Trail Runs

It's times like these in the cold winter months that I really miss summer training, especially the trail runs. You'd wake up in the morning and drive up to the canyon, you step out of your car into the cool, crisp, clear, canyon air ready to run. Your team is all around you and you start warming up excited with the anticipation of racing up the mountain. Your warm up is done and you stretch, again surrounded by the pristine mountain air as the sun begins to creep up over the mountain to rest warmly on your back. The stretching is done and your adrenaline begins to rage full force as you contemplate the many hills that lay before you. You begin and immediately you're going up a hill your mind blocks out everything except the thought of getting to the top. Trees flash by you as you get on your toes and power up the hill. Raspy breathing surrounds you, you've reached the top, but wait that was only the beginning, more hills await you. You nimbly dodge rocks, ever pushing, mind always on the goal, reaching the top. As the hills appear before you again and again you begin to wonder will it ever end, you begin to slow, but then a voice from behind you speaks up between breaths. "I'm coming for you, what are you going to do about it?" It's coach, you can't let him beat you, you reach down within you and draw out every last ounce of strength to push, push out the pain and move up the hill. You surge ahead legs and lungs burning as your body screams out in protest of the punishment you're forcing it through. You see the last hill and your whole body refocuses on the goal, the top. Legs pumping, arms swinging you push over the final crest and see your reward, you've reached the top, the pain is over, you are victorious.

That's why I love trail running.