What I learned on the trails this past week...

So good to change the scene when you can - good for the soul and sole!

Trail running - you are surrounded by everything that is ALIVE. Amazing how life can seem so peaceful when running through it and hearing all the nature sounds.

This past week, I was fortunate enough not only to get out on some new trails myself, but to bring these WR girls to some more of the trails I tend to run. And they all did great...and I think they all had fun! Something about being in the trails brings so much renewed energy.

How much our mind connects to our body, our form. As the miles go on and on, I notice when fatigue sets in, the body tightens up. And what happens when the body tightens up? When the body tightens up in our runs, we make more work for ourselves! I'm sure the girls get tired of me repeating over and over "loosen up your arms, stand tall, look around, relax those hips, light on your feet, oh, and smile" and on and on....but all those things will only help you to move easier. Isn't that funny how when things get tough we make them tougher? And so another metaphor to life with running - tightening up, freezing up when things get tough will only make it tougher! Being a good runner is being a relaxed, easy looking runner - running with ease as if the speed and the distance is doing nothing but good.

Body checks - every so often we have to take a look at what our mind and bodies are doing. The tendencies, the bad habits we go back to and need to correct. We all have them and being aware of them in order to correct, will make us that much stronger of a runner...especially when the miles and hours get longer and harder.

This past week a whole bunch of girls had Montrail shoes delivered to their door steps....and so good to here the positive feedback after experiencing them on some tough trails - more confidence to fly up and down and through mud and streams. Letting loose!

So this past week for many of the girls was a true growth. Again as I keep telling myself and them how lucky we are to be surrounded by each other for support, encouragement and the will to go beyond the comfort zone - Great job! And its only going to get greater!!!

"Habit is necessary. It is the habit of having habits, of turning a trail into a rut, that must be incessantly fought against if one is to remain alive" Edith Wharton