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Winter Running: Barefoot Style

Is it possible to run barefoot in the winter through the ice and snow, definitely.

Getting Ready To Head Out For A Run At -24 C

I get a lot of questions from different people who know my running style and habits at this time of the year. For example the two most asked questions are as follows:

Q: Do you run outside in the winter?

A: Winter is the time of year that most runners either pack it in for the season or succumb to running the “dread-mill” to try to keep their training up, I never understood this. Running in the winter is one of my favorite things to do, the challenge of the terrain and the weather are the perfect start to any training program. It is the ultimate way to work on your speed and endurance. With all the effort you put out to get your runs in during the winter, it will make your fair weather running that much more fun and rewarding. Why would anyone want to run inside on a treadmill and miss all that nature has to offer outside on the trails on a beautiful winter’s day? For me, losing the opportunity to run the snowy trails and push my body to the limit is something I am not ready to do.

Q: Do you run barefoot in the winter?

A: The short answer is yes with an asterisk. I do run barefoot in the winter, but unfortunately I cannot run that way all the time, it is just not practical nor sensible. But that being said I do try to get as much true barefoot running in as I possibly can no matter what the temperature is outside.

Yes, The Foot Is One With The Snow
Yes, The Foot Is One With The Snow

Running barefoot in the winter is possible and can be quite an exhilarating experience and adventure. This is my third winter running season where I have put in at least 100K of true barefoot running in temperatures below -5 C. In fact, I am currently sitting at 235K so far this winter with 28 runs since Oct. 1 (18 of the runs were sub-zero runs including one at -31 C for 1.5K). Realistically, the colder it is the shorter the barefoot runs are but none of the runs noted above were less than a kilometre in length. I know you might think I’m a little off my rocker, but I’m not alone in this little adventure. For the last three years I have been part of a group of runners from all over the world who have been logging their cold weather runs to see just how far and how low they can go in the form of the Winter Challenge. This group largely consists of members of The Barefoot Runners Society, but we do have an open door policy to any others who would like to give it a try. Now this is definitely not for everybody, nor is something that I would suggest as a time filler because you have nothing better to do. All the current participants have been working up to the temperatures and distances they have achieved as the fall weather slowly changed to winter and the snow starting flying. I wrote a guest post on a friend’s blog last month that goes a little more in depth into what you should know before you attempt winter barefoot running, you can read it at Daily Improvisations.

Now to the other side of the coin, as obviously I cannot run barefoot all the time in the winter. I also utilize other footwear for my longer running excursions or if the ground conditions will not allow me to remove the shoes. For these occasions I utilize a couple of different types of tools*, either a pair of custom made buckskin traditional mukluks that my wife made for me a couple of winters ago or a pair of New Balance MT110 trail shoes when traction or wet conditions are a issue. Both are minimalist footwear but serve a very different purpose.

The mukluks are perfect for running through deep snow and when it is very cold, they keep the toes nice and toasty. There is no tread on them as the bottoms consist of two layers of deer hide which gives me the ground feel that I am accustomed to while being barefoot. These are my go to footwear.

The MT110’s are for milder but snowy conditions where I need traction or it is just way to wet to wear the mukluks. The mukluk’s soak up moisture like a sponge so these shoes work perfectly in conditions where this is a factor.

Below is a video of me running barefoot at -24 degrees Celcius at the begining of December of this year. It was quite a refreshing run, honestly.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7OO-Vumh3M&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

Another video of a winter barefoot runner from a whole different level. This is the Iceman, he has completed a half marathon distance barefoot above the artic circle.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=madoDvtKEes[/youtube]

As I noted above, running in the winter is an experience that many runners do not take the opportunity to experience and that is a shame. Life is too short to allow such experiences to pass you by. Get out and enjoy it and I hope to see you out on the trails.

* tools: means footwear while running.

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