Runners-trail race

Play_outside

Hi! I signed up for my first trail race. I am fully expecting to come in dead last, I just want to finish it. I'm excited and nervous! Do you have any tips or suggestions? I am slowly working more hills into my runs though I won't be able to work in the same elevation gain before the race (8km and 450m gain). It's in just under 2 months. Thanks!

Docbanana2002

Make sure you have some good all terrain running shoes. If you use shoes designed for street running, you run a big risk of falls and ankle turns. Also, in order to get that much elevation gain in that short a distance, that's likely have some really steep grades! That's not just a beginner friendly trail run, it sounds like a brutal climb! Do some research on that, find about what sort of course you are dealing with. Is it a gradual ascent, in which case you have miles of steady uphill running with no break, or are there steep grades that go straight up and down and require climbing skills, or a little of both? Is it grassy, rocky, muddy, creek crossings, dense woods with briars, etc? If you can't work in that exact total elevation into training, at the very least practice running up and down some hills that have the same type of grade and terrain that you'll be working with so that you can build some fitness at it and road test your running gear in the type of environment you'll be working with.

girlinahat

Definitely try and get some practice on rough terrain. With that kind of ascent, you won't be running up it, you and a lot of others will be walking. There's nothing wrong with walking up steep bits, but learn how to tackle a descent - lean forward, short quick steps, land midfoot to allow your feet to cushion you, with soft knees. Keep your arms out for balance.

Start mixing in some trails now, train for time not distance for now and don't expect to keep the same pace as you would on the road.

Most of all enjoy it.

Docbanana2002

I agree with girlinahat about the downhills, if you turn out there are some steep ones and not just all uphill. I think downhill is the hardest part of trail running...it can be brutal on knees and if you trip on a rock or tree root and fall it can be a much less pleasant land than if you trip and fall UPhill. Gotta practice that and of course accept that you might be walking/climbing more than running for a race like this.

Play_outside

All great things to keep in mind, thanks! I'm running on a mix of groomed trails, sand, gravel and a bit of road now. I just invested in good trail runners. I do a lot of hiking and backpacking so I'm no stranger to the trails but have never hit them in this capacity. I definitely expect to be walking the 2 main steep uphills. I read a great review by someone who ran this one as her first ever trail race last year so it's definitely doable (I know it's going to be really hard). I will definitely practice my downhill running, something I didn't really consider at all! Great advice, thank you!

Docbanana2002

I'm glad to hear you are an experienced hiker, I was a little concerned this might be too ambitious for a starting trail race if your usual exercise is just road or treadmill running. But if you are a backpacker/ hiker then this sounds doable, you will already have some fitness and experience that will be useful here. Just run what you feel like running and if you hit a rough patch you can just switch to hiking mode. I often do a swift "power walk" style of hiking on steep uphill trial runs because at a certain point it becomes really inefficient to run.

ShannaMoyer

All trail runners fall. It is part of the sport. When you fall, don't get discouraged. Just dust yourself off and get back at it.

girlinahat

oh and expect to hurt. I went to do a run last weekend up a steep hill (370m climb). I walked all the up, and boy was it steep. I ran down the downs, and the combination of rocky ridge, hard iced muddy footholes and slipper muddy footholes meant my ankles, calf muscles and core got a massive workout. I’m still feeling the stretch in them several days later so get used to foam rolling…

_nikkiwolf_

The numbers sound similar (a little harder) to one of my favourite routes to run in summer whenever I have time to drive to the mountains - that one is 473m of eleveation gain over 9.7km, and it's a lot of fun!
When I first started running anything with real hills, I used to do 2:30min running/30s walking intervals on the way up. What also helps me on long climbs is alternating how I land on my feet, between mid-foot and running on my toes.
On really steep grades (like ~25%) it makes no sense to run, at least I am better off walking in those cases.

I agree on what everyone else wrote: don't underestimate the downhills! When you see "hill repeats" in training plans the instructions often say to run up hard and use the downhill for easy recovery, because the descents are much harder or your legs. But if you do hill repeats to prepare for actually running hills (and not just as speedwork for a flat road race), I would add a fast run down for each 3 or 4 runs up.

And don't expect to run at the same speed as in a road race. I ran a snow trail race last weekend - only 180m of elevation, but still tough enough thanks to the ~40cm of fresh powder snow which made every step a challenge. It took me 1:43min to finish the 10k, nearly twice as long as my 10k PR in a flat road race, and I was exhausted afterwards. With trails, challenging surfaces like snow or mud, and hilly terrain on top of that, don't focus on a goal pace, instead try to run with an even effort. And enjoy the scenery, trail running is awesome

Obeg

I love trail races. Much more fun that road races.

