Choose Asphalt Over Cement

Many beginning runners think that running on a cement sidewalk is no different from running on an asphalt road. Not so. Asphalt has some “give,” while cement has none. If you regularly run on cement sidewalks, you may find that your feet or lower legs start to hurt as you increase your mileage. Try to run in neighborhoods or on side roads where you can run on the street rather than the sidewalk, and seek out asphalt paths wherever possible. When you run on any road or street, be sure to run on the left, facing traffic, and stay on or near the shoulder of the road.