Dealing with rocks

I walk gently around rocks, and if I have to go over them, then I walk even more gently.
 
I find that when my feet are tighter, everything becomes more of an issue. I would try taking one of those rocks and standing on it for about 30s, using the right amount of weight for the spot you're pushing on. Dr. Emily Splichal (I believe she's a member here) recommends using push in place method instead of rolling method, so I would do that. You can look on YouTube, she has a couple of videos talking about it there. It might not get you to feel like rocks are clouds, but it should help :D
 
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Euh... Barefoot Ken Bob might suggest that rocks / stones are the very first step when you start barefooting. :rolleyes:

My understanding is that you shouldn't roll nor push... Relax... Just apply / kiss / land very, very, very... gently your feet focusing on the next lift. And all the foot surface gets in touch with the stones (midfoot, toes, heel). o_O

Bow your knees! Bow your knees! Once again, bow... :)

According my (poor) experience, I confirm that stones are always an great opportunity to challenge, question your fears and improve your technical skills. :barefoot:

Happy and funny runs ! ;)

PS: thank you @Sly for your contribution. :cool:
 
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I'm slowly getting better at barefoot trailrunning, I would guess that using standing desk and spiked mat has something to do with it.. I would guess that getting box of inch wide pointy rocks to stand on would be a logical next step..

Or maybe running with skinners and sockwa shoes has helped to desensitize my soles..
 
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As others have said, relaxing and bending the knee, making the feet bigger helps. I find that crushed human rocks sucks and it is easier when they are round and even. Still I need to slow down. The sharper the slower. My best advice is to always look at where you run and try to learn to identify the odd rock that you didn't see last and hurt so much.

Running/walking on gravel, gravel-ish terrain is still a great way to learn how to relax the feet and appreciate how much you have progressed into barefooting.
 
I would say it depends on where the rocks are and the size. If your talking about a gravel path, you can gently run over that as the gravel displaces under your weight.
If you are talking about loose stones on a concrete path, ouch if you land on one as it's got nowhere to go except into your foot, hopefully your forefoot where you can take the weight off quickly rather than your heel in which case get ready for the pain.
Rocky trails are mentally tiring as you need a lot of concentration to navigate them.
I far prefer nice smooth concrete paths, when I run in the hills near my home I wear shoes as all the trails are made up of bluestone chips which are sharp and the run is no fun.
Experience teaches you the routes that are good for barefoot and relaxing and what are not.

Regards

Neil
 
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