Trailhead: The Dirt on All Things Trail Running

by Lisa Jhung, Charlie Layton (Illustrator)

Trailhead is a witty, fun guide to all things trail running. Veteran trail runner, triathlete, and adventure racer Lisa Jhung offers this illustrated pocket guide to all runners curious about running off road or wanting to run farther into the backcountry. She offers authoritative advice on everything from how to find good trails to run, how to choose the best shoes and clothing, how to carry enough water, and how to stay safe from wildlife and weather.

Trailhead includes:
The allure: Why trail running is good for body and mind
The essentials: Finding good trails, choosing the best trail running gear, handling trail and weather conditions, what you need to know about nutrition and hydration
Safety: How to treat (and avoid) common trail running injuries, first aid, animal safety
Etiquette: Right of way, preserving the trail, when nature calls
Company: Running alone, with friends, with dogs―or burros!
Stronger, faster: At-home exercises to enhance your running
Going long: Preparing for longer trail runs or trail races
Trailhead is a smart, entertaining read as well as a thorough resource for everyone from aspiring trail runners to those looking to get the most out of every trail run, whether in a city park or on a mountain adventure.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports, Outdoors, Health, Ebooks

264 pages, Paperback

First published April 9, 2015

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recht kurzweilige Lektüre. Schön zu sehen, dass das Original nicht einfach nur übersetzt, sondern teilweise auch auf regionale Gegebenheiten angepasst wurde (z. B. zur Thematik "giftige Schlangen", die in Mitteleuropa sicher eine andere ist als in den USA).

[Julia Sarene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick, easy and entertaining read.
It is mostly for beginners who haven't been running long and/or haven't read about the topic before.
For a real beginner it's filled with a lot of good tips and knowledge, but even for me - I've only been running a few months - most of the book wasn't new.
I've read three books on running before, but none about trail running, and still it was more a recap of things I already knew, and a lot of basic common sense.
Still, even if it is just a natural basic thing to not leave waste on the trail, to not run at wild animals and to be friendly to other people, I know there's plenty of people out there who don't do those things, so I like that they are mentioned in the book. (Even if I don't think it'll change the mind of people who simply never cared about such things...)

All in all l'll end up with 3,5 stars, as I would have found it helpful if I bought it right when I picked up running, and the drawings were cute, the information correct (if not new or ground breaking) and it was written on a voice that was easy and entertaining to read!

[Christian Klejmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Die Autorin ist passionierte Trailrunnerin, das merkt man. Ich habe das Buch gelesen um mich auf einen 100km Marsch vorzubereiten. Ich hatte mir Infos über Verpflegung auf langen Strecken erhofft, Hilfestellungen bei klassischen Problemen oder einen Trainingsplan. Leider wird keine einzige meiner Fragen beantwortet. Schade! 3 Sterne weil ich denke, ein paar nützliche Infos gabs dann doch.

[One · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very disappointed in this book. I was excited when I ordered it, but it was not good at all. It was as if it were written for a young child. And the attempts at humor are not funny. It's so basic that it's ridiculous. They tell you how to blow your nose on the trail, pass a dog on the trail, etc. What a snore! Two thumbs down for this book. As a trail runner I thought it would be a good read. Nope, total waste of money.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Drawing were cute. If you haven't read a book on trail running, this is great. If you have, this rehashes much of the same stuff but with better drawings. Some good exercises are included near the end too.

[Aurinko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Si te gusta este deporte, te aconsejo este libro.



En muchas partes del libro, te sientes identificado por lo narrado, sea por los entrenamientos, las carreras, las formas de correr, anécdotas o incluso hasta por las cagadas que todos hemos cometido en alguna ocasión en una carrera o en entrenamientos largos.



Realmente te sientes identificado, si como digo, has practicado o practicas este deporte tan apasionantes.



También aprendes cosillas sobre este deporte, que te sirven para las salidas que hagas en montaña o carreras.



Divertido, lo recomiendo.

