analog

my initial attraction to running off-road was fueled by the easy vibe around it and the community. dig, we still ran roads, but mostly to balance out what the goals were off-road. the relationship with the terrain and sharing the challenge with friends in a time when flow was the goal and completion was celebrated as equally as speed was. analog training logs and analog timing. looking up to take in the views and vistas and listen to the water versus looking at gps watches and being driven by external data. eating when we were hungry and drinking when we were thirsty. the balance offered a sustainability and built love instead of what i'm seeing so much of now. burnout in exchange for a short stint of attention before unrealized expectations murder the vibe and folks go looking elsewhere for those kudos. step back. look up. 

fully present and aware of how this has changed, i'm grateful to have experienced this early vibe and that it is the foundation of my love for running trails and built on those experiences as i now stand aside and watch the sport in it's current growth spurt based upon high fuel, data and carbon fiber plates. it's a cycle, like so many others that have come and gone, so it goes...