Why trail running is both fun and beneficial

Trail running fun

Freedom - The first thing about trail running that you may notice as different than regular hiking or walking is the feeling of freedom that it gives. You are out there to move freely, to choose a pace that is unrestricted by walking and engages you with the terrain in a very direct way as you negotiate with hills, flats, bends, rocks, roots, water, and more. This freedom comes, in part, from making choices as you go. You need to make those choices quickly and won't be worrying about them - you just do it. You might also find that your mind, when running a trail, is freed from the distractions of the world. It is focused on helping you move safely and quickly, it is monitoring your breathing and heart rate, your temperature, the way your feet in your shoes are reacting to different angles, and all other functions of movement. In short, your mind and body are closely connected with a joined purpose that must be processed in the moment. You are free from other worldly concerns.

Quick wins - The potential for a short timeframe on a trail run makes for a feeling of accomplishment. You can say "I got out there in that fresh air, got my heart pumping, and enjoyed the beauty of natural world all at the end of an already busy day. I feel so much better that I did before I left!" Perhaps you do it in under 30 minutes for the run itself and even with your drive to the trail you are under an hour of total time invested. This is quite achievable if you have your running kit ready to go and are familiar with what you want to bring. For me this is a small backpack with water, maybe a snack, my wallet, my keys, my phone, and depending on the weather a warm shirt or windbreaker. That's it. Out the door and on my way!

Variation - Compared to running on a track or on the street, trail running gives you infinitely more variation. Each step can be thought out as you determine whether you want to step on that rock, over it, next to it, or some other option. For me, stepping ON rocks and roots add a lot of fun to the run. I do so thoughtfully to keep it safe by using clearly stable footing options, and I find the challenge of hopping rock to rock or root to rock much more fun than simply moving along with the same gate all the time. It is much more fun to hop up a steep hill from rock to rock than trying to avoid them. Also, the ups and downs of a trail run are usually much more frequent and varied in slope than a track or neighborhood. For me, I usually run the uphill parts, and walk the downhill to keep the pounding nature of downhill running off of my arthritic back. This keeps things interesting as I change my pace.

Benefits of trail running

Biomechanics - Varying terrain produces much greater range of biomechanical motion than running or walking on flat ground. Toes can splay to accommodate roots, pebbles, and other trail debris. Ankles are worked through pronation and supination due to the uneven ground to strengthen tendons and muscles. Knees are kept in nimble positions to bounce between obstacles. Hip flexion and peak power expenditure are increased as well, as shown in studies such this one by Voloshina et al (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4236228/). You might be surprised at how much ankle strength and flexibility you can gain, though you will want to be careful not to overexert yourself. Work into it slowly and you will enjoy the results much more in the long term.

Cardio - You might be getting your cardio on a rowing machine, elliptical, the track, or many other options created for that purpose. However, none of these are particularly exciting, in my view. That is why these options need ways to keep your attention off the actual exercise you are getting. They add reading stands, TV screens, etc. to keep you from getting board so that you can keep going. Trail running provides continuously varying scenery, requires constant adjustment of your gate, and generally keeps your mind body combination perfectly working together, all while raising your heart rate much like other exercise, except you get to do it on a beautiful trail.

Seeing more - A walk in the woods is certainly a wonderful thing. And a trail run lets you see perhaps 2 or 3 times more scenery than you would see if walking or hiking for the same amount of time. You don't have to go too long, generally, to reach an interesting destination, or to complete the loop you might not have had time for otherwise. For me, this is inspiring for the next time. What's more, the better shape I get into, the further and faster I can go, making additional destinations possible, or shrinking the window of time I need to get to a special spot.

Bonus Content

Check out these videos I made during recent trail runs to see what it looks like while running, walking, and pausing to enjoy the beautiful scenery:

• Cheatham hill loop

• Pigeon Hill to Kennesaw Mountain

Thanks for reading!