Are you a cold weather wuss?

#21
I love to go Ice Fishing and

I love to go Ice Fishing and I can't wait to try it BF! What a wonderful blending of my two favourite activities! Yeehaw!

...actually, I have no interest in pushing that envelope too far. I do what I can to get through the winter without losing too much of my condition, and I take great joy in finishing my winter runs. I just don't like starting them so much. I also don't really want to find my limits for BFing. My Vibrams are my friends when there's ice on the trails.

I don't even mind snow when it's relatively fresh. It's the well used, inconsisitantly lumped up and sharp stuff with the odd puddle tucked into it that I really don't look forward to.

You guys are lucky up there where it gets cold and stays cold.
 
#22
TJ, the Barefoot religion or

TJ, the Barefoot religion or cult is a very small group of people that seem to take Barefooting beyond the natural activity and behaviour into a different rhelm and ritual. I jokingly call them a religion or a cult, it is funny how seriously they seem to take themselves. They tend to beat everyone up any time they ask about running with some form of protection and cannot concieve that protection is also natural and was invented 20,000 years ago when our ancestors feet got cold.



Looking over this thread I didn't see anyone in that catagory, There are probably not many if any in this forum but it sure seems to me that anyuone attempting a Barefoot Run of 100 miles in 20 degrees is not thinking clearly.

ON the topic of ancient foot protection, I remmember seeing pictures of Huaraches that dated back some 5000 years or something like that. I cannot remmember where i saw the picture but I think that would be cool to make some old Huaraches that matched the oldest pair used by some tribe in persistence hunting.
 
#23
Nyah wrote:I haven't asked

Nyah said:
I haven't asked that question directly but, I have asked if people continue being barefoot outside for mundane tasks during cold-wet Winter such as shoveling snow, going places with other people who don't run, waiting at a bus stop, etc and if not, then what is it that they wear on their feet. My thread didn't get responses from you, BF Rick or anyone else wanting to prove that cold-wet and freezing temps are OK to run BF in.
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I tried to shovel snow barefoot. It didn't last long and I found out very quickly that feet have very little traction. As waster melts under your feet they hydroplane on the ice and you fall on your A$$. My neighbors looked at me like I was really stupid and that didn't bother me any. What did bother me was I started looking at myself as really stupid after I fell for the umpteenth time. I can take others ridicule but I cannot handle my own so I put on some socks. That worked until I again was freezing and had to stop and get warm. Shoveling snow is smartest with shoe protection that allows for traction. It is common sense.
 
#24
Poor Lava!  What DOES winter

Poor Lava! What DOES winter in Hawaii look like...60deg?!!
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#26
LavaRunner wrote: ON the

LavaRunner said:
ON the topic of ancient foot protection, I remmember seeing pictures of Huaraches that dated back some 5000 years or something like that. I cannot remmember where i saw the picture but I think that would be cool to make some old Huaraches that matched the oldest pair used by some tribe in persistence hunting.
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I think to make a pair of these would be pretty cool too Lava.

Jonny, what do you Texans know about winter?
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Lol! I'm just kidding. Here I am in Oregon where we maybe get 2 or 3 days of snow normally a year and I'm giving you crap. We just never see the sun here. I forget what it feels like to feel the sun on my skin. I heard someone at a Christmas party the other night talk about how she felt like a mole because she went back home to Brazil to visit family and it was just too bright out, hurt her eyes. I know this all to well because when I moved to Hawaii it took me a while for my eyes to acclimate.
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You talked about the wind and that's something I really know nothing about, except that a strong wind sucks when on a bike.
 
#27
Regarding Todd Ragsdale and

Regarding Todd Ragsdale and his attempt at the 100 BF trail race, there was a freak storm that hit at the same time. Temps were about 20 degrees colder than the average (I think it was like 19 at the start!) for that race, combine that with all the precipitation that had fallen and he was doomed from the beginning.

