All Things Trail Running

Documenting the best training and racing strategies for trail running as well as my own progress. Hoosier, Kurt Vonnegut Fanatic, Amateur Philosopher

[in-pursuit-of-fitness]

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[runnerland]

Rainbow . #Photo @pdzierba

YOSE love . Welcome to #RunnerLand

Lets follow us & tag #RunnerLand on your photos for featured 👍 . July 04, 2016 at 10:46AM

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[entheognosis]

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Fast Running Isn’t Forced. Relax and let the run come out of you.

Desiree Linden

Something I have to keep in mind. 

(via run-bassel)

[runthetrails-blog]

My partner on El Dorado Trail circa 2014. He’s a better running partner than any human could ever be!

(Dog lovers, don’t worry. I never ask him to run with me in the heat or to run distances that are too long for dogs. I always carry more water for him than I do for myself)

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Trail Running & Mountain Biking ☺

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If your legs don’t look like this, you’re not trail running!

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First Things First:  Shoes!

As a runner in today’s world we are faced with the choice of infinitely variable footwear, but which kind is correct?

The simple answer: Any shoes can be a good fit for somebody out there, but you need to find the right pair for your foot and your stride.

A few years back, we saw a huge surge in the popularity of “barefoot” and “minimalist” running shoes. A bunch of people hopped on the bandwagon right away and got injured. This might lead one to believe that barefoot and minimalist running are indeed just a fad, but the truth is that the injuries (very likely) did not come from the shoe or the stride. The injury was from improper training. But still, we got articles like this one http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/22/barefoot-shoes_n_5353439.html bemoaning barefoot running as a mere marketing ploy to sell more shoes. And yet, many people still enjoy barefoot and minimalist running today while remaining injury-free!

http://running.competitor.com/2014/03/shoes-and-gear/a-shoe-guys-take-on-barefoot-running-and-minimalism_8332

This guy has it right! In his article, he explains that everyone has a unique stride, and therefore different shoes might work better for different people. Most people tend to over-pronate (their arch collapses, causing the ankle to turn inward during their strike.) People who over-pronate will find that they are most comfortable with a shoe that provides lots of support. This doesn't mean they’re stuck wearing “support shoes” for the rest of their running careers, though. With the proper training and strengthening of the foot and leg muscles, even people who over-pronate now should be able to overcome that and transition (SLOWLY!!) to shoes with less support.As for people who do not over-pronate (neutral-stride,) the running shoe world is your oyster! Try out whatever feels good with your natural stride. Whether it’s big, clunky “maximalist” shoes or no shoes at all, more power to you! Remember, running is supposed to be fun! Don’t get too caught up in any particular trends unless you find that those strategies truly help you and your style of running.I hope this post is found to be informative, or at the very least that it leads runners in the right direction.I’m off to the trails-- See ya!

[runthetrails-blog]

First Post!

On this blog, I’ll be documenting the best training and racing strategies for trail running as well as documenting my own progress