The barefoot runner qualification thread

[fetish4running]

Matt wrote:I wish that the

I wish that the weather would be a little more cooperative, though. For example, it might be 33 and dry for one run, then down in the teens for my next run. That's just too big a jump to go from 33 down to the teens. It's rare when I can get temps and conditions that match what I'm actually ready for in terms of my adaptation.

YES! I'm in Michigan and one thing you can count on is that the weather won't be the same from run to run. It makes it VERY difficult to gradually adapt.

 

[JosephTree]

"Goin' where the weather

"Goin' where the weather matches my shoes. Goin' where the weather matches my shoes. Goin' where the weather matches my shoes, Lord Lord. Ain't gonna be treated this a'way."

Woody G. had the right running philosophy.

 

[harrino]

I agree totally with jschwab-

I agree totally with jschwab- I have no issues with the cold like Rick says in his article - I love running in the cold and rarely need more than a lond sleeve tech shirt and shorts - I over heat like crazy hands and feet are fine - for me it is the dark. And running in Hoboken and NYC on unlit streets in general is fine but you really have to have you wits about you I have really seen a massive upswing in glass on the streets recently so I tend to do my longer runs in VFF's when I run late at night as I know visibility will be poor. If I did the same run in daylight I would always do it BF

 

[pbarker]

Respect in the forms is

Respect in the forms is essential. I am almost certain we will see some frostbite this winter. Most appreciate the fine line we walk.

 

[NakedSoleNate]

 yes, I know guys who snow

yes, I know guys who snow shovel barefoot....and if I can, I will...I know my body, and I know when I should back off, and when I can push ahead...I shoveled last year in flip flops, because it didn't occur to me to not wear them...I've never liked socks, hardly ever wore them....and I've kept my feet bare even while asleep, to be consistent with conditioning...we will see what happens....if I have to done a pair of woolies, I will let you know :-D.

 

[Last Place Jason]

I heard someone calling for

I heard someone calling for stupid... thought I'd chime in. over the years, I usually opted for wool socks under aqua socks. I tried two years of VFFs. All were successful. Last year, I decided to take the plunge and test my limits. Here's what I found after about 300 sub-freezing miles in snow, both good and bad (all barefoot):

1- I could run in wet snow down to 24° up to about eight miles. After that, I started losing feeling. In dry snow, I could go down to 21°.

2- Racing on wet asphalt hovering around freezing is a REALLY bad idea. The friction and moisture was very difficult and painful.

3- When the temps dropped below zero, any barefoot running was imminently dangerous. I ran 1/3 of a mile and my feet hurt for two weeks.

4- Barefoot on snowy trails provided much better traction than VFFs or trail shoes with YakTraks.

5- A warm day flollowed by cold day followed by light, powdery snow = horrific conditions. The sharp, hardened base under the fluff cut the hell out of my feet. That happened in February, I was barely recovered for Mind the Ducks in May.

Barefoot running in snowy West Michigan in sub-freezing temps was fun sometimes, but most of the time it caused more problems than it prevented. Part of my motivation was a lack of good alternatives. I have a few good options this year, so my winter barefoot running will be cut dramatically.

 

[The Ramzev]

 Compared to you Jason, I

Compared to you Jason, I live in the tropics. It's fairly rare for temps to drop below 20 during the day in DE which makes it a bit easier to stay barefoot. I'm certain if I lived in the great North I'd be looking for shoes too, or I'd be drunk running to try to stay warm (but that a whole different topic about stupid)

 

[fetish4running]

So if you use protection for

So if you use protection for your feet for much of the winter, how long does it take to get your feet accustomed to barefooting again? Do you try to run bf occasionally to keep your skin conditioned? And how often?

 

[paraganek]

Abide wroteeople have used

People have used vaseline on top of there feet and have said it helps.

Great tip, thanks Abide.

It is cold (40F), windy and raining all the time over here these days so for today's run I tried putting a thick layer of vaseline on top of my feet and voila, worked like a charm, my feet warmed up much sooner.