Road surface is my major obstacle right now ...

[Jaybird]

Had been thinking of running on the Banks-Vernonia trail, I know its asphalt
but don't recall if its a chipseal kind of rough. I notice when they resurface some
of the roads out in my neck of the woods with this stuff, it sucks even on bicycle

What about the Springwater corridor, any of you run on that, is it normal asphalt?

 

[Robin]

Here's a pic of Dan (paraganek) on chip seal. Talk about a stud with rough stuff. According to his blog he ran 6 miles on this stuff.
View attachment 538

they use that stuff here too,this burns up your feet,My feet get so hot when running on this,after a while they get numb and the next day when you get up in the morning it's like your still running on it.

 

[rickwhitelaw]

To the OP. Yes, you can get used to running on rougher surfaces. Drop the distance and drop the speed your feet will get more used to it. It can also be a mental game, just try to relax. But, if you don't enjoy it, why punish yourself?

I don't have too many options of smooth surfaces where I live. My normal route is a combination of gravel, sharp rocks, a couple of smoother dirt sections, and some weeds and stickers. If I decide to run on pavement, it is rough chip seal. I have to admit, it has been frustrating lately and I am debating doing some longer runs in sandals.

The marathon that I want to run in October has 12 miles of fresh chip seal and counting, so I've got a lot of work ahead of me. I hope the traffic will pack the rocks down a little. It is 1/4-3/8 inch crushed rock. Sharp, nasty stuff.

 

[NickW]

they use that stuff here too,this burns up your feet,My feet get so hot when running on this,after a while they get numb and the next day when you get up in the morning it's like your still running on it.

Ouch.... No thanks. Me and my pansy soles will sit on the side and let you big boys/girls have your fun with that stuff.

 

[Barefoot Gentile]

You just do it. Only running barefoot for 3 years now, I still have days when the feet are more sensitive than usual, on the same roads as well. I don't dwell on that stuff though you do it.

 

[Bare Lee]

they use that stuff here too,this burns up your feet,My feet get so hot when running on this,after a while they get numb and the next day when you get up in the morning it's like your still running on it.

I usually switch my running up: mornings in the summer, afternoons in the winter, but I mostly work alone, so it's easy.

 

[Bare Lee]

You just do it. Only running barefoot for 3 years now, I still have days when the feet are more sensitive than usual, on the same roads as well. I don't dwell on that stuff though you do it.

Well BG, I respect your experience quite a bit, so perhaps one of these days I'll purposely seek out some gravel and see if I can hack it. Right now on my hill circuit I cut through a gravelly alleyway once in a while, and it's doable, but I don't think I would want to try a 3-5 mile run on that kind of surface. How did your first experience with gravel go?

 

[Robin]

Ouch.... No thanks. Me and my pansy soles will sit on the side and let you big boys/girls have your fun with that stuff.

Nick I always carry my minimal sandals around when running,If my feet hurt or get sore or whatever I just put the sandals on

 

[NickW]

You just do it. Only running barefoot for 3 years now, I still have days when the feet are more sensitive than usual, on the same roads as well. I don't dwell on that stuff though you do it.

BG - I sometimes wonder if you are super human. I know one major thing people think when they first start bfr is they find the joy in running again. If running is painful for me I just don't enjoy it and I'm counting down the miles till I am done. There's a stretch when I do my long route that is a half mile or so one way and I dread that section horribly bad. I guess there's a shorter stretch that is worse and I dread that one too. Does it ever get to where you don't dread stuff like that or will it always hurt and suck?

 

[Robin]

I usually switch my running up: mornings in the summer, afternoons in the winter, but I mostly work alone, so it's easy.

I normally try to run twice a day too,I don't work though.I can rest inbetween workouts...

 

[Barefoot Gentile]

Well BG, I respect your experience quite a bit, so perhaps one of these days I'll purposely seek out some gravel and see if I can hack it. Right now on my hill circuit I cut through a gravelly alleyway once in a while, and it's doable, but I don't think I would want to try a 3-5 mile run on that kind of surface. How did your first experience with gravel go?

