[music] Heather: Trail running encompasses a huge
variety of terrain and technicality. It is anything that's off-road from smooth level
pass to winding rocky climbs. It does come with a few risks, but also some huge benefits
for your overall running. Whether you're thinking about adding some trails into your running
training, or you've recently started out, we've got some top tips for running off-road.
[music] Heather: Now, if you've already done a bit
of trail running or you're thinking about incorporating some into your training, it
is worth investing in a pair of off-road specific shoes. They'll pay you back in time because
they'll just make that experience so much more enjoyable. They'll protect your feet
from the trails and allow you to basically be able to run properly on them. They usually
come with a thicker sole because that's going to give you the protection against any lumps,
rocks, or bumps on the trails. That, though, has the downside of being slightly
stiffer shoe on the whole, so you need to think about what running it is you're going
to be doing, what trails, and then you need to look at the brand because, obviously, these
shoes vary from brand to brand. [music]
Heather: Many people say running is running, which to a certain extent, is true, but being
able to adapt your running style to certain terrains will give you the best opportunity
of being able to enjoy the trails and the obstacles that come with it, whether that's
steep climbs and descents, or it's tackling technical sections of trail. What does good
trail running actually look like, and how do you improve that?
Running on technical trails is a skill, and like any skill, it requires some time for
it to be developed. Just because you're maybe a really strong runner on the road, that's
not going to translate directly onto being a fast trail runner. Don't worry about pace
and slow things down, just tackle what's in front of you. There's no point in running
along staring at your watch because firstly, you're not going to see any routes or lumps
and bumps, and you could risk taking a tumble, but also, the pace doesn't really matter.
There might be sections that you can sprint along, but equally, there's going to be sections
where you're going to have to go very slowly over rocks or steps or maybe even over a style,
so pace becomes irrelevant. It's better to slow it down and let yourself develop those
skills slowly. We regularly mentioned this on the channel, if you're new to trail running,
don't suddenly change all of your runs to being off-road because it can lead to injury
as your muscles aren't yet adapted. Incorporating one or two trail runs a week
will still see a quick improvement in your trail running ability. When you are out on
the trails, there's certain points that you want to think about and these will help you
to soon become a proficient trail runner. [music]
Heather: Taking short quick steps will prevent overstriding and also encourage the correct
foot landing which it does with any type of running. It's also going to make you more
stable when it comes to trail running, keeps your center of gravity underneath your body,
but also allows you to adapt to any changes that might be happening or if the ground is
slippery, you're more likely to be able to get your balance.
Running on trails is more tiring than running on road. Just make sure whenever you are going
on a trail run, you've had a little bit more rest so that your body is nice and fresh,
you could be able to concentrate and your legs are going to be able to pick up and adapt
to whatever's underfoot. Use your arms, and I don't just mean forwards and backwards like
you would on the road when you're propelling yourself forward. Actually, you can use your
arms and your shoulders and your whole torso for helping you to balance.
Your feet are doing the technical work underneath, but your hands are counteracting that. If
you do normally carry something in your hand like your phone, I'd suggest putting that
in some kind of belt and making sure you've got your hands free. It's also good if you
are a bit slippy and you need to even put your hands down on the ground, there's nothing
wrong with that at all. As with any skill when you're learning something, you want to
start off easy and get harder as your skills improve. When it comes to trails, start off
on a nice easy, gentle trail, and if you've got that option gradually, try to build them
up as your skills improve. The key to running smoothly over technical
trails is being able to interpret hundreds of little things every second. It does involve
quite a lot of concentration, but to make it smoother, you actually need to be looking
5 or 10 strides ahead as if you're looking directly at your feet, it's going to be very
static and hard to actually adapt to what is coming. With that, it's probably a good
idea to maybe even ditch the headphones, definitely you don't be listening to podcasts because
you need your full concentration, especially when you're starting out.
[music] Heather: Steep climbs can often put the fear
into even the most experienced trail runners, but they need not do it. It's about just adapting
your style of running to them. You want to lean into the hill when you're running up.
Some people find that looking at knees or feet will actually help with this position.
You want to try and mimic the gradient. The steeper it is, the more you lean into it.
Don't be afraid to break into a walk or a power hike. You can put your hands on your
knees or your hips and just get through that really tough bit until it levels out and you
can start running again. You'll often find that you're not actually going any slower
by walking than you would be if trying to battle on and run up a really steep climb.
For anyone who's experienced it, going down steep climbs can actually be harder on the
legs than going up because you're constantly trying to break.
When it comes to technique, I'll break it into two parts. If you've got a fairly gradual
non-technical, nice, open downhill to run, then you can try and let yourself go a little
bit. You're lengthening that stride, you're covering more ground with every stride and
you're naturally going to have a little bit of a heel strike, but you still want to try
and lean your body slightly towards the hill or down the hill like you would in normal
running technique and it can feel quite fun. When it comes to something that's steeper
or more technical, then you're going to need to shorten that stride and try and pick your
knees up in front of you to stop yourself from gaining too much momentum and going too
fast because that's when you can trip. It's also where your arms can come in quite handy
to try and balance you and just keep your body a little bit more upright.
Having said all of that, don't get bogged down with too much advice. My final piece
of advice is to head out onto the trails and just enjoy them. That's the quickest way to
improve and get the full benefit of trail running. Hopefully, you've enjoyed it and
it's inspired you to get outdoors and get off-road with your running. Give us a like
if you have, and remember, you can follow us on social media channels and you can also
subscribe to us here on YouTube. [00:06:28] [END OF AUDIO]