One of the reasons I moved back to Phoenix after graduate school was that my winters back East made it clear that I am someone who struggles with seasonal affective disorder. That means that when I don’t get a good dose of sunshine I start getting really depressed. What I didn’t fully realize was that, as the summers in Phoenix have become more brutal since my time growing up here, there are long stretches of the year where I basically don’t go outside into the sunshine not because it is raining or snowing or I’m all bundled up for the cold, but for the opposite reason. I hide in the Air Conditioning July through most of September and kind of start to lose it most years. And then the fall comes and I remember who I am again.

One of the ways I remember who I am is through hitting the trails (preferably during the daylight hours as even when I was running them the summer I marathon trained it was often before dawn- my mind isn’t quite the same when I’m just focusing on if I heard nocturnal animal or am not clearly seeing the trail!) and revisiting my beloved mountains. Hiking the trails I’ve seen so many times, but that never cease to bring me joy. When I head back to the mountain preserve, it feels like something sacred, like another form of church. It is the best place for me to think and reflect and get deep- deep thoughts, deep joy, deep prayers, big decisions have all happened on the trails over the past 5 years.

One of the things I am MOST thankful for each year is that just as the total Chaos of the holiday season is unleashed, so is the nicer weather here in Phoenix and I can process all that stress through moving my body on these trails I love. That means I have more flexibility with scheduling my runs instead of realizing I’ve missed my window if I decide to sleep in. Whether it be a super chill hike at a slower pace, or a challenging trail run (still at basically a snail’s pace because I am 100% party pace when it comes to trail running), this time of year when I feel good on the mountains allows me to move my body in a way that feels most right for me.

I have been on the mountains less this year than in prior years by this time… I think it’s a mixture of the kids getting older and having more activities as well as the prolonged hot weather and extreme weather days. Plus I’ve had some stuff making me feel a little antsy about going on longer hikes or trail runs alone, but that doesn’t make my time the mountains any less magical. And now that I”m starting the AZ Bootleg 100 challenge again next week, I’m hoping I’ll have that extra motivation to make more of my half marathon training miles some trail miles!