Winter Barefoot Running - Indoor Cold Acclimation?

[NakedSoleNate]

 Danjo, I have worn flip

Danjo, I have worn flip flops the last four winters ;-)...except when shoveling my 200 ft. drive way...then i wore canvas slip ons...so I don't think it will be that much of a difference (maybe even warmer) having my soles on the earth.

 

[sloutre]

Phil, you can get your blood

Phil, you can get your blood flowing by doing a few push-ups or something else that's gentle on your knees.

Yesterday I tried some jumping jacks before heading outside, and I was wearing a hat and wool sweater and I found it was easier on my feet than my previous run that I did without any form of warm up.

If you want to acclimate your feet to the cold you can also just take a slow walk around the block barefoot every day or night. You will get the exact sensation of the cold pavement.

When you run, try to choose really smooth hard surface. I found that with the cold my feet don't handle gravel or chip seal very well but the smooth asphalt is a real pleasure. And as Ram said, try to do your run at the warmest time of the day. I wish I could run at 4 pm. Maybe once my almost 3y old can ride her bike by herself I will be able to run while her and her brother bike with me in the middle of the afternoon.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Phil, don't forget about

Phil, don't forget about carrying footwear with you and putting it on if you feel you need to. But also don't forget, that same footwear can be worn while you are standing around (or warming up with a short run) before the race, then you can take it off when the gun fires, carry it with you, and have it "just in case."

 

[Danjo]

You can just do an upper body

You can just do an upper body dance, haha. I think I'm gonna have to be taking my own advice when it gets colder here and blast some music and rock out until I'm all warmed up before I go on a run. Also, some people like to run a heater on their feet right before they go out. Either way would probably work for you on short runs, or you could even do both and just be totally warmed up. (Don't kick the heater while you're rocking out though.)

Back-up shoes are also a good idea, especially when you haven't figured your limits out yet, and when its cold out. If your feet go numb or start hurting, then you can just pop on the shoes and head for home.

And Nate, I only intend to wear the shoes when I'm at school or church, so the totally barefoot thing isn't too crazy to me. However depriving your feet of the warmth from your bed sheets just seems cruel, haha. If I did that the sheets would probably end up on the ground and my entire body would be freezing when I woke up.

 

[SillyC]

PhilH - it seems like you

PhilH - it seems like you understand the message of heating the core to heat the feet and hands, so...

Yes - there is a way to warm up your feet before going on the run. Bundle the heck up indoors. Put your down on and a hat and wait around until your feet and hands get hot like bricks. This may or may not work for you, though. Personally, I wear socks for the 1st 1/2 mile. After 1/2 mile, my feet get really hot and I take the socks off.

Based on where you are at, though, I think you may need to just suck it up and get some minimalist shoes for the winter.

As for long-term expectations, from what I remember last year, it seemed like almost everyone was able to run comfortably in the upper 30s (barring those with Reynaud Syndrome), a good number of us were comfy down into the mid-twenties (myself included), and a scant few were happy into the teens. I live in Massachusetts, so very similar weather to you, and I need to footwear on the colder days, but it is less often than I anticipated.



Don't run on numb feet. I guess we can't say that enough, right?



And don't worry about my precious piggies, Longboard - I carry Smartwools when it drops below 40, just in case.