You've put in your road miles, added track workouts to focus on speed, and conquered some races. But that doesn't mean you're ready to jump into a trail race and bolt for the finish line.
"When trail running, you must work at a much higher effort to maintain the pace you could easily do on a flat road," says Ian Torrence, an ultrarunner and coach. "If you start out too fast, you're setting yourself up to fatigue, trip, fall, or--even worse--hurt yourself." And injuring yourself is easy to do on a trail, since you have to dart below tree limbs, avoid rocks, whip around sharp turns, and jump over downed logs.
Luckily, Torrence is here to help. He's as experienced as they come in the trail scene, having finished more than 170 ultra races--banking 50 wins and multiple races of more than 100 miles--and he's a coach at mcmillanrunning.com. He's created a program that will help you conquer any trail race in just 6 weeks.
THE BASICS
Go soft.
Throughout your normal training, take every opportunity to run on softer surfaces than the pavement, advises Torrence. Find a smooth towpath around a park's lake, do sprints on a grassy field, or run up the inclines of a parking garage so you can experience some uneven surfaces and slopes without going straight to the extreme of a trail.
Scout a location.
Don't know where to find a trail? Call your local specialty running shop and ask about nearby destinations or trail running groups in the area. A running shop can guide you to the best places to start and set you up with the top gear. <Link to trail running shoe guide>
Build your body.
"You're using a whole new set of muscles on the trails," says Torrence. Instead of moving in a straight line, you'll regularly make lateral movements to dodge elements in your path. You'll punish your legs on uphills and downhills. Prepare your muscles for the trails by incorporating these exercises into your cross-training days.
Band Walks: Place a mini exercise band around your legs, and position it just above your knees. Bend your knees slightly, and take a small step to the left. Continue to sidestep to the left for 20 feet, and then sidestep back to your right for 20 feet. That's one set. Do 6 to 8.
Single-Leg Box Squats: Stand on the edge of bench or box that's about knee height. Keep your left foot on the box, and let your right foot hover off the box. Flex your right ankle so your toes are higher than your heel. Keeping your torso as upright as possible, bend your left knee and slowly lower your body until your right heel lightly touches the floor. Pause for 1 second, and then push yourself up to the starting position. That's one repetition. Do 8 to 10 on each leg.
Side Bends: Grab a pair of 10-to-20-pound dumbbells, and hold them at your sides with your arms straight. Brace your core, as if you were about to be punched in the gut. Without twisting, slowly bend to the left as far as you can, lowering the weight toward your knee. Pause, and then slowly return to an upright position. Repeat, bending to the right side. That's one rep. Do 15. Over time, progress the exercise by adding more weight, increasing the reps, or balancing on one foot to challenge your balance.
Practice hills.
If you want to get your body prepared for the trails, do hill repeats whenever possible. Torrence recommends doing this hill circuit on the road, at a park, or on a treadmill.
Find an uphill with a 6 percent to 10 percent grade that takes 60 to 90 seconds to climb. After warming up, run as hard as you can to the top of the hill without walking. Lightly jog for 20 seconds, and then jog head back down the hill. That's one round. You'll do 4 to 8.
Continue to the next page to get your trail-blazing running plan.The Trail-Blazing Workout Plan
DIRECTIONS: Each week contains three running workouts. The plan is currently programmed for you to run on Tuesday, Thursdays, and Saturdays, but you can tweak it to fit your schedule as long as you allow for one rest day between each workout. Cross-train or go for short, easy runs on your rest days.
Week 1: Build Endurance
Tuesday
Easy Run: 30 to 40 minutes, on the road or treadmill
Thursday
Easy Run: 30 to 40 minutes, on the road or treadmill
Saturday
Long Trail Run: 40 to 60 minutes, choose a route that's similar to your race course
Week 2: Add Hills
Tuesday
Easy Run: 40 to 50 minutes, on the road or a treadmill
Thursday
Hill Workout: Find an uphill with a 6 to 10 percent grade that takes 60 to 90 seconds to climb. After warming up, run as hard as you can to the top of the hill without walking. Lightly jog for 20 seconds, and then jog head back down the hill. That's one round. You'll do 4 to 6.
Saturday
Long Trail Run: 50 to 70 minutes, choose a route that's similar to your race course
Week 3: Increase Trail Time
Tuesday
Easy Run: 40 to 50 minutes, on the road or a treadmill
Thursday
Easy Run: 40 to 50 minutes, on trails
Saturday
60-Minute Trail Progression Run: Run the first 20 minutes easy, the next 20 minutes at a medium effort (80 to 85 percent), and the last 20 minutes at a medium to hard effort (85 to 95 percent).
Week 4: Boost Intensity
Tuesday
Easy Run: 30 to 40 minutes, on the road or a treadmill
Thursday
Hill Workout: Same as week 2, but do 6 to 8 repeats
Sunday
Trail Run: 75 to 90 minutes, choose a route that's similar to your race course
Week 5: Start to Taper
Tuesday
Easy Run: 40 to 50 minutes, on the road or a treadmill
Thursday
Stride Workout: 10 to15 minute warmup, followed by 6 to 8 striders on track, grass, or dirt. Each strider should be a 25-second sprint with 1-minute recovery jogs between repeats. Finish with a 10-to-5 minute cool down.
Saturday
60-Minute Trial Progression Run: Same as week 3
Week 6: Rest and Get Ready to Race
Tuesday
Easy Run: 30 to 40 minutes, on the road or a treadmill
Thursday
Easy Run: 30 to 40 minutes, on the road or a treadmill
Saturday
Race Day
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