This past summer Laura and 6 of her friends ran all 17 legs of the Cabot Trail Relay Race. If your looking to find out the difference between why some everyday runners are able to follow through on there goals while others are not, then this conversation is for you.
You are probably starting to notice a theme over the past few shows. Runners who have had their goal races stripped away have to find a way to keep running a priority and a way to keep getting excited to get back out there day after day to do the training. I feel these conversations will remain relevant long after COVID has come and gone. Because it has been a time where running goals have to be about more than just a race, and when races come back, this should still be the forefront of every runner's mind when choosing goals.
Laura is a real everyday runner just like you and me, a mom with a full-time job who has to find a way to fit her training in amongst all her responsibilities. Finding examples of very relatable runners who are doing this and sharing their stories is important because there are a lot of runners out there who struggle with this very aspect of running and end up feeling frustrated and defeated.
Laura has goals that sound very familiar to many runners out there, like dreaming of qualifying for the Boston Marathon and improving her half marathon time. But in a time of uncertainty and no races, what keeps some runners training while the majority of runners have backed off on their training or taken an extended break?
This is a conversation about goals, motivation and surrounding yourself with good people who enable you to be better.
I throughly enjoyed having this opportunity to sit down with Laura and unpacking the nuts and bolts of her Cabot trail project and getting to the root of how she’s able to keep on running.
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On Thanksgiving weekend, a small crew from the east coast (NFLD, NS, NB) made the trip to Bromont, Quebec, to take on one of the most challenging 100's east of the Rockies, boasting 7000m of elevation gain over the 160k course.
I ran the race myself and wanted to share my experience with you, but I also thought it would be cool if everyone else I knew would be up for sitting down to share their experiences. They said yes, and here we are.
As a coach one of my favorite conversations I have with my athletes is the race debrief where we talk all about the race or adventure in detail and go deep on what when well and what didn't. This is often a missed opportunity that many miss out on, but it is so valuable in processing the experience and actually learning from it so you can improve.
As a coach one of my favorite conversations I have with my athletes is the race debrief where we talk all about the race or adventure in detail and go deep on what when well and what didn't. This is often a missed opportunity that many miss out on, but it is so valuable in processing the experience and actually learning from it so you can improve.
Sarah Lamos is an aspiring ultrarunner training for her first 50k this summer and is also the group leader for the Saint John Trail Runners woman's only trail running group. Sarah has been blogging about her experience, and she is so open and honest with what she shares.
Mike Peterson is fast, like 2:47 marathon fast, but he didn't run a step until 36! He started running after being inspired by his wife, who is also a pretty awesome runner. His story shows that anyone can pick up the sport of running at any point in their life and excel in the sport. Mike has taken his passion for the sport to the next level and is now the high school and UPEI cross country and track coach; and this all came about because he said yes to helping out the running coach at the school he was teaching at in Halifax.
Sarah Warford competed for Canada at the world championships for canicross. She is also the one who is mainly responsible for bringing the sport of canicross and dog harness sports here to the Maritimes, and she also coaches others in the sport. Many of her athletes have also gone on to compete both nationally and internationally.
Over the years, while completing many ultras, including the Vermont 100 mile races, Blair has been battling some pretty extreme stomach issues, which are now preventing him from running these longer ultra distances that he loves. In the beginning, he found himself avoiding ultra races because he could no longer participate the way that he used to. But now, he is focused on giving back and helping others which has grown his love for the sport even more.
Before we recorded this conversation, I polled on social media to see what injury you wanted to know more about, and IT band syndrome won. Aside from talking all things IT band syndrome. This is a conversation about creating a life around your passion. Laura truly has centered her life around running and being active.
This is a conversation that every runner who is or is thinking about having a Boston Qualifying marathon time as a goal should pay attention to. Marathon running is a cruel sport. It doesn't care how prepared you are, how fit you are, and how mentally ready you are. Sometimes when you line up to that start line, factors outside of your control mean that it is just not going to be your day. When you are chasing a time standard at the limit of what you are capable of, it will be hard. Someone will rarely get it on their first try, and if they do, then that time standard was that close to their limit of potential. What takes true courage, grit and determination are to keep showing up and trying again that 2nd, 3rd or more times because you've decided that it is truly important to you.
This is a conversation about filling your soul up outside of your "job". Like me Janna works as a Professional Engineer, but that is not all that defines her. We often get hung up on what we do for a living as our single source of what is most important in our lives and how most of society tries to judge us, and you've probably heard the buzz phrases like your job should be your passion. Even if you do like your job and enjoy what you do for a living, I'd say it is pretty rare to have a job that ticks all of those boxes for you, and that is normal. But it is also ok and normal to seek additional fulfillment outside of this job, which can be extremely rewarding. When you do this, you end up showing up in your life as a better, more whole human.
Wilco Cramer is an accomplished Ultra Runner who completed his first 100 mile at Antelope Canyon and later that year he was my pacer for my 100 mile race at the Capes 100. Yes, the conversation gets into all the details of both of those races, but shortly after pacing me Wilco was diagnosed with genetic heart condition and he immediately had to stop running and being active altogether as it might kill him. Wilco's attitude and determination since getting this diagnosis has been nothing short of inspiring and we can all stand to learn something from how he handled this life-changing event.
At the core of it, this is a deep conversation around mental health. Andrew started his relationship with alcohol at a very young age because he never felt comfortable in his own skin. It eventually almost cost him everything, his wife and ultimately almost his life. During his recovery, Andrew found running to keep his mind occupied and focused on something other than trying not to take another drink. Little did he know that running and a mindfulness practice would turn into a whole new passion where he has even gone on to run ultra marathons. Andrew is now working towards sharing his experience using movement and nature to foster wellness in his new business the Adventure Fitness Cooperative.