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  • Chris Bonnemaison December 30, 2014 at 6:37pm

    I dream about it too! I also rack my brain about what I should/should not have done when I am out on the trail....

  • Lori Enlow December 29, 2014 at 2:46pm
    Love that stuff! It's like piecing a really complex puzzle. Slow and frustrating at first, but then u get faster, recognize the pieces (rocks) and where they (feet) go more quickly, sometimes without looking. With repetition it becomes almost magical as movements that were very intentional and thought out become reflexive. Then also like magic you find that every puzzle (trail), even ones you've never seen just flow. Sometimes I'll even dream about really difficult sections of trail after I've run them, like my mind is just playing while I sleep, working the puzzle.
  • Eric Orton December 28, 2014 at 10:43pm

    This has a magical way of transferring to unknown terrain - create no surprises for your feet!!!

    Rock on!

  • Chris Bonnemaison December 28, 2014 at 7:08pm

    Coach, you make a great point. "Memorize all of your steps". I started training in that area of my next 50 miles race. Even though I ran that trail twice already, I still get surprised by a misstep, occasionally rolling my ankle. 

    Repetition is key. I know what do to.

    PS: I got a sweet pair of Topo MT for Xmas. They fit like a pair of sleepers.

  • Eric Orton December 28, 2014 at 6:32pm

    Hey Chris - just like with any skill learned, repetition is key!  So what i have found that helps with technical terrain is to find a trail that is very technical and that is near you for convenience sake.  Rung this trail 1-2 times a week for 6-8 weeks. This will help you become "intimate" with all of the technical demands.  This will give you a repetitive comfort level and you will get to the point where you almost memorize all of your steps, which allows you to get faster and faster over this terrain.  Do it so you know every rock and to the point you could almost run it with your eyes closed.  Again, this gives you major confidence to relax and "float" over the rocks which WILL then translate to technical, unknown trail. 

    You might even do several intervals back and forth over very tech terrain to practice.  Repetition = practicing not to get it right, but practicing to not get it wrong.

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