An Invitation/Suggestion for People Who Are Either New Runners, or People Who Haven’t Really Explored Trail Running…... Yesterday a group of us did a VERY pleasant trail run out at Pine Haven, which is a nearby system of trails, hills rivers and ponds. There are essentially endless miles which could be traversed there, at whatever pace someone could muster. This particular group was a subset of a larger group soon to be running a trail marathon in Moab, Utah. We don’t have many hills here in Midland, Michigan and so from time to time we need to do this sort of thing. Admittedly, it takes a little more effort and time to achieve these runs, a person has to have the confidence to read and understand maps, at least a little bit. Trail running is known for many elements and one of which is not entirely being sure of where one is….This is usually not a big deal as long as you’re headed in generally the right direction, and most places I’ve been in, so far, are large preserves, bounded sooner or later, by main roads, or even highways…..Worst case scenario, you get to one of those, and figure out eventually where you are. Not always do we find ourselves with the luxury of that degree of flexibility in terms of time and running companions (I’m nowhere near comfortable doing this sort of thing by myself). I’ve been running for more than a decade now, and have enjoyed many different types of running conditions. I’ve been on sand, concrete, asphalt, dirt trails and have run in rain, wind, hail, snow and in temperature ranges from 100 degrees F, down to as low as negative 6 (not including the wind chill). So with all that as a baseline from which to choose favorites, there’s no question that trail running is by far my favorite. People who are new to running rarely start with trails. Aside from the high school kid who for whatever reason finds him or herself on a cross country team, most people I know attempt their first runs out on the roads. The knock on running, at least as far as I’ve heard from people who haven’t really liked it that much is that they find it “boring” or that they don’t like feeling out of breath, or that it hurts their knees/hips/back/feet…. My belief is that many of these people would like running a lot more if they’d have tried trail running first. On the trails, there are many opportunities to vary one’s pace…you have to. You also are much more focused….you need to think about where you are, you need to keep an eye on your feet, and you are more or less in constantly changing conditions. There’s all sorts of stuff to look at. There’s very little wind. You don’t have to be as consumed with “how fast” you’re going….and frequent stops to assure where you are and where you might choose to go next, allows for the opportunity to catch one’s breath. There are many other muscle groups which are engaged, and with that, one’s core and stabilizer muscles are developed in such a way that rather than taking the relentless pounding which is a feature of hard surface running, I come away from the trails feeling like I enjoyed a deep tissue massage, and feel much stronger in general and more resilient to injury. True enough, the one significant injury I’ve incurred in more than a decade of running came on the trails……But one ankle sprain in all this time was a small price to pay for all the benefits which have been realized by my mind and body. As anyone who enjoys trail running will tell you….When you’re into it fully, the trails give you an all inclusive high. For me, it’s almost like a state of enlightenment……my mind, breath and body are fully engaged. I’m everywhere and nowhere. One with the woods, as it were, and when you’re with a group, you all merge to some degree as well. People call out warnings about roots, rocks, potentially tricky or pointy obstacles of any sort. Every now and then…and you can’t force it, it just comes…..it becomes like a dance, and everyone is in synch. You’re a pack. It’s very primal. And then there’s the food. We don’t use stuff in foil….No Gu or that sort of stuff. Not that you can’t eat that sort of thing….but after a short while you won’t want to. We eat real food. Potatoes, sandwiches, fruit, crackers, cookies….anything you can carry that packs some easily digestible fuel, along with some salt…..and everyone shares. Our group yesterday did a little over eleven miles altogether. We had a certain amount of available time and used it accordingly. Thanks to Tim’s keen awareness and experience at Pine Haven, everyone finished up with ample time to get on with their day, and I think we each gained some confidence for our upcoming marathon in Moab. If you haven’t tried trail running yet, consider giving it a try. And once you’ve tried that, consider signing up for a trail running race. There was an excellent one held at Pine Haven recently which offered both 5 and 10K options which would be perfect for someone new to the trail experience. As an aside, I’ll say that as someone who’s been in quite a few racing events over the years, it doesn’t take long to notice a difference in the types of runners comparing the road vs. trail types. Though many, like me, certainly can do both, the hard core types of each discipline look quite distinct…..The road guys dress differently and have a different body type than the more hippie looking trail types. Not saying one’s better than the other…just different. I kind of like the laid back atmosphere and attitudes of the trail sort….but that’s just me. At this stage of my life, I’m less about the speed and more about the experience…. There’s just so much to see and do on the trails, and so much to learn…..For a guy with a very short attention span, like me, the trails are definitely where I want to be. Give it a shot, if you haven’t yet given them a try. MTACCG
Posted on: Sun, 05 Oct 2014 12:05:41 +0000
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