{"id":65155,"date":"2019-06-27T08:11:02","date_gmt":"2019-06-27T15:11:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=65155"},"modified":"2020-05-22T13:03:55","modified_gmt":"2020-05-22T20:03:55","slug":"kara-gouchers-tips-on-trail-running","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/run\/kara-gouchers-tips-on-trail-running","title":{"rendered":"Kara Goucher’s Tips on Trail Running"},"content":{"rendered":"

In her mind, Kara Goucher knew running away from the mountain lion was wrong, but still, when you\u2019re faced with a 200-pound predator, it\u2019s hard not to instinctively flee. All turned out well, but the recent encounter near her home in Boulder, Colorado, was a perfect metaphor for Goucher\u2019s latest challenge: running Colorado\u2019s Leadville Trail Marathon in mid-June, where she wanted to give up and run away, but instead, she managed to stand tall and stick it out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Forty-year-old Goucher is best known for her 2007 world championship medal in track and her third-place finish at the 2009 Boston Marathon. She built her career running on roads. But after an injury forced her to DNF the Houston Marathon this past January, Goucher began looking for something different. \u201cThe trails provide a break from the headlines, from the intensity and pressure,\u201d she said. \u201cI have no knowledge of times or what the top women are doing [in trail running], and that\u2019s refreshing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Training for the Leadville Marathon, which took place June 13, felt like a radical change from the norm. Running on trails, she\u2019s learned, is a whole new game. \u201cWhen I first started, I only ventured out a couple of times per week because it was so different,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Slowly but surely, however, she began adding more dirt to her routine, and now she\u2019s regularly on trails three times each week. \u201cI get in one long run, one technical and one hard effort,\u201d she said. \u201cMy other runs are on the road.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While she lives at over 5,000 feet, the Leadville course hits a high of over 13,000 feet at Mosquito Pass. To prep, Goucher incrementally increased her vertical mileage. \u201cThat\u2019s foreign to me, so I couldn\u2019t do it too often,\u201d she said. \u201cI started with 1,500 feet of gain in a run and eventually increased to 4,000. Toward the end of training, I tried to get to over 8,000 feet once a week.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Goucher also included hill repeats in the mix. \u201cI have a one-mile climb behind my house, so I used that for repeats,\u201d she said. \u201cDoing a run with 4,000 feet of climbing in it is no joke.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For the most part, Goucher\u2019s training has been self-directed, and that\u2019s by design. \u201cA few coaches and runners reached out to me with advice, and I checked in with my own coaches every couple of weeks, but that\u2019s it,\u201d she said. \u201cI wanted to go at my own pace and take what my body had to give.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Kara

Goucher raced at the Leadville Marathon, one of her first major trail-running races. (Photo Credit: Shanna Burnette)<\/p><\/div>\n

Taking it to the trails on this level was a new experience for Goucher and she learned some lessons along the way. Her tips for others making the transition? Get yourself a good pair of <\/span>shoes<\/span><\/a> and a <\/span>hydration pack<\/span><\/a>. \u201cYou need to be able to take supplies with you on your runs and carry proper nutrition and essentials,\u201d she said. \u201cYou also want to trust your feet on new terrain.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She also said to be prepared for runs to take longer than you expect. \u201cThe terrain will slow you down, so adjust your pace expectations and focus on how you\u2019re feeling,\u201d she said. And let the trail community in. \u201cThis is the friendliest group of people I have ever met,\u201d she said. \u201cLet them show you around and don\u2019t be afraid to ask for advice. They will help you transition and prepare.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

On race day at Leadville, Goucher said she made the typical newbie mistake: taking it too hard from the start. \u201cI was through 10K more than 12 minutes faster than I had intended,\u201d she said. \u201cBefore I even hit the 12-mile mark, I considered dropping out because I was hurting so badly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The bright side? The encouraging spectators. \u201cThey would not let me stop,\u201d she said. \u201cTheir words carried me all the way to the finish line. Even though it was a painful experience, I loved Leadville.\u201d She finished in 3 hours, 54 minutes, good enough for fifth place in the women\u2019s field.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Goucher hasn\u2019t firmed up her future plans for either the roads or trails, but she is open to options, including ultramarathons. \u201cI will return to the roads at some point,\u201d she said. \u201cBut right now, I\u2019m enjoying the experience and getting to call myself a trail runner, one step at a time.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In her mind, Kara Goucher knew running away from the mountain lion was wrong, but still, when you\u2019re faced with a 200-pound predator, it\u2019s hard not to instinctively flee. All turned out well, but the recent encounter near her home in Boulder, Colorado, was a perfect metaphor for Goucher\u2019s latest challenge: running Colorado\u2019s Leadville Trail […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":65164,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[1376,540,66],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-65155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-run","tag-running","tag-running-tips","tag-tips"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/run\/kara-gouchers-tips-on-trail-running","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Kara Goucher’s Tips on Trail Running","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/run\/kara-gouchers-tips-on-trail-running","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/run\/kara-gouchers-tips-on-trail-running"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/KaraG_CreditShannaBurnette.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/KaraG_CreditShannaBurnette.jpg?fit=2411%2C1621"},"articleSection":"Run","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Michelle Flandreau"}],"creator":["Michelle Flandreau"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["running","running tips","tips"],"dateCreated":"2019-06-27T15:11:02Z","datePublished":"2019-06-27T15:11:02Z","dateModified":"2020-05-22T20:03:55Z"},"rendered":"