The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
-Robert Frost
(Suck it up Princess. Pain is just fear leaving the body).
Running has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. Absolutely, hands-down, indisputably the best. Trail running has upped the anti on that by enormous volumes of "best". I started trail running this spring, and it was LOVE at first run. Previous to this spring introduction, I had stuck to the paved streets. They were reliable and I knew them well. In the past, I "off-roaded" only sometimes on the trail attached to the Kenilworth stairs close to my home, and the Rail Trail in the west end of the city for most of my marathon training in 2009. But it doesn't even compare.
We typically meet at entrances to the trails in Ancaster: The Old Mill restaurant parking lot, or at the Lions Pool off of Jersyville Rd. We do 10k on Thursday's, and anywhere from 15-25-30k on Saturday mornings. IT IS UNBELIEVABLE RUNNING! And HARD!. And often muddy! And one of the best things I can think of. The air is fresher, the atmosphere calming, the sights enchanting, the sounds stunning. So many times have I had to just stop in my tracks and take it all in. One Saturday morning in particular, where I was completing a 10k loop without any company, I found myself having to stop on three separate occasions to just sit on a log and listen to the song birds chirping away as they performed their morning duties. The sun was shining at such an angle that everything seemed to glow this pretty sparkly way. It was breathtaking.
There's also TONS of animals in there. Deer galore. Snakes (nearly stepped on one during one run, too). Chipmunks. Skunks. During one run just a couple Thursday's ago, which was also a run I was completing without any company, I saw no less than 7 deer in a matter of 20 minutes. They were either following me, plotting the stampede that would kill me, or protecting me... like in some sort of Disney movie where animals protect young women from the dangers of dangerous things. That night, there were no sounds to be heard, save for the sound of deer walking or trotting away in the bushes. The sky was overcast and there was not a single person to be found on the trail (normally I would have passed a couple walkers, or another group of runners or bikers at least). It was eerie, to say the least, and that day marked my fastest sprint to the parking lot I've ever ran.
But it's NOT easy. There's some flat spots, but the majority of these runs are up hill, down hill, quick this way, and quick that way. The ground is rarely even and a lot of the time you are forced to single file it down a narrow pathway because of some mud puddle right in the middle of the passage. The hills that make up trail running are the best hills for training, because they're steep and long, and some of the biggest challenges you can find ("The Three Sisters" is one example: It's three long and fairly steep hills connected to each other, each of which brings you to a new level on your way to the top. I'm pretty proud to say I've run these 3x's now without stopping!).
We all constantly trip on stumps, on uneven ground, in holes. The problem is I am a naturally clumsy individual. I have been known to walk into things with wide open eyes into things in plain view (not to self: ask doctor about potential inner ear problem). I've had many "near misses" since I started running trails, and surprisingly have been able to save myself from falling flat on my face and breaking a bone (I DID do this on a different occasion, however, when I first started running. It was a February night in 2008, and the parking lot at the Dofasco Rec Center was especially icy... I slipped on the ice and landed with my arm up and on my side. I fractured a rib on my right side, but still ran 8 laps on the track that night. And every week after that until now. CRAZY!). Today, I did not save myself from falling. Instead, I took part in the best fall I've had, WITHOUT breaking a bone (woo hoo!). Julie and I were nearing the last 1k of our usual 10k Thursday loop, and we were just chatting away when I turned my head in her direction, failing to see the large root sticking out of the ground. You know how falls often take place in slow motion, like a movie, even though it probably actually happens in half a second? Well, this was the slowest motion fall I've ever experienced... slower than Fractured Rib Day 2008. I actually heard Julie's voice in slow motion too. "OOooohhhh Nooooooo Chhrrriiiiissstiiiinnneeeeeee!". THUMP!!
I don't think I've ever made that vocal sound ever before today. It was like a barf sound and yelp at the same time. Peculiar. So I layed there for what seemed like forever, but was actually 10 seconds (needed to collect my pride... there was a middle aged woman biking by, oi!), and Julie helped me up. Yes! I'm covered in dirt on my whole right side! And now I am left with what I expect to soon be a lovely bruise on my right arm just below my shoulder, and a tender knee. Lucky for me I did not land on a rock... or face first in the ground or a tree! I also have a fairly high pain tolerance (which is good for injuries AND my job it seems!), and Julie was fairly impressed that I didn't cry, haha. It definitely hurts though.
Anyway, aside from the dangers of falling/tripping, and that one eerie night, trail running is one of my most favourite things that I have in my life. You're welcome to join me anytime :).
I am fairly passionate about running!
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