Question for the runners

[Ish]

i read that running on the beach (the wet sand) is better for you than running on roads or concrete. I heard that it's less stressfull on the joints and its harder on the muscles (that could just be on the softer sand tho)

does anyone know if thats right or total bullsh!t?

also do you burn more fat the longer you run in distance or the longer you run in time or is it not that simple?

[inic]

DONT run ont he beach! i was doing that 6 months ago, till i got a ruptured knee from it. best to run on dirt/grass

[Ish]

was it definatly the running on sand that caused it?

[Hai_To]

I was never a big fan of running on the beach. I always felt that it put too much stress on my ankles since my feet had a tendency to land at awkward angles.

Of course that is just my opinion.

[popsider]

If you under or over pronate then I think running on a soft surface can accentuate the degree to which that happens which is not good.

The up side is that it provides some cushioning in terms of impact.

If you run on hard sand then you are probably running on a camber which again might cause you problems depending on how you are built.

I did read an article somewhere that said that running on sand was not that good but I cant remember why - there was a famous Kiwi runner that did his training on sand dunes - if you've ever tried running up sand dunes you'll know how tough it is - running up as the ground slides down.


Personally I never got on well with running on hard sand bare foot - but then my ankles are not ideal for running. Other than that unless you are talking about doing it a lot over a period of time I wouldn't worry. The best advice is try it and see - the sorts of injuries you might get are not going to do sudden lasting damage to you so if it starts to hurt stop doing it.

What's wrong with roads anyway - running on tarmac is softer than running on concrete.

[scotty1]

Hmmmmm, good thinking.

I've been running on grass recently. Can someone back up my assumed knowledge that it's better than concrete?

[popsider]

The latest running and fitness magazine (or maybe the one before) reckons that running on grass is not proven to be better for you than tarmac. I think that it must be though because running on a flat surface must put the strain on one range of motion whereas on grass your foot will land slightly differently each stride - what do people reckon?

However shin splints is not always caused by impact on a hard surface - not sure if it ever is. At least according to a podiatrist that treated me - it can be caused by the foot rolling in too much (flat arches often a cause) meaning your muscle is pulled away from your shin bones. Wear correct running shoes or have some orthotics made up if you really suffer - however if you see a podiatrist they will almost always claim you need orthotics !
If you want to check if you over pronate see if the wear on your shoes goes from the outside of the heel to the big toe - if you wear the front at the big toe area almost exclusively you probably do.

I used to think that shin splints was a sort of stress fracture but in fact it isn't - apparently it is the muscle pulling away - so in fact soft surfaces may be worse than hard - I am speculating. Of course you are more likely to get a stress fracture on hard surfaces and stress fractures are a lot worse - plus there is general jolting to the joints etc etc from hard surfaces.

Most runners have to go through a period of injuries while their legs get conditioned to running. If you are a recent runner or have recently upped your training don't worry too much about things like shin splints - just ease off a bit for a while - only if you they keep returning or do not go away after 6 months or so is it really worth seeking specialist help. You can wear tubigrips and ice them after running too.