New Balance Canadian runner of the week: Dina McLeod

Exiting her home in Kamloops, B.C., 47-year-old Dina McLeod escapes for a run in a setting that, for many runners, exists only in daydreams or magazine pages. When she puts her feet on the trail she can expect to see a coyote, a rattlesnake, deer or a mountain goat. Packed with her is a bell and a bear banger, just in case. She runs her favourite local trails in Kenna Cartwright Park spoiled with mountain views, challenging terrain, the Thompson River on one side and the comforting sounds of her dogs panting on the other.

McLeod started running when she was 19. Then, it was means to escape a toxic lifestyle. “I found a gym and a running family. That’s where that rush changed my life,” she says. “I do it for the freedom it helps me steal from this crazy, busy life. I chase that rush, find my stride and nothing can touch me– not the stress of work, bills, worry, anger or grief. It’s just pure bliss. I can’t find that anywhere else.”

Nearly three decades of running brings a lot of experiences. One of her favourites was running the Berlin Marathon in September. “I banged off a PB 32K followed by the slowest 10K of my life,” says McLeod. “That event changed my ego forever. It let me find the joy in the simplicity of running and just forget the numbers.” She says that running for herself is the best part of running and will continue to be.

Outside her running life, she’s a server in a pub where shifts start at 5:00 p.m. She also has a daughter, Deja, who is 15 years old. For McLeod, running makes the most sense if it’s done in the morning. Solo running is her preference although she did join a group to get the guidance of more experienced runners. “My routes are endless,” she says.

Typically, she runs four times a week. There’s a 13K round-trip loop where she enjoys going up into the hills above her house. For a longer run, she has mapped out a 25K route that leads her to the lower half of Kamloops. Another favourite is the 20K option where she crosses three bridges while pumping herself up for local events like the Kamloops Marathon, Boogie the Bridge and the Dirty Feet series. When she’s clicked off all the k’s, it’s time to scarf down the protein. Since McLeod is a vegetarian, she’s looking at favourite recovery foods like three-bean salads with avocado and a banana to start.

While runners like to brag about the perks (and the perks are endless) sooner or later, everyone has to face the downside. Like an injury during race season. Right now, McLeod is injured with a tear in her left knee and has missed races she was preparing for. “The difficulty is listening not only to my doctor but to my body and its need to heal and rest,” she says. “It has been 27 long days since my last outside run, and I’m going a bit loopy.” Momentarily she has swapped the picturesque mountain view runs with the elliptical machine. Not ideal. For now, she’s having faith that she’ll be better on time for next month’s Rock ‘n’ Roll half in Seattle.

Time off from running happens to most of us. Not running can be frustrating but it’s temporary for McLeod. If running were to be removed from her life forever, that would be a different story.

“I would be significantly less patient, less mindful, less grateful, less whole,” she says. “I would be only a shadow of who I really I am.”