Trail/ off road running advice, please!

[Kertesz]

Morning! I’ve been lurking here, waiting for JuJu’s new plan to start... A few weeks ago, I was in my local pub and looked at the 10 ‘local walks’ leaflets with new eyes... and wondered if they could be ‘local runs’ instead (it’s amazing what seeing ‘5K’ in print does to the brain!!) . It seems they can! I’ve now run through vineyards, along river banks, fields... across the grounds of the local castle... um, through a new housing development etc... anyway, it’s been wonderful. But it seems in the process I’ve damaged my Achilles. As I’ve not been silly about distance or speed, I’m thinking it might be the terrain - it’s alternately grassy, rocky, lumpy... root-y... Eccentric heel exercises are bringing rapid improvement to my legs, but I was wondering if there is anything I can do to prevent this happening again? Ankle strengthening exercises? Maybe different shoes? (I have Brooks Ghost 11s which I 😍). I LOVE this kind of running - me, alone in my head with nature... (I’ve never appreciated cow parsley as much as when I ran through a frothing white cloud of it last week...), so would love to find a way to continue injury-free! Thanks!!

[misswobble Graduate10]

You notice your feet and ankles doing much more work once you hit the bumpy trail. You slow right down to cope with the terrain 🙂. I was running in mud yesterday and tussocky fields so the going was very slow Your feet, ankles and legs, core get stronger as you keep running the trails 🙂💪👍

[Kertesz Graduate10 in reply to misswobble]

Oh no! Tussocky bits are the worst - your poor ankles!! But thank you, I will stride (cautiously!) on, in the knowledge that it’ll all be for the greater good one day!! X 🏃🏽‍♀️🌱🚶🏻‍♀️

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate10]

Yep... more practice and care. You need to be looking ahead a few paces constantly planning where you want your feet to land.

Ease up on the pace and just enjoy. It is the best in my view 👍😁

[Kertesz Graduate10 in reply to GoGo_JoJo]

Thank you!! ... And yes, I’ve already been taken out by a rogue tree root, so deffo need to learn to look where my feet are going! X

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate10 in reply to Kertesz]

🤣🤣🤣 been there!!

[RunRunRun13 Graduate10]

Can’t give you any off road advice but are your Brooks trail shoes as I know when I went to get gait analysis last week they asked what I run on as there re different types.

Love all the nature we see when running apart from nearly swallowing a fly !!! 🤣

Saw a woodpecker this morning - too early for anyone else to be awake !

[Jogunlikely in reply to RunRunRun13]

That's true. At my GA the chap said trail shoes are basically neutral as the foot landing position is unpredictable unlike tarmac etc. But he said for 5k distances I was doing that using a road shoe off piste would not be a problem. Just to be careful as I would have less grip than a trail shoe. Not sure what kind of distance you need to do before you swap back to a trail 🤷‍♀️ at that point I couldn't imagine do 5k let alone further so didn't ask 🤦‍♀️

[Kertesz Graduate10 in reply to RunRunRun13]

Thanks! Yes, I think I’ll phone the man at the running shop and see what he says - my Brooks are just a ‘neutral’ road running shoe. And yes, apart from looking ahead I need to learn to keep my mouth shut too - soooooo hard to remain vegetarian whilst downing flies on hot days 😂 x

[Jogunlikely]

Our council have just opened a new cycle path. My first reaction was to see if I could incorporate it into a run 😁 however I think visiting pubs for new routes is inspired 👍👍👍

Ps glad you'll be doing juju as well 👐

[Kertesz Graduate10 in reply to Jogunlikely]

I thought the pub route thing could also incorporate JuJu’s weekly ‘reward’... 😉. Off road cycle paths are lovely to run down though - they’re usually soft and flat. The pub walk/runs seem to be the opposite!!

[Jogunlikely in reply to Kertesz]

I like your thinking 🍻

[Cfc55]

Aw that’s great you’ve found your “thing” K 👍! Last time we spoke u said u were wondering what u were gonna do next! I can’t believe u of all people has got injured 🤦‍♂️, what happened to the fairy steps for goodness sake 🙄😂

[Kertesz Graduate10 in reply to Cfc55]

Yes!! I was thinking about fairy steps as my poor ankles wobbled on the rocky surface of my last run! By the way I have finally sponsored you!! Apologies that it’s taken so long, I’ve been away a lot, blah blah blah... I hope the training is going well!!

[Cfc55 in reply to Kertesz]

Aw thanks 🙏 so much for the donation, Toni ( that feels strange, real names 😂) that’s really kind of you, much appreciated! I’d really like to be able to run off-road but I think I’d be asking for trouble with my legs in general 😂! Training is going well, climbed Lochnagar yesterday 1155 metres high and 20km! Only 190 meters lower than Nevis, so I’m confident I can do it! I do keep forgetting I’m doing it in the dark tho 🤦‍♂️😂