Running for most is like marmite. You either love it or hate it. You either get it or don't have the craziest idea why so many people are obsessed with it. For some who dip their toes into the sport, their life will change completely. Surplus money at the end of the month will be spent on new shoes; holidays will be centred around running races and events and friendship groups will consist of members of different running clubs.
This article isn't to try and persuade you to become obsessed with the sport like me, but simply to point out some of the factors which made me fall in love with trail running and encourage you to give it a go too.
1. Connecting with outdoors and nature 🏞️
I have always loved being outdoors as much as possible, and surrounded myself in all kinds of nature; fields, forests, mountains, beaches and cliff tops. Growing up with horses, as a child I was outside A LOT. As life went on and inevitably I ended up in an office job, I craved being outside at every opportunity, whether it be an early morning walk, a lunchtime jog around St James Park in London or a mountain bike ride at the weekend.
Running for me used to be purely an intense form of cardio, to kick my metabolism into shape and give me an intense fitness shot. It didn't matter where the run happened, as it was purely enduring the activity rather than actually enjoying it. As soon as I started running on trails, however, this all changed. The penny finally dropped and I realised I could exercise, whilst being in beautiful surroundings.
This sounds like such a simple solution, but it somehow felt like such a radical shift, but one which made such a huge difference with my love for running. Instead of hating my runs - I get a 241; great exercise and immersion into nature.
2. A form of meditation 🧘🏼
There are many different forms of meditation. Yoga, breathing exercises and mindfulness to name a few. If you've tried some of these techniques, you may know which ones work best for you and the ones which have less positive results.
Having a fairly overactive mind, I've always found it difficult to relax and unwind. Even when it was time to switch off, I would always have a niggling thought or a mad project occupying my thoughts. Trail running gave me the space to switch off my mind, in ways I've never been able to before. The physical effort of running on trails, takes a fair degree of concentration and effort, but coupled with technical terrain, undulating elevation and ever-changing nature, you have the perform combination to work out the body and relax the mind, all in one.
The feeling after a trail run is something like no other. A satisfaction after pushing yourself to physical limits. A rush of endorphins from the brutal exercise. An intense dopamine hit. A relaxation of the mind from being immersed in a journey through nature. This feeling is something which really makes me feel alive. I have light behind my eyes, energy and a general zest for life - and a spring in my step follows (unless it's been a very tough run, then this is simply a metaphoric 'spring')!
3. To be kind to my body 🙏🏽
Pounding pavements is a common way to start running. In terms of energy, running on pavements vs trail is arguably so much easier, but at the expense of putting strain on the body.
I am no health professional, so this part is purely from my own experiences. If you're starting running and concerned about the impact of running on the pavement, please talk to a healthcare professional. From my running experience, the harshness of pavements over time, can lead to niggles and injuries, such as runners knee of shin splints. I've had both - runners knee was much easier to heal, but shin splints have been haunting me for many years.
Switching to running on trails will immediately feel challenging. There are so many elements which make trail running harder. The terrain, hazards (such as tree roots, rocks, steps) and elevation (which anecdotally will be more undulating than a road run). Trail conditions make a huge difference too, for example during summer, a bone dry trail may feel as easy to run on as a section of road, but come winter when the trail is covered in mud, this will be a completely different story.
This probably doesn't sound like a very convincing sales pitch. making the switch to trail running will be challenging to start with, but I guarantee it'll be worth it and your body will also thank you.
4. To cover ground...more quickly 💨
Over the last few years, I have travelled solo A LOT. This experience has been great but after many hours of hiking on my own and so much time to think, sometimes I enjoy switching it up. Hiking and walking have so many benefits, but doing these activities on my own, after 10km or so, if the scenery isn't completely mind blowing or the terrain isn't super challenging, I hate to say it but sometimes I do get a bit bored.
Running is perfect in these circumstances as it is still possible to cover a similar distance, but more quickly, meaning there is less time to get bored and more time for other activities too.
5. Less about pace and more about the journey 🛤️
One element of running which I've always hated, is the constant emphasis on pace. I understand so many people are keen to improve, achieve PB's and increase their pace, but for me, this sucked the enjoyment out of a sport. The high of achieving a PB is like no other, but when I left a park run feeling disappointed, that I had ran the course 1 minute slower than the week before, I knew it was time to shake things up.
Of course time does matter to some extent with trail running, but it's almost impossible to compare time and pace in this discipline, because there are so many external factors. Terrain, trail conditions, elevation and weather conditions are just a few key factors. For example, the same 10k course in summer where the trail is bone dry, will be completely different in the depths of winter, with mud and other elements to contend with.
Instead of obsessive on pace, I started to see each run as a journey. Enjoying sections, celebrating wins in different ways. For example, running up a hill in it's entirety when the previous week I had to walk up it all. I discovered that my runs didn't have to be an exhausting feat the whole time, but instead a journey to see different parts of the world.
I hope this has given you some inspiration of how amazing trail running can be and maybe you'll fall in love with it, just as much as I have. Happy running and exploring :)
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