THE TRAIL RUNNER’S COMPANION

Goal: Develop an efficient routine of supplemental exercises to run better and prevent injury

He drives to the same trailhead once, maybe twice, a week. He parks, immediately starts running slowly, and loops around the same regional park for one to two hours. He doesn’t pay much attention to the time or distance, never wears a GPS-enabled watch, and never logs his miles.

He breaks a sweat, lets his mind wander, maintains a manageable pace, and eventually works his way back to the car. At that point, without pausing to cool down, he slips behind the steering wheel and drives home.

That’s it. He doesn’t do any additional conditioning, and aside from long hikes, doesn’t do any other form of recreation. He never runs consistently enough to build the kind of base described in Chapter 3. But, he doesn’t entirely give up trail running, either.

At the risk of embarrassing my husband, I’m sharing his story because I know many runners are like Morgan: They barely find time to run, their exercise lacks consistency, and their fitness level plateaus or declines. If they have more time, they want to spend it running, not doing supplemental exercises. Asking them to do various forms of conditioning, in addition to running, is like asking our fifteen-year-old son to brush and floss and wear a retainer. Our son knows it’s good for him, his orthodontist sternly bugs him to do it, and yet just getting him to brush daily feels like a minor miracle.

On the one hand, Morgan’s routine is totally fine—he gets good exercise in nature. On the other hand, he and runners like him could run better, feel better, and help prevent injury by carving out a manageable amount of time for the conditioning described in this chapter. As mentioned in Chapter 3, I use “conditioning” as a catchall term to describe stretching, strength training, and physical therapy (PT). “Cross-training,” by contrast, refers to other sports and recreational activities.

Trail runners, in particular, stand to benefit from the dynamic stretching, strengthening, and PT we’ll cover in this chapter, because trail running generally demands a greater range of motion, and it challenges muscles and tendons in different—often more extreme—ways than does typical road running. The trail’s variable terrain, hilliness, and natural obstacles all require a lot of multidirectional movement, agility, and full-body strength.

As you build your base of cardiovascular fitness and try to increase the volume of your running, your muscles and joints need to stay strong, healthy, and flexible to adapt to the demands. The exercises described below will help prevent the injury flare-ups that plague runners, such as sore hips, weak and tender gluteal and hamstring muscles, tight iliotibial (IT) bands, and achy knees, shins, and feet.

Beyond injury prevention, conditioning can increase the speed and efficiency of your running, according to several studies that assessed groups of runners who only ran and compared them with runners who also strength trained.¹

Finally, don’t let a fear of “bulking up” deter you from strength conditioning. Excess caloric intake with strength training—not the exercises alone—is mainly what causes large muscle development. You don’t need a lithe, super-thin body for successful trail running, anyway. Check out photos of champion trail/ultrarunners, and you’ll notice that many have stockier, more muscly body types than elite-level road runners.

So, let’s cover the most efficient and effective types of conditioning you should do, in addition to running.

Some runners say, “Stretching is a waste of time.” To that, I echo the words of elite-level ultrarunner, coach, and physical therapist Alison Bryant of North Carolina, who taught me several of the dynamic stretches that follow when I attended a clinic she gave during a trail-running camp.

“Stretching the wrong way is a waste of time, and overstretching is a waste of time. But stretching the right way will keep you running, especially as you age,” Alison says.

Dynamic stretching involves movement, unlike static stretching, which involves holding a stretch position for a sustained period of time. You should do dynamic stretches before you run to prepare your joints for movement and muscles for activation. Save any static stretching for after your run.

“Dynamic stretches increase your heart rate, warm up your muscles, and improve range of motion all at the same time. Some also increase strength, so you are killing four birds at the same time,” says Alison. “Starting off a run without a dynamic warm-up first can result in injury—muscles can pull or tear if they are suddenly asked to lengthen after being in a shortened position (like sitting) for a prolonged period of time. Also, tight muscles can restrict your running form, and if your legs lack dynamic range of motion in trail running, you may not be able to jump over the log in your path.”

Here is a set of eight dynamic stretches I recommend, which can be completed in about five minutes. If you’re really tight on time, only do the ones below that warm up any tight “trouble spots,” but I encourage you to do the full routine.

