As crazy ideas go, running in the rain ranks pretty low

One of the best skateboarding songs ever written is "What's so strange about me" by a band called Eight Dayz, fronted by the German skater Claus Grabke. It goes on about how the skateboarder may be seen as an outsider by the square community, but under the surface he is not so weird after all.

The tune popped into my head while I was on a run this morning, five miles from home, along a muddy trail in the middle of a rainstorm. It was the terminus of a train of thought that began with the idea that there are probably a good few people who'd consider my desire to run in such conditions for a couple of hours is, well, a bit weird.

Surely the more sane option would be to sit inside, staying warm and dry – and in close proximity to food and drink.

The notion that long-distance running is a bit strange is an often repeated one – for every runner that plods the earth, there is someone to ask them “why the hell do you want to run all that way?” Some runners revel in it; by way of proof, witness the number of “I'm mad, me” folks at an obstacle race. It's one of the reasons why I can't stand them; the clip-on wackiness of the events makes me want to spew.

And there is an argument that some runners really are a little bit odd – let's face it, the participants in a 24-hour track race are not wired the same as the rest of us.

Scott Jurek, a legend of ultramarathon running, does little to dispel the stereotype in his book Eat and Run, when he writes about the build-up and duration of the world 24-hour championships. The relentless focus and wide-eyed admission that he was going to be bored out of his skull, hurting like anything and frequently miserable for no reason other than to stay on his feet for 24 hours made me think he and his fellow racers are not of this earth.

Not that choosing to run in an oval for an entire day is a bad thing; it is clearly not for everyone though.

But I digress. Trail running, for however long a distance, is also considered a bit odd by those who think runners are all health freaks (ha! One of the main reasons I run is so I can eat more pork scratchings) and there are a lot better ways to spend a rainy morning.

But it's not. I may be biased, but I'd say that running through a forest or up and down a hill for a few hours is pretty high on the list of the sanest things to do with your spare time.

Here are five reasons why:

1. You are exercising

Apparently that is good for you.

2. You are exploring

Even on trails you have run on before, weather conditions and seasons can make the surroundings different. On one day you might notice the yellow of the leaves on trees, on another you might see that the horse in the field has a weird looking nose. And if you take a wrong turning, you have the added bonus of seeing something completely new. If you do happen to get bored while running, then it is worth thinking of what RickyPaugh, an ultrarunner and Four Deserts finisher who was in the film Desert Runners, told me: You should always try to get over the next hill, because who knows what's on the other side?

3. You are helping your mind

I've gone on about this in other posts and there have been all sorts of studies and anecdotal evidence about how long-distance running (especially outdoors) can help people de-stress, settle their minds or even take control of mental illness.

4. It makes you hungry

No contest, one of the best things about running is eating like a monster afterwards.

5. It can get you high

Look, even the New YorkTimes says so.

So next time someone asks what is wrong in the head with those darn trail runners, just quote those Eight Dayz lyrics to them: What's so strange about me?

Simple is Best? Most of the Time it is True

There's a saying popular in Japan that 'simple is best'. The saying itself is pretty self-explanatory and can be extrapolated thus: if you over-complicate things, you may find yourself in trouble.

The thing that got me thinking about this was yesterday I went for my first-ever run barefoot. I don't mean wearing those gorilla-feet things, I mean with no shoes. It was only a short one and off-road, so as not to attract too many weird glances in the decidedly normal town I live in.

And guess what? I survived it. No busted knees or punctured feet – in fact afterwards I felt pretty good. I might even do it again. Maybe there is something in this whole barefoot running movement. 

Running for about 45 minutes on my barefeet got me thinking about other sports – and the fact that in themselves they aren't all that complicated. It is just people on the periphery that make them complex. Take football, or soccer, for instance.

I went to a press conference the other day featuring the recently reinstated England captain, John Terry. The reasons for his demotion and subsequent reinstatement have been well-documented, but if you are unfamiliar with the story, then this is a good link.

As captain of England and Chelsea, his club, Terry is in charge of 10 other players, who are paid vast sums of money to kick a ball past 11 more men who are paid just as much. Simple.

In fact the game is so simple that people are forced to look beyond the actual game to come up with something interesting about it. Such as the fact the England captain has done the nasty with a team mate's ex-girlfriend.

Or another player is so annoyed with his manager that he leaks to the press a (true) story of him working his way through the female portion of staff at the club.

Or the notion that a rival club "hates" another and therefore will provide a backdrop worthy of a soap opera or professional wrestling tournament when they meet.

As titillating as these stories may be, they can get a little tiresome. Especially when you realise that sport is supposed to be simple.

To go off on a tangent, simple worked for the Ramones, who made a 20-year career out of three chords played with as many instruments. It works for a meal, as any steak or sushi-lover will tell you. It also works for beer, as the best brews often have just three ingredients.

And, as I found as I ran down the trail holding my shoes in my hands, it can work for sport as well. Just as long as you don't overcomplicate things.