Trail Running – Be Wild and Take a Break From Data

Whether you are going for a run through your neighbourhood trail, or negotiating rugged single track in one of our wilder places, trail running is distinctly different from running the roads, treadmill or track. Trail running is perhaps one of the most pure ways you can run, the way humans ran before concrete and health clubs. Being in the natural world away from cars and city noise is a stress free way to spend your workout and  trail running offers great benefits apart from the soul lifting environment. Running in the trails is a great way to take a break from watching your watch, speed or pace as well. Your pace will vary much more than when you run in the city or on a straight path, naturally following the rhythm of the terrain, including obstacles and elevation. In trails, there may be times when you are walking, or scrambling up rocky bits, or over fallen logs, using your arms as well as your legs. The focus is on good movement, and not on pace. This change of pace as you climb, or scramble, can give you great practice into tuning into your own heartbeat and breathing rate and aiming for a consistent effort. For people attached to their wearable technology, I often prescribe trail running as a means to get in touch with internal effort, rhythm and joy of movement. Other benefits of trail running include:

Long uninterrupted runs. For a long base or endurance run, nothing beats a piece of trail. No traffic lights, no intersections and just long stretches of trail create a continuous aerobic session. Without the distractions of road running, you can really get into a groove in the woods, paying attention to your body, your breath and how efficient you are running.

Softer surfaces are easier on the body. Training as much as you can on softer surfaces lessens the impact of forces caused by running and can help prevent injuries and set up faster recovery for your next workout.

Natural fartlek. Going for a hilly trail run will create variations in heart rate which will be much greater than a flat run. This natural fartlek is a nice mental break from structured intervals, but also builds your threshold and mental strength, not to mention your prowess as an uphill bunny.

Agility and focus on movement. Running in the trails requires focus and concentration especially in single track and over uneven terrain. Paying attention to the way your body moves and works makes you a stronger runner and the added bonus is that successful rock hopping makes you feel younger!
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Strengthening the stabilizing muscles.  There is more lateral motion involved in trail running, with the body having to use the stabilizer muscles and tendons of the ankles, lower legs and core for balance. When added to your overall training program, this type of running gives you a well rounded functional strength.

Before you head into the wild.  Urban trails and parks are a great place to start: these trails are generally more even and well maintained. Start with one or two shorter base runs a week to get used to the feeling of running on uneven ground: like any new activity, a little conservatism at first goes a long way to preventing injury.  While some trails are marked with distance so you can keep track of your mileage, doing a timed out and back loop will ensure you don’t end up on an epic two hour adventure run on your first time out. A GPS comes in handy in the woods, as you can keep track of where you are when there are no markers to follow for reference. As you increase the range of your workouts in the trails, a GPS allows you to plan more adventurous runs. Taking a photo of the main trail map with your phone is always helpful as well. 

Safety.  For your personal safety in the trails, you may want to run with a buddy, a bell (for bears), and be up to date on self-protection. See self protection expert Kris Greffard’s FaceBook posts on West Coast Women’s Safety for lots of great tips:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009538537195  or at 
 https://www.sheepdogselfprotection.com/   

Do you need trail running shoes? A trail running shoe provides more traction, protection from rocks and roots and waterproofing than a regular runner, all of which reduce fatigue over the course of a long run. If you are going to commit to longer or more extreme trail runs a good trail runner will provide more comfort and function than your regular trainer.

So, go find a park and add trail running to your repertoire of training skills. Watch those stumps and roots and feel your body getting stronger!

Run For Joy!

​Lucy