May as well ... 2014

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Oh, and I should mention that I actually enjoy (sub)urban running. It's not often one gets to look around one's neighbourhood for a couple of hours with nothing much on the agenda. It's nice to be among the town going about its business. If only the streets were paved with rubber, it would be perfect...

I quite agree. In this day and age we seem to interact less and less with our neighbours and local community. Running the streets is a great way to re-engage; to actually get to know your local area and see what goes on in it.

And I'm seeing new research that suggests road running is in fact less damaging to your ligaments and joints than off-road running. I've often thought this to be true - after all if the shoe company's claims are even half-true, then the shoe should be cushioning you against the impact, and the road surface is far more stable than grass or dirt with less strain on muscles and ligaments. And one research article I read said that the impact to kness of most surfaces is pretty the same!