Comments for Running Press

Comment on Cold feet? by Soul Man

Soul Man — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:33:44 +0000

Yes, freakiness and cold are the two of the greatest challenges in barefoot running for me too, and I find both depend on the time of year.

I have been shouted at once for running barefoot and it’s not a pleasant experience – the combination of tight lycra and barefoot really upsets people. So, if I ‘normalise’ some of the other aspects of my appearance I think it helps. To that end, when I am running around the city centre I often wear loose track suit/training bottoms and not everyone notices the bare feet below.

Something else that helps with both appearance and the cold is socks. I bought a load of navy blue sports sock multi-packs, which were in a bargain bucket, and sometimes wear those if it’s cold or wet. They’re so cheap that it doesn’t matter if they wear out, but they give you a small degree of insulation, stop sharp, wet grit adhering to your soles, and normalise your appearance for those not really paying attention (especially when you have feet as large and pale as I do).

At the end of the day though, you will have to toughen up one way or the other – a challenge that faces all barefoot runners. Good luck!

Comment on Cold feet? by Blind Boy

Blind Boy — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:53:33 +0000

This thread should give you an idea of what’s possible in terms of barefoot running in the cold: http://barefootrunners.org/forum-topic/barefoot-winter-challenge-2012

For me personally 800 meters is nowhere near enough for my feet to regain enough sensation for running, it usually takes 2-3 km and by that time I’ll pull off my hat and gloves too if I even bother bringing them. This holds true down to about -5C, if it’s colder than that I’ll wear shoes. I think your best bet would be to wear shoes until you can run long enough to allow your feet to warm up during the run. I can’t really see the benefit of running barefoot if you can’t feel what you’re doing, especially in the beginning when you can’t really trust your form without the feedback from your feet.

I’ll second what RTP said, check out the Barefoot Runners Society, it really is the best place to find out more about these things.

Comment on Cold feet? by RTP

RTP — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:59:14 +0000

Matt,
You might like to check out Barefoot Runners Society, in particular the forum there. I’ve invited some comments from them so more info should follow.
For the record, I’ve found that running in rain and on wet roads is ok (and nice), and need not restrict barefoot running too much, but do monitor the feet on the run as the wet will soften the skin. The cold is somewhat different and can mask damage to the feet due to numbness; as always, easy does it. As for keeping the feet warm, mine are sizzling after I’ve been out in the snow!

Comment on An Almost Barefoot Year #4 by RTP

RTP — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:57:36 +0000

A great update, Soul Man, and a welcome surprise to see you back.
It seems that whether running completely barefoot or in minimalist shoes, the learning curve is extremely long; sometimes it’s sharp and sometimes it’s almost imperceptibly smooth. Like running itself, the journey is full of surprises.
Good luck to you, enjoy that beautiful contryside and do drop in again from time to time, your words are always worth reading.

Comment on The Barefoot Running Experiment by RTP

RTP — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:57:42 +0000

Thanks Nick, a great reminder that no matter how long we’ve been running there are still surprising discoveries to be made. Keep us posted with your progress and remain vigilant during the early months.

Comment on The Barefoot Running Experiment by Nick Coote

Nick Coote — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:42:08 +0000

At the age of 60, I’ve just discovered “barefoot” running – inverted commas as I’m actually using Vibram KSO’s because a. It’s winter and cold, b. there’s too much dog mess and broken glass where I live, but I’ll move onto the real thing once my soles toughen up. I got these VSO’s only last week and sorry to say I didn’t follow the ‘take it easy’ advice: I loved the feeling so much my initial experimental few-hundred-yard venture turned into my usual 11km circuit through the nearby woods. But Wow! – other than the anticipated calf muscle soreness, I’m fine. Running like this seems so much more normal and seems to take a lot less effort. I’ll now never go back to a conventional heeled shoe. Just goes to show, even at 60, the years of running with shoes doesn’t mean that the body’s natural way of doing things has totally atrophied…

Comment on New Year ambition by RTP

RTP — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 20:23:03 +0000

Looking forward to following you on your journey Matt, good luck!

Comment on Barefoot running and injuries by RTP

RTP — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:54:00 +0000

Yes, Jack, it is a small study. Certainly, here in the UK although there are huge numbers of runners, there are still very few who venture out barefoot. Our own survey is creeping towards 200 respondents and is giving quite useful data; we’ll be publishing some analysis when we get more.

Comment on Barefoot running and injuries by Jack Grudgings

Jack Grudgings — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:55:36 +0000

Whilst the report is an interesting read the sample size of 40 runners in total is very small when compared with the number of people who run, who must number millions.

Comment on Product Reviews by RTP

RTP — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 20:04:06 +0000

Thanks Steven,

Certainly, we’ll be in touch.

Graham