- Start near the back.
- Expect a crazy accordion effect several times at the beginning of a race where you will find yourself walking or even coming to a complete stop. (if the trail has single or tight double track)
- Do not wear headphones
- Stay to the right and listen. When you want to pass, say "To the left" and make your pass. Yield to faster runners on the left.
- Plan your steps about 10 steps ahead - ie look for and plan for that root, rut, hill, rock, etc.
- Don't be too close to the person in front of you because you never know when they will stumble or slow.
- If someone is following you too closely, either let them pass or be hyper aware.. if they stumble they may take you out
- Don't expect anywhere near your road pace
- Don't litter your refreshment cups or any energy packs on the trail
- This time of year, be aware roots and rocks will be covered by slippery leaves
- Plan your pass. This is my favorite part of trail racing. Makes it a more cerebral race. Plan your passes on wide turns, on flat straights, or if you are strong up hill - that is a great place to pass those that aren't.
- Trail shoes!
- Have fun!

BeeerRunner

Everyone is giving great advice!! The best thing you can do is practice on similar terrain if at all possible. I've only done one trail race so far, but I trail run a lot and I'm doing a lot more trail racing this summer. I went and ran the trails a week ahead of my race, which mentally helped me prepare.

Practice running up and down hills on trails will be extremely helpful. You can google techniques for tips, then go try it out to see what works for you. On long hills, don't look at the top as a target. Find a spot that isn't too far off and focus on getting to that spot, and so on and so forth. Not sure if there is a name for this, but I call it "chunking."

I would also plan for hydration if you'd normally drink water or Gatorade. For an 8K, a handheld water bottle should be fine. The trail races in my area no longer offer disposable cups at aid stations in order to keep the trails clean. Therefore, you have to bring something for them to put water or Gatorade into at aid stations. Just make sure you know what's offered.

Most importantly...have fun!!

7lenny7

_nikkiwolf_ wrote: »

I agree on what everyone else wrote: don't underestimate the downhills! When you see "hill repeats" in training plans the instructions often say to run up hard and use the downhill for easy recovery, because the descents are much harder or your legs. But if you do hill repeats to prepare for actually running hills (and not just as speedwork for a flat road race), I would add a fast run down for each 3 or 4 runs up.

@_nikkiwolf_ gives excellent advice here ^ The downhills can really shred your quads if you're not prepared for the downhills because eccentric loading (contracting while elongating) is harder on your muscle fibers then concentric loading (contracting while shortening). Because of this, you'll definitely want to train for running the downhills as much as the uphills. Be sure to run the downhills with quick, short steps, while under control. Bombing the downhills is a good way to get hurt.

Since you'll likely by walking the steep inclines, you'll want train for it by powering walking hills, not just running the hills. A great way to work it all in is to alternate running up and down a hill, then walking up and down the hill. Even if you don't have big hills like what you'll see on the race course, you can still find a big hill and hit it over and over.

"Chunking" as @BeeerRunner calls it, is also a great technique for getting up the big hills.

Asher_Ethan

Find the longest hilly road in your neighborhood and run up and down it for an hour.
For my first trail run a friend of mine told me to just train on a stairmaster and I would be good, she was dead wrong.

MountainHiker48

Follow what Obeg says above, he nails it on every point. And do your first race just for the enjoyment and the exercise, not the outcome. There is plenty of time to get competitive down the road. I just compete with myself and don't worry what others are doing in relation to me. Have fun and see how addicting it is. I love trail races 10x more than road races!

Play_outside

Thanks all!! Lots of great info here, I really appreciate it! I won't be able to check out the route before unfortunately since it's a long expensive ferry ride plus many hours of driving away lol. I'm exploring in my area to find some "real" trails (not groomed gravel) that are not just straight up. Once the snow and ice melt elsewhere on the island I'll have access to more areas
I have often seen people trail running (and on some pretty tough trails!) when I've been backpacking or hiking and thought it would be fun to try so I'm excited
The goal is just to finish it and have fun! And only get minor injuries haha!

7lenny7

@Play_outside have a great time training for the race (is there anything better than running trails?). I think you'll do very well with your experience backpacking and hiking. My first run ever was a 5K road race. I was able to finish it without any walking because I had put in two solid months of power walking and hiking prior.

Play_outside

@7lenny7 Thank you!