by Tara Pipia

Darting down a dirt trail one afternoon, Warwick native David O’Neill stumbled upon more than a rock or two — he had a thought. He wanted to reconnect with the road running scene. It seemed like years since he laced up to pound the pavement and even longer since he reached out to the local running club. O’Neill e-mailed Todd Jennings (president of the Orange Runners Club) after that fateful run and asked if he could speak to the club runners. Jennings joyfully agreed, and the date was set for April 2.

O’Neill’s plan was to share his stories of the trail with a few runners. When more than 30 showed at Middletown’s Old Erie Pub, the trail blazer was stunned.

He couldn’t believe so many road runners wanted to hear tales of twisting and turning along trails. As it turns out, they even wanted to know how to become like him — one of those off-the-beaten path travelers. And travel is what O’Neill has done. He’s run the Long Path, a 367-mile trail extending from the George Washington Bridge to Thatcher State Park near Albany, a few times. Despite cuts, scrapes, bruises and brushes with wildlife, 20-30 miles a day was his protocol. He’s also run the 30K Escarpment Trail Run (18.6 miles) and the Monster Marathon Trail Run (26.2 miles).

O’Neill wouldn’t have it any other way than extreme and would like to talk trail with those willing to wander the woods for a change.

“I’m just a person with the same addiction as a runner. Mine may be a little deeper and a little messier — with the mud and the Guinness — but it’s all the same!” he laughs. “I’d like to introduce people to the trails.”

How is trail running different than road running?

“On the road, you are so focused on speed, time and distance, that you miss out on the joy. On the trails, it’s a spiritual experience — at least for me. You focus on every foot strike and every minute you can’t help but feel connected with your surroundings.”

Should a new runner hit the trails?

“If you have some running experience then you could head out to a local park for a short trail run, but I wouldn’t go if you haven’t been running for a while. It requires coordination and you’re likely to fall if you haven’t been running.”

More at recordonline.com

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