Russian Roulette

[jimwb]

Is it just because I am a beginner that I feel like every time I go out I’m playing Russian Roulette. I stepped on a root with a sharp pointy thing on it a couple of months ago on a trail that made a small puncture wound on the arch of my foot and it took several weeks to where it stopped hurting and now it is pretty much completely healed. Last night I went out on asphalt, safe right, but it was after they had sanded so there were tons of little sharp rocks all over the place. Now I have a new tiny puncture wound right behind the ball of my foot kind of in the center and every once in a while when I take a step it feels like I get stabbed. I’m hoping it heals up fast, but just wondering if this will always continue with this sport.



-Jim

 

[Lomad]

I do kinda think it's a

I do kinda think it's a beginner thing. I remember feeling that way (only been at bfr 8 months or so) early on; but in pretty short order my feet became more resilient and I became more accustomed to the sensations and such. it definitely gets better. Some of that feedback is what keeps you from doing too much to soon and ending up in an overuse injury.

Take an extra rest day between runs, maybe; in my experience, scattered gravel over asphalt/pavement is the WORST. I still dislike it. That's why I got huaraches

 

[Barefoot TJ]

After you've done this a

After you've done this a while, you do tend to run lighter, use your eyes more, and become more intune with the run, so these incidents lessen. They won't go completely away, but you'll have periods where you don't step on anything for weeks or months. Also, you start to develop thicker skin, so the rough stuff doesn't bother you so much. Hang with it. You'll see.

 

[NickW]

I primarily run barefoot and

I primarily run barefoot and I dont mind scattered gravel on pavement much anymore. I've only been barefoot about 10 months or so and I noticed it took awhile before the skin on my feet toughened up. It probably took 4-5 months for the skin to decide it was going to thicken for me. Now I don't ever have much for problems anymore other than under the first met head on my left foot. The met head feels bigger than on my right foot so I wear through the skin easier on that side. I'm learning that longer distances I have to run in my huaraches.

 

[ajb422]

+1 to the comments about it

+1 to the comments about it getting better.

I think part of it is your feet just don't puncture all that easily. They seem to deflect things, even dirt. I come back with much cleaner feet than I used to. Plus the scanning the ground and missing rocks become so second nature you do it even in shoes walking places.