Hit Your Stride on the Trail

I get asked often what my favorite activity to do on the Mountain is. Without hesitation, my answer is trail running. I haven’t always been a runner, though. I grew up playing sports – any sport that was in season. I played because I loved to play games. So, I ran a lot, but only because I was being chased, chasing something or being punished – never just for the sake of running. That idea seemed absurd.

Flash forward a couple decades and a few thousand miles, and I found myself living in the High Desert of central Oregon on a 65,000-acre ranch. Many of you know that Oregon is a mecca for elite runners, and the culture is infused with this energy. At this same time in my life, I welcomed my first born into the world and said good-bye to all my remaining grandparents as they departed. I was caught in this tension of arriving and leaving, flooded with memories of the past and visions for the future. All I knew was that I wanted to be able to play in the yard and go on adventures with my grandchildren, just like Grandmama and Papaw did with me. Running felt like a good place to start – pursuing longevity and learning to do hard things, and so, I began my journey one mile at a time in that sacred and sweltering canyon.

Over time, I learned how to run. Eventually, my short runs pushing the stroller around the loop grew into longer adventures, and the pavement gave way to gravel that gave way to the trail. Now, I’m back in my homeland of East Tennessee living an absolute dream, spending my days sharing my love for this place with our guests on the trails at Blackberry Mountain.

What I love about trail running is that it is a different adventure every time. No matter how many times I run the same stretch of trail, a startling newness will find me. A new root poking up. A new patch of color catching my eye from some tucked away place. A new critter reminding me whose territory I’m in. A new friend to wave to. Every foot strike has to be recalibrated and thrown down with an intentional precision to keep my face from kissing the dirt.

There is no autopilot in trail running, and, strangely enough, this hyper-engaged mental state actually gives way to a peace and calm that resembles meditation to me. You may have heard people talk about athletes getting in a “flow state” – everything is working in harmony, and the effort pours out flawlessly and willingly. The trails draw me into that space and like to hold me there. For some runners, the rhythmic repetition of the pavement works them into a trance, fed by the cadence of their breath, beats, strides and a steady drip of endorphins. For me, peace is found amongst the flurry of ever-changing terrain, like a jazz solo finding its way. Trail running is poetry in motion. And I love stringing words together like 10,000 strides up a once clear-cut valley, now a reborn canopy climbing to the borderland ridgeline that sets my legs on fire and my eyes ablaze with wonder.

If you’re a runner and you’ve never tried out the trails, I highly recommend you give it a go! This week, grab a buddy, find a local park or natural area, and go for an easy run. Forget about pace (which will let you relax and enjoy it so much more), and let your body guide you. Soak in the sights and sounds of the natural world, let your hair blow down, whoop and holler, and allow yourself to feel like a wild animal! I promise you won’t regret it.

– Adam Grigsby, Blackberry Mountain Hub Supervisor