So finally, the season is changing. As the leaves are falling off, our desire to ditch the traditional running ways is growing. You have finally decided to transition from road running to trail running so you can take in the beautiful scenery along the many excellent trails across the region. As exciting as it sounds to change your scenery from road to trail, it comes with many challenges and some adjustments, especially for runners unfamiliar with the trails and their hidden, unpredictable obstacles.
Switching from road running to trail running is extremely rewarding and makes you feel content, but it’s not easy at all. If you compare trail running with road running, trail running requires more effort, better techniques to handle the rough terrains, and better physical and mental capabilities. The only thing you need to keep in mind while transitioning from road to trail is patience. Being patient can change the game of your trail running. Don’t jump into difficulties on your first step and take slow and steady steps. You will need different training, different gears, and different techniques to handle it. But once you learn the basic trail running techniques, you will realize that your efforts were worth it. Start with softer terrains with lesser hurdles along the trail.
It almost feels natural, irresistible, and logical once you learn to be patient and know your way around the trails. But to have this fulfilling experience, you don’t only need to transition your running ways; you need to transition your mind, body, and soul. Read further to find what trail running is and techniques to tackle the new trail like an expert.
What trail running is, and how is it different from road running?
The fall season always calls for some good trail running. Contrary to what most people believe, you don’t have to run to the roughest mountain to enjoy the sport of trail running. As widespread as the concept of running on the mountain is, it’s not the only way to enjoy trail running. Trail running can be done anywhere, anytime. Basic trail running techniques involve running outdoors in the fresh air and not on paved, asphalt, sealed, or surfaced roads.
As it is mentioned by triathlete and the famous running trainer Bob Seebohar:
“Anytime you transition from road and smooth pavement to trail and undulating terrain, there’s more stress on the body and mind.”
He is the owner of eNRG performance situated in Littleton, CO. According to him, basic trail running techniques are a mixture of vertically steeper and uneven terrains so you can exert more pressure on your body and burn more calories in the process.
It’s not just physical activity; the mental component causes the major difference in your basic trail running techniques. As Dauwakter says:
“Running the trails, you need to pay attention to the terrain, your footing, and wildlife. It takes a little more mental capacity because you can’t zone out and repeat the same stride over and over—your stride changes as the trail changes.”
Basic trail running techniques for transitioning from Road Running to Trail Running
Stop looking at the watch.
Besides terrain, the most differentiating factor between road running and trail running is your pace. As Hobbs says, “Throw your idea of time out the window; it’s more about the distance than the time.”
Famous trail runners like Anna Frost, who is also the ambassador of Merrell, recommend never watching the time while trail running. It would be best if you were mentally prepared that you might spend double time on the trail versus your average road running. As she says:
“You have to change your expectations and expect to go slower; otherwise, you’ll end up disappointed.”
Your basic trail running techniques should be focused on efforts rather than completely focusing on time. Your efforts should be in accordance with the terrain you are running on. Rougher and harsher terrains require harder efforts as compared to beginner or easier terrains. The experts mainly focus on the efforts and pace rather than time. As quoted by Ian Torrence, An ultra-running and trail coach:
“On straight, flat terrain, it’s going to be easier to hold a certain pace; if you’re going up a ski slope and trying to maintain a certain pace, you’re going to blow up by the second half of the race.”
Train efficiently.
While your basic trail running techniques should not focus on time and effectively focus on your pace, you should never exhaust yourself. As Frost mentions it, “It’s so much more important than on the road, because if you go out too hard on an early hill, you’re already exhausted, and you’re going to end up losing time overall.”
Trail running is all about giving your best and eking out your energy throughout the trail course, and for this, you effectively need to practice workouts that help you gain energy and help in the better functioning of your mind and body.
Torrence further mentioned his guide that “Fartlek workouts, where you’re running fast from point A to point B and then running at a recovery pace for a few minutes will better you for the trail than looking at your watch and trying to hold a certain pace for a certain distance.” The main focus is on endurance training and applying your basic trail running techniques with such training.
Apply your training to the uneven terrains, downhill, and uphill to see what suits you the best to have a sustainable trail running experience.
Develop strength.
Running on the roads involves moving along a linear path with next to zero obstacles and taking one step at a time on a straight line until your reach the end. Instead of your whole body, only your hamstrings, glutes, and quads are targeted during road running. But when you are moving across a trail, you experience downhills, slopes, dips, rocks, curves, jumps, roots, and many other harsh obstacles and challenge your basic trail running techniques. Even if the trail is straight and basic, it involves many unpredictable and continuously changing paths where you may have to move from side to side due to unequal footing. And this is the main reason you need to work on a better functioning of your lateral muscles and master the art of strength training.
As Torrence says, “You want to work side lunges, single-leg exercises, Russian deadlifts, any squat exercises into your workout routine.”
