what are good surfaces to run on?

Question

im not a pro at running but i have been doing it for about 2 weeks daily at the town track. i run 1 and a half miles daily and am escalating every half week or when i feel comfortable enough to do so. I feel like i am getting bored at the track and want to have a new place to run. In my town, there is a straightaway for about 11 miles and it is very flat and newly paved. But, i dont want to run on this because i hear that running on anyting but a track is bad for your knees. Is this ok if i run in a wood trail or on the grass or on the pavement?

if it helps i have great and tottally new shock absorbent shoes made by nike. these were very expensive and i feel are the best on the market.

Answer 1

A wooded trail is good as long as it is smooth so you don't twist your ankle. Cement is the worst, then pavement. Somewhat soft is the best.

Answer 2

Not sure if by wood trail you mean "trail made of wood chips" or "trail in the woods". Yes, wood chips are VERY comfortable to run on. Next I would say grass, just watch for holes and stuff.

Clay (running track) gets your shoes dirty, and gets in your shoes, and (in my opinion, kicks up a lot of dry dust, which is a sucky environment to run in in this weather. Asphalt can be hard on your feet, but if it's pretty freshly poured it's not too bad, though the worst of the lot I would say except for cement.

A lot of colleges have longer tracks than high schools, etc., and some cities have bike paths that you can run on also.

Good luck working your way up to the 11-mile... I have done 8 at the most and I felt like I was running on meat sticks after that (it was asphalt also).

good luck!

Answer 3

pavement is fine, just wear good shoes.
You could also look for running / biking trails in your area, many places have a 'rails to trails' program that turns old railroad tracks into bike paths. The path is usually crushed gravel which is great to run on, and very flat.
grass is good, you get less pounding, BUT you are more likely to get injured by twisting your ankle on uneven ground.

Answer 4

It depends... If you have good quality running shoes, and you run at a comfortable controlled pace, you should be able to run anywhere. I can tell you most of my running is done on a treadmill or a concrete nature trail (really meant for bikes), and I have had only minimal knee pain. I really enjoy the uphill challenge and scenery of the nature trail. Remember, you need to replace your running shoes every year, or sooner if you notice wearing in specific spots of the soles (sides of the heels) or if you loose substantial weight (don't know your situation). In my opinion, New Balance offers the best running shoes. Oh yeah, congrats on your new hobby!

Answer 5

Doesn't matter. If you are worried use a knee brace.