Trailer Trash

1

Trail Fail (Read 59 times)

FSocks


KillJoyFuckStick

    So after spending 5+ years doing all road running I've transitioned to at least 1 day a week of trail running for the past 6 months.  It is usually technical, rocky with a 2-3 thousand feet of elevation change in the 9-13 mile range.  I like it a lot; its a great way to break up the monotony of road running.  But, after just about every trail run it takes me a couple of days to recoup from the pounding on my feet.  I wake up the next morning doing the old man gimpy walk for about the first 10-15 minutes until things loosen up.

     

    Is this pretty normal stuff waiting for the body to adapt to trail running?  My trail running buds don't seem to have the same soreness that I do and they swear trail running has extended their running life cycles due to less pounding on the body.  It seems like I'm doing it wrong or something.

     

    I should add that sometimes I do a midweek 6-8 mile trail run on smooth trail with hardly any rocks and I do not feel the same soreness afterwards.

    You people have issues 


    sugnim

      I'm no expert, but I converted to mostly trail running this past winter.  I have had the same experiences.  It seems to me that when you run on a trail, every foot landing is just a little bit different.  Because of that, you use your muscles in ways that you don't use them on the road, and they get sore because they are not used to that.  Also, if you are anything like me, you are prone to trips & falls more on the trails than on the road.  I get some pretty gnarly bruises & bumps after some of my trail runs.  Don't worry about it too much.  You'll get used to it.  Slow it down if you need to sometimes, and enjoy the scenery.

      TrailProf


      Le professeur de trail

        Ditto on the what sugnim said about using different muscles groups.  My example is a 10 mile trail race I did three years ago (Conestoga 10 miler for those in PA).  It was pretty much my intro to trail running.  It is all up and down and technical.  And although I had run some technical trails up to that point, I was not training on them 4-5 times per week.  I still do not run on trails 4-5 times per week.  After the race, the two parts of my body that were most sore were my ankles (from the trail leaning to the left or to the right) and my upper back.  These parts would never be sore after a road run.

        Your description of your weekly trail run sounds fairly "gnarly" so it probably should be a surprise that you are a bit sore the next day.  Your trail running buddies - do they run trail more often?

        It does get better with more trail running but I notice that if I skip my regular trail runs (about 2x per week now), that I am a bit more sore than usualy when I do get back out there.

        Maybe you are pounding the trail as hard as you pound the pavement? I don't know. Just a thought.

        My favorite day of the week is RUNday

         

         

        jamezilla


        flashlight and sidewalk

          What makes you think it is the pounding on your feet (curious)?  My experience has been that there is less pounding on your feet from trail than road.  I would guess that it is less about pounding the feet and more about taking a wider variety of steps (different angles, different footfall etc).  That takes some adaptation time but should make your feet/ankles/legs stronger overall.  Also, I have found it helpful to look at  "time on feet" when comparing road/trail instead of mileage.  I could do 13 miles on the road in 1:45 no problem, but probably upwards of 2:30 for the same effort on the trails.  My recovery would be more similar to a 2:30 road run than a 13 mile road run.

           

          What hurts?

           

          **Ask me about streaking**

           

          MadisonMandy


          Refurbished Hip

            I think you're just old, Gramps.  Big grin

             

            Your run sounds like a tough run.  Are you running it too fast?  Are you pounding down the descents or letting gravity take you?  Maybe your body will adjust after a while...

            Running is dumb.

            FSocks


            KillJoyFuckStick

              Jamezilla, good point on the recovery being based on time on feet rather than mileage.  With the elevation change my pace is certainly a lot slower than road running and I try to run more by effort that pace (most of the times I don't even where the garmin so I'm not hooked on the pace thing).  Primarily its the feet (heels) that hurt the worst.

               

              Mandy, yeah, I'm just getting old and I do tend to pound the downhills a too little hard (heh).  That's probably the culprit.

              You people have issues 

              FTYC


              Faster Than Your Couch!

                If it's rocky, rooty, technical, it probably is the uneven footing, forcing your feet and ankles to bend and adjust with every single step to the ground, which causes the soreness, not necessarily the "pounding" of your feet. I guess your step is much "lighter" and nimble than on the road.

                 

                I find that running on difficult, very uneven surfaces with really bad footing is much more exhausting overall than running the same amount/kind of hills with better footing. I have been running on trails for decades, so I don't get sore feet any more, but I do feel the exhaustion.

                 

                If you keep at it, it will improve over time, and your feet will develop the little muscles, and the strength of ligaments and bones needed for running those technical, rocky trails.

                 

                Edit: Just read your last post. Try forcing yourself to strike with your midfoot when the footing is really bad, not with the heels. It takes more strength to do this, but you will make it over those rocks with less soreness.

                Run for fun.


                Snowdenrun

                   

                  If you keep at it, it will improve over time, and your feet will develop the little muscles, and the strength of ligaments and bones needed for running those technical, rocky trails.

                    

                   

                  This ^^. When I first started trail running my body took a beating. The most noticeable pain was right underneath my ankle on the inside of my foot. I found that came from coming down hills and rocky terrain. It took awhile, but my body adopted. I still notice some discomfort on my longer(15-20 mile) trail runs.

                  jonferg67


                  Endless trails

                    I agree with other have said. If you think the rocky terrain is the culprit then it may just be a matter of concentrating on foot

                    plant and force, similar to how we sometimes concentrate of form. I still review the videos 

                    from trail runners about ascending/descending just to remember the tips. 

                     

                    It does sounds like you are doing some great mileage, with some damn good climbing/descending.

                    NorthernHarrier


                      Well I was gonna say you're probably pounding the descents but others beat me to it so the only other thing to say is try doing two or three runs per week instead of just one. You're having a hard time adapting to trails because of the infrequency and then when you do run them it appears to be a longish, hard effort.

                       

                      Vary the distance and intensity and do it more often.  I think.   And what everyone else said.Cool

                      adkkev


                        I think you're just old, Gramps.  Big grin 

                         

                        If he's "Gramps" then what am I?  "Old Codger"??

                         

                        Evil

                        MadisonMandy


                        Refurbished Hip

                           

                          If he's "Gramps" then what am I?  "Old Codger"??

                           

                          Evil

                           

                          You don't have a self-anointed title under your avatar!  And FSocks likes to be mean and call me a cougar Sad

                          Running is dumb.

                          Queen of Nothing


                          Sue

                            I think you're just old, Gramps.  Big grin

                             

                            I don't know how old you are Gramps but getting up in the morning my akles and feet are stiff but warm up by the time I get to the bathroom.  I think it has a lot to do with the uneven surface you are running on or hell maybe age has something to do with it.  You mentioned your heels, it could be the hill climbs youare doing.  I recal having a stiff shoe that really aggravated my heels.  Are your shoes too tiff?

                             05/13/23 Traverse City Trail Festival 25K

                             08/19/23  Marquette 50   dns 🙄

                             

                             

                             

                             

                             

                            FSocks


                            KillJoyFuckStick

                               

                              You don't have a self-anointed title under your avatar!  And FSocks likes to be mean and call me a cougar Sad

                               

                              But you're my favorite cougarraette.  Big grin

                              You people have issues 

                              ilanarama


                              Pace Prophet

                                I think it's the 9-13 miles with 2-3K elevation change getting you, not the trail.  I do 2-3 runs/week on (technical, hilly) trails (in addition to my road running) and I don't have a problem; but longer, harder runs take longer to recover from.  I think Mandy's right, maybe you're pushing too hard for your fitness - are you running these with friends?

                                 

                                (I'm old, too)

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