I did a pig iron industrial route for 23 years, and my knees and back are shot because of it.
Now I'm in the country and its a lot better in terms of wear and tear on my body, but it has its downsides also.
All the industrial routes in my center are down on the Willamette Valley floor where its flat and paved and it seldom snows. My route does winding mountain roads with no guardrails that climb 1200 vertical feet in less than 3 miles. When its raining down in the valley its snowing up in my world and I get to experience the joy of crawling under a package car and installing/removing chains by the side of the road in the dark. The fog up there is frequently so bad that I cant go more than about 5 MPH for fear of driving right off of a cliff. And in the summer, the 50+ miles of gravel roads that I drive on dry out and create choking clouds of fine, talcum powder-like dust that coat every surface inside the car and combine with my sweat to create a slimy, mud like substance on my exposed skin. I still like my rural route, but if you have never run one they arent all that they are cracked up to be.