Just like Jason said, you never get used to gravel trails, I still don't and never will. The thing with me and this whole barefoot running thing is I just like to see what I can accomplish, there is more to it than just the running part, it's almost like a game and test my limits. Like Rick said it's almost like a mental game. That picture of the gravel trail that someone posted looks scarey, I will never get far running on that, not many people will. I ran last week on this route I have run a million times, and the temperature dropped to 48 degrees when I started out at 5:30am, the soles of my feet felt 20 times worse than they did when I ran the 50k trail barefoot. And this was a 5 mile run just on roads. They had a burning feeling the whole day at work. I have bad days and great days, it just comes with the territory.

 

[Barefoot Gentile]

BG - I sometimes wonder if you are super human.

Far from it! Just stubborn. Like I said to Lee I have barefoot runs that are horrible, and many of them.

 

[NickW]

You also said you like testing your limits. I used to like testing myself until I realized I had to run back over the same stuff and it wasn't fun for me... I can do it but it hurt's like hell. Lately I've been running under and through the trees in order to bypass a certain little section that hurts. Funny, pinecones and gumballs I'm fine with but some of that rougher pavement and I'm crying like a baby. Ask Mike, he actually saw the tears...

 

[Barefoot Gentile]

I totally understand! There are some parts where I just dread running at times because I know it's not going to be pretty, but I throw a positive twist into it and take it as a learning lesson.

 

[Bare Lee]

I totally understand! There are some parts where I just dread running at times because I know it's not going to be pretty, but I throw a positive twist into it and take it as a learning lesson.

Thanks for sharing your experiences BG. I appreciate your honesty and no-nonsense attitude.

 

[Bare Lee]

they use that stuff here too,this burns up your feet,My feet get so hot when running on this,after a while they get numb and the next day when you get up in the morning it's like your still running on it.

Yah, I can't hack that stuff when it gets hot. Likewise, in the winter, it's a lot harder to run on. Sometimes if I land even just slightly wrong, I get a shooting pain up through my leg. On smooth, dry asphalt I can run down to 20F (minus 6-7C) comfortably, but on chipseal, anything less than freezing and it starts to get uncomfortable. Still, I find the massaging effect of chipseal addicting. When I get home my soles are all tingly, like they just came.

 

[Marco1971]

... I still have days when the feet are more sensitive than usual, on the same roads as well...

FASCINATING!!!

I thought it was just me. I have days when I can run on some rough stuff with little discomfort.

Other days running on smooth, perfect surfaces, my feet hurt like hell and I feel like I'm running on broken glass (and I'm not).

I wonder why that is, but I'm glad you shared this. I thought there was something wrong with me.

Thanks!

 

[Bare Lee]

FASCINATING!!!

I thought it was just me. I have days when I can run on some rough stuff with little discomfort.

Other days running on smooth, perfect surfaces, my feet hurt like hell and I feel like I'm running on broken glass (and I'm not).

I wonder why that is, but I'm glad you shared this. I thought there was something wrong with me.

Thanks!

Yah, this is the best place to learn about all the nuances to barefoot running. It's really great hearing about other people's experiences and ideas.

 

[chuckcwall]

Marco,

I'm a big wuss, so I bring a pair of sandals or VFFs with me and I just put them on when my feet start to hurt or I hit a rough trail. I'm also not ashamed to just stop and walk for a while. (Well, okay, I'm a little bit ashamed, but I do it anyways.) The catch is that wearing minimalist shoes or sandals makes it much easier to do TMTS, while being barefoot is very self-regulating in that respect. Good luck!

 

[Last Place Jason]

Just wanted to chime in on a point BG made- tackling tough terrain really can be a fun mental game. I spent years seeking out and trying to conquer the most difficult terrain I could find. I eventually gave up when I felt it was interfering with my ability to get closer to my potential in the races I wanted to run (mountain ultra), but seeing BG after his Pineland Farms barefoot 50k reawakened that adventurousness. It made me want to go back to pushing my limits on occasion.

Not only is that limit-pushing fun, it really develops your trail running skills. Before I had gnarly trails for training, I did most of my training on rough gravel roads. Having to dance around on that crap dramatically improved my ability to pick out the ideal foot landing in a cluttered debris field, improved my balance, and was a good core workout.

Don't be afraid to occasionally tackle the really nasty stuff. Start by walking. The sensitivity of the sharp stuff will decrease to a point. More importantly, you develop the skills to avoid debris or minimize the pain. Graduate to very slow running. Eventually you become fairly proficient. You'll be surprised at what you can tackle.