1. Ankle Circles: Warm up your ankles and Achilles tendons by balancing on one leg and rotating your other leg’s foot clockwise 8 to 10 times; reverse direction and do the same number of rotations counterclockwise. Repeat on other side. Note: It’s OK to slightly bend the knee of your standing leg if that makes balancing easier. This exercise has the added benefit of practicing single-leg balance, which promotes ankle and core stability. Strong, stable ankles can save you from a full sprain during a run by recovering when you accidentally stumble and start to roll your ankle.

2. Toe Taps: Warm up your Achilles and calves by standing with most of your weight on one leg and quickly tapping your other leg’s foot up and down 20 to 25 times. Then on the same foot, tap your toes side to side like a windshield wiper instead of straight up and down. Repeat on other foot. This exercise helps prevent shin splints and calf muscle strains.

3. Leg Swings, Front to Back: This and the following two exercises warm up the posterior chain of muscles in legs, glutes, and hips. Stand on one leg and hold on to something on the standing leg’s side for stability (like a tree or the back of a chair). Swing your other leg front to back 10 to 12 times, kicking to hip height and then drawing your leg back. Concentrate on keeping your swinging leg’s toes forward and foot parallel to the foot on the ground (rather than having it angle outward). Switch sides and perform on other leg.

4. Leg Swings, Side to Side: Stand on one leg holding on to something in front of you for stability (like a tree or the back of a chair). Swing your leg in front of you, side to side, as if it’s a pendulum, 10 to 12 times. You should feel this leg swing warming up your butt and hips more than the front-to-back exercise above. Switch sides and perform on other leg.

5. Hurdle Leg Rotation: This movement warms up and activates your gluteal muscles (aka your butt) and hips. Hold onto something on one side for stability and stand on one leg; lift the opposite leg so that your thigh is parallel to ground, and bend the knee of the lifted leg to make a right angle. With your leg bent, draw your knee back toward your hip and then return it to the starting position, as if gliding it over a hurdle, 5 to 8 times. Then rotate it in a forward circle the same number of times. These rotations should mimic the motion of a hurdler’s bent leg when jumping a hurdle. Switch sides and perform on other leg.

6. Walking Lunges: To warm up your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and hip flexors (the muscles comprising the front of your hip), take a large step forward with your right leg and lower your hips toward the ground by bending both knees at right angles, while keeping your upper body upright. Keep your feet and toes pointed straight ahead, and make sure the knee of your forward-lunging leg stops directly above your ankle and does not extend farther over your toes. The knee of your back leg should point down toward the ground but not touch it. Push off with your left foot in back, and bring it forward in a controlled step; then lunge forward on your left side. Repeat for a walking lunge pattern, doing 8 to 10 lunges per leg. Keep your hands on your hips, so you can concentrate on your lower body. Once you get the hang of walking lunges, do the more advanced version: Swing both arms straight up to the sky, and rotate your torso slightly toward whichever leg is in front. This arm-raising and torso-twisting will help warm up your abdominal obliques and hip flexors. Runners are prone to tight hip flexors, which can lead to painful strains.

7. Toe Sweeps: To warm up your hamstrings and lower back, take one step forward and pause with the forward foot’s heel on the ground, foot flexed, and toes pointed up toward the sky. Bend at the waist; reach down and cross your hands in a sweeping motion in front of the forward foot. Stand upright, take a step forward with the other foot, and repeat on that side. Do 8 to 10 of these sweeps.

8. Monster Walk: Like toe sweeps and front-to-back leg swings, this dynamic stretch warms up the hamstrings. I added it to my routine since I have extra-tight hamstrings, but you can cut it out if you feel you’re warmed up enough from the exercises above. Stand with both arms straight in front of you, parallel to the ground (the way Frankenstein walked with his arms held out in front, hence the Monster Walk name). Kick your right leg forward as if trying to touch your fingers, then step forward with the right foot while kicking your left leg straight forward. Try to achieve good symmetry and posture, eliminating wobbles.

Why work your upper body if you run with your legs? Because the upper body plays an essential role in running. Arms provide balance and forward propulsion, and the core provides stability for efficient, symmetrical biomechanics. When you’re fatigued toward the end of a trail run—when your posture starts sagging, and the final miles become a struggle—then your upper body acts like scaffolding to support your form and help you run more efficiently.

