Two Wheels, One Trail - When a Trail Runner Becomes a Cyclist (Because They Must)
People who run pound the trails, take to the dirt along with value the rhythm of their feet on the ground. But sometimes, fate holds other plans. Runners get hurt. And sometimes, the only way to return to the trails, or at least go near the trails, is to switch from two feet to two wheels. We discuss the dreaded, but sometimes needed, change from trail runner to cyclist.
Most people deny it at first. "I run," you tell yourself, as you eye the mountain bike with doubt. "Cyclists differ; they wear Lycra." But the ache in your hurt body part convinces you. And the desire to be back in the woods influences you even more. You accept the situation, get out that old mountain bike, or more often, borrow one from a friend, and go out.
The first few rides can make you humble. Those hills that you once controlled easily on foot now seem like big mountains. Your lungs burn, your legs ache in different and strange ways, and you find muscles you did not know about. You also find the good parts and bad parts of clipless pedals, if you are brave enough to try them. You learn the importance of padded shorts, because chafing happens. You also learn the delicate way to avoid falling on difficult descents.
As you sit in the saddle for longer periods, something changes. You begin to like it. You start to value the different view the bike offers, the way you can go further, look at new places next to still feel the burn in your legs. You even start to respect cyclists and their Lycra clothes. You might even, dare we say it, begin to feel like a cyclist.
And then, your injury heals along with you are ready to put on your running shoes again. You go back to the trails with a new sense of regard, not just for running, but also for the trip that brought you there. You might even glance at that mountain bike, and wonder, "Perhaps one more ride?" The change from runner to cyclist may have begun out of need, but it can often lead to a new regard for two wheeled travels and a deeper connection with the trails, even when you do not run on them.
