The rest of 2011 - between marathons

[marathondan]

I'm not so sure that a lot of hardtop-conditioning is necessary for a habitual grass-dweller such as yourself.

Running on grass requires a bit more effort than pavement (I think) because of the uneven surface, so you'll be better conditioned. The softer impact means that you'll recover better from your runs and can put more effort into your sessions. Your ankles will definitely be stronger than those of a tarmac-hound.

The downside of course is that your hips and knees won't be used to the jarring impact. But I wonder how much of a problem that would be over a 4 hour race? (or less in the case of P2P.) Would it really impact your performance on the day, compared with the advantages?

What has your experience been in previous road races?