Try devoting approximately 20 to 25 minutes total (most of it devoted to core, but some of the time devoted to arms) to a quality upper-body session following two of your easy weekday runs, or after cross-training; then, you can opt to add a third session on the day after your long run. This conditioning session on a post-long-run recovery day serves as an effective form of “active recovery”—a low-impact way to move your body that helps diminish running-related muscle fatigue.

You can choose from dozens of core and arm conditioning exercises. I list a handful of my favorites below; I encourage you to make an appointment with a personal trainer, research articles online, and watch YouTube videos to find a mix of exercises that feel effective and work a variety of muscles.

Choose a mix that works all parts of the core: the rectus abdominis, which is the front of your tummy (where you can develop “a six pack”); the obliques, on the sides of your torso; the transverse abdominis, the deepest part of the abs that support the spine; and your hips, lower back, and glutes. Here are seven of my favorite core exercises:

1. Planks (side and full body): Start on one side with your feet together, resting on your forearm; engage your core and raise your hips so your body is in a straight line from head to feet. Hold the position for at least 30 seconds, working up to 1 minute or longer on each side. Then do a full-body forearm plank: Resting on both forearms with elbows aligned below the shoulders, plant your toes on the ground and raise your body and hold so you form a solid, straight plank from toe to head. Hold the position for at least 45 seconds and work up to 1 minute or longer.

2. Bicycle kicks: On your back, extend and pedal your legs in the air; bring elbow to opposite knee as the knee bends toward your chest.

3. Reverse crunches: Lying on your back with your hands tucked under the small of your back, raise both feet together a few inches off the floor; bend your knees, and bring them together toward your chest, then straighten your legs together and repeat without letting your feet touch the floor.

4. Russian twists: Sit with knees bent together in front of your chest, feet a few inches off the floor, so you’re balancing on your butt; lean back slightly, hold a medicine ball (or if you don’t have one, cross your arms and hold your elbows), and twist your torso side to side.

5. Bridges: Lie with feet flat on floor, knees bent, hands by your side; lift your hips and pelvis toward the ceiling so your body forms a straight your hips and pelvis toward the ceiling so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees; lower your hips halfway to the ground; lift them toward the ceiling again, squeezing your glutes in the process.

6. Fire hydrants: On all fours with a flat back, lift one leg with bent knee to the side like a dog going pee-pee; lower partway and lift again.

7. Superman: Lie on your stomach with arms extended overhead, straight in front; flex your glutes and lower back to raise your arms and feet off the ground a few inches (like Superman flying).

When using dumbbells, choose a weight that creates a feeling of burn on around the tenth rep, and do 2 to 3 sets of each exercise, with 12 to 15 reps on each.

THE GIFT OF “BIRTHDAY PUSH-UPS”

When I turned forty, I challenged myself to two tests: run a 6-minute mile, and do 40 push-ups. Running fast proved easier than hitting the floor for 40! My arms and core quivered with fatigue as I lowered my chest to the ground, and I got to 40 only by breaking the set into 15 + 15 + 10, with long rest breaks in between.

I vowed to do 40 push-ups daily for a month. During the four weeks that ensued, I discovered push-ups to be one of the most effective upper-body strengthening exercises—and they can be done anytime, anywhere. In the years since, I’ve continued the tradition of doing my age in push-ups every day for a month following my birthday; year-round, I do a set of push-ups two to three times weekly.

I break the number into two sets (since I’m now 48, I do 24 + 24). For the first set, I do traditional push-ups; for the second set, I do a variation such as:

● Single-leg raise: Raise one leg off the ground during the push-up, keeping it straight. This works your core more by adding instability, and activates the glute muscle of the raised leg.

● Push-ups off a BOSU ball: Turn the BOSU ball upside-down, so the soft side is on the ground, and grip the rim as you lower and raise yourself from the BOSU’s flat side. This also works the core more by adding instability.

● Dumbbell push-up into row: While in the push-up position, grip two dumbbells that are relatively light weight (start with 3- to 5-pound ones; I use 10 pounds). Lower and raise yourself in a normal push-up; then, raise one arm with the weight up to your chest (this is the “row” movement) and, for added challenge, straighten and extend that arm toward the ceiling. Lower it back to the ground; do another push-up; then raise the other arm holding the dumbbell in the same manner.

