I am linking up the Friday Five 2.0 with Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness. This week I am going to give you five reasons to try some trail running. As you all know, I run the Wasatch Mountains, but you don’t need mountains to be a trail runner!
- You get the best views!
No matter where you are, the views in a woodland forest or in mountains are always better than being in the city. It might take a bit of a drive to get to your running destination, but having something interesting to look at will make it way more exciting. The beauty on the trails is always unmatched.
- You might see some animals
Even in more urban areas you have a much higher chance of seeing some interesting wildlife on the trails than you do on the roads. Look out for birds above and deer between the trees. If you live in Florida (my original home), you might even get the chance to see an alligator or two. No matter where you are, there is wildlife to be seen, so don’t forget your phone and stay alert!
- Fresh air
Most of us live in cities and it just stinks to have a bus go by you while you’re conquering a big hill. The only way to get around this is to get out! So hit the trails. The air is fresh and you can breath easy.
- Don’t have to worry about cars
I’ve had a few close calls on the roads with cars. Sometimes drivers don’t look for pedestrians on the sidewalks before they drive and that can lead to a real disaster. Unless you live somewhere with a great multi-use footpath, you probably have this happen all the time. So, why not hit the trails and go where the cars can’t?
- It makes a great hill workout
In most places, the trails are a bit hillier than the roads. Although the terrain probably will slow you down, maybe consider using trail days as hill workouts. Pick out some trails where you can get some real vertical gain, even if that means you have to do some power hiking.
I do love the roads, but hitting the trails has made me a better runner and has certainly given me an opportunity to see some pretty cool stuff. Try it out sometime and I am sure you will not be disappointed!
Do you have a park near by you prefer? Where is your bucket-list trail run?
She Runs the Wasatch 
Wow you were pretty close to the elk? What other dangerous animals have you seen? Do you do all of those trails alone? Are there mountain lions in Utah?
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That’s a moose!! Haha. I don’t think we have elk here, but Yellowstone does and they are only a few hours away.
There are plenty of mountain lions and I often see deer bones or body parts on certain trails. I’ve never seen one though. I try to have someone with me, but I often am alone.
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Sorry, I meant Moose! We saw some when we were in Colorado and there were lots of signs up not getting near them and their babies. Are you ever scared to run alone with wild animals?
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Not really. As long as I tread lightly around them, they usually don’t even look up. I just really enjoy seeing them. Not sure I’d say that if I saw a mountain lion.
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I don’t run on the trails here (bad knee), but I definitely love hiking them. I can’t get enough of the amazing views and feel totally spoiled.
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Hiking is great too! I feel like it’s really good training for running, especially if you have some vertical gain.
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You are so lucky to have access to these trails! I too have trails but they are more of a paved bike path through suburbia type of trails!
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I used to live in places like that. I do love bike paths and stuff, but I feel completely lucky to have the mountains here. It’s amazing.
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This looks like a great place to go for a hike! Lovely photos 😊
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Thank you!
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Yes!! to al of it! I prefer running trails in the summer, makes the heat much more bearable, and some trails even have bodies of water for cooling after the run!
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Yes!! And rivers and streams. I’m often putting my hat into some cold mountain water to cool myself off. It gets hot here.
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I prefer running trails (less traffic) but the possibility of seeing animals frightens me!
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Hey—is that a Route 66 jacket? It looks just like the one I have from 2016 😉 We don’t have much for trails in my immediate area….I wish we did. It’s nice to get off the road once in awhile.
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It is! I ran it that year. It was a great race, but I was a struggle fest that day. I used to live in Kansas and finding trails was hard. I did a lot of dirt road running, which was actually very enjoyable.
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I do love being out of the city but I’m a terrible trail runner. My balance is awful and I’m always afraid I’m going to twist my ankle! But where I live, even though it’s officially a city, it’s only a couple of km’s out and I’m in the middle of farmland or woods. We are the greenest (as in landscape) province in the country! So at least I can still run on bike paths and be out in what seems to be the middle of nowhere.
I did do two official trail runs before, I enjoyed the one in New Mexico more than the one here in the Netherlands. Could have something to do with the GIANT blister that developed 7km into a 20km trail run though…
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