{"id":3347,"date":"2015-02-17T06:00:37","date_gmt":"2015-02-17T14:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=3347"},"modified":"2018-11-11T22:04:18","modified_gmt":"2018-11-12T06:04:18","slug":"five-things-every-road-runner-know-switching-trails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/run\/five-things-every-road-runner-know-switching-trails","title":{"rendered":"Five Things Every Road Runner Should Know Before Switching to Trails"},"content":{"rendered":"

If road running is a sophisticated urbanite, trail running is its scruffy lumberjack cousin\u2014laidback and a little rougher around the edges. The beauty of either sport is that you don\u2019t need to be a superhuman athlete or gearhead to partake.<\/p>\n

If you identify as a runner but have never ventured out on the trails before, read on for five key things to know about trail running.<\/p>\n

1. It\u2019s OK to walk.<\/h4>\n

Ever wonder how people run<\/em> up a mountain? Welcome to every trail runner\u2019s dirty little secret: often, they don\u2019t. When climbing steep trails, it can actually be more efficient to hike briskly than to run. Practice \u201chiking with purpose\u201d on steep uphills. Run the downhills and flatter, rolling sections.<\/p>\n

2. Burritos and PB&J sandwiches are all perfectly acceptable forms of race fuel.<\/h4>\n

Forget energy gels. Trail runners like real food. Because trail running is generally done at a slower pace\u2014and often for longer durations\u2014than road running, trail races are sometimes jokingly referred to as \u201cglorified eating and drinking contests.\u201d Trail snacks with some protein and fat are ideal for longer, slower efforts. Try tortilla wraps with the following combinations: turkey and hummus, banana and peanut butter, black beans and guacamole.<\/p>\n

\"trail<\/p>\n

3. Train by perceived effort, not pace.<\/h4>\n

If you try to sustain your regular mile pace on your first off-road run, be prepared to keel over in an exhausted heap on the side of the trail, most likely still within sight of the trailhead. In other words: beware that your pace will be significantly slower on most trails. Trail pace varies based on whether you\u2019re going uphill or downhill, and how smooth or rocky the terrain is. Rather than stress about running a consistent pace like you may do on the roads, ditch the GPS watch and practice training \u201cby feel,\u201d or perceived effort.<\/p>\n

\"trail<\/p>\n

4. You don\u2019t need a bunch of new gear to get started.<\/h4>\n

Don\u2019t be intimidated by the funny-looking hydration packs or knee-high compression socks. There will be plenty of opportunities to geek out on technical running gear in the future. All you really need to get started is a pair of good running shoes. Though it\u2019s wise to eventually invest in trail-running shoes with grippy tread to better handle mud and rocky terrain, regular old road-running shoes make a fine starter pair.<\/p>\n

5. Your body will thank you.<\/h4>\n

If you\u2019ve ever hobbled away from a road race feeling like your knees just got put through a meat grinder, trail running could be your new best friend. Dirt trails are far more forgiving on a body\u2019s joints than concrete or asphalt. That\u2019s part of why some trail runners can eventually work their way up to running ultramarathon distances like 50K, 50 miles or even 100 miles, without incurring injury. It\u2019s also why you\u2019ll see men and women cruising hard at trail races well into their sixties, seventies and eighties. Trail running\u2019s low-impact nature makes it conducive to lifelong participation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If road running is a sophisticated urbanite, trail running is its scruffy lumberjack cousin\u2014laidback and a little rougher around the edges. The beauty of either sport is that you don\u2019t need to be a superhuman athlete or gearhead to partake. If you identify as a runner but have never ventured out on the trails before, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3349,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[359,66,136,138,143],"internal-tag":[1676,539],"class_list":["post-3347","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-run","tag-run","tag-tips","tag-trail-running","tag-united-states","tag-washington","internal-tag-pre-redirect-run","internal-tag-yitka-winn"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/run\/five-things-every-road-runner-know-switching-trails","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Five Things Every Road Runner Should Know Before Switching to Trails","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/run\/five-things-every-road-runner-know-switching-trails","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/run\/five-things-every-road-runner-know-switching-trails"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/02\/YW.TrailShoes1-e1448305525596.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/02\/YW.TrailShoes1-e1448305525596.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125"},"articleSection":"Run","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Angela Crampton"}],"creator":["Angela Crampton"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["run","tips","trail-running","united states","washington"],"dateCreated":"2015-02-17T14:00:37Z","datePublished":"2015-02-17T14:00:37Z","dateModified":"2018-11-12T06:04:18Z"},"rendered":"