Relentless Forward Progress_ A Guide to Running Ultramarathons - Bryon Powell [36]
Variability is one of the defining characteristics of trails. You will need to acknowledge this variability in how you run. That means adapting both your stride and your mental approach.
Negotiating the rocks, roots, and other obstacles on a trail requires more awareness than your average road run. However, don’t fear the trail, and avoid tensing up. Tensing up only increases the chance of injury when you misstep. If you stay relaxed, you are more likely to roll through any miscues or to avoid them altogether. If you are initially apprehensive about running trails, gradually introduce yourself to more difficult terrain. There’s no need to go run a boulder-strewn mountainside your first time out there.
Shortening your stride helps you avoid obstacles, as you have more opportunities to navigate around them. Shorter strides also keep you from overcommitting. When you overcommit with a long stride, it’s harder to float your stride a bit longer to clear an obstacle.
For safety’s sake, become vigilant in observing your surroundings as you trail run. In road running, you can often look far off into the distance and zone out. Both are invitations to fall while trail running.
Trails require you to focus your gaze on the ground closer to you than when you’re road running. The more technical (difficult to negotiate due to obstacles) the terrain, the closer you have to focus your gaze. On the other hand, you don’t want to be looking at your feet. Look at the ground a few strides ahead to anticipate and plan future footfalls. As you grow more comfortable with trail running, you may find that you can focus your gaze farther down the trail.
The predictability of road running often allows us to zone out. In fact, sometimes road running seemingly requires it. However, I often end up disgustedly reminding myself to pay attention after a stumble or fall while trail running. Rather than increasing confidence, an easy or familiar trail can lull a trail runner into complacency. All it takes is an extra inch of rock or root to shatter that complacency. Music, daydreaming, frustration about a mishap, or merely passing or getting passed by another person can take away focus and lead to some time on the ground.
Trail running also requires a few mental shifts in thinking about time. For the most part, there’s little variation in pace between and during non-speed-work road runs. You get used to running a pace.
If you run 30 seconds per mile slower than usual, you may suspect you’re fatigued or getting sick, while running a standard loop 15 seconds per mile faster than usual might be a breakthrough. It’s best to throw such pace-based expectations out the window when you hit the trail. Any number of factors can slow your pace significantly.
The sometimes slower pace of trails just means more time to enjoy the scenery.
(Photo by PatitucciPhoto.com)
With few exceptions, trails are slower than roads. Even well-packed dirt absorbs more energy than asphalt or cement. Rocks, roots, and the occasional downed tree require you to shift your momentum. Sand and loose gravel reduce traction and your speed. So, too, does weather-induced mud, snow, or ice. There’s also a great deal more variability in pitch on trails than on roads, so you’re much more likely to encounter stiff climbs. When you couple a steep hill with poor footing or high elevation, pace slows even more. Adding an extra few pounds of water, food, and gear also does nothing to help your pace. That’s okay. Accept that your pace will be slower on trails than on roads. Minute for minute, you get just as good a workout as you do on the roads—and you might just find yourself willing to spend more time running the trails than the roads. That means a better overall endurance workout.
Walking, Your New Best Friend*
* This section is adapted from the article “Walk, Don’t Run: How Walking Uphill Can Speed Up Your Trail Runs