Redefining and Strategic Planning...Sort Of

Sarah Seads nearing the finish of the Fat Dog 50M (80K)

First of all, I need to give a BIG shout out to my running buddy Miss Sarah Seads, who finally got to Fat Dog this year and ROCKED the 50M course in a torrential rain storm to come across the line as the second woman and nearly beating the previous course record.  Way to go girl!  Read her race report here.  It's hard to believe it's been almost 4 months since we were at Miwok.  Since that time, there have been so many changes in my life I've been feeling slightly destabilized to say the least.  Definitely not ready to rock.

We moved this summer from the beautiful and mountainous west coast of British Columbia (Comox Valley) to the flat homogenous prairies of central Manitoba (Winnipeg).   I also had to take some time off running for medical reasons.  I know I'm not the first runner to move to a completely different geographic and climate zone or be forced not to run for a while, but these things happening at the same time landed me solidly in a state of dysequilibrium.

As I drove 2600km east towards the centre of our continent/country, the sky got bigger and the landscape got flatter.  I had a lot of time to think as I seriously starting looking for river valleys and even small hills as a place to train.  Most road runners hate hills, but this mountain trail ultra runner was having a panic attack!

Several existential questions starting rolling around in my edgy, endorphin craving mind.

1) Who am I now? Am I still a trail runner?
2) Do I try to become a good road runner now that I live in a concrete jungle?  Focus on speed?
3) If I'm going to keep my word and go back west for a yearly race, how in the world am I going to train for it?
4) How am I going to keep from getting injured without the variety of mountain trail running?
5) How am I going to keep my mind sane without the peaks and valleys to look at?
7) How do I redefine my WHY now?  I need to find a way to keep it FUN.
8) How am I going to change my yearly periodization schedule and race schedule to take the harsh Manitoba winters into account?

My new neighbourhood running trails are along this river.

Notice I asked 'WHO am I', not 'WHAT am I?'  Being a runner isn't about what you do, it's about who you are.  How each run and each race, each time you push yourself beyond your limits changes you permanently.  Not always in big ways, sometimes in subtle ways, but the change is inevitable. I will always be a runner.  Running is a big part of who I am and what I do.  So no matter where I live, I will continue to run.  Why? Because I am a runner.  Because even though I won't be climbing big peaks or running along clear glacial rivers, I need to move my body with joy and reverence for the gift that's been given me as much as I need to breathe.

No hill training here!

I will miss the mountains as much as a part of my own body, but I've come out of my funk.  I've joined a few running groups (Trail Run Manitoba and the Manitoba Runners Association), signed up to race and volunteer this fall, and can't wait to get out there and explore this new place that I live.  I will lose my edge on the hills, but hopefully will improve my leg speed.  Remember what the most important attribute of an ultra runner is?  Adaptability.  It's all good as long as I can run!

PS - My big toenail decided to fall off this week.  Guess it's time to start training for another ultra!

A little slice of forest a short 10 min jog from my house in the middle of the city!

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.