[Marta · Rating 3 out of 5]

si no te has iniciado en el running puede ser un buen libro, ahora, si ya prácticas ese deporte es un libro muy básico. demasiado basico. Algunas partes parecen surrealistas aquí en la zona donde vivo.
hacia al final cuando habla de entrenamientos es aprovechable. Me quedo con los tipos de entrenamiento que describe aunque esta parte es muy básica, me hubiera gustado que profundizara un poco más.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful read if you are planning on taking up trail running.

[Gene Coatney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fun, well laid-out book that is chock-full of information about trail-running.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book, but it really is for somebody who has never run before. It is extremely basic. I would suggest it to someone looking to get into running, but not a seasoned runner.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably a 3.5 stars

[Ta0paipai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, light, quirky page turner for beginners.

[Douglas Lord · Rating 5 out of 5]

This worthy, energetic little guidebook on getting outside and onto the trails is fun, funny, and lighthearted. Jhung, a journalist and experienced athlete[5], enthusiastically spreads the trail-runnin’ gospel. The whole affair is decidedly “light,” written for recreational-to-mildly serious folk. Twelve chapters are sharply organized for “how-to”(e.g., “Gear,” “Nutrition,” “First Aid”) and as a whole make scores of excellent points from finding trails in urban areas to making DIY screw shoes for icy conditions. A section on “Why trail running might really help you…” covers the expected, such as that a road runners’ joints and muscles will benefit from less pavement pounding, and the unexpected, such as that a basketball player will benefit from “increased and sustained cv stamina, increased muscular strength, [and a] mental break from team competition.” True dat. Common sense and keepin’-it-real advice is genuine, such as that while “there are no fashion rules in trail running,” readers should know that “[r]unning jackets are not all created equal. They come in a range of weights and functionality.” Jhung earns bonus points for not flogging products or brands and includes a chapter of those great kinds of exercises (e.g., standing arch lift, single leg split squats) that will enhance any athlete’s performance. Layton’s illustrations (that rhymes—say it) are a huge bonus—whimsical and informative, they really raise the book’s appeal. VERDICT A great choice for library collections as it is an excellent, pithy beginner’s guide and for championing the sport’s many benefits to everyone from soon-to-be ex-couch potatoes to elite road cyclists.

Find reviews of books for men at Books for Dudes, Books for Dudes, the online reader's advisory column for men from Library Journal. Copyright Library Journal.

[Paul Duffau]

For those looking for a good book to get introduced to trail running, take a look at Lisa Jhung's book TRAILHEAD. Alternately informing and funny, she's written a wonderful book for newbies and gristled veterans alike. Hjung delves into mud and snow and how to make cleats for handling ice, the different types of trails, gear, food, first aid, animal encounters (those two chapters are next to each other), and trail etiquette. It's easily the most comprehensive yet accessible book I've read on trailrunning.

Better yet from my perspective, she counts anyone who shuffles faster than a walk along a piece of dirt as part of the club. Worth checking out.

[Jo * Smut-Dickted * · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for beginning trail runner's that even more seasoned folks can learn from. There are fun drawings and this is a small size book so easy to pack with you. Some great common sense tips - perhaps a bit too beginner oriented for me however I did pick up a lot of new information so hence the higher rating. If you are thinking of running trails this is a great book to get that will give you pretty much all the info you could ever want as beginner - it's not necessarily inspiring but it is practical.

[Jenny O · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I bought it because I run trails. i wanted some wisdom and this little handbook delivers. great tips, good insight, good editing, kept me in it the whole time. And then I found my self recalling parts of it in my first and next trail runs.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the book in one sitting. As a road runner, I've been intimidated by trail running so I signed up for a trail race. I now feel prepared, especially for trail etiquette and potential hazards.

The book layout was fun and the information useful and up to date.

[Terzah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A useful primer on trail-running with whimsical illustrations and lots of good advice. I would have liked more personal anecdotes, "trail tales" from the author's experience.

[susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, quick and easy guidebook on trail running. Plenty of great advice for new runners, but also helpful sections for the more experienced readers as well.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not exactly what I expected, but cute nonetheless.