Run Much? Try A Little Off Road
It happens every spring into the summer and beyond. Avid runners, joggers, and marathoners getting those miles on for fitness and fun. This guest article is intended to give you some tips to make the most out of your long distance activity without the potential adverse affects. Read on and prosper.
-Coach Nate.
Andrea Moore, a 36-year-old optometrist and lifelong road runner, hit the trails of the Santa Monica Mountains one day five years ago to give her pavement-pounded knees a break. She's never looked back. "I fell in love with the dirt," Moore says. "On trails it's such an adventure every time you run that it doesn't even seem like exercise." Now she gets her runner's high higher up, logging 30 miles a week, all off-road.
There are thousands of stories like Moore's. Combining the exhilaration of the great outdoors with the promise of softer landings, trail running has become one of America's fastest-growing sports. With off-road hot spots in California, Colorado and the Northeast leading the way, the number of trail races has doubled over the last two years, to nearly 600.
But while embracing the dirt would seem as easy as lacing up a pair of off-road shoes, trail running is as different from road running as mountain biking is from road cycling. To get the most out of trail time, you actually need to relearn the world's easiest sport. "You've got to run with a different technique and a different attitude," says Ann Trason, the nine-time winner of the Western States 100, one of the most prestigious off-road races. Below are some pointers to hit the ground running:
Narrow your vision. Roadies can space out, but since trails aren't made of perfectly groomed asphalt, off-roaders need to stay focused. Look two steps ahead and down on rolling terrain. Crouch while running. Keep legs slightly bent to lower your center of gravity, it keeps you from falling and lets you move easily around obstacles. "I think of it like dancing," says Danelle Ballengee, one of the nation's best high-altitude racers.
Heads up on climbs. They're an uphill struggle unless you keep your head tilted up, allowing maximum oxygen into your lungs, critical at high elevation.
Toes down on descents. Watch the ground carefully and land each step on toes and forefoot for optimum control.
Water is life. With no 7-Elevens in the mountains, runners need to pack hydration systems to keep the vultures from circling.
Time, not mileage. Roadies measure performance by miles pounded, but trail runners should gauge theirs by time spent on the trail. "It's a change of mind-set," says Ben Hian, a top trail racer. Translation: If basking in nature doesn't change your mileage mentality, the lack of markers in the woods most definitely will.
Adapted from Cond Nast Sports for Women,
