Summer Trail Running

Three benefits to running trails this summer:
-Improves your efficiency for cross country season
-Improves your ankle stability
-Decreases impact on your joints

Research suggests that when you train on trails, you run more efficiently.  If you train on the track and the road, you will not run as efficiently on trails. About a year ago I ran my first ultra-marathon on the Pacific Crest Trail here in Oregon. My long runs were mostly on a steady gravel road. The race was on a single-track trail with rocks, roots, ledges and heavy dust. About 25 miles into it, folks were blowing by me as my body fatigued and I had to stop to step over rocks and roots. The runners flying by were still hopping over rocks, cutting seamlessly around corners, and made me feel like I was stuck in a slow motion nightmare. While I had put in ample miles, my training was heavily flawed by the fact that I had not trained on rugged terrain. It’s one thing to run the distance, but to do it efficiently requires specific training. This summer, take any opportunity you can to get out on the trails in order to prepare yourself for the cross-country season.

A second reason to hit the trails this summer is to improve your ankle (and knee and hip) stability. Ever twisted an ankle, and then found that each time it recovers you just twist it again? After years of college and study in the physiology of exercise (with the student loans to prove it), I pretty much learned one basic fact about the human body: USE IT OR LOOSE IT! If you don’t use your muscles, they get weak. If you sprain your ankle, and therefore don’t use the muscles around the area for a long time…they will get weak. On the other hand, if you challenge your ankle muscles by doing subtle things like running on trails or grass instead of on the road or track, then they will get stronger and more stable. Come fall, you will be less likely to twist an ankle during that all-important cross-country race.

Lastly, running is a tough sport. Some studies suggest that women’s high school cross-country has the highest injury rate of any high school sport. Yes that even includes football. That’s why injury prevention becomes an important topic. Trail running certainly won’t guarantee that you will not get injured. But, as we’ve discussed, it may help. While running, each time your foot hits the ground, your joints endure three times your body weight. So if you weigh 150lbs, your joints endure 450lbs. If your foot is landing on concrete, the impact on your joints is going to be more intense than if you are running on a softer surface. Therefore, your joints may thank you if you are able to log some miles on softer surfaces, such as trails as compared to your neighborhood sidewalk.

I must remind you of one last detail. Be smart; don’t run trails alone. Know your route and run with a friend. It’s more fun that way anyhow.