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 Image courtesy Runningwarehouse Blog I began running about a year and a half ago and have had a hard time deciding where I want to go with it. I'm still pretty casual, generally doing about 7-10 miles a week, sometimes less and sometimes more. I thought I could train for a half after running a couple 10Ks but now am re-thinking my goals. The only time I really really love running is on the trail. I don't like running in urban areas due to terrible drivers, noise, congestion, crowds, stopping at traffic lights, etc. I don't feel too competitive, in the sense that I want to keep increasing distance and climb the runner's ladder of success. I realize that is still possible to do with trail running, but trails seem to give different challenges (climbing, scrambling, really watching where you're going, not worrying about being super fast, etc.). And the latter seems more my style. I live in a place that has plenty of parks and rainforest areas as well as elevation every where, and while I still struggle with some elevation, I am learning to do deal with it. I feel this is what I want to do--concentrating on the trails rather than the competitive races and challenging myself while being in places I like, like out in the sorta wilds. I've been reading more about trail running and am interested in doing only that from now on but, other than doing combo hike/runs a few times last spring and summer, I would like advice. -How do you train yourself to run up steep hills without getting winded? I can run along fine for an hour or more and then the minute I get to any decent sized hill it feels like my breath is gone. I slow down and feel like Hans Moleman. -What is some good advice for not falling and tripping everywhere? I am pretty clutzy when trying to run over roots, around rocks, in squishy mud and puddles. I have only fallen once, but that was on some very dry gravel on a decline, during a drought. -From what I've ready it is okay to walk, but where do trail runners draw the line about stopping and walking? Just when you get super tired or out of breath? Or when the trail gets too dangerous to run on? -Any suggestion on shoes for women? -I am deathly afraid of black bears, and they are all over the place around here. How can I get over this fear? -Finally, I have been to a few trails in the lower mainland, BC (Lynn Canyon, Buntzen, Mundy Park), but if you live around Vancouver, is there any YOU HAVE TO GO HERE place? Thanks. Edit: I'm adding some helpful links I've found since writing this post:
Shoes (I'll add what people recommend either here or in the running thread):
Jenny of Oldstones fucked around with this message at 20:57 on Apr 20, 2016 |
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Feb 4, 2016 01:26
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My wife and a lot of other trail runners here like the Salomon Speedcross 3's for a combo of lightweight, sturdy, ziptie shoelace and excellent grip on the bottom. I'd recommend checking 6pm.com for heavy discounts on good trail shoe brands.
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Feb 4, 2016 04:13
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When running up a steep hill 1. You will be less efficient than if you just walked 2. You will be well into the anaerobic regime, so no matter what you do, or how hard you train, your endurance is going to be very limited compared to running normally. 3. At any level of fitness, your range will be lower if you run up steep hills, and your overall pace wont be that much faster since you ain't running up any steep hill that quickly for that long. So unless you are in a race (and even then not too long of one) I wouldn't recommend trying to run up steep hills. For moderate/low grades, try taking shorter strides. In general, try to reduce your pace and shorten strides when going up hill to maintain more or less similar effort / heart rate. If this requires you to walk instead of run, then that's probably the best thing to do. If you want to be able to dash up steep hills for longer before getting gassed (though, you will run out of steam sooner or later), I guess just practicing doing that and doing some strength training would help. Even super duper ultramarathon trail runners will walk up steep hills. Interval training is supposed to be good for improving VO2max which might push forward the threshold for how steep a hill you can run while staying aerobic, but I dunno. For the stumbling, let me know if you figure it out... I just gave up and stick to wearing shoes substantial enough that I don't hamburger my feet. Trails have roots and rocks and holes and bumps and all kinds of poo poo...if I stare at the ground the whole time I can do a reasonable job at avoiding them, but that's no fun, is it? Black bears are pussies. If you are in an area with lots of them, sooner or later you will have an encounter and this will become clear. Carrying bear spray, watching videos of black bears
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Feb 4, 2016 04:58
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Thanks for the recommendations on shoes. I need to go to the Runners Den soon and hope they have some Salomon Speedcross 3's to try out. I looked online, and they are cool. Also, it's good to hear that it's fine and normal to walk up hills. My husband did run into a mama bear and two cubs last summer while running along the Coquitlam River trail. He was extremely lucky that he was not at the point he saw the mom about a minute later. She came out of the bush and onto the trail and stopped to look at him. He stopped running and looked at her and waved his hand and said, "Go on," and she did turn and go on. He stood still to see two cubs also emerge and follow her. I'm pretty certain if that had been me, I would have freaked out a little. I dunno, he grew up on a ranch near Heffley Creek in the interior so has nerves of steel when it comes to wildlife. Figured I'd post some photos of trails we have hiked or hiked/ran last year:  San Clemente, CA  Trophy Mountain  Mundy Park (so close to where we live, I try to go often)  Minnekhada Trail after a windstorm  More Minnekhada  Lynn Canyon  Lynn Canyon beautiful green lagoon  Lynn Canyon
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Feb 5, 2016 21:30
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i bring trekking poles for big rear end steep hills, if you get the folding tent pole style and a day pack with good attachments, it won't take more than a couple seconds to pull them out and put them away when they're needed. but i also weigh myself down with a bunch of water ballast to train for fast-backpacking unless it's a particularly crazy run, so the extra weight doesn't bother me. if you fall and trip a lot its not even a bad idea to just carry poles in your arms ready to go the whole time, it's only really annoying when you're trying to run past people on narrow trails.
