Dream Believe TRI Coaching and Clinics

Taking It To The Trail

Posted on Oct 4, 2010 by Kim Landrum   |  

Every year, as late September approaches, I feel a pull from the outdoors. I hear the wind, trees and trails calling my name in a way they didn’t all summer long. Students have settled into their fall semester schedules, football fans come by the thousands on alternating weekends and I feel a need to escape to the serenity of dirt-packed pathways and unexpected training adventures.

For the past nine months my weeks have been filled with strategic training sessions planned meticulously around a series of races. Most weeks have consisted of a mid-week interval session done on a track or treadmill (I live for the data!) and a longer weekend run through my neighborhood jammed somewhere between waking, laundry, parenting and housecleaning. The highly organized training plan was necessary to achieving my performance goals, improve my skill set and finish my season injury free. As my season winds down, I feel myself longing to leave the data of the treadmill behind and take the road less traveled. I find myself seeking new routes, running for time and tracking distance afterwards, and looking for races that will take me outside my comfort zone. I delight in the fact that at the end of my :70 or :80 run, I am nowhere near my car or house because I just RAN.

Every year, as the air cools and days get shorter, I head to the trails. Maybe it is an attempt to get as far from the football traffic as possible, or maybe it is something more primal. To me trail running represents freedom, peace, the unexpected -- even a little fear. You see, I hate snakes. I HATE snakes. The thought of encountering a snake on my run makes me a little fearful, and I like that. I like that a trail is never the same, that it is constantly evolving -- a good southern rain can dramatically alter the landscape. I like that when the leaves fall and cover the trail I have to focus so directly on the path that I stop thinking about the bills I have to pay and the dirty dishes in the sink. I like that when I go off road I am either accompanied by a friend I don’t see nearly enough, or one of my three dogs. I like that two minutes into a trail run I am already winded from a steep uphill climb or jumping over half a dozen fallen trees and two creeks. I like that even though you plan TO run on a trail, you can’t plan THE run on a trail. Each one is different. Some are messy and require band aids afterwards, some are muggy; some are quiet and contemplative and some are crazy inspired.

Aside from the mental benefits I get from running off road, trail running provides a huge boost to my overall fitness level. Among the benefits are increased lower body strength (think hamstrings, quads, glutes and calves) and a hearty workout for the heart and lungs. Additionally, trail running improves balance and core strength due to the constant adjustments to body position as you climb, jump, hop and descend. And my joints appreciate the softer surface since dirt absorbs more shock than asphalt or pavement.

If you are seeking an adventure, change of scenery or simply more oxygen, then hit your nearest state park or botanical gardens. If you aren’t familiar with a particular trail, make sure to consult the trail map before you head out on your way. Always let someone know where you are headed or better yet, run with a friend or two. Trail running is great for your four-legged friends as well so bring them along when permitted; be sure to check the leash rules before letting yours run free. Enjoy the freedom and mental benefits of being in nature and, oh yes, watch out for the snakes!

To enlarge photos, click on the image

Out on the trail with man's best friend

Running downhill gives a quick rush

Running up the trail