Running on grass is bad for you!

[skye97]

According to this NY Times article - http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/health/nutrition/19best.html?_r=1&ref=health - running on hard surfaces is better for you because it some how causes your body to relax more than running on softer surfaces.  Too bad our ancestors didn't have any asphalt with which to pave over the world!

This is my favorite quote: Perhaps a runner who, like me, strikes the ground with her forefoot instead of her heel, might risk more injuries on softer ground. After all, every time I push off on a soft surface, I twist my foot.  Oh, the agony - I don't even know where to start.  And that photo at the top makes my knees hurt just looking at it!

[jmijares]

Yikes!  The photo makes my knees and heels hurt too!

[JustinB]

It's actually the same concept of the thick padding shoes.  A softer surface or more padding causes your body to step harder to get the feedback it desires.  Grass softer than pavement = more impact. 

Also, because it is softer, flaws in your running are not as pronounced and you will not notice bad habits.  That's why they tell people transitioning to run on pavement instead of sand or grass.

[Little King]

That makes a lot of sense, Justin. I would have to agree that I think I run lighter on concrete than on grass because I'm more worried about how my landings are. I think the same could be said about more technical trails, though, because you would want to land very softly in the event you land on something that sticks out of the ground.

[The Yeti]

There is a short section of trail that I run on that is under construction, and they laid some wood mulch on it. Going from a packed dirt/gravel trail to wood mulch is probably one of the strangest transitions I've ever encountered when running. It's almost like running on a sponge, and even worse after it rains. I find that when I hit the solid trail again after running through this section, it takes me a couple of minutes to regain my form. I think it plays tricks with your brain, as you don't have to worry about form at all.

I can't trail run for at least a couple of weeks. We still have a few inches of hardened snow that has to melt, and then the ground needs to dry out which will take a while. The soil we have is muskeg, which is pretty soupy when it gets wet, so it's not uncommon to go up to your ankles in mud. That stuff is really hard to get out of your treads!!