Get Local: Becoming a Trail Runner

For those at home following along, this is another installment in our Get Local series during summers here in Jackson Hole. I’ve had the opportunity to pursue and enjoy many days on a nice, new mountain bike over the last three years and those stories are chronicled here. This summer, while still spending some time on the bike, I was determined to change it up and put a new type of rubber to the trails, henceforth it was time to become a trail runner. I was always impressed by trail runners when seeing them throughout the Tetons, so why not give it a shot? Enjoy this quick rundown or ‘trail map’ to lacing em up and hittin’ the trails!

Disclaimer: I am/was not a runner. Or should I say I didn’t take pride in my running which happened seldom and usually began by just throwing the shoes on my feet and plugging the headphones in and going. I determined that there had to be a better way to go about this and nearly everyone I spoke to discussed the importance of having the right shoes. First things first, I found myself in the trail running mecca of Teton Village, Teton Village Sports and worked with Matt Sheets, the resident podiatrist to find the perfect shoe for me. After looking at a couple of options from various brands such as Altra, Salomon, and On running, I ended up feeling the best wearing the On Cloudventure Waterproof shoe. Matt urged me to try them all on and walk around the store, but we both thought this shoe worked best for me for a number of reasons.

The only other thing I was told when inquiring about shoes was to pay boot fitter Matt Sheets at Teton Village Sports a visit. “Nothing can spoil a great run quicker than the pain of an ill-fitting running shoe,” Matt told me upon getting together. And then it was time to take the next step to become a true trail runner- it was time to get a footbed or orthotic made. Matt obliged and set me up with a custom orthotic footbed. The process was quick and painless, and in fact, I learned quite a bit about the support your feet need. Hint: I had not been offering my feet that support for the last thirty-plus years… and I walk funny apparently. After fitting the orthotic to my feet and getting them in my shoes, it was time to hit the trails. 

I will say that I have found trail running to be much more enjoyable than road running. The views are better, the surroundings are quieter and much more peaceful, and all the while you’re truly in nature. What I have also found is that running with a group of people makes your time on the trail way more enjoyable and manageable. Luckily for those of us who in live or travel to Jackson Hole, the Teton Trailrunners host weekly group runs with no drop, meaning that regardless if you’re close to a 4-minute mile or closer to a 10-minute mile (about where I fit in) they would love to have you join their runs. I found that the camaraderie I’d felt in the biking/skiing community here in Jackson translated seamlessly to the running community, and it is a joy to be around.

As the summer has flown by, I’ve felt the urge to give a race a shot. I thought about the half marathons that are offered regionally, but I wanted to trail run. Then it dawned on me, why not give the Rendezvous Mountain Hillclimb a shot? As part of the Summit Series here in Jackson Hole, the RMHC will conclude the series this Saturday, and everyone’s favorite blogger (me) will be giving it a whirl. I’ve been running around the Teton Village trail system all summer tracking my runs with Strava as part of the Trail Starts Here Challenge and now it is time to set my sights on running the big one. Stay tuned for the results to see how I fare, but I’m thinking finishing and having a smile on my face at the end will be the barometer of a successful race regardless of what place or what time I finish with. 

Trail running, like many of the endeavors around Jackson Hole, can be humbling. But the sense of accomplishment that comes from a big run and the places you’ll go, leave an unparalleled feeling. I would challenge those out there to ‘run’ at their chance to try something different, especially when it’s on a beautiful trail! 

See you on the trails.