Chemicals and Rock Salt Damage Feet?

Stoplookinatme

Barefooters
May 20, 2012
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#1
This is my second winter in New England running barefoot. Last year was much more mild and I didn't have much trouble. With the snow we've gotten I've been trying to find places that are safe to run.

I ran in a park today with the temperature around 32 F. I only ran about 3 miles today. There was a lot of rock salt and gravel on the road, but it was not any worse than other times I ran this year.

When I was done and I took a shower it looked like someone rubbed sand paper over the bottoms of my feet. They were rough and the skin was like it is after you soak it for a long time.

Do road chemicals damage feet and if that's the case than how can you run in the winter, forget the cold?

Jim
 
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#2
Yes, salt is a meat tenderizer. I don't know about the other chemicals, but if they melt ice, they'll probably interact negatively with our liquidy bodies. Like you I began winter barefoot running last winter (2011-2012), when we had a very mild winter. Even so, I had to avoid salt, which limited my routes. I live near the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, which is mostly empty in the winter. The pavement gets plowed but not salted, so I've been doing loops there when temps permit barefoot running. I guess you'd have to find something similar near you.
 
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#3
Yes this is the biggest hazard of winter barefoot running, not the cold but the crap they put on the roads and sidewalks. As Bare put it, salt will eat your feet, and the chemicals that they use, if they are anything like what they use here in Winnipeg are even worse. Once the stuff is down, you have to be very careful where you are running. Pick your routes very carefully, and if you do get any of the nasty stuff on your feet, wash it off right away as it will continue to do damage the longer it stays on your feet.
There is lots of good info in the Canadian Chapter regarding winter barefoot running. Check out the challenge thread and have fun. But be safe.
 
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#4
Also, consider that the stuff melts h2o ice and lowers its freezing point to well below freezing.
If you run through puddles of liquid water that's lower than 32F, your feet will freeze. Frostbite and tissue damage ensues, not fun.
 
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#6
And I have sympathy if you can't find a place that's not covered and drenched in salt; here, apparently, the counties are given waaaay more salt than they need and spread it EVERYWHERE at the meerest hint of frozen precip. Wouldn't dare run bare right now unless it warmed up and rained enough to get that yick out of the way.
It's a bummer.
 
#7
So it's not the scary glass that everyone warns you about that does in barefoot runners. It's the even more scary salt. Who would have thought that?

I don't know what to do. I don't think there is any place outside not treated. The only thing I can think of now is to run in socks on treadmills at the gym and wait till March to run barefoot again. Am I missing something. This is a real bummer.

Jim
 
#8
Sorry, live to run barefoot another day. Do you have a indoor track available to you.
 
#9
Stoplookinatme said:
So it's not the scary glass that everyone warns you about that does in barefoot runners. It's the even more scary salt. Who would have thought that?

I don't know what to do. I don't think there is any place outside not treated. The only thing I can think of now is to run in socks on treadmills at the gym and wait till March to run barefoot again. Am I missing something. This is a real bummer.

Jim
Click to expand...

Yeah - minimalist shoes? I live in New England as well. When the road salt comes out, it's shoe time. I think the shoes are a lot better than the treadmill.
 
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#10
Any parks or paths nearby where they might not use salt or chemicals because of the vegetation? Make a few calls to your parks department. I have found a few places in town where they try not to use salt because of the grass and trees that are next to the bike path. Any tracks at schools that the they might clear to run on? Otherwise, I would also choose min-shoes over a treadmill anytime.
 
#14
I have been using NB Minimus Trail shoes when it is imposible to run barefoot outside.
My thought was to run outside with the NB and mix in some runs with socks on the Gym treadmill to be as close to barefoot as possible.
I was thinking that if I only did the NB outside, then when spring comes it would take longer to transition back.
What do you guys think?

Jim
 
#15
Jim, there's always going to be some transition back to BF dominance, I think, at least for those of us who live in true seasonal swing areas. Last winter it was minimal due to the mildness of the winter here. This winter it's looking like it will be more significant. In any case, each season gets easier as we gain more experience. Just ask DNEChris, who hardly blinks at going from season to season.

My opinion is that getting out and running trumps the mode in which it's done.
 
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#16
Slam (stop lookin at me): I wondered the same about the transition back... I've signed up for a half marathon in April and I'm a bit concerned about it. But heck, there stands the chance it would be still sub-freezing then anyhow. I don't know if socks are going to help keep your toughness up though, I suppose the gravel bucket training would suffice but I've never tried it.
 
#17
Give yourself about a month to transistion properly, I usually go straight out of the hop to barefoot in the spring with shorter runs and usually after about a month i am back up to my standard long runs with no issue.
 
#19
JosephTree said:
In any case, each season gets easier as we gain more experience. Just ask DNEChris, who hardly blinks at going from season to season.

My opinion is that getting out and running trumps the mode in which it's done.
Click to expand...

I may not blink but I do wince a little sometimes :)

The biggest problem I find is in early Spring when a few potholes have been repaired and some of the tar-coated grit has not been tamped down. Those bits I have to stop and brush off!

Mostly though it's straight forward - just make sure not to scuff your feet along the ground.
 
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