The Trap of Trail Running Goals: What if Happiness is in the Preparation?

Schopenhauer's philosophy of happiness is brutal: we desire, we suffer from not having. We obtain, the joy subsides. A new desire emerges.

A new bib number. A new personal best.

Does this cycle sound familiar? The good news: it's understandable, and it can be outsmarted.

A Goal Gets You Moving

“When I finish this ultra, I'll be happy.” Then the finish line arrives, the joy lasts a few hours, and the question returns: what now?

A goal is meant to propel you forward. Happiness, however, is cultivated elsewhere.

The finish line is just a moment. What remains etched in your memory is the path taken to get there: the long runs in the cold, the loop reconnaissance, the small training victories, the conversations with your running partners.

A Successful Season is Measured by Your Desire to Start Again

Some athletes sacrifice sleep, family, friends, and balance for a few minutes gained. But at what cost?

A successful season is sometimes simply one where you're still motivated at the start of the next project. One where you finish whole, with your enthusiasm intact.

Trail running is a practice that can last for decades. True performance is maintaining the pleasure year after year, not burning out everything on a single objective.

Few Goals, Prepared for a Long Time, Becoming Slow Obsessions

The world of trail running pushes for always more: kilometers, bib numbers, elevation gain. At TRL, we advocate for the opposite approach.

An entire year can be built around a single line on a calendar. What will remain in your memories is rarely the final time.

It's the slow obsession that nurtures: the one that makes you dream about your route months in advance, that turns every run into a building block for your project, that creates a story you'll remember.

Building a Season That Sustains You All Year

Here's how to refocus your season around what truly matters:

• Choose 1 to 2 major goals, meaningful to you – Not the ones that impress on Instagram, but the ones that make your heart race when you close your eyes
• Build the year around them – Training blocks, course reconnaissance, gear selection, imagining the race
• Each week, note one thing your preparation has brought you – A landscape, a sensation, a conversation, a self-discovery
• Vary the experiences of the project – Different terrains, training partners, workout formats to maintain freshness
• Plan the week after the race – Rest, time with loved ones, a written debrief to anchor the experience

The Question That Changes Everything

What is the one project that could fuel your entire next year?

If you're hesitating between three races, maybe it's time to choose. Not the longest, hardest, or most prestigious one. But the one that resonates most deeply with you.

The one whose mere mention makes you want to lace up your shoes, even when it's raining.

— Antoine, Baptiste, and Etienne from TRL