Winter Challenge - 2013

Update --- only 4 weeks to go!!

Great mileage this week from Adam, Yvonne, and swoggis. We're closing in on 5000 km

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Barefoot YOW, I am such an outlier -- maybe sort by last 2 or first 2 columns? :) Sante. d
 
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Glad to see you're still running Barefoot YOW. Those are some pretty impressive stats considering the temperatures! Wish I could run this cold, but I've been a real wimp this winter. I really haven't run outside since about November!

Good to hear from you Paul... yep it has been a tough winter to get barefoot mileage in. I've only managed about 13 km in 2014. I'm having to settle for the treadmill.
 
Bare Lee is now in a battle with Yvonne. Yvonne is ahead by a toe.

10 runners with 200+ km
4700+ km for the group

28 more days to go in the Challenge.
Haha, I can't believe I'm competing in something. A slow, old guy like me should never have a chance to win anything related to running.

That said, . . . our Arctic blast/polar vortex finally lifted yesterday, but we got a coating of snow so I stayed shod. This morning, however, I was able to run-commute 2.4 miles (3.9 km) at 14F/-10C, no windchill, with one less layer top to bottom: no footwear, no long underwear, three instead of four top layers, thin wool mittens instead of my thick sheepskin ones, and no face mask (although I kept the balaclava on under my cap). The sidewalks are still covered with icy, compacted snow, but the main roads are pretty much clear, and early in the morning there's little traffic, so I ran out in the middle of the street, on dryish pavement most of the time. I did have to dodge a few semis, but it's easy to hear those guys coming from a long ways away.

According to the Accuweather forecast, there should be nothing but doable qualifying temps from here until the end of March. But whatever happens, I'm just so happy to be running carefree-bare again! I won't have to worry much about temps or footwear again until December, and I doubt I'll have to return to the fairgrounds again to get in my tactile stimulation. The only question is snow, but once we're above freezing, I should be able to handle that as well.

As YOW has said, this has been the worst winter for barefoot running. It's amazing that Yvonne has been able to put up such consistent mileage throughout, and she's kicking butt in the unofficial sub-freezing category, where the real challenge lies.
 
Everyone participating in the Challenge is an outlier. 5 or 500 km, everyone in the Challenge is a champion (IMO)


You are kind. Cheers and <3 to all.
 
Finally got in a good really cold run yesterday. Runs at 32-40F hardly seem challenging anymore, especially this winter!
Yesterday was sunny, dry, with an air temp. of 22F and the wind chill hovering about 13F. I did a good 3 miles, which for me takes about 30 minutes, and could have easily gone more. The roads were full of grit and salt, which didn't feel particularly great but it was wonderful to have dry roads and sunshine for a change!
 
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Finally got in a good really cold run yesterday. Runs at 32-40F hardly seem challenging anymore, especially this winter!
Yesterday was sunny, dry, with an air temp. of 22F and the wind chill hovering about 13F. I did a good 3 miles, which for me takes about 30 minutes, and could have easily gone more. The roads were full of grit and salt, which didn't feel particularly great but it was wonderful to have dry roads and sunshine for a change!
I'm still struggling a bit with the moisture,
but things are drying up quickly around here too.
Got in another seven miles up in the fairgrounds yesterday afternoon. But had to warm up the feet twice in the car. There was enough slush and too much wind.
All the main roads are clear of snow and slush, but they're only clear of traffic early in the morning.
Neighborhood sidewalks are showing patches of dry pavement too.
Should be in the 40s tomorrow afternoon!
Maybe even in the 50s in 10 days' time!!
Let the thaw begin!!!
Care-free
bare feet
are around the corner!!!!

This winter there's been almost no middle ground (teens and twenties) at all.
 
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Yes, finally going to see a nice change in weather. I will say how well I adapted to running in the "teens" this year barefoot. Years previously I would be a bit skeptical, but given the fact that the average seemed around the teens, I really didn't second guess myself heading out for a run in those temps.
 
I was stupid on the weekend and suffered a bout of frostbite. It just felt so good to be running barefoot on packed snow. I guess it was just a little too far/cold. I'll have to wait and see what ramifications I will have to pay for being stupid. If I'd waited 2 hours the sun came out, roads were dry, and temps were about -5C. I could have gotten in 15-20km on pavement. Oh well, skin grows back.
 
Yes, finally going to see a nice change in weather. I will say how well I adapted to running in the "teens" this year barefoot. Years previously I would be a bit skeptical, but given the fact that the average seemed around the teens, I really didn't second guess myself heading out for a run in those temps.
It's funny, we've been so all or nothing this winter that I didn't end up running in the teens as much as I would've liked. I think my tolerances improved, but it's hard to be sure. I know I got a little better about running on compacted snow this winter, for shorter distances at least, but the fresh stuff still did me in.

Most of December, January, and February it was either too cold or too snowy to do any barefoot running consistently. I had to pick my spots when I could. But this morning I got in six glorious miles unshod at 35F/31F windchill. Pretty much all of my neighborhood's streets and a good chunk of the sidewalks are clear now, although there's some killer slush and puddles about. I actually sweated with my three top layers on, and had to take off my wool cap and thin wool gloves. Felt like summer!
I was stupid on the weekend and suffered a bout of frostbite. It just felt so good to be running barefoot on packed snow. I guess it was just a little too far/cold. I'll have to wait and see what ramifications I will have to pay for being stupid. If I'd waited 2 hours the sun came out, roads were dry, and temps were about -5C. I could have gotten in 15-20km on pavement. Oh well, skin grows back.
Bummer about the frostbite YOW. I thought you were the adult in the room o_O . Hope you heal up quickly!
 
Here we come. Got a couple of short runs in finally the past few days. They were on packed snow and some slush, but it was short lived, as we are back to minus double digits again. I tried yesterday but with the slush freezing again it made for poor barefooting conditions. I think we are still 2 weeks away from more consistent barefoot conditions. YOW, I feel for you. I've been careful in running barefoot this winter as Ive gotten to know my tolerances. It is getting harder and harder as the winter seems to go on forever to not want to go out and run barefoot. Heal well, when I got frostbite a few years ago the feet were good to run on once the blisters popped, leave the skin on as a protective layer and you'll be able to run in your KIGO's in a day or 2..
 
That's the frostnip leaving your toes. I'm thinking you must have had that burning feeling in your toes not that long ago.
Yep, guilty as charged. I had deluded myself into thinking I had become able to manage mild moisture in sub-freezing temps right up to the threshold of frostnip, when in fact, those times when I felt the burning for 15-60 minutes after a run musta been actual frostnip. Oh well, it's fun being an idiot once in while. My sole and big toe calluses are fine, which makes sense, because the pain has always been in the smaller toes.

Next year I'm definitely going to ramp down the challenge a bit, and put on the Sockwas whenever conditions are iffy, or perhaps even when they're just uncomfortable. It's great to be running bare again, but the Sockwa G4s have great groundfeel and provide just enough insulation and protection from moisture to get through almost all winter conditions. Only in deepish snow or sub-zero (-20C) temps do I need my Neo Trails and/or socks.

We have pretty dry surfaces now, and should have highs in the 30s and 40s for most of March, so we're home-free. I feel for you guys up north still dealing with full-on winter.
 
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