OFF-ROAD RUNNING Masterclass

AUTUMN'S HERE, WHICH MEANS ONE THING - IT'S TIME TO HIT THE TRAILS IN SEARCH OF MORE SPEED, GREATER STRENGTH AND A DAMN BIG DOLLOP OF FUN...

- JAMES WITTS

The season's come to an end, meaning you can sit back, flood your system with craft ale and pile on the pounds. In the process, of course, you can wave goodbye to those hard-earned 2022 gains and bid adios to a 2023 PB. Yes, it's good to take time to unwind from your summer of events but you've more than likely enjoyed that period of R&R and should be champing at the bit to train.

And that's where off-road running, or trail running, comes in. This simple but effective slant on your normal running will deliver many physical, mental, and performance benefits including higher aerobic capacity, stress relief from the bucolic backdrop, and faster run times. Running off-road also varies foot strike, meaning the chances of overuse injury are reduced compared to the metronomic and often debilitating striding atop hard tarmac. That said, don't stop pavement running completely. A good mix is what's required for all-round gains.

If you need evidence that off-road running can send your fitness into the stratosphere, look no further than Kilian Jornet. The Spanish runner holds myriad trail titles and world records including winning the acclaimed Skyrunner World Series six times. In 2018, he also smashed the Bob Graham Round, one of the most celebrated challenges in endurance sport, comprising a course of 106km with 8,200m ascent over 42 fells that must be completed in 24hrs. Jornet completed it in 12:52hrs (the record lasting until American Jack Kuenzie broke it in September this year). His VO2max has been measured at a frankly ridiculous 92ml/min/kg with his resting heart rate down in the low 30s.

You might not reach those levels but, as Jornet shows, there's no denying hitting the trails will give your run a boost. 

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