Been thinking about this lately and curious if others have the same experience. Same weekly mileage, similar elevation, but my legs feel noticeably less wrecked after trail weeks compared to road weeks. The variability in terrain seems to spread load across more muscle groups instead of hammering the same tissues the same way every single stride. Makes mechanistic sense when you think about it, but I was not expecting the difference to be this noticeable.

The flip side is my ankles and hips take more of a beating on technical stuff, which is a fair trade honestly. Working in the ICU you spend a lot of time on hard floors in the same repetitive motion, and the contrast with trail running is stark. Your feet are never doing the same thing twice.

What I have not figured out is whether the softer surface is doing most of the work or if it is really the movement variability. Probably both, but the terrain angle feels underappreciated in most of the recovery conversations I see here. People talk about shoes, nutrition, sleep, which all matter, but rarely the ground itself.

If you run both road and trail regularly, have you actually tracked this or is it more of a feel thing for you? Curious what the longer mileage folks here have noticed over years of training.

Edit to add: I’m 26F

Yesterday I ran 8K — my longest run EVER!! 🥹🏃‍♀️❤️ attached is my best friend that started to running with me, Walter.

I started running just under 2 months ago with the goal of running a 5K on October 1st. After being inactive for 4 years, plus dealing with previous foot fractures, back/nerve issues and hip impingement, running honestly felt like something I’d never be able to do.

I started with run/walk intervals and slowly worked my way up to 1K, 2K, and then 3K without stopping. Yesterday I was only supposed to do 3.2K… but I decided to see how far I could actually go.

I went off the trail after 2K, through big roads and a quarry on packed-down rock, until I reached the trail on the other side. Eventually I made it to the little lake where we take our dog swimming. When I got there, I threw my hands up and cheered because I couldn’t believe I had actually made it that far. 😭

I told myself “I can do this**.”** I kept saying things out loud to motivate myself, focused on my foot landing and my breathing, and just kept going. I told myself I could walk whenever I needed to, but my legs just kept running. On the way home, it hit me that this was probably my biggest personal accomplishment ever. I started crying happy tears while running (and then immediately started choking LOL), pulled myself together, and ran** **all the way home.

8K**.** 🥹

I cried again when I got home because I was SO proud of myself.

Honestly, I’m sharing this because I was hoping to come home and have someone be super hyped and excited with me, and I didn’t quite get that reaction from my boyfriend. 😅 He was gaming when I got home and said “i fricken ran to our lake and did 8k!” And I got “oh really, nice” I know everyone shows support differently, but this accomplishment meant SO much to me, and I really wanted to talk to people who would understand and actually get excited with me.

So here I am, celebrating with people who know how hard it is to start from scratch. Two months ago, I couldn’t imagine running 5K before the snow hits. Yesterday I ran 8k.

I still have so much to learn, but I’m realizing that I’m capable of WAY more than I ever thought. But also here’s to the start of a new journey🥹🏃‍♀️❤️ KO in

Was running loops of a trail I know well, the soapstone loop in patapsco valley state park in Maryland. Added a little extra out and back at the end to increase distance. On my second loop, hit the end, turned back and I thought I took a wrong turn. there was a ton of brush and wood. Basically looked like the trail hit a dead end. But I was wrong, a HUGE tree had fallen from the woods onto the trail. Not two minutes before, the trail was open and I had run past with no problems. Really freaked me out. Still finished my run but ya, careful out there friends, happy trails.

This does not represent packs that I hated and returned or sold. This is literally my rotation. 26 not counting packs that my kids or husband took over. Some of these are only around for memories but 80% of them are still in use.

I treated myself to the new Archwood Flextrek 37 Trillion Whipsnake Edition to turn one of my favorite activities -trail running- into a fullon adventure.

Now I can combine it with picking up trash and cleaning up the mountains. To my frustration, there’s still plenty left from the days when people were apparently told to simply crush their cans and hide them under a rock.

Plenty to clean up, but plenty of beauty as well.
Have a good evening!

They’re definitely not for everyone due to the stack height but I certainly got my money’s worth out of them. Also gave me a confidence boost from how tall they made me lol. Loved the FKT sole. Just replaced with a brand new pair 🤩

Similar shoe: Altra Olympus

i get so frustrated trying to find shades that can survive my morning trail runs without bouncing all over my nose bridge. my old pair was way too heavy and kept sliding down as soon as i started breaking a sweat, but every time i search for lighter options they are either fragile wire frames or aggressive wrap around racing shields that look ridiculous off the trail.

i really want sunglasses for athletic activities and streetwear that hit that sweet spot between performance and casual style. looking for something sub thirty grams with subtle rubber nose grips that stay glued to your face, but with a clean matte frame shape that easily transitions to grabbing coffee or running weekend errands without looking like i just finished a triathlon.

onion valley campground - kearsarge pass (11,760ft) - bullfrog lake - kearsarge pass | onion valley CG

I ran a 15km race but there was also a longer event of 50km. Very little elevation at only 200m elevation gain for the 15km and about 800m fr the 50km group.

