March 18, 2009 - Consider a trail race.

Yo Run Gang,

The trails are back! Winter has been holding the trails hostage for the past month, locked down with several inches of solid ice. Trails, a great, healthy choice, easy on the mind, easy on the body, without the dangers of traffic and breathing in un-burnt hydrocarbons. There is a bit of frost heave and mud this time of year and even a runner can have some impact on the trail surface so look for well drained high and dry trails. I do find that running when the ground is soft can actually flatten out bike ruts and improve the trail for when it gets dry and hard. Run smart.

As you plan your event schedule, consider a trail race, better yet, make trail racing the focus of this years calendar! I find a difficult trail run mentally refreshing, no worries about pace and time Im often fulfilled by just finishing! Check out www.danceswithdirt.com, www.trailmarathon.com, www.runflirt.com, www.runlegend.com, www.runvasa.com, and a website that should be up and running by next week or when the vibes are right, www.runwoodstock.com.

Run wild,
Randy Step, a runner obsessed with the wilderness