Whenever you go out on the trails, a good run is not only determined by the trail and the fitness of the runners, but the preparation for the run is of great significance. Food, safety, and clothing are all part of an enjoyable experience and makes trail running a great and safe activity. To help in this, we’ve put together a list of recommended actions to make your trail run as easy as a walk in the park. Well, almost perhaps.
To help out, we’ve categorized the items below into separate categories. We’re sure not everything is applicable for everyone, but we’ve tried to create a list that can help most runners to enjoy their run experience even more.
Pre/post trail running actions:
- Try to memorize some part of the track, it makes running so much easier
- Do light stretches before starting the run. You’ll have far less chance of injuries.
- Do a cool-down after the run
- Have some magnesium supplements, it reduces the chances of cramp
- Have some food to regain the lost calories
Items to bring when trail running:
- Running outfit (shorts, shirt, the right shoes)
- Enough water, and preferably a bit more
- Enough food for on the track
- Emergency banana for after the run
- Sunglasses
- Sun cream, even when it’s cloudy
- Warm clothes for after the run
- Towel, especially for after the muddy runs
- A map of the trail
- Basic first aid kit (band-aid, tweezers)
- A device to record the run (phone, watch, etc)
- Bring a whistle
- Tissues. For those really long runs…
- Deodorant. Things get sweaty sometimes
Trail running safety tips:
- Especially when running alone, let someone know where you’re going
- Make sure your phone battery is charged
- For more advanced runs, bring a GPS beacon
- Bring a head torch to find your way in the dark
- Tell people when you’ve finished the run, we’re sure they’ll appreciate
We hope the above list will help you get a fun and safe experience when engaging the tracks. If we’ve missed an essential item, please let us know in the comments and we’ll add it to the list! Happy running!
