I want my layer of hurt!

[jschwab]

Just whining. I went for a run with my running club tonight and had to go bare with no backup because I left my water shoes at home. Ouch! #%*& 4.4 miles of chip and seal. I was running with a lady who wanted to go a little faster than my comfort zone and the scrape and peel killed me and I messed up our run together. I thought I was going to puke when I got home. Ugh. How long til it doesn't matter? How long til I get my layer of hurt?

 

[capmikee]

I remember after my first

I remember after my first barefoot 5-miler it was very painful to walk. Since then it's been better - I'm guessing that you have to hurt your feet a little to make them tougher. But I've only been BF running for a year or so - I'm still pretty tender going over gravel and such. Does anyone with more experience have any words of warning or encouragement?

 

[saypay45]

I try to run on chipseal at

I try to run on chipseal at least once a week. It's never going to stop hurting altogether, but it took several months for me to get to the point where I can run on even crappy chipseal with tolerable pain.

You can make it feel better by quickening your stride, bending your knees more, and telling yourself to stop freaking out about the pain. Honestly, the last point makes a huge difference. When I tell myself that it doesn't hurt, my body stops freaking out about it and the pain goes down to completely managable levels.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Mind over matter, exactly.  I

Mind over matter, exactly. I don't think Ken Bob and Rick ever have this problem, but they've been doing it for ages. So there's your answer...ages.

 

[capmikee]

I sometimes feel like the

I sometimes feel like the pain is making me tense, and that never helps.

 

[treepatter]

capmikee wrote:I sometimes

I sometimes feel like the pain is making me tense, and that never helps.

Yes, as a beginner, it's difficult for me to stay relaxed while my feet are still tender, and i'm constantly keeping an eye out for harmful debris.

Hopefully in time...

 

[jschwab]

Yup, mind over matter. There

Yup, mind over matter. There is no sign of the trauma today - it was really just a "feeling", no actual bruising or blistering, just unbearable in the moment. So frustrating. I'll take the sharp edges of bricks anyday. I think the main problem was that it ruined my illusion that I could keep it simple. If I forget my shoes, I still pay - I still need the shoes if I run into trouble and I was hoping I was at the point where having my shoes or not didn't matter.

 

[saypay45]

capmikee, it sometimes helps

capmikee, it sometimes helps for me to take a deep breath, and while exhaling to think to myself (or say out loud), "this does not hurt". It amazes me every time how much better I feel afterwards. That tense feeling that you describe only escalates the pain.