Hey runners, how’s it going? My trail running career started on a cold March night at a local park about 20 years ago. At 52, fresh off a heart attack, I read an article about a trail race held in blizzard conditions — and something about it hooked me. Totally out of character, I tracked down the race director, John Pearch, and showed up one Thursday night at a dark trailhead not knowing what to expect. There I met John and James Varner — two of the few sponsored trail runners on the West Coast. And there I was: a rookie runner with a fresh open-heart surgery scar. I don’t know who was more surprised — me hanging with elites, or them having this heart attack survivor show up out of nowhere. Two trail runners turned my midlife crisis into a lifelong passion.
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Here’s something most road runners don’t think about. When you only run on pavement, every stride is almost identical — same muscles, same movement, same flat surface, over and over. Those supporting muscles that handle uneven terrain? They quietly weaken from lack of use. I see it every time a road runner joins us on the trails for the first time — suddenly they’re struggling to find their footing, and sore for days afterward. Road running alone turns you into a one-trick pony. And for us older runners, that’s not just a performance problem. It’s an injury waiting to happen.
That first Thursday night cracked open a door I didn’t know existed. Even after a heart attack, I could adventure into the mountains of the Pacific Northwest and discover what my body was still capable of. Anything was possible. Over the next decade I became an ultra runner, a sponsored age grouper, a race director, and eventually president of our non-profit trail running club. All from one cold night on a dark trail. That same door is open for you — and here are five reasons why stepping through it might be the best thing you do for your running.
1: Varied Terrain
Trail running wakes up muscles that road running completely ignores — all those small stabilizing muscles in your ankles, hips, and legs that keep you upright on uneven ground. For older runners, that matters more than we realize. We slowly lose our balance if we don’t specifically train it. But here’s the thing — you’re not doing balance drills. You’re just having fun running. After a few months on trails, you’ll find yourself bombing downhill, effortlessly stepping over rocks and roots, your feet finding the right spot before your eyes do. That’s your neuromuscular system firing on all cylinders.
2: Slow Pace and Walk Breaks
Here’s something trail running quietly fixes that road running never will — the stigma of the walk break. On roads, slowing to a walk feels like failure. On trails, it’s just smart running. The hills demand it, the terrain earns it, and nobody thinks twice about it. That natural rhythm of running and walking is easier on your aging joints, and it means you can stay out there longer. Runners who struggle to get past an hour on roads routinely discover they can handle two or three hours on trails — and actually enjoy it.
3: Hills
Hills make you strong — and trails have plenty of them. Every climb, whether you run it or power hike it, is building leg strength and stamina that flat road running simply can’t replicate. There’s something about cresting a tough hill, lungs burning and legs pumping, that quietly rewires your engine. We have a local 8-mile trail run with 1,000 feet of climb. I ran it six weeks in a row and watched my road marathon time drop. Your legs won’t know what hit them — in the best possible way.
4: Scenery
One of my favorite gifts of trail running is where it takes you. I once ran 15 miles at Mt. St. Helens, crested a ridge, and stood overlooking Spirit Lake — one of the most breathtaking views in the Pacific Northwest. Then I turned around, ran back, and was home for dinner. You may think your best running days are behind you. But out on the trails, you stop chasing PRs and start chasing views like that — and honestly, it’s a much better trade.
“Stop chasing PRs and start chasing views!”
5: Trail Buddies
What surprised me most about trail running wasn’t the scenery or the hills — it was the people. Something about shared suffering on a long climb, or laughing together when someone takes a tumble in the mud, creates bonds you just don’t find on a solo road run. I got so hooked on the community that I started volunteering, then directing races, then became president of our local non-profit trail running club. I’ve written before about how community is one of the strongest predictors of longevity — and I believe it. Trail running doesn’t just give you running partners. It gives you your people.
If you’ve stayed away from trail running because you’re afraid of tripping or getting injured — that’s exactly why you should start. The balance and strength you build on trails is precisely what keeps you running into your 80s. It’s never too late to become a more rounded, stronger runner. Find a local trail, even a simple one, and give it a try. You might just show up one Thursday night not knowing anyone — and walk away with a whole new running life.
Have you tried trail running? I’d love to hear about your experience — or what’s been holding you back. Drop a comment below or reply to this email and let me know.
Have a great week!
-Herb
“Run Smarter, Live Longer”
P.S. If you want to run smarter and longer with older runners just like you…