Run-Hikes

I always hiked, sometimes more than occasionally, and though I wasn't always actively running, over the last 35 years I've been a runner for the vast majority of those years. As it happens I began trail running very early, mostly running down local hiking trails at first (often after partying at the top of the mountain), and then much more as training for orienteering.

I've always used hiking trails for both running and hiking, but, like most, when I set out for a given outing I knew very well what it was going to be, a hike or a run, and there was different planning involved and different friends involved. The experience was also that of either a slow-moving hike marching down the trail, or a generally shorter run with less lingering, seeing, and less gear.

Runners run, hikers hike, and walkers walk; so goes the modern thinking. We categorize each activity distinctly, and very often we tend to like to identify ourselves proudly as such, particularly for runners I think. Hikers and Backpackers also specialize and love their sport and identity to some degree, but probably more for the enjoyment of the outdoors than ego-identification. Walkers walk for exercise, but because walking is so common and is not challenging, walkers probably don't ego-identify as much as runners or even hikers do.

Hiking is different from walking in that it involves walking in a natural environment on trails, and is often more challenging than walking, and can border on climbing when in the mountains. Climbing implies technical skills whereas hiking does not, but hiking mountains can be very strenuous, can be an all-day activity, and of course can even be multi-day with even more gear: backpacking. Hiking is compelling for the direct challenge of the terrain, the beautiful natural environments hiking trails travel through, and very often by the view spots or the scenic nature of the hike.

Some hikers go for speed sometimes, but most are content to take their time and enjoy their time in the natural environment. So for most hikers, if they ego-identify, it's more about the challenging the terrain and being a member of a community that sees the outdoors up close and enjoys it's wonders. Because hikers work against both the environment and the weather for longer periods of time, they eventually learn to respect the land and it's resources, by and large.

As for runners, they range from the super competitive to the occasional jogger. Of course there are many kinds of runners, from sprinters to marathoners to trail runners to mountain runners to ultra runners. Most who consider themselves runners probably fall into the long distance road running category. But I'm talking about trail running here, and when a runner switches to trail running, it probably changes them. It's tough to generalize anything, but trail runners tend to be love the natural environment they're running in, and so probably enjoy their overall experience more, at least that's my opinion. I would like to think that trail running and hiking have influenced me positively and have made me more down-to-earth.

I have friends that I run with, and friends that I hike with. Most runners I know only like to run, and the hikers I've gone with usually only like to hike. I do have friends that will run some when hiking, but only for relatively short sections. I think the main difference is that for hiking you often need more time, because hiking is best when you're not time-pressed. For me some trail runs are like that, where I will plan a whole afternoon for a long trail run. But for most people, daily runs are squeezed into our schedule, and we just go out and do the workout. That applies to most shorter trail runs also.

In the past I always kept my running distinctly separate from my hiking, even when I was often running the very same trails I would go hiking on with friends. I would combine bike rides with either trail runs (most often), or somethings hikes, and that's great cross-training: bike to the trail head. My attitude when trail running was to move at a certain effort level over the whole route, which often means hiking up some hills. My approach to hikes is to go hard, go easy -- go as I feel or as the group feels, and stop to take pictures, sit for a while and have lunch at a scenic spot, and sometimes explore ruins or side trails.

The Run-Hike

I have occasionally done run-hikes before, but recently I've been doing them on the majority of my outings, and it's really been like a whole new better sport, with the best of both. Though I will probably still run 50ks and maybe someday will run another 50 miler, I'm not the ultra-marathon runner that can run forever, so most of my weekly runs are of moderate duration. But when I combine runs with hiking, I can get out there for longer and have a whole different interesting experience. Of course this works best if you're alone or with someone who is willing to agree on when to run and when to hike. A run-hike in general is any outing where you both run and hike. A hike-run is the same thing with more hiking than running I suppose, but the order of the words doesn't really matter.

I'm talking about going out and switching back and forth between fairly casual hiking and trail running. It can be planned, random, or according to the terrain. It's a distinction I make while out there to highlight what I'm doing. For trail runs, you move faster and carry less gear; for hikes, you carry enough to be comfortable, you move casually, and you enjoy the scenery and explore more. For some very relaxed people who happen to be both trail runner and hiker, it may be a distinction without a difference, but for most the two activities are different.

To me the distinction is that my running is tied to a path of improvement and training, so I like to plan my running and keep track of my efforts. Most hiking for me is casual cross-training, and is a really enjoyable mentally-relaxing activity, and you can use that time to think, take pictures, or explore an area. For many reasons that I won't go into here, I keep track of my running by time instead of distance. For run-hikes I just to keep track of both how much time I run and how much time I hike. I started doing run-hikes deliberately about a month ago and love it. Now I can do longer routes, be out there longer and do more. When I'm going on a run-hike I take mostly the same gear I would take on a run of the same overall duration, and a little extra food and an extra layer maybe. It's been a freeing twist on my outdoor experiences and I plan to do many more.

As an example, today I wanted a moderate outing with less running to rest my legs a little, so I did a run-hike (hike-run) where I hiked overall for 70 minutes and ran for 43 minutes. I started out hiking up the valley for 20 minutes at an easy warm-up pace for a heart rate (HR) average of 113, then switched to a run for an uphill section on a technical trail for 27 minutes (HR 142), had lunch at a scenic spot, then hiked for 35 minutes (HR 119), ran 14 minutes more (HR 137), hiked 15 minutes more (HR 112), finishing up running the rocks just a couple of minutes. I don't normally switch back and forth so much, but it was mainly two segments of running and the rest hiking. I've been mixing it up all different ways, according to how I feel, and it's been a freeing experience overall.

A couple of weeks ago I was out on a run-hike where I did some exploring of an old homestead, and a word kept popping into my mind, ranging. That's what my outing was like that day, and I wanted to do more of it. Ranging is to roam at large or freely, to move over an area so as to explore it; that's what I want my outdoor experiences to be like. I'm heading more in that direction, but I'm still planning my routes. Ranging as an outdoor activity is really a  whole different approach, and it implies going beyond the normal boundaries, doing the unexpected, and going off the trails sometimes.

Run-hikes are natural in human history. If you think about it, it would be natural for humans to run to an area, gather or hunt, which can be like hiking, then run home later in the day. The place they're interested in doing something is farther away than usual so it would be natural to run there, and run back later. When you need to get back home later in the day, you hustle or run, but when you're not in such a hurry, or when you're scouting a new area, you hike. Some combination of running and hiking was probably also used when traveling to a rival group's camp on a raid, or for that matter when going longer distances to trade, especially in earlier times.

If you're already a trail runner and you have some extra time, or if you're like me, you can't run forever but want to be out there longer -- do a longer route and deliberately hike one or more sections of it. I never thought combining the two activities could work so well, but now I love it and highly recommend it.

Transcending Training

Eventually I want to transcend the concept of training and just go out there and do stuff without keeping track of anything. Earlier this year, I had posted my training plan for the year to my blog and to rec.running, also inviting other posters there to share their training plan. One guy was disdainful of the whole idea of training, and I said something like 'excuse me'. But in the last few months I got to thinking about it more, maybe sparked by that guy's comment, but mainly because the whole idea of training seems so regimented and can feel like work. While I'm trying to improve my running and keep track of it, in the sense of training, eventually I want my running to be as fun and free as possible. I train for at least one big race a year because it does get me out there more, at least that's what served as motivation in the past. My goal now is to enjoy the experience of trail running and hiking in a way that transcends the feeling of training and going out to train.