March 28, 2024

San Diegan leads active life as a trail runner | UTSanDiego.com

Subject: Dax Ross

Age: 42

Residence: San Marcos

His story

Dax Ross leads an active life as a trail runner, long-distance hiker and surfer, but it wasn’t always that way. He ran a year of cross country and track at San Dieguito High but then “started smoking and getting into bad habits.” When he was a student at UCSD he recalls going to watch his girlfriend (now wife), Sanam, at track meets and cheering her on while puffing away. “She tells me now that would be a deal-breaker, but back then it was OK,” he says, laughing.

Eventually, he quit smoking and used running (short distances) to help kick the habit. His initial hatred of running melted away. He fell in love with being active. He did sprint-distance triathlons, road races and an Ironman triathlon.

Along the way, he discovered what he really enjoyed was being out in nature. He lives in the San Elijo Hills area with his wife and three children, adjacent to an extensive network of trails. READ MORE via San Diegan leads active life as a trail runner | UTSanDiego.com.