As we start to ramp up to race season, most trail and ultrarunners are increasing their training volume. Warm weather and long days beg for more time on the trails. This increased training load, in turn, can pose an increased risk of injury. Here are some helpful hints to stay injury-free for those who are new to the sport of trail and ultrarunning.
As ultrarunning becomes more popular, it’s imperative that we learn, follow, and share Leave No Trace (LNT) principles with our running buddies. There’s never an excuse to litter and we must continue to hold each other to these standards whether we’re in an urban park, a remote wilderness or at mile 85 of a 100-miler. Here are the seven basic tenets.
Ultrarunning is not easy on the body, but if you give it enough time to gradually adapt to the stresses, both the body and mind will deliver. Once you finish your first ultra and decide to keep at it, start to think about longevity. That can mean running fast for years, slow for years or taking time off for family, but coming back when time allows.
While running far, climbing mountains and moving for hours on end are keys to success for ultramarathons, we should not overlook the benefits of running faster as we traipse over the trails. There are basic drills and tactics which all trail and ultrarunners can deploy, even in the depths of winter, that have considerable benefits.
In 2015, I had just read “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall, where I learned that people run 100 miles at a time. While eating pizza and calling each other names? Professional runners. Not everyday parents that have ordinary office jobs. I put the book away, but the thought lingered. I could never run 100 miles, obviously. Or could I?
With a wise approach to layering, it’s possible to stay warm and dry and avoid concern for hypothermia or frostbite. Empower yourself to be confident, comfortable and safe in a wide range of weather conditions. Fine-tune your system using these basic suggestions as a starting point and test your layering tactics against whatever the elements deliver and enjoy what winter running has to offer.