An easy response would be to say something along the lines of » because it is the purest form of exercise « and leave it there, and whilst that is partly true, the actual answer is a little more complex. Get your popcorn ready!
Go where your energy is reciprocated, celebrated and appreciated.
Let me start by praising the community. Trail runners are so welcoming and kind. As a breed that often push themselves beyond fatigue and pain (and sometimes beyond reason), they remain the most humble of all. It is captivating to experience, inspiring to be in company with, and perhaps what drew me in further.
Preconceived opinions
If you are a runner, chances are that you at some point have been asked what you are running away from. Sadly, there is a common misconception that many runners are using the miles to escape something in their lives that they do not want to deal with in a normal manner, and where some might use the time spent on the trails as a numbing coping mechanism, I would like to think that the majority choose to use their trail time to blossom and to grow, maybe unconsciously, but nevertheless.
Non-runners are not able to comprehend the desire to run for hours on end — let alone having to also carry a pack with water, snacks and spare layers. Sometimes in the rain! And perhaps this is why many deem endurance running a miserable activity altogether.
Why would anyone choose to spend 4 hours running through unpleasant weather on a Sunday, when you could be warm and snug indoors whilst eating cookies? I know what I would prefer, but I would obviously put a couple of those cookies in my pack for a mid-run snack.
Another reason for the lack of understanding could be that the non-runner’s perspective of running is entirely negative. Running is seen as a chore rather than a pleasure. Something they were forced to do in PE back in the day, or a painful necessity when they only have seconds to catch the tube.
I am not here to judge anyone whatsoever, I too used to really dislike running. In fact, I would almost go as far as saying that I hated it. How things have changed...
Me running away from both the start line and the photographer at the Maverick Race Original Dorset 2020
Curiosity is the engine of achievement
One could say that I got into trail running out of curiosity. I was searching for a challenge. An adventure. I was not sure exactly what I was looking for, but it turned out that trail running was the perfect combination of those two.
Running by its very nature creates an exceptionally rich setting for focusing on the present moment. In a world where a lot of people are so caught up in their past or their future, being out there and experiencing ’the now’ feels nothing less than amazing.
Simply plodding along on the trails enables me to use the mental space that running naturally provides to minimise the cluttered thoughts that build up in my mind. It delivers the perfect opportunity for both freedom and tranquillity.
A good trail run can recharge my batteries ahead of a busy day, or after a long week of work, even those 20-miles-and-beyond runs, as odd as that might sound to some.
Pain is merely a cortical phenomenon.
Pain is inevitable — yet suffering is optional
Modern day life is essentially a place where we do not have to suffer, and a place where we do not have to be uncomfortable unless we choose to. By avoiding being uncomfortable we simply seize our growth because the secret to progress lies in our struggles.
Pain is inevitably a part of the journey of being an endurance runner, and perhaps the most common experience in long distance running — closely followed by the feeling of joy, of course! However, one thing you must understand is that whilst pain is unavoidable, suffering is optional. It all comes down to your perspective.
If you learn to separate your perception of the interpreted pain as being negative, you will have cracked the code to your true potential. Not only can this make you a better runner, it also translates to other aspects of your life.
Maverick Race X Series in Snowdonia back in September 2019. Brutal but also absolutely stunning — the best of both worlds!
Allow yourself to have the courage to explore the vast depths of the impossible, until you have found a possibility, and let the acceptance of normality be outweighed by your curiosity of what in fact is possible. Your mind is the athlete!
She was not born herself. She found herself over a long and treacherous road, and the more treacherous the road became, the more of herself she found.
Trail running has taught me the valuable lessons of patience and gratitude. Such values will help me a long way in a sport where discomfort is a guarantee.
It has also made me connect with nature in ways that I otherwise might not. I get to see the most beautiful sunrises and the wildlife in their natural habitat, and I get to feel the rain and the warmth of the sun on my skin, to name a few.
It makes me feel happy, empowered and resilient. It gives me a deep sense of contentment and can at times leave me speechless. I feel like I have found my purpose in life and I am very grateful to have stumbled upon this, at times, muddy discovery.
Can trail running be a religion?
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