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MOUNTAINLIFEBLUEMOUNTAINS
SPRING2016
TheNorthFaceEnduranceChallengewasyour
first trail race. Tell usabit about thatday.
I laugh because it was my first trail race and I
had no idea what to expect. I showed up like
a typical roadrunner inmy tight shorts andmy
singlet and had people at the start line asking,
“Where’s your nutrition? Where’s your water
pack?” The trail runners are geared up and
prepared. I had one gel inmy hand and that
was it. I was a bit nervous, wondering if I was
going tomake it, but they had told us there
would be water stations and I thought, “That’s
fine, that’s what I’d expect in a road race.” But
I think trail runners race the same way they
train, and I know that when I train, I carry all
that stuff.
I got really confused at one point because I got
to a water station and noticed a lot of runners
ahead of me. At the time I knew that I was in
third or fourth overall and the first female. I was
already exhausted, I’d been pushing, it was hot
and then I saw lots of people. It turns out it
was the ultra marathoners who go 50miles and
I was catching the back of the pack. That really
threwme off. I was in a really weirdmental
state. It’s emotional but I think that’s why we
do it. If you can overcome those things, you can
pretty much overcome anything.
Howwouldyoudescribe theBlueMountain
course?
It’s definitely beautiful. I had only been a
roadrunner so I’m normally running downtown
Toronto or throughAjax so it was much
different. You go from climbing the mountain in
the blazing sun to the shade of the trees to a
rocky ravine with water.
Theysay theBlueMountaincoursehas themost
pronouncedelevationgainof any trail race in
Ontario. Are theclimbsor thedescentsmore
challenging?
Later in the race, descending is challenging
because you can’t go the same speed and
your legs are screaming. But the climbs in the
sun were definitely the hardest for me. You’re
hot, you’re tired and there’s no shelter. There’s
nothing but your own limits holding you back.
Youwon the2014 racewitha timeof 5:23:54.3.
Howmuchstrategy is involved ina raceof that
length?
It’s such a hard thing to learn. I have a
marathon coming up and in that I knowwhat
to expect of my pace. There is no guesswork. I
look at my Garmin and I knowwhat to expect.
With the North Face event there was no gauge.
I’d never run the course andmy pace was all
over the place. I just kept checking in with
myself and asking—can I maintain this level of
effort for several hours?
You’renot racing theNorthFaceevent this
yearbut I hear you’repreparing for another
endurance trail challenge?
In July, we’re doing the Canadian Death Race.
My distance is called the Near DeathMarathon
so it’s 42km; the only difference is, they tell
you to take your best marathon time (mine is
2:56) and double it—that’s how long it will take
you to run through the Rockies. It’s going to be
a challenge. My boyfriendMatt Leduc will be
doing the 125km solo distance and I’ll be his
support crew. After my Near DeathMarathon
I’ll be out there running and supporting him
in whatever he needs. It should be a pretty
amazing experience for both of us. North Face
was our entry into the trail scene and we’ll see
where this takes us.
For thoseof uswho’venever tackledamarathon
or a50-kilometre trail race, howwouldyou
explainwhat keepsyoumotivated?
At Lifetime inAjax I train a group of beginner
runners. They did their first 5km recently. During
the race they said they were never going to run
again, they hated it in the moment, but shortly
after they were asking: What’s next? After every
race you feel empowered and inspired and
motivated because you’ve overcome such a
challenging situation. You want to put yourself
back into that place where you’re proud—there
are a lot of positives and endorphins that come
from that.
Sinceyoubegan running in2009,what’sbeen
thebiggest thingyou’ve takenaway from the
sport?
Before I started running I was a smoker. I ate
the traditional NorthAmerican diet: steak,
potatoes and a can of corn. When I think about
running and what I’ve achieved over the years, I
am amazed at how good you can feel when you
add a little bit of exercise into your routine and
change your eating habits. You don’t need to be
an extreme 50km ultra runner—you can exercise
30minutes to an hour a day and add healthier
options into your diet. You’ll be surprised how
great you feel. Health and longevity have been
my biggest takeaways.
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