Near Mountain Speer

Running off the Beaten Track...

that's Trail Running: a great way to experience nature and a superior workout.

The steep and wild flanks of local mountain Uetliberg (Webcam) offer great possibilities to the avid trail runner. You will find it hard to believe that you are still right next to the city.


Individual Guiding

Tailored to your needs. From a short run during lunch break to a 2 hr trail run is everything possible. CHF 60/hr.


Example of a Trail Run

 

 Start Utoplatz (Sihlcity Shopping Mall)
 Finish Train Station Triemli
 Track Length 5.8 miles (9.3 km)
 Total Ascent 1840 feet (560 m)
 Total Descent 1640 feet (500 m)
 Elevation Profile
 (10:1)
 Character Mainly single trails on forest soil with steep, technical and exposed sections. For experienced runners.

 


Rental Equipment

For technical trails it's highly recommended to use Trail Running Shoes. They have not only a grippy outsole but also a more flat, less cushioned midsole and provide therefore great control on difficult terrain.
Waterproof/breathable socks keep your feet dry and warm in wet and cold conditions.

  Award winning Roclite 315 trail shoe from Inov-8  15 CHF
 
  Waterproof/breathable socks from Seal Skinz  5 CHF
 

 

Trail Running Knowledge

 

Scott Jurek on pelvis position and running uphill

 

Personal experience:
Core stability and a neutral pelvis position is a key aspect of an efficient and healthy running style. With a stable and centered pelvis I feel that I'm able to use my leg and butt muscles better and that I have more power to push me forward.
Next to strong core muscles it is also important that they work together in a coordinated way. You can improve the coordination very good with a balancing disc like those from MFT.

 

Scott Jurek on switching from road to trail running, fear of ankle sprain, strides etc.

 

Personal experience:
Important is also that you're looking on the trail before you, say 2 to 4 meters and have repeatedly quick looks further away to see what's coming next.
You can minimize the danger of spraining your ankles with exercises that strengthen you ankles and increase their proprioceptive ability. As a further measure you can tape your ankle.


Running
Thoughts

I run for several years now and I'm still learning. Here are a few lines of what I'm currently thinking about:

Is running healthy?

They say running is healthy. For the cardiovascular system that is undoubtedly true, for the rest of the body it's rather not. Running a marathon for example is not healthy at all because the overall effect of a marathon is catabolic (degrading). In a "normal" endurance run the muscles are also just partially built up (anabolic). Unused muscles degrade (are used for energy). Many people have a bad running style because they have not enough muscular strength to do better. Endurance runs - because of the long and monotonous training stimuli - reduce further more the ability for speed and coordination.
An additional muscle and coordination training is therefore highly recommended for two reasons:
1. To compensate the one sided stimuli of running.
2. To make your body strong enough for running with a good technique.

Next to "ordinary" endurance runs I do regular body core training, barefoot running sessions, Running-ABC units, fartleks, balance board exercises and - of course - stretching. Every 2nd day I go on the "Vita Parcours" and do the strength (core and upper body) workouts. The effects are very positive:

- an active running style that is easy on the joints 
- more (strength) endurance, less fatigue, faster recovery. 
- a better body feeling and more fun!

Human and animal children are in this respect for me a role model. Their natural urge to move ensures that their strength, speed, flexibility and coordination do develop optimally. Children play and do not make endurance runs! 

So, dare you to move on to something more childlike and playful again and offer your body and mind more varied (training) stimuli!

Running Technique: The Never Ending Story

I'm currently experimenting with a running technique I found on a video about Tony Krupicka, a sucessfull Ultra Trail Runner. I would describe his technique as follows:

-The upper body is fully vertical.
-The whole buddy is low to the ground (bended knees)
-The stride candence is fairly high (short strides).

New for me is the fully vertical upper body position and to be lower to the ground as usual. I think this style has 2 major advantages: 1) Through the upright upper body position the big and strong but muscles and the hamstring muscles are more engaged. 2) The short strides and the low to the ground level give you very little impact.
All in all I think it's very efficient running technique because the tiring dampening work for the muscles is decreased while more muscles are engaged in accelerating you forward.

 

Tony Krupicka's Blog

 

Contact

Marcel Peter Sportservice
Zürich, Switzerland
+41 (0)78 800 40 68
info@outdoorzuerich.ch

Enjoy nature and leave no trace.


My other running offers:


Knowledge

Check out these videos from Scott Jurek about trail running.

Running Thoughts

Reflections on running

Equipment



Friends

City Running