Running/Hiking
When I first started trail running, I made a few mistakes that cost me training adaptations and recovery. Although I learned the hard way, you don’t have to! Whether you are transitioning from road running or hiking to trail running, you will want to steer clear of these rookie moves. Here are 5 mistakes trail runners make and how to avoid them:
Want to skip learning the hard way to follow a solid training program from the start? Join Sustainably Fit or Kathletics Trail and pair with any of our included running programs.
If you are transitioning to trail running from road running, it’s understandable why you might be focused on pace. Road running athletes typically use pace as a major data point for progress, amongst the combination of rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and heart rate. When it comes to trail running, it’s in its own ball game. Your road running paces will not be the same on the trail. The trail has dirt, rocks, scree, uneven terrain, varying grades, and you might even be running at a different elevation than what you are used to on pavement. Depending on your fitness level, you could see an increase in pace by, give or take, 2-5 minutes from road to trail. This doesn’t mean you’re less fit. This just means it’s a different kind of fitness.
Please don’t compare your road running pace to your trail running pace. You will be doing yourself a disservice as you would be trying to compare apples to oranges. What I encourage you to do instead is keep that data point of pace, but also pay attention to your RPE and how it feels. Especially as you are first starting out. Unless a race or event requires a specific cut off time or you are wanting to beat one of your previous trail race times, your pace doesn’t matter a whole lot.
In our hybrid training programs, we encourage our athletes to focus on how they feel during a running session versus their pace or heart rate to gauge effort levels and progress.
So you are excited to get to the trails, eh? Fantastic! If you are new to trail running and/or are not following a coach-led training program, it can be common to want to get out to the trails as often as possible to frolic in nature. It’s important to note that trail running is much different than road running. Other muscles are involved to manage the ever changing uneven terrain. Running 3 miles with 100’ of elevation gain on pavement is a lot different than 3 miles with 800’ of elevation gain on a trail. It’s understandable why you might think 3 miles = 3 miles, but it doesn’t translate quite the same way. With that in mind, you will want to make sure you are managing your training volume so you don’t burn out or injure yourself by increasing too quickly. Even if you have noticed your cardiovascular system has adapted, it still takes time for your soft tissues to adapt, too.
If you are creating your own training program, consider adding up to a 10% increase week after week. This is 10% across the board, not 10% in mileage, 10% in duration, 10% in elevation gain, and 10% in pack or vest weight. A grand total of 10% change. If you are currently thinking, “wow, that seems really slow”, then yes, you likely need to give yourself more time to train for your event than you think. You also want to make sure you are giving yourself enough time to adapt to your training by including rest day(s) weekly and deload weeks every 4-8 weeks. On the other hand, if you want to take the guesswork out of your volume management, join one of our hybrid training programs.
I personally learned this mistake the hard way. When I first started trail running, I wasn’t fueling or hydrating enough during the workout. I believed that I needed to wait until I hit the 90 minute mark to start drinking water and electrolytes or consuming food. This led me to feeling like junk during and after my runs, impacting my recovery in a negative way, and likely contributing to injuries. If you fall or have previously fallen into the habit of not bringing fuel or hydration on shorter runs, this is your sign to start now. There isn’t a specific duration of time you need to wait to drink water and electrolytes or eat a snack. If you find yourself hungry or thirsty, your window has passed.
I once watched a clip of a seminar (if I find it again, I will link it) where the speaker shared a metaphor. It went something like this – think of your body like a phone battery. If you wait until your phone battery is out of juice, it will take hours for it to fully recharge. If you plug in your phone when it’s at 60-70%, it won’t take long for it to recharge and it keeps it at a sustainable level. This is exactly what you want to do to energy stores when you are intra-workout. If you wait until you are hungry or until your energy stores are depleted, you are going to have a heck of a time trying to get them back up during your run. By continuing to eat easily digestible carbs every 30-45 minutes, you will be able to keep your energy stores full and readily available for use. As for water and electrolytes, I recommend sipping on them throughout your run from the start.
Regardless of your run duration or mileage, bring water, electrolytes, and fuel with you. Best case scenario: you feel fantastic throughout your run. Worst case scenario: you have a little extra left over and got some reps in with heavier weight in your vest.
Additional note: although these recommendations are focused on intra-workout fuel and hydration, you also want to make sure you are eating enough day to day to support your life AND your activities. I recommend working with a registered dietitian to ensure your needs are being met.
As a personal trainer and running coach, the most common comment I hear from trail runners is that they rolled their ankle (that, and that their knees hurt on the descent, but we’ll save that discussion for another day). While rolled ankles sometimes just happen and there is nothing you can do about it (that rock came out of nowhere, am I right?!), you do have the option to train your ankle stability and balance regularly to keep your ankles more prepared. It’s common to feel like you don’t need to train your feet or calves since they are often getting used while trail running. Although this is correct, you will also want dedicated training to support your muscles and tendons found in and around your ankles.
To best support your ankles, you will want to add exercises into your training program that focus on your calves (both in the straight knee and bent knee positions), anterior tibialis (shins), hips (glutes, hip adductors, and hip abductors), and feet. This doesn’t mean you need to do multiple isolation exercises for each muscle. You can knock out more than one of these muscle groups in just a single exercise.
For example, the single-leg RDL is an excellent exercise for ankle stability.
I highly recommend doing this exercise without shoes on, if possible. Single-leg RDLs work the hamstrings and hip complex, and involve the feet as well as the calves and anterior tibialis for stability. This is also an exercise that you can continue to progress over time with more than just weight or reps. If you are new to single-leg RDLs, you can use support from the wall or squat rack, graduate to the TRX, move to body weight, add weight, and adjust tempo over time.
Other exercises worth mentioning are step ups, lunges, calf raises, toe raises, lower body plyometrics, and other exercises that involve both the hips and the feet.
Depending on where you live and where you are getting trail access, the weather can change quickly especially if you are at higher altitudes. Here in Colorado, the summer months bring monsoon seasons where you have a slim weather window before the afternoon storms roll in. Be sure to check the weather ahead of time so you can be prepared for it. Here are a few sources I use for determining the weather: NOAA, Mountain Forecast, and, of course, your local weather if you are staying local or not venturing out to high elevations.
Here is a list of items you may want to consider depending on the time of year and location:
- Rain jacket
- Puffy
- Buff
- Stocking cap
- Gloves
- Thicker/thinner socks
If you are a high elevation runner, check out my How to Train for Your First 14er blog as many of the tips are applicable.
Trail running is its own animal. It’s not just running with dirt and it’s more than hiking. Trail running requires stability, grit, and more snacks. Follow a training program, fuel and hydrate early and often, keep your eye on the weather, and, of course, have fun!
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