trail running

[roadie gal]

I have been trail running for a long time, love it! My puppy is 10 monthes old, I am thinking about taking her with me to the trail.
She got all the shots she need, she is a big girl, nearly 50 lbs. Are there anythings else I should know but bringing the leash and water?
Any input will be greatly appreciate.

runner2

A lot depends on the type of dog. 10 months might be too young to go for a long run. The bigger the breed, the longer you have to wait to run them. The giant breeds are prone to elbow and knee problems if you run them too soon.

[lauraspark]

For those of you who do trail running...do you use different shoes than what you use for road running?

Thanks in advance for your replies...

[Tri Girl]

For those of you who do trail running...do you use different shoes than what you use for road running?

Thanks in advance for your replies...

When I first started trail running- no. I just wore an old pair of road shoes. Now I have a pair of trail shoes. Depends on the type of terrain you're running on. Around here our trails are mostly smooth, with roots and very few rocks, so the running store shoe guy said I could get away with road shoes. I bought the trail shoes for the waterproof top (lots of puddles here), and for the extra flexibility (I wear motion control road running shoes, so they're not as "giving" as the trail shoes). If it were really rocky and unstable sufacing- the trail shoes would be a must. If you want to trail run, use your road shoes, then buy some trail shoes if you decide it's worth the investment and want to run on trails a lot. Have fun!

[Wahine]

Laura - as others here have already pointed out, trail running is definitely slower. I usually estimate a 1 to 2 min/mile drop in pace. So when I have trail runs as part of my workout program I train by time and not by distance. If it's supposed to be a LSD run, I will walk the steeper hills. I also sometimes trade out a interval workout for a med to high intensity trail run. It is very nice for breaking up the monotony.

As for trail shoes, I have a pair. I like them for the better lateral support they give me over my road shoes and the gortex uppers are nice as well. You can trail run in road shoes, just be alert and watch out for long stretches of trail that slope to the side. These will break down road shoes very quickly and will leave your lower leg muscles very tired.

[yellow]

runner2: I usually only take my dog with me in the winter as she is verrrrry high energy and usually overdoes it, which means that she tends to get too overheated in the warmer months. Plus, most of our trails here are shared with mtn bikes and the dog still hasn't figured out that she needs to move out of the path of a bicycle. So I leave her home in the summer and we go for long walks at night. But she loves running with me in the winter, since she loves the snow. I second roadiegal's comment about waiting until she's older and more "fully grown". Overdoing it with young big dogs can be really, really hard on their musculoskeletal systems.

TriGirl...that's interesting that you find trail shoes more giving. But since I wore neutral road shoes, I guess that would explain why I find trail shoes to be much stiffer overall (I have tried wearing them on the treadmill and ended up with so much pain in my feet that I had to go out and buy a new pair of road shoes...and the road shoes feel so squishy to me now. I hate them!!! ).

Lauraspark, as others have said, you can run smooth and nontechnical trails in road shoes, no problem. I use trail shoes, but I run a lot of rocky and technical terrain. I have the non-Goretex ones as my feet get too hot in the Goretex ones. I run in the snow, mud, and rain and find that if I wear wool socks, my feet are fine. One tip is to see if your favorite road shoe comes in a "trail" or "all terrain" version. I know that Asics and New Balance have both used this model (I used to run in neutral NB distance shoes, and went straight to the neutral trail shoe without a problem). Ask at your local running store. But I think TriGirl's advice is right on...try it in your road shoes and if you love it, make the investment in some trail shoes.

[runner2]

A lot depends on the type of dog. 10 months might be too young to go for a long run. The bigger the breed, the longer you have to wait to run them. The giant breeds are prone to elbow and knee problems if you run them too soon.

Roadie gal, yellow, thanks for the advice. Kali is a Husky, loves cold winter weather and outdoor, very high energy.
I think I am going to wait until she is a little bit older, we have to do our short street run for now.
Thanks.

Runner2

[wannaduacentury]

I'd love to start trail running too as a cross train to riding. I have a road and mtn bike so I love to ride and walk in the woods too. What's the best way to start trail running when you're used to walking? I sometimes run for a short piece just for fun. Jennifer