The Ups and Downs: When Life Feels Like One Big Trail Run

I passed a house the other day where the owner draped a Santa coat over one of those giant Halloween skeletons. Zero explanation. Just a 12-foot festive skeleton in a cheery red jacket, doing its best.

It felt exactly like life lately. A weird mashup of joy, chaos, heaviness, hope, and “are we doing this right?” energy.

And honestly, that is what trail running has always been for me. A place where the climbs, descents, and messy middle feel like metaphors for every season of being a human.

This week’s podcast episode is a full masterclass on uphill and downhill trail running technique. Very tactical. Very “do this with your feet, this with your hips.” But underneath all of that is something bigger. Something I think a lot of us need right now.

So this is the human version of that episode. Less about form. More about the seasons of life that mirror every climb and descent we face on the trail.

Let’s start with the climbs.

The Ups: Why Hard Seasons Feel a Lot Like Uphills

On the trail, climbing teaches you to stay patient. It teaches you to take shorter, steadier steps instead of lunging toward some imaginary “top.” It forces you to breathe deeper and use more of your power than you think you have.

Life is built the same way.

When you’re in an uphill season, it rarely looks clean or brave. It looks like:

• answering one more email you’re too tired for

• showing up to strength training even though your brain is melting

• saying no to something you want to say yes to

• eating a real meal because you know you’ll feel better

• doing the next small thing instead of the “perfect” big thing

Trail runners learn early that long, dramatic strides don’t actually get you up the hill faster. They burn you out. They overload your smaller muscles. They leave you gassed halfway up the climb.

Life is no different.

When everything feels uphill, the answer is rarely “try harder.”It’s “take smaller steps and use your real engines.”

On the hill, that means your glutes and hamstrings.In life, it means your boundaries, rest, food, and support system.

Either way, the goal is the same: Keep moving in a way your body can repeat.

The Downs: When Life Starts Moving Faster Than You Want

People think the downhill is easy. And sometimes it is.

Sometimes you’re coasting. Things are clicking. You get a new opportunity, your training falls into place, your relationships feel steady, and for once you aren’t white-knuckling your entire calendar.

But other times?

Downhill seasons feel fast. Messy. Overwhelming. Like one wrong step could take you out. Like you’re bracing for impact the whole way down.

Trail running teaches us something important here.

When you stiffen up on a downhill, everything gets harder. You land heavier, you lose trust in your steps, you burn through your quads, and your brain spirals into every possible worst-case scenario.

Life does that too.

When we tense up through tough transitions or fast seasons, we stop flowing. We micromanage. We assume the worst. We grip everything so tightly that we lose the ability to react, adjust, or enjoy anything at all.

But when you soften a little, everything changes.

On the trail, you loosen your shoulders, keep your steps short and light, and look ahead instead of straight down. You trust your body to do what it was built to do.

In life, you do the same:

• take one small step instead of trying to control the whole descent

• let things be imperfect instead of gripping so hard

• give yourself more margin than you think you need

• let your support system help

• get out of your head by getting into your body

Downhills are not about speed.They are about trust.

The Hike: Why Slowing Down Is Sometimes the Only Way Through

Trail runners learn how powerful hiking can be. It’s not quitting. It’s strategy. It’s conserving energy so you actually have something left later.

Life parallels? Everywhere.

There are seasons when you cannot run the whole climb.There are moments when pushing harder only digs a deeper hole.There are transitions where the smartest, strongest thing you can do is switch gears.

Hiking teaches you:

• how to be efficient instead of heroic

• how to stay steady instead of explosive

• how to stay in motion without burning out

• how to come back to running when your body is ready

We need that in life.We need permission to scale our effort without assigning failure to it.

You are not weak for slowing down.You are wise enough to know what “staying in the game” actually requires.

Like Trail Running, Practice Is Where Confidence Comes From

On the podcast, I talk about specific drills for uphill and downhill technique. But the truth beneath all of it is simple:

Confidence comes from repetition, not perfection.

You don’t become good at climbing by thinking about climbing. You get better by taking one more small step. You get better by practicing the uncomfortable parts.

Same goes for life:

• One honest conversation builds emotional strength

• One boundary builds self-trust

• One hard run builds resilience

• One tiny habit built on a Tuesday afternoon becomes a new baseline

You don’t need to overhaul everything.

You just need a few intentional reps.

The Heart Of It All

You don’t have to be fast to be a strong climber.You don’t have to be fearless to be a good downhill runner.And you don’t have to handle every season gracefully to count as capable.

You only need:

• A willingness to keep moving

• A body you take care of

• A mind you give grace

• And a belief that you can figure out the next small step

Trail running has taught me this again and again:

You are allowed to meet the hill exactly as you are.

And you are allowed to come off the other side softer, steadier, and more yourself.

If you want the tactical side of all this, go listen to the full episode.But if you needed the reminder that you are doing enough and learning as you go?

This one was for you.

Good effort. Positive attitude.💛🧡⛰️