Almost everyone remembers their first trail race and how they felt before the start. We are not perfect, and it is normal to feel a healthy dose of insecurity. We can get positive things out of that insecurity by remembering how well and sufficiently we trained and what we did to get to that moment.
Even after several trail races, I still feel that positive nervousness. That feeling helps me improve and gain new experiences in the field.
Here are some insecurities you may have before your first trail race:
A few hours before the first race, you will wonder if you can actually run.
Even though you ran some distance the day before. It happened to me on Kopaonik two hours before the race. Even though I had a training the day before. Just remember how many kilometers your legs have run and that, most likely, everything will go well.
You will think that you are the last one, or you will break the time limit for crossing the race.
This part applies to people who love to compete. They are going to a race for the first time and are extremely self-doubtful. The fact is that many people come there who have not run before that race or have a slower pace than you.
Calculate your average pace from similar training. This will help you predict your running time at the race.
In the end, it’s not bad to be last. You’re already a winner just because you decided to be physically active!
You’ll think that you won’t be able to climb a steep hill.
It is wise to choose the kind of races you participate in and that they are not too adventurous and have higher altitudes. This is important because you need to have experience to be able to climb higher altitudes.
If you encounter a situation where the terrain is steeper and muddy, don’t worry. The fact is that you will be on all fours or get out in any way, or someone will push you.
Maybe you think you can’t do something right now, but when you find yourself in such a situation, you rush forward with all your powers.
Fear of twisting joints, falling, hitting rocks, and even scratching
First of all, scratching is normal in the forest. As the time you spend in the forest goes by, you will learn how to fall smartly.
Experience is gained by rushing through a group of fallen trees, thorns, roots, and stones without thinking. You should go through such conditions at a slower pace. With that training, you will gain a natural feeling of faster running and balance on various surfaces.
Training is a good way to train your brain for different surfaces and weather conditions.
You are afraid that you will not know in which direction to run
The organizers of trail races always try to mark the trails as well as possible. Even a person with no sense of orientation in space can run them.
Tracks of all race lengths are usually available on the organizer’s website. It is recommended that you input the track paths into the route app on your Android phone. If you feel insecure about staying alone, you can always follow a runner similar to your speed.
Many more fears arise even after the twentieth race, but these are some common ones for trail running beginners.