Situations like that, where theres snow and ice on the ground, deserve some kind of protection.
 
#28
Jonny, if I lived full time

Jonny, if I lived full time in Hawaii then life would be good. Cold would mean 70F and Hot might get up to 87F But I will tell ya, those roads in the sunshine are 2000F I swear you can melt metal on them.

Here in Maryland, it has been mild but that won't last. I ran a couple days ago BF and it was mid 40's, That I am totally happy with. Once the ground freezes, I have choices. Invisible Shoes Huaraches, VFF's, NB Minimus Fitness or even my Merrell TG's

They all work just fin and with Ininji Socks the Huaraches are my fave!
 
#29
Nyah wrote:I haven't asked

Nyah said:
I haven't asked that question directly but, I have asked if people continue being barefoot outside for mundane tasks during cold-wet Winter such as shoveling snow, going places with other people who don't run, waiting at a bus stop, etc and if not, then what is it that they wear on their feet. My thread didn't get responses from you, BF Rick or anyone else wanting to prove that cold-wet and freezing temps are OK to run BF in.
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I'm a minimalist footwear (huaraches) guy most of the time, except for running. I know that there are those that have a barefoot lifestyle. I feel a little awkward being barefoot in public places, and maybe someday this will change. I do go barefoot around the house, including short trips outside in the winter (take garbage out, clean snow off the car, BBQ). I agree with Lava, that footwear has its place. Barefoot and winter don't go together well. The intent of my post was to open members up to the possibility of running barefoot in the winter. Increasing the sensory feedback is always good for a self check of your running form. I believe we are capable of running in conditions that at first we might shun.

For old footwear check out this link for the 5000 yr old Iceman found in the Austrain mountains. http://mr_sedivy.tripod.com/iceman4.html
 
#30
To contribute to Yow's post,

To contribute to Yow's post, which is a good one and I am always interested in hearing about people's barefoot winter running adventures.

To start I HATE the cold, but running it doesn't bother me. I actually like running during winter, and especially in snow storms. I never resort to a treadmill, I believe it's a gift to run and you should experience it all outside.

Going into my third year of barefoot winter running and experience it, I always notice an increase in my tolerance. Do I run barefoot all winter long? No! Mother Nature gives me a good reality check, plus I wouldn't want to sacrifice not running just because I can't do it barefoot. But what I do do during the winter is I make sure I run barefoot at least once a week, just keep the soles honest and happy. The distance will vary of course, it can be a mile or whatever I can handle.

Last week I went out for a 60 minute run, it was 20 degrees, I ran the first half hour in Vibrams, the next half hour barefoot. I didn't experience any discomfort, numbness, and even being cold. By the end of 30 minutes my toes were starting to feel the cold, but slightly. This was the first time I tried this method of running in footwear for bit, then taking them off, it was amazing how well it worked.

I am still kicking it strong running barefoot and it's almost the end of december, it's been a mild one so far, but that will change real soon. Last year I was in footwear from Dec 10th - Mar. 1st, not bad actually. Once I took my first barefoot run on March 1st, I didn't lose one ounce of conditioning.

Yes I like to experiment being barefoot in winter, but play it very safe now.
 
#31
I wasn't calling you stupid,

I wasn't calling you stupid, Lava. I was saying that Todd's decision to run 100 in that kind of weather over that kind of terrain was not so bright. He knows that now though.

With that said, I do believe that it is very possible for "some" people to actually pull this feat off, with the right time, training, and gradual exposure. Rick is one who I think could do this with more training and exposure, although he has already proven that he can run marathons in single digits through the snow and ice. Is it necessary in this day and age for the rest of us to do so? No. We learned thousands of years ago that a simple pair of moccasins did the trick. We started out developing footwear not as a fashion statement but for a purpose. Somewhere along the way, we got turned around and lost sight of why we wore footwear in the first place, protection. We began creating monstrocities that crippled our feet. We started adorning and structuring our shoes so that they made us appear taller, wealthier, important. We screwed up, and now we are paying for it...in more ways than one.

