Rejean rejoins running

Pace and Mind: Motivation. Confidence. Results.

That’s the introductory statement on Rejean Chiasson‘s website. Chiasson is a former Canadian marathon champion. Now, he’s started his own coaching service, offering customized programs for the runner who dreams of their first 5k to the runner who dreams of their first sub-3 hour marathon. His site’s closing statement is: “You have one life to live.” I like it.

Rejean

I met Rejean a few years back when he was in Ottawa and was looking to get serious about running. I was admittedly weary yet curious about the tattoo-covered lean guy. He seemed like a nice guy. I would find out years later that he did get serious about running and that he got fast. Very fast.

Rejean grew up in Tilley-Road (St-Isidore), New Brunswick but only started running in 2004 while he was in the army in Gagetown. In 2006, he moved to Ottawa to go to college, and began to train with the Top Speed Racing Team, a local group of triathletes and runners. But it was not until 2008 when he says he got consistent with training and started seeing results.

The results came but so did setbacks and injury. Like many runners it is not always a smooth. uncomplicated road. Life and running can often be unpredictable.

I saw that Rejean was now coaching and wanted to find out how things were going. I had briefly seen him at the Ottawa Marathon in the spring when he helped pace a runner to a personal best in the 2:45 range.

Personal Bests

3000m: 8:34 (2010)

10K: 29:38 (2012)

5000m: 14:46 (2011)

Half-marathon: 1:05:04 (2012)

Marathon: 2:17:47 (2011)

I blogged about Rejean a few years ago and wanted to find out what he was up to now. I contacted him and asked him a few questions.

Where are you at in your life and running?

“Running-wise, I’ve been taking some down time for over a year now. The same health issue has been resurfacing since being a competitive runner with every year getting worse and worse without any luck finding what is causing it. I’ve been feeling healthy for a while now and am running enough to maintain some fitness to keep the possibility of making a comeback. But it’s hard to get motivated to put in the work needed to be competitive again when its more than likely the same issue will come back. At this point I’d consider myself more of a fitness runner. I have been concentrating on lifting weights and being all-around fit.”

Tell us about Pace & Mind.

“This year I launched my own training group. I do both group coaching, and online coaching. Helping other runners improve has been a great way for me to stay involved in a sport that’s given me so much. And seeing my athletes achieve more than they thought possible is as rewarding as when I was competing.”

What projects are you involved with?

“Most of my time has been put in Pace & Mind. With a group in Toronto and Montreal, it’s been keeping me busy.”

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To have been close to achieving what many of us would describe as a dream, running at an elite level, running with the big boys and then struggling to stay there must be tough. But life is more than winning and running and I think we all must come to terms with our limitations, our challenges and decide what is important and what will make us happy.

I would also like to see if Rejean can regain some competitive running success.

I wish you luck, Rejean. I like what I see with your coaching and the positive energy that your website and posts about your group radiates.

Run on, my friend.

See you all on the roads or in the blogosphere.

Do you have a running story to tell?

runningwriter@hotmail.com

You can also reach my via Twitter @NoelPaine or on my personal blog.