No Subject

[Tom Pelsor <TomP@ProjectA.com>]

Trail running is a great activity.  I discovered it several years ago while
I was training for the Portland Marathon, and I went for a run on the Upper
Rogue River Trail with some yahoos who I learned later were training for the
McKenzie River 50k.  I enjoyed it so much that I hardly ever run on the
roads anymore.  On a trail, you are constantly varying your stride, posture,
the muscles you use, walking the uphills and running the downhills.
Although the surface can be rocky and treacherous, it can also be soft and
forgiving, and the variety is so much easier on the body than the pavement.
Then, of course, there is the scenery.  What could be more wonderful than to
spend a day running in the woods, smelling the balsam, seeing the mountains
all around from some peak, experiencing the seasons.  Whoever doesn't think
you can appreciate this fully just because you are running has rocks in
their head.  This may indicate a general misconception of trail runners as a
reckless, thrill-seeking bunch that will cut swithchbacks and throw down
litter in their competitive frenzy.  If any generalizations can be made,
trail runners as a group are much less likely to fit that characterization
than their road-running cousins.  Only a handful in any run are truly
competitive by world class standards.  There is a strong ethic among trail
runners, somewhat akin to the reverence PCT hikers feel for the trail and
that would really frown on cutting switchbacks or throwing down gu packets.
I mean, what's the point?  The real competition is with yourself to finish
the distance and learn more about yourself and the world you're a part of.
You don't generally find corner-cutting, self-serving individuals interested
in this kind of pursuit.  As a group, there is an extraordinary respect
among trail runners for each other, and for the trails they run on.  If you
ask them what they like most about running ultras, they will tell you, 1)
the people, and 2) the trails.

Concerning damage to the trails, what would cause more damage to a section
of trail, one horse, 30 hikers, or 40 runners?  I would propose they would
be about equal based on weight and number of foot-plants per mile.

Concerning trail maintenance, many 100 mile trail runs require an entrant to
have completed a minimum of 8 hours of trail maintenance before their entry
will be considered.  Before the Siskiyou Outback 50k held at Mt. Ashland, OR
for the past two years, the run committee has spent days brushing the
section of trail being used, something the local PCTA volunteers never seem
to get around to.  All trail marking is scrupulously removed after the run.
I feel strongly enough personally about trail maintenance that I volunteered
to help the Forest Service maintain a section of the PCT in the Sky Lakes.


Concerning safety, organized trail runs of any size have to be a bother to
hikers on the trail at the same time.  I have felt really badly on runs
where we are passing groups of hikers who you know have had to step off the
trail repeatedly to let a hundred other runners go by.  I never fail to
thank them for steping aside for me, and I have never seen one that was
upset about the bother, although you might think they would have a right to
be. There aren't many runners I run with that would run fast enough to cause
injury if they ran into you, but the unexpected encounter on the trail can
be unnerving.  Just like hikers, after you spend enough time alone  you
really aren't expecting to run into anyone.  Trail runners running
unsupported are self-sufficient, carrying filters, maps, food, clothes, and
they're responsible for themselves, just like hikers.  It's really just an
extension of fast-packing.  It's just amazing how much more ground you can
cover and how much more you can see in a day when you don't have to carry a
pack.

Finally, if anyone needs more info on the subject before forming an opinion
about trail running, I suggest visiting Stan Jensen's website,
www.run100s.com, which has links to sites on runs, training, pictures, etc.
If you really want to find out what's going on, volunteer to help at an aid
station for a run in your area.  You might find a really good source of help
for your next trail project.  If you were thinking about sharing the trail
with anyone at all, you could do a whole lot worse than to share it with a
runner.

See you on the trail.

Tom Pelsor



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