Trail running is wonderful, but humbling in many ways.
There’s the humility and awe of being in nature and seeing amazing views, for instance. There’s the humility that comes from being able to push yourself, to know that you got out and ran even if maybe you didn’t really feel like it. Maybe you ran up a hill that you thought was beyond you before you started running and working with a Vert.Run coach.
For all that, however, it’s easy to find yourself in a difficult situation. Perhaps the weather changed on you or the trail conditions are such that the going is more technical than anticipated. Maybe you forgot your hydration back at home or in the car. Or maybe you find yourself lost.
Everyone experiences this at some point in their running. We hope that the predicament turned out to be nothing more than a story you tell your running friends. The idea is to learn from your mistakes, or even better, to learn from others’ mistakes so you steer clear of these issues.
Trail running mistakes can be broken down into many categories, but we’re focusing on three here: equipment and tech, hydration and nutrition, and visibility issues. There are also the mistakes runners make while training for a race, but that is a topic for another column.
All these issues blend into the others. If you are wearing the wrong shoes, for instance, even the kindest trails might become unforgiving.2
Train for your next trail race with Vert.run
Whether you’re chasing a new distance or just want to feel stronger on the trails, Vert.run has training plans built by expert coaches—designed for real life.
Equipment & Tech
Here’s an example that happened to me just the other weekend. I was out for a run in a vast regional park near my home. After doing several steep hills, I missed a turn and found myself on an unfamiliar trail. I thought I was heading toward an intersection with a trail that would take me back to the trailhead, but I wasn’t entirely certain.
Fortunately, I had my phone with me and was able to open an app that could show a map of the trail I was on. While I wasn’t entirely sure how far I had to go to reach the trail intersection, the map made it clear I was on the right path.
Tip One: Know where you are running and the weather.
Exploring a new trail or offshoot is fine, just make sure you can find your way back to familiar ground. This might be using an app to find your location, if you have service, or even carrying a paper map of the trails you are running on.
In my experience described above, it turned out that not long after I used this app to find my location, I found myself in a part of the regional park I knew well and was quickly back on the main trail. But this isn’t always the case.
When I got back to the main trail, there were two people walking on what is usually a wide, dry trail. However, we had several days of rain which turned this part of the trail into a rutted, slippery mess.
Two friends were out for a walk and had reached the end of the drier portion of the trail. With admirable dedication, they wanted to continue and were trying to walk up a small hilly portion of the trail that unfortunately was muddy and treacherous to walk on.
Tip Two: The right equipment matters
These walkers were wearing running/walking shoes – not hiking or trail running shoes. This meant when they reached the muddy parts, they did not have the grip or stability needed.
This happens all the time. In this instance, I helped them down the muddy part of the trail onto dry ground.
In the above example, the running/walking shoes worn by those hikers would have been fine on approximately 95% of the days around here. But given that we’d had several days of heavy rain beforehand, in this case those shoes weren’t up to the challenge.
They likely wanted to get out for a walk and, when they reached the muddy part of the trail, understandably thought that once they got past the muddy part, the trail would be fine.
Tip Three: Make a plan and let someone know
Even if the weather forecast is good, take a minute to think about what you might need and also let people know where you are going. The unfortunate reality, at least in the United States, is that if you get lost or stranded, help might not always be at your fingertips. It may take park rangers or emergency services some time to get to where you are. This is not for any lack of willingness on their part, but a reality of allocated resources from elected officeholders.
It’s a good idea for someone to have an idea where you are running and how long you are planning to be out. Things happen on the trail. It’s important for someone to be on the lookout for you.
Nutrition and Hydration
When you run, you exert, you burn calories, you sweat.
This means, particularly on long runs, you need to carry hydration and nutrition. Trail running may be more demanding than running on the road, plus there are likely fewer stores around for you to pop into to buy some water.
As your Vert.Run coach has no doubt mentioned, being out in the wilderness without water is not a great idea. Even if you are running in a park with a water supply, like drinking fountains or bathrooms with sinks, you can’t count on these being open, available, or safe to drink.
My preference is a hydration backpack with a bladder that I can clean after using. Many runners prefer a belt that holds water bottles. Some even carry a water bottle as they are running.
Tip Four: Hydration and nutrition are essential
It is easy to convince yourself you don’t need to take something to eat along on a run, after all, you’re not going that far and after the run you can shower and eat. And then you find a new-to-you trail you want to explore or unfortunately get lost. A short run turns into a much longer run and you become hungry.
Hunger is not something to ignore. There’s a reason races have aid stations with food. Being on an unfamiliar trail or lost and hungry is not a good combination.
The easy fix is to put something you can easily digest in your pocket or vest before you run. You know your body better than anyone else, use that knowledge to ensure you have something on hand to eat. I have dietary restrictions, so I have to pay attention to the ingredients in whatever I bring along, like a stroopwafel or energy bar, but there are numerous solutions at any price point.
Visibility
I’m not someone who likes to run at dusk or into the evening. But not everyone’s schedule allows them to get out during the daytime.
The local running group I am part of continued their 6:30 pm long trail runs throughout the dark Northern California winter, putting in 10 or more miles over narrow trails in a regional park every week.
I applaud them for their dedication and mostly for their preparation. They all wear high visibility vests, socks, and footwear. They also wear headlamps, carry charged phones, and run as a group, sticking to trails with which they are familiar.
All this preparation and proper equipment does not ensure nothing unfortunate will happen. There is wildlife in this park, roots and rocks are exposed, trails become more slippery with the dew or rain. Stumbles and falls happen even in broad daylight on wide, smooth trails.
If your running schedule takes you out in the early morning, twilight, or the evening, prepare for it beforehand, be visible, have the right equipment/nutrition/hydration, and have an idea what to do if you encounter wildlife (do you make yourself big or small? Do you make noise or stay quiet? Run or walk away?).
While one of the most exciting aspects of trail running is that it can take you out of your everyday experience, it’s not without risks. However, some common-sense, often low-cost preparation can allow you to focus on what matters, experiencing the trail, while reducing the likelihood of something unfortunate happening.
Train for your next trail race with Vert.run
Whether you’re chasing a new distance or just want to feel stronger on the trails, Vert.run has training plans built by expert coaches—designed for real life.
Tony Edwards is a writer and trail runner in Northern California. You can read his Substack on trail running here.
