Off Road Running Questions

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2009-06-28 2:46 AM

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Subject: Off Road Running Questions
Do you use trail running shoes if you run on grass, sand or trails? Or just your same road running shoes?

When running on grass, do you just do laps around fields? Or what?

How do you run on grass in the winter- when it's wet and muddy?

2009-06-28 5:56 AM
in reply to: #2248002

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New Haven, CT
Subject: RE: Off Road Running Questions
supa-powa - 2009-06-28 3:46 AM Do you use trail running shoes if you run on grass, sand or trails?

I just wear my regular running shoes

hen running on grass, do you just do laps around fields? Or what?

Find  a soccer field and do laps[

How do you run on grass in the winter- when it's wet and muddy?

I dont
2009-06-28 10:35 AM
in reply to: #2248002

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Colorado Springs, Colorado
Subject: RE: Off Road Running Questions

I wear my regular running shoes unless my entire run will be on trails. Trails here are rocks, roots, unstable footing, etc.

On grass it is laps around a field.

I don't run on grass when it's wet and muddy unless I'm going to be racing in those conditions. Plus that really tears up the grass and the Parks Dept gets irritated.

We have a race here in the fall that goes up the middle of a creek for close to a mile. It's not something I ever train for and it's always difficult.

2009-06-28 1:12 PM
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Subject: RE: Off Road Running Questions
I've been doing lots of trail running in my road shoes, but I'm about to buy some trail specific shoes since I'll be doing an off-road half-mary this fall, and an off-road race series after that. 

Grass, sand, and some trails are fine with road shoes.  You'll only really have trouble if you've got creek crossings, or the trails are reallly rough in the road shoes. 
2009-06-28 2:10 PM
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Subject: RE: Off Road Running Questions
I wear whatever my running shoes are at the time when running off road.  I can not run on pavement except for racing due to an old injury.  Right now the only place I have to run "off road" is running in the grass on the wide shoulder beside the road.  Obviously, I will be running in the grass and other off road places when it's wet and muddy.

I honestly have found that it's better to train in the grass at a slow pace than on run pavement.  Grass and other off road surfaces are better for your feet preventing injury and actually seem to make your running muscles much stronger. 
2009-06-28 2:58 PM
in reply to: #2248002

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Fishers, IN
Subject: RE: Off Road Running Questions
I use running shoes.  Often I will use slightly older pair if it is wet, since the ground is soft and the cushioning isn't as much an issue.  I run often on a golf course behind my house very early in the morning, but wish I had a nice trail closer by.  Yes in te winter the feet get cold and the toes get wet if snow has melted or if it has rained.  I might look into some trail shoes, because when faced with wet feet I usually choose roads instead. 

2009-06-28 3:11 PM
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Subject: RE: Off Road Running Questions

when i run trails, i wear my trail-specific running shoes (i like my Vasques but there are tons of trail running shoes out there.)  and when i say 'trails,' i mean single track, dirt and rock, roots - stuff out off the beaten path - not just grass or park wood-chip paths.   for those i would wear my regular running shoes. 

i feel my trail runners provide more stability, especially ankle stability, which is helpful on uneven terrain.  most people probably think that trail runners are heavier shoes, and i agree, but if you're running on uneven terrain with rocks and roots and hills and dirt ... the extra stability is nice. 

2009-06-28 10:52 PM
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Subject: RE: Off Road Running Questions
The dirt around here is pretty fine and brown.  If it gets into your regular running shoes it seems like it never gets out.  I was taking some pictures of a trail run about 6 weeks ago.  I had blue jeans on and hiking boots.  To get better pictures I decided to run a little to get some action pictures.  As I finished they recorded my time and published it in the results.  Some people actually finished behind me.  Moral of that story was having really light running shoes on a technical trail didn't make much of a difference.  I thought having supportive shoes made a big difference.  Easy for me to roll an ankle.

Here's a picture of two runners keeping up pretty much the same pace.

runners



2009-06-28 11:51 PM
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Subject: RE: Off Road Running Questions
I'm currently doing a trail running series, which consists of 6 off road races.  The 3rd race was yesterday.

I would say that this all comes down to the weather and the terrain.  Yesterdays race was just mud, mud glourious mud.  So trail shoes were a must.  I even saw a couple of guys running in spikes...
2009-06-29 3:39 AM
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Subject: RE: Off Road Running Questions

supa-powa - 2009-06-28 8:46 AM Do you use trail running shoes if you run on grass, sand or trails?

Always use trail specific trainers, normal trainers are just not suited to support your feet on the rough stuff, much higher chance of injury.  cost of trail shoes vs a few weeks or more off injured?   look at the inov8 range, pretty good value, some super lightweight options, and a range of shoes for whatever the trail/parks/hills you want to run.

Or just your same road running shoes? When running on grass, do you just do laps around fields?

from what I've said above, running on a football field is not the same as trail, so if this is what you're doing not too much chance of injury I would think, but I don't do running around a field, cannot imagine anything more mind numbing!!! 

Or what? How do you run on grass in the winter- when it's wet and muddy?

This is the best time to go out and trail run (not grass), a good pair of trail shoes, my dog and wet muddy trails makes for 2 hours of awesome training.  Find some trails close by, invest in trail shoes and go have fun, it brings a totally new view to running.

by the way I use Inov8 312GTX ROCLite shoes, they are pretty damn good and have seen me through 3 off road marathons earlier in the year and plenty of training in the wet and nasty trails through this last winter.  So I can highly recommend Inov8 shoes.

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