I'm really missing the trails this week. I've had to do all my running on the road the past week, due to work/life logistics. Don't get me wrong, I am happy to be able to run at all, and consider myself lucky to accumulate the weekly mileage that I achieve.
I would just rather run on trails. I have several reasons for this. First, I think running on trails is far more proprioceptive and therefore forces you to use all the muscles in your feet and legs. I also find that my legs don't feel so beat up after a trail run because I'm running on a softer surface. I also really enjoy the solitude of running through the forest alone, with only the sounds of nature to keep you company. I also believe that running on trails makes me feel more like a child and that makes me smile, and lets me know I still maintain the "inner child" , that we all posses, but rarely acknowledge. I also enjoy the community of trail running, and find it much more laid back than road running. I've been on training runs where elite runners are running with much slower people, encouraging them, and answering questions about all sorts of things. I've never seen that in road running. It's a really special group of people that embody the trail running spirit.
All that being said, I am very happy with my weekly mileage from the past week. I ran a total of 50 miles, which isn't a very large volume for most ultra runners, it is no less more than I usually run which is 30 - 40 miles a week. I would like to be running 50-60 mile weeks by the beginning of May when I start weekly training runs on Sundays with the Knee Knacker group!! It has been a good week for practicing consistent cadences of about 180, and I really focused on pulling up with my hamstrings instead of pushing off with my quads. Hopefully I'll be back on the trails soon, but like I said earlier, I'm just happy that I even get to run at all.