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Feb 7, 2016 23:07
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Trail running owns, especially at night. There's nothing better than bombing through the woods at 5 am by yourself.
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Feb 7, 2016 23:08
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I think that in order to avoid tripping over things, it's good practice to take short quick steps (you can always make a tiny step a little longer if you're gonna step on something bad). I personally like very minimal shoes to increase my proprioception on the trails as well. Where I run is very technical and rocky so mindfulness is usually a must.
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Feb 8, 2016 00:21
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devmd01 posted:Trail running owns, especially at night. There's nothing better than bombing through the woods at 5 am by yourself. That seems like a really cool idea. I guess the regular running thread probably talks about it, but do you wear a headlamp? The only time I ever ran in the dark was on New Year's Eve this year, when we went for a midnight run, and we ran on the streets with reflectors (it was light enough to run). Hmm, I had to get up early over the heatwave summer to run before it got to 30 Celsius, but it was dawn and light enough. The idea of running a trail in the dark is kind of neat. So thanks for the tripping and trekking poles advice. It'd be neat to hear some other trail run stories. I have questions because I am new but don't want the thread to be about just my experiences.
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Feb 8, 2016 08:58
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devmd01 posted:Trail running owns, especially at night. There's nothing better than bombing through the woods at 5 am by yourself. If you are in mountain lion country this is a very bad idea. Dawn and dusk are when they are most active and seeing a lone person running by is likely to encourage them to give chase. 
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Feb 8, 2016 19:09
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HarryPurvis posted:If you are in mountain lion country this is a very bad idea. Well, that is why you carry that bagpipe on your back. Loud noises!
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Feb 8, 2016 21:53
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HarryPurvis posted:If you are in mountain lion country this is a very bad idea. Night is not the same thing as dawn/dusk. The dead of night is a great time to find solitude on a trail. Also, based on the briefest of google searches and passing knowledge of trail running's popularity in mountain lion territory it seems clear that cougars are not a serious threat to trail runners when compared to all the other stuff that could potentially kill them.
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Feb 8, 2016 22:16
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We've had some bold cats in the past in the Canmore area that have attacked mountain bikers and trail runners. They're technically acting like prey fleeing so the cats think they're the best targets. It doesn't help that people keep trying to develop more areas of the Bow Valley which is a really important wildlife corridor. It leaves very little habitat for young male cats to establish territories that have enough natural prey for them, and as a result you get some pretty nasty encounters and conflicts.
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Feb 8, 2016 23:08
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Trail running owns, don't do it somewhere you're gonna die though. I switch between wanting to go ultra minimal with my shoes and wanting a bit more traction, so I usually end up with something with a real low or nonexistant heel drop but still a trail shoe. My advice for trails is that if you're not devmd you should walk the uphills and run the downhills. And I mean run, don't try to hold yourself back, just bomb down those things. You'll feel so much better for it. Running uphill on the other hand is dumb and a waste of energy. Don't go slow, but powerwalk those things. You'll barely be slower than if you had run. I've only ever encountered deer and dogs while running, but I don't go too crazy off the beaten path. Also if you haven't tried trail running in winter get on that winter owns!
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Feb 9, 2016 00:46
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Yeah, a good rule for going uphill is, "when running is not faster than walking, you walk". But do it with a purpose. I can powerwalk past a lot of people who are running uphill. Bomb the downhill sections, and repeat as a form of silent prayer: don't crash, don't die, don't crash, don't die, don't crash, don't die!
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Feb 9, 2016 14:03
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Be careful bombing the downhills though, especially in wet or unfamiliar terrain. I had a close call on a mountain that caused some girls sitting on a nearby rock to shriek in horror, they were pretty sure they were about to watch me fall to my death. I had a lump in my throat for a while after that too. Trail running is the best.
