Running on gravel

Bend your knees, relax and experiment. The smoother and more relaxed you are, the easier it is to run on rough surfaces. The moment you tense up is when it starts to hurt so trust your feet and just relax.
 
I did a half mile today too on 3/4" crushed gravel and it hurt so bad. My feet told me to tense up and it took everything in my power to try to keep loose. On the other hand the pea gravel a little further down felt like a smooth dirt road compared to that crushed gravel. Any of you who are good at running on crushed gravel are studs in my book.
 
I am definitely not used to it but relax relax relax and maybe start slow. I normally only run on gravel when walkers are together and taking up the entire path or when I feel bold (read stupid) and try to barefoot on a particularly gravely trail at a local state park. It's interesting that's don't have much if any pain when the gravel is nature made and not crushed up granite.
 
Don't try to do too much at once. Build up to it and don't worry if you choose to back off some. Remember - this isn't punishment. It's supposed to stay fun.
After 2 years, nearly, of BFR, I'm still choosing my routes with care to avoid the crushed stone paths. I don't see any point in pushing that hard. On the other hand, as Nick says, the smaller stuff left by the snow plow guys used to be agony for me and doesn't raise an eyebrow now. It feels kinda good, in fact.
 
The reality is that some surfaces just are not conducive to bf running. Running on large gravel will always suck, running on old weathered chip and seal will always suck, running on acorns will always suck, running on glass will always suck, etc.
 
Gravel road running can be fun if you let it, I know it sound stupid but seriously. I have ran a half marathon on a course that is all gravel and 18 miles plus of a marathon on a gravel road and had a blast doing it. The trick as BB noted is to stay relaxed, and it is great for working on your form. As long as you are not trying to break a speed record, because that just won't happen, you will be surprised what you can build up to.

I started with a couple of hundred yards, and worked my way up. Limestone paths are a good place to start before you start working on the gravel roads.
 
One thing i think you should bear in mind is that the skin of our feet adopt to the surface they are submitted to. If you only run on asphalt your skin will only adopt to this, and if you run on gravel, after a time, your skin will adopt to this also.
 
Yah, I have to agree, it's all about adaptation. I don't have any gravel paths nearby, but one of my running routes is around a lake with a chip-n-seal path. It has a nice massaging effect in comparison to the relatively smooth asphalt or concrete of my other routes. It can be a bit harsh in sub-freezing temps, but now that it's nice again, I find my feet getting itchy for that surface about once a week. I can see how one could build up to a similar relationship with gravel, and would like to try it sometime. My one-year-old son, by the way, has no problem walking on our gravel driveway!
 
I don’t know how other feel about this but I find a really tough surface to run on is really weathered asphalt. I find that there are often dime sized rocks are elevated just enough to do damage as they do not shift underfoot. I almost find running on gravel (not tightly packed) easier. Then again it may be that the roads in my area are just in REALLY bad shape =)
 
Jim to answer your question about pace, I finished that gravel half marathon in 2 hours 23 minutes. Hense about a 11:00 minute mile average, some areas were quicker than others and of course my pace did slow a bit near the end. Just as a comparison my PR for a half marathon is just under 2 hours at 1:57.