Trail running after 50: use it or lose it
Kim Larouche from St. John's, Nfld. is only getting stronger and more ambitious
Kim Larouche is paving the dirt on the east coast of Canada. In just three years, the 53-year-old occupational therapist from St. John’s, Nfld. has run feet first into the trail and ultrarunning community. After years of triathlons, the self-proclaimed “aerobic junkie” has embraced the world of endurance running and trail exploration.
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Motivation
For most people, extreme weather patterns on the east coast would be a deterrent for running outside. For Larouche, it was the extreme conditions of the east coast trails that motivated her to try trail running. Perhaps east coasters have a deeper level of grit than the rest of the country. “I love racing, the meritocracy of competition. Not because winning and losing are particularly important to me, but because competition sends us on an innately human journey. I love the profound physical and mental demands of training and racing, which I feel leads to a richer and more sensitive and thrilling life. They make us better human beings.”
In October 2018, she ran her first 50K ultra trail race at the East Coast Trail 50K. Just 3K into the race, Larouche heard her ankle snap. She “ran the rest of the 50k thinking it was just a sprain. I ended up with an x-ray and a small avulsion fracture which I ran on for 47K. I was hoping to change my socks at 30K but when I looked in my pack, I forgot to put them in so I never changed them, and thus did not remove my socks to see the ankle. If I had, I certainly would have stopped! It looked pretty bad.”
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Training
With a healed ankle, Larouche has continued to challenge herself and push her mental and physical limits. She trains regularly, either solo or with friends on the trails. She has kept up her cycling and swimming as cross-training. Larouche’s mindset for training is based on the process. “The journey is just as important to me as race day. Getting to the start line is just as satisfying as getting to the finish line, in my books.”
The next 30 years
Larouche has big goals and dreams, and there’s no doubt her east coast grit will be put to good use. She hopes to run the full East Coast Trail in the near future, as well as qualify for Kona Ironman World Championships and cycle across the province with her husband. Despite being a jack of all trades, Larouche loves running and the trails. “Running has always been a huge part of my life. Trail running allows you to be with yourself, but also with the natural world, with no cars or street running distractions.”
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