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Survey the scene. Hopefully, you’ve been watching the trail and have spotted dangerous obstacles. If not, you may have a split second to see if you’re in danger of hitting something hard. Take note, quickly.

Avoid rocks and hard places. If you’re crashing toward a hard object, do what you can to keep your head, chest, and knees, in that order of priority, from hitting it.

Relax. Once a face-first impact with forgiving ground is unavoidable, relax. You’ll likely do more harm than good sticking an arm straight out. Keep your hands close to your body with your palms out to keep your head from hitting the ground first.

Roll with it. In the fortunate situation that you are crashing into obstacle-free singletrack, try rolling with it, literally. Tuck one shoulder and pull off a somersault. You did them as kids and you can do them again.

As discussed in the next chapter, dehydration impacts performance and threatens your health. That’s why if you’re going for a long run on trails you should bring excess water, especially where water sources will not be present; bring a water purification method; or be willing to drink from an untreated water source should a desperate need arise. Drinking untreated water can lead to numerous unpleasant illnesses, so avoid it when possible.

When trail running, clothing is your shelter, so there’s no need to learn how to build a survival shelter before heading out for a trail run. However, before hitting the trail, know the forms and likelihood of inclement weather for that region, altitude, and season. Then imagine having to sit unmoving in that weather for 12 hours, and pack what you need to survive. You don’t necessarily have to pack clothes to be comfortable, but you do have to survive. Keep in mind the possibility of quickly dropping temperatures, high winds, and precipitation. If you can handle a couple of hours in a low-elevation summer thunderstorm in a T-shirt and shorts, then no extra clothing is needed. On the other hand, mountain thunderstorms can drop temperatures from pleasant to dangerous in minutes. If these conditions may be encountered, bring at least a wind jacket, if not a waterproof shell to throw on as soon as the rain starts falling. On long runs in cold weather, it’s imperative to have clothing to keep you warm if you are reduced to a walk.

While on the subject of weather, remember that heat is just as deadly as cold. If you’ll be running in hot weather, brush up on the signs of and remedies for heat exhaustion and heatstroke. When relevant, monitor yourself for these signs and be prepared to react. During a double crossing of the Grand Canyon, I became aware that my heart rate was much higher than what it should have been for the steady decline I was running. I was experiencing tachycardia, one symptom of heat exhaustion. To remedy the situation, I sat for 20 minutes in a cool stream. One pleasant soak later, my heart rate had returned to normal and I was able to continue on my way.

A cool morning is no warning for scorching afternoon temperatures,

especially in the Grand Canyon. (Photo by author)

When you’re out on the trails, educate yourself about your surroundings. Aside from local weather risks, brush up on the local flora and fauna.

In general, plants present little more than an annoyance. Plants with thorns and needles are self-evident dangers, which you’ll surely try to avoid. Irritant plants, such as poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, and stinging nettles, are not so conspicuous, but annoying once you realize you’ve touched them. Learn to identify the local nuisances and then avoid brushing against them. If you frequently run in an environment with poison ivy, oak, or sumac, develop a plan for cleaning yourself, gear, and clothing after running through the woods.

Most wild animals avoid humans when given the chance, so give them the chance to do so. As with plants, learn which wild animals pose the biggest threats, how to avoid encounters