moving from foolishness to insanity (Mt. Hood Scramble 2011 barefoot?)

[stomper]

Last weekend three of us (me, migangelo, & paraganek) from the BRS Oregon ran a pretty challenging 5-mile trail race, the "Havoc at the Hideout," barefoot, none of us with ill effects. It was an utter mud bath, though certainly we saw our share of gravel road & other challenges. It was painfully slow for me, but it was my fitness that was failing, not my feet. All in all I was surprised what bare feet can do.

Now the next one in the X-Dog series is a different fish entirely, the Mt. Hood Scramble. I would have thought it would be undoable barefoot. But now I am not so sure. I am tempted to do it just because it seems so friggin unlikely.

Check out this video and let me know what you think. I've run the race before and the video is an accurate summary of the kind of terrain and surface that the course provides. Is planning to do this barefoot GOOD insanity or BAD insanity?

 

[paraganek]

It's the GOOD insanity, let's

It's the GOOD insanity, let's do it ! :crazy:

I actually hiked barefoot in that area and it is not so bad as it looks.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

So X-Dog says it's okay to

So X-Dog says it's okay to run their events barefoot? But Merrell creates a Barefoot "Specific" Division and bans barefoot runners from taking part. Hmmmm. As I told the race director, "Let the runners decide for themselves if their soles can handle it."

 

[stomper]

x-dog has no rules regarding

x-dog has no rules regarding footwear. It wouldn't be like them.

 

[migangelo]

my feet were rubbed pretty

my feet were rubbed pretty raw from that race. i have lots of scratches from rocks, branches, and the stinging nettles. i even have a nice chunk of skin missing on the sole of my left foot just outside the arch. so i walk on it and feel it now all the time. funny that i didn't notice it after the race until i drove home and noticed something didn't feel quite right.



by the way, i have a free case of red hook pilsner we need to share for going bf there. i guess the squeeky wheel does get greased.



Mike

 

[Matt]

Good insanity!

Good insanity!

 

[dmcchesney]

Looks like a really fun race,

Looks like a really fun race, and even better BF! Go for it!

 

[stomper]

Thanks for the encouragement.

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm definitely willing to try it, but those scree slopes and rocky stream courses (anywhere where the pumice has been washed away) look pretty punishing. This could be one of those courses where barefoot is possible, sure, but minimalist shoes might be more fun.

 

[Abide]

Yeah it definitley looks like

Yeah it definitley looks like an F-bomb barefoot course. More reason to do it.