Try giving yourself the “gift” of a daily push-up streak challenge for a month, and then maintain a push-up routine at least twice weekly. If your arms are too weak to do standard push-ups (forming a plank position with your toes on the ground), start by doing pushups while planking from your knees instead. You’ll quickly develop noticeably stronger arms and a more stable core.

SINGLE-LEG RAISE PUSH-UP VARIATION CREDIT: TONYA PERME

Good news: If you’re running trails with a significant amount of elevation change, you’re already building powerful legs.

Bad news: If you live and run in a flat region, you need to get creative with lower-body conditioning—plus run on man-made structures such stairs, parking structure ramps, or a treadmill set at an incline—to simulate hills and build the lower-body strength that will prepare you for mountainous running.

More bad news: All runners are prone to lower-body weaknesses and imbalances that contribute to injuries. Those of us who spend a lot of the day sitting are especially likely to have a weak posterior chain of muscles (the back, glutes, hamstrings, and calves), which are key to forward propulsion and knee stabilization. If we’re weak on the backside, we compensate with our anterior side—namely, with the powerhouse quad muscles—but this imbalance usually backfires with inefficient form and, ultimately, injury.

There are two schools of thought about when it’s best for runners to do lower-body conditioning. One says do it on easy-running or recovery days; that way, you can give these exercises more energy and attention, rather than doing them when tired from a high-intensity running workout, when you have pushed your effort on speed and/or hills. Also, you won’t shortchange or sandbag your run workout in anticipation of post-run conditioning.

I subscribe to the other school of thought: Do your lower-body conditioning at the end of a hard-run workout. Yes, this makes the hard-run workout even harder, but this way you’re following the rule to “make your easy days easy, and your hard days hard.” If you do your lower-body conditioning on a rest or easy day, you are not getting the full benefit of recovery and stress adaptation on those easy days. That’s why I recommend lower-body work following a weekday speed session and/or a hill-repeat session, and upper-body conditioning on other days.

There are pros and cons to either approach. The important thing is to fit in a lower-body conditioning workout at least once a week.

Don’t worry, you don’t need to join a gym to work your lower body! You can effectively exercise your major muscles by using the resistance of your own body weight. I do most of these exercises at a park where there’s a sturdy bench and a step.

As with core exercises, there are dozens of effective lower-body exercises for runners. Go online and research articles and watch videos, or make an appointment with a personal trainer, to get detailed guidance on specific exercises. Try to develop a routine of approximately a half-dozen exercises—a combination of body weight and plyometrics—that work your major leg muscles, and do two sets of 12 to 15 each; ideally, each exercise will work more than one muscle at a time.

Note: Your gluteus muscles get worked by the dynamic stretching and upper-body exercises described earlier in this chapter, as well as the lower-body work described below. If you “work your butt off” by working your glutes on multiple days, in multiple ways, that’s good! You will be a stronger runner for it.

● Squats: Work your glutes, quads, and hamstrings in one simple exercise. Stand with your feet hip distance apart, and sit back like sitting in a chair. Your knees should not jut forward beyond your feet. Think of leaning back, not forward.

● Lunge with twist: Lunge forward and twist your torso toward the forward leg; step back and repeat on opposite side. This works your core as well as your hips and legs.

● Single-leg squat on a step: Stand on a curb or the step of a stairway, facing outward (away from the stairs). Balance on one leg; bend at the knee of the standing leg, and lower your hips as your raised foot dips down. Make sure the knee of the standing leg tracks straight over your foot as you bend it. Straighten the standing leg and repeat 10 to 15 times. This exercise also works balance, which promotes strong ankles and core stability.

● Calf raises: Using the same stairway or curb for the single-leg squat above, turn and face the step and let your heels hang off the edge. (It’s easier to do this exercise if you have a handrail to hold.) Raise and lower your heels slowly, 15 to 20 times. This move helps prevent Achilles tendonitis and shin splints by strengthening and stretching your calf muscles and Achilles tendon. Variations: For added challenge, stand on one leg and do heel raises on one leg at a time. Then, bend your knees slightly while standing on both feet and rock your heels up and in, rather than raising them straight up.

