There’s a reason most ultra-marathons take place on trails. If you’re running 26-plus miles, better to do it off pavement, where there’s always shade, the surface is forgiving and the view never gets old.

But extreme distances are not required to savor our trails. In fact, as I learned this week, one need move neither far nor fast to get some great exercise courtesy of Mother Nature.

Vince Rucci, owner of Vertical Runner shoe store and a well-known local ultramarathoner, guided me one recent afternoon on a run through the Pine Lane section of the Buckeye Trail outside Peninsula. Although our five-mile, 45-minute jaunt was easy by Rucci’s standards (he’d run 100 miles just a few days before), the workout was to me plenty satisfying.

Not to mention peaceful. Jogging around my neighborhood, I encounter all the sights and sounds of urban life. On Pine Lane, by contrast, I’m pretty sure we didn’t see or hear another soul.

To me, this is heaven on Earth. I wouldn’t even consider spoiling such silence with an iPod. To a spike-shoed track star, however, trail-running might be rather less pleasant. For this is one activity that’s not foremost about speed.

Unlike running on pavement or track, running on trails requires not only physical but also mental agility, for ceaseless negotiation with rocks, roots, stairs, logs, mud, streams and hills. Zone out for a moment and you’ll end up laid out on your back.

Which raises the issue of safety. It’s possible, and indeed desirable, to achieve isolation on trails in suburban Cleveland, which means an accident could go undetected for hours or even days. Thus the wise trail-runner will always carry a cell phone or at least let someone know where he is and when he’ll return.

The best advice, though, is simply to run smart. According to Rucci, the way to do that is by taking it slow, slower than you’d run on pavement. Sometimes, on steep or slippery hills, you may even need to walk. Keep your arms at the ready.

If this sounds wimpy, wait until you give it a try. Keeping yourself stable while running on trails works muscles road-running never taps, including those in your arms, while the frequent changes in elevation keep your quads burning and your aerobic systems humming. Then again, with all the flora and fauna about, you may not even notice.

One of the many up-sides of trail-running is its sheer accessibility. The sport is just about as low-tech and inexpensive as possible, and here in Northeast Ohio, we are blessed with a vast network of trails, not only in the Cleveland Metroparks but also in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

If you’re new to running, you can start on a bridle path or the Canal Towpath and graduate to any portion of the Buckeye Trail. If you’re nervous about directions or simply prefer companionship, you can connect with groups at Cleveland Southeast Runners Club (www.southeastrunningclub.org) or stores like Vertical Runner in Hudson and Second Sole in Rocky River, Lyndhurst and Medina.

But the real glory of trail-running is its earthiness. Here, dirt is a badge of honor, and success is measured not in mileage or pace but in degrees of enjoyment.

Zach Lewis
Plain Dealer Reporter