How to Trail Run When There is No Trail

Let's face it, running on a treadmill is dull. And, running on an oval track gets pretty lame after about three loops. Running on busy urban streets or event backcountry roads is pretty dangerous. These aren't your only options. If you say your city doesn't have a large enough park or trail system to run off-road, think again.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Sturdy shoes
• Water
• Maps
• Running buddies

1. Look for a poor area of town. The reason is a lot of people there don't rely on cars to get around. They use their feet. Chances are people have created paths through fields and small glades that connect shopping centers to nearby residential areas. These trails can be pretty elaborate and include man made bridges over creeks.
2. Look for abandoned railroad lines. These are generally straight and go on for miles. Even if the line is abandoned, the former rail companies were good about creating a wide berth for the tracks. That gives you plenty of room to run.
3. Follow the utility companies. Electric and water companies often have to cut trails into forested areas for service routes. These are great trails to run because they are usually cleared of all debris and stumps.
4. Check out landfills. Yes, check out landfills. Many landfills are fairly open spaces and green. The mountains of trash are covered by grass and make great challenges on your calves.
5. All rivers run, but some of them can be run by people. A lot of times, there are natural trails created by animals along the sides of rivers.

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful when running railroad tracks. You don't want to get caught on a live track.
• When choosing to run in isolated areas, always run as a group. Never run alone.