! - no matter how nice the sun and air are, the roads and trails I frequent are still full of grit (aka gravel) from both road treatment and weathering. I can be padding happily along a lovely stretch of path and suddenly find myself crossing a stretch of miserable and near invisible, pointy and razor sharp bits. Mostly I just grit my teeth and try not to let it show in my gait, but sometimes it just hurts!

Two things I can think of that make the situation better. First, I know from experience my soles and plantar skin will toughen and desensitize a lot more. Second, the spring rains will come and wash a good deal of the grit away, making the roads and trails safe for BFR - until next spring, anyway.

 

[scedastic]

While it should be lovely and fair - tra la! - no matter how nice the sun and air are, the roads and trails I frequent are still full of grit (aka gravel) from both road treatment and weathering. I can be padding happily along a lovely stretch of path and suddenly find myself crossing a stretch of miserable and near invisible, pointy and razor sharp bits. Mostly I just grit my teeth and try not to let it show in my gait, but sometimes it just hurts!
.

Yes, indeed.
I have been barefooting only on side walks that are kept fairly clean, but ideally on pedestrian pathways and trails that are no where near salt and gravel. There is a flat, exposed 0.4 mi sbrick (kind of chunky like cobblestone) square walkway that is immaculate. It warms with the sun during the day, so feels good even when the temps are low (though it will be too hot for me by summer), and lets my delicate feet adapt in (relative) comfort.
Anything similarly clean near you?

I've never figured out how anyone puts up with all that road grit and stones. If the fun is drained away, I lose interest.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I noticed the same thing, sir.

 

[Longboard]

Gravel trays for winter training.

 

[Scottie]

We don't have much in the way of "road treatments" so I don't know about that, but if you can practice on gravel it really helps. Otherwise I would worry about running on "barefoot friendly" surfaces and then hitting a little rock and hurting myself. If you are running on rough stuff and fit your form to that you should be pretty safe even on the smooth stuff with the occasional rock.
We just hiked about 7 miles on the Upper Dungeness trail in the Olympics last week and I did it barefoot. It was great! I especially liked leaving bare footprints in the muddy spots for some future hiker to ponder over!

All the best,
Scott

 

[Wayne Whiting]

I hear you. After four years and retraining every spring you would think I would remember how to do this. Nope. Toes are stubbed and calves are sore!

 

[Barefoot Gentile]

I hear ya. The roads are just battered. And I notice lots of glass, I have some embedded in my foot right now at work from my run yesterday. The plow guys are big drinkers while they plow, so lots of beer bottles and broken glass on the roads right now.

 

[Kyrrinstoch]

...the roads and trails I frequent are still full of grit (aka gravel) from both road treatment and weathering. I can be padding happily along a lovely stretch of path and suddenly find myself crossing a stretch of miserable and near invisible, pointy and razor sharp bits.

This is exactly why I'm not running on the street in front of my house. It's pretty rough chip seal to begin with, then add the salt/sand for snow/ice management from over the winter...Unfortunately, the rains don;t was enough of it off and my street's one of the last the city has on the sweep/cleanup schedule...

So - either the treadmill in the mornings or a run over lunch on the paved paths around the office...

 

[Barefoot Dama]

Oh, I know all about it but I figured that what doesn't kill me makes me stronger-right?

 

[dharmadan]

Sidewalk salt does make the rest of the seasons' gravel more "enjoyable."

 

[JosephTree]

...I figured that what doesn't kill me makes me stronger-right?

Exactly! And Nietzsche died of syphilis!

 

[Bill B]

Ran about 3/4 mile of my 5 mile run on a gravel road today and noticed gravel sticking to my soles. They take a bit of time to toughen up!