Why can't I run on the road ?

I'm similar. Generally though, my pain doesn't manifest while I am running, but afterwards and the next day I will be wrecked much more than if I hit the trails. Curious to see other's input. I used to run almost exclusively on roads, but then made the switch to trails because it's far more enjoyable for me. Now going back to roads is painful.

I've often found pavements much more unforgiving than grass/trails - I can walk all day even on rough trails, but not around town. They're very uniform, and there isn't as much give. Can you get shoes to suit? You might need to work up to your normal trail level as well, giving your joints time to adapt to the new surface.

mcewembe wrote: »

Recently I have been trying to start running on the road (I'm a pretty active hiker and do some trail running). I can't even run a mile without stopping due to the pain in my legs and joints. What can I do to help this? I can easily go miles on the trail at a fairly decent pace with no issues but can't seem to run on the road without a lot of pain.

The pavement is a lot harder - trail is much softer. You will also be hitting the ground in pretty much the same exact way over and over and over again on pavement because it is so uniform unlike on trail. So you'll have to be more careful about your gait. And possibly try a different pair of shoes and/or insoles than the road ones you are using now - you may need more or less support/more or less cushioning/etc.

I'm good on road now (but it took me a few years to [1] find shoes that worked, and [2] learn that I couldn't run below a certain speed before it would aggravate my knee (there is a point at which I switch to more of a jogging-type gait - and that screws with my knee). Switching to run-walk intervals and keeping the running speed above jogging solved that for me. Meanwhile, trail and forest floor is soft enough (or my gait varied enough with every step due to varied terrain and obstacles) that it never bothered me there.

Shorten your stride and consciously try to make your footfalls as soft as possible.

On trail, it's likely that you're being careful with your foot positioning to avoid landing on roots or rocks, etc. even if you're not consciously trying to do it, it's just something that happens when you don't have 100% certainty about what your foot will land on.

There is no need for such caution when road running and there's a chance that you're swinging to the other extreme. You may be a little too enthusiastic with your gait and speed when you get all of that wide open road in front of you!

mcewembe wrote: »

MotherOfSharpei wrote: »

Have you paid attention to your foot strike on the trails vs the road? I run both and have a different pair of shoes for each...my trail shoes are Salomon with even padding throughout for a more toe/forefoot strike. My road shoes are Brooks and have extra padding in the heel because I heel strike on pavement.

I agree that shoes/insoles may help you.

I really haven't paid much attention to it. It does seem like I am hitting the road very hard when I run, it's not so bad clunking along when I'm on the trail because the ground is soft but I do feel like I need to be lighter on my feet on the road but am unsure of how.

Shorter strides and allow your knee to flex slightly when you land. You want your feet to land directly under your center line rather than in front of you with your knee acting as a shock absorber to take all of that impact into the big muscles of your thigh. When done properly, running should feel more like gliding and less like leaping.

Try running barefoot a little bit...you'll naturally figure out how to soften your stride.

Roads often have a camber or grade along the edges that create uneven impact because one leg is slightly higher than the other. Vary the side you run on so the same leg is not always on the outside of the road. Long term this can cause problems.

lorrpb wrote: »

Roads often have a camber or grade along the edges that create uneven impact because one leg is slightly higher than the other. Vary the side you run on so the same leg is not always on the outside of the road. Long term this can cause problems.

Yes..this. It bothers my ankles quite a bit if I run near the side of the road due to the slant as opposed to the sidewalk or middle of the road (with the latter only being a real option against traffic on lesser used 1-way streets)..I often use the sidewalk on group runs even when everyone else is in the road because of this.

Where are you guys running to find "soft" trails? Over the past 25 years I've run all over the US and never found a trail that is measurably softer than asphalt...

cwolfman13 wrote: »

'cuz concrete...

This.


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scorpio516 wrote: »

Where are you guys running to find "soft" trails? Over the past 25 years I've run all over the US and never found a trail that is measurably softer than asphalt...

Forest areas (forest floor and packed dirt trails). Mountain trails are often rock and quite hard though.

How old are your sneakers? Worn out shoes are a common problem.