Freedom is urban fell running

29 JANUARY 2020

As I wake up and look out of the window and see the view to the Malvern Hills and beyond to the Black Mountains, my glorious view is then tainted by the thoughts of dragging my sorry ass into Birmingham City Centre to work.  Like so many, we live in an urban environment, and wish to be free and in the hills.

Pounding the concrete

These days, the urban runner is pounding the concrete streets, damaging the hips and knees with every foot strike, wishing to feel the grass, the mud and uneven ground beneath them.  

Instead they pound mile after mile, pausing at each road junction to cross safely, ensuring they are running with someone, so they are safe in the evenings.

Inner City Blues

Inner city running is associated with the hard-core runners, the racers, the lonely, requiring music to eliminate boredom and noise, worrying about injury from the constant pounding, and been at risk of cars not seeing them, people getting in the way, and constantly looking at the watch to check how fast they are going.  Inner city urbanisation means, where do I run? Pollution, danger, where is safe, where is the FUN, its a grind.

In the back of their minds, they dream of freedom, dream of countryside trails, of mountains, of fresh air.  They want the trails!!

BUT what if the trails came to the city, what if you could take the element of trail and fell running and do it in the city.  What if you could run, From Road, To Trail, To Fell.

Bucket lists include trail and fell runs

These days there are bucket lists, which include trail runs, fell runs, Obstacle runs, and mountain runs.  One problem, living in the city is time. Life takes over, work takes over, traffic takes over, and training for those events seem impossible because the trails and fells are so far away…. or are they!!

I’ve tried road running and find it boring, which is why I run off road.  I run Trail, Fell, and I’ve done my fair share of OCR, tackling the hardest on offer.  It keeps your brain entertained, gives you an adrenalin rush, makes you a stronger runner, and works more muscles, and the softer ground prevents injuries and is challenging.  It’s the best form of running exercise out there, clears your mind and improves your mental wellbeing. 

Bring the mountains to the city

At Trail Run West Midlands, I can bring the fells to the city.  I have allowed your bucket list to be completed, I have provided freedom.  Coaching people in the mountains without having to go to the mountains.

I have fought for freedom when I was in the military, and provide freedom serving in the Police, and I want to provide the concept of freedom through fell running for runners, and those who want freedom from the urban environment.

The Lickey Hills and Waseley Hills, which connect Birmingham to Worcester offer that safe element of exercise with the thrill of fell running, allowing people to connect with the outdoors.

 Off Road running demands more effort, more muscles, more enjoyment.  Once your feet turn off that tarmac and enter the mud, or the rocky terrain of the Lickey hills, suddenly you are free.  You are challenged by hills, some steady, some steep, some that feel like they come from the fells.  You have woodland, and that smell of the countryside, the noise of woodland animals all around, and although you get the very quiet and distant drone of the M5 and M42 motorways, you feel the freedom of the trails. You watch doesn’t matter, your pace doesn’t matter, Walking up the hill doesn’t matter.

At numerous points in the Lickey Hills you get to a view point where you can stop and look back at the urban jungle that has made you feel like a caged animal, and then turn and run into more freedom, and at the end of your run, you know you have cleared the mind, worked the body, heart and lungs, and earned that hot drink or bottle of wine once you are home.

So don’t feel like the streets of Birmingham are the only place you can run, don’t feel like those races on the fells are a distant dream, come over to the Lickey Hills and Waseley Hills, on your city’s door step and make those dreams a reality.

RUN FREE.