Interesting article, but I don't get why so much surprise at the notion that we don't consciously control every single muscle, joint and nerve as we run.<p>We never ever consciously control every anything, period. Just try to list the movements of each phalanx as you tie your shoes or even scratch your head, and you'll easily see that we just have no idea.
Makes me think of orienteering running -- at the competitive level, you can't afford to slow down much (and definitely you can't stop running) just to look at the map and plan your route.
So not only you're not looking at how rough the terrain you're stepping on right now is, your brain is also busy with evaluating different options and trying to optimize for the least effort to get from point A to point B (and repeat this 100 times or more in a race) -- for example, should I take the long way around the hill with rougher vegetation vs go straight up 100 meters elevation and down on the other side.
<i>Jurek never looks down, no matter how uneven the ground may be.</i><p>Scott Jurek is one of the greatest trail/ultra-runners of all time, but I find this hard to believe. Of course you don't look directly down at your feet, but your gaze (at least, my gaze) when trail running is a few feet in front of you, much closer than when running on a smooth surface. He must have a visual image of what's in front of him.<p>I run a lot of road miles (60+/week), with the occasional trail run, and I'm not a very good trail runner (went down three times in a 12 mile trail run a couple weeks ago). I find trail running much more mentally taxing than road running. I'm constantly scanning the ground for trip hazards, then looking up for branches and turns. I don't dare look at my watch. If my attention flags for a second, that's exactly when a root grabs my foot or my toe slams into a rock. A lot of this may be due to poor technique (I don't lift my legs as much as I should) or the rather rugged single-track where I run. And then there's running poorly marked trails where you have to navigate as you go, which is another issue altogether.<p>In any case, interesting article. Single-track trail running is definitely a different beast than road, track, or cross-country.