This post probably isn't what you were expecting. It is not a definitive list of Trail running essentials. But more of a way of thinking about, what is really essential? As always, challenge me, think about what is written and discuss it with me. I love hearing all of your thoughts.
The essentials of Trail Running have been bothering me for a while. They’re something that on one level are identical for us all, yet on another level are completely varied, subjective and personalized. This was confirmed when I asked you all this week ‘what are your Trail Running essentials?’ Sure, certain themes emerged (food, shoes, scenery, friends). Yet, some things didn’t come up (a good jacket), whilst other items that I feel are often redundant did come up (staple gun… o wait that’s just for us course layers). So I thought a little more about how to include all these ‘essentials’, and have decided to accompany the normal anecdotes of my own trail basics with a little academia to create the worlds first ‘Trail Running Hierarchy of Needs’.
The original Hierarchy of Needs was developed as a theory of Motivation (Maslow, 1943). The main idea of the theoretical hierarchy is to describe a typical journey of how the essential things we need change, from when we start a new skill, to when we master that skill. The theory states that you ‘need’ the items at the lower levels first. Once you have those things, then and only then can you satisfy the ‘needs’ higher up. Looking at the original hierarchy (see the image below) , it shows that the needs in the order that they must be satisfied are; physiological needs, safety need, love and belonging need, esteem needs and finally self-actualization.
Physiological needs refer to basic biological requirements in order to survive (food, drink shelter, clothing, warmth). Safety needs refer to protection from the elements, and a freedom from fear. Love and belonging refers to the need for interpersonal relationships, we are all social beings after all. Esteem needs refer to our want to feel successful and lastly is the need for Self-actualization, which is the ultimate goal and the ‘essential’ of searching for peak experiences.
Put in basic terms the first essentials when taking up a new skill are; am I warm, am I safe? If those are satisfied you can immerse yourself in the next level of essentials and ask yourself, do I belong and am I good at this? Lastly we can then seek out our peak experiences.
I’m sure some of your quick thinking brains have skipped ahead and can see how these needs link to Trail running. So, I now propose a world first, a Trail Running Hierarchy of Needs.
Physiological needs in the case of Trail running refer to the items that will ensure you are physically capable of getting outside and enjoying the Trails. So at this level the essentials I suggest are, a healthy, energized, well nourished body, an old t-shirt, an old pair of shorts and your gardening trainers. Trail running really is that accessible to everybody.
Safety needs in the case of Trail running refer to the items that will ensure you are protected from the elements of the trails. So the essentials I suggest at this level are a decent pair of trail shoes that provide sufficient grip and protection. A good windproof jacket (waterproof if you have the cash), a buff and a hydration pack. These four items will ensure that you are able to enjoy the trails free from fear (fear of getting lost, doesn’t count). In many cases some new runners skip to getting all the kit, before ensuring their physiological needs are met. Don’t be those people, you will probably get injured, and it will hurt.
Love and belongingness is the next level of essentials. In the case of Trail running these refer to our wonderful Trail running community. Yes, the support, friendship and camaraderie we have here is essential, however for me it only came after I had sorted out my own physical and safety essentials. The wonderful world of Maverick Race and everything they live and breathe does indeed feel like a basic requirement in my trail running life. However if I didn’t have the physical ability to bound through the trails free of fear, I would never have had been able to call that barmy bunch my bare necessities.
Now the next two levels I personally dip in and out of. I certainly don’t always have the self esteem to answer ‘yes, I’m good at this’, however I do always strive to have the ambition and aspirations to be better, do more and seek out those peak experiences.
The essentials when we all get to these top two levels are to be kind to ourselves, confident in our abilities and then enter the damn race. Stop hovering over the entry button and just do it. Use your foundation layer essentials as your support and push yourself to get more from you and your trail running.
I hope you can all see that all of your suggestions are indeed essentials in Trail running, but at different times. In line with the hierarchy, we need the things at the bottom first. Once we have those we can move on and bag the next ones. I personally feel very lucky that I have the opportunity to access almost all of these essentials on a daily basis. I think that is why I adore Trial running so much, because even on days where I feel a little bit crap, I still have all the other things that are ‘essential’ in my trail running to boost me back up and remind me that really, it’s all ok.
Happy Running
E