Catching up with Dayna Pidhoresky

Dayna Pidhoresky, one of Canada’s top female road runners, recently moved to Vancouver to be coached by Richard Lee with the British Columbia Endurance Project (BCEP), a high-performance training group based there. She now trains with Olympian Dylan Wykes, among other elites there.

She grew up in Windsor and went to the University of Windsor. She’s trained there on her own since graduating in 2010, until her recent move to Vancouver.

With spring races approaching for, we caught up and asked her how the change has gone.

Canadian Running: You first moved out to Kelowna and subsequently to Vancouver. What caused the moves?

Dayna Pidhoresky: Well, I actually just vacationed in Kelowna for a couple months in the summer. A former [Windsor] Lancer teammate of mine lives there now with her husband, who also competed for the Lancers. It was there that I decided I most certainly wanted to move out west, so I contacted Richard Lee to see if he would work with me. I would say that the main reason for the move was a new training environment and coach.

Rich is top-notch and has had great success coaching at a high-performance marathon level. Dylan Wykes has run amazingly. I was also looking forward to having a training group, something I haven’t had since my Lancer days.

CR:  How is living in Vancouver?

DP: Wonderful would be an understatement. The weather has been perfect and we haven’t had to endure the Polar Vortex that was plaguing the east. There are so many trails and loops to run on here which is very different coming from the cement jungle of Windsor. I feel really lucky to be living in this city, to be able to look up at the mountains every day and to have access to the best sushi in Canada!

CR: Where is your favourite place to run in the city?

DP: Definitely the seawall around Stanley Park, although Pacific Spirit Park — conveniently only a few blocks from our home — is also a favourite if I’m just going for an easy run. The trees are lovely in there. It’s hard to choose. A run along the beaches on a sunny day is hard to beat, too!

CR: You’re with the BCEP training group. How is training with them different from your previous training?

DP: It is a bit of a change for me. The interval sessions are not unlike what I am used to but the long tempos and progression runs are new to me.

The group in general is awesome and I don’t think we could have a better assembly of folks creating a motivating, positive and hard-working vibe. I am still adjusting to working out in a group setting, it is a drastic change from hammering workouts by myself for so many years but I know being pushed by the other girls will only make me stronger.

CR: Did you run into any hiccups along the way with the changes? What went smoothly and what did you not expect?

I don’t think all the hiccups I have encountered are necessarily from the changes, but more so from being able to run more in general. Each week it seems like I am dealing with something minor so I haven’t been able to be as aggressive as I may like to but that is probably okay right now.

CR: You’ve had a few injury setbacks in the past. How are you holding up these days and what have you changed to make sure you’re healthy for the coming seasons?

DP: I am running pretty consistently but I am being cautious and if I feel like something is off I will adjust accordingly. I’m not sure if I will be in tip-top shape in the spring — actually I know I won’t — but I know I will be strong and able to approach the fall in a more aggressive fashion.

Right now, if my body feels good, I know I should be happy. There have been little niggles here and there as of late, and I have approached each of them with a greater respect that I have for things like that in the past. I believe I am doing a lot of things right and hope I see that pay off in the coming years. I have to continually remind myself that long-term is years away, not months.

CR: What races are you training towards in 2014?

DP: Right now I am just looking at the spring season. I plan on racing the Modo Spring Run-Off 8K, The Yonge Street 10K, Sun Run and Vancouver Scotia Half. Hopefully the fall will include a great line up as well.

CR:  Have there been any other big changes with the move out to the West Coast? What’s the biggest difference from Ontario?

DP: Since moving out here I was on the lookout for a new job and New Balance offered me a position as a part-time merchandiser for the area. The flexibility and job description really appealed to me so I jumped at the opportunity to continue working in the industry. I worked at a run specialty and New Balance store back in Windsor for the last 8-9 years.

Changing sponsors from Mizuno to New Balance was not at all something I expected but I’m happy with my new partnership and my new job. Biggest difference from Ontario? Well, my car’s driver and passenger window tint was removed in order to get my out-of-province pass — not happy about that! Other than that, it’s much greener here!