Barefoot Limits - Are there any? What are yours?

[chadisbarefoot]

I talk about my own limits (and have a couple cool vids - not new, but neat) here:

http://unshodandunashamed.blogspot.com/2011/08/just-how-much-can-bare-feet-handle.html



I am interested to hear what conditions limitations do you guys have for when you are willing to run barefoot. Heat? Cold? Precipitation? What are you willing to run through?

Most importantly, what happens when you exceed your limits?

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I've conditioned myself down

I've conditioned myself down to 27 degrees F when the ground is dry; 40s wet. Of course, I will have to "recondition" myself again when winter hits. I don't think I'm willing to go lower than that. I've run on asphalt in the high 90s (98 degrees F?)

I also find that when there's conditions that make me question my ability, I always have a back-up plan. I carry footwear, like a pair of socks (or water socks back when I could wear those), so I don't find myself in a situation I shouldn't be in. Think smart, run smart.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

After watching the second

After watching the second video, I can't say that's true that he's the first to do so and that he should have gotten the world record for running a half marathon distance through ice and snow. Rick Roeber has been doing this for years in Kansas in the single digits (farenheit). He runs marathons in the single digits. He ran the Waco Marathon in snow and ice barefoot in January was it? Fascinating regardless, that this guy was able to return the heat to his feet.

 

[spoonerweb]

So far my only limitation is

So far my only limitation is that I can't run with shoes.

 

[Barefoot Gentile]

I have ran barefoot many

I have ran barefoot many times below freezing. The true test will be this winter, as i try to run barefoot through winter. I am just tired of restorting back to footwear in winter, i need to somehow start conditiong myself to be a full year barefoot runner now.

 

[Alejandro 10]

Hi TJ,I don't think it was

Hi TJ,

I don't think it was the fact that he ran the half marathon in the temperature he did or on snow and ice, but rather the location of the snow and ice that was under his feet seemed to be the exciting mark for him (within the Arctic Circle) if I remember correctly.

 

[mokaman]

 These are are the limits

These are are the limits I've worked out over several years of trial and error...barefoot winter pavement limits are about 35F for 1 - 2 miles...5 miles down to about 40F and unlimited miles for hi 40's and above. Summer I'm good to the lo 90's depending on how dark colored the pavement is. In the winter I can take off my shoes for the last 1/2 mile or so on any run for some barefoot tune up.

Trails I can go a bit lower temp in the winter and no limit for the summer but I do put a speed limit on trails, if the trail is so rough that i can only run at about 12 min/mile pace or slower I would rather switch to MR shoes at that point... but that is rare in the summer...I try to do most of my shoe running for the year on rough azz trails in the winter.

Dec, Jan and Feb is shoe running with a rare barefoot run thrown in, March and November are mixed and April thru October is barefoot except a very small amount of very fast shoe trail running in the summer.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I don't think the World

I don't think the World Record specifically stated "in the Arctic Circle." Did it? I don't think it should even matter where either. That guy ran in -14 celcius, right, roughly 7 degrees farenheit? Rick runs in single digits (farenheit) in thick snow and ice and has been doing so for years now. I guess they just had not heard of Rick or bothered to think or check around to see if anyone else in the world had done this. They probably thought no one else would even attempt such a thing.

 

[Alejandro 10]

Yeah, if I had to bet on it

Yeah, if I had to bet on it would go with them not bothering to check around. As an aside, growing up in ski country I would go outside barefoot to do different chores growing up. It is amazing how blood rushes down to the feet to warm them up. When my grandmother was living with us she would want to hold my feet after I had been out in the snow barefoot because of how warm they would be.



Gracia y paz,

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