Get Lost :)
It's a perfectly balmy 45 F here in Boston right now, still raining somewhat, and I went for a stroll in some VFFs, which I don't run in often but wore since my normal shoes (NB RX505s) are still recovering from yesterday's downpour and splashing through puddles. I have two basic problems with VFFs -- despite perpetually being faster in them, which I attribute to weight more than anything, my left foot always feels the pangs of plantar fasciitis, when it doesn't ever normally, and there's always rubbing at the poorly stitched seams of these things. I suspect at least a few other people have similar problems on their runs, and I can never decide whether or not tighter or less tight fixes these problems. What does fix these problems is wearing Injinji toe socks.
Anyhow, I decided to go it barefoot for the last mile, and I ditched the VFFs. What I learned was ... the ground was really cold!! That thought never once crossed my mind! It was too cold to keep the shoes off; the bottoms of my feet were freezing after less than a block!
Deacon
Being a recent winter convert to BF/VFF running and in the Boston area, I haven't yet attempted an outdoor BF run here. (You are a bit braver than me.) I do BF on the treadmill and VFF outdoors right now. I don't know what at what temp I will switch to BF outdoors...but it will probably be somewhere north of 50 degrees (and dry).
I do know that at the beach in Maine, if the water temp is below 60, my feet can barely handle it...not sure how that translates to BFR, though...
Anything colder than that, and they don't warm up! All hail spring!
Creator of RunForth | @robraux | shodless.com
Barefoot and happy
You'll also discover that the ground temperature and the air temperature are not the same thing, and the ground temperature is what matters.
45 degrees and wet is pretty tough. But if it's dry, 45 degrees is no problem for me.
You'll also discover that the ground temperature and the air temperature are not the same thing, and the ground temperature is what matters. 45 degrees and wet is pretty tough. But if it's dry, 45 degrees is no problem for me.
Agreed, especially when things have been salted. Yuck.
I'm super slow but my feet seem fine even when it's about 20 degrees here in Colorado. Of course it's really dry. I've only gone barefoot 2 miles for the longest run. I only get cold if I walk or stop. I've run on cement, pavement, cinders, fake grass and a dirt road. I actually prefer smooth cement. Weird.
Can't seem to find a pair of VFFs around here and the ones I ordered online keep being delayed, now going on 3 months.
I'm looking forward to warmer temps (it's snowing again right now).
Thanks for the inspiration.
Cheers.
Here's a little blurb from the article that might explain the PF problem.
Our Arches are Asleep