Are you looking to get started in trail running, or have you just discovered this fantastic activity? Don't make the usual mistakes that many athletes make — mistakes that can lead to disappointment, injury, and above all take the joy out of running in the great outdoors. Explore with us the 7 mistakes to avoid when practising trail running!
Wanting to progress too quickly
This is also a frequent mistake among beginners or those who lack experience. Trail running, like most endurance sports, requires a fairly long progression curve. It is a mistake to rush into long distances without first mastering the intermediate ones. It is far better to try shorter races, enjoy yourself, and build up experience before taking on more demanding courses.
Not accepting your personal limits
We are all different, and true champions are rare. Even if we all dream watching the exploits of a Kilian Jornet, we can only admire them. The influence of stars and the media coverage of their feats often lead athletes to overestimate or ignore their limits. We also need to take our own personal parameters into account — our age, our job, our family life — and realistically assess how much space sport can take up within all of that. Imagining doing ultra trail when you have demanding professional weeks is often unreasonable and can lead to real problems. It is worth keeping in mind that sport, whatever it may be, is a source of balance in life and should not become a burden on the mind and body. Above all, you should enjoy yourself while practising an activity that contributes to your wellbeing and health.
Trying out equipment on race day
Many athletes treat themselves and buy a new pair of shoes, a new heart rate monitor, or any other piece of kit ahead of an event they have signed up for. The ambition to be better equipped is legitimate and understandable, but you must not make the mistake of using that equipment for the first time on race day. With shoes, you can easily imagine what that means: pain, because your new pair has not been broken in to your foot. But the same applies to any piece of kit: you risk unexpected discomfort with your new shorts, misreading the data on your new heart rate monitor, and so on. The same goes for nutrition. Do not try a new energy gel on race day — you have no idea how your body might react to it. All new equipment must be tested several times in training: you will spot any potential issues or gradually adapt to the new item.
Training too intensively before an event
A trail training load that is too heavy or too intense as a competition approaches is also a commonly made mistake. The desire to do the right thing underlies this behaviour and is reinforced by the fairly common feeling of not being ready. This can only result in arriving on race day too tired and lacking freshness. It is far better, on the contrary, to put in a lot of work several weeks before the event and ease off the programme in the final two weeks. Make sure you also rest and relax in the 48 hours before your race. Do not drain your energy and focus on stressful or physically demanding activities.
Neglecting a healthy lifestyle
This is a fundamental point in any sport, and particularly in endurance sports, yet it is often overlooked by beginners. Too many people rely solely on their training, telling themselves that doing more will cancel out dietary slip-ups, for example. This is a mistake with serious consequences in general. A healthy diet and good sleep are essential for supporting progress and performance. Moreover, it is often a virtuous circle: if you improve your lifestyle ahead of an event, you adopt habits that are easier to maintain over the long term. A healthy lifestyle will also help you prevent the risk of cramps during a trail.
Disrupting your habits and routine
Just as you would not try a new product on race day, you should not radically change your habits 72 hours before an event either. If you have already adopted a preparation routine that works for you, do not change it drastically. Of course, you can evolve it gradually, changing one thing at a time (to better measure the impact). You might, for example, slightly adjust your sleep schedule or your diet the day before a race — but bear in mind that the body does not respond well to sudden changes.
Not having a nutrition plan for a race
This is especially true for medium and long distances, but it can apply to any event. A nutrition plan allows every competitor to approach their race with the right mindset and not leave their fuelling to chance. A nutrition plan should tell you what to eat and drink, and when. It also covers nutrition and hydration before and after the race. You can seek advice from more experienced competitors or coaches to help you put it together, or draw on your own training experience. Setting off in a race without a real nutrition plan can lead to missed fuelling windows, serious mistakes, loss of bearings, and ultimately significant underperformance.
There are certainly many other common mistakes in trail running, but these are the most frequent among those discovering the discipline. They are fairly easy to avoid, and above all it is possible to build a method tailored to your own ambitions and means. Trail running should remain first and foremost a source of pleasure and communion with nature, while keeping fit and building endurance!
