Trail Running Tips: Getting Started

[Brofessorable]

Can't respect runner with red bull shirt on.

[goatlps]

Without any ankle support, eventually you'll seriously dry bum yourself. For true trails you'll need a mid-top or 3/4 cut running boot. The Saucony Outlaw is the first and, currently, the only trail running boot: /watch?v=aX5E5p22SXs ...But you'll still roll an ankle badly one day. :s

[quedisediloque]

hola

[AwesomeRants]

The New Balance Minimus trail, Merrell Trail Glove, and VIVOBAREFOOT shoes are good for trail running. :)

[RitvarLegend]

I recommend NIKE FREE RUN on any of their recent versions. they are good for trail raining.

[aSPORTYgirl4LIFE]

too bad this was filmed with a potato

[Flare1564]

@Hamasi I couldn't agree more. I run with Vibram FF KSO Treks and they are absolutely great. Modern shoes try to counter the problem that they create. Since modern shoes raise your foot off of the ground, you 1) have a higher center of balance and 2) have to force your body to adapt to the shoe. With minimalist shoes, you are very stable and have a much better sense of balance. I have yet to have sprain my ankle over the past 3 months of running in VFFs.

[dfcvda]

any tips on preventing ITB probs?

[runlevel0]

@dfcvda Yes: Strengthen your butt and do side leg raises (I do side squats too). Preventively stretch ITB every day and use the foam roller 3x a week. Also try to stretch / cross-train the hip flexors to compensate. Plan the mileage increase very gradually AND take enough carbs during and after long workouts (longer that 6 mi) or intense ones (intervals or HIIT), this helps healing muscle tissue. I take carbs (good ol' isostar) plus 5g L-Glutamine and 8g of whey or soja prot

[dfcvda]

@runlevel0 thanks

[StarEssences]

This is the trade in for my Road Cycling which was not only taken from me, but also ruined. Trail running is much safer(IMO) compared to hard, concrete, road running; It also, as mentioned in this video offers more enhancement skills such as focus, but also the fact of varying ground gradients to technicality concerns uses way more muscle and brain coordination reasoning than just ordinary road to sidewalk running.

[boostwp]

I watched this video, went out and bought some proper shoes and today I ran Lions Head, Cape Town, South Africa... what an incredible sport! first run and I can't wait to go back tomorrow!

[runsabahrun]

Yeah, I gotta go w/ the lighter shoe too. I run in the jungle at the equator. Over rock, in monsoon, across streams, avoiding monkeys. I'm running a 60km ultra-trail run in Borneo in April, the Sabah Adventure Challenge...think a reinforced shoe is gonna be way too hot and too heavy running through water.

[MrPhipper]

"You might not want to be built like a Kenyan."

[TexRage21]

Wearing Gloves Is Serious Business..

[shaunmason220]

I think minimal shoes is always best for the body. Barefoot is best, but obviously u cant run barefoot on trails, so flat trainers are best. Trail shoes help prevent a rolled ankle, but when you do finally roll it with trail shoes on it will be really bad.

[TKDWolf]

I don't see how elevating your heel off the ground could possibly make you more stable, it would encourage heel-striking on an uneven surface, which, aided by the extra instabilty of a high CoG, would seem to make rolling your ankle more likely, even with the wider base.

...Which is one reason among many others that I run in minimalist shoes.

[FPChris]

Whatever. I'm sure trail running can be fun

but don't try to say it is better.

Uneven surfaces = INJURY

[XXDoctorKnowXX]

@FPChris

gotta agree with you there. i mean, running trails (which i haven't really done, but i've done some hardcore mountain biking) has got to be beautiful, but dangerous. Best to go with a partner. Best to carry some bear spray. I dunno...in one sense, it's pure as hell, uncut by anything.

in another, real senes, i sure as shit wouldn't want to sprain my ankle two miles down a trail.

[Tazwegian]

Definitely. I have rolled my ankle 3 times in the last 12 months running trails. Uneven surface is definitely more likely to give you injuries than an even surface. However, trail running is more enjoyable to me than road running because it provides different challenges and a nice environment.

[Hamasi]

I have to differ with them on the shoe selection. If anything, minimal shoes with flexible soles are the way to go. Most trail shoes are too heavy and rigid when you really need the opposite. You'll especially notice the difference running uphill once you ditch the 12oz+ weights.

[TakkBear]

Vibrams are the way to go.

[RichardTownshend0]

yeh well it alsop depends on what tril you are running.

Say it is mostly grass, or it is fairly muddy you will want a light shoe that wont fill up with water or really weigh you down.

on the other hand if you are running on rocky trails, or mountains, you may want a much stabler shoe, like they mention.

So yeah, it is really based on preferance and conditions.

[wo7od13y]

Im with you. Less is best. If youre not running barefoot; light, light shoes are the way to go. Traction is key as well. A ten foot drop might sometimes hurt but on a long, fast-paced trail the boots become a chore and bring your breathing way up.

[Tazwegian]

I just use a pair of Asics t9E1N runners. I do feel the roots and rocks under my souls, especially after 10kms, but they are nice for running up stairs and hills and are comfortable on the smoother surfaces. I am also not convinced as to the efficacy of the ankle support in trail running shoes. Would be interested to hear some positive stories of trail running shoes if anyone has any. Do they prevent injury to a sufficient extent as to justify their extra weight?

[Hamasi]

When I first started running desert trails in Arizona I wore Vasque and Salomon trail shoes. Then I moved to a forested area with lots of ground litter and started frequently rolling my ankles on hidden sticks. Switching to very low profile shoes with less than a cm of sole fixed that problem. Without the heavy torque of a raised platform they cause no injury.

[dsac6007]

@Hamasi I guess it depends on the terrain. The more rocks the heaver the shoe.

[moviedude22]

that dude has got a REAL road running bias...it's soo obv. -

[ILYTAMI]

holy crap 4 miles?? lol i can only do lyk 2 mi on my skwls track nonstop

[ThreedaysGracelova]

haha i kno!! i said the same thing, i can only do 3 1/2 miles on the road so far

[XXDoctorKnowXX]

@ILYTAMI

lol, don't compare yourself man. 2 miles is fine. 4 miles is fine, too. Dean Karnazes runs hundreds of miles nonstop. it's all relative.

personally, i'm 50 pounds overweight but run 5k about 5 days a week (just started again. won't be 50 over for long).

anyway, my point is just enjoy your run. tap into the deeper parts of running. the pain provides a kind of meditation that is also a challenge. ultimately, you're just running against yourself.

[AUSDWNUNDA]

@XXDoctorKnowXX

well said mate,well said...

[sbv5220]

h

gh

[evylhas]

how can you training if you live in a urban city and it's hours away to hit a trail

[Landon3OH3]

Run on the road then

[SCOTTY678910]

hey IM Scott mason serriosly thats awsome we share a name