Trail Running Gear Advice
What is Trail Running?
Trail running is a form of running that take part on paths and trails commonly used for hiking. It is an aerobic sport whereby people enjoy the challenge and experience of being outdoors.
Trail running often involves a great deal of fitness to face the steep ascending and descending gradients of the hills, although some people opt for more leisurely routes, taking them along valley bottoms. Trail runners enjoy the challenge of the endurance element, being outdoors and the social aspects. Other simply enjoy geting mussy, so take part in a form called fell running!
Top 10 Trail Running Tips
- Pace yourself - don't over do it too early on in the season - that's how injuries happen!
- Mental attitude - being positive about your achievements and the days' goals always gets better times.
- <Rest injuries - if you do injure or ache, rest yourself to avoid worsening the injury, which also promotes repair.
- Vary the excercise - do a variety of targetted excercises to improve your running style.
- Always make your runs fun - change your scenery and avoid the doing the same monotonous routes.
- Run long and short - mix your running distance for both stamina and speed.
- Heavy footed racers don't win races - run softly and your less likely to damage knees - especially downhil!
- Hill running style - make it easier on your legs and lean into hills and make sure you shorten your stride.
- Fuel - drink and eat the rght foods for you to replenish and revitalise during your run, and energise before the run.
- Your sport is on your feet - take care of your feet and footwear. Make sure they're both in top notch condition!
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Trail / Fell Running Training and Preparation
Trail running is a very accessible sport, as it is free to run in the hills and costs very little for the gear compared to many other outdoor sports.
Lightweight running: Because of the gradients and distances that you will be running, lightweight clothing and gear is required. The reason for this is that your main enemies will be fatigue and gravity. The pull of gravity on heavy gear will become unbearable when your legs are tired.
Terrain: Consider what terrain your going to be running, as this will help you prepare for what you need in regards to running gear, in particular footwear. Terrain is often categorised into these types: dry rock, wet rock, dry grass, wet grass, muddy, tarmac, loose rock and mixed terrain.
Weather: Do a thorough weather check and also consider the likelihood of weather changes and the impact that will have on the terrain if for instance it rains or snows.
Running buddy: A good thing to have is some company on the trail, someone to share the experience and challenge with, but so too is it good for emergency situations. Although some people like to run to get away from it all, but seriously consider emergency scenerios and the value of running with another person.
Trail Running Clothing & Equipment
Lightweight, lightweight and ultralight lightweight gear! That's all you need! Consider these items as basics for your trail running needs.
- Lightweight running shoes - Inov8 and Salomon manufacture specialist trail running and fell running trainer, including heavy-duty grips, foot support, breathabilty, and all using lightweight materials. See the full range
of Mens trail running shoes and Womens trail running shoes.
- Fell / trail running socks - great comfort and breathability.
- Lightweight running clothes - vests and running shorts are common in the summer and softshells, lightweight waterproofs and trousers are common in winter.
- Lightweight rucksack / backpack / bumbag / running belt - what ever size of pack you need, one thing is certain you will need accesible water too, consider a hydration pack or slide a water bladder.
- Navigation - OS maps and compasses help you learn about where you are running and keep you on the right track!
- Lighting - some people enjoy running at night or into the evening, a good way to be seen and to help you see is to use a Petzl head torch, which keeps your hands free and are remarkably lightweight.
- First aid - if your running for a long time and for quite a distance away from civilisation, make sure you are prepared for basic treatments in case you have an accident by carrying a first aid kit. A mountain whistle is always a good bit of kit to take too.
- Overnight running - if you decide to stay out over night, it's always a good idea to have a make sure you've got some descent lightweight kit in your pack. Ultralight tents (weighing less than 2kg) and Lightweight camping stoves are increasingly popular. See the camping equipment shop for more information. If you're running with a partner, share the weight of your gear. Down sleeping bags are very popular with lightweight outdoor sports people too.
- ADVICE: See the ultralight / lightweight gear advice pages for more tips on reducing your pack weight.
What is the difference between fell running shoes and trail running shoes?
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- Trail running shoes should have a much tighter fit than normal road running shoes because it's important to prevent your foot rolling around when crossing running over rough terrain.
- The sole is less aggressive than fell running shoes.
- Trail running shoes have anti-clogging treads.
- Trail outer soles (the edge of the lowe sole) is not aggressively studded.
- Both forms of running shoes should have a firm heel for stability when running, breathable and should be lightweight or ultralight.
- Inov8 and Salomon make excellent trail running shoes.
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- Fell running shoes are more aggresively soled or 'studded' compared to trail running shoes that have a smoother traction base. The pupose of this studding is to create adequate traction on the muddy / grassy / rocky terrain. Fell running shoes are designed for rough terrain; muddy, plant covered, much less likely to be firm surfaces.
- Fell outer soles are particularly aggressive compared to trail runners shoes.
- Fell running shoes have less cushioning than trail shoes to improve the 'digging' capability of the sole.
- Fell running shoes have anti-clogging treads.
- Both forms of running shoes should have a firm heel for stability when running, breathable and should be lightweight or ultralight.
- Inov8 and Salomon make excellent fell running shoes.
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