How to hit the trail, running

BY JOHN KLICH

“THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT running through the woods that appeals to the deeper being.” That observation came from Eric Martinat in these pages four years back. It’s still true today.

Like any physical activity that requires mental focus, trail running connects the mind to the body, and natural surroundings reinforce that connection. To understand it, be aware of the unique physical demands that are involved.

Anyone deciding to take their running off-road this season knows there are risks. The greatest involves falling, which can mean an ankle sprain or a skinned knee. However, falls occur a lot less frequently than risk of insect bites and poison vegetation that can leave you itchy and scratching. In rare instances, animals or mountain bikers may pose a threat. (Sometimes, it’s a jungle out there.) Despite these irritants, trail running can breathe new enthusiasm into your stride and make you a better runner overall. With preparation and patience, the transition from road to trail can be both rewarding and safe.

Trail running and road running have many similarities, but are not identical. Runners are faced with different physical demands as they move through forests, meadows, wilderness or backcountry areas, usually on singletrack dirt, rock, scrag and woodchip paths. These uneven surfaces have roots, logs, leaves, mud and rocks – a clutter that makes foot placement and weight transfer challenging.

Climbs on a trail run can be steep, winding and frequent, with your whole body involved in maintaining balance and forward momentum. More muscle groups are at work, and because your metabolism is kicked up a notch, a trail run will feel much longer than a road run of equal distance.

Recognizing and appreciating these demands can help anyone become a stronger and more efficient trail runner. The challenges also require more from the body in order to perform efficiently and safely. It’s not just running anymore, so it’s important for runners to assess their core strength, balance and agility.

Your core is what connects your lower body to your upper body; as such, it’s the foundation for sport movement – running, jumping, throwing, lifting. It involves more than just “six pack abs,” but all the muscles you don’t see as they stabilize the pelvis and spine in every direction, not just in a crunch.

You can strengthen your core in many ways (e.g. yoga and Pilates), although some simple exercises are often all that is needed to do the trick. Traditional and one-legged variations of a push-up position are a good start to engaging your core. Hold the position for 20-30 seconds and repeat a few times.

When working from your core, think balance. Good balance requires “proprioception” – the feedback system built into the body that tells you where it is in space. Using information from muscles, inner ears and eyes, the brain gets a picture of body position. Then neuromuscular response kicks in with the right combination of muscles acting with the right force to hold a body position.

One simple balance exercise involves standing on one leg. Increase the difficulty by closing your eyes while standing. Or, stand on an unstable or uneven surface. Or, incorporate movement (e.g. jump from one leg to the other and hold the position). On trails, balance is the key to keeping your body from falling victim to gravity or momentum as you climb or descend a slope.

With adequate core strength and balance, the next step to improving your running involves developing agility. Agility means being able to move in a controlled manner through a set pattern – like hopscotch. This is the start of the mind-body connection. Begin by going through a movement pattern slowly and deliberately, focusing on each step. The pattern can be something as simple as jumping back and forth across a line

on the ground. As you work through a pattern and the movement becomes more comfortable, slowly increase your speed.

By practising patterns, you boost your ability to execute a movement with speed and power. On the trails, agility becomes cognitive. As you approach a technical section, you scan and pick a line to follow. Your strategy for foot placement will determine how much agility will be required to keep you moving forward at the speed you want.

At this point, trail running is the cumulative application of all the physical attributes your body has to offer. Balance, agility, strength, endurance and power are harmonized into a whole body effort that is tempered by the mind’s ability to evaluate the surroundings and come up with the right physical response. The ability of your mind to coordinate the body is what determines how deeply you connect to your trail running experience. As the body responds to the terrain quickly and efficiently, the movement becomes more fluid. The mind and body begin to work together, and your run starts to “flow”

– like a leaf moving smoothly over the surface of a river.

As with any new activity, trail running requires acclimatization. It will take time to develop the physical attributes and the mental connection. Start off with a route that offers only mild challenges, like a woodchip trail in a park. As your body becomes stronger and your mind becomes more focused and in tune to your body, you’ll feel more competent and confident on your feet. Then it’ll be time to move to more challenging terrain.

Trail running. It’s not for everyone, but it’s a delight for many. ≈ John Klich is the southern Ontario race director for the 5Peaks Trail Running Series and an advanced care paramedic with Toronto’s emergency medical services. To contact him, write to john@5peaks.com

Trail shoes differ from road shoes, which are built to provide cushioning and gait stability. Trail shoes are designed mainly to protect your feet and keep them where you put them. Reinforced toe boxes, stiffer soles with aggressive tread patterns, and different lacing systems are a few features you’ll find in a trail runner. Trail running can mean blisters and wet feet. Having the right socks can help avoid both, but socks are a very personal thing. It really comes down to wearing what works for you. Just make sure your socks fit well, and avoid cotton. It can cause blisters. Not many trails have drinking fountains nearby or convenience stores, so you’ll need something to carry water. Whether you choose bottles or bladders, be sure you carry enough fluid to stay hydrated. Other gear you might consider includes eye protection from branches, sunscreen, bug repellant, a whistle, and the ever-useful duct tape. If you wrap a metre of duct tape around a film canister containing your favourite pain reliever/antiinflammatory, you’ll be able to deal with several emergencies if they occur.

Use road running to build your endurance base. Begin with one trail run a week. Allow yourself time to integrate the trail experience into your program. Make the first step easy; try running on a woodchip trail in a park before anything tougher. Increase the duration of your trail runs before you increase the difficulty of the terrain. Run for time, rather than distance.