Turtles Can Run

I started my run an hour before sunset today so I did not run on  the trail, I did not want to get caught out there in the dark.  So I just ran out on the main street outside my development.  I have five mile route that I sometimes run.   Every time I do run it, I realize why I usually drive out to the trail instead.  The sidewalk really hurts my legs.  Running 5 miles on the concrete feels the same as running 10 on the crushed granite.  I learned not to run on concrete pretty early on.  I got shin splints from running on the concrete when I started running.  I do it occasionally anyway because it is convenient, but I always end up paying for it, my legs and bum  always hurt after running on concrete, of course the bum part could be because most of the concrete routes I run are also pretty hilly and we all know hills work the glutes.  But I am sure part of it is the concrete.  In the The Complete Book Of Running For Women Kate Kawalchik says, “Avoid sidewalks at all costs.  Concrete is one of the hardest surfaces you could ever run on.  It’s 10 percent harder than asphalt.  You can cut your risk of injury in half simply by staying off concrete.”    So if you run on concrete all the time, and your legs are bothering you, you may want to consider trying a different surface if possible.

Here is a good article that compares different running surfaces:

http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?uan=152

Slow and Steady Still Finishes the Race

-Middalia Wayman

Filed under: Running Blog