If you need protection, use it. If you don't need protection, don't use it. We each need to know our limitations and take responsibility for our own actions.
 
#32
Barefoot TJ wrote:If you

Barefoot TJ said:
If you need protection, use it. If you don't need protection, don't use it. We each need to know our limitations and take responsibility for our own actions.
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Where is Chaser to point out the obvious innuendo?
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Good points everyone. The last thing any runner wants is to cause injury. As per Gentile, run wise, run safe, and run smiley.
 
#33
Oh please don't egg him on. 

Oh please don't egg him on. I mean, throw eggs at him, but just don't egg him on.
 
#34
Last winter was my first

Last winter was my first winter running barefoot. I ran up to 3-4 miles in snow, slush, wet, and dry down to the high 20s F. I also experienced a lot of numbness, and consequently hotspots and very "raw" skin. I finally realized that it was the cold/numbness that was causing my problems, and I spent the second half of the winter running on the treadmill. Running outside is enormously better than running on a treadmill, but running on a treadmill is enormously better than not running at all or being injured.

As this winter approached, I was hoping to avoid both extremes. I won't run with any kind of footwear on my soles, as I had injuries with minimal shoes last year (but none when running barefoot). What I've settled into is a variation of one of Ken Bob's recommendations. I run the minimum distance I want cover on the treadmill in my unheated garage, and then put on more layers to run outside (even though I'm pretty hot by then and sweating profusely). I also wear some Merino wool socks with the bottoms cut out (so I can be truly bare soled), and then use athletic tape to secure the tops of the socks to the tops of my feet. I've run up to 1.25 miles outside with this arrangement, down to about 34 F in a cold rain. The distance outside isn't much, but it's like being released from prison after the time on the treadmill. I doubt my distance outside will get much further until it becomes warmer.

This approach has worked for me -- I still get to run a little outside and haven't lost much, if any, of my barefoot skin conditioning. So it might be something to consider for those who are in a similar situation.
 
#35
Barefoot YOW wrote:d

Barefoot YOW said:
d footwear check out this link for the 5000 yr old Iceman found in the Austrain mountains. http://mr_sedivy.tripod.com/iceman4.html
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The Iceman's shoe was closed with a leather upper that was attached to the sole using another leather thong. The shaft around the ankle was bound with grass filaments to prevent moisture from getting into his shoes. The soles of the shoes were made of brown bear skin. The uppers were make of deerskin and were closed using shoe laces.
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Sound a little tough to run in but they certainly are the 500 year old version of Gortex. Thanks!
 
#36
Ingenious, They could double

Ingenious, They could double as water bottles. And on a cold day, warm water to keep the feet warm.

It just goes to show, people made shoes out of necessity. using whatever they could find. I bet on hot sand, these work great

shoes131.jpg
 
#37
Nick - No argument here!  I

Nick - No argument here! I love getting to wear shorts in December! LOVE IT!! LOL!

Lava - I guess I thought you did live in Hawaii full time. I partially grew up in Gaithersburg going to Millcreek Town Elementary and lived walking distance from Redland Middle School, till we moved right before my 7th grade year. I remember the snowball fights with the snow plow guys and looking up in a snow storm...great way to grow up, but I wouldn't want to commute that weather!!

-Jonny
 
#38
You know Jonny, as much as I

You know Jonny, as much as I like running in shorts in December, I miss the snow terribly during this time of year because it just doesn't feel like the holidays without it, but I guess I grew up with snow October till May(sometimes June) in Montana. My wife can't understand how I feel this way, she's from here in Oregon and has only had a white christmas like two or three times in her life (once with me in Montana).
 
#40
Agreed!  Probably not going

Agreed! Probably not going to be a white Chirstmas this year. I do miss the changing of the seasons in MD, snow ball fights, cancelled school on the news, snow forts, etc!

-Jonny
 
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