Running the same routes over and over soon gets dull. And it's also bad news for your body, particularly if you stick to roads and pavements. The forces associated with running on hard surfaces can be more than twice as great as softer ground, so

Running the same routes over and over soon gets dull. And it's also bad news for your body, particularly if you stick to roads and pavements. The forces associated with running on hard surfaces can be more than twice as great as softer ground, so it

)Urban Runner: The Survival Kit (Preview)The Risk: Obstacles and Hazards (Subscriber only) The Risk: Carting Gear Around (Subscriber only)The Risk: Hard Surfaces (Subscriber only)Sign the Runner's World Urban Running Petition

.Subscribers can find out more about Sam Murphy's barefoot journey, minimalist shoes and the essential getting-started barefoot facts in the full article. Not a magazine subscriber? Subscribe online now to make a significant saving on the newsstand price. Discover

lights and, unsurprisingly, talk centres on barefoot running. How long it takes to adapt. How it’s enabled someone perennially injured to run pain-free. The best surface to run on. Whether or not Nike Free really qualifies as a minimal shoe. Which gyms

. You'll need a surface about mid-thigh height. The kitchen table is normally a good bet!Starting postion: Stand with your buttocks resting against a table or use the steeplechase pit at your local track.Exercise: Pull one knee to your chest and slowly