This past Saturday we participated in a small race on one of the local trails up Mt. Keira. To sum it up, trail running is hard. However, that's actually what made the race more enjoyable. Given the scenery of raw bush country and 20 meter trees all around, and the uneven terrain, the run required a decent amount of alertness. On some of my previous running attempts on ordinary, flat terrain, I've often become bored. Lots of runners attest to this problem. That's one major reason I never really got into running seriously before. On an uneven surface, though, not paying attention will almost certainly lead to a fall and at least minor cuts and bruises. Such a trail also means that the body gets quite a thorough workout, and injury due to repetitive motion is not as much of an issue. With such beautiful scenery as what's found here, I would be amazed if anyone became bored on such a trail.
The entire race was 14 km, but I only did the first leg, which was 8.5 km. The ascent at the very beginning of the race was a 100 m incline, fairly quickly. (Michelle did the entire course, which included the even steeper hill at the beginning of the second leg). Indeed, we were both quite sore for the next few days. I still rode my bike to campus on Monday, and Michelle still went for her late afternoon run in the neighborhood. Working through the soreness helps alleviate it, combined with good stretching.
I'm looking forward to doing more of these trail runs. I can satisfy my nature addiction and fitness requirements at the same time. In regards to health and fitness, this move has been very beneficial to both of us.
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