Are You Up For It?

The Salomon X-Trail Run is back! Explore and expect an exciting 10km unbeaten trail track on Sunday, 18 October 2009! For those who happened to have missed the debuted Salomon X-trail run last year, it is a good chance for you to experience the inaugural Salomon X-Trail Run once again this year!

With its great success last year, the Salomon X-Trail Run 2009 is back to its track venue at Tampines Mountain Biking Trail. However, expect the unexpected for this run as it will bring you a whole new trail running experience from its predecessor.

Not forgetting that we have Jonathan Wyatt, the six-time world mountain running champion, who will be in Singapore to hold the Salomon Running Clinic and be present at the Salomon X-Trail Run on 18 October. Jonathan owns 7 World Mountain Running Association Championships with 5 consecutive wins. His personal best for half marathon is 1:02:37.

Hurry and register online now! 10km of sand, gravel, grass and sweat is waiting for you at the starting line!

The Men’s Open category flagged off by Ms Jasmine Tan, the Chief Operating Officer of VGO Corporation Limited and Mr Han Tan Juan, director of North East Community development Division of People’s Association at 7.30am, with the remaining three of the categories (Women’s Competitive Open, Men’s and Women’s Competitive Veteran) running at 7.50am. Despite the muddy trails, runners had fun tackling the different terrains and making their ways through the undulating slopes.

Dispel the rumor that trail run is only for the young ones, experience is equally important at the Salomon X-Trail Run. This year, the winner of the Women’s Veteran, Ms. Itsuko Lewnes (aged 40) came in with the timing of 00:43:00.67, which is approximately five minutes faster than the winner of Women’s Open category, Ms. Teh May Yong, is just 15 years old, came in with the timing of 00:47:24.80.

The prize presentation was officiated by Ms Irene Ng, Member of Parliament for Tampines GRC. The Chief Executive Officer of VGO Corporation Limited, Steven Goh also attended the event.

XA Pro 3D Ultra GTX

Salomon has been in part of my life since 2002 and personally, the XA Pro 3D Ultra GTX and XT Wings has performed extremely well for all my trainings and races. What I enjoyed most about Salomon’s XA Pro 3D Ultra GTX is its stability and performance level. It is built on with a low platform that provides top-notch trail feel and unparalleled stability.

With ample mesh for breath ability, combined with the super-stable and low-profile 3D chassis, these trail runners are built for the long haul.
More features of Salomon’s XA Pro 3D Ultra GTX:

• Triple-density EVA cushioning
• Contragrip outsole
• Salomon asymmetrical Quicklace system
• 3D Advanced Chassis for stability
• Ortholite footbeds

Salomon’s trail shoes have never once failed to impress me since the day I owned one myself. The shoes are famous in its top-rated materials and technologies that are well-built and catered for miles and miles of adventure running. Salomon has consistently launch numerous models of running footwear catering to different runners’ needs and wants, and till today, I have worn many other models for different running purposes too.

I would personally prefer a more versatile pair of trail-running shoes, which is able to handle occasional road miles, trail running and occasional hiking. Some trail shoes are clunky on-road while others struggle to perform when using them for hiking purposes. The XA Pro 3D Ultra GTX makes a great mix of road and trail running capability with an additional function for occasional hiking activities as well. One of the greatest aspects of these shoes is its overall stability. This is due to the low-profile nature of the 3D Chassis, which spreads your weight across a wide and low platform which also contributes to pronation support and forefoot protection.

I would strongly recommend the XA Pro 3D Ultra GTX for trail running of distance not more than 20km. For those who prefer little more squish, opt for the Salomon’s XT Wings instead!

The XT Wings are described as having the perfect balance combination between cushioning and agility. This has been achieved by its well-built manner in two integral parts: Agile Chassis (AC) Skeleton and Muscle. The AC Skeleton is built with structural plastic composite that has been molded specifically for light weight and stability. This 3/4-length chassis system is built to provide a wide platform for the AC Muscle and outsole. On top of that, it harmonizes the pronation control system to provide excellent support for flat-footers. The AC Muscle is built to maximize comfort and responsiveness with twice the durability of the average EVA foam.

More details of the Salomon’s XT Wings:

• Quicklace system for one-pull fit
• Stability, cushioning and responsiveness provided by AC Skeleton and AC Muscle system
• Mixture of synthetic and nylon mesh uppers with toe-cap construction
• Contragrip outsole

On the trail, these shoes fly while providing a stellar amount of cushioning and stability. You can really feel the shoes staying put with very little lateral motion. A huge bonus with the XT Wings is the stellar on-road performance. As to my observation, not all trail runners are comfortable in both on and off-road, but by running with the XT Wings, it enables one to adapt almost instantly to the different pavements. The excellent cushioning makes no hesitant for me to pound the pavement with them!

