triathlonhandbook.com

Now here’s something I thought a lot about before I started coaching: Is it better to do my run training on or off-road? I’ve also had a lot of discussions about this.

And I think that the consensus is that running off-road is overall a better approach for a number of very good reasons:

• The impact forces absorbed by your legs are lessened when you run off-road. Although this is true, running on hard-pack dirt doesn’t actually lessen them that much. But if you’re running a lot - and considering that every foot-strike transmits a force equal to 2 or 3 times your body weight to your joints and lower back - every bit helps.

• Running on an uneven surface means that no two foot-strikes are the same. This means that you use different muscle fibres and fire your proprioceptors differently in every step. The result is a reduction in overuse injuries, which are usually the result of repetitive use of the same few muscle fibres over and over again (could also be called “repetitive strain injury”). These fibres then get tired, can no longer perform their function properly… and you get injured. Running off-road reduces this risk significantly.

• Off-road run routes usually take you away from urban sprawl and into the countryside. The result? Well, it’s simple really; it’s good for the soul. You get to run where you can hear the birds sing, smell the smells of the countryside and listen to something other than the drone of traffic.

Of course, you need to be careful not to step in any potholes, trip over anything or breathe in any of the midges or other insects that buzz around in our countryside. And running off-road in the winter means accepting that you might get a bit (or a lot) muddy. But if those are the only downsides, I’ll keep running off-road for most of my training.