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	Trail Techniques

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Use a faster cadence of 85-95 steps per minute for each foot. Shorter steps will let you keep your balance better and change direction more quickly. Pretend you are running on hot coals. Faster cadence is better for going both up and down hills.

You have to watch where your feet are going to land to avoid rocks, roots, etc. Lift your feet higher in order to avoid tripping on small obstacles. You may clear an obstacle with your front foot because you are focused on it, but don't forget to lift your trailing foot high enough for it to clear, too. When I trip, it's usually my trailing foot that catches on an obstacle. Avoiding obstacles is especially difficult when you are tired so be extra vigilant then.

Work on trying to look ahead 10' or 50' or 100' or as far as possible up the trail and near the trail. Look up and scan ahead every few seconds for large stuff like trees, bicycles, cliffs, and bears. Then scan for close small stuff so you can plan your foot strikes to avoid rocks, roots, snakes, low hanging branches, and other obstacles.

Practice looking more in the distance by practicing on a relative safe stretch of trail.  Look ahead and use your peripheral vision to track obstacles as you approach them.

Since we tend to look down for obstacles that could trip us up we don't appreciate where we are. Take some time to stop or walk carefully at least for a few steps to enjoy your surroundings. Take in the sights, sounds, and smells of nature.

When you are running on a trail, especially if it has lots of obstacles, the tendency is to look down at the ground more to watch where your feet are going to land.  This leads to bending over more or slouching which is poor running form because it restricts your breathing.  This also happens if the trail has low branches that you are having to duck under. Occasionally take note of your form and make any adjustments necessary.  It’s better to stand up tall with your shoulders back and head up proud.  Train yourself to not look directly down at your feet but look ahead and anticipate where your feet are going to fall.  With some practice, you will be able to keep your eyes looking further ahead of you and not think about where every footstep is going to happen, it will become more natural. Every few minutes reach up above your head with your hands and arms and stretch to get back into Good Running Form.

Don’t pay any attention to your pace on a trail run. Learn to run by feel, by listening carefully to your body. Road runs tend to be flatter so it is reasonable to monitor your pace because it is fairly consistent. But on a trial the terrain varies so much and can be so challenging. A 5 minute per mile marathoner may be doing good to do 15 minute miles on tough trails. It is much better to monitor your body or your heart rate and take what the trail and the weather and your body will give you. The longer the race the more consistent you want to be with your effort. Strive to make your level of effort consistent through the whole race, except at the end when you kick to the finish line.

If you are on a relatively flat segment with few roots and rocks and you are feeling good, then pick up the pace.

Running the Tangents can have some payoff in a trail race as long as it doesn't widen the trail, creating a larger scar.  A step or two here and there will add up if the trail has a lot of twists and turns. Just be sure that the shorter route doesn't make it harder.  Sometimes the shorter route has more obstacles or in other ways is more difficult.

Steep hills are part of the challenge of trail running. When you encounter a hill consider if you should run or walk it. Running may save you a few seconds, but is it worth being exhausted at the top or falling on the down?

Even the fastest runners will walk up some hills. It is much more economical to walk up a hill and be relatively refreshed at the top than to attack it and run the whole ascent and be exhausted at the top. In reality you probably only saved a few seconds during the ascent and will probably lose that while you recover. If you decide to run it, relax, use a faster cadence and pump your arms more and faster.

If you encounter an uphill consider how your body feels, how steep it is, is it wet, slippery or are there loose rocks that you might slip on? You only use the front part of your foot going up an incline, so you have less contact with the ground, less traction, and are more likely to slip. Most beginners walk up hills. Walking up hills is a great way to conserve energy.

On downhills be particularly careful. Check how steep it is, how is the footing? If you decide to run down it, take short fast steps with your feet wider apart than usual and your arms wide for better stability. Be light on your feet, try not to put on the brakes. Be extra careful because it is easy to get your body moving faster than your feet can keep up resulting in a fall. And you are not just falling your height, but also the distance down the hill which could be another few feet AND you are moving faster. Most beginners walk down hills until they get more experience. If you run downhill too fast, you can tire yourself out, especially if it is immediately after a tough climb.

Downhill running is difficult to teach.  The best way to learn is to practice.  Maybe the best way to describe it is semi-controlled falling.  You don’t have to be in control every step, but with every step you strive to get back in control and not get more out of control.  You have to be more alert because you are moving faster, things are happening faster.  Look further ahead to plan your foot strikes further in advance and identify any challenges/obstacles you are going to face.

If you have a race you are targeting that has a lot of downhill, try to find an area where you can practice.  This may be difficult if you live in a flat area and your race is in the mountains.  Running the same hill repeatedly can help you learn techniques like foot placement, cadence, and balance to see what works best for you.  It’s like playing a game over and over so that you get better and better.  Running downhill teaches you to think faster, move faster, and balance faster.  Use a fast cadence so that you don’t depend on each step for very long.  That way if you get unbalanced, you can recover faster in the next step or two.

