When I first set foot on a hiking trail, I had no idea that those steps would lead me down a path of personal growth, resilience, and connection. What started as a simple quest for fresh air and companionship soon evolved into running—a sport that taught me about myself, my community, and how to laugh through even the most embarrassing moments.
Starting Small: A Napkin and a Plan
My running story began with Michelle, an elementary school teacher. I had been asked to run a leg in the Death Race and I wasn’t sure if I could do it. I asked Michelle and she said I could if I committed to a training plan. It was at a school event, when she scribbled my first-ever training plan on a napkin: lunges, squats, wall sits, a few other things and thus a 15-minute workout plan for three times a week was born. That napkin was my guide for nearly a decade and symbolized the start of my journey on to many more runs and races.
Michelle didn’t sugarcoat things either. Early on, when I was starting to run and complained about being injured, she simply said, “No, you’re just out of shape.” It was the brutal honesty I needed to push forward, and it set the tone for every step I took from there. Many runs after, one of our early morning runs somehow I rolled my ankle and myself into a ditch. As I lay there trying to assess the damage I heard Michelle. I turn to listen to her words “That’s an injury! Now you’re hurt!” I would have been offended but I had to laugh. I got my injury. Only one of my many lessons from Michelle. Michelle and I went on to run and hike many mountains. Our adventures were always fun!
Chasing JoAnne
JoAnne, a younger, faster runner, became my next inspiration. My goal during our runs was simple: chase her and not die trying. Despite her speed and experience, JoAnne never made me feel out of place. She was very motivated and she just did her thing and let me chase her. She pushed me to keep going while sprinkling our runs with humor and patience.
Once, during one of our runs together we got on the subject of identifying dead bodies. I have no idea now how this happened but I joked that if I ever had to identify JoAnne, I’d need to ID her by her calves—because that’s all I ever saw as she sped ahead. She eventually tackled the Great Canadian Death Race to complete it solo. Her grit left me in awe. We continued running together until she moved. Another amazing woman on the trail!
Going the Distance with Elaine
My next running partner was Elaine. Elaine entered the picture and led me to start tackling longer distances. Together, we trained for marathons, 50 km races, and even an 80 km trail race. Elaine brought wisdom and strategy; I brought non stop chatter. During one never-ending run, Elaine turned and commented, “I can’t believe you’re still talking.” But I was.
I remember just before we ran our 80 km race, I was so nervous. When Elaine had asked me why, it wasn’t because I didn’t think we could do it. I was not sure what I would talk about for that many hours. Elaine shook her head, she was always such a good sport.
With Elaine, I discovered the magic of endurance running. We covered so much ground and went so many places, I will forever be grateful!
The Magic of Race Day
Race day is a mix of nerves, excitement, and self-doubt. There’s something magical about the buzz of the running community—the shared energy, encouragement, and inevitable connections. On one memorable day, I prepared to tackle two Death Race legs, totaling over 50 rugged kilometers.
As we waited at the starting point of our leg. A guy I knew who was standing close to me recognized me and asked me how the trail was, assuming because I was a local I had trained on it. I had and was happy to share a trail report. Next thing I know his team had informed him that the next member of his team was coming in. So he ducked under the flagging tape to get ready and turned. He said, “How about a good luck kiss?”. Without thinking, I leaned in and gave him a kiss. Only for him to reply, “I meant my wife”. I turned around behind me and there was a young woman, holding a child. Mortified, my eyes wide, I didn’t know what to say.
As luck would have it my team runner came in. Time for me to go but karma struck fast. As I ducked under the flagging tape,my running pack hooked onto it. I flailed, nearly taking down the entire makeshift fence. My friend was watching, her eyes wide at the show taking place, while my husband stood silent, perhaps questioning his life choices. My friend shouted for me to stop moving, leaned over and freed me, then I sprinted off— cringing in bewilderment all the way up the mountain.
I look back on that incident and still wonder what I was thinking.
My Journey in Running and Unexpected Adventures
When I first set foot on a hiking trail, I had no idea those steps would lead me down a path of personal growth, resilience, and connection. What started as a simple quest for fresh air and companionship evolved into so much more. I wish I could tell you how much I learned to love running but I can’t. What I can tell you is I learned a lot about myself. I feel grateful to have enjoyed the company of so many amazing people and not just the women I talked about in this post. I met a lot of good people and with that came friendships and inspiration.
So, here’s to the trails we travel and the stories we create. Lace up and keep going—you never know where the path will take you.
