I hate running so much. But running is one of my necessary evils. I run when I need to get outside, but I’m pressed for time, or the weather is bad.
I don’t like doing something that I’m not good at. Running is something that I do that I’m not good at. I’m slow, and I get injured if I try to run fast.
Trail running helps my running phobia. I tell myself it’s normal to run slow on a trail because there are rocks and punchy hills to contend with. The views and sounds also help keep my brain focused on something other than pain.
I’m not someone who would want to go for a trail run just for fun, so it can be difficult to find motivation. I found a way to make it fun, though.
If you hate running like me, pack a tenkara rod next time you’re on a creekside trail. You can theoretically run with a small fly rod, but a tenkara rod makes the most sense for packability and setup. Plus, tenkara rods are just straight up fun and add to the charm.
Bonus points for adding bikes to the equation (this is The Bikefisher, after all). I started doing bike-fish-run-fish triathlons to mix things up. The triathlon has two legs: the bike leg and the run leg. The goal is to catch a fish in each leg.
I haven’t figured out a good name for this sort of triathlon yet. Let me know in the comments if you do any alternative multisports.
