Trail running forces you to slow down, smell the wildflowers

Trail running forces you to slow down, smell the wildflowers


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SALT LAKE CITY — Every trail runner has unique reasons for leaving the road.

For many, it's their love of nature and a sense of adventure that drives them away from the predictability of pavement and onto the ever-changing terrain of dirt.

For others, the move to trail was simply a necessity.

My first real trail run (outside of running on a very groomed course in high school cross-country meets), was at 2 a.m. during the Las Vegas Ragnar Relay three years ago. As luck would have it, I found myself on leg 24, a dry creek bed that had been washed out by a recent rainstorm.

The idea of running on a trail at night was thrilling.

The reality was frustrating, painful and extremely humbling.

I fell twice within the first half mile and had to alter just about everything, including my attitude to get through six miles of rocky, uphill terrain.

Oddly it was during this run (sometimes more of a speed hike) that my desire to run more trails was born.

First, I was shocked at how much agility and balance I’d lost to age. The old saying, “Use it or lose it” was now being hurled at me, and it did not feel good to realize I had become complacent in what I asked of myself.

I was a lackadaisical trail convert, at best. I daydreamed about running trails for months before I actually gave it another try. It wasn’t much more successful than my nighttime adventure.


I loved trail running because it was so much more engaging. If I daydream while I’m navigating a mountain trail, I fall. It requires me to pay attention.

It did, however, feed the fire.

I loved trail running because it was so much more engaging. One of the reasons I loved running was that I could get lost in my thoughts. If I daydream while I’m navigating a mountain trail, I fall. It requires me to pay attention, but not to my noisy life. I have to listen to what’s happening around me, and that allows me to see the breathtaking beauty that surrounds me, whether I notice it or not, every day.

Not only was the scenery a distraction from the effort required to stay upright on a rocky trail, suddenly mileage and time didn’t matter as much.

Maybe my favorite aspect of trail running is that it’s never the same. Like a lot of runners, I fall easily into ruts. I find loops or courses that I enjoy and I am satisfied to just improve my time run after run.

Trail running keeps me guessing. I have a favorite trail in Millcreek, and the view from the top changes drastically depending on the season.

It is in running the same trails that I realized I wasn’t really ever running the same path. It reminded me of a quote I saw on a picture long ago.

“No man ever steps into the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” — Heraclitus

It was on snowshoes last winter that I thought of that quote and how trail runners are lucky enough to experience that every day.

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This spring I ran the Ragnar’s Zion Trail relay, and interestingly, there were a lot of participants for whom this race was their first trail running experience. Unlike other races, the sponsors, like Nuun and Solomon, stayed the entire time offering support and advice to runners. Solomon even allowed runners to try shoes out on a run, an incredibly valuable service as trail shoes are the most important piece of equipment in which runners invest.

“A lot of people do think they can get away with road shoes, and I guess they can,” said Adam Chase, co-author of “Ultimate guide to Trail Running” and trail editor of Running Times. “It just enhances the quality of the experience.”

There are many ways first-time runners can get involved in trail races, and I suggest looking for races that offer a little more support than the typical trail race (another marked difference between the road and trail events). In August, there are two local events that will give you the support of a team and well-marked, well-supported courses — R-scape 18 Hours of Ogden and Ragnar's Snowbasin trail relay.

Chase offered first-time trail participants some great tips on Ragnar’s trail race site.

Some of my favorites — engage in power hiking, especially when the grade is particularly steep, and to that I would add, let your breathing and heart rate be your guide; think about your posture — an upright stance helps breathing, digestion and lower back strain; look up — staring at your feet inhibits the flow of oxygen. And to the last one I would add, looking down might, at times, be necessary, but looking up is the reward for all that hard work.

Trail running requires preparation and patience. Be sure to take water, a GPS device or phone, and a sense of adventure.

I would also add one more tip for those experiencing a trail run for the first time — be patient. Your time will slow, your breathing will be more labored and your muscles will burn in ways they haven’t since you started running. You might fall, and you may get lost.

But it gets better with every step — especially if you remember to look up occasionally.

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UtahLifestyle
Amy Donaldson

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