Oh look , a sign just for me … |
pack or stone last . No matter what position you come in , you will be met with cheers and applause , and most probably a beer or two . |
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Images : Courtesy Carla Farina |
Do you know what the absolute worst part of trail running is ? It ’ s not the blisters , or the chafe . Those are just temporary irritations . It ’ s not the tough climbs and ( sometimes ) awful conditions . Those you can grit your teeth and get through . It ’ s not the getting lost … although , in fairness , this tends to happen to me a lot , like that time my running partner and I almost needed to get airlifted during the Pondo Ultra 100km on the Wild Coast , after we got stranded on a cliff , almost drowned , suffered mild hypothermia , and ended up running close to 120km , only to then get a DNF ! No , the worst part of trail running is NOT trail running . Or not being able to do your favourite events because of work commitments , or worse , injury or illness . So , when I see a big trail event happening that I had to miss , and I spot pics on social media of my trail running friends enjoying these events , while I ’ m stuck in Joburg for whatever reason , then boy does the FOMO get real ! All I can say is that when you have been bitten by the trail running bug , it bites hard . ( And when you run your first trail ultra , you discover this whole new world of adventure and fun that you just want more of .)
Thinking about this recently , I decided to doodle some notes for this column about my top 10 best things about trail running , which I hope will entice you to give your first trail a try if you haven ’ t ventured off-road yet .
10 . Being in the mountains .
Yes , sometimes you are on the wrong side of the mountains , but quite frankly , I would rather be on the wrong side of a mountain than not being on the mountain at all .
Reason # 1 to love trail running : Mountains
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9 . The excitement of the buildup . The few days prior to the race are so exciting ,
deciding what you are going to pack , planning your nutrition , and hoping the race T-shirt is amazing , because that is what you will wear after the race . If you have ADHA like me , a brilliant idea is to write yourself a permanent list that you check every time , as you will forget things … even basic things , like extra underwear and a toothbrush . I speak from experience .
8 . The road trip . Friends , music , views , adventure . Need I say more ?
7 . Registration ... mainly because this is where you will have your first beer . There is nothing better than arriving at a race and seeing all your friends , who have basically become ‘ your people ’ because they share these crazy yet amazing adventures with you . Some of them will be running the shorter distance and some the longer , and if you ’ re doing the 100-miler … well , then , you are a god !
6 . The sights . You will see things and go to places that most people have never seen or been to before – like being on top of Mont-aux-Sources , or exploring the untouched coastline of the Transkei – and no matter how many photos you take , you can only truly experience the beauty by being there .
5 . Being able to walk . Yup , that ’ s right , you can walk while doing trails . And the views are even better when walking !
4 . The achievement . You get the same welcome at the finish , whether you come first , mid-
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3 . The ‘ gees .’ There is no gees like trail running gees . It ’ s like a constant party … but without the hangover . OK , sure , your legs may be broken , but that part is totally worth it . Still better than a hangover headache !
2 . The camaraderie . Yes , many people are out there to race , but there is somethings special about bumping into a fellow runner out on the trails . You will most probably run ( or walk ) together for a while , you will make a friend , you will share war stories , and then , at the next race , you will have a beer with them at registration .
1 . The misAdventures . Yes , that ’ s right , the best part of trail running is the misAdventures . They make life fun , keep things challenging , give you amazing stories to tell , and will keep you coming back for more . I promise you , they are worth it , so get out there and just embrace whatever happens , because that ’ s trail running !
So , those are just a few of my favourite things about trail running , and I can ’ t wait to share my next adventure with you . Hopefully there will be no helicopters involved …
Water just makes trail running more interesting !
About the Author
While Carla ’ s ‘ day job ’ is Head Tennis Coach and Director of Tennis at Game Set Match Tennis in Johannesburg , her second love is trail running , which she tackles with an unquenchable thirst for adventure , a never-saydie attitude , and a healthy sense of humour about all the misadventures that befall her on the trails !
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