Finding Fun and Friendship on the Trails

On Sunday, May 21st, nearly 30 runners met at the base of South Mountain in Bethlehem for a trail run. Not just any trail run, this was a Fat Ass event organized and lead by trail enthusiast, Dave Decker. Dave, a recent 100 mile finisher – yeah, you read that right – loves the trails. Heck, he just loves being outside with his friends and running, but who doesn’t? On this particular Sunday Dave, our fearless leader, had visited the trails a few days earlier and marked them with flagging tape, bright orange “breadcrumbs” , if you will, for us runners to follow.

Having a marked course doesn’t mean you won’t get lost. Several folks, myself included, ended up with some extra mileage that day when we missed a couple of turns. By the time I found the food cooler (a welcome beacon for tired legs and hungry runners) half-way through the 12 mile (15 miles for me) loop, I was ready for a snack. “Yes!” I cried. I threw open the lid and scanned the contents, my eyes quickly fell upon some homemade granola bars. Heaven!

Before long I was back on the trail again, making my way to the finish. The trails were fast at times, slow at other times, but they never stopped offering beautiful sights and sounds along the way. I made my way past groves of evergreens, stands of bayberry, and caught a unique view of southside Bethlehem from atop South Mountain. Throughout the entire run I had the company of others with whom to exchange conversation, get lost together, and with whom I enjoyed the trails. As runners finished in the same parking lot from where we started, the only requirement was for each person to touch a boulder as others cheered them in. We then tailgated with post-run food and recovery drinks. As it should be.

Three weeks later a couple of dozen runners met up for another Fat Ass run, this time on the Appalachian Trail. Most started at Hawk Mountain and ran north toward route 309, traversing rocky terrain, boulders, and finally some nice forest roads to a parking lot and yet another food cooler filled with yummy delights for runners. I, and two others, began the run two hours earlier than the rest, starting at route 309 and running south until we encountered the lead runners from the Hawk Mountain crew, at which point we turned around and headed back to 309. 18 miles total for me, which took me over 4½ hours to run. On the roads I can cover that distance in half that time. Trail running is generally slower, but so different in a good way.

There are a few things gained by running with others in this fashion. First of all, there are quite a few differences between running trails versus running roads. Most of these are quite obvious: on the trails you run on dirt, jump over tree trunks and trip over rocks; on the roads you run on a flat surface, you push the pace, and you can travel more distance in less time. However, on the trails it can be easier to bond over the miles since you are more likely to run at “talking”  pace, a pace which is slower and more conducive to conversation. (I am not saying this can’t be done on the roads as well; I met one of my closest friends during countless miles of road running together.) On the trails you tend to work a little harder to get up those hills. You try your best not to fall, but when you do, you wear your injury as a badge of honor. When you run with others on the trails you create a unique adventure together, and by the end of the run you have made new friends. I have experienced this again and again over the past year.

For a burgeoning trail runner it is helpful to run with people who have a bit more experienced than you. Though the learning curve is quick, there are a couple of trail tactics you will learn which will make running trails much more enjoyable. For instance, your personal space on the trail is much bigger than on the roads. Sure, you can breath down someone’s neck on the trail but be warned, you will not be able to see that next rock or root and react to it as quickly as you would have if you were 10 feet back.

There is a certain skill to rock hopping that is not inate, it must be learned. I witnessed this first hand on the very rocky Appalachian Trail last weekend. A woman, let’s call her “Jen” <wink>, would skitter across those rocks so fast she’d be gone the next time I’d look up. Now that is skill! One I would definitely like to learn.

You use your arms for balance a lot on the trails. On the roads you ideally want to keep your elbows close to your body, arms low and pump them in a forward to backward motion to help with your momentum, and it works. On the trails your arms are more useful extended a bit further out from your sides to help keep you stabilized and working to keep a center of gravity. Lose your balance and down you go, most likely to do some pushups in the middle of your run (which is a polite way to say “fall on your face”. )

Running and drinking … very important when you are out on the trails for four or more hours. How are you going to carry that water? Three options here: handheld water bottle, hydration pack, or nothing. You will encounter trail runners in all three categories. Personally, I would be caught dead out there without my water and have begun using hydration packs much more consistently. You’ll have plenty of time out there talking with others about why they choose to carry water in their hands or on their backs and then figure out which is best for you.

Of course, there are tons more tips to offer, but back to my original topic of finding fun and friendship on the trails … as trail running numbers increase you will find more and more group runs out there, more Fat Ass events, and more trail races. I would encourage you to give it a try. Adding just one trail run a week (or even a month, which is how I got started) can do wonders for working your core muscles and different leg muscles than you would use on the road (especially your ankles and feet.)

A word of of warning: it’s easy to get hooked!