Last Sunday's long run represented a milestone for me. I finished a 16 mile trail run with my running buddy Christine! It's the farthest I've gone since I started running last June. I haven't run much on trails until recently, and I've found I really like it!
Trail running isn't as speedy as road running, but that doesn't mean it's easy. The trail's uneven surface requires you to use your leg muscles and core for balance, and the obstacles and hills prompt you to pick up your feet which strengthens your quads and glutes. I think over time trail runs will make me a stronger runner.
Trail runs bring another element to the standard road-running routine. They allow you to surround yourself with nature, forming a protective barrier from the car exhaust, noise, concrete, and buildings. Trail running reminds me of how running is supposed to be, a world that is not dominated by storefronts and sidewalks. Venture away from the roads and you'll find it in the narrow, worn footpaths that divide the parched plains teeming with nomadic wildlife, or the foggy country dirt path that smells of honeysuckle and hay, or deep in the forest mountains where the aroma of spruce and evergreen saturate the air and haunting echos of eagles call in the distance. There's adventure, beauty, and peace in these places, which brings a sense of accomplishment and general happiness in completing such a run. What we find in those trails is a different perspective and a place in the heart and mind that aren't accessible on suburban streets.
If I sound like I'm romanticizing trail running, maybe I am. Everyone experiences trails differently because we're looking for different things. Yet most of us who pursue those remote paths will find what we need along the way.