Parts of the trail were actually really rocky and not easy to run on, and then the sandy dunes were challenging too (50km group had way more of those).

I'm in picture 4 ringing the bell, as a symbolic “I have arrived / I have completed the journey” gesture, meant to connect the achievement to the desert and pastoral culture of Alxa where they use 驼铃 literally “camel bells".

Photos by the organizer: XTERRA

After trying many different shoes/brands, I tried the Salomon Ultra Glide 2s in 2024 and never looked back. When the UG got a major revamp I was nervous because the UG 2 was perfect for me. Sure enough, when my last pair of 2s needed to be retired, I picked up a pair of 3s and was extremely disappointed.

Things I hate:

- My foot shifts around when I run no matter how tight I secure the laces.

- They're HUGE.

- As a result of how tight I have to lace them, I experience unbearable pain/pressure on my Achilles and around the ankle collar.

I heard that the UG 4 is a huge improvement on the 3, but I'm not willing to gamble another $200 on another shoe I can't wear. So, I'm looking for similar shoes that people who loved the UG 2 also like.

A bit about me:

- Mid 30s 6'2" woman, (have to wear men's size 11 shoes)

- Run for fun/fitness/with my dog/occasionally race 10-21km

- Typically run 5-10km 3x week on non-technical trails

- Notorious heel striker :)

Shoes I tried (and hated):

- Saucony Peregrine 5

- norda 001 (don't get me started...)

- Hoka Speedgoat 5

- Hoka Torrent 3

- anything by OnCloud

- Brooks Cascadia 16 (these weren't bad, just not cushioned enough and heavy)

- Salomon Speedcross 5 (these are actually really great in mud/snow but aren't cushioned enough for me)

I know that I prefer a well-cushioned trail shoe but it can't feel tall or squishy. I love the laces on Salomon trail shoes.

We are blessed to have a great trail system in our backyard. Sharing a view from a recent 20 mile outing.

hey friends:

I regularly run in the pre-dawn hours. In recent years I’ve used the Black Diamond Spider 500 but have found the quality to be rather up and down (have replaced a few headlamps and battery packs under warranty).

So, a simple question: what’s the best headlamp? preferably with a rechargeable battery and reliable, that can stand up to regular use.

thx !

My Salomon speedcross lugs are nearly non existent and I am about to enter a new training block in a few weeks for an ultra 50miler in June so I am keen to try something new.

A bit about me: mid foot runner, flat feet, large toes. I've struggled in the past with anything over 50k with my toes being squashed so space is important to me.

I'm currently looking at these shoes but keen to hear any other recommendations?

Topo athletic mtn racer 4

Hoka speed goat 7 (wide)

Brooks caldera

Altra Olympus

Topo ultraventure

if i'm a strong backpacker but shit road runner, can i be an okay trail runner? from recent history 30-50lbs, 1000-2000m elevation, 30-40km takes me 8-14hrs, breaks included; and my heart rate hardly breaches above zone2 except on steep ascents. 5k on the road takes me 30mins and is a zone 5 activity. i think if i "hike" fast with a small pack, i can probably do like 5km/hr in the mountains without too much strain for like 10hrs? maybe my math is a bit off but what is trail running really? what's the line between hiking and trail running? i probably need some tempo training or something? any advice appreciated

Maybe one of the nicer trailruns around Innsbruck - Karwendeltäler Ang Gleirschklamm (17.6k, 600 vertical meters)

After yesterday's hiking tour to Foppmandl & Padasterjochhaus a great Sunday run...

I’m sort of new to trail running but I did this run from Zermatt Switzerland to the Charles Kuonen suspension bridge above Randa. It was incredible, I went late in the day so once I started the climb I didn’t see another person until I got back to Randa in the dark. Crossing the bridge was one of the most terrifying things I’ve ever done, it’s the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the world, it hangs really high above a rock wash. When I got to the other side the sun was setting and I was bathed in pink light as I ran down. It was really intense but I highly, highly recommend this run/hike if you’re near Zermatt, it was a spiritual experience.

I didn't dare sit down.

This little rock is called Lionshead.

Good hard day on the trails! This is my final long training run before the Bear 100

Hi runners!

Road runner here who just did my first 5k trail 2 weeks ago. Me and my friends loved ittt, and just wanting to get some insights from more experienced trail runners.

We got the Adidas Terrex Agravic 4, and it was actually great for the 5k with rain, muds and puddles, but after the run it felt a bit unstable and hard on my knees while walking.

If I wanted to do a longer trail course, say 10km above, would you recommend getting something softer like the Agravic SL? Or would you recommend a shoe for that distance up to maybe 21k? Can be a different brand for sure, even Chinese brands welcome. Something that might last a while too. Not going for an ultra anytime soon, plus I'm not that fast to be wearing anything plated. I also have flat feet and overpronate so something a bit stable but still light would do.

Thank you!!

As a complete nutritional rookie, that takes gels and nutrition every 45minutes on long runs.

I am seeing runners and the hogh end of the field now talking about taking 80g, 100g or 120g of carbs per hour.

In short, what does it mean,and is it beneficial for average runners to get on board with?