Adventures in Trail Running

My first ever trail run was a 5 Peaks trail race held at C.O.P. I registered spur of the moment, not knowing what really to expect. On the website there are photos of runners sprinting along narrow and densely wooded trails, effortlessly ascending steep embankments and overlooking breathtaking scenery. I was eager to make the transition from traditional road running and conquer the trails, after-all how hard could it be?

Enter research. Heading into a trail run as a rookie, there are a few tips and tricks to help avoid strain and injury. Awareness is key. Being watchful for tree roots, rocks and other trail hazards, while shortening your stride and lifting your toes for agility will help to maintain a rhythmic pace and improve technical navigation. When climbing hills, lean in, keep your weight in the balls of your feet and swing your arms for power. Likewise, on the descent, lean slightly forward and keep your hands in your peripheral vision. Expect your pace to decrease by 25% and your heart rate to experience even greater variations, with peaks in effort that are as unpredictable as the terrain. Technically it seemed pretty straightforward: awareness before anything.

Heading into the race, mentally and physically I was prepared. Having run scores of sizeable hill sprints I was confident; my only concern was the week of unrelenting rain leading up to the run. Nevertheless, on race day I found myself amongst a collectively soaked group of racers. The gun sounded and we were off- a small, but dedicated pack.

As I was about to learn firsthand, navigating narrow and rugged pathways offers a unique challenge. One benefit of such uneven terrain: improved proprioception, or awareness of the body's muscular activity in relation to its position in space. Ultimately, improved spatial awareness allows you to better orient your body without the aid of visual cues. Another key benefit is the development of strong core and back muscles. Progressively, these muscle groups will strengthen and become the foundation of your balance and lateral dexterity on the trails. As far as drawbacks are concerned? Well they are a handful (and debatable), but worth mentioning is just how dirty an event it can be. In fact, the official trail running magazine is named, "The Dirtiest Magazine".

For me, despite being covered head to toe in mud, I was thrilled to be on the other side of this wild world of running. As the race progressed and the mud intensified, racers scrambled up hills in ways you just don't come across in your average road race. Trees, sticks and shrubbery were mandatory to scale even the smallest of inclines. Of course, the flipside here were branches flying wayward into the path of un-expectant runners.

There was also a manner of wading through the rivers of mud on all fours, clawing your way up hills. Assuming a sturdy ski position and maneuvering the sludge while sliding downwards, with the occasional inadvertent belly surf, was the first line of attack in completing a safe decent. The roots and stumps I had prepped mentally to avoid turned out to be the very least of my worries. My greatest cause for concern came after one of my runners didn't resurface along with my foot after stepping into a particularly deep pocket of mud; earlier I was curious to see another runner tentatively ambling along with only one sneaker, my questions here were now answered.

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