On an uphill or downhill, roots and rocks may form steps that you can take advantage of. If there is a V-shaped erosion you can frequently get better traction by pressing out with your feet on the opposite sides of the V and taking short, quick steps. Avoid the bottom of the V because it will likely have some debris that will be slippery.  Use the upper edges of the V for a better grip.

On steep climbs or descents with large steps consider taking a route that provides an intermediate step. It is usually easier to take two small steps up or down rather than one large one. That’s why steep mountains have switchbacks. It is easier to ascend a mountain using switchbacks which go up at a slower incline but traverse a longer distance than it is to just power straight up the side of a mountain. Your body (especially your legs) are better adapted for endurance to travel over relative flat terrain. When you have to go up or down a steep incline, then you have to use a lot more strength which uses your muscles in a different way.

On steep climbs place your hands on your thighs near your knees and use your arms to help lift you up.

If you come across a downhill immediately followed by an uphill, you can gain some extra speed on the downhill and use your momentum to propel you up the next hill.

If there is a sharp turn in the trail, try to plant your outside foot on the outside of the curve so you can push off with it and change your direction faster.

If you have to cross a stream it's best to walk it. The distortion of the water makes it difficult to know how deep it is, what you will be stepping on, and if it will be slippery or not. It's not worth the risk of a sprained or broken ankle. If your feet are prone to getting blisters, it may be better to take the time to take off your shoes and socks, cross the stream, and dry your feet as best you can before putting your shoes and socks back on and continuing.

If you come across a small gully or dip (like one you could almost jump over) try to step across it instead of stepping down into the lowest point. If you step into the lowest point, then you have to climb back up that much more. The same goes for a small rise. Lifting your foot to get over it is much easier than lifting your whole body up.

If you feel at all uncomfortable about a section, then walk it. Take the opportunity to take some hydration or nutrition and enjoy the scenery.

If you are running across, that is traversing, a steep slope it may be better to run and take a few quick steps than to go slow and have to take lots of small steps and risk sliding down the incline.

Falls usually occur at the beginning of a run before you are warmed up or at the end of a run when you are getting tired. You usually don’t fall on the tough challenging sections either, but the easy section when you let your guard down for a few seconds or get distracted. Be careful when looking at your watch, hydration, or nutrition, when something unique catches your attention, when taking in some beautiful scenery, or talking to a companion. If you are not paying attention to what you are doing, bad things can happen. I’ve heard of runners running off a cliff.

If you trip or lose your balance, keep your feet moving. Try to keep running and catch yourself on a tree or rock. It's easier to try to save yourself if your feet are moving.

When you fall, take a moment to check yourself out and gather yourself and catch your breath. Is anything broken, cut, bruised? Can you continue running or walking or do you need to get more immediate assistance? Carry an alcohol wipe and a few band aids for emergencies. Clean any scrapes or cuts with water or an alcohol wipe and apply a band aid if necessary. Carry your cell phone in case you need to call for help.

Running trails in the dark can be an almost magical if not terrifying experience, and it presents a number of challenges. You'll notice that all of your senses are heightened. Take in all the sounds of nature. If you think you hear an animal off the trail, hold your flashlight near your eyes and shine it in the direction of the sound. This makes it easier to see their eye shine.

More animals are out at night and it is easy to startle them because they aren’t expecting to encounter a human. And they may startle you by rustling leaves or with a warning call. They sometimes use the same trails as we do. Respect them and give them room.

Trails look completely different because a flashlight only illuminates a small part of our field of view. It's more difficult to follow trails at night unless they are well marked or well worn. They can be camouflaged by fallen leaves, a hard rain, or snow. You have to be more careful about where your feet are going to land so you are looking down more and less likely to see hazards like low hanging limbs or a fork in the trail. Slow down and take your time. I like to hold a flashlight down below my waist.  This will cast longer shadows so you can see obstacles better.

If you don’t have steep, rugged terrain to practice on, do lots of stairs and do one or two steps at a time. Practice up and down in this manner.

To get stronger on trails do some strength training of your legs like calf raises, lunges (front, rear, left, and right), squats, leg extensions and curls. These will help you handle the uneven surface better as well as climb and descend hills better.

One-legged squats are especially beneficial for trail runners. But don’t be intimidated by them. You do them every day when you go up and down stairs. You may find it more to your liking to step onto and off of a box or platform that is taller than a stair step. Another option is to take stairs two at a time. Or try them in front of a counter. You can rest a hand or finger against the counter to help keep your balance. With some practice and when you get stronger you can graduate to no hands.