After a couple of weeks of easing back in to a running routine, I was able to get some elevation today. Montana de Oro is my favorite place to run. It is a beautiful park on the central coast of California with so many trail running options. Several elevation and distance options with beautiful views. The perfect spot for running therapy!I started running about two and a half years ago and was living in Florida at the time. If you didn't already know, Florida is flat as a pancake. No elevation. I ran on the road only. Mostly just up and down my street, around my neighborhood, and occasionally to the outlet mall. It was a challenge to find more than 10 miles to run nearby without running the same route over and over again. The race routes were nothing to get excited about. I remember running around the outside of a baseball stadium several times. The weather is hot and humid, and I can recall stopping on the side of the road many times to vomit! If i didn't make it out before 8 am to run, I wasn't running that day. I ran many early mornings and late evenings. In fact, I rarely ran in daylight.
While it may sound like I am complaining (Ok, I am a little bit..), I enjoyed running no matter what. Even in the 86 degree, 98% humidity weather, running was, and still is, great therapy for me. Ever since I started with a Couch to 5K type of program, I was addicted. But it wasn't until I came to California that the real therapy began.
Running in general has brought me confidence, a purpose, a healthy body and attitude, and great challenges. But no feeling is as great as the one a runner feels up in the mountains running on the beautiful trails of the West Coast.
Running up hills was a challenge for me at first ( Well, it still is). I had only run on the flat pavement of Southwest Florida. I was reluctant at first. I couldn't fathom the idea of having to stop to walk at ALL! In Florida, if I stopped mid-run, I wasn't starting again. I was done for the day. So the thought of having to stop really made me resistant to trail running. Let's face it, no one (even Scott Jurek) can just magically run up a mountain( without stopping) without ever having trained for it.
I ran the roads around my neighborhood for a while. I was enjoying the dry air and the perfect 60 degree weather. I loved that I could go out for a run at 2 in the afternoon and it was just as comfortable as if I had gone out at 8 am. But then something changed. A friend had been trying to get me to read Born to Run for months ( yes I was influenced by Born to Run. Surprise, surprise!). I started reading it randomly on a plane while on a trip to a friend's wedding. I enjoyed it. Nothing what I thought it was going to be. I continued reading on the flight back, and on the way home from the airport, my husband and I listened to it on audiobook the entire 4 hour drive! We couldn't stop reading/listening. It was blowing my mind. It took me in to a world I had never even heard of!! People running 100 miles. People venturing in to the Copper Canyons just to look for really fast running Indians. I then read Scott Jurek's book. I started listening to podcasts with Jenn Shelton. My husband and I even bought minimal shoes. I started to realize that I was surrounded by some of the most beautiful nature in the country. Why would I ever run on the road when I can run with nature?
My first trail run was at Montana de Oro. My husband and I went out there and got a big surprise. The trail we had picked was 1300ft elevation gain, and only 2 miles to the top. Not a big deal to the elites or veteran runners. But to two new trail runners...nearly impossible! We walked most of the way. But on the way down, I experienced something great. I loved running down hills!! Sure I was slow, mostly due to the fear of falling on my face. It was still fun, though. The views were beautiful. I was hooked. It was at that moment that I knew I was going to be a trail runner.Ever since that first run, I have devoted my running to trails. I know the trails at MdO like the back of my hand now. I know which trail to run that will fit the mood I am in that day. I have, of course, sampled the many trails in the central coast area, but this particular park always gives me what I need. Foggy, sunny, rainy, hot or cool, I always get something out of running these trails. I trained for my first 25K there. I ran my first 25K there. I trained for my first marathon there. And I ran my first marathon with no problems. But aside from the training I received, I also hold this place dear to my heart for another reason. This was where my trail running began. This is where I, as a trail runner, was born (Yeah that does sound cheesy! But it's true). I have endured so many challenges on these trails. I learned to run up hills. I learned to run down hill. I learned what shoes work best for me. I learned how to nurse injuries. I learned what hydration packs work for me. I learned what nutrition I need to not bonk out! I learned what a rattlesnake sounds like in real life (AKK!). I learned that even though I love running trails I am still so terrified of wildlife!!! But most importantly, I learned what I as an individual am capable of doing. I never ever in my life thought I would be running marathons in mountains, let alone running at all. I learned that no matter how your run is that day, you can ALWAYS take something valuable away with you. You can apply those tough runs to real life situations. You can escape in to the mountains to get away from anything that may be bothering you and it feels like you are in an entirely different world, even though you may only be 20 miles away from your home. You can look out in to the sky, the ocean, the hills and feel like you are so far away. Whether you are burned out from work, dealing with family problems, stressed out, or even just upset about a Facebook post that you found annoying, you can venture up in to the trails and be alone with your thoughts and escape everything for just a little while. Once you make it up the hill there is no where else to go but down. That is when the real runner's high kicks in!
Many people say they run to think about their problems and find solutions. I can understand this. But I approach running in an entirely different way. I run to NOT think about ANYTHING. I only have to think about running. I have a tendency to over think things, and running has been my cure for that. When I am running, I think about my next challenge, my next race, my own running world. I take in the views and escape my problems for just a few hours. Let's face it, problems are always going to be there, and we do have to deal with them eventually. But I am not spending my time running thinking about my problems. I am spending that time thinking about what is good in my life. What is good in the world. Running makes me feel good. It gives me confidence. It helps me believe that I am capable of handling difficult situations. It reminds me that there ARE positive things in this world. It produces a spiritual feeling. It produces a state of zen. It reminds you that no matter how bad you are feeling, you can always go out for a run in your favorite spot and receive the best therapy you could get. And at the end of a long run, you feel like a total badass for just a brief moment. And, for me, that moment feels good. All runners have their reasons for running. Some run for speed. Some run to win. Some run for health. Some run to lose weight. Some run for fame. Some run to escape. Some run because they have to! Me?? I run because it's cheaper than therapy! I encourage all runners to find their own "therapy" in running. But most importantly, it doesn't matter WHY you run. JUST GO RUN!
