Starting out on trails...

A huge number of my clients come to me because they want to run on trails, but haven't had the confidence to try it on their own. They are used to running roads and feel intimidated by the transition to trails...

What if it's muddy?
Where will I go?
Is it safe?
WHAT IF I GET LOST!????

These are all reasonable concerns and totally understandable, we've all been there, nervous of what lies within those trees, away from the 'safety' of the pavement or road, away from civilisation. 

In reality, running trails is often safer than running roads, for a start you can't get mowed down by a truck in the woods, so thats a bonus! I understand the fears that females have in particular about running in the countryside, they feel vulnerable, but (I apologise for my bluntness here) you are much more likely to be bundled into a van by the road than you are to be bundled into a van by a crew of criminally organised badgers. You are more likely to get hassled by people on the streets and you are more likely to run into some unsavoury characters on the streets.

However, like I said, I understand all the fears and concerns, I was there once myself. 

So I thought it might be helpful to address some of these issues, in the hope that it might give you some confidence to give it a try.

What if it's muddy?

Then you will get muddy legs, you will get wet feet and you will slip and slide. You will also cry with laughter, feel more alive than ever before and pretend to be a child once again, splashing in the puddles without a care in the world.

Where will I go?

Take a look at a map of your local area, the chances are that there are trails right on your doorstep. Find a small area of trails and simply go an explore, you will don doubt discover some cool things you didn't even know where there.

Is it safe?

Of course, running on trails holds certain dangers and we have to be careful. Tripping is more likely and the mud can make running difficult at times. Forget about your pace and take it slowly, if you need to walk, then walk. Running isn't all about PB's and running as fast as we can, learn to run slowly through the trails and enjoy the environment. 

WHAT IF I GET LOST!?

Then you get lost...so what? As long as you take your first few runs near your local town or village then if you get lost it really doesn't matter, you will eventually find yourself hitting a road you recognise or a village you are familiar with. Also, assuming you have reception, you can always see where you are on google maps and retrace your tracks. You don't have to run for miles on your first trail run, keep it close to home and simple.

I could go on forever with more questions and answers, and I will come back to this topic time and time again. If you want to learn how to run trails, master hills and the terrain, and increase your confidence, then I'm running some one day workshops that may be of interest. Otherwise, grab a map, grab a friend and head for the hills...be brave...you'll love it. 

Let me know how you get on, if you have questions you'd like answered, leave them in the comments.

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