By
Ryan Ervin
The
pleasures of trail running are many. Go with friends and it's sociable, or by
yourself and enjoy the peace and solitude. The variety of scenery and terrain
- off road, through the woods, up and down slopes - provides a remarkable mental
stimulus. You can make the runs as hard as you want, or use them for stress reduction.
Enjoy running with less stress on your body, from a sports medicine standpoint,
trail running is easier on your joints. Road and track runners often have problems
with repetitive injuries. When you run on trails, repetitive injuries are less
common. Every step is different because of the uneven and rarely level trail surface.
However, you do have to pay a little more attention.
Three
tips for beginning trail runners:
1.
Choose the right shoes. You can try a mellow trail run in your road shoes,
but once you're hooked, it pays to get some trail-specific footwear. You need
a more stable shoe, with greater emphasis on traction. Any specialty running store
will have a good selection and helpful advice in getting the right fit. Try North
Shore Athletics or FrontRunners for expert opinions.
2.
Pay attention. There's more potential to twist your ankle, so you need to
focus on the terrain. Look ahead and plan each foot strike before you get there.
Pick your line wisely. Adjust your pace and your stride over difficult or slippery
ground.
3.
Pace yourself. The pace of a trail run varies a lot more than on the road.
The up-hills are much slower and the effort is much higher. Go by time, rather
than distance. Expect to be quite a bit slower in terms of minutes per mile.
Get
away from traffic and road pollution. Hit the trails and have fun!
