A much needed trail run..

As a kid growing up in the high desert of the American Southwest, I always loved  trail running and hiking in the foothills and the mountains.  Albuquerque has a spectacular backdrop in the Sandia Mountains.  The foothills of the Sandia's provides vast opportunities for trail running and exploring.  I spent much of my childhood and early adulthood seeking solace in that mountain range.  One thing that always brought me joy and invigorated my soul was running free in those mountains.  Now that I live in the Pacific Northwest the only thing that has changed about trail running is the topography and the moisture content!  I still love being out there in mountains seeking solace through trail running. 

This last couple of weeks of Ironman training and racing a half ironman triathlon last Saturday have taken a toll on me. Couple that with realization that Ironman is 7 weeks from Sunday and my body has started to revolt.  I truely believe the stress of the Ironman and the training thus far has manifested into the form of my lower back pain.  I decided one way to truely put that notion to the test would be to mix up the training and throw in a trail run.  Afterall I would be out in the woods again running free just as I did as a kid in New Mexico.

After work, I laced up the trail shoes and headed out the door.  I ignored the minor pain I was feeling in the back and made my way down to riverfront park.  I ran on the leaf ladden dirt trails, up and over roots, across river strewn rocks and through thickets of ferns.  Suddenly my pain vanished.  I experienced nothing but fun for the next 7.10 miles.  It was exactly what I needed.  My back pain subsided.

I was trail running tonight for 1:06 and had time to reflect again on a lot of things.  I have to relenquish the stress of Ironman.  I am going out to there to do this for me.  Yes I want to have a respectable time and yes it would be fun to beat Kelly's Ironman time, but when all is said and done this is for nobody but me.  I have to approach this as the challenge of my lifetime thus far while not overlooking the fun aspect of it.  As I remind myself  the reason why I am doing Ironman my stress will stay at bay.

On Sunday evening there was a cougar sighting in the very same location I was running.  I thought about that as I was running along the forested trails.  My eyes kept darting back and forth, left and right, looking through the trees and making myself as cognizant as I could of my surrounding.  That was quite the experience as I never knew what I would encounter around the next corner of my solo trail run at dusk. When I was done running I was invigorated as running in the woods where a cougar had recently been sighted was a new life experience for me.  A new life experience in much the same manner as the Ironman will be. 

What's not to enjoy about that!?