The following profile is a part of our Trails Are For Every Body Instagram series produced by ATRA board member Kriste Peoples. Photos by Jay Tinsley.
The American Trail Running Association (ATRA) celebrates trail running athletes at all levels of engagement and ability, and because the Trails Are For Every Body, each week we’re sharing the profiles of trail enthusiasts you might not otherwise know. If you’ve been enjoying these profiles, let us know! And if you’re an everyday trail running enthusiast who’d like to share your story with us, we’d love to hear from you, as well!
Photo: Jay Tinsley.
While the new year inspires lots of change and better habits, it’s also a good time to celebrate the hard work of everyday athletes who prioritize their trail time and inspire us all. Meet Jay Tinsley, an accomplished athlete and running team captain who takes having fun on the run very seriously.
“First of all, I chose trails on which there’s a relatively low likelihood of me dying. I have two young kids and my wife would kill me if I perished out there. Seriously though, the underlying theme is safety and making it back home relatively unscathed so I tend to run trails that aren’t too far from civilization and try to run smart. Phoenix has over 41,000 acres of parks and mountain preserves, and 200+ miles of trails so I’m blessed with plenty of close by routes to choose. On a slightly less important note, my trail runs are fun runs. I’m not watching my pace or necessarily trying to hit a certain mileage; I just want to be outside enjoying nature while challenging myself a bit. I like to stop and take pictures, look for wildlife, and even occasionally find fun rocks to bring home for my kids.”
“Trail time has made running more fun. When I run on pavement I’m either out early in the morning in the dark before the sun comes up and/or trying to push my pace. I rarely stop to appreciate the scenery or see any other humans with which to exchange pleasantries. I still enjoy it but it’s not as optimal. I’ve spent my entire adult life living in cities, so it’s a really nice change of pace to escape to more natural settings when given the chance. It’s made me want to make sure that my kids appreciate nature and as a result, we’ve begun visiting various national parks.”
“I tend to believe that everything is for every body. I occasionally get to run with a guy called Moose who is…well…built like a moose. He is absolutely not your quintessential trail runner, but he gets after it. Last April, we both participated in a local trail race; I ran the 26K and he ran the 40K. It gets hot pretty quickly that time of year, but he was committed to running his race. When I passed him on my way to the finish line, he was still going strong at his steady pace, despite still having another hour or so to run. That’s when I knew definitively that trails are for every body.”
Thank you for sharing your trail story, Jay!
Photo: Jay Tinsley.
If you’d like to share your trail love story, we want to hear from you!
