Whether you’re training for a distance run like a half or full marathon, or are a casual runner, it's likely you’ll get fed up with running the same old roads. If that’s the case, maybe it’s time you left the sealed paths behind and hit the trails to get your mojo back.
Trail running can seem like a hobby or sport that's a bit inconvenient if you live in an urban area. Getting out of town to suitable trails is a faff you might not have time for. But thanks to trail apps, you'll be amazed how many great trails are near you. And you'll want to head out to check them out for the reasons we've outlined in this guide.
1. You’ll breathe new life into your training
Running training can be a grind. We enjoy the benefits of it and the challenge it brings, but it's hard and we don't always feel super excited to do it. Trail running is a brilliant remedy to running along the same monotonous pavement time and time again. New and interesting technical trails can add much needed variety to your daily training runs.
While running along a trail and once you get to the end, you'll feel a greater sense of achievement and excitement than running on a treadmill or road. This is down to the infinite variety of trails and terrain, it's impossible to get bored with trail running.
It's easier than ever to find new trails and routes to run. Use OS Maps, Komoot, AllTrails or whatever your preferred app is. Not only are they great for finding exquisite destination trails further afield, but also discovering a rich web of trails right on your doorstep that you never knew existed.
2. You’ll challenge your fitness
Fitting challenging hills into off-road runs helps to inject speed into your stride and boosts fitness fast. Meanwhile, the variety of terrain exposes you to different sorts of fitness training.
Longer, slower runs on grassy trails build endurance. Plus, softer, grassy terrain helps build and extend your leg muscles. It's also kinder on your joints that a footpath.
Steeper gradients involving hill sprints are crucial to developing power and strength in your legs. Incorporate hill sprints into your weekly training schedule if you can. Aim for around six to eight intervals lasting 15 to 20 seconds each.
Rolling hills are fantastic for boosting aerobic capacity, endurance, and strength. Choose a route that includes plenty of moderate hills with breaks of easy terrain in between for recovery.
Even beaches offer a wonderful variety of terrain types and fitness training. Softer sand is great for developing stronger muscles while remaining gentle on joints. Running up the beach, away from the water, is akin to a hill climb. Longer runs along a beach on hard-packed sand is great for endurance.
3. It improves your coordination and stability
As we alluded to in the section above, while trail running is more of an athletic challenge than road running, it's also better for your body.
Constantly adjusting footfall over uneven ground will allow you to develop and improve muscles that control coordination and stability. This involves not just your legs, but also your core. As a bonus, you'll see improvements in your ankle flexibility and strength too.
Grass, mud, sand, and even hard-packed trails are all softer than sealed road or footpaths. Just remember to research and invest in the right pair of trail running shoes. It makes a huge difference.
4. It improves focus
It's well documented that beyond fitness, running improves your mood, reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer, and is a great mental stimulator. But trail running can boost mental exercise further than just running along a footpath.
Trail running improves your ability to focus. It does this by demanding you to constantly assess the ever-changing trail ahead of you and monitor your own running style as you cover ground. This mental exercise helps improve your mental agility and running form.
Furthermore, concentrating on your trail run commands all your attention. As a result, you're totally absorbed by the task at hand and freed from worrying about other things. That seems like quite a foreign concept to many, because a lot of us are fraught with worry and anxiety.
5. It's great for exploring the outdoors and improving mental health
This sounds like two things but they are in fact intimately intertwined. Trail running is a great opportunity to explore the great outdoors. Hit the trails to grow an new appreciation for the countryside and glory in the peace and tranquillity of it all. Just remember to look up now and again!
Don't forget to stop and soak in a vista if you come across one. And don't get too hung up on stats from your running smartwatch or fitness tracker. By all means, it's good to have goals, but remember trail running is about enjoying yourself first and foremost. You shouldn't feel like a failure if you need to walk up a particularly steep section, for example. Pace out on the trails is dictated by terrain and elevation, and not a sign of your run fitness like it is on road. It's certainly a change of mindset from road running and may need some perseverance at first.
Regarding mental health, there is an overlap with the section above, which is why we mentioned it there too. But being outdoors does wonders to improve your wellbeing and mental health. In this modern era we're living in, many jobs see you sitting in front of a desk eight hours a day. Humans spend an awful lot of time indoors, around 90% in face, which is why we need to make time in our busy schedules to get outside and take a breath.
Exercise in general is great for making us feel better. But getting off the treadmill and running in the hills and along quiet rural tracks offer an even greater sense of wellbeing and headspace. It's not quite as convenient as heading to the local gym, but it's utterly worth it.