Actually it was a simple laundry issue. At the time that the book was written the US was going through a laundry detergent shortage due to Titanium miner's strike. Titanium Dioxide was / is a main bleaching ingredient in detergents. People got used to not wearing socks or underwear or wearing them sparingly.
valbymania wrote:
Many great runners, including Parker Valby, sometimes race sockless. Deal with it.
I fully support Parker Valby going bare.
BrainCell wrote:
it's a fictitious book?? If it said Cassidy ate jello every morning before a run, would you be asking why runners in the 70's ate jello before their runs?
I’ve never read the book but I will guess two things. If Parker had an even fleetingly literary approach to the book he likely included the sockless thing to give the reader something to hold on to. Every time you read that he ran sockless you are forced to remember every previous time it’s mentioned that he goes without socks. It helps keep the character progression in mind and aids in creating a clear picture of who he is. He ate Jello because he is Ray Peat-pilled and wants to live forever.