Trail Running 101

Webster Definitions

Trail: (noun) a marked or established path or route especially through a forest or mountainous region.

Run: (intransitive verb) to go faster than a walk; to go steadily by springing steps so that both feet leave the ground for an instant in each step

When you combine these two words you get something that pretty simple in meaning but slightly more complicated in action. Running on the street is fun, but if you really want to get off grid and connect with the run on an emotional level then get out into the woods and go for a trail run. Trail running is different than road running on several levels in that it is more physically and mentally demanding because you have to be more aware of your surroundings, but in focusing on the twists and turns of the trail you find yourself letting go and relaxing on your run

You shouldn’t wear headphones on the trail for a both safety reasons and to enhance the enjoyment of your trail runs. With your headphones on the trail you can’t hear those behind you and you can’t hear your breathing and your footsteps blending in to the sound of nature. Usually there’s no level terrain and the trail conditions can change at the drop of a hat so you always need to be aware of your surroundings. One misstep is not the end of the world, but you trip over a root or stump it might seem like it.

Slips, trips, and falls aside trail running like any other kind of running is an art form. There’s no right or wrong way to run the trails, and as long as what you’re doing is not interfering with what somebody else is doing then you’re doing it right. The art of trail running is open to interpretation just like any other art form is; where one runner might go left another might go right, but at the end of the day we are out there to create a masterpiece and that’s what matters

Getting out on the trails is a chance for you to get out and just be you for a while. You may not be able to get away from the stressors in your environment, but running out there on the trails is a chance for you to unplug from them for a while