What Can You Expect Running A Trail?

A Trail run can be quite different from a normal road run. Trail running often takes place most commonly on single track trails and is often inaccessible by road except fat the trail heads. You can expect steep inclines or rough terrain which sometimes may require a little of hiking or scrambling. I would personally recommend the first-timers to own a pair of trail running shoes and Salomon provides all kinds of trail-running shoes where you’ll be surprised by how each models differ from one another. Trail running shoes offer the lateral support that provides your feet and ankles with more stability to refrain from getting yourself injured. Also, Trail running shoes provides heavier tread pattern which enables better grip and friction than those normal running shoes. Apart from that, the toe “bumper” provides extra protection from bruising.

Trail running is the most natural form of running, what I like most about Trail running is its numerous unexpected challenges that can never be predicted. The soothing peace, smell and sound of the nature are the most invaluable assets to you can ever find when running a trail.

Practice Makes Perfect

If you want your very first trail race to be smooth (flowing over hill and dale) instead of calamitous (bouncing off trees and tripping over exposed roots), you will need to train on trails at least three months before your first race and most importantly with a good pair of trail running shoes. After which, try spending two training sessions per week running just on off-road.

If you’ve never been a trail runner, you’ll notice some differences immediately. A trail surface is never perfectly smooth, so you can’t run with a perfect stride. A trail that are invariably undulates, makes it harder to find a running rhythm.
At first, these differences can make trail running seems exhausting and there are much more lateral movement (as opposed to linear), which requires greater use of peripheral muscles around the ankles and hips and in the quadriceps and glutes. While you may feel tired after only a few minutes of trail running, however, it takes time and more practices to improve your stamina.

There many other learning points to trail running, for example: where to place your feet to avoid a fall, how to take turns more efficiently, which plants to dodge and which to brush harmlessly past.

The Long and Short of It

Trail races require both strength and speed coequally. So as you build up for the big race, try incorporating longer, slower runs as well as shorter, faster runs into your program.

Long run: Develop endurance and leg strength by shifting your weekly long runs from roads to trails. To prepare for any race shorter than a 10 km, plan a long run that lasts around 60 minutes. For a 10km or longer, work up to 90 minutes or more. Don’t feel discouraged if you’re running slower than you do on the roads. It is very common to hit an average pace of 6 minutes on trail.

Most importantly, make the trail run fun! Sprint from tree to tree. Run fast up a hill and jog the backside, or vice versa. There are simply no rules for workouts! You’ll work hard, and it won’t even feel like it after the run. With just constant practicing, you’ll learn a lot about trail running during the entire training process.

Cross-Training

Developing your quads and glutes through weight training and cycling (either on a stationary bike or mountain bike) it will give you more power when running uphill and more strength at near the end of a race. Also, you’ll strengthen the ligaments and muscles around your knee, which will help protect yourself from torque-related injuries or sprains.

Weights: Try doing sets of squats, hamstring curls, quadriceps extensions and calf raises, it will help building up the strengths for running.
Cycling: Mimic the running motion by standing up in the saddle when climbing hills. Mountain biking is also a great way to scout out new trails, as you will be able to stay out longer with using lesser effort.

Tactics and Techniques

As you train, think about staying light on your feet. Run as if on eggshells! Also, resist the tendency to favor one leg over the other. A lot of runners start using one leg as the “plant” leg to land heavily on and the other as the “drive” or “push-off” leg. Each leg should do these actions interchangeably.
Below are some tips to remember:

Downhills: Try running on the balls of your feet, not on your heels. This means lesser of pounding, and more of the speed and with better control.

Uphills: Try shortening your stride. Keep your head up and push your chest forward. Try to relax when you run and find a rhythm that will take you up and over each hill at ease.

Where to Train?

Lastly, if you have registered for the Salomon X-Trail Run and would like to have some training, below are my personal recommended training locations:

• East: Bedok Reservoir, Tampines Mountain Biking Trail
• West: Pandan Reservoir

Personally, I would prefer training at the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. It has a good trail route starting from MacRitchie and extending up to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and to Seletar area.
For a start, all the reservoirs can be a good training ground for 5km or 10km run. If you are starting to feel bored going round and round the reservoir area, get into the nature path at Mac Ritchie! It has up to 15km route for you to train around.

And with all these little tips, you are all set for the Salomon X-Trail Run 09! No matter where the location is, you are all well prepared for it! Remember to have fun and run for it!

See you at the starting line!