I love to run the trails — mountain running too. It is my new addiction in the race circuit and all my adventures in the trails get me ready for the next race. At the same time I get to run amongst the trees, the rocks, the mud and swamps…. the beauty of the forest… when you hike you take it all in — when I run it is SUPER charged! My best pace in the run of late has been in the low 9 minute per mile mark — which is pretty fast when you consider you are dodging all the rocks, sticks, stumps, mud and blackberry bushes! 🙂 And it is always HILLY on the trails I run – so I am pretty proud of my progress out there!
Pros & Cons of Trail & Mountain Running
As you see – I decided to put the cons first and end on a high note! Please comment and let me know what you like about walking or running or enjoying hiking in the trails. I love them! Everyone of these cons is view as a Challenge to me!
Cons (Challenges):
1. It is always a slower pace in the trails, because of the obstacles and the number of twists & turns and therefore “shows” a slower run when you are in it and the trees are FLYING by it feels so fast!
2. Mud – means needing to hose off Oakley and me and my shoes when we are in “wet” season – which is all but August, September & October around here! 🙂
3. Sticks – in the trail can trip you and twist you and scratch you and take you DOWN! I have gotten into quite some crazy falls because of tripping on a stick!
4. Rocks – I have fallen on rocks, twisted ankles on rocks and have shown ROCK rash on my arms, knees & legs. I love rocks and how they look in my back yard, not on my body! 🙂 But I love to run on rocks, so what are you going to do? 🙂
5. Falls – I hate to fall, but have hit the dirt so many times bruising my palms. It really hasn’t been that often but I run the trails every day so … yes… I crash —
6. Brush & trees in the trail — there is a HUGE need to trail blaze in our trails, there is tree limbs sticking out in the trail and I spend so much time batting them from my eyes (which yes I have been poked several times and scratched my face too). There are blackberry bushes that I actually duck under in one spot, but they are nasty! Need to get out there and clean it up as it will make a nicer run. 🙂
