It's over 100 degrees out. It's so hot that the black tar they use to seal the cracks on the road is gooey. As much as I love being barefoot, these conditions are just too much for (I daresay) a seasoned barefooter. Oh why does it have to get so hot?
Ever considered emigrating to scotland? Seriously, if you want to be able to handle anything, hot pavement included, it's just like anything else. Start small, keep up regular practice and build it up slowly. Don't over-do it at first. Once you're comfortable with a certain level (in the case of hot pavement it would be a length of time spent walking on it), then move it on a degree or two. If you over do it you'll end up with blisters that will hurt. Having said that, once the blisters have healed you will be even stronger, especially in the places where you got the blisters and probably won't get any more blisters for the rest of the summer.
I've been surprised that pavements in the UK, and now Washington state, can be so hot, but apparently they can. (Are you from eastern Washington?) Here in Maine, I'm OK, but I notice a hot pavement I have to work on at a pruning job I do every year---seems to sensitize and fatique my feet. I can take the heat, but the rest of the day is spoilt by a temporary tenderness. Next day, everything is fine. Thankfully, we aren't that hot here. Payback for the long winter, I guess. My biggest problem remains; those few places that don't want to have us barefooted. Few. Thankfully.
I live in central Washington, in the worthless city of East Wenatchee. My feet are usually ok for the whole day, but that pavement just sucks the energy out of me. It's so hot, I could very easily fry up my breakfast on it (skillet and all, I want to try that someday).
Here in upstate NY we are enjoying the warmest summer I can remember. But, I feel the oposite effect with the sizzling pavement. I feel energized by the warmth it's like the solar energy is being pumped into me through my soles. On my visit to Toronto earlier this month I walked for dozens of miles on hot city streets and loved the feelings, my only dissapointment was a total lack of comments from anyone at all.
Yeah, I'm with Rugged Soles. I really enjoy the hot pavement. It gets over 100 degrees in the central valley of California and my feet just love the hot parking lots, hot gravel roads, etc. As long as I keep walking my feet don't mind. If I have to stop I lift my toes off the ground first, then roll my feet side to side and that's enough to keep them from burning.
(quote) my only dissapointment was a total lack of comments from anyone at all. (end quote) I think this says it all...
Yes, well, where I'm at, I would doubt the ability to walk barefoot for more than two blocks without suffering 2nd-3rd degree burns. It's seriously burning hot.
HEY Jim w: I don't know for sure if you doubt the total lack of comments or exactly what you are infering? please elaborate. heero134: stick with it and you'll be walking comfortably on all surfaces in no time. Let us know how the egg frying goes.
If it's just good and hot, then it's really nice... I've always loved the feel of baking in the sun. It's when it's so hot that you actually get serious burns that it sucks.
