Train Your Clients for Trail Running

Linking Fitness, Function and Performance

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Preparing for any foot race can be challenging. A combination of long runs, hill work and tempos will get your clients in peak form for race day but, what about trail running? A similar combination of training will get them to the start line and, quite possibly to the finish line, but will they be in peak form?

Trail vs. Road - What's the Difference?
Trail running is unique in that you have to train for distance and terrain. Rocks, stumps, roots, fallen trees, creek beds, snow packs, mountain climbs and descents replace the security and stability offered by pavement. In fact, it is a monumental task just getting to the start line of any trail event, injury free.

Trail Fitness
What about the 'seasonality' of trail running? Your clients have worked hard over the spring and summer to get 'fit' for trail running. But how do you they stay "trail-fit" through the winter when the days are shorter and your favorite trail is covered with snow? Especially your work-a-day weekend warriors, when it is impossible to get in those early morning or evening trail runs due to darkness. And what about those who live in cooler climates? Their favorite trails can be covered in snow for a greater part of the "off-season" again making it impossible to run. Typically, trail runners compensate by adding greater road mileage to their programs. And although this most definitely maintains the endurance aspect of their conditioning it does little for their trail-fitness level.

When I speak of trail-fitness I am referring specifically to power, stability, balance, agility, and core strength. Power we use to propel us forward and upward; stability and balance, keep us on our feet; agility helps us maneuver around natural obstacles; and, core strength helps our efforts, at all of the above, to be more efficient. These components of fitness are not addressed in most typical conditioning programs and yet they are of crucial importance to the success of a trail runner. They are also the first components to be "lost" in the off-season when trails are not as accessible.

Trail Conditioning Program
What if you could offer your trail running clients an 'off-season' trail-specific conditioning program? One that would, not only maintain, but improve their trail-fitness level through stretches of time when they simply cannot get onto a trail. You would definitely be offering an incredibly unique and valuable service.

A properly designed trail conditioning program should be comprised of a progression of closed kinetic chain exercises, which incorporate components of agility, stability, speed and power. (Note: Agility, although not addressed specifically, it is an integral part of the other three parameters).

The progression of these exercises is best understood when laid out on a continuum (see diagram below). These components allow you to periodize and systematically progress your clients' program.

The early phase, or off-season, is when you want to establish baseline strength and stability. For trail runners this is usually early fall through to early winter when it is either too dark to safely hit the trails, or their favorite trails are covered in snow, or worse - closed.

Early phase is when your coaching skills come in, as you must ensure your clients maintain perfect form through-out all of the required repetitions. Perfect technique is paramount and will be the factor, which indicates whether or not your client is ready to progress forward. In this phase exercises are inclined to follow patterns of more traditionally based, closed chain strength. Examples of such are, squats, lunges, push-ups, etc.

In the next phase of training, or early season (winter to early spring) you should begin to focus on more non-traditional forms of strength training by incorporating the use of balance boards, stability balls, and BOSU trainers. (For purposes of clarity, I will use the same exercises as in the early phase). Have your clients do their squats and lunges on balance boards or BOSUs and use a combination of stability balls, balance boards and BOSUs for push-ups. Initially your clients may feel awkward and get frustrated by their lack of "ability with stability" so you might want to incorporate "new" exercises gradually. "Weed out the old and filter in the new."

The most exciting and rewarding phase of training, in-season, is when your role as trainer and coach becomes more active. This is when you and your client will truly begin to see the results of their training efforts as:

• run times (for the same routes) will begin to come down
• perceived effort on the steeps and descents will be reduced
• agility on the most "knarly" technical terrains will be improved
• walk segments will become run segments

Incorporate more reactive training by tossing your client a medicine ball while they are on the balance board or BOSU. Make your squats and lunges more trail-like by adding a speed component (power for the ascents) and emphasizing the eccentric phase (power and stability for the descents). Add cross-body or diagonal upper body patterning and add rotary movements to your core conditioning segments. Running on the trail is all about reacting to an ever-changing environment. You are your client's environment, so make them react; be unpredictable with your execution; don't always throw the medicine ball at the same rate, speed or direction; try to nudge them (unexpectedly, just at the moment they are generating power) off their balancing apparatus. A little note of caution here - although you want the nudge to be unexpected, make sure you let them know what you will be doing. Do a couple of "unloaded" trials.

Final words of advice - when you design your program ensure each exercise follows a progressive continuum, beginning with a basic form of the movement (base strength) and continuing through to its more complex multi-planar form (trail-specific power training). Where you start your client along this continuum depends on his or her ability to perform each exercise with perfect form throughout all the suggested repetitions. Train in each phase of the conditioning program at least one to two months depending on your client's abilities.

Do not let your client fall into the "more is better" trap. Power training is stressful on the body. This high intensity training requires ample recovery time (48 to72 hours between workouts) to ensure maximum benefit and avoidance of injury. Encourage clients to continually listen to their bodies. If they show up for a session exhausted and disinterested in training, or they are unable to maintain perfect form make that day's workout an easy one. Back off on the explosiveness, use the time to stretch. Never underestimate the power of recovery!

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About the author: Pam Pedlow is an ultra trail runner,
multisport athlete, and personal trainer with a master's
degree in Human Kinetics (Sports Medicine). Pam can
be reached at madelineped@shaw.ca.
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