Bottom Liner fucked around with this message at 21:03 on Feb 9, 2016 |
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Feb 9, 2016 21:00
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Bottom Liner posted:Be careful bombing the downhills though, especially in wet or unfamiliar terrain. I had a close call on a mountain that caused some girls sitting on a nearby rock to shriek in horror, they were pretty sure they were about to watch me fall to my death. I had a lump in my throat for a while after that too. Trail running is the best. Late last summer we went on a run at Minnekhada Trail. It was after months of drought and a heatwave, and a windstorm that knocked power out of half a million homes on the lower mainland. Because of the storm there were downed trees, debris all over, especially the upper trail, which climbs about 500 ft or so. By the time we got off the obstacle course we ran downhill, arms spread like wings, chanting nonsensically. Humans are weird. It was just still so hot and humid, and after that treacherous climb it felt sooooo good to let loose and fly downhill.
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Feb 15, 2016 16:46
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I went balls out on Mt Moosilauke a few years ago with a GoPro. The video didn't come out nearly as well as I would've liked, but it's still kinda fun to watch. Watch for a hard fall at 2:15. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXb-C3spvBk
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Feb 16, 2016 16:10
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Another, with even shakier camera work from the Tetons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8f8nkF0PV4 https://www.strava.com/activities/179000050
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Feb 16, 2016 16:20
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That looks awesome. A rocky rear end trail though.
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Feb 16, 2016 17:29
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That's awesome, Konrad. For some funnies, we've used the Hyperlapse app, which you can do 4x, 8x, 12x (maybe more?) speed. It works well when filming someone in front of you, as their every move is sped up--kind of like oldtime movies.
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Feb 16, 2016 23:05
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You're looking at the entirety of my video experience already, but I've found time to play around with hyperlapse a little. It might work well if I could keep the camera more steady, but I get a lot of bounce from both the chest mount and head mount when on technical trail that that it's still kind of nauseating.
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Feb 17, 2016 14:12
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I'm redoing the 10K training program, this time on trails. I ended up falling and hitting a shoulder that has rotator cuff tendonitis, so that is still hurting pretty bad. I have learned that my enemy is not roots, rocks, mud, puddles, or anything else but loose gravel. It's the second fall I've had in the last year on gravel. Got some nice photos though. The first couple are just from a short climb up to Cascade Falls near Mission, BC. The last is Kanaka Creek where we did our run on Saturday.   
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Feb 22, 2016 19:56
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Desmond posted:I'm redoing the 10K training program, this time on trails. I ended up falling and hitting a shoulder that has rotator cuff tendonitis, so that is still hurting pretty bad. I have learned that my enemy is not roots, rocks, mud, puddles, or anything else but loose gravel. It's the second fall I've had in the last year on gravel. gently caress gravel. Also gently caress sand with a flour like consistency that loves to sit on top of smooth rocks. Doesn't matter how grippy your shoes are that stuff makes every step a game of "Will I fall on my rear end!?"
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Feb 22, 2016 22:14
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I did a 13.1 mile run this weekend in the Middlesex Fells north of Boston. I did the north half of the Skyline Trail, then followed the Cross Fells Trail to the eastern half of the Fells, and then did the Rock Circuit Trail Loop. I managed a fairly consistent pace for most of the run expect for three miles on the Rock Circuit Trail. Who would have thought that a trail with that name would be rocky as gently caress? I banged the top of my right foot on a rock a bout a mile in, now I have a 2 inch bruise on the top. All in all a fun day. Boston from the Rock Circuit Trail 
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Feb 22, 2016 23:15
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EPICAC posted:I did a 13.1 mile run this weekend in the Middlesex Fells north of Boston. I did the north half of the Skyline Trail, then followed the Cross Fells Trail to the eastern half of the Fells, and then did the Rock Circuit Trail Loop. I managed a fairly consistent pace for most of the run expect for three miles on the Rock Circuit Trail. Who would have thought that a trail with that name would be rocky as gently caress? I banged the top of my right foot on a rock a bout a mile in, now I have a 2 inch bruise on the top. All in all a fun day. The Fells are a good place to run if you like rocky, technical trail. Did you encounter much ice? I run log some miles there, usually in the spring when my trails in New Hampshire are still snowy. Try the Skyline Trail in the Blue Hills south of Boston for more of the same kind of running.
