Running through the changing seasons

Running through Saskatoon as the seasons change, Tara watches her footing on icy grounds. While avoiding injury, she thinks of athletes who have been able to bounce back from one. 

We’re still months away from the changing of seasons, yet this past week, a glimpse of spring fell upon Saskatoon runners as the temperature found its way above zero.

As the day’s warm sun began melting heaps of snow, the streets and sidewalks were rushed with water, only to then freeze overnight, creating morning’s icy chaos. Still, many runners took advantage of the unusually mild weather despite the ice. Some turned to spiked shoes while others picked up their trail runners. I chose to continue running outside, carefully, for the majority of my workouts. Donning my spring tights and lightweight jacket, barely a toque was needed as I dashed along attempting to find firm footing on the often icy, sometimes slushy, unpredictable landing beneath.

The changing of seasons, whether it real or just a tease, is both inviting and unnerving. The warm air feels like a luxury, yet the instability found with each step is a reminder of one’s fragile nature. I touched each foot down with heightened awareness of the unsteady surface. One faulty step could cause a lot of pain, both physically and mentally. Having been sidelined several times over the past 10 months, I know the emotional toll it takes when forced to stop running and I don’t want to be back in that place. No runner does. It’s heartbreaking.

This I know, not only through my own experience, but also from watching others struggle. Most remarkable isn’t the hardship of sitting out due to injury, but rather what emerges from it. I’ve witnessed the runner’s spirit rise above adversity to continue, vulnerably, down the often slick and sometimes treacherous path.

The spirit of a runner is hopeful, resilient and determined. It has to be, because like the seasons, the situation will inevitably change. I look at Krista DuChene, who, at the age 38, qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio less than a year after a massive injury. In April of 2014, she broke her femur moments before crossing the finish line at the Canadian Half Marathon Championships. Surgery immediately followed with a plate and screws being set in to repair her broken body.

She was away from running for several months before being able to start jogging in July. Determined to get herself back into elite condition, she patiently and persistently worked toward her goal of reaching the Olympic qualifying standard. She achieved that in May of 2015 at the Rotterdam Marathon where she ran a personal best: 2:29:38. This is a basic description of what DuChene has been through over the past 20 months. I can only imagine what she may have felt, and perhaps understand it through my own experience.

I didn’t break any bones, or have any surgeries this past year, but I did go through a three-month period of spotty training after being diagnosed with (and working through treatment for) ADHD. The past 10 months have been filled with many changes and difficult transitions. I have stumbled, however with every slip I’ve gained a better understanding of myself as a runner and as a person. Whatever storms, or sunny days lie ahead, I’m hopeful I’ll be able to graciously move through them.