Today we’re taking off the ski boots and sliding into the running shoes: Jazmine Lowther is on the Live It Up podcast. Jazmine is an ultra runner, rock climber, all-around mountain athlete and also a scientist, which you know always gets us stoked.
Let’s talk about running for a second—one of the more democratic outdoor activities. You don’t need too much fancy equipment, there are no lift tickets or team fees, and you don’t really need to travel to do it. And that might be why running, particularly trail running and ultra running, are more popular than ever. There’s no $7,000 bike required, no $300 lift ticket, no $1,000 rack, no inflating, no waiting, maybe just a bit of stretching and away you go. And most of us, even if we live in a city, can get outside and run, usually pretty close to our homes. And that’s cool and kind of rare among the sports and activities we usually cover in Mountain Life.
For those unfamiliar with the term ultra running, it refers to a run longer than the traditional marathon, which is 42 km.
There’s plenty of variety with distances, formats and terrain but generally, ultra races (or ultra marathons) can be 50 or 100 km or more. Ultra runners will face a long grueling trail and try to set the fastest known time just for fun. A route that would take me, and probably you, two or three days of hiking over and through and around mountains, these ultra runners will do in three to four hours. It’s no joke.
Our guest is sometimes known as The Gazelle, probably because she’s fast and nimble, not because she grazes on grassland and can grow antlers out of her head. Jazmine Lowther was born and raised British Columbian and is now based in Canmore, Alberta and is a member of The North Face team. She’s an exceptional rock climber (sport or trad), skier, mountaineer and mountain biker. But since taking her running more seriously in 2019, she’s been crushing it.
In 2022, she showed up at an endurance race called the Canyons 100K and set a course record. Then she went to Europe and placed fourth in one of the biggest and most competitive 100 km races on the planet. Jasmine also writes about training, nutrition, women’s health, motivation and more. And in case that’s not enough, she’s also a plant biologist who’s used to spending weeks on end, isolated in total nature. So let’s skip to it. –Feet Banks
ML: So what’s your thought process during one of your grueling journeys?
Jazmine Lowther: Oftentimes it’s, Why am I doing this? There are those races definitely where it hits you a bit more. You do need to have those whys: Why do I put myself through the sufferfest? But you know, there are the times when I’m just pinching myself, like, Holy crap: I’ve been running for X amount of hours over five mountains in crazy-beautiful and stunning places across the world, in Spain or France or here in Canada. It’s a massive privilege really. And it feels like a huge gift and something to honour.
ML: Do you ever wish you could just slow down and appreciate everything, or are you able to still take it all in, even though you’re going at speed?
JL: That is something I’ve been thinking about more and more lately. It’s a little bit of both. With running, you are very in tune with the flow of the trail, of going up and down mountains. And it does put you in this connected state or flow state, which is quite beautiful to feel. I think sometimes we capture a lot of the panoramas around us but might be zooming through a little bit at a higher speed; but similar to mountain biking, I always argue you get to see more.
ML: In running, is it a similar flow slate flow that you would have to a rock climb where you’re so tuned in?
JL: It’s similar for sure—when you’re so in the present and your body knows where to go and whether you’re on a rock and you’re moving on the rock, you’re feeling that. You’re so connected to that wall that you are on. With running, it’s the curves of the trail and the dirt beneath your feet. And you’re smelling the forest and hearing the birds around you. And that’s when real life or the rat race of life just melts away from you.
Listen to the full conversation here.
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