Winter Challenge - 2013

The roads in my neighborhood only see rocks, I mean what they call sand here in the winter. I stay off the main roads where they tend to use salt and chemicals, so I can't help you there. My cold tolerance has gotten quite a bit lower compared to just 2 years ago, but the minute my feet get wet due to slush or fresh snow melting on top of my feet while running my tolerance is gone. Dry roads at -15C doable, slush or fresh snow at -1C, not so. Got used to running in my KIGO's again, so all is good. It was about a 2-3 week transition before I got comfortable in min shoes again.
 
Hey, one question for everyone: is it OK to run on a surface that's been salted but is now dry and just has residue? I wonder if I could've gotten by by running back and forth on the sidewalk yesterday. In other words, if my feet are dry and the surface is dry, can salt residue still interact detrimentally with my skin?

The last couple days the temperature dropped to around -25°C with the wind chill. It dried out the roads somewhat, but instead of black pavement it was white. The salt totally covered the roads. I've run on this before. Salt without moisture is OK, for me. Saying that though I chose to not run barefoot. It doesn't look like I'll get any barefoot in this week. Time to hit the gravel bucket.

@Lee - take care of those feet.

@HSB - I tend to leave my hat on regardless. I typically run with 3 upper 2 lower layers in the winter. I'd rather sweat like a pig then be chilled and too far from home (shelter)
 
The last couple days the temperature dropped to around -25°C with the wind chill. It dried out the roads somewhat, but instead of black pavement it was white. The salt totally covered the roads. I've run on this before. Salt without moisture is OK, for me. Saying that though I chose to not run barefoot. It doesn't look like I'll get any barefoot in this week. Time to hit the gravel bucket.

@Lee - take care of those feet.

@HSB - I tend to leave my hat on regardless. I typically run with 3 upper 2 lower layers in the winter. I'd rather sweat like a pig then be chilled and too far from home (shelter)

I just went running and there was dirt (maybe salt?) in many places, as well as little rocks. I think it was the result of the salt trucks from the recent ice on the roads? I had to run really slow. But even with going really slow I had to keep stopping to brush the tiny rocks off of the bottoms of my feet. I'm not so fond of sidewalks where so many tiny rocks become unavoidable, thus forcing me to walk.

At one point I decided to go on some grass, which was a mistake. I guess the grass got wet because my feet became very cold and my toes went numb. When I went back on the sidewalk my toes warmed right back up.
 
Update - Dec 15

Run Lite and Grant had 40km+ weeks ... Well done!
We have 51 participants now.

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The last couple days the temperature dropped to around -25°C with the wind chill. It dried out the roads somewhat, but instead of black pavement it was white. The salt totally covered the roads. I've run on this before. Salt without moisture is OK, for me. Saying that though I chose to not run barefoot. It doesn't look like I'll get any barefoot in this week. Time to hit the gravel bucket.

@Lee - take care of those feet.

@HSB - I tend to leave my hat on regardless. I typically run with 3 upper 2 lower layers in the winter. I'd rather sweat like a pig then be chilled and too far from home (shelter)
Thanks for the feedback YOW. I think I'll give it a try. I've run through dry patches of salt residue, but never for an extended amount of time. My sense was that it was doable, but I didn't want to risk the burn until I had heard of others' experiences. Should be close to freezing today, so I'll probably try a barefoot run again if I can find some clear surfaces. It's been two weeks now without a decent barefoot run.

Edit: Oh oh, it's snowing again. December is turning into a very unbareable month.

Last week's frostnip was very minor. I lucked out. By the second day my toes felt fine.
 
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The good news is that my toes don't feel too bad at all today, and are getting better as the day goes on, so I should be able to run bare by Sunday or Monday, if the weather cooperates. I just don't have much enthusiasm
Hey, one question for everyone: is it OK to run on a surface that's been salted but is now dry and just has residue? I wonder if I could've gotten by by running back and forth on the sidewalk yesterday. In other words, if my feet are dry and the surface is dry, can salt residue still interact detrimentally with my skin?

Lee, salt is salt, I found that no matter if it was done its job of melting the snow (dry) or wet nor whether it had been there for a while it is still salt if it is visible and will destroy your feet. Once the streets are done that is it for me in that location. They don't do the sidewalks here unless it is the home owner so that is the only place I feel safe to run other than trails. I learned from that mistake finally after 3 years of it.
 
