Trail Runner Mag posted in December that they were looking for submissions for the next edition of the magazine and they wanted to know about our personal relationship with the land around us. So I thought about it and submitted something, and they chose to print it! So that’s pretty fun.
They were kind enough to send me a copy in the mail, but I’ve yet to receive it. However, I can completely understand how things take a while in the mail these days :) Hopefully, it shows up soon! In the meantime, I’m sharing what I wrote with all of you.
Trail running is good for the soul.
It soothes you and helps you find your centre.
The aches and pains that come from trail running are the cost of healing our day-to-day mental pain, a trade anyone you come across while “Out There” will gladly make. The cost is so low and the return on investment is so high. “Out There” is where we all want to be. It’s where we feel like we are the best versions of ourselves. Where our spirits are motivated to feel the best they can feel.
It’s impossible not to feel connected to the beauty around you and to your own utter insignificance, when your “Out There” getting your ass kicked by that climb/descent/straightaway and you have that moment when you look around and think “this has been here forever, and it will last long after I’m gone”. The forest and the mountains keep our egos in check and for this we are all better off.
“Out There” is changing. It’s flooding. It’s burning. It’s sliding. It’s shifting. It’s different now. Whether we like it or not, our relationship with “Out There” must change as well.
We are all stewards. “Out There” belongs to all of us and we must love and share it the best we can. That love, that connection, that is something we want to keep with us like a security blanket for the soul. We always want to be our best selves and “Out There” is the phonebooth where we transform into our superhero selves.
It’s worth all of our efforts to keep it beautiful. It’s worth the time to ensure “Out There” stays as nurturing as it always has been.
For you.
For me.
“Out There” is for all of us.
If you enjoy my newsletter, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running newsletter it can be and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails.
Nice work! Congratulations.