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BY ROMA GONZALES
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WOULD you run eight to 24 kilometers up and down rolling hills, across rough road and muddy streams, along cliff edges and under the scorching sun?
Some 300 participants of the Salomon X-Trail Run: The Path of Most Resistance (Iloilo Leg) this Sunday certainly did in the beautiful landscape of Miag-ao. For joy. For pain. For glory. For fun.
This is the emerging sport of trail running. It is what it is: running on hiking trails and rough terrains with elevation gains (ascents) and losses (descents). Most trail race events have aid stations placed at several kilometers apart and like the recently concluded Salomon X-Trail series, runners are required to bring their own hydration vests, water, and food.
Trail running is a relatively new sport, but one may argue that it is probably and ironically the oldest. Think of when the first homo sapiens learned to stand on their two feet and when they had to chase down their first meal of the day. Some trail runners will say this is one of the great benefits of the sport — reconnecting with our primal roots, and remembering that we all share the same bipedal ancestors, and that the only race that really matters is the human race (chos).
Especially here in the Philippines, hiking and mountaineering are also growing in popularity, which is a factor in the rise of outdoor sports like trail running, mountain biking, and rock climbing. It’s probably a mass attempt to counterbalance the toxicity of the modern and urban lifestyles. Trail running doesn’t only give endorphins from the physical exertion aspect — it gives you the chance to commune with nature. It’s scientifically proven that going outdoors and being with nature benefits the mind and body. Because of the landscape, some will even go as far as to tell you that a trail run (or a hike!) is a humbling spiritual experience. Compare your mortality to the age of a towering mountain!
Most trail events also pave way for environmentalism. From requiring runners to bring their own water bottles instead of using disposable plastic cups to letting people cultivate a deeper appreciation for nature, there’s an effort to respect and protect our green spaces.
Furthermore, trail running is also a low-impact sport. While others are intimidated with the thought of wading through rivers and jumping over protruding tree roots, running on the ground is actually less stressful to the body than running on the road.
On the “brightest” side is probably the fact that the trail running community is incredibly dynamic and fun. Here you get to meet people from all walks of life, most of whom have a knack for spontaneity and the simple pleasures in life. For instance, Team Salomon Pilipinas athletes Aldean Lim is a lawyer (and an Ilonggo) and Majo Liao (girl power!) is a medical technologist. The X-Trail organizers from Pretty Farm Boys are from different disciplines, and so will be the guy standing next to you on the starting line, or the girl sharing her trail food, or the elderly man offering to pace you to a strong finish.
Such endeavor may sound “weird” to many, but what sport isn’t ridiculous to those who are strangers to the high of pushing one’s known limits? Trail running is an opportunity to test yourself, to connect with others, to make peace with nature, and to get in touch with the traces of our ancestors that still come alive with every thud of foot on soft ground. (romagonzales316@yahoo.com)/PN
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