Uphill Trail Running

I have discovered a new hobby for myself. The funny thing is I actually should hate it. Now, when I say "hate it", I mean should really FUCKING hate it!! Interesting enough it actually is growing on me instead. Now I am liking (not to be confused with loving) my new hobby, trail running. I do not like it quite enough to put some serious mileage on my sneakers, but I do like it to continue to do it.



Trail running alone is not what I find likable,it is where the trails are located. I run on some steep ridges overlooking an amazing and tropical valley. I have seen trail running on television but this is unbelievable. An added bonus is the landscape. The landscape changes with hard rains. On this island, a hard rain hits just about every month. The ground is volcanic debris and shifts a good deal with the rain. So just about every month, I have a new trail to run.



My primary running routes are on steep uphill portions of the ridges. When I say steep I don't mean you have to use your hands and feet to get you to the peak. This is a high enough incline that you really need to pull your knees up to make headway. Full out sprints are just about impossible though. This is a bummer for a guy like me that rather deal with max speed than max endurance. However, the great side effects of serious caloric expenditure is good enough for me to overlook the speed issue.

Now, I do not track the runs very closely. I have extremely hard days and very light days. I just use how my body responds as a guide. I do keep track of my body composition and the biggest reason for liking the runs is the fact I stay at 14% body fat or lower. So I'm all for the running that I once hated with a passion.