Trails are tough but that’s why we love them. There are plenty reasons why trail running will benefit a road runner – improved strength, balance and stamina but arguably the best reason is that they require your full attention all the time. Jenny Hadfield from Runners World has 3 top tips on how to have a great run on the trails while not pushing past the breaking point.
1. What happened to 4 minutes a km?
Percieved effort is a real and very relevant measure of how tough your run is. You can’t expect to run at the same pace on the trails as you do on roads especially if you’re a trail running newbie. Adjust your expectations and run by perceived effort.
“Get into the flow of trail and run by the terrain, using walking to keep your effort level steady even up steep inclines.” says Jenny.
2. Measure your minutes not your miles.
Once you have a sense of your pace you can start heading out for longer and speeding up but a common error is going out hard, and burning out long before you’ve finished your route.
“Like any new sport, it is wise to build your trail time slowly, starting with 30 minutes and building to longer runs as your trail fitness evolves. Although the impact forces are lessened on soft trails, the energy expended will be greater and may affect your recovery times. Weave trail running in once or twice per week, and let your body recover with a few days in between.”
3. Run mindfully.
Runners so often get injured on the trails because they aren’t watching here they’re going.
“Create a line of focus ahead of you on the trail and look where you want to run. This will also allow you to maintain good head position, looking forward rather than down, and to stay balanced over your shoulders. This is called a line of sight, and it allows you to create a path where you are going to step for the next few strides.
You will begin to instinctively know where that line is as you become more comfortable running on the trails. It can be tempting to look around at all the sights, but doing so can quickly lead to tripping and falling. If you want to take for a selfie or enjoy the view, do yourself a favor and stop—multitasking on the trail isn’t safe.”
To read the full article written by Jenny Hadfield click here.