Trail Running Is Not That Serious: How Loosening Your Grip Makes You Stronger

There’s something about a trail run in the desert that has a way of humbling you.

The heat, the dust, the long miles that make you question your sanity... and then somehow make you smile anyway.

I spent last weekend at Javelina Jundred, one of my favorite races to crew and coach at. Two of my athletes took on the 100 mile, two ran the 100k, and one rocked the 31k. I watched them dig deep, cry a little, and laugh a lot.

By the time the sun set over McDowell Mountain Park, it hit me again. Running isn’t that serious. It’s meaningful, yes. Transformative, absolutely. But serious? Not so much.

The Party With a Purpose

If you’ve never been to Javelina, picture a desert festival with trail shoes. Costumes, glitter, music, people handing out quesadillas at midnight. It’s chaos in the best way. And yet, underneath the laughter and noise, there’s something grounding about it.

It reminds you why most of us started running in the first place... to feel alive.Not to chase a time, not to impress anyone, but to remember what it feels like to be in your body and grateful for what it can do.

That’s something I see every year out there. People run hard, sure, but they also dance, cheer, and high-five total strangers. It’s proof that you can care deeply about something without squeezing the joy out of it.

Letting Go of the Serious Face

In both running and life, there’s a point where taking things too seriously backfires.You can train hard and still miss the point if you never let yourself have fun.

I see it in athletes all the time. They nail their workouts, log every mile, follow the plan perfectly... and forget to breathe. They start running from pressure instead of passion.

We do the same thing in life. We work, plan, organize, and overthink until joy feels like a luxury. But the truth? The more you loosen your grip, the easier it gets to show up fully.

Running isn’t a test of perfection. It’s a practice of being okay with messiness... both on the trails and off.

The Trail Running Energy of Fun

At Javelina, I’ve seen people in banana suits and unicorn horns set personal bests. They weren’t distracted. They were relaxed. Playful energy makes us more resilient.

It’s like when you finally stop obsessing over an outcome at work or in training and suddenly things click. The same principle applies. Fun changes physiology. It lowers tension, helps focus, and gives you more to give when it counts.

Joy isn’t fluff. It’s fuel.

Cat: Proof That Joy Goes the Distance

My friend Cat (yes, the one in the picture below and the cover photo) is the perfect example of what it means to take your training seriously but not yourself.

She trained hard for Javelina. She put in the work, the long runs, the strength sessions, the planning. But when race weekend came, she showed up with laughter. Every loop she came through with a joke, a smile, or a story that made the whole crew laugh.

She was fueled by bean wraps and good energy, and she reminded everyone around her that joy counts as fuel too.

I met Cat back in Silverton in 2019. We had both heard about each other through friends who swore we’d get along instantly. They were right. She’s one of those people who brings lightness into hard things.

And at Javelina, she carried that light all the way to the finish line. One hundred miles in under twenty-three hours, still smiling, still joking.

That’s what this sport is about. Showing up prepared, yes, but also remembering that fun and connection are part of endurance too. She ran strong because she ran happy.

The Life Parallel

Everyday life has its own version of Javelina chaos. Emails, errands, school drop-offs, laundry that never ends. The trick is to find your aid stations. The moments that refill you.

Maybe it’s your run, your lift, your morning coffee on the porch. Maybe it’s a conversation that makes you laugh. Whatever it is, don’t overlook it because you’re too busy trying to get it right.

When you remember that none of this is that serious... the hard run, the tough day, the plan that fell apart... you start to move through it differently. With more curiosity, less control. With more joy, less judgment.

Bringing It Home

Watching everyone especially my athletes out there, dusty and emotional, reminded me what it’s really about.

Showing up.

Doing your best.

Laughing when it all goes sideways.

Running can be serious training, but it doesn’t have to be serious living.Take your goals seriously, take your recovery seriously, take your snacks seriously if you want to... but don’t take yourself too seriously.

You’ll run lighter. You’ll live lighter. And you’ll probably find yourself smiling a lot more along the way.

Good effort. Positive attitude. 💛🧡⛰️