A barefoot greeting from Greenland

[ArcticDuplo]

Hi All,
The very long and winded story about how I ended up barefoot running is not for this thread, but one morning i january I took off my five fingers and ran my 5K recovery run barefooted and it started my journey towards a full time barefoot (or minimalist shoed) running.
Barefoot running and Greenland is not the obvious match and being the only one of the kind in Nuuk, makes for a lot of attention, both good and bad. This forum of like-minded runners will likely open new doors.
Spend last winter running fivefingers through ice and snow, up and down nordic skiing tracks, jumping from ice flake to stone to ice flake, in temperatures down to -25C or so and all summer and fall running barefoot as much as possible.

It is a long journey just started and if I were to describe it in just three pictures it would be something like this:

I am now confident up to around half marathon distance in bare feet, but will hopefully run my first full marathon barefooted next year (but which one I do not know yet)
I travel extensively, with Utrecht and Copenhagen as regular stops and generally running barefoot where I go.
I am looking forward to learn from the experienced people in here and share my own advise where I can.

Cheers,
Thomas

 

[DNEchris]

Welcome Thomas.

I suspect that you will have a head start when it comes to the "winter challenge".

 

[Larry]

Welcome Thomas. Some beautiful scenery in those photos!

I think all the guys who do the winter challenge just got upstaged.

 

[ArcticDuplo]

Thanks guys
I guess I have to read up on what this winter challenge is all about.
But technically I have around 15K of barefoot running in temperatures below 0C, however normally I chicken back into a pair of five fingers when temperatures get too much below 0C, the last picture is from a gorgeous mid september off trail run, but I was wearing five fingers so not much winter challenge over it from a foot point of view.

 

[happysongbird]

, the last picture is from a gorgeous mid september off trail run, but I was wearing five fingers so not much winter challenge over it from a foot point of view.

That was my next question. Still looks winter challenging, either way though!

 

[Barefoot YOW]

Welcome Thomas. Great pictures and blog. Looks to be a very beautiful region to run in. Post a winter running question in the Winter Challenge thread. Lots of folks with experience running in the cold. (but I guess you're use to the cold)

 

[ArcticDuplo]

That was my next question. Still looks winter challenging, either way though!

Hi Laura,
Off trail is my favourite type of running, even though most of our mauntains are unfortunately well outside what at least for me is barefoot runnable, some surfaces is runnable as you can see from the second picture and plenty of it is hikeable, but a lot of it is ruff enough to cut my feet up and that is just not fun.
We did put in plenty of barefoot stretches while hiking Mt. washington earlier this year and that worked out OK, thanks to the somewhat smoother rock.
So maybe it is all down to me only being a little less than a year into my barefoot journey, thus plenty of years to grow tougher skin under my feet

 

[ArcticDuplo]

Welcome Thomas. Great pictures and blog. Looks to be a very beautiful region to run in. Post a winter running question in the Winter Challenge thread. Lots of folks with experience running in the cold. (but I guess you're use to the cold)

Thanks, I love our rough and desolate nature
Will look up that thread later, as we have temperatures to qualify already
The biggest factor save from freeze burns once we hit real winter temperatures, is actually that that they "sand" the roads once we start getting more snow, but as we are short on sand they use crushed rock instead and that is one sharp and unpleasant surface to run, my last barefoot run here, I had 23 pieces of rock embedded in my feet when I came home, but only 8 drawing blod and that was only 7,5K run.

 

[Phil Hart]

Welcome to the family, Thomas. Beautiful and daunting settings you get to run in. I think you'll feel right at home here. Glad to have you among us.

 

[Hobbit]

Welcome Thomas ,
I think your barefooting in Greenland is pretty impressing!
I'm not sure I would be able to do as much - in fact, thinking about it, I'm quite sure I would not be able to do what you have achieved so far!

 

[ArcticDuplo]

Welcome to the family, Thomas. Beautiful and daunting settings you get to run in. I think you'll feel right at home here. Glad to have you among us.

Thanks Phil.
The warm welcome really make me feel right at home.

Welcome Thomas ,
I think your barefooting in Greenland is pretty impressing!
I'm not sure I would be able to do as much - in fact, thinking about it, I'm quite sure I would not be able to do what you have achieved so far!

Thanks Hobbit,
It really is no different from what everybody else is doing, the location is just unusual
I am so much looking forward to learn from all the exerprienced people here.

 

[Line Kolbe]

Welcome Thomas.
That's impressive. Awesome pictures too.

 

[ArcticDuplo]

Welcome Thomas.
That's impressive. Awesome pictures too.

Thanks Line
really liked your blog, a very interesting read.

 

[rickwhitelaw]

Welcome to the group Thomas. Beautiful photos!

 

[ArcticDuplo]

Welcome to the group Thomas. Beautiful photos!

Thanks Rick
I am impressed by the warm and friendly tone here

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Welcome! Beautiful scenery there.

 

[ArcticDuplo]

Welcome! Beautiful scenery there.

Thanks TJ

 

[bfsailor]

Welcome! Very impressive photos!

I have been interested in Greenland since I was a kid - my father spent a year stationed there with the US Army Air Corp in WWII, and always had great stories to tell us. I hope to visit there someday, so I look forward to hearing of your barefoot adventures there!

 

[ArcticDuplo]

Welcome! Very impressive photos!

I have been interested in Greenland since I was a kid - my father spent a year stationed there with the US Army Air Corp in WWII, and always had great stories to tell us. I hope to visit there someday, so I look forward to hearing of your barefoot adventures there!

Thank you
I hope to live up to the adventure bit, tomorrow will be minimalist autumn/winter hiking (I wonder how five fingers and cramp ons will work out ) visiting an old friend of a peak of mine (this time a year, she is covered in snow though.):

 

[Tristan]

I saw your other thread in the hiking section first, but still wanted to say welcome aboard! Thats fantastic scenery and great pictures, my kind of place! When you say Mt Washington are you talking about New Hampshire? I've done a lot of hiking in the Whites, and also in the Adirondacks in my home state. Oh why did I move to Ohio!