Trail Running - Use What We've Got

I did a great trail run today and it reminded me of a piece I wrote several years back. Here you go...

(From Outdoor Athlete Magazine 2013)
Road Running Makes you Weak!
By Jeff Watters

Ha! Far from my belief, but it got your attention didn’t it? I’ve always found it interesting that there’s usually such a huge distinction between road runners and trail runners. You’d think that there’s just “runners”, right? Not so much the case. Well, as a devout trail rat, here is my attempt at converting the “others”.

Why trails? There’s a ton of people out there that stay away from running trails, especially those new to running, because of the belief that there’s more of a chance that they’ll get hurt. Maybe they’ll trip on a tree root or fall down a hill. So? That uneven ground that you’re avoiding is one of the things that makes trail running better on your joints than running pavement. The uneven ground on the trails will help strengthen tendons and ligaments by adjusting the amount of tension, through balance and natural body weight, from stride to stride. Flat roads don’t do that nearly as effectively. The pounding that your body goes through on the road, impact after impact, causing shin splints and other overuse injuries, is far less likely to happen on the trails. Why? The surface you’re running on is much softer than the road. What about those tree roots? Pay attention! One of the best things about trail running is the view, THE VIEW! It’s easy to lose yourself in it but, at the same time, trail running puts you into some zen like stage of hyper awareness that makes everything in your mind slow down. You’ll not only see the trail but you’ll feel it. It just takes a little time to trust yourself. Added benefit? Calories, calories and more calories. One of the quickest ways to up your cardio level is to push your limits while training anaerobically. Yes, anaerobically. Your pace on a trail will vary greatly, much more so than in road running. That’s a good thing! You’ll naturally go through slight intervals without even knowing it. One of the best tricks in my bag when it comes to working with elite athletes looking to amp up their cardio in short time? Get them on the trails for 30 minutes of natural running. No GPS, no stopwatch. Just listen to your body and run. When you need to slow down, do it. If you can speed up, do it. It’s the best quick fix there is.

New on the trails? Start out easy. You don’t have to run fast to progress fast. You should follow the same guidelines above, as their relative. Go out and run at a pace you can maintain for a couple of minutes, walk when you need to. Follow this run walk method by listening to your body. Once you can run for 20 minutes without having to stop, slowly increase your time, not distance. I’m a big believer in having a goal. This also applies to trail running. Pick a trail event, Michigan has some GREAT ones. Give yourself about a month to train for it, if you’re new to the sport. If you’re already running, substitute a road run for one on the trails. Remember, your body becomes its purpose. In other words, if you’re planning to run a trail race, train on trails. Come race day, just have fun with it! If at all possible, try to familiarize yourself with the trails you’ll be racing on. If you can’t physically get on them, try to find a map. Even if you can’t, you’ll still be fine. Another benefit to trail running? They all climb and they all drop. If you train for time, you’ll be fine wherever you’re at.

Ready to go find a trail event? First things first. Where will you train? The best trails to run on are mountain bike trails. You can check out the Michigan Mountain Biking Association’s site to find a trail near you. As I said earlier, Michigan has a ton of great trail events. Here are some of my favorites – Dances with Dirt, Great Lakes Relay, Stay in the Shade’s Mountain Man Run... These races all vary in distance and difficulty. I’ve done them all and would encourage anyone reading this article to try any one of them. Some of them, including mine, will take registered racers out to the course to do a guided pre run the week before the race.

Whether you’re going to race or just go out and play on your own, here’s a couple of trail running tips / etiquette that should always be followed –

-Stay on the trail
-Run OVER obstacles, not around them
-Respect animals
-Keep your dog on a leash if you can’t control it
-Leave no trace; take out what you take in!
-Most importantly, GIVE BACK! Volunteer, support, & encourage others to participate in trail maintenance days.

Follow the guidelines, get some good trail shoes, take off your headphones and enjoy the sights and sounds. Now go break a leg, but not really.

Jeff Watters owns Motor City Bootcamp and Watters Performance LLC. He’s also a member of the Brooks ID (inspire daily) and PACE (performance and coaching elite) programs. You can view some of his programs, or contact him, at www.jeffwatters.com