not bad for mile 25
#2867
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Michael Sandler's new book "Barefoot Running" discusses this, and in it he states that running BF on wet pavement will soften the soles and cause them to abrade or wear down quickly because they become soft in wet conditions - possibly to the point of having to re-establish tough pads if there is enough wet-pavement running. So, he advises against it.
For the same reasons, he says if you are going to split a run into part shod and part BF, it's best to run BF first - rather than having your feet sweating in shoes, getting them damp or wet, and then running bare on pavement with wet (softer) feet.
Personally, I have run 2 or 3 several milers BF on wet pavement & once in the rain with no apparent ill effect (really can't help it here in Fla.). But those were "isolated" incidents, and had I run several times in a row and/or a lot farther on wet roads, I would probably be sorry I that did.
Bill
"I don't always roll a joint, but when I do, it's usually my ankle" - unk. "Frankly autocorrect, I'm getting a bit tired of your shirt". I ran half my last race on my left foot!
@RunrGreg
I've only run once BF on wet pavement. It was a fairly short run (1.7 miles), and I had some tiny hotspots at the end.
On the other hand, here's a post by Angie Bee on a 20K race she did in the rain. She didn't have any problems. http://barefoot-angieb.blogspot.com/2010/06/dam-to-dam-barefoot-race-report.html
Where is the evidence to support that claim?
I was glad to cite the source of the claim for you. I simply added that based on my own experience, I haven't had any difficulty with running BF when it's wet, but that I might have if I did so a whole lot more. So, I have already decided that I don't foresee it as a problem. Nor has any other poster here so far. Just something to be cognizant of - at least for me.
I was glad to cite the source of the claim for you. I simply added that based on my own experience, I haven't had any difficulty with running BF when it's wet, but that I might have if I did so a whole lot more. So, I have already decided that I don't foresee it as a problem. Nor has any other poster here so far. Just something to be cognizant of - at least for me. Bill
I was just saying that just because someone writes a book on barefooting, it doesn't make them the end all be all.
I believe Ken Bob doesn't agree with that claim.
I've only had blister problems in wet conditions when I'm pushing exhaustion. My first barefoot 5k (PRd over my shod time by two minutes) was post-rain, and I got a blister. My first barefoot half, in the rain, got a few really bad blisters (PRd by 15 minutes). I even got a little blister last weekend running a 5k on wet pavement. I didn't PR, but I ran so hard I puked.
Really, I'm just replying as an excuse to bring up my first race puke again.
I think it has something to do with form, because at slower paces in the rain I have no problems. I think I start making mistakes when I'm really tired, and for whatever reason the mistakes don't hurt when wet so I don't correct them. The main blister area is always the same: my right big toe.
Pushing off on the big toe too much, maybe?
Yup. I've been able to run fast in the wet without problems so long as I focus on lifting that toe quickly. For whatever reason, forgetting on dry pavement doesn't result in a blister. Or at least, hasn't so far.
@B-Josh: So you don't think the moisture affects the toughness of the skin of the foot?
Not sure. My feet look different after being wet for a while, but it could also be easier to slip on wet pavement. I do think that a runner's form can be good enough that foot-toughness can be compromised without any problems.