The steps to Thanksgiving

Striding through the fallen leaves –golden hues, burnished orange, scarlet reds – Thanksgiving granted shared moments of blissful running. A perpetual smile on the autumn trails.

This weekend I visited my childhood home to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. The change of seasons and shared tradition reinforced the cyclical nature of life and the always returning blessings that I have in my life. Over the last few years I have been blessed with my family – a beautiful and supportive wife and inquisitive, bright children. I’ve conducted fascinating research on ultrarunning and human potential. I have made countless friends on the trails and continue to explore peaks, valleys and ridges at home and far away. I feel very fortunate that I have been able to pursue my desires and commune with the world around me.

When it comes to my running, one of the greatest blessings I have received was surviving being run over, as a pedestrian in a crosswalk, by an SUV. The accident left me nearly entirely immobile and significantly handicapped for the better part of a year. The long recovery and rehabilitation was itself a small miracle and grand opportunity for learning – a chance to slow down in my life and learn from within the most fundamental human movements. Through multiple corrective surgeries I found myself once again able to walk, and then run without pain or distortion. This blessing was the ignition that has led me, whole-heartedly, to my rapidly-expanding passion for mountain running/trail running/ultrarunning/mount-run-eering/scrunbling, or, maybe more simply put, mountain-going. Each day outdoors on the trails only helps to fan the flame brighter and stronger.

Thanksgiving is the hallmark event for all to send blessings and meditate on endless blessings received. This is no different for me. However, following the accident in 2006 and having to relearn to walk for a second time in my life, I strive to consciously embody the feeling and intention of thanksgiving every step of the trail. I hope to make each footfall, even those plagued with pain, thirst, hunger or discouragement, a small prayer of thanks for the ability to move, under my own direction and power, through the beautiful landscapes of my home. Multiplied over millions of steps, this brings lightness to my running and time on the trail. And, in a way, I am able to maintain a feeling of connectedness and camaraderie even when alone all day in a remote landscape.

This Thanksgiving, however, offered additional blessings, uniting past places and present faces. I had two of the most enjoyable trail runs of my year this past weekend. I ran, for the umpteenth time, on two of my favourite hometown trails. On Saturday I looped through mixed forest, farmer’s fields and deep creek crossings near the Red Deer College. These trails gave birth to my running and remain my favourite autumn course. The surprise and pleasure for me was found through connecting with my son. This was the first time (ever!) that Danru accompanied me on a run. We shared the late afternoon light and crunching of leaves underfoot. A wide creek with a washed out bridge made for a log-driver-esque dance along rolling logs and a final sprint across dusty trail rounded out a lively day.

To my astonishment and great content, Danru anted up and challenged me to a second run on Sunday. For a change of pace and in hopes of sharing additional treasured trails, I took him to Faces. This is a legendary Red Deer high school party destination, on the sandstone bluffs (where partiers and others have etched hundreds of images – or faces – into the sandy walls) and ridge looking across the Red Deer River and valley. This is hands-down, the coolest trail nearby. We sped across the farmer’s field and along ridge atop single-track before opening up to the expansive view. Danru was fully engaged and, maybe for the first time in a while, was impressed with something that Dad was up to! We descended the initial drop via hand-over-hand rappel on a fixed rope –a great way to run. For a moment I almost felt like I was racing in Trofeo Kima (http://www.trofeokima.org/)… well, almost. Slipping and sliding, we crashed down through forest and into the swampy river basin. Together we bushwhacked through the valley bottom before finally climbing back up through the dried creek bed.

To see my son lace his shoes as I laced mine, lead our way through single-track turns, and smile as the trail opened before us was the single greatest blessing of my running this year. Running in stride I tied fond memories and places of my past with my most significant present. Our path together lasted 4K at the college and another 4 K at Faces, stout runs for one never to have treaded along trails. For an ultrarunner, not quite enough distance to fully warm-up. However, the bliss I experienced through connecting with my son and sharing space in such a stunning setting, regardless of the activity, will last on through my many miles to come. True thanks, blessed with a most memorable weekend and a new powerful image up-my-sleeve to draw on when the trails turn tough and thanksgiving is far from the mind.