The Best Running Terrain

When I trained for my first half marathon, I did all my training on a packed gravel trail. Not once did I run on the road before my race. By the end of the race, my joints were hurting and my muscles were sore. If I had trained some on the surface that I was going to race on, I would have been much better prepared.

Today's TIP OF THE WEEK is to vary your terrain when you run.

When you run outside, you have a variety of different options on which to run. A typical neighborhood will have the options of either concrete sidewalks or asphalt roads. Many parks have packed gravel or dirt trails. You could also choose to run on grass or even sand if you are near a beach. And of course, there is always the outdoor track or indoor treadmill options. There are both benefits and drawbacks to most of these terrains.

Concrete sidewalks can be very convenient and safe when running outside. However, they are the hardest surface on which to run, causing stress to joints and increasing the possibility of overuse injuries.

Asphalt roads are possibly the best surface for training for a race. Most races are run on the road, and the saying "practice how you will perform" applies also to running. However, running on the road can be dangerous. Many a runner have been hit by cars while running on the road. I certainly don't want that to happen to any of my blog followers. When running on the road, be sure to run against traffic so that you are aware of approaching vehicles. Be defensive runners and yield to any oncoming traffic. If you can, find a paved bike trail to run on instead of running on the road.

Dirt trails and grass are two good running surfaces. They are softer than concrete or asphalt and give to absorb the shock of pounding the pavement. Additionally, trail running burns more calories than road running because you are maneuvering to avoid obstacles. However, with those uneven surfaces, roots, and other hazardous obstacles come the risk of twisting an ankle or landing wrong while navigating the trails. If you chose to run on trails watch your footing carefully.



Sand is another good option that is soft and absorbs shock. Again with sand you burn more calories because of the extra effort to push off from the uneven surface. But again, with any uneven surface there is risk of injury, so be careful.




Tracks offer a great running surface. In reality, it is probably the best running surface for your body. However, running around in circles can get quite boring. It can also be difficult to find a local track that is open to the public and not being used by the students.

Treadmills are a great, convenient option for those who can't get outside. With the treadmill, the surface is soft and absorbs some of the shock of running. However, on the treadmill you are not propelling yourself forward as you do while running on the road. If all you do is treadmill running, you may find running more difficult during a race because you haven't had to do all the work of running on a stationary surface. [Watch for a future blog on treadmill running.]

In my opinion, the best running terrain is a packed gravel trail, even after the rough first half marathon experience. Most packed gravel trails are free from roots and other potential hazards. The surface gives a little under your feet to absorb some of the shock, giving your joints a break. The only drawback I see to this terrain is that it isn't readily available. My favorite packed gravel trail is the Cochran Shoals River Trail. It is marked off by the quarter of a mile and is a 5k loop trail. This is the trail that I trained on for my first half marathon. What I didn't know at the time is that there is a nice road (Columns Drive) attached to it with a wide bike lane for asphalt running. If I had taken advantage of that feature I would have been much better prepared for my race.

Week Three

This is week three of the Couch to Marathon training plan. How are you doing? Have you been keeping up? I'd love to get your feedback on the program.

This week gets a little more complicated than in the past two weeks. We are going to run some set distances! In the previous two weeks you have run based on time. This week you have the option to either run based on time or run based on distance.

Yards and meters aren't exactly the same thing, but they are close. The training plan calls for yards. To give you an idea of how far that is, a high school track is 400 meters around. 400 yards is about 366 meters. If you ran around a high school track you would be going a little farther than the training plan calls during for the second repetition.

If you don't have a track available to you, the best thing to do would be to go by time. Run the minute and a half for the first repetition and the three minutes for the second repetition.

Remember to rest in between training days. You don't want to overexert yourself and end up injured.



Have the training sessions been too hard? Remember to go at your own pace. If they seem too difficult, slow down. You don't have to sprint through the running portion of the workout.

Are they too easy? You can either increase your speed during the running portion or increase your time by half a minute. If you already have a running base and would like a modified training plan, I can provide that for you via email. Just let me know!

Shoe Resources

Here are a list of good running specialty stores:
Fleet Feet
Big Peach Running Company (Atlanta area)
Phidippides (Atlanta area)
Runners World list of specialty running stores

How to know what shoe is best for you:
How to Choose a Running Shoe
13 Shoe Buying Tips from WebMD
Runners World - The Best Running Shoe for YOU
Dicks Guide to buying running shoes

Exercise of the Week : Quadriceps Stretch

The quadriceps is the muscle in the front of the thigh, important for lifting your knees and increasing your speed. They are often call the "quads."

To do this exercise while standing, simply grab hold of a stationary object for balance with one hand and use your hand opposite the leg you are stretching to grasp the leg around the ankle to pull your leg toward your buttocks. For example, if you are stretching your right quad, use your left hand. Keep your back straight and don't allow the knee to drift forward ahead of the standing leg or pull your foot too far back. Your thighs and knees should be right next to each other.

Like the Calf Stretch from last week, hold the stretch for ten seconds. Then switch legs and hold that leg for ten seconds. Continue alternating legs ten times (five stretches on each leg).

