subject: Running Surfaces - How To Choose The Best Surfaces When Running [print this page] Running injuries can take a toll on your performance and overall health. According to a clinical study of 4,000 runners by the Southern California podiatrist John Pagliano, one of the most important causes of injury is an improper running surface. Yes, the surface you are running on can make a big difference.
Why you get injured on hard surfaces
During running, your body absorbs more than 3 times its weight. Although our bodies are designed to sustain such shock, our bodies didn't evolve running on hard surfaces, if it did, we won't be having this conversation. Our ancestors evolved running on the soft surfaces of Africa, not on the streets of New York.
Your joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones are not designed to withstand hundreds of miles running on roads. If you keep doing so, you will definitely get shin splints, stress fractures and other serious injuries just by running on hard surfaces. A proper running surface is smooth and flat with no holes or bumps that will interrupt your forward stride.
Therefore, the surface that you run on can make a massive difference in the amount of shock your body absorbs, and this difference can be the determining factor in getting injured.
The best surfaces for running
Try to do as much of your running on these surfaces:
Dirt paths
Grass fields
Golf courses
Woodland trails...
Which surfaces you should avoid
Try to do as much less of your running on hard, concrete surfaces, such as sidewalks, roads... the higher the proportion of your training that you do off-road and off-sidewalks, the lower the probability of causing an unwanted injury.
Of course, no one surface fits every runners needs. Some have a preference for dirt path, others desire grass fields, and for interval session training- most runners opt for trails. You should find what works best for you and stick with it, and remember that each surface has its pros and cons.
