Hitting the hills: Trail runners enjoy challenge of ‘exhilarating’ sport
By BEN PIERCE Chronicle Outdoors
Franklin Coles had a little accident not long ago. While trail running in Bear Trap Canyon this March he slipped on a scree slope. The fall broke off the bottom of his femur and shredded his meniscus. It was an accident sent Coles to the hospital for knee surgery and rehab.
It wasn’t long before Coles was back to running. A short ten days after surgery, he was back on the trail, doing what he loves.
“Trail running is not without its dangers, but it’s worth it,” Coles, 62, said Tuesday. “Sitting on a sofa is more dangerous than trail running.”
Coles, a co-president of the Big Sky Wind Drinkers, is among a growing contingent of trail runners enjoying the outdoors and getting a workout on the trails around Bozeman.
Trail running, strictly defined, is the simple act of running on trails. But the challenges and rewards of running trails are many.
Coles said he fell in love with trail running after participating in the Bridger Ridge Run in 1998.
“At that point I realized how exhilarating trail running is,” he said. “If a person has only run roads, they can’t appreciate the difference (between road running and trail running).
“It is more than just the scenery and being in beautiful places,” Coles said. “When you run roads, every footfall is identical to the one before it and the one after it. When you run trails, every footfall is unique. I refer to train running as dancing with dirt, you are always running around rocks and roots.”
The popularity of trail running can be measured by the number of organized races and informal outings popping up across the West. Among those runs was last weekend’s Swan Crest 100-Mile Trail Run, the first 100-miler of its kind held in Montana.
Or you could visit just about any trailhead around Bozeman. Chances are you’ll find a trail runner – or a bunch of them – out enjoying the trails.
“There is a really strong running community here,” said Adam Behrendt of Bozeman Running Company. “Bozeman is such an outdoor-oriented town anyway, so a lot of people in the summertime want to be outside running. A lot of people just love to get out on the trails.”
Behrendt, who moved to Bozeman in January, said more and more runners are picking up trail running. He said competition, physical fitness and the desire to be in wild places is driving the growth of the sport.
But, he said, it is not for everyone. The transition from road running to trail running requires some adjustments.
“Usually trails are going to be a lot steeper in terms of their incline and decent,” Behrendt said. “So when you are transitioning to trail running don’t be afraid to be hiking on sections that are tough. As you get stronger you may find that you are able to run those sections that you weren’t able to run before.”
Behrendt said the biggest thing for those new to trail running is to not get discouraged. The sport can be difficult, but that what makes it so rewarding.
“Like when you start anything new, you are going to have to ease into it,” he said. “You go out and run a trail and the ground is going to be uneven, there are going to be rocks, there’s going to be steep climbs, steep descents, mud, snow, water, all that stuff that you might not experience out on a road. Just attack it with ease and just learn as you go.”
Coles said the variety of terrain experienced trail running is one of his favorite aspects of the sport. The fact that different muscles are being taxed at different points along the trail allows him to run longer and more comfortably than on pavement.
But with that variety comes a degree of mental concentration.
“You return from a run in the mountains and all you have seen in all those miles is your feet,” Coles said. “If you don’t watch your feet when you are running in the mountains, you will become a part of them.
“Trail running requires much more focus than road running. When you run trails, the more technical, the more attentive you have to be.”
Fortunately, newcomers to the sport have lots of opportunities to find camaraderie and to share in the challenges. Trail races such as the Ed Anacker Bridger Ridge Run and Devil’s Backbone 50 Miler have drawn strong participation in recent years. The Big Sky Wind Drinkers, a long-time local runners group, offers weekly trail runs and numerous other groups hold runs on a regular basis in the hills around town.
That spirit of camaraderie can be a real asset when it comes to running regularly, Behrendt said.
“There are those days when you don’t feel too ready to go out and then someone will call you and ask if you want to go for a run and that gets you going to have a great day,” Behrendt said. “Having people with you is absolutely an incentive.”
Having tons of trails in the immediate area doesn’t hurt either. In additional to hundreds of miles of Forest Service trails within an hour of Bozeman, the Gallatin Valley Land Trust has made strides to provide running trails within the city and beyond.
Those trails are getting plenty of use and, Coles said, earning Bozeman a reputation as a great place to trail run.
“Bozeman has some exquisite trails surrounding the city,” Coles said. “Our trail systems are surpassed by places like Boulder, Colo., and Eugene, Ore., but we are catching up. You just can’t beat the quality of trails we have here.”
Related posts:
- Gallatin Valley Land Trust seeking volunteers for trail work on June 5
- Jefferson River Canoe Trail Association accepted as Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation Chapter
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