Trail Running for Road and Track Runners
How trail running benefits road and track runners
Trail running isn’t just for those who identify as trail runners. Many elite track and road runners have taken to the trails to help them get faster, stay healthy and gain a mental advantage. Coach Mark Bomba of the Langley Mustangs Track and Field Club in Langley, B.C., encourages all runners to hit the trails from time to time. Trail running is also a great way to social distance and avoid busy pathways while improving your physical and mental health.
Bomba says that trails have become an integral part of his coaching, and notes that athletes seem more prepared for hard Tuesday sessions after long weekend runs on the trails. “Recovery days are important for mental and physical health,” he says. After a hard week of training, work and life, a trail run can be rejuvenating and help turn strain into gains.
Roots, rocks and winding trails may not seem like ideal training conditions for a high-performance track team, but Bomba has found that when it comes to training elite athletes, “the gnarlier the conditions, the better.” Since joining the Mustangs, middle-distance track star Julianne Labach from Saskatoon has been running on trails as a regular part of her training to prepare for the 2021 Olympic trials. (Labach competed on the University of Saskatchewan Huskies track-and-field team for five years before starting her post-collegiate career with the Mustangs.)
While her trail running got off to a “rocky” start with a few falls, Labach quickly adapted to the uneven footing and has noted improved ankle strength and stability. The soft surface and varied terrain allow her to complete high-mileage training blocks without injury by mitigating the repetitive strain that she’s subject to on the track and road.
Straight, hard surfaces are unforgiving and exploit inefficiencies in a runner’s stride by magnifying stress on tendons, muscles and bones, which may lead to injury. When running on undulating terrain, no two steps are the same, which strengthens stabilizing muscles in the foot and ankle.
Bomba says that many athletes struggle to activate the proper muscle groups when running, which leads to compensation by the sensitive hip f lexors, which are prone to injury. To combat this, Bomba has his athletes run hills and on twisting trails, which naturally encourage glute activation. Over time, the body becomes accustomed to the new movement pattern, allowing tight hip f lexors to relax and alleviating a common point of injury. Living in Saskatoon and frequently battling snow and ice in winter, Labach straps crampon spikes onto her Saucony Endorphin Pros when heading out for icy hill training. (She uses the Pro on the roads and the Speed on the trails.)
Bomba keeps athletes off f lat surfaces whenever possible, preferring to have them conduct long runs on unruly trails. Besides activating the correct muscles, the uneven ground forces them to slow down and run at an appropriate recovery-run pace. Labach has learned to love long trail runs on winding, rugged terrain, moderating her effort instead of trying to hit a given pace. Coach Bomba prescribes interval and fartlek workouts on trails or gravel paths, and even when working hard, Labach feels that time on the trails passes more quickly, even during challenging interval sessions.
Labach wants people to know that trails are for everyone, and she agrees with her coach when he says, “We do our best training when we’re happy.” So head out, find a trail and go do what makes you happy.
Jacqueline Gelineau has a BSc in environmental sciences from the University of Saskatchewan and is currently studying journalism at the University of Toronto. She loves all things outdoors and can usually be found running on the trails with her dog, Ranger.