Surface vs Energy

[DuckFeet]

Does the surface you run on make any difference to the energy expending? I usually run on the beach, on hard sand, or grass trails to try to give less impact to my bones and joints. However, but my week 5 run 3 is coming up and I was wondering if I'd use up less energy by running on tarmac.

[thinnerandfitter Graduate]

Hi Duck Feet,

Like you, I was running on grass or gravel tracks for the first 6 weeks (having had such bad shin pains after my first attempt at w1r1 I had to rest a week and re-do it). Then it rained (hard) and I got a very wet left foot right at the beginning of my run, which made it all a bit miserable. So for week 7 I've moved to pavements and much less grass - I figure it's unlikely to dry out much for a few months so I needed to change something.

I think that probably I do expend a bit less energy on pavements - that or I'm getting fitter I've only done 2 pavement runs so far and I'm already trying to plot slightly longer routes. On the other hand, I do now get frustrated with pavements that slope from left to right (lots of those around here), having to cross busy roads at rush hour, hordes of school kids coming the other way etc etc.

Not much help I know - but give it a go and see what you think. By the way - since that first attempt the shin pain has not been back, so that was one fear allayed for me.

Good luck with the 20 mins - it really is mind over matter

[swanscot Graduate in reply to thinnerandfitter]

Have you got running socks, thinnerandfitter? I ask because I get wet feet frequently - at least once a week - and with synthetic running socks I don't get any discomfort at all. I find the action of slapping my feet on the ground up to 75 times a minute soon dispels any water from the feet. Last Friday both socks were totally soaked from about half an hour after I started and I ran for just under two hours. I didn't feel any discomfort in my feet at all, and they only felt cold once I'd stopped running.

[thinnerandfitter Graduate in reply to swanscot]

Hi Swanscot - thanks for answering - my socks aren't real running ones but I think they're OK until my birthday next month - guess what will be on my list It's just that having got wet once I keep on getting my feet wet (you just can't see puddles in grass, and the fact that I was running next to a river, pretty much on a flood plain didn't help! Two hours running does sound very impressive and I can imagine you wouldn't want to do that with noticeably wet feet I'm only doing 25 minutes at the moment so still getting used to this running thing. I'm also getting fed up with drying and brushing the dirt off my shoes (Lazy person I know..) and the tarmac has definitely improved that!

[Beads Graduate]

Running round the aerodrome for my Week 1-8, it was easier on the tarmac sections than the gravel or grass sections. I'd say sand would be harder to run on than tarmac as well.

[Oldgirl Graduate]

One of my favourite routes is a real mixture of surfaces. I start on tar, then gravel track, onto forest/dirt track, concrete path, grass and then back to tar. They are all different to run on but I enjoy the mixture, I do find the easiest is tar and after grass I'm always able to stride out better once I hit the tar surface even though its the end of my 7K route. Next time your out try and mix up the surfaces and you'll soon feel the difference but everyone will have a different preference.

[swanscot Graduate]

Like Oldgirl, my favourite route has a mixture of surfaced road, gravel track, woodland path and muddy farm track. Yes, the road surface does feel easier to run on quickly and probably uses marginally less energy, but I'd try a mix of surfaces rather than give up on your softer ground altogether. If you take it slowly with your Week 5 run 3 - and subsequent runs - you'll probably do fine.

[DuckFeet Graduate]

Thank you for your answers. I was pushed into having to run on the road today because the tide was coming in too fast for a beach run and a herd of cows were across my usual tracks. I decided to put off the 'Big 20 minuter' and repeat week 5 run 2 again and was pleasantly surprised..... it was quite nice to run on tarmac and I would say a little easier!! I like the idea of adding variety, but I think the beach is always going to be my favourite.

[sfb350 Graduate]

I think you are right - running on sand probably works your muscles harder, as can trails and uneven surfaces but the impact is less - I found off-road much more comfortable when my hip bursitis was giving me grief. I prefer off-road and tracks but it is usually more practical for me to run on tarmac/pavement. It is worth trying to avoid running any distance on an uneven camber as that can put more stress on one side than the other and cause injury.