About a week ago we posted an article that looked into some of the best running surfaces for runners. It turns out that quite a few people liked this post (it was even syndicated on a couple of triathlon websites and our traffic increased 20x for the week because of it!). Thanks to the team at DailyTriathlon for re-publishing our post. Great to see it up there and that so many people enjoyed it!
In recognition of the interest in this piece we found it fitting that we look at EVEN MORE RUNNING SURFACES and reviewed the pro’s and con’s of each. In all there are probably 20-30 different surfaces that one can choose to run on so this may not be the end of this series of articles. Let’s take a look at a few more surfaces though.
Thanks to the feedback from a few of our readers (Middalia Wayman and Greg Hinrichsen) we have a couple of new running surfaces to start with.
Running on crushed granite – as many runners will point out (and as Middalia did) running on pavement is really hard on your body. Many people come down with foot, knee and/or hip injuries from running on hard surfaces (especially hard surfaces with an embankment). Crushed granite is a great alternative for those that want to keep running but can’t take the excessive pounding on an unforgiving surface like asphalt/pavement. There doesn’t seem to be too many places that have an abundance of crushed granite trails though so you’re certainly one of the lucky one’s if you do find such a trail. It seems like the most common place to find crushed granite walking/running trails would be in parks or scenic reserves. But it is worth the hunt to try and track down such trails. Crushed granite gives nicely at each step which helps to lessen the impact substantially. However it doesn’t give so much that it feels like you’re running in sand. The surface below you stays dense enough to allow for low impact running with very little resistance/drag on your feet. Check out your local parks and recreations website in your city or county and see if they list running/hiking trials with granite. If they don’t have those details listed just give them a call and ask.
Running on sawdust and wood chip trails – this is one of our favorite surfaces amongst the runners here at MadeToRun. There are several reasons why running on wood chips/sawdust are ideal. The most obvious reason being the soft surface and ease on impact. Wood chips give really well under pressure/weight and this saves your joints. Wood chips also absorb moisture very well. Even if it recently rained you can usually head out to the wood chip trail and find a semi-dry surface to run on. Typically you find these types of trails in very scenic areas as well. Part of the appeal of running is that you can explore beautiful places by foot and explore parts of nature inaccessible to vehicles. I would caution though that you should find a pair of synthetic running socks that are cut high enough to cover your ankles. Experience has shown that wood chips and shavings leave splinters in your exposed skin or leave many small nicks and cuts. If you cover up the ankles you’ll usually be fine and can run on the wood chip trails all day.
If you’re looking for a great pair of running socks then check out this pair of New Balance Quarter Cut Socks. They cover enough of the ankle to prevent any cuts or scrapes (very important for outdoor running), have lots of cushioning and are made of synthetic wicking material as well: New Balance Hero High Density Cushion Quarter
In case you missed the first article in this series you can check it out here. Feel free to add your thoughts/comments and let us know what surfaces you love to run on and the surfaces you stay away from. Share with the community and we’ll follow up with another piece that includes your feedback.