Puncturing skin on feet

doublemintgum

Barefooters
Aug 17, 2015
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#1
So far I haven't been as frequently running barefoot due to our high school xc season and my coaches obligation for us to wear shoes. Whenever I think about going for a run barefoot near the high school, this season there are spots that are covered in these little spiky seed things kind of like in the picture below. At some points the ground is covered in a thin layer and it is physically impossible not to step on them. They are very sharp too because whenever I walk through over them, they stick pretty far deep into the rubber sole. Is it possible to condition your feet so much that they don't affect you, or is it just a fact of barefoot running that you can't always have invincible feet? (sorry for the huge picture)
1280px-Spinach_seeds_spiky.jpg
 
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#2
goat heads. bring down the toughest guys. no way to stop those. Gaile Hebeserlasse (sp?) used to run home with those in his feet in lots of pain. maybe get a flamethrower?
 
#3
No way to condition your feet so they don't get stuck by those things when running. You may be able to walk across patches with these, with great care, but it sucks, and they will stick to your feet. There are reasons why early humans invented sandals. Dogs also get stuck by these. Avoid ground covered with thorns. Can you round around those patches, or sweep the path?
 
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#4
I did an hour long run on a bike path in New Mexico once and collected 50 or 60 of those things. It was no fun at all. I was basically tensed up, just waiting for the next thorn, the entire time. If those things are around, I wear shoes, period. We have some around here, but the good news is that they like disturbed ground and I've never found any out on real trails, even those heavily used by mountain bikes.
 
#5
I have some in my area. I am good about getting rid of them in my yard and farm, but the rest of the west is covered in them. They even go through thin soled sandals. Walking, you can mostly avoid them or they don't go in very deep, but running, forget about it.
 
#7
Oh, those damn goat heads! Hate 'em!

I think it would be difficult to condition your feet enough to continually run on them...but Barefoot Rick has a picture on his site somewhere where he has a needle stuck through the thickest part of the ball of foot area. Says he doesn't hurt. Yikes! I wonder what Barefoot Ken Bob would say about that.
 
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#8
Thank goodness we don't have those around here. Occasionally get some spiked seed things on the trail when some type of plant is in season, not sure what it is, plus cherry pits, and perhaps a random thorn once or twice a year, but all pretty minor.

I stepped on an a piece of barbed-wire fence that was in grass and it went into my heel, not sure how deep but probably ~1/4". I got lucky in a thick part of my heel, no bleeding at all and barely any discomfort. Finished out the run just the same.
 
#9
Barefoot TJ said:
Oh, those damn goat heads! Hate 'em!

I think it would be difficult to condition your feet enough to continually run on them...but Barefoot Rick has a picture on his site somewhere where he has a needle stuck through the thickest part of the ball of foot area. Says he doesn't hurt. Yikes! I wonder what Barefoot Ken Bob would say about that.
Click to expand...

Oh, it sure hurts. I can tell. :arghh:

Goat Heads_small.jpg
 
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#10
I've stepped on them as a kid living in Southern California several times. I know it hurts. :inpain: Only you would think to take the time to get a picture of them before removing them. ;)
 
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