My next race accoutrements

[ThomDavid]

To endorse and promote the upcoming International Barefoot Running Day -- my first--, and after an exhaustive search of Target, I've selected the items below as (part of) my race ensemble for next week's La Jolla Half-Marathon. The shirt was easy to find (can you say Zazzle?), the matching blue nail polish not so much (who knew that blue is such a popular color and in such short supply?).

The bottom half of the outfit is still in flux. I think I'm not ready for the kilt yet, nor are any of my fellow racers ready for me in a kilt yet. A tutu is out of the question (I don't have the butt to pull that look off, even if I could find one in a coordinating color), and the ass portion of a horse costume would be, on me, too obvious a metaphor for the runner wearing it. As you can see, I tend toward the subtle approach.

So, how is YOUR IRBD outfit coming along?

 

[happysongbird]

I am just now realizing I haven't given this enough thought! But I do have a purple IBRD t-shirt.

 

[rickwhitelaw]

Nice Thom. Just rock the short shorts like you did in Carlsbad.

Just got my IBRD shirt (is it purple or black?) The extra large is huge, but given my history of shrinking shirts it should fit after a couple of washes.

 

[ThomDavid]

Well, the best laid plans...

Maybe it was a mistake, but I scoped out the course for the race this weekend. I've run it before, but never barefoot, and I was curious to see what the conditions were like once the course left the road and ascended Torrey Pines Hill trail. Well, to make it short and sweet, I could barely walk more than 25 yards on it with barefoot, and I tried several attempts. A very old chipseal, where most of the seal has eroded away, leaving three-quarter inch SHARP exposed aggregate. Much as I wished it otherwise, there's simply no way I could run it barefoot, at least with my current level of sole conditioning. My ego is a bit bruised, but if I'm honest with myself, I have to admit that it would be a horrible and painful experience. I'm not out to prove anything, so I think wisdom, in this case, is the better part of valor.

So, in addition to figuring out a choice of footwear (I've settled on some Vivobarefoot Ultras, really the only road minshoe I have), but more importantly, I don't think I'd be representing the BRS and IBRD very well while shod, even if in minshoes. So, I'll just pick a boring t-shirt, keep my toes unpainted, and hope that I can condition my feet sufficiently to actually be able to run this barefoot one day.

To the veterans out there: do your soles ever reach a condition where the road surface just isn't a concern anymore, so that no matter how sharp the gravel, you just don't feel it? Or are you just so badass that you simply don't care?

 

[NickW]

Thom, I think they are just so badass that they don't care. Even when I was at my best conditioning and could run a half marathon distance barefoot my soles were tender over rough surfaces. There's one section of really rough blacktop by a park I used to run in (when I could actually run 4-5 miles at a time) and I honestly think the better conditioned my feet got the more it hurt to run over that section. When I say conditioned for my soles I also mean that they no longer had any abrasions or blisters or any visible worn spots from running or walking. Just seemed like they FELT everything more, which made rough sections of road, trail, or sidewalk really tough. Maybe I'm unusual, I dunno. Mike always told me to grow a pair and quit whining.

 

[DNEchris]

To the veterans out there: do your soles ever reach a condition where the road surface just isn't a concern anymore, so that no matter how sharp the gravel, you just don't feel it? Or are you just so badass that you simply don't care?

I can't speak for the rest of the planet but I have no problem running on NYC's streets - but, then again, they are covered in velvet


Truth to tell my pads are a little tender at the moment - but not enough to make me don shoes. They should be fine in a couple of days.

Chip-seal has to sought out here.

 

[happysongbird]

Maybe it was a mistake, but I scoped out the course for the race this weekend. I've run it before, but never barefoot, and I was curious to see what the conditions were like once the course left the road and ascended Torrey Pines Hill trail. Well, to make it short and sweet, I could barely walk more than 25 yards on it with barefoot, and I tried several attempts. A very old chipseal,
To the veterans out there: do your soles ever reach a condition where the road surface just isn't a concern anymore, so that no matter how sharp the gravel, you just don't feel it? Or are you just so badass that you simply don't care?

I have had to wear my Moc3s for most of my races for this exact reason. SOOO much really rough pavement on the race courses. I do feel like I am making progress with it, though. I, too, would be interested in hearing if any of the more experienced barefooters ever race on chipseal-like conditions.

I wonder, DNEchris, if NY is similar to Taipei in that regard. Running the streets and asphalt paths of Taipei was smooth!

 

[Barefoot Dama]

Thom, I think they are just so badass that they don't care. Even when I was at my best conditioning and could run a half marathon distance barefoot my soles were tender over rough surfaces. There's one section of really rough blacktop by a park I used to run in (when I could actually run 4-5 miles at a time) and I honestly think the better conditioned my feet got the more it hurt to run over that section. When I say conditioned for my soles I also mean that they no longer had any abrasions or blisters or any visible worn spots from running or walking. Just seemed like they FELT everything more, which made rough sections of road, trail, or sidewalk really tough. Maybe I'm unusual, I dunno. Mike always told me to grow a pair and quit whining.

Betty White has a better recomendation and go like this.

“Why do people say "grow some balls"? Balls are weak and sensitive. If you wanna be tough, grow a vagina. Those things can take a pounding.”

 

[Barefoot Dama]

I have had to wear my Moc3s for most of my races for this exact reason. SOOO much really rough pavement on the race courses. I do feel like I am making progress with it, though. I, too, would be interested in hearing if any of the more experienced barefooters ever race on chipseal-like conditions.

I wonder, DNEchris, if NY is similar to Taipei in that regard. Running the streets and asphalt paths of Taipei was smooth!

