TRAINING PLANS
THERE ARE PLENTY OF EVENTS OVER THE CLASSIC MARATHON AND HALF-MARATHON DISTANCES FOR YOU TO TRY. USE ONE OF THESE TRAIL-SPECIFIC PLANS TO GET READY FOR THE ROUGH STUFF
W
e’re slap-bang in the thick of road-racing season, with marathons and half marathons all over the place, but if the sound of your feet pounding away on the pavement has become as boring to you as having to read every political party’s election manifesto from cover to cover, you might prefer to go off-road for your next race. Trail marathons and half marathons are growing in popularity and they offer a break from the norm. The change in terrain presents the obvious difference in what you can expect underfoot, but throw in some steep gradients, unexpected twists and
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turns, and troublesome tree roots, and you have a thrilling challenge for your mind and your body. You see, applying your usual training programme to an off-road race won’t quite cut the mustard. Along with the usual dos and don’ts involved in a training programme, you also need to consider the following:
1 Get used to wearing and running with a hydration backpack. Make sure you choose one that fits and works well for you. 2 Choose good off-road trail shoes for most runs and training sessions completed away from the road or track.
3 Include some road and track work to keep in touch with firmer, flatter surfaces as per the plans. 4 Complete all core and conditioning work twice a week if possible, focusing on the finger crusher, planks, bridging, one-legged squats, lunges and press-ups. See page 46 for details. These exercises are crucial in making you strong enough to run well off-road. 5 Stay safe and let others know where you will be running and your planned route. 6 Take your phone, map, money, gels, drinks and GPS if you’re running off-road on new trails. Don’t get lost!
TRAIL ZONE
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