Why Run on Trails?

It is a crisp morning, dew turns to fog and floats gently above the ground. Birds and rabbits rustle in the brush. The hillsides and canyons glow as the sun rises. You run swiftly along the soft trail and enjoy magnificent views of the surrounding mountains. In the cool canyons, you cross gurgling streams protected under a lush canopy of trees. This is a typical trail running experience.

What is so special about running on trails? Everyone has their own unique answer. Trail running is a delightful way to get away from it all. Many of us live in big cities with all of their comforts and annoyances. Running on trails provides a welcome opportunity to leave this hectic environment and enjoy nature. The peaceful settings free you from distractions and allow you to think more clearly. Energized after the run, you are ready to face the daily challenges that may await you back at home.
Trail running is a grand adventure. You experience the wilderness and its perpetual changes, the extremes of heat and cold, and the changes caused by fire, erosion, landslides, and fallen trees. You will see the seasonal changes firsthand, the colorful wildflowers of spring, the filling and drying out of streams, the leaves turning from green to red and falling off branches, and the grasses drying out and turning brown. Regular visits over the year allow you to enjoy these beautiful processes.

There is something special about an early morning trail run. As you go up hills and down canyons, you become transported both physically and mentally. The every day concerns fade away and the next well-planted step is all that matters. The surrounding landscapes are always interesting.

Because you are away from motor vehicles, the air is cleaner and there are no inhibiting traffic lights. Coyotes, deer, rabbits, fox, squirrels, snakes, frogs, and birds are commonly encountered when you are out on the trails. Watching wildlife going about their natural activities is always a special experience.

Running exclusively on pavement typically limits you to predictable hard surfaces. However, trails may have challenging obstacles such as tree roots, rocks, boulders, low hanging branches, blind turns, steps, ruts, mud, stream crossings, overgrown weeds, poison oak, wildlife, and steep hills. It is a challenging adventure and the irregular surfaces and steep hills strengthen additional muscles and firm up tendons, ultimately making you less prone to injury.
Trails are softer and more forgiving than concrete and spare our bodies undo wear and tear. This difference is especially obvious on longer runs. Many runners report much less soreness after running long distances on trails verses running even shorter distances on pavement. This may be because of several factors, such as the generally slower pace, and the softer and more varied surfaces, which distribute the work across all your leg muscles. There also is less mental fatigue because you are not concentrating so much on running but instead on the surroundings and your thoughts.