Running barefeet in tropical countries (Viet Nam)

Dear Friends,



I have started running barefoot a couple of months ago. Not to mention the benefits: less fatigue, more fun, etc.



I live in Viet Nam, and usually running in Thailand, Cambodia, Lao and of course Viet Nam. Although I never had problems, I was told by a medical doctor that at least 303 illnesses from going barefoot on the road came up to her mind.



Has anybody addressed this issue? Infections related issues and the like which may be riskier in a deloping country or in urban roads/trails at tropical latitudes?



Many thanks for any hints. I tried Vibram and Merrell gloves.. but it is not the same.



I feel that until i learnt well the technique, which I am studying in Bob Saxton book, I would be happy to continue running without shoes.



Cheers,

Andrea
 
Andrea:Sounds great!  I know

Andrea:

Sounds great! I know there could certainly be some increased risk, but I also know that you're on the right track with going barefoot to get your technique solidified in muscle memory. I'm no doctor, but what about rubbing your feet with hand sanitizer both before and after running? Maybe we'll get one of our resident physicians to chime in here, and you might also want to post this question on the "ask the docs" forum.

There's nothing like BFR, and my experience has been that I'll only wear shoes when I have no viable alternatives. I'll always choose BF first.
 
Hi Phil, thanks so much. I go

Hi Phil, thanks so much. I go back to the "cassandra doc" in Cambodia, and let you all know. She is an epidemiologist and certainly knows the risk. But of course risks have to be appraised. Also crossing the road is dangerous, at the end of the day..



To my knowledge, in Indochina the number of barefoot runners is two: Myself and Ian Fox in Hanoi.



Old vietnamese usually run with very minimal shoes just rubber, and with a ball-of-the-foot landing.



Cheers
 
At least make sure all your

At least make sure all your shots are up to date, and find out the common parasites in the area, then be on guard for symptoms. To my understanding, many parasites can be cleared from one's system with meds and not too much damage if they don't become chronic; some are more dangerous.

I would say educate yourself on the risks, and do what you can to minimize them. The CDC, WHO, lots of organizations have info on the web (including some non profits) and travel advisories that will go into some detail on geography and disease prevalence.

If minimizing the risks for you means wearing shoes, then so be it. If you find that you are comfortable just avoiding certain areas, or only running bf in carefully selected areas, then you'll know what you're dealing with.
 
I'd really like to know what

I'd really like to know what those 303 illnesses are.



I really don't know that much about Southeast Asia (though I do know that hookworm can live there). Surely, though, those countries are pretty advanced regarding sanitation, aren't they? If people are pooping in the roads or where you are running, that would be a problem if the roads are too muddy (on dry roads you are moving too fast for hookworm to attach--really!).



I also wonder if those 303 illnesses include a lot that, while you can catch them in bare feet, bare feet have little to do with it. We get something similar here in the US about ticks and lyme disease. The shod are just as susceptible, yet the barefooters are warned about it as if it is something special just for them.



It's my understanding that a lot of people in Southeast Asia (a lot of kids, too) still go barefoot a good part of the time. You'd think if it were that much of a risk it would be more noticed.



Finally, when I look at the CDC's travel information, it has a line that says "To prevent fungal and parasitic infections, keep feet clean and dry, and do not go barefoot, especially on beaches where animals may have defecated."



That's right. If you go to Phuket, don't go barefoot!



Seriously, though, the CDC has that line for a lot of places, including India, China, and Afghanistan (I was unaware that Afghanistan had beaches!), so it is really generic.



Bottom line, I'm always suspicious that these claims are overblown. If you are concerned, you might have stool samples regularly tested, just to make sure. The drugs these days for helminths are pretty good.
 
It seems like the biggest

It seems like the biggest risk would be hookworms. It you actively avoid running in wet areas which may (or may not) contain human waste or human waste run off, you should be fine. Also, most transmisible baddies require moisture to live, so dry dirt shouldn't be a problem. That said, I know much of Southeast Asia is anything but dry... But if you take basic precautions (like avoiding running barefoot if you have any open blisters or skin breaks of any kind) and have access to medical care and anti-parasitic medication, along with a healthy dose of courage, you should be ok. Have you considered huaraches?
 
Ahcuah wrote:Seriously,

Ahcuah said:
Seriously, though, the CDC has that line for a lot of places, including India, China, and Afghanistan (I was unaware that Afghanistan had beaches!), so it is really generic.

I don't know anything about most of those places, but in the parts of Afghanistan I've been to they do squat in the roads and urinate and deficate. It's terribly unsanitary there and there is a reason a ton of US soldiers get sick as hell there. Now, to my knowledge all of these soliers are shod most of the time... So I think it can affect the shod and unshod alike. I really wouldn't want to walk around there barefoot though. Nasty nasty nasty. I will never forget that place though.
 
