Recently I have been wondering why so many routes I find on Strava are road / hard surface routes, and none involve the trails that I love so much?
I recently made it to 10k and I have been exploring different routes ever since. So my explorations have led me to routes around fields, around rewilded brownfields, paths along streams, former rail lines, wooden walks and narrow tridle paths. (And yes, also some pesky stiles, treacherous mud puddles and cornfields reaching onto my path!)
90% of my routes are on non-paved surfaces, and I managed to get through the winter without resorting to hard surfaces or roads. I feel my feet don’t thank me when running on the road or pavements.
But when looking on Strava and our local running club, ALL routes are road routes, even when alternative lovely wooden paths are available.
So I might be missing something.
So here my question to the 10k community:
★ ★ ★ What surface do you prefer and why? ★ ★ ★
Written by
CBDB
Graduate10
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I run a lot on the roads just because it is convenient where I live. There are lots of footpaths here but I never use them for fear of twisting or rolling an ankle.That said, I do love a trail run where the trail is purposefully made. There is a National Trust estate I sometimes drive to at the weekends for a treat run and an old train line too which has been resurfaced - find it much kinder on the legs!
Ahhh thanks! I do run extra slow (Niko Niko pace) so twisting an ankle on uneven surfaces is much less of a problem.
So (and I’m learning here) I am gathering from what you’re saying that when you run a bit faster (than me) then trail running can become less favourable.
Trails here! I've found quite a few of our recent club runs have been on trails which is great - particularly when that leads to discovering a new and lovely place to run. I think some people dislike the way trails slow them down, or find it harder work dealing with varied terrain, but for me it's worth it for the lower impact footing and better scenery.
Yeah me too. But I couldn’t find any routes on Strava, where our club runners seem to solely do road. At my pace, I wonder if I should rather find walking apps and see shared walking routes. But they might have too many stiles!
Interesting question.I guess a lot of people don't have much choice and have to run on tarmac especially living in built up areas. I feel very lucky living only 12 miles from one of the largest cities in the North but surrounded by fields.
Having said that there aren't that many public footpaths but with the help of the shortish but lovely bridleway that was an old railway line there are enough for me when I'm wanting the countryside and listening to the birds .
But also I do like running on tarmac and pavements especially early in the morning, I have a strange love of housing estates I think I enjoy being nosy checking out everyone's gardens.
The one thing I'd like to see in my area are more pavements on busier roads so I could run to another village to pick up different footpaths.
Overall I'd guess I'm 70:30 trails to tarmac. I love is listening to the different sound my feet make on the different surfaces as I run.
Around half on a tarmac multi-user path and the other half split between grass and woodland paths. Much faster on the tarmac, no need to watch for trip hazards, but I do prefer good dirt trails as grass has its own hazards, with dog and rabbit dug holes.
As I live in the back of beyond it's definitely trail, preferably with hills and a nice chunk of forest. Yes, I do run on roads, but they're rural, mostly winding, and uneven, and don't have pavements, so it's nothing like running on tarmac and concrete in an urban area.
Trails! Although I do a bit of a mix for longer runs. I resorted to running more on the road when the wet weather made most of my routes barely passable in wellies. I found I was a lot faster but I'm convinced that had a lot to do with my recent injury.So it's back to the trails for me - I did my first run in 25 days through the woods on Tuesday. I'd forgotten how wonderful it is!
🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳 nice! There seems to be be a clear preference for trails emerging. So why is this not reflected in the routes available through local Strava runners... strange!
But yes, love trails and woods! Don’t care about speed. 🐌 probably because I am really bad at speed. 🐢
Hi CBDB, I mainly run on pavements, paths and the promenade by the seaside. I did a trail race (with other people!) the other week and I really enjoyed the experience😀👍
I’m going on holiday to Derbyshire in 3 weeks (if Boris lets me) 🏃♂️🤞so there’ll be lots of trails there! I’ll be taking both road and trail shoes then I’ll see which I need when I’m there.
Expect some posts on here when I’m up there. Wish me luck!
Nice, yes, will have a lookout. So your the first mainly pavement runner! I’m still trying to figure out why I can’t find many trails on strava. Maybe my area has only road runners. 🤔🧐🤨
Road running mostly as I’m still scared of snakes after nearly 15 years of being in Australia. Should have moved to NZ 🤣 I aspire to trail running ❤️🏃♀️
Don't think I have trails anywhere around me, or are packed dirt paths also considered as trail? Mostly I run on hard ground: pavement, road, cement paths, etc. But in my local little park I do have 3 paths running through it that are packed dirt paths. As for my preference, I think I like both. I especially like the ones going very faintly downhill 😂
Mostly hard surfaces for me. Tarmac, paving flags, concrete, unsealed macadamised paths, clay, packed dirt. I don't usually go off path. The local woods have marked paths. A tree root caught my foot once and I ended up with grazed knees and palms.
One thing I'd like to try sometime is to run totally barefoot on grass.
Another notch for hard surfaces. Barefoot on grass sound great, but a winter indoor barefoot run on livingroom hardwood floor gave me shin splints. So probably not for me, I fear.
I have done a short barefoot run on pavements outside. It was late November and only 300m in total. It was actually fun. On the other hand, I wear zero-drop "barefoot" shoes already.
Pretty much tarmac for me. A good part is it’s the easiest surface to find but the other being it’s more even usually. I had tremendous problems when I started with my hips running on a trail run before I shifted to tarmac when it cleared up. I’ve become very focused since on trying to make sure I run as much as possible on roughly even surface which rules out most trail running around me.
Been a fair bit of experimentation to find this kind of stuff out. Rule of thumb I’ve worked on so far is that if something hurts I try a different approach.
It’s partially reading this forum as I’d spotted a few people mentioning about issues with uneven surfaces so tried to see if it helped me.
Varying the route is my go to in the first instance but also speed and cadence where that fails. Helped me pick up when I pulled something in my thigh and cottoned on it was because I’d finally managed to do the full loop near my house which involves running downhill for much longer than I had previously. Ran on the flat route for a couple of weeks while it healed up and no problems since.
Trails for me 😊. I love how they keep your mind fully engaged too changing direction, jumping over or dodging puddles etc. It’s fun running 😁. I have to travel though to run on trails. I live in a built up area with main roads all around so I don’t like running on the streets. I’d rather run on the treadmill than on the streets.
Well CBDB I start with running on a tarmac pavement on to a canal towpath which can have many different surfaces including mud! Then more tarmac pavements possible woodland, again with different surfaces and finally back to tarmac pavements - not keen on running on the roads without pavements I only do that if I really have to. As you know we are both fortunate where we live to enjoy a variety of places to run in a lovely rural location close to our homes just a mile in an opposite direction although I did walk the salt line and came back on the canal to home as I’m looking to find a few different routes to extend my run for a few weeks time.
Fab! Yes, I’m encroaching slowly towards your routes😃😃as I am jealous of those woodland and canal passages 🤣. Can’t get myself to run on the side of the main road yet, so still stuck on my side of the boundary. But that underpassage from the fields to the canal is in my sights!
We should get together again soon and chat routes again!
Generally on country lanes. I don't like squelchy, muddy running, nor do I enjoy going up and down kerbs, it always seems to cause some sort of niggle.Lanes are generally quieter traffic wise too. Plus I get to see plenty of animals and wildlife. Which does present it's own set of problems sometimes, but I've got over it now🤪
Oh I remember your encounter with bulls, cows and dogs! The risk of running in the country! But I’m with you, both with being attracted by country lanes and avoiding any four-legged larger beings! 👍🏽🏃🏼♀️🏞
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