So I signed up for my first trail race

BIG_CHEESE

BIG_CHEESE

New member
Im signed, up started my training, I have everything scheduled out. On December 2. Its 5 Miles, I'm using an accelerated version of the couch to 5k program. then adding long runs a couple of weeks before the actual race.

I'm doing this to jumpstart my weightloss. Ive been just too lazy lately. My desk job is killing me.

anyone else on here a runner that can give me some tips. Im a noob to running. i hear you can loose a couple of lbs a week by picking up running.

anyone else start their weightloss with a dedicated running program?
 
Figured I'd reply since this thread was lonely and trail running is about all I've been doing anymore.

Anyway, biggest thing you'll realize, if you haven't already, is that trail running is actually easier than road running. It's ironic, but true. Harder in some ways like dodging rocks and roots and hitting hills, but it's alot easier on your joints and stuff, you can run alot further on a trail. If you have access to a trail, I say hit that every time instead of the stupid road.

As for weight loss, I guess it works but I do so many other things that I can't really tell if it helps tremendously or not. At least for me, I seriously doubt it, because trail running gets me so drained that I eat alot afterwards. Now whether I'm eating more than I burned... I have no idea, don't really care. But yeah you can burn a whole bunch of energy trail running.

I'm actually working on a fairly long article geared specifically towards beginner trail runners, was just going to put it on my site to have some content. It's nowhere near the finished product so I don't want to publicly post it but if you're interested in seeing what I've got so far I can email it or something.

About a month ago I did this:




Watch the video, it'll get you pumped:




Here's some pictures I took:
 
Those are amazing pics. I think I'd get distracted by the scenery and fall over a boulder or something though. I did the same thing once on a bike tour and almost rode off a bridge...
 
anyone else on here a runner that can give me some tips. Im a noob to running.
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Coming from a person that went from playing the fat man positions in sports (O-Line in football, shotput / disc in track, and heavyweight in wrestling) to trying to train with my little brother through cross country running... it is ALL in the shoes. Go get yourself some good running shoes. Trying to hit the trail in ye olde new balance cross trainers will kill you.
 
PigtoBig said:
it is ALL in the shoes.
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Trail shoes are important for slightly different reasons. They really need to be stiffer and more protective to absorb hits by rocks and roots and crap, but otherwise, the softer surface is much more forgiving than running on the road, so getting the perfect performing shoe isn't nearly as important on the trail as it is on the road. Shin splints, pronation, and all that jazz due to a shoe being a little less than perfect isn't anywhere near of a problem on the trail, so most people just get stability shoes even if that's not what they need on the road.

The really good cross country runners will actually wear shoes that are nearly identical to sprinting shoes for track, they don't weigh anything and have hardly no protection and very little padding. Of course, alot of those courses are on grass and perfectly groomed hardpack dirt. If you're running much at all on trails that are rough at all, you really need some trail specific shoes. I love my Asics Gel Sensor's. I use those even on the road. I hate road shoes.
 
excuse my language. but this running shit is kicking my ass. im seeing improvements but im so big that man i get left behind like a mofo when im with my running partners. I suprised that i dont have shin splints, back in high school track i suffered from them alot. this running is leaving me drained, i tend to eatless cus im so tired. and i also had my first case of runners trot, how come no one told me of that! it sucked almost didnt make it home!. I dont know i'll be able to finish the race. 5 miles looks like a lot! longest ive done is 3 miles and fuck it was a bitch. well i got another month I'll let you know how things go. I am under 300lbs for once! 15 lbs in 2 weeks aint bad. its been over a year since ive been in th 200 hundreds. oh freaking running.
 
If you can do 3 miles on the road now, you can do 5 miles on the trail in a month. I can only run half the distance on the road as I can on the trail. As for runners trot, I had never heard of that before but yeah it can happen. Usually I only hear about it happening on race day due to nerves for people who have been running for awhile.
 
so i just did some timing on the treadmill. lets just say I know babies that can crawl faster than i run. DNF is what i see in my timing future. LOL
 
corndogggy said:
Trail shoes are important for slightly different reasons. They really need to be stiffer and more protective to absorb hits by rocks and roots and crap, but otherwise, the softer surface is much more forgiving than running on the road, so getting the perfect performing shoe isn't nearly as important on the trail as it is on the road. Shin splints, pronation, and all that jazz due to a shoe being a little less than perfect isn't anywhere near of a problem on the trail, so most people just get stability shoes even if that's not what they need on the road.

The really good cross country runners will actually wear shoes that are nearly identical to sprinting shoes for track, they don't weigh anything and have hardly no protection and very little padding. Of course, alot of those courses are on grass and perfectly groomed hardpack dirt. If you're running much at all on trails that are rough at all, you really need some trail specific shoes. I love my Asics Gel Sensor's. I use those even on the road. I hate road shoes.
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im looking at some brooks beasts, would those be any good on a trail? i got some random trail new bees. but they've just about seen there usefull life. time for new ones.
 
