From reliable roads to tricky trails - 3 tips to make it easy

This month's blog is from CurraNZ ambassador Andrea Pomaranksi. Andrea is an elite American long-distance runner, USATF National Champion, and three-time Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier. Based in Michigan, she is widely recognised for her resilience, having returned to professional competition and setting national records after being told she might never run again due to medical setbacks.

Are you a road runner flirting with the idea of making the transition from roads to the trails?  Swapping out the pavement for some dirt can be refreshing, awe inspiring, and reinvigorating to your running routine if you’ve spent months or even years grinding it out on the roads and are looking for something to rekindle your love for running. But there are a few tips and tricks you should know before diving in head first.  Here are three things that can help make your foray into trails a little smoother.  

One, just get out and run on trails. Don’t worry too much about the right gear, the perfect trail shoe, or nailing 90-100g of carbs per hour right at the start, there will be plenty of time to get into those details later. The best thing you can do to become a better trail runner is simply just get on trails as much as you can. Trail running relies on several stabilizer muscles to navigate different types of terrain, steep climbs, and technical descents, so the more you can practice using them, the more comfortable, strong, and confident you’ll feel.

Second, after you feel more comfortable navigating this new type of terrain, and want to take things a step further, you’ll want to make sure you have a few trail gear staples as you extend your time spent out in the wild. It’s easy to go down a rabbit hole researching all the different types of equipment, apparel, and shoes marketed to trail runners, and trust me you could spend weeks looking at all the different options and gadgets available; but to start, you really just need a few great basics. As a road runner, a heavy pack/vest might feel too heavy or bulky, so a good transition piece for someone not used to carrying much on their runs is a great waist belt. They’re much less cumbersome than a vest and you can fit a surprising amount of items in one. Naked belts are a fan favorite but experiment to see what feels good to you, there are a lot of great options available. A few other great basics to have are a couple of Hydrapak soft flasks, an ice bandana (or cooling bandana that you can just get wet and will keep you cool if you don’t have access to ice),  SPF arm sleeves that will keep you cool in warm weather, warm in cooler weather, and even protect you from scrapes in varying terrain, as well as a comfortable hat, which you probably already have. You’ll want a good pair of trail shoes also, but since shoes are highly individualized, I would suggest heading over to the Believe in the Run website, they have reliable list of their top ranked trail shoes at any given time, full of great options for the specific terrain you plan on frequenting the most.  

Third, but definitely not last, the key to making a successful transition to the trails for an enjoyable first event, is to temper your expectations. Even if you’re a very good road runner, you might find yourself walking during trail races…and that’s ok! Sometimes it can even be the best strategy, as even elites sometimes have to walk/slow jog certain sections in races. Running trails can sometimes feel like a brand new sport, so don’t expect yourself to nail it the very first time, and instead, try to just have fun experiencing something new, and enjoy getting better at it. Give yourself some grace, try to have a beginner’s mind, and focus on your improvement over time rather than trying to get good results right away.  If you can do that, your foray into trail running will be a wonderful and extremely satisfying new adventure.