Plyometrics, aka “plyos,” are advanced exercises that involve jumping and moving in multiple directions. Not only do they build powerful, springy legs for speed and hill climbing, but they also build your cardiovascular fitness and challenge the body to move in the myriad ways that trail running demands.

Plyos are the most high-impact and potentially stressful type of conditioning exercise, so do them only once a week, and only after you’ve built lower-body strength by doing the body-weight exercises described above for several weeks. Then you can add some or all of the following plyos to your lower-body conditioning routine. Or, you can do them before a speed workout; perform them after the dynamic stretching routine, and before you do strides, to get you warmed up for faster running.

● Box jumps: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart in front of a raised platform or sturdy boxlike surface approximately 12 inches high. (Graduate to 18 to 24 inches high as you improve.) Squat down partway, then jump up and land both feet on the surface, bending your knees to absorb the impact. Jump back carefully, or step back down to lessen the impact. Try two sets of 10.

● Burpees: Burpees are hard! But they work your upper as well as lower body. From standing, place your hands on the ground in front of you and kick your legs back to assume a plank position. Do a push-up, then jump your feet forward toward your hands to bring your feet back to their starting position. Stand up quickly and jump in the air with your hands above your head. Repeat. Variation: Do it with a BOSU ball, holding the rim of the BOSU with the flat side above your head. Lower the BOSU, with the soft round side on the ground; kick your feet behind you to plank position and do the push-up off the flat side of the BOSU; jump your feet back to starting position and raise the BOSU above your head to complete the burpee.

● High-knee skipping (aka “apple pickers”): Skip in a deliberate, exaggerated manner, raising each knee extra high and swinging the opposite arm up to the sky. This is nicknamed “apple pickers” because you’re raising your hand high as if to reach and pick an apple off a tree. I skip for approximately 100 meters in one direction, then turn around and do grapevines (below) back to the starting point.

● Grapevines: Step to the right with your right foot, then cross your left leg behind it. Step again to the right, then cross your left foot in front. Keep your feet perpendicular to the direction you’re moving. Rotate your arms and torso in the opposite direction as your legs. (It can be tough to get the hang of grapevines; I recommend watching a video online.) Do 8 to 10 of these crossover moves, then repeat in the opposite direction (with left leg as the lead leg). This movement loosens up your hips and trunk and promotes lower-body agility.

DON’T LET THESE INJURIES RUIN YOUR TRAIL RUNNING

Conditioning helps prevent common running-related injuries, including the following:

● Runner’s knee (aka Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome; pain in front of the knee and/or around the kneecap): If your major muscles (quads, hips, glutes) are weak, this can put extra load on the knee. Additionally, strong thigh muscles are important for proper patella (kneecap) alignment. The fix: Strengthen these muscles with exercises like single-leg squats, and practice the proper running form described in Chapter 3.

● Hamstring pain or tightness: Caused by overworked quads and corresponding weak hamstrings, along with tight hamstring muscles. The fix: Lower-body exercises that work the hamstring; dynamic stretches to warm up and loosen hamstrings; foam rolling (covered below).

● Iliotibial (IT) Band Syndrome: The IT band runs from the hip to the knee on the outside of the thigh; when it gets tight and irritated, often from a sudden increase in mileage or too much downhill running, it creates sharp pain and dull achiness, usually on the outside of the knee. The fix: Rest; then stick to easy and mostly flat running for a while; then strengthen the hip abductors with exercises such as squats, or lateral side steps with a resistance band. Use the foam roller on and around the IT band, and do the IT band stretch described later in this chapter.

● Achilles tendonitis: A dramatic increase in training, combined with tight calves, can trigger Achilles pain. The fix: Rest and icing; then, when inflammation subsides, regain flexibility and strengthen the tendon and muscles by doing dynamic stretching for a warm-up before running, especially ankle circles, and lower-leg exercises such as calf raises. Also, try balancing one-legged on a soft surface, such as a BOSU ball or balance board, to promote healthy, strong ankles.

● Plantar fasciitis: Inflammation of the tendons and ligament that run from your heel to your toes can be a chronic, painful problem for runners. The fix: Rest, icing, and possibly taping or orthotics that provide arch support can all help. After the foot rehabs with rest, you can prevent a reoccurrence by doing the stretching and PT described at the end of this chapter.

