It’s that time again where I feature another runner. This week I am heading to British Columbia to shine the spotlight on Jason from Burnaby.
Enjoy!
Age: 43
Profession: English teacher
Runner Since: 2013
I started running a year ago in preparation to break the Guinness World Record for longest table hockey marathon. (The attempt involved 33 consecutive hours of standing, and running provided some good trunk and core training.) Not only did we succeed in setting the world record in September — grumble How long does it take to update your website, Guinness? /grumble — but I found that I’m definitely goal-oriented when it comes to fitness. I completed my first half in the spring, and have two more lined up; look for my first full marathon in the spring.
2. How do you deal with injury?
I suffered a grade three ankle sprain a few months ago, and wound up taking a full ten weeks off. I went at my physiotherapy as hard as I could, but really made an effort to listen to my body. If something is sore, it’s sore for a reason — I’ll take down the intensity a few notches. If something is outright painful, I plant my butt on the couch, gobble whatever meds the docs see fit to give me, and engage in as much RICE as I can handle. I’m not a pro athlete, and I’m not 22 years old. There’s no reason to power through things and potentially hurt myself even more severely.
3. What is your favourite distance to run? Why?
I feel best doing around 15km. Ten feels incomplete somehow, but the final quarter of a half is still a bit of a struggle. Luckily I don’t give a whit about finishing times.
For the past two years, I have been fortunate to have an invitation to take part in the Vancouver Whitecaps media invitational soccer match. Last year, I was sucking wind during warmups and felt exhausted for days afterwards. Sure, I’ve still got a bit of a belly this year, but I was able to keep the legs moving for the entire afternoon, and fitness was not a problem in the least. I even went for an evening run that night. So I suppose my biggest running memory isn’t about running at all — it’s about what it has made possible in the rest of my life.
5. Do you run solo or with a group?
Definitely solo. As I said, I listen to my body. When it tells me to walk for a little while, I do. When I want to take a picture, I do. There’s no joy in that when you’re ruining your partner(s) splits.
6. What is your dream race? Tell us about it.
Definitely the Inca Trail Marathon. I’ve been somewhat obsessed with visiting Machu Picchu since I was in high school. I had planned, in fact, to do the Inca Trail as a 40th birthday present to myself a few years ago, but my wife and I went and had a baby girl that year. (Not a bad trade off, if you ask me.) Now that running has taken over so many of my short-term goals, it makes sense to combine that with the Peru thing.
I pledged to do 1,000 km in training during this calendar year, and will probably up that to 1,000 miles in 2015. These aren’t huge distances for a lot of people, but remember, I only started to run last year. I’m eyeing up the possibility of doing a marathon in every province, but we’ll see how my first full goes in the spring before I get ahead of myself.
Besides the fact that I’m more goal-oriented than process-oriented? Running has reintroduced me to the idea that it is far more effective to adhere to a miniscule change every day than it is to attempt a massive shift in the short term. It’s not as grandiose, nor does it impress the small-minded, but it yields results that matter.
9. Advice for new runners?
Start small. Walk as much as you like. Run as slowly as you want. Do whatever you need to do to make running fun. A smile on your face is much more important than your time, your distance, your shoes or your weight — flip the finger at anyone who suggests otherwise.
10. Is there anything I didn’t ask you that you would like to share?
When you’re not running, read about it. It informs, educates, inspires. Plus it supports the dying art of writing. Four suggestions: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall; What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, by Haruki Murakami; The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances, by Michael Inman. What Makes Olga Run? by Bruce Grierson.
Connect with Jason:
Happy trails!