Where to Run: Surfaces

One of the many things that I had no idea about when I started this thing, was the importance of where you run. For new runners, especially those of us putting even more strain than usual on our joints, the surface you run on can make the difference between a good run and an ice pack.

The four most common surfaces are concrete, asphalt, chip trails, and packed-dirt trails.

Concrete: This one is probably the most accessible to the most runners. Concrete is the white pavement that sidewalks are made of. It is also the toughest of these four on your joints. As the firmest surface, it increases impact and therefore strain on your joints. If you have no other option but concrete, just be aware of this and try to land as gently on your feet as you can.

Asphalt: You remember this one from Driver's Ed, right? I still shudder when I think of "Red Asphalt"...For runners though, asphalt is pretty decent choice. It has more give than concrete, and so is less stressful on joints. It also, however, is most commonly found as a street. Where there are cars. So, good for your joints, bad for you as a potential target for that kid who's texting and driving at the same time. However, lots of parks have paved running/walking trails made of asphalt, which makes for a better running surface and less chance of you as roadkill.

Packed-dirt Trails: These trails are exactly what they sound like. They've been used enough that the dirt has gotten packed down to a nice firm surface. Believe it or not, there's probably one in your local park. Runners often wear these trails into the outer perimeter of a park by running that path all the time. Dirt surfaces have plenty of give, and can actually be a bit springy - allowing you to get a better push-off with less exertion. One caution though: in wet weather, these can get really slippery, so watch your footing.

Chip Trails: You know those pretty trails full of wood chip you sometimes see in parks? Try running on one some time. They are the easiest on joints since the soft chip has lots of give. However, they have A LOT of give, so its harder to use the ground to push off at each step. This tends to slow you down somewhat.

How to choose a surface:

The first thing is what's available. If there aren't any chip trails near you, then obviously that one's not an option. If you do have access to more than one, I would recommend switching them up every so often. For example, if you're having a lot of soreness, run on one of the gentler surfaces for a while. Been on gentle for a while, switch to asphalt or concrete, after all, most races are run on paved surfaces. After a few runs you'll come to notice that you have a preference for some surfaces over others.