What I Learned From 30 Years on the Trail
After decades of moving through forests, hills and winding paths, these are my biggest takeaways from 30 years on the trail.
Inner calm
Whenever I step into a forest or nature reserve, it feels like an enormous weight is being lifted from my shoulders. I always take a moment to savour that feeling, and to enjoy nature in that moment, marvelling at its calming grace.
.jpg)
This is where the noise fades.
I’ve learned that my connection with nature runs deep. It lowers my stress without me thinking about it. If I spend enough time in nature, it comes to me, like returning home after a business trip.
There’s something deeply primordial about stepping onto an ancient trail, knowing that through the millennia countless people have taken the same steps. History has been made, civilisations have thrived and been lost, and relief from everyday stress has been granted.
On the trail, you feel it through your feet. The concrete and glass world is left far behind, and you become part of the nature that surrounds you.
This is the inner calm that trail runners often talk about.
Holism
In Taoist philosophy, we grow out of the world, much like trees and rocks. We’re not here to tame and conquer nature, but to take our place amongst it.
The longer I run, the more sense that makes to me.
Nature doesn’t push. It just is.
Our bodies and minds are no different. Push too hard, and they push back.
Longevity
Stepping onto an ancient trail brings an obligation to treat it with respect, not so much for its past, but for its future. I feel the same about my body. I want it to last.
While I say 30 years of trail running, the truth is it’s been an off-and-on journey, sometimes on foot, sometimes on two wheels. But the trail has always been there, calling me back, even when there have been gaps and distractions along the way.
.jpeg)
Still standing, still running.
People often ask me about the long-term effect trail running has on the body. I’m no physician, but I can share what I’ve felt in my own.
After 30 years, my body feels strong, stronger and more able than I have ever felt, and I’m looking forward to the next 30 years on the trail.
Uneven ground has been surprisingly good for my knees, ankles and feet. On rocky trails the impact seems to spread out. When I hit a stretch of pavement, I feel the difference immediately. Honestly? Give me a hard, rocky trail any day.
What keeps me running isn’t any single habit. It’s balance, and that’s a longer story.
Inner calm, holism and longevity. These are the lessons the trail taught me, step by step, year by year. How they fit together, and how to build them into your own running, is at the heart of The Way of the Trail Runner.
Let the trail do its work.
