From Road Running to Trail Running

by Jim
(Seattle)

I've been running roads for years, and want to start trail running. Do I need to buy new shoes? Do I need to train differently to prepare for trail running?

Answer:
Jim it's great you're interested in trail running. The good news is you don't have to buy new shoes when you start out. Just use your road shoes, after you've run trails for awhile, you may find your road shoes have some short comings. In that case, head on down to your local specialty running store and they will give you some great advice.

You also don't need to train in advance, just start running short distances on trails at an easy pace. You may feel some soreness from muscles you never knew you had due to the uneven terrain. Concentrate on taking shorter steps, both uphill and downhill to keep you feet underneath you. The best training you can do for trail running is running hills or set your treadmill at 12% incline!