Have we met?

 It's incredibly hackneyed to say "There are two kinds of people in the world:"

Especially since I might be a third kind

For some people, the true joy of trail running lies in the familiar - a favourite route, traversed over and over until each footstep is a practiced placement, each rock and root and branch an old friend.

Or - in some cases - that familiar sense of peril as you try not to fall a couple of dozen feet into the river..

For other people, the true thrill is encapsulated by the discovery of a brand new path.

Oh hey there..

So which do you prefer?

Choose your own adventure!

When I saw I might be a third type, it's because I actually got to experience the best of both worlds last Sunday. I returned to run a much-loved trail for the first time in months (possibly this year), and was delighted by the familiar sights along the way.

It helps that it's a really stunning trail, I suppose

I mean REALLY

As I trotted along in the sweltering heat, I noticed some new side trails had been established.

With a wild guess that they might have been built by the mountain bike community

I didn't mind the flowy, bermy pumptrack through the sunny pine forest!

As I completed my out-and-back and transitioned to a different trail (for a point-to-point run), I saw a sign for a new side trail and went to check it out.

Well HELLO

Perfect singletrack, right along the river's edge.

Yes I will take all of this, please.

I might have overshot my exit point from the main trail a bit - and had to scramble up a bit of dodgy scree in order to get myself back on track - but it was absolutely delightful to go exploring for a little while.

With pretty views, even if calling it the "Rapids" side trail is overstating things a bit

So which kind of person are you? Do you prefer to traipse along well-known trails, or strike out to explore new paths? Or are you - just like me - a mix of both?

I'm really just happy to be out wandering in the woods at all, no matter where that may be.

No matter what your preference, I hope you all have a fantastic long weekend!