According to Frost, you also need to focus on dynamic twisting and workouts that improve your coordination and balance. “Even just standing on a wobble cushion can help develop your balance and strengthen your ankles, which is important for varying terrain,” she says.
You can start by practicing exercises like twisters that challenge your muscle fibers and flexibility. You can also perform various strength training workouts like lateral speed drills or heavy tires on the ground to help you gain strength and prepare you effectively for your next trail. Strength training will improve your basic trail running techniques and give you the needed confidence on harsh terrains.
Be in the Present Moment.
If you are a runner, you know how mindful and pleasant every kind of running is. However, as mindful and peaceful as road running is, trail running might be a little different and requires you to practice your basic trail running techniques. Road running allows you to zone out, while trail must be entirely present to avoid unnecessary injuries. Torrence calls trail running a “constant physics problem.” He further states in his guide that “you’re always trying to see what you can get away with. One of the best things is to get used to not looking down, but at least two or three steps ahead of where you are.”
Suppose you are one o those runners who are nervous about falling or tripping over a rock, rolling down the hill, or even hurting your ankle with the roots and rocks. In that case, trail running might be a little intimidating for you and require you to master your basic trail running techniques. It requires tons of practice and effective focus to master the art of trail running. As Frost mention in one of her articles:
“You have to learn how to react and respond to the terrain, which requires a looser body and more agility, and that only comes with practice.”
Practice makes it all perfect.
Running on a smooth paved surface is comparatively more accessible, and almost all of us can do it. But when it comes to running on trails and applying all the basic trail running techniques, most of us get scared. We don’t get afraid of running; the weird footing, harsh terrains, and hidden obstacles scare us. As Torrence states:
“Shufflers don’t do well on the trails; running with a higher cadence can help.” This means that you’ll take comparatively more steps on a trail than the road, and your feet will have a faster turnover. He further states that,
“A lot of people can do that on flat terrain, but when it comes to rougher terrain and weird footing, we get more tentative because we’re scared, but staying upright with your feet directly below you is going to give you the best purchase power. Even if you do slip, your other foot will come down pretty quickly to be able to correct any loss in balance.”
As they say, practice makes a man perfect. You can apply the same method to your basic trail running techniques to practice strength training, speed play, downhill sprints, and much more to become an expert at trail running.
Your shoes can change your game.
Finding the best trail running shoes is the hardest part of transitioning from road running to trail running. There is no “one size fits all” rule that we can apply to find the perfect trail running shoes. What suits your friend might not suit you. As trail running has gained popularity in the past few years, almost all companies make special trail running shoes for runners with different basic trail running techniques. You have to go to your nearest store and try a few shoes to find what suits you the best.
Famous runner Hobbs has already made the process easier for you. He suggests:
“You need good gripping ability or traction; you need good breathability and support around the midfoot and ankle so that the shoe’s not moving all over the place when you’re on rugged or uneven terrain. And you don’t want to forgo cushioning because you don’t want anything to come up through your shoe.”
But Torrence always recommends the trail runners focus on ultimate comfort as it is the primary trail running technique. He says: “A lot of trail shoes are stiffer and bulkier than road shoes, and maybe not as comfortable for some people – and that does take away from experience.” He further states: “It depends on where that race takes place and the conditions of the course, but I run a lot of trail races in my road shoes just because they’re lighter and more flexible. You want to feel like you can move on the trail.”
Enjoy the Moment
As compared to longer courses of road running, trail running involves shorter terrains filled with hidden obstacles. That means you can stop for a few moments, enjoy the beauty of nature and have the best time of your life. Appreciate your surroundings, tackle the hurdles in a fun way, and don’t forget to have fun; that’s what trail running is all about. Before you apply any of your basic trail running techniques, do not forget to enjoy. As Frost says:
“Trail racing – and running – should be a liberating experience. When I’m on a trail, I’m there to be on the trail, not for the actual distance or the mileage or any of that. It’s about appreciating what nature has given us and being grateful for the ability to be able to go out there. There’s a lot of people who can’t.”
Learn the art of navigation
It doesn’t matter how good you are with your maps or compasses; you must take some time out before your run and invest in map reading and navigating your route. It’s one of the most basic trail running techniques that you need to learn. You won’t be able to read your map while sprinting your way along with the obstacles. The best approach to read maps while running is to run without stopping from one checkpoint to another, but slow down and navigate when you are around 200m close to another checkpoint. This will make your search for checkpoints easier, and you won’t even miss any checkpoints.
Conclusion
Even if you are a road runner or have been running for years, transitioning from road to trails and learning new and basic trail running techniques will not come to you as naturally as you expect. As Dauwalter says: “You might bang up your knees or scuff your hands, and the trails will probably make you feel completely out of shape even though you have no problem running on roads.”
But never forget that all of this is entirely normal, and your mind and body will take time to adjust to a different kind of training. So instead of getting discouraged, focus on getting better every day and explore the new trend of trail running.