Got 3 km in today in a very balmy +2C in Kentucky. Sidewalks were dry but had a lot of rock salt on them, didn't seem to bother me that much. Got a few funny looks as I was in shorts and a tee shirt. Felt good to get some barefoot stimulus. Was on the dread mill in hotel last night and early this morning but found my feet getting to hot on the belt, so outside I went this afternoon.
 
Got 3 km in today in a very balmy +2C in Kentucky. Sidewalks were dry but had a lot of rock salt on them, didn't seem to bother me that much. Got a few funny looks as I was in shorts and a tee shirt. Felt good to get some barefoot stimulus. Was on the dread mill in hotel last night and early this morning but found my feet getting to hot on the belt, so outside I went this afternoon.

Did you encounter any excess "rubbing" sensation from the salt? I didn't notice until the next day but the last time I went running there was salt and it rubbed a little raw spot which is now a red color and tender. It's a very small spot, but I won't go out running for a few days while my skin gets normal again.
 
Got in another mile of bfr yesterday afternoon, and got another case of extremely mild frostnip. Was it worth it? Yes!

It was in the mid 20s, about -4C, when I run-commuted home. Yesterday's earlier high had been above freezing, and people had had a few days to shovel and plow since the last snowfall, so I was hopeful that at least half of the way home would be clear surfaces, either dry or moist. It turns out most of it was still compacted snow and mild slush. Opps.

Just a little hot pain as my toes warmed up after I got home and put some smart wool socks on them. Today my toes are just a little bit crispy. Still, it felt great to run bare again, and I must've gone at least 8mm pace the whole way. Nothing like imminent frostnip to keep the speed up!

My fairgrounds street still hasn't cleared so today I'll try to get in a five-miler with my Vapor Trails. I've decided to use those most of the time because they're the only shoe besides the Moc3s that don't alter my foot landing. With the Neo Trails I really have to think about it in order not to land on my heels. I don't really care about foot landing when I'm running in fresh snow, but on compacted snow and slush I think it's worth trading in the extra traction of the Neo Trails for the ability to run mindlessly in the Vapor Trails.

Mostly I've just been really unmotivated to run in shoes. More so this year than last. But I think I need to give it a week or two, like Dutchie does, to acclimate, so to speak, to the loss of sensation. I've been putting it off because I've been hopeful that it'd be possible to barefoot it soon, but the rest of the month here in St. Paul isn't looking very bareable, although January is supposed to be milder. And we're going to visit relatives in California early January, so hopefully the lows in the morning will be low enough for some good qualifying runs, although winter running in California feels a little like cheating.

Oh sh!t, I see this is my 4000th message! And it was mostly about shoes.
 
Dude, 4000 posts that is crazy.......
 
lol, awesome.:D
 
And we haven't seen much of him since.
Well, just how does gravity work?
BH Hobbit,
B&A was a very accomplished collegiate runner who became a minshoe Pose method coach, and came here looking for clients. The Pose method describes running as repeated falling, so the trick is to use the energy of gravity to propel one forward. Of course, anyone who remembers their high school physics knows this isn't possible. If it were, then fat people would have a distinct advantage over thin people and would be able to run faster. B&A was pretty good-natured about the debates, but I think in the end he saw BRS was a target-poor environment for recruiting new clients.

In any case, I've pretty much given up discussing technique and form issues. Last year I was really into reading up on running and discussing it here, but this year I've decided it's really not worth the trouble, since I have pretty much resolved where I stand on the issues (basically: screw all that and just run!) and have found most folks believe what they want to believe anyway. Still, I still find myself drawn into giving unsolicited advice/opinions from time to time :oops: .
Another 6" of snow today. The roads are a mix of snow covered and salty slush. I think I'll have to try and find a well used trail. Zero klicks so far this week.
More snow here yesterday too, but just a few inches. I've still just been run-commuting this week. No proper runs. I'd like to get one in later today, but I'll probably end up sledding with the kids. It's the first weekend with snow when it hasn't been bitterly cold. Today it's supposed to be more passive-aggressively cold, typical of Minnesota, so I'll get my workout in pulling the kids up the hills.

Forecasted highs in January are mostly in the upper 20s, so hopefully I'll be able to get my barefoot groove back then. This month we seem to be getting 1-3 inches of snow every few days, so even on the days when it creeps up in the -5C-to-0 range, the conditions have been too wet for bfr. My plantar calluses are starting to whither. Might need a little mild frostnip to tide my tactile tastes over in the interim.