New year, new challenges

Last year I ran over 2600 km.  I think it’s pretty cool considering that I started endurance running in January 2010 and I spent the previous 12 years of my life as a very heavy smoker.  My first goal was to run a half-marathon.  At that time my dream goal was to run the New York Marathon.  While I haven’t taken that on yet it is pretty clear to me that running has become somewhat of a passion, if not an obsession, of mine.

My original plan for 2013 was to participate in 6 races.  They were chosen strategically so that I would gain experience that would help me prepare for my ultimate goal for 2013; finish the Canadian Death Race.  Of the 6, I was only able to complete 5 since one of them did not open for 2013.  Even so, 5 races was still more than double what I would have normally participated in.  This year I am doubling the number of races yet again.

My accomplishments last year are as a whole a catalyst for more.  Bigger races, more extreme challenges, more running.  I have been researching the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, Western States 100, Fat Dog 100 among others.  The driving motivation for me to ultra is two fold, to be healthy and to travel.  When considering the travel, I want to be travelling to places I have never been before.

For many of the harder races, I need to qualify.  This is the reason my training started December 1st 2013 under the direction of Jeff Hunter, my coach.  No matter the conditions this winter, I have been out there.  Often I have been trailblazing through knee deep snow,  sometimes deeper.  I was out during what meteorologist’s called the polar vortex.  The temperature dipped to -35 Celcius and I was out there slugging away, one foot in front of the other.

So my race plan for 2014 is as follows: