It's Official -- I'm a BFW!!

[miker]

Yep, as of this morning, I am officially a "Barefoot Weenie" (DO NOT confuse this with running naked!) ;-) I get all layered up to go for a walk on our gravel driveway, trying to maintain my minimal level of sole conditioning. Morning temp is 31 degrees. Frost on the ground. Dogs are happy as he!! to be running around. After about 400 feet, I can't take it anymore! My feet are hurting!! So I turn around, run in the grass beside the driveway (which is really frosty) back to the house. Put on my VFFs w/Injinji socks. Go back out, walk a mile with the dogs ('cause dogs DO NOT understand cold barefootin'), go inside and take the top off my trusty gravel tub, and start marchin'.

I don't know how you folks do it, but I know "I am not worthy". I kneel before you and accept my defeat, humbly. But at least my feet are warm. ;-)

Maybe I can get TJ to change my site name from "miker" to "Barefoot Weenie". Can't wait to see all the people who will want to be my Facebook friend then! ;-)

 

[Nyal]

I have to say that if there

I have to say that if there exists a worse surface than gravel at -1, I haven't found it.

 

[pbarker]

Thanks mikerI am going out

Thanks miker
I am going out right now to get some gravels for the local school play ground. Last night I noticed the skin is peeling off my pads.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Barefoot Weenie it is then. 

Barefoot Weenie it is then. Teasing.

 

[Paleo]

I've only been barefooting it

I've only been barefooting it for about 4 Months. The only thing that does not work for me is running first thing in the morning in cold temperatures (both times just above freezing). My feet appear to be extremely sensitive when I first get out of bed. The two times I have tried it, I came home with real blisters. I toughed it through to my planned distances (5km and 8km), but it wasn't fun. The blisters forced a couple of days off in both cases.

At first, I thought it might be from the moist asphalt, but I can run in the evening in the rain without problems. So, I have now decided it must be that my feet are moist or just sensitive after a night under the covers.

Anyone else notice this?

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Do you sleep in socks?  If

Do you sleep in socks? If so, don't. What types of sensations are you feeling after climbing out of bed? Some of it may just be settling pains. Some of it may be foot conditioning, since exercising our feet is the same as exercising any other muscle in the body. Does the pain or discomfort go away as you continue through the day?

 

[Paleo]

 No, I don't sleep in socks.

No, I don't sleep in socks. I have no pain whatsoever. But, when I hit the asphalt barefoot, they are very sensitive. It feels the same as when I have been in shoes all day (read: sweaty feet), and then go out for a run. That's why I think that it must be some kind of moisture from the night.

Since I usually have to run after work in the evening, I have resorted to taking off my shoes in the car (barefoot driving!), so that they can dry out as I make my way home.

My usual path along the Rhein has reasonably good asphalt, but some sections have been beat up by the weather over the years and are roughed up.

 

[miker]

My soles actually feel

My soles actually feel "harder" first thing in the morning, before they have softened from being showered & put in socks/shoes. I thought this would be a better time to run bf because of that. Guess I was wrong... :~