I like running trails. They are a microcosm. The world changes faster than you can realize it. Right now your cells are changing themselves from what they were to what they think they will be used for later. The trail changes every time you run it: limbs fall, leaves blow, and trees give way to the forces of the wind.
When you demand of the body sitting on the couch, then the body adapts to the "rigors" of sitting on the couch: it adds some fat, the muscles become weaker, digestion slows, and cravings change. When you demand work from your body then the body changes to adapt for that work: it adds muscle to what was overworked, it reduces the fat that slow the work and it speeds digestion so there is less to do during a given effort.
On the trail Nature needs to adapt. A tree that can no longer stand in the wind will fall and decay to strengthen the roots of the trees still standing until the cycle repeats itself. Leaves blow over rocks making your footing more difficult for running. Limbs fall from trees and make the trail just a little more challenging than the last run. Sometimes rocks settle into soft soil and make your run easier.
The lack of predictability is what makes trail running enjoyable. The constant focus on the new terrain is what allows my mind to stop thinking about the day and the struggles of life and focus on the task at hand. It is meditative to run trails. It sharpens your focus on what needs to be done right now, not the possibility of what MAY happen in the future. You only get right now! The past is gone and the future may never get here.
The take away:
It is fine to prepare for the future. Buy accident and life insurance to protect yourself and your family. The focus on the now is more important, Be Present with what you are doing.
You can adapt to what you have overcome and be stronger for the now. A life lived is greater than a life worried over.
The Workout for the week: Once or twice this week do the following:
Run your the distance of your longest run in the last 6 months. At every mile or every 8-10 min do - 20 Body Weight Squats, 15 burpees(30 if you are training for a Spartan Race), 20 situps. If you run for an hour you will do be challenged enough to complete your "average" Spartan Sprint.
Go Prepare yourself for life! Get out on the trail and run!
