A few days ago one of my Insta buddies asked me how they could get into trail running and I thought, well that’d make a good topic for a blog. So here we are. My best advice on how to get into trail running.
Tip one: Go find a trail. Run on it.
Hey presto, you’re a fucking trail runner! Give yourself a high five trail runner. You’ve got this.
As helpful as I’m sure that is, let me give you a few more. And keep in mind, I’m not offering these tips because I’m a good trail runner, but precisely because I’m not that great. So I know what it’s like to be in Struggletown out there. And I’ve done enough trail runs now, and fucked enough shit up, to know what not to do, as well as what to do, when you’re just a plodder out there having a go.
Tip two: Wear whatever the fuck you want.
Seriously. Wear your usual running gear. It doesn’t have to be expensive. And you don’t have to wear trail shoes. Just don’t be naked and off you go. Or if you’re somewhere naked trail running is a thing, then do that.
Trail shoes will help, but don’t let not having some stop you trail running. I’ll do a separate blog on road vs trail shoes but in short, a trail shoe might give you a bit of extra protection thanks to a toe box (protects your toes if you kick a rock) and a foot plate (protects the soles of your feet if you step on sharp rocks) and possibly some extra traction thanks to a more aggressive sole. But for an average trail run, you can probably run it in regular road shoes and work your way up to trail shoes if you start doing more trails or more technical trails. I absolutely ran trails in road shoes when I first started.
One final note on trail shoes: not all trail shoes are good for all trails. Just because you have trail shoes on does not mean you will not go arse up. A sole that is good for mud might be no good on slippery moss and vice versa. And coming down a trail with lots of loose scree is like coming down on marbles no matter what shoes you have on. So even if you do have trail shoes, don’t assume they’ll be good for everything. Take it easy.
(NOTE: Obviously the gear you wear can make a difference so of course I have advice about how good socks are just as important as good shoes, and wearing something like ioMerino when it’s cold, but if you’re just starting out, don’t let not having something stop you getting out there. You can work the rest out as you go.)
You can wear road shoes on a trail run. You probably won’t die.
Tip three: Take it easy.
If you’ve not run on trails before there’s no need to bust your boiler trying to run at the same speed you do on the roads. Or on your treadmill. Or wherever you run now. You’ve gotta not just watch where you’re going, but look where you’re going next. Dodging rocks and tree roots and high branches and low branches and snakes and all other kinds of obstacles along the way. It’s one of the reasons trail running is so much fun because there’s often a bit strategy involved deciding where you’re going to step next and trying to think two or three steps ahead. Unlike road running which is mostly about picking a nice, even, consistent pace and maintaining that for however long you’re out there, trail running is all about picking the right pace for that particular bit of trail – and that can change a thousand times! So relax, go slow, and don’t die. Admittedly you’re not a real trail runner til you’ve gone tits up, but just take it easy when you first start out. Falling over is terrible at any time, but even worse when you’re a long way from anywhere.
Tip four: Don’t be a dickhead.
If you’re going to run trails, take someone with you, or at the very least, let someone know where you’re going and when you’ll be back. If something goes wrong running down the street there’s a good chance help will be nearby. Out on the trails there’s a good chance it won’t be. Take a phone. Take a friend. And don’t be a dickhead. (See more on this in Tip Eight.)
Tip five: Join a trail running group on social media and read the posts, comments, questions and answers.
You’ll learn a lot. Not all of it will be gospel, and one of the things you’ll learn is some trail runners are bat shit fucking crazy. And not always in a good way. Depending on who’s offering the advice, some of it might be complete and utter bullshit and not right for you, but read it all anyway. Then decide what works for you. You’ll get all sorts of tips and advice and insights and find out about events too, which is super useful. Which brings me to me next tip. (In South Australia this is the group you want to be in: Trail Running SA Lounge)
Do an event. It’s a great way to learn as you go with other like-minded peeps. And a few assholes.
Tip six: go run some events or social runs.
