The Unpaved Trail

06
Jul
2011
By

It is on the trail that life makes sense to me. The cadence of my feet on the dirt…dancing over roots…jumping from rock to rock…the steep climbs…the single track path. I feel alive and whole in this place; away from concrete walkways, street lights and perfectly manicured lawns. Out on the trail, I push aside everything society tells me I need and am gripped by an almost indescribable natural and instinctive connection to the earth.

In the introduction of  The Ultimate Guide To Trail Running, by Adam W. Chase and Nancy Hobbs, trail running is described as an “opportunity to retreat from the masses, to escape to a place of tranquility where your mind may wander without any concern for traffic. The distraction of having to scout each footstep can lull you into a peacefulness that cannot be found in a paved and populated environment.”

I am enchanted by the trails.

Fortunate to live less than 10 miles away from one of California’s great state parks, I do a lot of trail running. I have easy access to miles and miles of both wide fire roads and technical single track trails. Countless running routes await me out there, and my path depends on who my running partner is that day…or even if I have one. I run portions of the Western States trail, and I run in (and then back out of) the canyon – Tough runs that are not for beginning trail runners.

Where are your trails? I want to see where your dirt path leads.

This is what I propose: Send us a photo of your favorite trail run. Describe its location and what it does for your soul. Include your name, Twitter handle and city, and once a month, we’ll post a couple of these hot spots. You can send the photo and information in an email to brady@lovingtherun.com.

If you’ve never been trail running, maybe these photos will peak your curiosity, and you’ll want to give it a try. If you’re a veteran trail runner, maybe these photos will call you to do some traveling and experience them for yourself.

There is magic out there on the trails. It’s just waiting to be experienced.

  • http://lovingthebike.com Darryl is Loving the Bike

    I love this idea, Brady and Kelly…..so much that we’re going to do the same sort of thing over at http://www.lovingthebike.com.  We’ve started “On the Bike” and are looking for people to send us a picture, map, and description of their favorite cycling route from around the Country…and the World.

    Thanks for thinking of this and I look forward to seeing all the great submissions over here.

    • http://www.twitter.com/chmpgnepolitics Kelly

      Excellent idea, Darryl! We all come from such amazing places…and these places mean so much to us as runners and cyclists, it’d be crazy not to share them with those who share our passion. Often, a single picture “is worth a thousand words.” It has the power to evoke great emotion, intense passion and a daring drive. Don’t you think?

      I’ll be watching your site too!

    • http://twitter.com/bgervais Brady

      Kelly is the brilliant mind behind this one! Looking forward to seeing this development on your site!

  • http://twitter.com/bgervais Brady

    Kelly…you are right on with this post. Like you, I can lose myself in the run, especially a trail run where I don’t have to worry about cars or a bunch of runners and cyclists. There’s no better feeling.

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