A First-timer's Guide to Trail Running
As a triathlete, why would you choose to run on trails when all your races are on the road*? In this article, Coach Soraya helps the first-timer tie up their trail shoes and hit great outdoors showing us how it can help your road training and triathlon.
“All my races are on the road so I won’t bother with trail running.” – Let’s dig into it.
Road and trail running are completely different sports, much like road cycling and mountain biking. Therefore, it is fair to question whether it is worth spending time hitting the trails instead of training exclusively in the environment you will be racing in.
The biggest problem with road running is in the name. It’s on the road: asphalt or concrete, both of which are hard on the joints. The runner’s gait is the same throughout the run, so all the pounding in a repetitive motion increases the risk of overuse injury. On the flip side, road running is faster and more efficient, and as a result, road running tends to be very intense and competitive even at the marathon distance. We can see why this appeals to type A triathletes!
Trail running offers softer surfaces and obstacles. This puts less strain on your joints but asks your muscles to work a little harder to keep you stable. It also challenges you mentally as you scan the terrain for the most efficient route. For this reason, trail running is a better overall workout; it builds strength, improves balance and reduces reaction times. If you look at the physique of a road runner vs that of a trail runner, you will find that the road runner is lean whilst the trail runner is more muscular (like triathletes). Trail running also helps to improve your running gait (for the road too) as the obstacles will force you to shorten your stride and land below your centre of mass. Of course, trail running has a higher risk of acute injury (e.g. from falling or twisting your ankle as opposed to overuse injuries that happen over time), especially if you have not done any strength training or if you are not paying attention to where you are going. There is less emphasis on pace and time with trail running (though that doesn’t remove the emphasis on trying to win - a race is a race after all), and trail runners tend to be more laid back - type B personalities…!
In summary, trail running will make you stronger, have better balance, have quicker reaction times and improve your running form. It also has reduced risk of an overuse injury, not to mention the psychological and mindfulness benefits of running in nature without cars and pollution. I would say the real question is why wouldn’t you include it in your training?
I’m sold. How do I start?
Since trail running and road running are completely different, you should approach it as a different sport. Below are the main points to consider.
1) Frequency
There is no need to be extreme and transition from 100% of your training on roads and 100% of your training on trail. I would recommend building up to approximately 50% of your running to be on trails. A good way to do it is to have your long slow runs on trails and your speed work on the road or at the track. Hill reps could be a mixture of both.
2) Your ego
If you’re used to road running, you have a pace number in your head that represents a good run or a bad run for you. We all have it, so don’t pretend you don’t! However, when you run on the trails, you need to forget about that. Leave the ego at home and go by heart rate or power. Fact: you will run slower on the trails (quite a lot slower). This is normal; not only are you having to mind obstacles but also the softer terrain means that energy is lost. Ignore the pace and focus on heart rate, power and how you're feeling - this will also help you become more in tune with your body.
3) Use time instead of distance to plan your runs
Every trail is different in terms of terrain, elevation, width, obstacles…etc., so unlike road running where you can easily estimate the time it will take you to complete a certain distance at a certain intensity, with trail running that might not be the case. It is best to have target time on your feet rather than target distance for your training run.
4) Trail types
There are lots of types of trails, from simple and relatively flat countryside paths with few obstacles to very technical single track routes with lots of elevation. To begin with, I would recommend starting with easy, runnable, paths and slowly looking for harder and more technical routes if this is of interest.
5) Equipment
Just like with road running, the equipment you need will depend on the intended use. If you are just beginning and plan on running on a simple off-road path, you can certainly get away using your normal road running equipment as long as the shoes don’t have a very high profile. If you are planning on exploring more technical routes, or if you foresee there being snow or mud involved, then you will be better off with trail shoes. Trail shoes differ in 3 main areas: (1) they will be slightly beefier to protect your feet from rocks and roots; (2) they have a lower profile to reduce risk of rolling over your ankle; and (3) they have a rugged tread for traction.
Additional equipment to consider:
Hydration vest: depending on the distances you are aiming to complete, get an ultra one that also has space for nutrition and anything else some race organisers may require (whistle, first aid kit, thermal blanket, waterproof jacket…etc.). (You can use such a vest for hydration in your long road runs too).
Running poles: some people also like running with poles, but in my opinion, unless you are running a very hilly course or doing an ultra marathon, this is not necessary.
6) Technique
Your technique will also change a bit when running on trails. The most important change is your concentration ability to plan your route quickly. You need to be looking a few steps ahead and making quick decisions on the best path to take (I would suggest the one with least resistance!). If you look straight down at your feet, you can’t plan what’s coming. If you look too far ahead, you might trip and fall.
Think about shortening that stride to help with your balance and control. When going downhill, you want to open up your arms a little (which is different from what road runners do) which will also help with balance. When going uphill, don’t be afraid to power walk if it is very steep; this is often more efficient in terms of energy and could even be faster. If you are running uphill, shorten your stride even further and try not to lean too far forward as that somewhat restricts breathing and makes it harder for you to activate your glutes.
7) Strength & skill training
Strength training is important for all sports and is certainly important for road running (see this blog ). However, for trail running you need to work more on lateral movements (which actually is great for road runners too who often end up building strength in only the main muscle groups which cause imbalances and then injuries) as well as agility and reaction time skills that can be obtained through things like agility ladder drills, cone shuffles and interval training in the trails.
*It is worth noting that not ALL triathlons are on-road and some (such as Xterra) take place in very technical areas. Worth exploring?
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