Don't get so down! Even if the 5 miles is going to be extremely hard, you can do it for YOU! You have already lost weight by having this as a goal, so keep working towards it, it's making you a stronger person.
 
hey, i just finished wk 5 day 2 of the couch to 5k program. it's awesome.

some people say trail running is easier, but from my experience, it isn't. I find it much harder. I can't stand it. give me the road anyday.

for shoes, if you're a big guy, try some nike pegasus. I'm big, thats what I wear. there's also an offroad version called the pegasus clima. only way to really get the right shoe for you though is to go to a running store and get them to check out your feet.
 
daybyday said:
only way to really get the right shoe for you though is to go to a running store and get them to check out your feet.
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That's the problem though, this doesn't really apply to trail shoes much. 90% of all trail shoes are stability shoes that will usually correct pronation. There are a few that are considered neutral, and none that I am aware of for suppination. It just doesn't really matter much on the trail. On the road, you have the same stride over and over and over... on the trail, you are changing your stride length, your impact point, and all kinds of stuff like that, constantly. Having your feet checked out for trail shoes isn't going to do any good. Even if you happen to need neutral shoes, you will probably still want stability shoes on the trail.
 
BIG_CHEESE said:
im looking at some brooks beasts, would those be any good on a trail?
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No, not really. They are designed for maximum cushioning on the road. You're going to step on a stick and it will poke right through and hit your foot, and will hurt like a bitch. They are going to be taller and narrower than true trail shoes so off-camber stability won't be as good. They don't have any protection in the form of armor. The sole is not very appropriate for the trail, especially the back, which is almost totally flat and will be slick.

If you're going to be mostly on the road and very rarely on the trail, and that trail will be flat, dry, and clean, sure, but otherwise I'd say to look at the Asics Gel Sensor, Vasque Blur's or Mercury's, or just something along those lines... a very cushioned trail specific shoe. I'd also get squishy inserts as well. Keep in mind that trail running shoes take forever to break in too.




 
honestly, if you're not going to bother talking to people at a running store (I totally disagree that it's unnecessary to get checked out. I wore poor trail running shoes when I first started and ended up doing physio for a month because of it), at least head over to runnersworld.com or coolrunning.com and get some more opinions from trail runners.
 
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daybyday said:
honestly, if you're not going to bother talking to people at a running store (I totally disagree that it's unnecessary to get checked out. I wore poor trail running shoes when I first started and ended up doing physio for a month because of it), at least head over to runnersworld.com or coolrunning.com and get some more opinions from trail runners.
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Making sure you're buying a high quality shoe is alot different than having your gait analyzed by somebody so they can recommend neutral, stability, motion-control, shoes for under-pronators, or whatever. This just usually isn't necessary with trail running. You don't need your form and gait analyzed to be able to buy high quality shoes. Like I said before, there are very few choices anyway, most of them are just stability shoes, so what's the point? If it were all that important and necessary you'd see trail running shoes coming in all different types just like road running shoes, but you just don't.
 
FYI, roadrunnersports.com is very helpful and they just expanded their trail runner selection... now they have 48 different shoes! Like I said, most are simply "stability", but you can find a few that dabble towards the neutral or motion control areas.
 
Speaking of which... to the original poster Big Cheese... if you're totally lost and want to find a good starting point with a shoe, you might want to check out the "Asics 2120 Trail" shoe:



Supposedly these are the singlemost popular trail shoes in the world. The 2120 normal model is extremely popular and they just made a trail specific version of that shoe. I just bought my wife a pair, she likes them. Those shoes are normally considered "neutral" but once you beef up the midsole to make it a trail shoe it ends up being a stability shoe.
 
corndogggy said:
Making sure you're buying a high quality shoe is alot different than having your gait analyzed by somebody so they can recommend neutral, stability, motion-control, shoes for under-pronators, or whatever. This just usually isn't necessary with trail running. You don't need your form and gait analyzed to be able to buy high quality shoes. Like I said before, there are very few choices anyway, most of them are just stability shoes, so what's the point? If it were all that important and necessary you'd see trail running shoes coming in all different types just like road running shoes, but you just don't.
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actually they were high quality shoes, just poor for me.

there's no harm in going to talk to people and get your feet checked. knowledge is power, and in this case....would've saved me 110 bucks....and the cost of physio, falling behind in training, etc.

anyway, it's my suggestion to original poster. no point in arguing over it.
 
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I would have went to one of those stores a long time ago for my road shoes, but unfortunately they're not exactly very common outside of big cities. I am about 3.5 hours away from the nearest good running store such as Fleet Feet, which, I guess I should explain to the OP that this is the kind of place you need to go to if you decide to do that. Foot Locker, Hibbetts, and the like just doesn't cut it, the employees don't know anything and they have no equipment to do any kind of analysis.
 
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