My Life, My Passion | Trail Running Adventures:

Trail Running Adventures: My Job

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January 1, 2018 by Pablo Rodriguez

How Trail Running Became My Job

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I’m a lucky man; my hobby is my job. Back in 2008, during the economic crisis, I was forced to leave my IT job. It hit hard, I won’t lie. I had to figure out a way to support my family – Cristina and our four boys. But looking back, that challenge actually pushed me to build this life, to make what I truly love my living. It’s about more than just moving; it’s about connecting. We’ve built NomaTrails on a simple idea: we run places where we have a deep, genuine relationship. It’s not just about hitting miles. It’s about being able to say, “This is my grandma’s village,” or “My kids went to that school in the valley there.” If we don’t have that connection, it just feels fake, you know? (And believe me, I can spot fake from a kilometer away.) Running is just our way of exploring, like our ancestors did. It’s how we traverse territories, discovering new places every single day.

Dreaming Up Our Trail Running Adventures

“What if I could…?” This simple question sparks every route, every adventure we plan. It’s about pushing boundaries and seeing what’s truly possible on foot.

Answering a question: Can I run to the other side? Costa Rica

I remember driving by the Cerro de la Muerte in Costa Rica, the “Mountain of Death,” standing at 3400m elevation. I thought, “What if I could run from here to the Pacific, 100 km through those dense, humid jungle trails?” And then, to turn South, all the way to Corcovado National Park, another 130 km away? The idea just grabbed me, the sheer wildness of it. These are the kinds of trips that really change people, you know, we’ve even had couples who came married to others and left married to each other after the adventure. It’s that powerful.

The Pyrenees, Africa, The Mediterranean, Costa Rica: Our Trail Running Adventures Across Continents

I was in Prades, France, not long ago. The Canigó mountain, a majestic peak of the Pyrenees, stood proudly to the south, almost beckoning me. I wondered, what if my legs could carry me from there, through the high mountains – past those limestone outcrops, I mean – all the way to my friend Quico’s little hut in Cala S’Alguer on the Catalan Mediterranean coast? That’s 210 km! Should I make a detour to the spiritual valley of Nuria, or just push straight south towards the ancient village of Beget, a place that feels stuck in time? Who would I meet along the way? What stories would the trails tell? (Sometimes, I think the rocks themselves whisper old tales.) This kind of questioning, this pursuit of the unknown, that’s what fuels me.

Morocco: From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara

I remember being in Ait Ben Haddou, Morocco. My kids were crossing a bridge, and I was taking pictures, but my eyes kept drifting to the Atlas Mountains behind the kasbah. The dreaming started again: crossing those mountains from the North, running all the way to the Sahara Desert. Who would we meet? What would that vast, silent landscape feel like underfoot? Was it even possible?

Abdu, one of our incredible guides, and I often talk about these Moroccan trail running adventures. We run 15-16 miles a day, sure, but it’s always about the people, the deep experience. Imagine waking up at 3 AM in the pitch-black desert, running behind Abdu for two hours in the soft sand, then stopping to watch every single star pop out, only to be followed by the most incredible sunrise you’ve ever seen. We’ve seen tears in people’s eyes when they recount their stories after a tour. It’s about forming friendships that last, wanting to stay in touch, seeing each other again.

One of the most extraordinary days of my life happened in Morocco.

We were running in the middle of nowhere, towards a place I didn’t even know. This was a place five and a half hours in the opposite direction from where any tourist bus would go from Marrakech – truly off the map, heading into the unknown. After hours of running, we stumbled upon this incredibly beautiful valley, a hidden oasis. The people living there, they live much like people did 500 years ago. Their way of life, their connection to the land, it’s something truly special. I’ve been trying to learn Berber, their language, for nine years, and I still struggle! It’s one of the most challenging languages I’ve encountered, but every attempt brings me closer to understanding their world.

Berber Language Challenge

I’ve been trying to learn Berber for nine years, a language spoken by the indigenous people of North Africa. It’s a complex, ancient tongue, and every word I learn feels like a step back in time, connecting me to a rich, enduring culture.

And then, in the middle of this valley, we saw her. A little girl, about 12 years old, working in an irrigation channel with her donkey. Her face, so beautiful, like something out of a painting. Our kids, they’re little monsters, you know? But this girl, she just ran off, found some wood, and made a fire for us as we were running through the canyon. Then her family, they immediately invited us for tea. Of course, we said yes. We went to their house, shared tea, shared stories. Those are the moments that change you, the unexpected human connections forged on the trail.

Sicily: Island Trails and Hidden Villages

Our trail running adventures in Sicily are another example of this deep exploration. Pasquale, our guide there, describes it perfectly: “We start from the sea, running into the island’s rural heartland, through olive groves and small villages. From these mountain towns, we’ll climb into the higher areas, not summiting peaks, but traversing through its valleys and passes. We’ll then descend back towards the coast, often sleeping in a borgo like Isnello, where you can practically see the sea from your window.” From Isnello, we’ll continue our run, taking us high above Cefalù. Due to the unique geomorfology there – the coast becoming a mountain that drops straight into the sea – we’ll need a quick vehicle transfer for a short bit, but it means we get to finish with a well-earned swim in the Mediterranean. It’s a route that truly shows you the island’s wild side.