Blog: Trail Running Gives Me Peace

By Neisa Condemaita, trail runner and ultra-marathoner.

Growing up in La Paz, Bolivia, the world's highest capital city at about 12,000 feet elevation, the outdoors was my backyard. I spent many of my childhood weekends with my dad, exploring nature and trekking the mountains. His love for the outdoors was contiguous, and he passed that passion and appreciation to his children.

While I always love being out in nature, the truth is that I started trail running much later in my life. I moved to the United States in 2001, and my brother and my dad inspired me to run. 

I was 35 and my dad was 65 when we started running. At first, I didn't take my dad seriously, but then I was blown away by his determination, endurance, and passion for long-distance running. At his age, he was running the exact distances I was doing. He just loved it! Then, running long distances on the trail became something we enjoyed together, especially when I came back home to visit him in Bolivia. 

As a runner, I did some small races, and my first marathon was the Marines Marathon in Washington, D.C. I was hooked! One time, my dad shared with me that when he was eight years old, he used to walk 50 kilometers –about 30 miles-- with my grandfather to the nearest town to get food, and I couldn't believe it! 

That conversation inspired me to try an ultra-marathon. I wanted to experience what it was like to do 50 kilometers for an eight-year-old versus me at 37. While I was running on trails to train for the races, I couldn’t help but think of all those adventures I had with my dad in the mountains as a child.

When I told my dad I would do my first ultra-marathon, he said to me that he would tell me more about his experience doing 50 kilometers as a kid when I finished the race.

I completed my first ultra-marathon and called him so he could tell me more, but unfortunately, I was never able to talk to him again because he had a stroke, and he wasn't able to speak or walk again. That was very hard for me.

But after that, every time I finished a race, I brought the medal to him and told him he was with me along the way, making him smile. Two years later, he passed away from cancer, but my dad is still with me in every run. 

So far, I have run 21 marathons and 45 ultras-marathons. My longest race has been a 120-kilometer race, about 75 miles. My current goal is to finish ten races of 100 kilometers before I turn 50. I have already completed nine, so just one more to go. I do races, but I'm not an elite runner. I don't run to be the fastest or to get podiums, though.

Some people may find it difficult to understand, but long-distance running in nature and ultra-marathons can be a form of meditation. Running through the forests and listening to the birds and rivers is just very Zen to me. Trail running gives me peace and happiness.

You can learn so much about nature and yourself during these runs. It is never too late to start trail running. I am a living proof of it!