Trailrunning 101

Fitness: Can you run on a road for an hour? Then you're probably in shape for a trailrun. If your regular run is relatively flat, be sure to walk the steep parts on your first trailrun. Gear: As they told you on your first-year trip, cotton kills. Next to your skin, wear fabric that wicks moisture away. Best shirt material: Capilene. A windbreaker is a good idea, even in fairly mild weather. Tie it around your waist. Running shorts are fine, but wear running tights if the temperature is below 40. Your regular running shoes will suffice. If your ankles are weak, protect them by wrapping them in tape. Or consider buying a pair of trailrunning shoes, which are constructed to prevent your foot from rolling side to side.

Food and drink: Carry a holster with a bottle of water. Powdered Gatorade, mixed with water at half strength, is a good idea for longer runs. And most experienced trail runners carry a packet or two of high-energy gel. It's a great restorative when you start to "bonk," or run out of your body's store of glycogen.

Poles? Maps? Go right ahead, if you don't mind lugging them for a couple of hours. But one of the joys of trailrunning is minimalism; you're liberated from the beast-of-burden feeling of backpacking. —J.H.