This is my first year of running on grass/trails (for injury prevention). Winter is 80% wet/muddy where I live and I'm not going wreck my shoes every day. What do you do, especially if you run on soft surfaces because you're injury prone?
Switch to roads (and if so switch to extra cushioned shoes)? Treadmill? Keep on trails and wear xc shoes that just stayed caked in mud all winter?
Switch to roads and drop mileage down, you will have to adapt to roads during the winter. The trails save your legs for 7-8 months of the year and allow higher mileage but you just can't run the same mileage on roads. I can do 120 a week on rail trail and that is like 80-90 for me on roads.
One of the reason to build roads was to avoid all the problems you mentioned.
I would also mention that it might be illegal to run on trails when they are muddy.
Oh no, you might run in mud? That's just a natural way to strengthen your legs. Get a brush for your shoes if you don't want it to dirty up your car/house. If it snows a lot where you live during the winter add in some indoor cycling and XC skiing.
I keep running the trails. I love snowy trail runs and winter is my favorite time to run in the woods.
Get a few pairs of trail shoes with good lugs (I like the Peregrine ST), wash the out after every trail run, stuff them with newspaper, and take another pair the next day.
Sounds like a good strategy!
Thanks, I guess I was wondering if I'd missed something obvious. Time to get some trail shoes.
ski moutaneering
Strap on some Yaktrax and keep running on packed snow/mud.
CAA wrote:
This is my first year of running on grass/trails (for injury prevention). Winter is 80% wet/muddy where I live and I'm not going wreck my shoes every day. What do you do, especially if you run on soft surfaces because you're injury prone?
Switch to roads (and if so switch to extra cushioned shoes)? Treadmill? Keep on trails and wear xc shoes that just stayed caked in mud all winter?
Move somewhere where you can run trails year round. /Thread
Sold my house, pulled the kids out of school, resigned from my job, said goobye to friends - all ready to go!
CAA wrote:
Sold my house, pulled the kids out of school, resigned from my job, said goobye to friends - all ready to go!
9am in the east and a strong candidate for POD.
I run trails in all weather conditions. Helps to have the right kind of shoes for the right kind of terrain/weather but not totally necessary. I just let mud dry and then bang it off, the rest comes off as I am running or next time I run in a puddle/rain.
You are definitely over thinking this.
CAA wrote:
This is my first year of running on grass/trails (for injury prevention). Winter is 80% wet/muddy where I live and I'm not going wreck my shoes every day. What do you do, especially if you run on soft surfaces because you're injury prone?
Switch to roads (and if so switch to extra cushioned shoes)? Treadmill? Keep on trails and wear xc shoes that just stayed caked in mud all winter?
Due to nerve damage in my feet, I've been running on grass. Last winter it was wet and muddy; I just wore XC flats, hosed them off, dried them under a fan, repeat.
i dont mind the treadmill that much tbh and where im from negative wind chills are pretty common in Jan/Feb. Much prefer throwing on some music or a soccer match and droning out on the treadmill than weaving in between snow piles, patches of ice and cars. ill try to get out on the roads at least a few times a week, but otherwise treadmill/trainer for those months.
Snow shoes, xc ski parks, suck it up and run on the sidewalk or road.
ultra thon bro wrote:
Oh no, you might run in mud? That's just a natural way to strengthen your legs. Get a brush for your shoes if you don't want it to dirty up your car/house. If it snows a lot where you live during the winter add in some indoor cycling and XC skiing.
I know you're turning to help but some of the trails I've ran, if we're rerun in winter mud, one could actually lose a shoe in the mud.
CAA wrote:
Sold my house, pulled the kids out of school, resigned from my job, said goobye to friends - all ready to go!
Anti-vaxxer spotted!!!
Well, I have mostly run orienteering and trained for that, in Norway. With snow in the winter we were forced to the roads, but at any time else, we ran off road. Just get shoes that do not break apart (can endure being wet all the time) and continue your running. Who cares it is muddy or wet? If the alternative is to run on road and lower the milage, who would pick that?
There are plenty of off-road running shoes.
I did wash my shoes earlier, but I see no point in adding to the wear doing more than flushing off mud gently. Do NOT dry them in the sun or fast drying cause then the fabric might get stiff and shrink and damage the seems or glued parts. Of course do not hide them in a plastic bag, but let them rather air off for instance outside your door or in a place they do not bother others, away from direct sunshine.
Just keep running trails etc..
Running in the snow is awesome, really is. If you are worried about your shoes getting dirty, I don't know what to say. You must be a real p***** I guess.