There are three stretches that I do most often after running. The calf stretch introduced last week and the quad stretch above are two of the three standard stretches that I do.

The Right Equipment

One of the best things about running is that it doesn't take much equipment to get started. All you need are some comfortable clothes and a good pair of shoes and off you go! But not just any shoes will do.

When I first started running, I went to a specialty running shoe store and had them watch me run. They showed me two pairs of shoes that worked best for my feet. One was a Mizuno brand shoe and the other was an Asics brand. The shoes were pretty expensive, so when I went to get my second pair, I just went to a regular shoe store and picked up a pair of Mizunos that looked the same. Little did I know that the model of shoe made a difference also. When I started running, I got an aching pain in the top of my foot near where the laces are after about two miles. I come to find out that I should have been using a cushioning shoe, but instead I had bought a stability shoe.


This week's TIP OF THE WEEK is that the right shoes can make or break your running experience. If you just throw on your old lawn-cutting sneakers and go for a run, you can end up with unwanted injuries. So how do you pick the right shoe?

To a beginning runner, going to purchase a pair of running shoes can be an overwhelming experience. There are all kinds of shoes out there for working out: running, walking, cross-training, tennis, yoga, etc. Shoes range from $40 to $150 in price and have various different "bells and whistles."

There are three major types of running shoes: cushioning, motion control/stability, and neutral. Your arch and the way you run will determine which type of shoe is best for you. If you have a high arch, you will generally need a cushioning shoe because your foot is more rigid. If you have a low arch, you will likely need a motion control shoe because your foot is more flexible. Those that don't fall into either of the above categories will be in a neutral shoe.

My favorite shoe is the Asics Gel Cumulus, which runs about $90. It is a neutral shoe, which works for my foot. I have a moderate to high arch.

There are other types of running shoes, such as racing shoes, performance shoes, and trail shoes. But for a beginner, you can probably find your best fit in one of the major three categories.

The best thing to do is go to a specialty running store where they can fit you with the right shoe. The good stores will watch you run (some will even video the run) to see how your foot hits the ground and pushes off. They will look at your foot, measure the size (sometimes both sitting and standing), and determine what kind of arch you have.

Recently, there have been some debates on the amount of support and cushioning that goes into the traditional running shoes. There are some people, called "minimalists," who prefer running barefoot or using the new five-finger running shoes (which are basically a glove for your foot with minimal support). I haven't bought into this concept yet. I think all the research that has gone into making quality running shoes points more toward the traditional, more cushioned shoes. It's up to you to decide for yourself.

Water for the World 10k

Last Saturday, I ran a 10k. It was my first 10k since Alan was born eight months ago. I set a goal for myself. I used Runners World's Training Calculator to determine what my 10k time should be if I could run a 3:58 marathon (my marathon PR, which I set the weekend before I became pregnant). It calculated that I should run a 10k in 51:47. That's an average of 8:20 minute miles. So that was my target.

I trained well, doing speed sessions and running consistently, until the last two weeks. Now typically, you taper some before a race, although for a 10k, you wouldn't tapering much. I got so busy at work that by last Wednesday, I had only run twice in the two weeks prior. I tried to catch up by running Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday before the race, but I could tell that my slacking had affected my running. My lungs were feeling it.

I figured I wouldn't be able to meet my goal, but I went with a glimmer of hope anyway. I ran hard. There were some crazy hills - some downhills that gave me a 7:40 mile, and some uphills that killed my time.

Toward the end, I always pick a runner that is close to my pace, but slightly faster, and try to catch up to them. This time, unbeknown to me, I picked one of my coworkers to try to catch (I didn't find out she was a coworker until Monday). She was strong at the end, and I wasn't able to catch her. I ended up finishing in 51:49, just two seconds after my goal time.

Although I didn't meet my goal, I was pretty close. This gives me hope that I will be able to run a sub-4 hour marathon again someday. Maybe even as soon as November.



Me at the start line. I'm on the left side wearing a pink visor and purple shirt.

Week Two

Again this week, we are building slowly. This second week, you will run/jog for a minute and a half, then walk for two minutes. Alternate jogging and walking until you get to 20 minutes.






Click below to see this week's plan. Add rest days in between your workout days.



Be sure to add rest days in between your training days to allow your body to build those muscles back up.

Rest Easy

As promised, I have listed below some articles that you can view for tips on the importance of rest during a training plan.

Rest Easy: Recovery is an important--but often neglected--part of training plans

The Rest is Easy: Why you have to back off in order to push hard

Rest and Recovery

Runbayou: Optimal Rest

Build Rest and Recovery into your Fitness Programme




Standing Calf Stretch
My exercise of the week is the standing calf stretch. This is the first stretch I usually do after a run. While standing, push up against a stationary object, such as a wall or tree. Put one leg behind you, pushing your heel down to the ground. The front leg should be bent. Do not allow your front knee to go past your toe. Instead, your front leg (from ankle to knee) should be perpendicular to the ground. Hold the stretch for 10 seconds, then switch legs. Repeat each leg five times. You should feel this stretch in your calf (the muscle that runs from your ankle to your knee on the back of your leg).