Trail Running!

 

What is it like when a day of running ends and I come down out of the mountains?
Though my thighs are not always able to lift the foot high enough, I am strong.
With my limbs caked with mud and my clothes soaked with sweat, I am clean.
Though fatigue pulses through every nerve, I am well rested.
With my skin torn from brambles and poking Balsam fir, I am whole.
I've been around for 46 years, but the mountains and I are eternal.
We will visit together as often as I can manage.
And one peaceful day, I will return home forever.

Damon Douglas (via Dick Vincent, RD Escarpment Trail Run)

Sounds cool….but I must confess…I am not much of a trail runner. Yeah, I’ve read “Born to Run”, and I’ve ran a few trail runs and races here and there, but trail running just never caught on with me.   Although I really enjoy the change of scenery and break from the hardness of the road under my feet, I don’t know, it just doesn’t stay “fun” for me as long as it seems to for others.  My mind starts to wander and next thing I know, thud, I am on the ground, or oops, I am lost. Apparently, there’s a focus aspect that I lack.  Not to mention the fact that I don’t like to get dirty.  I am not fond of mud, river crossings (or even puddles for that matter), or blood (particularly my own).  I really need to learn how to pick up my feet—I have that “marathon shuffle”, which works well for catching exposed roots and rocks. My husband says when I run in the dirt I look like “Pig-Pen”, with a cloud of dust around my feet.  I have what I believe to be a healthy fear of wildlife working against me as well. I’ve been known to let out blood-curdling screams over sticks that look like snakes.  I imagine if you run trails long enough you have wildlife “encounters” and somehow avoid death. Right? 

Don’t get me wrong—I think the trail running boom is a good thing. I love hearing race reports from the trail. My favorite story is Cindy Melder’s Western States 100 report.  Incredible!  I can’t even imagine running further than 26.2 miles (or should I say longer than 4 hours and 9 minutes)? Once I hit my time limit my mind shifts over to food, beer, sitting in a chair, anything but running! I’ve enjoyed the shorter distances offered at "The Rockledge Rumble" and Palo Duro (the 20K fun run), and I enjoy hitting the local trails from time to time. In fact, this Sunday I am heading out to the Oak Cliff Nature Preserve. I’ve never been out there before, and now is a good time, as marathon training hasn’t ramped up full force yet.  Sound fun? Let’s  go!!

Guess which shoes are mine?