The Benefits of Trail Running

I learned to run on my toes at Santa Teresa. I was forced to run on my toes at Santa Teresa which made learning easy. 

My favorite set of trails. (Santa Teresa County Park, San Jose, CA)

What trails do

Trails do many things for your feet versus concrete including:

• Protection from my impact
• Strengthening of foot muscles (think uneven surfaces)
• Bruise/toughen feet (think rocks)

Trails do many things for your running technique versus concrete including:

• Force well-placed steps
• Challenge you to dynamically adjust stride length (sort of like that last thing, but not exactly)
• Allow the use of different muscle groups (think uphill and downhill)

Trails let you do many things for your running versus concrete including:

• Add spice (think nature, hilltop views, wild hogs chasing you, etc.)
• Avoid direct car exhaust and traffic
• Lose yourself in a rhythm.

After running on trails, you won't be one of those whiny marathoners who complains about cobblestones or slanted roads.

Up above the concrete and traffic

Smooth Trails

Smooth trails are great for developing your feet if you've just switched to minimalist shoes. Often, at first, after runs you will feel pain on the bottom "bones" of your feet from impacting the concrete. (We're talking about the forefoot here. No heel striking!) A hard dirt trail is much softer than concrete. A soft dirt trail is much softer than a hard dirt trail.

A smooth trail up a gradual slope

Rocky Trails

Rocky trails are awesome and exhilarating. Initially, full mental concentration is required to place each step on a stable, grippy surface as the ground flies underneath you. Keep your head up for low hanging branches too!

I was actually just walking with my camera gear. No running shorts today.

Rocky trails like these force you onto your toes. Plodding along on your heels just won't cut it. You need to maintain your agility on the slipping gravel, turning rocks, and occasional mossy stone. This helped me realize over a year ago the right way to run.

Steep Trails

Steep trails (or steep sidewalks if you live in San Francisco) are great for exercising the limits of your toe running technique. Steep uphills keep you on your toes whether you like it or not. It would take conscience effort to get your heels on the ground on a sufficiently steep uphill. Don't force it, let your body move naturally. When you get tired on uphills, never walk. Keep your running form (steps and cadence) by taking shorter strides. You may be moving at a walking pace, but you will be doing it with good running form.

Steep downhills are one of the hardest things to run on/down. The ground inclination means that it will take some effort to ensure the toes are contacting the ground before the heel. What's worse, the foot will have less flex room when lowering toward the ground for shock absorption. The solution is to keep the knees bent and take short quick steps. Shorter steps reduce total impact, and using your knees takes some of the shock off your feet. When you can run downhill smoothly, you have accomplished something great.

Yes, it's possible to run both up and down unusually steep trails

Rocky Steep Trails

Steep trails with rocks are one of the worst things you'll ever run on. (What else is there... snakes, coals, lava... ) Going uphill you are tired but still need to watch out for loose ground and uncomfortable pointy things. The trick is to use short quick strides landing directly under your center of gravity. Even if the rock you're stepping on shifts a few inches, you should be ok balance-wise.

This hill kicks my butt every time

Downhill can be even worse. Land on a loose rock and you will likely slide a ways. Be cautious on these downhills. A few seconds faster isn't worth cutting yourself up. Take very short, quick steps so that if your planted foot slides, the other foot is nearby to save you.

The same hill as in the photo above, looking downhill

Apply this same advice for rocky trails to slippery, muddy trails as well. Short steps will allow you to keep your speed while keeping a backup foot ready when the planted foot slips.

Mudslicks act like gooey gravel

Tips

Run responsibly out on trails. If you twist your ankle or break a hip, it might take you awhile to get home. Take safe lines (a path along a trail) through rocky sections and don't open yourself up to falls, cuts, and bruises. Have fun running up hills that aren't possible to run on.

Don't step on loose rocks on the trail. Go around rather than over.

Action:

Go run on a trail!

-- Coach