Left, right, up, down. Trees, leaves, rocks, dirt, roots and twigs. Steady breath and monotone sound of shoes hitting the trail. Quietness of the outdoors, change in terrain, occasional critter or another human. I feel like I could go forever. I fell in love with trail running. Trail running reminds me of the vibrancy of life.
There are many similarities between trail running and life. It changes, it is never the same. When you are on the trail, you are never really sure where it will lead you to. You see a turn and often you don’t know what is around it. Your mind struggles with uncertainty and starts to process the variety of possibilities, thoughts and feelings. What’s around the turn?
There are many similarities between trail running and life.
There may be a flat trail and you can just cruise at a steady pace moving closer to the finish line. Sometimes, there is a downhill. You feel like you are flying. You go so fast that you don’t even have time to see and enjoy the surroundings. But you get a thrill of a speed.
Other times, there is a steep incline around the turn. You prepare yourself for a long and sometimes even painful climb. You whisper to yourself, “Each step gets you closer… Each step gets you closer…” Each step you take takes you that much closer to completing your task–to finish the race.
This reminds me of how life goes. Ups, downs, flats. Excitement, sadness, staleness. And there are times when you turn that corner and you find yourself at a dead end. You are standing on the end of a cliff. “What now?” you ask yourself. It happens in life when you have to turn around and find another route to the trail that will lead you to the finish line.
A good friend by your side and a smile on your face will give you courage to take any turn you encounter on the trail of life. You will finish the race, and will have fun along the way! What do you see around that turn?
Journeys with Dad 