Grass , Road , threadmill , is the surface you run on really crucial to your knees

Seres · 16-10-2009 02:38PM #1

i do most of my running on the road cause i live out in the sticks ! , my knees have been niggling me alot recently and i wonder is it due to the hard road surface ? i always seem to get mixed responses to this . also is the threadmill really better on your knees than the road ?

Woddle · 16-10-2009 03:25PM

Hi Seres I do pretty much 100% of my running on roads bar today as my running partner refused to run on the roads so we ran on grass/trails around bushy park, he suffers though with hip and knee problems. My reason for the roads is that I hate running on grass and I thankfully have been injury free for over a year now.
But back to the grass for a second, on todays run I saw the bazman out running and yes it was on grass, also theroadrunner prefers grass again hip trouble I think and my mate today and guess what there all very talented runners, so maybe they know sth

plodder · 16-10-2009 03:31PM

I live in the sticks as well, and road camber is a problem out here more than the surface itself. If you keep running on the right to face oncoming traffic, then unfortunately you're always running with your left leg shorter than your right - which can't be that good for you long term

Tawfee · 16-10-2009 04:47PM

plodder wrote: »

I live in the sticks as well, and road camber is a problem out here more than the surface itself. If you keep running on the right to face oncoming traffic, then unfortunately you're always running with your left leg shorter than your right - which can't be that good for you long term

Yeah, camber definitely a big issue for me too. I'd still prefer tarmac to grass though as I'm wary of not knowing exactly how even the grass surface is. You could have a hole in the ground hidden by the grass & end up wrenching an ankle or knee. Or maybe that's me over-reacting to the days growing up in Roscommon chasing cattle across lumpy fields & cursing every hoof track I managed to place my feet in.

skater1 · 16-10-2009 05:21PM

I also have knee problems so split my running, half on pavement and half on treadmill/grass. The treadmill is definintely kinder (in every other respect I hate it). On pavement I guess the concrete provides zero shock absorption so it sends it straight back up your leg instead. Grass is okay but as the guys say, hard to spot any unevenness sometimes, especially when its dark.

Grass , Road , threadmill , is the surface you run on really crucial to your knees

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