Training - Trail Run Planet

I was chatting to a fellow writer this morning in our local cafe over some excellent Churros and hot chocolate. She wanted to know how productive my hours on the trail are. Surely I come back from a run with my next block of writing planned out in detail. Well, not quite. That's me, but what about all the other trail runners? What do trail runners think about? Many trail runners think about nothing at all outside the task at hand. The activity of running on uneven trails with tree roots and rocks requires focus. This means being fully mindful in a meditative kind of way. Many of us struggle to quiet our mind and be fully present in the moment. That is why it is so much easier to put earbuds in and play some music or a podcast when going for a run. This is where trail running is so beneficial. Let's look at all of this in more detail. Clinical Study of Distance Runner Thought Processes A study in 2015 that was published in the International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology showed only three areas of thought process for distance runners. Those being: Pace and Distance (40%); Pain and Discomfort (32%); and Environment (28%). The study was based on data from only ten runners, all of whom ran on paved roads. The subjects were in training for either a half marathon or a full marathon. Each runner submitted a single recording of their thoughts as they happened over a single training run of seven miles or more. Even though the sample size of runners was small and the volume of data was very thin, one thing was very clear from the outcome. In each of the areas of thought highlighted by the study, not one involves a mental space that is outside of the present moment. This is even more pronounced when you move your running out onto the trails. There are certain aspects of trail running that require focused thought in addition to the road running thoughts mentioned earlier. Thinking About Pace and Distance From my perspective pace and distance tend to occupy my thoughts when I run on paved roads only. When I am in a race my GPS watch is set to show only average pace. Before the time I choose my goal finishing time and calculate the average pace needed to achieve that goal. I then aim at staying marginally faster than my target pace. Although I am not nearly as bad as Chris Froome checking his bike computer, I do glance at my average pace at least once every five minutes and adjust my effort. However, when I am out on the trail, pace and distance become largely irrelevant. Trail surface and elevation change constantly. That means you have no momentum. Without momentum and a constant energy output, your average pace is a meaningless number. The one area of trail running where thoughts on pace and distance do factor in is during the latter part of my run, but only from the perspective of mountain safety. Before I head out onto the trail I always leave information of my intended route and my expected time of return. When I have completed about 75% of my intended route I will do a calculation to see if I am still on target for my anticipated finishing time. If not, I stop and make the call to confirm that everything is OK and give new finishing time. This especially important when I am on one of my long solo, unsupported, trail runs where regular check-ins by telephone are vital for mountain safety. Thinking About Pain and Discomfort In the case study, most of the pain or discomfort thoughts seemed more like complaining. Complaints about heat or cold or muscle fatigue, etc. What's more, many of the complaints were about feelings of discomfort that had not yet happened. For instance, "I'm feeling good but it's flat. Just wait for that hill." "I've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened." - Mark Twain The trouble with predicting feelings of discomfort that will be happening you end up doing two things. Firstly, the predicted feelings become a self-fulfilling prophecy whereby you will yourself into a head-space of physical discomfort. Secondly, and equally importantly, when you start stressing about what hasn't happened yet you move your attention away from what is happening in your body at that very moment. From my personal perspective, thoughts relating to pain and discomfort are not one and the same and I respond to them differently. Discomfort is great. When I start out on a morning run and my body is still a bit stiff and sore form the previous day, it is a wonderful feeling. There is a knowing from previous experience that I just need to enjoy the process of looseness returning to my body. Hating the feeling will not make it any easier. What's more, it trains my mind to cope with the discomfort that will be returning later in long hard runs. Pain is another matter altogether. I am incredibly OCD when it comes to injury prevention. Every time I feel a sharp pain or twinge, I make a note of what it is. Then I figure out the likely cause. I will slow down, make the adjustment to my running form that is needed and gently increase my speed again. If the sharp pain indicates something more serious or I have a bad fall, I have no problem pulling the plug on a run. Thinking About The Environment Thoughts about the runner's environment seemed to be focused on weather, animals, traffic and other people. Again in this thought segment, most of the runners in the study were expressing thoughts that came from a negative mindset. These were thoughts of too hot or too cold or too windy or too steep and such like. When you out pounding the same piece of pavement every single day of your marathon training these thoughts tend to creep up on you. When I am out on the trails my thoughts relating to the environment are completely different. I simply appreciate the nature that is around me. Things like birdsong, the smells of wild rosemary and wild lavender around me. There will be a stunning view from the top of a hill, possibly combined with a sunrise. These are the things that inspire me to get out onto the trails day after day. Thinking About Running Form Being aware of my form was the major factor that allowed me to run a personal record in the half marathon recently. I paid attention to my form right from the gun. As the race went on I got more and more focused on not letting my form break down with fatigue. When I run on pavement or a treadmill, my form is what occupies a massive portion of the thoughts that I have. As a result, the difference between mile one and mile thirteen was one single second. Thinking About Music or Podcasts I remember one of the Joe Rogan podcasts where he was interviewing David Goggins and they were talking about music as a source of motivation for running and training. Joe Rogan referred to listening to music while you run as cheating as it distracts you from being fully aware with what is happening in your body. Goggins, unsurprisingly, on the other hand took it a step further. His statement was that during your chosen activity is there a chance where your music will fail you? For example batteries of your music player giving out just as the route gets super difficult. If that is the case it is vital to do as much training as possible without music so that you can mentally cope with not having music while competing. From my perspective, my argument against running technical trails while listening to music is far simpler. I was running across fairly large rocks while listening to music. One moment I was moving smoothly from rock to rock. The next, thanks to the musical distraction, I was flying through the air. That was followed by a slow hobble back home with what turned out to be a fractured rib. One of the few drawbacks of living in the mountains is that your options for a flat run are simply non-existent. As a result, flat run recovery days are almost always done on the treadmill. Compared to being out in nature, staring at a blank wall while I run just feels dreadful. As a result, I have taken to listening to podcasts and audiobooks while on the treadmill. Thinking About Mountain Navigation Just because you are out running on a prominent, clear trail does not mean that you will not encounter sudden direction changes, a fork in the path or even another trail intersecting the trail that you are on. This is why I apply so much of my thinking to matters of navigation. This is especially true if I am out on my own, or my running buddy and I are out in a new area for the first time. For me, navigation starts with having a constant spatial awareness of where I am on the trail. Layered on top of that are my memorized trail notes of what to expect by way of landmarks and trail intersections as well as what to do at each one. Related Questions What to think about when running a 5k? Running a good 5k is all about pace management. Get to your target pace as quickly as you can and hold that pace. If you let your mind wander you will slow down, so don't let your mind wander. What do elite runners think about while running? Elite runners think about running while they run. They think about how they are feeling at their current pace. They look at signs their opposition is maybe hitting a bad patch so that they can surge and establish a gap. Elite runners think about staying on plan with hydration and nutrition. What to think about when running a mile? Whether it is the first ever mile that you run or you are trying for a personal best time when you run a mile you think only of the mile that you are running.