By Jameson Hawn

Does pushing past your mental and physical capabilities sound intriguing? Are you a sucker for beautiful views, fresh air and adrenaline? Ever pondered the idea of trying trail running or a long distance trail race?

Beginning your running career with an excessively ridiculous trail race is not a typical approach, however it can be very helpful in proving what your body can attain and immerse you head-first into the sport of trail-running.

A truly unique opportunity awaits when toeing the line of a trail running event geared toward pushing your physical and mental limits.

My approach, awkward as it seems, was to tackle the Yakima Canyon Skyline Rim 25k trail race, (http://yakimaskylinerim.blogspot.com/) with the hope of reenergize my motivation to take to the trails, following two months spent nursing an injury. After 15.6 miles of dust and adrenaline it is safe to say the gamble paid off!

By no stretch of the imagination am I a “good” trail runner. I am just a guy who loves to push himself, loves to be outdoors and loves a new challenge.

It was a little unnerving standing at the starting line surrounded by more than 100 wiry, energized individuals all focused on the task at hand. However, events like the Skyline Rim are a great chance to speak with elite runners from around the country and learn ways of tailoring your own running plan.

The Yakima Canyon Skyline Rim race is noted for being one of the more difficult 25k trailraces in the state, with more than 4,000 feet of elevation gain throughout the course.

One of the main draws of the sport of trailrunning is the views, and the Skyline Rim defiantly fell into the breathtaking category.

Like a train of cattle we ascended the first 2,300-foot hill, bringing to mind images of gold-seeking miners traveling single-file up the Chillkoot Pass in Alaska, as they searched for their fortune.

My race plan was simple: fall in behind a group of runners who had a good pace going and gauge how my body reacted. This plan works well for runners competing for the first time or running a new distance, that is, until you reach ‘the wall.’

During a long run your body hits a point where is has very little glycogen—energy stored in the liver and muscles—left to fuel itself. Being mindful of food intake while running long distance and diligent training can raise the body’s threshold for hitting ‘the wall’ during high levels of physical exertion.

The Skyline Rim aid stations offered up a fine assortment of typical running power foods: Gummie Bears, M&Ms, Snickers and raw potatoes with table salt, yum! These delicious morsels supply near-instant energy to ward of cramps and delay muscle fatigue.

Many endurance runners believe the key to pushing past ‘the wall’ is a strong mental attitude. The mental hurdle coupled with the bodies’ ability to find nourishment to keep going, typically by slowly absorbing fatty tissue, and the limited carbohydrates taken in during the course of the run, will typically allow you to keep moving forward.

Most new runners overlook an important aspect of the exercise equation: walking. When presented with ‘the wall’ it is sometime necessary to slow down, take a physical and mental inventory and allow your body to catch up, before transitioning back into a jog or run.

For me ‘the wall’ was hit at mile 12; at this point I began to feel as though my limbs were filled with concrete. Pushing through the wall physically and mentally created a newfound energy and the realization that I can and will keep moving forward. This energy, coupled with well-timed junk food binge and gulps of water, were vital to completing the grueling hill climbs and final descent to the finish line in one piece.

Taking on a new running distance or an adventure trail race is a liberating experience, and is something every college student experience. Trailrunning offers a break from the rhythm of studying and attending classes; a much needed disconnect from a computer, and an opportunity to learn something about you. And rounding the final trail bend, seeing the finish line and time clock ticking away, a sense of accomplishment hits like never before.