Trail Running is better. There you have it. I’m out!
Ok, even though my opinion is always correct, I am very open-minded and look at every question from all sides of the argument. Therefore, I have decided that there are both pros and cons to trail running and road running. Let’s start where most of us started running; on the road. The pro to road running are the even surfaces and the determinable distances. This makes the road a great place to run when following a strict training plan with little room for variation or miscalculations. Road Running is also probably more convenient to most of us; unless your front door is off of a trail run, in which case you are probably too awesome to read this blog anyways. I have found that the biggest negative to road running is that it consists of running on hard surfaces. While asphalt is better than concrete, both surfaces are very hard and put a lot of strain on your joints. Hard surfaces easily cause injuries such as shin splints and runner’s knee which develop over a long time and take a long time to heal. The trail offers a softer surface that does not put as much stress on joints.
However, Trail Running is not exempt from eliciting injury. If you are not an experienced Trail Runner you may be just as likely to get an injury due to falling or running into nature. When running on a trail, runners must always pay attention to the surface they are running on to avoid these spills and falls. You can’t zone out on the trail like you do on the road, so if you like to think while running, stay on the streets…but pay attention to the crosswalks. Although training is difficult to standardize on the trail, the trail does offer a much different and better work out than running on the road. On the trail, you are able to burn more calories mile for mile because of the uneven terrain and amount of steps you must take vs. the same distance on the road. The uneven terrain is also great for working your leg muscles, giving your body a variation in movements. Trail Running is also great for building endurance because of the mental aspect; you aren’t sure how far you have gone and how difficult the trail ahead is, you just keep running to find out. No matter how tired you are. What are you going to hitch a ride back to your start point?
Obviously both Trail Running and Road Running have their advantages and disadvantages but sometimes logistics make one more feasible than the other. Trail Running gives you a better work out and is better for preventing long-term injuries so get out on the trail. Also keep in mind that you should “train as you fight,” or in running terms, run on the surface you intend to race on. Remember, all routes and running surfaces are not created equal.