A Passion for Running

Comment by jank

Tuesday July 05, 2005 @

How cool is that, barefoot man…

Re: the kids: part of their ability to easily cross surfaces that dig into your feet is based on good old material properties. Flesh and nerves don’t change much between childhood and adulthood – it’s the same stuff as far as load carrying capabilities and force required to stimulate pain response is concerned.

What does change is the loading on a given surface area.

Based on a quick calculation of my 5 year old and me, I’m roughly 5 times more massive than he is. But my feet have between 2 and 3 times the surface area that his do. Which means, on a pounds per square inch basis, I put about twice as much force on the load-bearing area of my feet than he does. Standing still (Statically, if you’re still with me).

Work out the math dynamically (for feet in motion), and there’s much more force per area on your feet than the kids’.

The upshot is that regardless of callouses, etc, an adult’s foot is much more sensative to pointy rocks, etc, than a kid’s. Callouses, etc, might make them less suceptable to abrasion or actual cutting, but the amount of force that a given nerve ending in your foot feels from a given rock is going to be more than a kid would.

Comment by Mark

Tuesday July 05, 2005 @

hmmm…that is so interesting Bill. I would have never thought to work that out but you are right about the mass advantage. Now, I’m really jealous!

Comment by Deene

Tuesday July 05, 2005 @

Bill is smart.
Last year when I watched a triathlon, Native American style in Montana, the runners wore buckskin or leather moccasins that fit to the form of their feet. Similar to wearing socks but sturdy enough to prevent splinters and protect from sharp edges. Those might work for you.

Comment by susan

Tuesday July 05, 2005 @

Gosh it’s so good to hear your enthusiasm again, Mark. It has been a long haul for you; I’m glad to see it is all paying off.

Comment by Annalisa

Tuesday July 05, 2005 @

Yeah, it’s funny too, what you get used to. When we were at the cape, walking around on the beach, there were many parts that were filled with rocks and shells. OW! And Ouch! Ow! Holy Hell! (Repeat)

Rob made the comment about how raw his feet felt, how it used to never bother him when he lived there, and how he never used to wear shoes on that part of beach.

Comment by Jon in Michigan

Wednesday July 06, 2005 @

I remember being barefoot outside for most of highschool and I walked and ran on the roads at home, without that “ee, ow, oh, oo” tiny step walking that you mentioned. Now its not so easy.

Now, Jank’s calculation brings up a very good point, and I think with kids on gravel and stuff, I’d have to agree that their surface area/weight ratio may be a huge factor in their barefoot running. But I do know that I weigh the same as I did in High School, and my feet are a size larger than they were then. But yet, my feet are still pretty sensitive to the road. I think given enough adjustment, I can get back to the barefoot on the gravel thing.

Glad to hear the running is going well, Mark. Can’t wait for the barefoot race!

Barefoot girl with cheeks of tan, you shall marry the barefoot man.

Comment by Richard

Friday July 08, 2005 @

Back when I did the whole renfair thing every year, I was generally what we would call an “unlicensed mendicant,” or begger for short. The gravel was always painful at the start of the season, but by the end (midsummer at that) I could comfortably jump around on it without any issues. I don’t remember any additional roughness either – although maybe the daily mudbaths helped there.