● Stress fractures: A stress fracture—a crack in a bone that gradually worsens—is a serious sign of overuse aggravated by flawed biomechanics (improper or asymmetrical running form), weak or tight muscles, and poor bone density. The fix: Completely heal with rest for four to six weeks. Once back to running, develop a conditioning routine to help you achieve balanced, proper running form and flexibility for full range of motion. Also, include strength training to improve bone density. Examine your nutrition to make sure you’re getting enough calcium and maintaining a healthy body weight (see Chapter 7). Female runners are at risk for low bone mass, possibly leading to stress fractures, if they lose so much body fat and/or create such an energy deficiency that their periods are disturbed or cease (called amenorrhea). This is a serious condition known as the “Female Athlete Triad”; a good source for more information is femaleathletetriad.org.

● Jump rope jumping: Imagine you’re holding an invisible jump rope, and imitate the hopping you’d do if you were skipping rope. That’s all there is to it! This is my favorite useful thing to do while standing around waiting, such as when my running buddy stops to go to the bathroom, or when I’m stopped at a red-light intersection while road running.

Trail runners are notoriously bad about cooling down and taking care of their bodies post-run, for the simple reason that running in the wilderness often takes longer than anticipated. The terrain is tougher, or the trail is longer, than we optimistically estimate when looking at a map. A ninety-minute outing turns into two hours. Returning to our cars at the trailhead, we jump in and drive off because we’re running late.

Try to realistically budget time and plan ahead to give yourself at least five minutes to run easily or walk to lower your heart rate at the end of a run, and another five minutes for stretching after a run, especially if you’re sitting and driving immediately afterward. Your hard-working, stiff muscles will thank you for it.

At least once a week—preferably the day after a long, challenging run, when you may feel stiff and sore—carve out time for low-impact, therapeutic exercises and bodywork to aid recovery while promote flexibility.

These stretches should be done when you’re warmed up, which is why they make sense after, not before, a run. They also can be done on a rest day following a gentle walk, or following the dynamic stretching routine described earlier in the chapter. Stretch and hold each position 15 to 20 seconds.

I developed a quick-and-basic post-run stretching routine that’s all standing up, so you don’t have to sit in the dirt at a trailhead. Repeat the exercises described below on both sides.

● Quadriceps: Balance on one leg; bend at the knee of the other; hold your foot in your hand, pressing your foot into your butt.

● Hamstrings: Stand on one leg with a slightly bent knee, put the other leg straight in front of you with the heel on the ground and flex the toes of the front leg up toward the sky. You can also prop the front leg up on a surface, such as a bench. Bend at the waist toward the leg that’s out in front, and hold.

● Glutes: Stand on one leg, bend at the knee of the other, and rest the bending leg’s foot just above the knee of the standing leg (this is called a “Figure 4” stretch because your legs make the shape of the number 4). Hold something sturdy in front of you for stability, such as a pole or tree trunk. Bend the knee of the standing leg and bend at the hips, as if sitting in a chair.

● Calves: Step back with one foot, lean forward, transfer your weight to the forward foot, and bend the forward leg to create a lunge position. Keep the leg in back straight, toes pointed forward, and feel the stretch in the back of your lower leg.

● Achilles tendons: Doing the calf stretch above, bend the knee of the leg in back slightly, so you feel the stretch lower, at the Achilles tendon.

● Hip flexors: Following the calf and Achilles stretches above, maintain the lunge position but transfer your weight to the foot in back. Tuck your pelvis forward and tailbone under; feel the stretch in the front of the hip of the leg in back, above the quad muscle.

● IT bands: This two-part stretch is complicated, but it is important to stretch the bands of connective tissue that run along the outside of your thighs. First, cross the right foot over the left, raise your left hand overhead, and bend to the right at the waist. Feel the stretch along the side of your left hip. Next, bend forward at the waist and touch your toes (stretching your hamstring again), then twist toward the arch of your left foot (the foot in back). Tilt the left foot up so it’s easier to reach your fingers toward the arch. Feel the stretch on the outside of your left knee, where the IT band can cause pain if too tight. Mirror the same action on the other side to stretch the right IT band.

● Lower back: Bend at the waist, let your head hang toward the ground, cross your forearms and hold your elbows in your hands, and simply relax and hang to loosen a tight lower back.

