Running Wild: In Search of Happiness, Health and Helping Others: Ohio is for Runners (Video and Pics)

Two years ago I left the greenery and flowers of Ohio for the mountains of Colorado. When I left Ohio, part of me was running hard, away from things that left me unhappy. Another part of me was holding on to beautiful Ohio trails, trails that made me find a little bit of a place I could call home in Ohio.

The trails roll on for miles. Some go past waterfalls, some fields of flowers, others run right through creeks. I have even passed a turtle walking down the trail and a coyote in the early morning fog.

Some people may say the trails aren't hard enough in Ohio. Those people haven't run up and down some of the trails continuous hills at the end of a long run. Nor have they experienced the summer's hot weather mixed with high humidity or the mud that leaves your muscles aching in the spring. For some, those things may seem unpleasant, but the local runners welcome the conditions with open arms (unless the mud or snow stays a little too long).

Then there is the running community itself. Do a few trail races and soon you'll know most of Ohio's trail runners. It's not that there are few trail runners, it's that everyone loves to get together for races. I miss the group runs of familiar faces. On special group runs, there could even be over a 100 people. Ohio even has some great talent, from people winning marathons, ultras, and some even previously possessed American and world records. I should also had that the local running store(s), Vertical Runner, has made itself almost the heart of the running community from it's presence all over the Ohio trail and ultra scene. It's just as much a place to meet other runners as it is a running store. I'm extremely excited that this July Vertical Runner will have it's first non-Ohio store not too far away from me in Breckenridge, CO!

It was great to run a little bit of the trails where I found my first home. Best of all, I got to be accompanied by Rachel and Sage. Happiness at it's best.

Here are some picks of the Plateau Trail. Admittedly, it's not the most scenic Ohio trail but I really needed an easy run. However, below the pictures is a video of Pine Lane, a trail that I really miss out here in Colorado.