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Feb 23, 2016 14:13
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Konrad posted:The Fells are a good place to run if you like rocky, technical trail. Did you encounter much ice? I run log some miles there, usually in the spring when my trails in New Hampshire are still snowy. The trails are almost completely snow and ice free. Most of what's there is avoidable, aside from a 50-100 yard section of ice where the Skyline Trail overlaps one of the wider graded roads/trails. When I ran there on President's Day it was all packed snow, then last week's weather melted everything. I need to get down to the Blue Hills sometime, but they're a 45 minute drive compared to 15 for the Fells so I haven't made it yet. I'd love to run some of the 4000 footers in the Whites, but the sustained up hills are intimidating. I do better on rolling ups and downs. Any recommendations for relatively runnable peaks in the Whites to start out on?
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Feb 24, 2016 03:51
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Cool. I might get down that way this weekend, depending on what the family is doing. As for 4,000 footers, they necessarily involve quite a lot of hiking, even when you're "running" them. Just run what you can and walk what you need to. Mount Garfield from route 302 is a reasonably runnable grade, only steep near the top. Owls Head is a pretty pleasant run, a long easy runnable approach, then a mile or two of steeps to the summit. The Bonds from Lincoln Woods only have a few steep sections, though a lot of the moderately graded trail is rocky enough that it's hard to sustain a run.
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Feb 24, 2016 15:12
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Holy, I don't even do a 10th of that kind of elevation. My run yesterday was about 400 something feet, bringing it up to 700 something for the week. I am really loving hills these days, mostly for the challenge and the downhill later. Yesterday's trail was absolutely my best run ever. It wasn't long (about an hour) but the temp was perfect. It's getting to be springtime in Vancouver, and running in the nearby rainforest is the perfect combo of cool shade and a dryish trail (no falling!). I'm pretty thankful that this park is less than five minutes away. Has anyone run around Mt. Baker? My other half was talking about camping/running/hiking there soon.
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Feb 28, 2016 17:31
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Desmond posted:Holy, I don't even do a 10th of that kind of elevation. My run yesterday was about 400 something feet, bringing it up to 700 something for the week. I am really loving hills these days, mostly for the challenge and the downhill later. Yesterday's trail was absolutely my best run ever. It wasn't long (about an hour) but the temp was perfect. It's getting to be springtime in Vancouver, and running in the nearby rainforest is the perfect combo of cool shade and a dryish trail (no falling!). I'm pretty thankful that this park is less than five minutes away. There's tons and tons of hiking trails in the North Cascades around Baker that you can run on. A lot of them won't be accessible until Highway 20 reopens in early May, but stuff like Sahale Arm are great run/hikes.
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Feb 28, 2016 19:46
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gohuskies posted:There's tons and tons of hiking trails in the North Cascades around Baker that you can run on. A lot of them won't be accessible until Highway 20 reopens in early May, but stuff like Sahale Arm are great run/hikes. Thanks. I'm not sure when we'll go down there since vacation time and long weekends this year are getting filled up. I hope to go to Golden Ears Provincial Park on our May anniversary but can't make reservations til March 15th. It'll be a camping/trail running weekend. We are going to Ireland in June. We'll spend some time in Dublin I think, but we're staying near Doolin. I had never heard of fell running, but it seems to be a thing in the UK. Sooo looking forward to a hilly run and hitting up an old pub afterward.
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Mar 10, 2016 01:26
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consistency is the key to high elevation gain hikes like that. last winter my go to training hike was 4k gain over 2.6 miles on unmaintained trail. the first time i ran it was terrible and really showed me how out of shape i was. pretty much only got through it without resting because my friend kept yelling at me and calling me a pussy. kept going every weekend and doing the same hike. by the end of the season i was doing it twice in a row every time i went out, with a quick snack between runs, and i wasn't breaking a sweat until the second go. it's also a lot easier after the first time, because there's more of a "light at the end of the tunnel" once you begin to recognize landmarks and get a sense for when it ends/how to pace/etc. if i went back and did the same hike it would probably kick my rear end again, because i haven't been consistent about training for rapid elevation gains. Tashan Dorrsett fucked around with this message at 15:10 on Mar 10, 2016 |
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Mar 10, 2016 15:06
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Desmond posted:Holy, I don't even do a 10th of that kind of elevation. My run yesterday was about 400 something feet, bringing it up to 700 something for the week. I am really loving hills these days, mostly for the challenge and the downhill later. Yesterday's trail was absolutely my best run ever. It wasn't long (about an hour) but the temp was perfect. It's getting to be springtime in Vancouver, and running in the nearby rainforest is the perfect combo of cool shade and a dryish trail (no falling!). I'm pretty thankful that this park is less than five minutes away. Great idea for a thread! Wonderland is a famous trail circling Mt Baker, at 93 miles you could do chunks of it. My favorite Vancouver trails are Mountain Highway (Grouse) and Old Buck (Seymour). These are just long neverending uphill switchbacks in the forest, 10k+ up and then down. I love them. My favorite non-race day run of all time is Howe Sound Crest (Cypress to Porteau Cove). This is wild back-country alpine with a lot of dangerous precipices, though.
