Lesson 1: Trail running is freaking hard.

My new place in Austin has the major perk of being located just up the (steep, quarter mile hill) street from an entrance to the Barton Creek Greenbelt, so I've been doing a lot of running on the trails. I've secretly harbored fantasies of becoming a hardcore trail runner..they just seem like such cool people, and like most outdoorsy types, they remind me of my friend Whitney, who is my secret hero for all the hardcore XCountry skiing and mountain bike training she does. Anyway, I joined the Hill Country Trail Runners in an effort to get to know some more runners in the area and to encourage myself to hit the trails a bit more. Of course, I've typically become obsessed with reading trail race reports and posts on the trail running forums at Runner's World Online, which is largely populated by ultramarathoners. I haven't even run a regular marathon yet, but it's in my nature to get ahead of myself so I try to just let it go.

Anyway, yes, trail running is hard. It requires a lot of attention to things like foot placement and terrain, and even on the trails nearest my house, which are not especially technical, I find myself sliding around and trying unsuccessfully to avoid rolling an ankle. The pace is also slower, but the beauty of trail running is that pace often becomes secondary or wholly unimportant. What really counts is time spent on your feet, time spend outside dealing with plants and rocks and mud and bugs and puddles. Runners can be so obsessive about numbers, a compulsion I know well. It's a pretty exhausting obsession, and it's great for people who want to beat themselves up because there's always some new standard to adhere to or criterion to meet. Just today I was reading something on a marathon training website trying to convince people that it's ok to walk through aid stations in races because "Joe Olympic Trials Qualifier ran a 2:08 while walking through aid stations and even stopping to tie his shoe!!" I mean, maybe if I were trying to qualify for the Olympics, I would quibble a bit about walking through water stops. There are the people who worry that they didn't really "run" a marathon if they stop at any point. From what I gather about trail races (and what I've experienced on my own trail runs) there are times when you have to stop running. There are steep ass inclines and rocky places or it's mile 75 of a 100-miler and your walking pace is faster than your running pace. People stop at aid stations, talk, change clothes or shoes, eat PBJs, and head out again. Sounds good to me.
Running is a great obsession to have, but I'm trying to keep my obsessions as healthy and non-crazymaking as possible, thanks. So, more trail running for me.