Mixing with other trail runners is a great way to learn about and get better at trail running. You can see what they drink, what they eat, what they wear, how they run uphills, if they run uphills… doing is a great way to learn. Don’t be a complete fucking moron and sign up for a 100km race straight from the get go or anything, but if there’s an event or social run with a moderate distance that seems achievable, then go do it. If you’re not sure if you can do it or not, just ask on the event page or email the Races Director to find out if there’s a speed expectation or cut off time. As a general rule, starting out, I’d probably allow about time and half based on your flat running times. So if it takes you 30 minutes to run 5km on the flat, allow 45 mins on the trails.
Keep in mind, on the flat, a run is all about distance. On trails you have extra variables – how ‘technical’ a trail is (ie how rocky or slippery it is etc) and how much elevation there is. The ups can be brutal and take twice as long per km as usual. And even the downs can be tricky if it’s slippery of technical and you need to pick your way down. A trail run can be on anything from a nice, wide, flat, graded unsealed fire road right throught to a super technical singletrail ‘goat track’. So do your homework and make sure you read or ask as much as possible about what a particularly trail is like before you do it so you know what to expect. And refer to tip four and don’t be a dickhead.
Aim to put in consistent effort, not make consistent pace. “Walk the hills and run the rest” is not a bad mantra. “Hill time is meal time” is another I’m quite fond of because I love stuffing my face when I’m out there. You might be worried if you’re a newbie that you’ll be shit and too slow, but don’t be. Just find out if there’s a tail runner (someone who runs at the back of the pack) or if they have rules about all sticking together etc so you don’t get left behind.
It can get fucking cold out there. Be prepared.
Tip seven: Be prepared. Don’t take what you need, take what you might need.
No one thinks they’re gonna need a bandage for a rolled ankle or a snake bite, but take one anyway. No one thinks they’re gonna need extra water or a warm top or a rain jacket if everything goes smoothly. You take this stuff for when everything goes to shit and you’re a million miles away from anywhere and there’s no need to take the kitchen sink, but take stuff for the unexpected.
On cold days, take something warm or dry so that if you’re out there for longer than expected you don’t die. I’ve carried a ‘space blanket’ (small thermal sheet to keep you warm) more times than I can remember and only needed it once, but fuck I was glad I had it that once.
And on hot days, take a little extra hydration for the same reason. (There’s all sorts of ways you can carry water with you, and you might want to do some homework on what will work best for you. But even an el cheapo hydration pack from the local outdoor store is not a bad place to start. They may not be as versatile or comfortable as a proper running hydration vest, but just find a way to take something with you and you can always upgrade later once you have a better handle on what you might need.
Tip eight: Where the fuck are you?
Consider whether you might need some sort of navigational assistance along the way. If you know the trail well, no dramas. But if you’re gong somewhere you’re less familiar with, as much fun as it is to go ‘unexpectedly exploring’, it can also be dangerous in shit weather or if it’s getting dark and you don’t have a headlamp etc. If you’re relying on your phone, make sure your maps or GPS or whatever works when you have no signal – some do, some don’t. Taking a wrong turn can be fun when you get to discover new places, but less fun when it’s boiling hot, or freezing cold, or you’re just well fucked, and every extra step is a step closer to being dead. Even if you’re doing a course that’s supposed to be marked, it’s surprisingly easy to be a dickhead and miss a marker, or maybe the course wasn’t marked that well in the first place, so whenever you can, have a back up plan to make sure you know where you are, and how to get where you want to go. Google Maps is an obvious one but there’s plenty of others including things like AllTrails and Avenza and probably some others that smarter people than me know all about.
Nature is fucking awesome. Let’s keep it that way.
Tip nine: Leave no trace.
Nature’s awesome because it’s natural. Take your fucking wrappers and rubbish with you. And if there’s a chance you might have a #CodeBown and need to take a shit while you’re out there, learn how to do that properly – away from natural water sources, dig a hole, take your paper with you in a zip lock bag etc. There’s plenty of info on the web about how to do that.
Tip ten: Have fun.
Find nice places to run. Don’t run too fast or push too hard that you forget to enjoy the views and yourself along the way. That’s the beauty of trail running – we get to run nice places.
There’s probably lots of other tips, but they’re the main ones I can think of. Feel free to add your own in the comments down below.
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