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- Trail running is fun and varied,
but other than off-road triathlon, you may be wondering
what relevance it has to triathlon training.
- Well, if it's your off-season training
or you're going into the winter season,
it could be a great time to give it a go.
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- One of the best things about trail running is the variety.
No single trail is the same, but with that,
it does bring its own challenges.
You do need to concentrate, which isn't such a bad thing.
It's a nice distraction from your everyday thoughts
and stresses whilst getting out and exploring new trails.
- Yeah, and as for training,
it becomes a natural fartlek session
'cause you'll have lumps, bumps, and hills
where you'll find yourself just having to put in
more effort, so it's quite different to running
at an even pace as you would on the road.
- And with the differing terrain and surfaces,
it does mean that you'll need to change your cadence
and ground contact time quite a bit whilst trail running,
which, again, is a great training tool.
- Another benefit is reduced impact on your joints
from the soft surface as well as teaching your body
to stabilise and get used to the uneven terrain.
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- Right, you're gonna want some slightly different gear
for off-road running or trail running.
So firstly, let's take a look at your footwear,
and if you've ever tried running off-road
in standard trainers, you'll know just how difficult it is.
Instead, you're gonna want some off-road trail shoes
which have slightly more grip,
and depending on what your usual trails are like,
you can actually get off-road shoes
to suit different surfaces too.
- Yeah, and some trails will take you into the wilderness,
which is great, but if you get yourself in difficulty,
you have to bear in mind
there's probably not gonna be many passersby,
so it is worth considering taking your phone with you
or at least letting someone know what route you plan to run.
- And if you're really venturing off and exploring,
make sure you don't get lost.
It can be so easy to get disorientated
when you're out in the trails,
so one option is to take a map,
or at least study it beforehand, or obviously
if you're taking your phone, you can check that.
And then another option is to set a GPS start point
on your watch if you can.
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- So let's get stuck into some trail running tips.
Now a common mistake: a lot of people run
looking at their feet, which is understandable
if you want to check that you're planing your foot
onto something safe, but ideally you want to look
10-20 metres ahead so you can then
make any adjustments in advance.
Now, if you've ridden a mountain bike,
it's very similar, and basically it means
you'll be able to run smoother and faster.
- And another thing to consider is your cadence,
and actually your cadence should change
quite a lot during one run.
For instance, if you're running uphill,
you should increase your cadence for efficiency.
Also, if you're running over loose ground or mud,
if you've got a long stride
with a lot of torque going through your foot,
you could end up slipping or losing grip, so again,
you just want to increase your cadence ever so slightly.
- Another tip for finding grip when you're running off road
is sometimes to head to the edge of the trail,
and this is especially true in the UK
as some of our paths get so muddy and slippery,
the only place you can find traction is
on the grass on either side.
- And lastly, try not to tense up too much.
You want to swing your arms through fluidly and relaxed,
and actually, by swinging your arms through
can help to give you lift when you're trying to get
over obstacles, or even when you're running uphill.
- Well, hopefully this has inspired you
to get out and explore your local trails,
and if you're in your off season,
it's a great way to spice up your training.
- And if you like this video, give it a thumb up like,
and also, you can subscribe to GTN by clicking on the globe,
and to see my uphill running tips video,
just click down here.
- And for something a little different,
a video on essential swim workouts, click here.