BENEFITS OF TRAIL RUNNING

Before I got hooked on trail running, I was first a trekker/hiker for more than 10 years. Hiking,  carrying a  heavy load on my back is a challenge running on the trail but we do that especially on the descend. Until I was exposed  on trail running, my very first trail run experience was right after my induction climb when we got invited to run a mountain, as a group. We did win, but that was never followed. Until just lately that run races give options to runners to do the trail rather than the paved road, I never hesitate to join it and I love it so much. I got to see nature and do running at the same time, two things I love doing.

I encounter this beautiful write about trail running, I just want to have a personal copy and share it.

As Written by Breathe Magazine

Healthy Living - Fitness ::: Sunday, 15 April 2012 08:00

Trail Running has many benefits and we here at Breathe thought we would take a stab at putting some of those down in a fun little illustration. Next time you get out for a run on your local trails, give a thought to some of these benefits and see if you can achieve point number 11.

1. Fresh Air – Although the air outside is generally cleaner than the air inside, and this is true of many running trails, there are areas that require our attentions. Clean Air Champions are certainly championing this topic and they provide excellent resources for athletes throughout the world.
2. Changing Scenery with Every Run – No two runs are the same – the way the light hits the trees, where you place your foot, the cool crisp air and the steam from your breath; it’s fluid.
    
3. Love Handle Remover – Spot reduction does not work. Never did. Doing side crunches upon side crunches will not leave you feeling any better about flabby handles. Have a read through Livestrong.com’s article on running and love handles!
4. Gives You Legs of Steel – Self explanatory. Try fell running and see what that does for “Legs of Steel.”
5. Get to Wear Funky, Wild-Colored Shoes – This year “wild-color” is even more prominent. Have a look at some of the trail running shoes from Salomon, Merrell and The North Face.
   
    
6. Mother Nature Provides Awesome Rest Areas – Yes she does: Rocks, Hills, Fallen Trees, Stumps…wait, stumps are man-made. Yup the trail was put there by someone or some organization and many have been carefully planned. It's all of our responsibility to maintain the trails that we use. The IMBA have provided two great books about managing mountain biking trails.
7. No Need to Wait for a Porta Potty – how to sh*t in the woods is a topic that has been written about, blogged about and even broadcasted on youtube. If you can master it, and make sure you clean up appropriately, your body will thank you and so will the others on the trail. And if your precision is up to spec, so will your funky, wild-colored shoes.
8. Hard Ass is a Legitimate Compliment – toning the buttocks is a great side effect of running but now you can respond when someone calls you a hard ass. Thank you very much.
9. You Get to Actually Use the Cool Gear you Bought at REI –That CamelBack will no longer smell like fresh plastic of a new item, but rather a musty sugar water smell from your favorite sports drink.
10. Clears a Cluttered Mind – a typical strategy for stress release and clearing a busy mind is to run. The brain needs a lot of oxygen to function efficiently. Endurance activities, like running, increase the available oxygen in the bloodstream. More oxygen in the bloodstream means more oxygen for your brain. More oxygen to the brain means a happier brain. A happier brain means a more efficient brain and a brain more apt to handle the stresses and clutter of regular life.
11. Puts a Big Smile on your Face – no explanation needed here if you have read the previous 10 points.