Inspiration

I've always been a recreational runner.  A little track in middle school, ran for fitness in university.  In late 2003 I decided to run a marathon.  I'd hadn't even run 10K at that point. After several long months of training, in June 2004 I ran the Edge to Edge Marathon from Ucluelet to Tofino, BC.  I was so proud of myself for reaching that goal, but swore I'd never do another one. For the last 10 years I have embraced the 1/2 marathon distance and trail running, doing a few races a year simply for the fun of it.  During that time I married, had 2 kids, and ran a physiotherapy practice.

When my children were born, it was really challenging finding the time to run. My husband is frequently away for long periods of time for work. I once did about 80% of my training for a half marathon on the treadmill after 8:00 pm when the babies were in bed, which trains the mind more than the body.  I don't recommend it.  Running has always been my stress relief, my time alone, my time to think, and relax.  I would do whatever I could to sneak in a few precious minutes of endorphin induced bliss.

Xterra Oahu 2013

Now that the kids are school age and I have more time, I've thinking about the next challenge. For the past few years I have been intrigued by the ultramarathon distance, but never thought I could do one myself.  Enter kinesiologist Sarah Seads, one of my dearest friends.  She owns and operates Equilibrium Lifestyle Management (ELM), a personal training and outdoor fitness company.  I have been running with her groups for 10+ years and started coaching for her 3 years ago.

Sarah is the most positive, inspirational, amazing athlete I know.  She has a way of making you feel and KNOW that you can do anything.  Sarah has done the Canadian Death Race (125km with 17,000' of elevation change), the BC Bike Race, and numerous other adventure races and events.  She often wins, with a humility and a smile that draws people to her.  Sarah is a coach who has done the miles herself, and embraces each lesson she learns from both books and her own personal experience.  When Sarah tells you something, you tend to believe her.  And when she started talking to me about doing an ultra, I struggled to put her off.  But she had planted a seed...and I secretly wondered if I really could do it!

I live in the most beautiful place in the world...Vancouver Island, BC, Canada.  We literally have an unlimited source of trails in our back yard that are rarely covered in snow, and there are no excuses when it comes to training.  My husband's job will eventually move us, so I decided this winter that THIS is the year.  I will do an ultra even though the farthest I've run in the past 10 years is 26K. When I told Sarah I was going to do it and asked her to set me up with a training program, she simply said..."50K?  No problem!  It's easier than running a marathon."  And I have to believe her!

I decided to do this blog to both record and share my experiences, and to hopefully inspire someone else to attempt a personal challenge however big or small it may be.