Okay…I have a confession to make. I’m only a lowly wannabe triathlete. I’ve never actually done one. I’ve raced bikes (and done pretty well, i must say), run quite a bit, and swam some (probably my “weakest link,” like most). I’m 22 years old, and don’t plan on actually completing for a few years…school is absolutely my priority at the moment. Anyways, I’ve noticed that my knees really, really *don’t *do well on concrete (I’ve had chronic pain issues…yes, I said I’m 22 
Its been a tough 22 years for the ol’ legs!), but I recently ran for an hour and thirty-five minutes on a dirt trail/road (USMCReserve). I was told it was a 10-11 mile run, and I felt absolutely great postrun and the rest of the day! My question is…are there alot of(any?) tri courses out there that run on such surfaces? I would love to one day do an Ironman, but am afraid that the damage on my knees might not be worth it. All the running pictures that I see seem to be on concrete. Any thoughts/insights/past experiences/advice would be greatly appreciated! For the record, I really enjoy coming here. One of the better forums I’ve seen on the web. Very motivating. I hope to one day actually be a part of the tri community (knees willing!). For now its just tons of cardio with no real short term goals!
Thanks for reading,
Thomas.