Trail Runner Safety Guide
Warming Up
Warming up is crucial in preparing your body for a run. Warming up and stretching are often mistaken for the same thing but this is not the case. A good warm up will minimize your risk of injury by increasing your heart rate and increasing your muscle temperature. Increasing your heart rate allows more oxygen and nutrients to be transported to your muscles while higher muscle temperature allows for better movement and flexibility (Faremouth). Keep in mind not to overwork yourself while warming up. The exercises should not be strenuous but you should have a nice sweat going when you are done warming up. Below is a list of some warm up exercises that targets key muscle groups:
NOTE: When the term “dynamic” is used, it implies that the exercise can be carried out while moving your whole body forward. “Static” implies that your body stays in the same location during the exercise.
BODY SQUATS - Stand with your feet at about shoulder’s width apart. Slowly bend your knees and hips while keeping your back as straight, and upright as possible. Bend until the back of your thigh is parallel with the ground then return to a standing position. Perform 10-20 reps.
HIGH KNEES – Start in a standing position. Raise one knee to about waist height then return to a standing position. Repeat using the other leg. The high knees exercise can be done statically or dynamically. Perform 10-15 reps for each leg.
BUTT KICKS – Start in a standing position. Begin in a jogging motion except every time a leg is raised, attempt to make contact with your butt and heel. Butt kicks can be performed statically of dynamically. Perform 15-20 reps with each leg.
LUNGES - Start from a standing position and take a large step forward with one of your legs. Lower your other knee to the ground. The leg in front should be near a 90 degree angle. For static lunges, return to a standing position where you started from. For dynamic lunges, stand up where your foot landed. Perform 10-15 reps for each leg.
EXTENDED-ARM SHOULDER ROLLS – Extend both arms to the side so that they are horizontal with the ground. Begin by rotating your arms in small circles. Gradually increase the circle size until you cannot make the circle any bigger. Repeat but rotate your arms in the opposite direction.
ANKLE BOUNCES – Begin in a standing position. Flex your calves until you are in a tip-toe position then return to a normal standing stance. Perform 20 reps
LIGHT JOG – A light jog before the run is appropriate before your run to get your muscles geared for running. A light jog should be carried out at about 30 - 50% of the effort you plan to run on the trail. Perform the light jog for about two minutes.
Stretching
Stretching is the next step in preparing your body for a trail run. Stretching helps loosen up tendons, ligaments and muscles to give your body greater dexterity for the run. Obviously, stretching of the legs is very important but your legs are not the only body parts used in a run. Your arm and core muscles also get used throughout the run, especially a trail run where there are a lot of turns and elevation changes. Below are some stretching exercises to help get you started:
Caution: It is very important to avoid overstretching. To avoid injury, stretches should be performed at a point where slight tension can be felt in your muscles. Stretching should NEVER be painful.
STANDING HAMSTRING STRETCH – Start in a standing position with your feet roughly six inches apart. Bend at your waist and attempt to touch your toes. Try not to bend your knees.
CALF STRETCH – This stretch can be performed several different ways. Perhaps the simplest way is to get into a push-up position and push back on your feet, causing tension in your calves.
QUADRICEPS STRETCH – Find something to balance yourself on like a tree or a running partner. Start from a standing position, bend one leg at the knee and grab your ankle with your hand. Try to pull your heel into your butt. Repeat for the other leg.
HIP FLEXOR STRETCH – Start with one knee on the ground and the other leg in front of your body at a 90 degree angle. Thrust your hips forward and hold. Switch legs and repeat.
CORE STRETCH– Start from a standing position. Using a nearby tree or some other stationary object, twist your upper body at your waist while trying to keep your lower body stationary.
Cool Down
A cool down after a workout is essential in helping your body adapt to less intense activities. A proper cool down will diminish the amount of lactic acid that has built up in your body throughout the run, which will help to ease soreness later on. It will also slowly lower your heart rate to a normal rate. Cool down exercises are the same as warm up exercises except cool down exercises should be carried out with less intense effort. Remember, a cool down should reduce your heart rate, so if you feel your heart rate rise or plateau at a high rate, reduce your intensity. It is also a good idea to stretch after your run to increase your flexibility. Since your muscles will be warm from the run, they will be lithe and much more accepting of stretching exercises. If time is not on your side, and you want a quick cool down, perform a light jog for 3-5 minutes while gradually slowing your pace to a walk.
Personal Safety
Being aware of your surroundings and staying alert while on a trail run is crucial to your well being. A runner must always be on the look out for hidden stumps, dangerous animals, and slippery slopes. Listed below are some things to look out for as well as some tips on staying alert.
Watch out for obstacles: Stumps, roots, sticks, and vines are very common obstacles on trail runs and they could end up tripping and hurting you. Be sure to scan the ground in front of you for stumps, roots, and vines but also be weary of face-level branches.
Be on the lookout for animals: Nothing will ruin your run more than stepping on a poisonous snake or coming face to face with a cougar. Unfortunately, there are dangerous animals lurking in the woods but if you stay alert, snakes can be easily avoided. As for larger animals, it is always better to run in a group, but if you are by yourself, make yourself appear as large as possible and be as loud as possible. If you are lucky, the animal will be scared away.
Know the layout: Most trail runners do not know the twist, turns, ups, and downs of a trail before they run it. In a way this adds to the allure of trail running because it creates somewhat of a challenge. This tends to cause problems for inexperienced runners because trails can get very steep. The best way to counteract this is to notice the area around the trail. If it is a hilly area, odds are that the trail will also be hilly. Also keep in mind to take quick, short steps as you are running down steep hills as this reduces stress in your joints and gives you greater stability.
Keep an eye on the weather: It is always a good idea to check the weather before you go running. If it is supposed to storm later in the day, or if the temperature is going to be very high, you might want to run on another day. Also, keep in mind what the weather has been like in the past couple of days. Most trails are going to be dirt, so if it has rained in the past couple of days, make sure the trail is dry to avoid slipping and injuring yourself.
