It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it

This is my first blog. Ever.

It’s about me, my past, current, and future trials and tribulations in the world of ultrarunning. My goal is to share my experiences in planning for ultras, training for ultras, racing ultras, doing well, blowing up, and dealing with injuries.

My name is Simon Donato. I’m 35 years old, live in Calgary with my wife, and I’m a geologist. I grew up in Ontario, went to Oakridge High School in London, then off to University of Western Ontario for a few degrees, and finished up at McMaster University in Hamilton. My introduction to ultra-distance sport was through adventure racing, but until recently, I could never imagine running for more than two hours at a time. Sounded crazy. Sounded slow.

I’ve always run, but honestly was never any good. I ran because it was faster than walking, but never exciting enough to do on its own. That changed in 2003 when I began my PhD at McMaster and started training with a great group of orienteerers. I was still doing a lot of adventure racing at the time, but wanted to improve my running. What I realized quickly was that despite the difficulty of the workout – and they were ALL difficult for me initially – they seemed to speed by because of the guys and girls I ran with. I stuck with running because of the group. They motivated me, made me laugh, and despite the fact that I was the slowest, seemed genuinely happy to have me there. I stuck with it, and over time got better, faster. What I learned from that experience was that running is as much about whom you run with, as it is about simply putting in the kilometers and doing the “proper” workouts. I realized that I was accountable to myself, and to the group.

We had one runner in the group, Paul “Turbo” Trebilcock who ran ultras. He was the ONLY person I knew for years that ran ultras. A great guy, he would always show up at workouts with a weighted hip pack and double water bottles. He said that it helped prepare him for the long races. I always thought that ultra running was too slow, the competitors a bit nuts, and that it was mainly populated by runners who couldn’t do well in 10Ks and half-marathons. I was wrong.

Fast-forward to 2012 and I’ve been running ultras for two years. What I’ve learned over this short period is that the calibre of runners competing in ultra events is very high, and many of these men and women have serious afterburners, regardless of the distance or terrain. Take Ellie Greenwood of Banff, or Max King of Oregon, as prime examples of this. I run with Ellie, so I know how deadly fast she is on all terrain, as she recently pulled off a sub-6 min mile pace in a local 5 miler, AFTER a three-hour training run that morning. Max King is an American speedster who just ran a 2:14:36 at the U.S. trials marathon, but also races ultras. These athletes are the opposite of slow and the stage is now being set for ultra records to plummet as elite marathoners begin dabbling in the world of ultras, perhaps drawn by the recent surge in popularity (though not prize money yet).

Why does this evolution matter? It matters to me because I want to be competitive, and to do that means big training volume, good injury management, and serious strength training as I enter the 2012 season. Slow doesn’t exist in the top levels of this sport. Unfortunately, 2012 has been a slow start due to a hip flexor strain from yoga, but presuming I can begin training hard this week, I think I’m still on track for a solid spring. So, in the spirit of full disclosure, here are my races and my goals for 2012: March – Chuckanut 50K in Bellingham, Washington; April – Boston Marathon; May/June – Local Alta and B.C. races; July – Sinister 7 148K in Blairmore, Alta.; August – Leadville 100 miler in Leadville, Colorado; Fall – ?. Goal setting is always complicated and should be flexible (injuries, interruptions in training, etc.), however, my overall goals are to run steady and strong in all races this year, mitigate cramping issues, and train and race smart to avoid injury. In terms of time or placing goals, those will get refined closer to each event but I do have a top 10 Leadville goal, a sub-2:50 Boston goal, a podium at Sinister-7, and a top 10 at Chuckanut.

As I deal with an injury that has limited my running and has shaken my early season motivation and confidence, I know that a bit of patience will pay off and I’ll be running hard in no time. What I love about ultras is that they are not won in the first 30 minutes. Sometimes you can have a slow start and still make up for it down the stretch. In an ultra, you always have a fighting chance of reaching your goal and even though it can be a long, tough, mentally draining grind, the most important thing is to never give up. It’s a race where like life, you can have multiple highs and lows, but at the end of the day, if you can stay focused and just keep moving forward, you’ll reach the finish line, and hopefully find a cold beer with your name on it.