Trail Roots
May 19 2023
A few years ago, I went walking barefoot to do my 10K steps around the neighborhood. It was mid-morning in the summer, and it was not hot outside so I thought it would be ok. But about halfway through the walk, (which for me is around four miles), I started to feel my feet burning from the concrete street. I found myself jumping into different lawns to cool my feet off and walking through sprinkler systems.
I know this sounds lame, but as my feet were scalding, I started thinking to myself, “ can I do this”? I wondered, “what was I thinking”, when I set off barefoot. Even though I went everywhere barefoot as a kid, I usually wore shoes as an adult. I think I had been recently motivated by my son, who told me that he runs in gladiator sandals.
He claims it strengthens the feet. (Well I do not think my feet got stronger but I feel sure they got blistered)... Maybe I should have had on the sandals instead of going barefoot.
Anyway, just like that day when my feet were burning and it made me question my abilities, likewise, a few days ago, I had that same feeling of “can I do this”? This question formed in my head, as I was outside in Austin in 93 degree weather, out in a storage facility parking lot helping my son organize his storage locker and his trailer, that he uses for his trail running company “Trail Roots”.
He recently bought another race and now hosts several races a year including the Texas Switchback, the Salmagundi, and Dos Senderos, and each of these races requires set up gear and organization. I had offered to help do this with my son but when I showed up at the Storage facility, and stood in what felt like oppressive heat, I seemed just too hot to help.
I am sure it did not help that earlier in the day I had been shoveling crushed limestone at our home in Austin, to finish work I had going, on the outdoor landscaping. This shoveling was physically exhausting, and lasted for several hours. I did not know if I had the endurance to add additional hours of work, to help my son at his storage, when I added it to the long list of things I felt like I had to do, because I promised I would.
But then I looked at my son. He was sweating but he was moving around, organizing, staying positive, playing country music and being grateful that I was there. He was especially grateful for the soda I brought him, with ice, but not so grateful for all the organizational bins and supplies I had bought him, (which I ended up returning to the store the next day). He had all that stuff already.
I went back in thought, as I worked, to when I was trying to run my own business, and how I always appreciated any help I got from friends and family. For my son, as well, most of the trail running business requires a lot of planning and intense effort and my son Erik welcomes volunteers to help him with all the logistics. But even if I had not shown up, he had it covered.
His organizational skills were impressive and every item in his storage had a place, a purpose and a label, and had been sorted and updated. I could see that not only does his business require that he be independently motivated, but it also requires that he have organizational skills, people skills, intuitiveness, coaching ability and personal skills. On a personal level, he also has to be strong, have endurance, patience and creativity. He does indeed have all of these skills.
I believe that when someone like my son, is able to make a difference in peoples lives, because of his choice of careers, then his business is a success. Success is not always just about money. I am still working on losing weight that I gained the past few years and I think I might just invest in my son, as a coach, and see if he can train me, long distance from Austin. For me, and for many who hire running coaching, success is about achieving a goal.
When I get out on the road, later in the year, I hope to be running my four miles, not walking it, and I hope to be about twenty five pounds lighter. I have my weight training, my cycling and soon, I hope to get started on running coaching. And I hope to never again wonder about “can I do this”. I know I can, because I believe.