Photo by Marco Noe
Join us for the newest and most exciting trail race from Walyunga National Park through the Avon Valley - Transcend. If you haven't thought about signing up yet, you should seriously consider it especially since there are team relay options which make the 60km distances extremely achievable for all types of runners!
SO - if we have already planted the seed in your head, you're probably wondering - where should I start? Here's a few quick things you should be doing RIGHT NOW to get your trail running campaign started. Check back on the blog for more tips as the event gets closer!
1. Get out on the trails! (I know, pretty obvious, right!)
This tip is pretty common sense but there are a lot of reasons why you should head out on the trails which you might not have considered before. Firstly, running on trails takes some skill, and like anything - it must be practised. The more you do it, the better you will be! This experience on the trails might mean the difference between walking or tiptoeing over a rock garden compared to confidently running, hopping and bounding seamlessly across it. Over 60kms, that will save you heaps of time! Also, you'll work out pretty quick which hills are too steep to run and are best saved for fast-paced hiking to eliminate a potential energy-bonk later in your run. The lessons you learn out on the trail will be invaluable to your race. If you're not sure where to go, John Forrest National Park is a great trail to start with! Also check out https://www.alltrails.com/
2. Test your gear! (or start your research on what is required)
The next step is to find out what kind of gear you'll need for the race. Check out the event's race gear requirement. Do you have everything you need? If not, do some research to find out what kind of equipment will best suit you, your race distance, and your own personal preferences. If you have everything you need, give it a try on the trails when you go. Practise loading up your pack so that you're not in shock on race day about how heavy it might be. A good strategy would be to add a few things every week to carry on your long weekend run, instead of adding it all at once.
3. Join the Transcend Trails Community
Looking to create a team or get some tips on where to train for the event? Join the community and chat with like-minded runners. Tee up some group runs or social meet ups. Do you have questions about gear or nutrition? Ask away! We already know that trail runners are the friendliest people around so you always know you're welcome here.
4. Get started in the gym to build some strength
Now is a great time to do some prep-work in the gym to build the foundation that will support all the kilometers you need to run in training for the event. You might be able to get away with a few muscle imbalances and weaknesses in training for shorter distance events - but once the kilometers start to increase, those muscle weaknesses will start to expose themselves by way of niggles or full blown injuries that can stop your training dead in its tracks. Get in touch with Valetudo Health for a full body assessment and get started on a gym program before those little things become big things and derail your training. We promise you won't regret setting yourself up for success early.
5. Don't forget to rest and recover
We know you're excited about the race and can't wait to get out there and train but in order to improve and adapt to the physiological demands you're putting on the body, you still need to recover. Try not to get caught up thinking every session has to be hard - it doesn't, I promise you. This might mean doing some light stretching, yoga or cross-training (think cycling, swimming or other low-impact sports) instead of running. Don't worry about what everyone else is doing on Strava when you're resting and recovering - you'll come out on the other side better for it. And if you haven't got a clue what you should be doing for training or you just want to push the limits of what you can already do - find a coach. It's easy to go hard too often and it helps to have objective oversight into what you're doing to make sure things stay on track.
If you have any questions about training, racing or coaching please feel free to reach out to me at corrie@valetudohealth.com.au
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