I Love Trails

I recall a friend sharing with me his 'wisdom' of cycling on both road and off-road. He said that mountain-biking gave him confidence in bike handling on the road, while road cycling boosted his cardio in the trails. Yesterday I found that insight coming true for me after the TNF 100 race.

My dear friend, Linda's, comment in response to my win, 'you really enjoy doing this right?' set me thinking. I guess as opposed to chugging in the open sea and gulping salt water? Yes, I would much prefer to be cruising across the open fields and jumping over rocks. The more I explore, the happier I get.

I love the mountains & trails, and I like long long runs. Putting the two together for trail ultras seems a natural step to take. So I am slow in road races, but the runs give me a strong cardio base, and I can endure. Afterall, one cannot really go too fast in the trails. I trek and climb, so footwork is not an issue. As a climbing friend puts it, trail involves a certain sense of balance of knowing where to put one's foot, transfer our body weight, and the confidence to go. That is something that the road does not train us for. That said, of course there are many outstanding road runners who do well in the trails too.

But perhaps the greatest difference lies in the mindset. I guess I approach trail running with the same attitude as climbing. One has to appreciate the nature, and meld with it. Expect the unexpected and learn to enjoy and deal with it. No trail is alike on any two runs - fallen branches, rearranged rocks, and mud pools. Enjoying the stones and puddles and that sense of exploration keeps one happy and sane on the run. Sure, there are parts where we curse the terrain and wonder why we ever paid to torture ourselves. But there is also a sense that it is pointless to grouse because nature is not going to budge. There is no bailout option either, especially if one is in the middle of nowhere nor near any evacuation point. Unlike a road run where life is a lot easier and comfortable. Sit down, report position, and a vehicle will pull up.

Looking at my experience with runs, I have a much better track record in ultras than normal runs. Especially trails. 3 out of 4 within the recorded rankings, of which 2 were trails. Perhaps I should just stick to what excites and fascinates me. :)