Trail Runs

Trail routes in Colorado are some of the best in the United States. Below is a list of some of the top rated Colorado running trails and why according to trails.com. #1. High Line Canal – This trail is 28.6 miles in length and is located in Littleton. This trail has been rated a beginner run due to its flat surface and easy running surface by runners who have visited the area. This trail is one where the runner can turn around at any point and return to their car. #2. Mesa Trail Loop – This trail is 6.5 miles and is located just south of Boulder. For the first two miles the trail is smooth and wide. As you continue, the trail gets narrower and is rocky. As the trail gets steeper downhill it gets smoother as well. #3. Anne U. White Trail – This trail is 3.3 miles and is located along Four Mile Creek. It is a well-maintained trail. There is some sandy trail surface, as well as occasional rocks along the trail. #4. Colorado / Green Mountain Trails – This trail is 13.9 miles and is located in Denver. The trail is located on a large number of rolling hills. The downside of this trail is that it is shared by mountain bikers and it gets crowded on weekends. The trail has a sandy base and has almost 2,000 feet of vertical gain. #5. Barr Trail – This trail is 12.8 miles and is located in Colorado Springs. The downsides of this trail is that it is very popular in the community and there are typically over 100 people on the trail at one time on the summer weekends and because of the high temperatures the parking lot is usually filled up by 6 a.m. The best way to beat both of these problems would be to show up around 5 a.m. and beat the traffic and the heat. The trail has an average ten degree angle of ascent for over six miles. The gradient is 14 degrees for the first 3 miles. As you can see, trail running is a big-time activity in the state of Colorado. This is why the state spends a lot of funding on keeping the public trails for runners (and others) well-maintained and safe. Have fun on your runs on the trails!

Cross Training

In everybody’s running career there will be an injury and it will keep you as a runner off your feet. This doesn’t mean you can’t still stay in shape for when you get back to training on your feet again. The trick to this is to get an equally difficult workout off your feet as you would while running. What you need to do as the runner is take the mileage you have for that particular day, say eight (8) miles, and determine how long it will take, say roughly forty (40) minutes. Go to your local gym or weight room and use the elliptical or stationary bike on the same intensity as the run and train for the previously determined time. Try to keep the workout as similar to your typical run as possible in order to achieve the same workout. If you usually stop and stretch or activate your muscles six (6) minutes into your run, you need to do the same while training in the gym. I don’t endorse cross training if it is not necessary. This is because no matter how closely you try to get the same workout in a gym, it will never replace an actual run. Good luck!

Strategy (5k)

When you go to run a 5k (or any other race) you don’t want to go out and hope for the best. When you go out to race you want to have a strategic plan to your pacing and know how you are going to run. There are some terms that you need to know as somebody who is going to pace themselves such as: positive and negative splits, floating, and surging. A positive split is when your previous section of the race is faster than the succeeding segment. A negative split is the opposite of a positive split, for example: you run a 62 second 1st lap of a mile and a 64 second 2nd lap. Everyone has a different strategy that is best for them. A basic strategy for different level runners by Rick Morris, a running trainer, is very helpful. [ Runner Type = Recommended Pacing Strategy Beginning Runner = Even Effort Recreational Runner = Even Pacing Pacer ( Runs for a time goal) = Negative Splits Beginning Competitive Runner = Negative Splits or Middle Push/Strong Finish Experienced Competitive Runner = Strong Start/Middle Float with a Strong Finish ] Once you know what strategy is best for you, you can now successfully use it in a race.