Trail running is all it's cracked up to be.
It was 7:30pm. I laced up my shoes. Still sore from the previous days soccer match, I was hesitant to get out for a run, though I knew it would only take me a short mile to loosen up and feel comfortable in my stride. The sun had already set but the sky was still radiating shades of blues, oranges and reds. With a quick step out the door, I breathed in the air, fresh with flowering scents that reminded me of summer in Indiana. My pattering feet took me to Baltimore Canyon. The air was still and quiet, giving me a feeling of complete solitude. Winding my way through tall redwoods and ferns that covered the forest floor, I focused my attention on the ground beneath my feet. Small roots jutted out of the littered path, mottled with rocks of various shapes and sizes. The wind whispered quietly to me and I listened with curiosity. Lost in thought, my mind wandered aimlessly through images of mountainous landscapes, rushing rivers, home, an undefined future. The purity of thought when left in peace is so great and for me is only found when running. As I quickly and quietly stepped over a narrow channel, the trail changed direction to parallel a babbling creek. Wind and water now danced songs in my head. I hadn't realized but darkness was slowly creeping in. The trail opened to a small meadow, and looking up provided me with the last glimmer of light from the day. A few more steps, and I was lost in darkness again, left trusting the feel of my feet on the ground. My toes curled around sticks and twigs. I felt so light, bounding in what felt like a world that resisted the pull of gravity. My senses, even more awakened now, brought new life to my surroundings and more energy within me. An energy that had me racing the day, the light, my breath, my feet. And just like that, the world opened up.
My runners high doesn't happen at any particular mile. It happens at every mile.
I will be running in the Big Basin Trail Marathon June 8th in efforts to raise money for my year abroad working as an unpaid volunteer intern for Grassroot Soccer. It will cost me roughly $40/day to live. Donate $40 to my cause, and I will dedicate a mile to you!
Not quite the wooded trail I talk about above... but the beach is a sandy trail :)