NickW wrote:I don't know

NickW said:
I don't know anything about most of those places, but in the parts of Afghanistan I've been to they do squat in the roads and urinate and deficate. It's terribly unsanitary there and there is a reason a ton of US soldiers get sick as hell there. Now, to my knowledge all of these soliers are shod most of the time... So I think it can affect the shod and unshod alike. I really wouldn't want to walk around there barefoot though. Nasty nasty nasty. I will never forget that place though.



Nick,

I hear you on the "ick" factor. However, you will not get hookworm in Afghanistan. It is too dry for the larvae to survive.

While it is icky, simply walking in poo is not necessarily a health risk of any sort (assuming intact skin). On the other hand, no wonder people get sick, since the other diseases in feces (e.g., cholera, amoebic dysentery) can easily contaminate the water supply. So, worry about everything else, but not going barefoot there. ;-)
 
Dear All,Thank you very much

Dear All,

Thank you very much for the replies. Indeed, the only sickness she described (among the 303..) are worms that hook on the feet and start growing up to the knee. The idea seems disgusting.



I am not native english speaking, so i guess it is hookworms.



Southeast Asia is pretty urbanized. Individual hygiene is high standards, so I would say that most of the time we are talking about running on asphalt and concrete along a lake or a river. By the way, there are beautiful runs over here.

I am not a medical doctor, but the feeling I have is often running in the dirt as if it was New York city (on small roads which are not cleaned regularly), but at a different latitude.

I also remember a nice run on ricefields outside Hoi An. For the rest, it is urban running.

Anyway, these are "feelings". the topic is interesting enough to do some research, validate it with some medical doctors which have experience here, and make it available to all of you..

I did not try the sandals, also because minimalist shoes are available (at very high prices) only in Thailand and Singapore. Yeap, I have a lot of in-field research to share.

Asian barefooters in the Chapters are at different latitudes (Korea and Japan)..



I wait you here for a run!
 
Chiao co, Andrea! Mung

Chiao co, Andrea! Mung gioi? My computer skills don't extend to adjusting for Vietnamese type, but you might almost figure out what I'm trying to say.

Another source for you to investigate is traditional medicine practioners. They might have another sort of perspective to share on the subject.

Good luck!
 
Human poop isn't so bad once

Human poop isn't so bad once you get past the smell. Trust me, I think I'm the expert on this subject!
 
Barefoot Andrea

Barefoot Andrea said:
Southeast Asia is pretty urbanized. Individual hygiene is high standards, so I would say that most of the time we are talking about running on asphalt and concrete along a lake or a river. By the way, there are beautiful runs over here.

I am not a medical doctor, but the feeling I have is often running in the dirt as if it was New York city (on small roads which are not cleaned regularly), but at a different latitude.

I also remember a nice run on ricefields outside Hoi An. For the rest, it is urban running.



Andrea,

From what you've described, I don't think you need to worry much about hookworm.

And it sounds like you have a lot of very nice and pretty places to run!

Enjoy!
 
Ahcuah wrote:In case folks

Ahcuah said:
In case folks want to know a bit more about hookworm, I made it the topic of my blog entry for today: http://ahcuah.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/hookworm-revisited/.



I knew we could count on Ahcuah to provide a well researched answer.

I frequently am amazed at how much wisdom there is in the Old Testiment, but I

never had noticed that the prevention of hookworm was so clearly described.

"Shoes as tools", as well as "bury your poop" both given as advice thousands and thousands of years ago.

No surprise that many still don't listen, there is also a recommendation not to grow a "Mohawk" written

in those there Five Books of Moses, but plenty of folks still do..........
 
I agree with most that as long as you're sticking to roads, you're OK. I ran BF for a month in southern Thailand in December (on roads) and regularly run in the sub-tropics and have yet to have issues. I'll be BF in Bali this summer for another month. If you look around while you're running, you'll see farmers out BF or minimalist (read flip-flop), and many of the monks I saw in Thailand were bare. Just avoid running through feces! ;-)

I'd say there's no point in worrying about it; if you end up running in mucky areas and your ankles/soft foot bits feel itchy (a sign of burrowing worms), hit your feet with a high-concentration saltwater bath and some alcohol when you get back. If you're really worried look for the telltale signs of bad rashes around your ankles/feet (indicating that they've already made it inside) and get some meds from the pharmacy (in Asia most are over the counter), though you should probably consult a doc.

I see it's been a month since you posted, so I'm assuming this is now less of a concern.

JB
 
Chiao co, Andrea! Mung

Chiao co, Andrea! Mung gioi? My computer skills don't extend to adjusting for Vietnamese type, but you might almost figure out what I'm trying to say.

Another source for you to investigate is traditional medicine practioners. They might have another sort of perspective to share on the subject.

Good luck!



The traditional practitioners.. I found a good "doctor", who have magic cures for back and ankle.. But I assume that with practice I will run gentler and gentler