Most of us have “trouble spots” that start talking to us with dull achiness during and after a run. Instead of going away on their own, they’re likely to cause you to subtly alter your form to favor the sore area, which in turn throws off your symmetry, puts strain on another area, and can cause a secondary injury. Trouble spots deserve extra attention and can benefit from a physical therapist, who will prescribe specific therapeutic exercises and bodywork (such as massage) for the area. Don’t neglect these hot spots; see a PT.

Even if you don’t have a trouble spot (lucky you!), you will benefit from preventative and therapeutic self-care. I’m talking about the not-so-little “little things” that runners often neglect until they’re injured—in particular, foam rolling and other types of massage, in addition to all the other conditioning described above.

Foam rolling involves using a log of stiff Styrofoam (called a foam roller) to roll on your muscles. This action releases and restores the connective tissue around your muscles called fascia, which stiffens and becomes damaged after repetitive motion.

Foam rolling can feel painful and awkward—you sprawl out on the floor, rolling your legs and butt over this log—so I suggest getting the advice of a PT or watching foam-rolling videos online to see how to do it most efficiently. Sometimes, an object smaller than a foam roller works well to self-massage sore spots. For example, I have a literal pain in the butt that benefits from deep-tissue massage. To target it, I sit on a softball and move my backside to create a rolling motion over the softball, massaging and releasing tension in this area of the gluteal muscle.

Last but not least, do not neglect your feet! Ask any runners who’ve suffered for months from toe pain, or from plantar fasciitis—the heel pain from inflammation that spreads to the ligament supporting the arch of the foot—and they’ll tell you to take the time to give your feet and toes TLC. It’s easy and can be done anytime, even while working at a desk; you just have to remember to do the following:

1. Massage and strengthen your toes and arch. Do “toe scrunches,” repeatedly scrunching and straightening your toes, as if trying to pick up a small object with them. Then, sitting on the floor and holding your foot in your hand, stretch and massage the webbing of your toes. Starting with the big toe, pull it back toward your body, then gently pull it to the side to flex the joint and stretch the arch.

2. Ice and roll your arch. Post-run, to reduce inflammation, get a frozen plastic water bottle or a cold soda can and roll it under the arch of your bare foot. Anytime, use a small ball (a golf ball or lacrosse ball works best) and self-massage your bare foot by rolling the ball under your arch.

One of my clients routinely skipped the twenty minutes of conditioning scheduled on two weekdays. She lamented that she simply didn’t have time; she could barely shoehorn a one-hour run into her workday.

“Cut your run back to fifty minutes,” I told her, “then hit the floor for two sets of push-ups and fire hydrants, one minute of planking, and stretch afterward. Some is better than none.”

I remind myself and my husband of the same thing. Years ago, our family joined a gym so the kids could gain access to a pool, and my husband Morgan used the opportunity to schedule some sessions with a personal trainer. A love-hate relationship with working out ensued. He did not look forward to the sessions with the trainer, and he complained of soreness afterward.

But Morgan also admitted he felt better, and he liked the enhanced muscle definition in his upper body. Best of all—although he was reluctant to admit it—he mentioned that he seemed to run better after he started working out.

Motivated, he bought a set of dumbbells to keep in his office, thinking he would work out for ten minutes or so during the middle of weekdays. And for a while, he did—but then those weights collected dust behind a chair for over a year.

One day, I noticed the weights had moved to the middle of the room, and I deduced that for whatever reason—maybe because I made one too many cracks about Tim Twietmeyer and Hal Koerner’s hotness—Morgan decided to do some bicep curls and bent-over rows. Who knows why? I wasn’t going to jinx his self-motivated conditioning by asking about it or giving unsolicited advice.

Good for him, I thought. Even ten minutes of some conditioning, once or twice a week, is better than none at all.

When it comes to everything this chapter covers—dynamic stretching, core and arm conditioning, lower-body conditioning, plyos, static stretching and PT—it may feel daunting to fit it all in. If you can’t do the full routines described, then choose just one or two of the exercises you feel best works any weak spots or trouble areas. Aim for a couple of times a week when you do at least some—it’s better than none!

CHAPTER 5

CONDITIONING FOR THE TIME-CRUNCHED TRAIL RUNNER