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Mar 17, 2016 03:35
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Huggybear posted:Great idea for a thread! Thanks for joining this thread! I really want to check out Howe Sound Crest. After reading about it I really need to see Mt. Unnecessary. What a great name. Edit: Here's a cool video of some people running it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1I4OQbSUM4 Jenny of Oldstones fucked around with this message at 00:50 on Mar 20, 2016 |
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Mar 20, 2016 00:43
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Found/created a nice little run/hiking route through northern Coquitlam. It goes up the Coquitlam crunch then over through some neighbourhoods to Ridge park and down some urban trails then loops back to the starting point at the bottom of the 'crunch. Around 9-10k total. Not sure if strava routes are public: https://www.strava.com/routes/4525354 A few pictures: Sign at the top of the Coquitlam Crunch  View from the top  Ridge park  Some more pics along the way http://imgur.com/a/LQix6 Ridge park fascinates me. The terrain is like nothing else in the area. It's all conifers with little to no under growth and very dry compared to everything else around the area. And the transition is extremely abrupt, you literally turn a corner and suddenly it is completely different. Plus it's not well used, pretty out of the way and has little to no signage inside the park. The maps at the entrances are extremely faded and at least 15-20 years out of date, showing the wrong trails in a number of areas. If you compare the park on google maps vs openstreet maps you can see the difference. Google shows the same map as at the park entrances and openstreet maps is actually fairly accurate. There's a whole network of switchbacks in the south side of the park that didn't used to exist as well as a few trails in the northern part of the park.
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Apr 1, 2016 15:22
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Squibbles is my running/hiking partner, so thank you  If anyone gets a chance to see it, I would recommend the Barkley Marathons, on Netflix now. It's pretty hardcore. Five loops of reportedly more than 20 miles each within 60 hours, with an elevation of over 12,000 feet each loop. It's mostly off trail with no markers, so orientation is a thing. Only a few have ever finished this ultra trail marathon. I know I would never train to be able to do one loop, but it's really inspiring to see it being finished at all.
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Apr 9, 2016 06:11
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Tashan Dorrsett posted:consistency is the key to high elevation gain hikes like that he/she is right. you gotta just go out and pound the hill day after day after day, it's the only way you'll get better. i used to have trouble with steep elevation gains too until i spent 3 months in new mexico sprinting up the same mesa every day. you'll pick out your own methodology. remember that short steps are your friend when you're climbing. pretend you're climbing a set of stairs as fast as possible. don't look at the top of the mountain, because there is no top and there is no mountain. and don't try to leap your way up or you'll just burn out your quads
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Apr 11, 2016 10:17
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Desmond posted:
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Apr 11, 2016 10:22
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black children posted:you're right on the money, trail running is more fun and better for you. don't think you can't do a half or a full though, in my experience basically anyone who runs even occasionally is capable of a half marathon, it's the type of thing you can basically get up off your couch and do and get your pat on the back and your little bottle of powerade or whatever at the end. marathons are the same way, it just hurts more I was more of a runner in high school but then had a heart condition (STV) that triggered with some exercise (still hiked a lot and started doing yoga). I finally got an ablation in 2013 after many trips to the hospital, and having to take adenosine to restart the heart and get it back on a normal pace, which was pretty scary. I started running again after the ablation, but am quite a bit older now and have some other issues with my back and arm and shoulder. I'm not too fast nor do I feel too competitive, so now am just trying to build strength/stamina on the many hills where I live. It is pretty impossible to find any trails that don't have quite a bit of elevation, but I'm learning to enjoy them and am getting better. I just looked at one loop on that Barkley's Marathon and over 12,000 feet might kill me! If I am running 3x a week, however, I'm generally doing up to 700 feet per week just on normal trails.
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Apr 12, 2016 17:08
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Does your doctor know you're pushing it like that?
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Apr 14, 2016 05:51
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life is a joke posted:Does your doctor know you're pushing it like that? 700 feet or so a week isn't really pushing it, but she is aware and encourages running. While supraventricular tachyarrhythmias are scary, the ablation fixed it 100% so it no longer occurs and my heart is otherwise healthy. Back to trail running, enjoy another view from Lynn Canyon in North Van. 
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Apr 14, 2016 17:00
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