It can be done I have raced on some not so plesant surfaces and I do just fine. The key to success I think is to seek rough surfaces while on your runs that way you're prepare for whatever is in front of you.

 

[NickW]

Betty White has a better recomendation and go like this.

“Why do people say "grow some balls"? Balls are weak and sensitive. If you wanna be tough, grow a vagina. Those things can take a pounding.”

Um, well I like this place a little (as if you couldn't tell, look at my mesage count under my avatar...) and I'm afraid saying something like that would get me kicked out...

 

[macdiver]

I ran a half mary a few years back where 7 miles were on a gravel bike path. I ended up getting blisters. I do not think it was the gravel. At the time I blamed the gravel but now I think I pushed my pace a little to hard. I had trained on sections of that trail before the race and also ran on some gnarly chip seal. I think it is possible to train to run on gravel and chip seal. However, trail runs with a lot of pointy objects like sticks, pine cones, goat heads, etc. may warrant shoes.

 

[happysongbird]

I ran a half mary a few years back where 7 miles were on a gravel bike path. I ended up getting blisters. I do not think it was the gravel. At the time I blamed the gravel but now I think I pushed my pace a little to hard. I had trained on sections of that trail before the race and also ran on some gnarly chip seal. I think it is possible to train to run on gravel and chip seal. However, trail runs with a lot of pointy objects like sticks, pine cones, goat heads, etc. may warrant shoes.

But was it a miserable 7 miles or were you used to the gravel enough that it wasn't a big deal?

 

[scedastic]

Well, the best laid plans...

Maybe it was a mistake, but I scoped out the course for the race this weekend. I've run it before, but never barefoot, and I was curious to see what the conditions were like once the course left the road and ascended Torrey Pines Hill trail. Well, to make it short and sweet, I could barely walk more than 25 yards on it with barefoot, and I tried several attempts. A very old chipseal, where most of the seal has eroded away, leaving three-quarter inch SHARP exposed aggregate. Much as I wished it otherwise, there's simply no way I could run it barefoot, at least with my current level of sole conditioning. My ego is a bit bruised, but if I'm honest with myself, I have to admit that it would be a horrible and painful experience. I'm not out to prove anything, so I think wisdom, in this case, is the better part of valor.

So, in addition to figuring out a choice of footwear (I've settled on some Vivobarefoot Ultras, really the only road minshoe I have), but more importantly, I don't think I'd be representing the BRS and IBRD very well while shod, even if in minshoes. So, I'll just pick a boring t-shirt, keep my toes unpainted, and hope that I can condition my feet sufficiently to actually be able to run this barefoot one day.

To the veterans out there: do your soles ever reach a condition where the road surface just isn't a concern anymore, so that no matter how sharp the gravel, you just don't feel it? Or are you just so badass that you simply don't care?

Old worn out chip seal is my enemy.

 

[ThomDavid]

Old worn out chip seal is my enemy.

Chipseal in and of itself is bearable at this point in my bf development. Most of the course for this race would be run on chipseal of some form or another. But the stuff I encountered on this particular portion of the course -- an infamously tough uphill portion that the race is known for -- was beyond chipseal. Because it's in a state park, and because park maintenance isn't exactly high on the list of priorities for our Sacramento overlords, this "road" is likely of original vintage, laid down once many years ago, using the lowest-bid materials, and never re-sealed again. Honestly, it felt like walking on a bed of nails, chunks of sharp aggregate that have never been worn down by vehicular traffic. Coming 5 miles into the race, I just know my feet would respond with a tidy "I don't think so," and shut the whole effort down. So, having that happen while wearing an IBRD shirt just won't do.

Or, maybe I'm just a weenie.

 

[ChasingShadows]

Better an injured ego than injured feet. You could, of course, still paint your toe nails if you wanted...

 

[migangelo]

should we set up a poll and see if you're a weenie or not?

 

[ThomDavid]

should we set up a poll and see if you're a weenie or not?

If you do, I must insist that it be conducted with the utmost scientific rigor, keeping the margin of error under +/-2%, then reviewed by Nate Silver to ensure that any and all statistical outliers have been accounted for.

Or, we can just agree that, yeah, I'm a weenie, and save us all the trouble. I've been called much worse.

 

[Longboard]

I'm just doing the same fishing shorts and plain tank or tee (forcast is for 46 degrees F at the start so not shirtless this time) but will be sportin' a 12" X 33" magnetic sign on the van w/ the BRS logo and URL. Hope to get there early enough to park it with the "other" official race vehicles.

 

[scedastic]

Chipseal in and of itself is bearable at this point in my bf development. Most of the course for this race would be run on chipseal of some form or another. But the stuff I encountered on this particular portion of the course -- an infamously tough uphill portion that the race is known for -- was beyond chipseal. Because it's in a state park, and because park maintenance isn't exactly high on the list of priorities for our Sacramento overlords, this "road" is likely of original vintage, laid down once many years ago, using the lowest-bid materials, and never re-sealed again. Honestly, it felt like walking on a bed of nails, chunks of sharp aggregate that have never been worn down by vehicular traffic. Coming 5 miles into the race, I just know my feet would respond with a tidy "I don't think so," and shut the whole effort down. So, having that happen while wearing an IBRD shirt just won't do.

Or, maybe I'm just a weenie.

Well, fancy california guy, that's how bad a lot of chip seal is where I live. The non horrible stuff I call "nice." The horrible stuff that you are referring to I call just "chip seal road."

 

[ThomDavid]

Well, fancy california guy

As I said, I've been called a lot worse than weenie