 |
| Self Portrait. © Colleen Yorke, 2015. All rights reserved. |
In an age of uncertainty, of iPhones and Droids, running in
the woods is one thing we can count on.
Running on trails, surrounded by nature and sounds of birds chirping and
leaves rustling from the wind, allows us to return to ourselves. We focus on
twigs cracking under our feet, our breathing and heartbeats, while our thoughts
float away.
Trail running, so the saying goes, reduces injuries of
overuse, strengthens core muscles, and gives us a rush that road running just
cannot give us. Soaking in the essence of the forest results in an endorphin
release, which is very different from breathing in roadside fumes. However, we may also experience that the
trails soft, ever-varying surface causes us to fall flat on our face, because
we did not have the right shoes, we miss the tip of a buried rock, or we simply
got distracted by a rattle snake.
Yesterday I fell down twice, picking up dirt, coarse sand
and an impressively full-body array of cuts and bruises. Falling is humiliating and gratifying at the
same time. Falling down flat on our face
teaches us something. It stretches
us. We don’t have to fear it anymore. It
has happened and we are living it. And it is not as bad as we thought. We’re
still alive. So maybe since falling on our face didn’t kill us, we might go
ahead and try something else we’ve been considering but have been too afraid to
try. It took trail running to make me feel like a runner.
Here is what we need to know to hit the trails safely and
discover this wildly soothing side of running: First, get a pair of trail
running shoes. They offer a stronger,
protective sole and a better grip than most road shoes. Second, consider investing
in a few items such as mosquito repellent, sun block, chapstick, a camelback to
stay hydrated and protect the skin from getting snagged. And finally, keep our eyes on the trail in
front of us. Wild animals do live here.
Meet you at the trail head?!
