Trail Running

Today was a beautiful clear, winter's day. I could see the sunlight steadily spreading across the high valley sides, so Orchy and I set off on a trail run in the woods.

I love trail running with Orchy. He zooms ahead of me, looping around the forest, catapulting down the hillsides, whilst I steadily plod along the track. The forest trails are quiet, and I settle into my stride and my thoughts. I practice yoga to clear my mind, but running allows my brain to process life's going ons.

Finding new footpaths whilst trail running

 I stopped road running after completing the Inverness Half Marathon in 2018. I was in pain by mile 3, but I hobbled over the finishing line, chuffed to bits with my time of 1 hr 58mins. The pain was not solved by a hot bath, and following that race I wasn't able to run for months as I healed from greater trochanteric bursitis (aka lower hip pain). Once I did slowly start running again, I stuck purely to the trails, lessening the impact on my joints.   

Misty woods on rainy day trail runs

One of the many reasons I prefer trail running is the sense of adventure I experience. I find it is one of the best ways for me to explore my local area. I frequently find new footpaths - quiet little singletracks which go largely untrodden - and create new routes. I rarely see a soul.

Today felt quite special, as I tend to run in the rain, and I haven't seen the sun much lately. However, I love running through the misty forests, feeling like I've been transported to the Pacific Northwest. Despite the sunny weather today, the recent North Wales weather made itself obvious, as I spent most of the 8k squelching along with soggy feet.

Snowy running whilst training for the Inverness Half in 2018