5 great reasons NOT to run trails

5 great reasons NOT to run trails…

Trail Series part one – warming up to trails.

I love trail running – so much so that I can’t imagine anyone NOT loving trail running.  But, as I was out running this week I was forced to consider that some people might not like trail running.

I would be doing you a disservice by launching into one of my hyper-active, glowing sales pitches on trail running.  You would be better served with a more balanced presentation of the good and bad of trail running.

Maybe you might take to trail running if I set your expectations properly.

I have brainstormed all the reasons why you should HATE trail running.

1. Trail running is hard and takes some time to adapt to.  When you take up trail running you will be forced to run in conditions that are sometimes much more challenging for you.  Your legs and ankles will be taxed in ways they have not been.  Your expected paces will be 30 seconds to a minute or slower than on the road.
2. Uneven surfaces.  You probably don’t have to worry about logs and rocks and stumps down at the local track.  On the trails you will have not only roots, rocks and stumps, but you will have drastic uphill climbs, downhill scrambles, tilted cambers on the sides of ridges, loose gravel, sand, dust, open water and bubbling pools of stinky mud.
3. Biting, scratching and poisonous plants.  You will sometimes have to share your trails with cacti, wild rose bushes and poison ivy.  All manner of vegetation is looking to reach out and make your life miserable.
4. Bugs and wild animals.  Where I live I can outrun the mosquitoes but I can’t outrun the deer flies and all summer they like to lunch on me.  In some trails you will need to know how to deal with coyotes, beers, moose, wolves and mountain lions.  You might also have encounters with skunks and porcupines.  You need to share the road with the local fauna.
5. Risk of isolation and attack.  You are out in the deep, dark, scary forest alone.  You could run into some unsavory characters who want to do you harm and no one would be around to hear you scream.   Your cell phone might not even work.  You could get lost. You could fall off a ridge or into an arroyo and maybe all they will find is your bleached bones.

Then why would anyone run trails?

You’ll have to wait until next week – but I’ll tell you that there is a joy and communion with the universe that I find nowhere else.

Life is about adventure and exploration.  If you are one of those small and timid souls who live in a world of scarcity and search ceaselessly for the next bad thing that COULD happen to you then you’ll find it regardless of where you run.  (but, if that’s you, you are probably not a runner to begin with.

And thus we begin our series on trail running.  Each of these things may be a risk, but we will talk about how to mitigate them over the next few weeks and how to stay safe, healthy and happy on the trails.