Many, many years ago, I started training for my first marathon. It went well, but as my training runs got longer, my knees and hips started to hurt. I mentioned this to another runner, and she said: "Get off the asphalt and concrete! You need to run on the grass."
It was the best single piece of fitness advice anyone ever gave me. I started running on grass, dirt, or gravel - anything I could find, except for asphalt or concrete. The pain in my joints went away, and I completed my marathon. More than that, it opened up a lifetime of running. Today, at 65, I still go jogging two or three times a week, and my knees and hips feel fine.
Running on the road once in a while won't hurt you. Running a race on the road is fine. But pounding away on concrete or asphalt day after day is too much. Humans are specifically designed to run. But we did't evolve running on hard surfaces! Asphalt and concrete are both very recent inventions (in the context of evolutionary time.)
So stay on soft and irregular surfaces, and run all you want.
If you live in Bradenton, and you're looking for a personal trainer, please get in touch! my fee is $20 for a one-hour individual session. If you have a friend, I also offer partner training for $10 each. You can reach me at 502 475-4686. Or drop me a line at lancenelsonporter@gmail.com.
You can do it!
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