Welcome to the Wild World of Trail Running ! We're diving deep on the races, training tips, and gear you need to know to get outside off paved roads to run a whole new way. Click here for more stories about the trail explosion.

I HAD BEEN following the path for just over two hours when I finally thought to look at my watch to check my pace. I was making my way through the Alps during the MCC, a 40-kilometer race that’s part of the legendary Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) series , a weeklong, multi-race event many consider to be the Super Bowl of the trail running world.

Before this, I had never run a trail race. My competitive experience was on the roads or the track, and that mentality bleeds into my workouts in the way I typically prioritize speed over everything. When I’m running on the street, I check my watch every few minutes (if not on the minute) to monitor my pace, obsessively keeping up with the plan I had for my workout or race goal.…