Athlete of the Day
John Sadler from Ontario
Keep it fun! Don’t get too lost in the pursuit of your goals that you forget why you started running in the first place!
Did you walk, jog or run this challenge?
I ran the challenge.
How did you start running and why?
I was a recreational cyclist for about 15 years participating mainly in longer tours and Gran Fondos, but I didn’t do any racing and no running at all. Towards the end of 2016, I’d decided I wanted to change things up a bit and try my hand at racing duathlons. At the start of 2017, I set a goal of running a 10k race so I registered for a 10k run program at my local Running Room. I was surprised to discover how much I was enjoying running! I completed the 10k distance before the program even started, so talking to the store manager, he suggested I move up to the half program instead. Since I was enjoying it so much, I figured, “Why not?”
A few months later, I remember as I crossed the finish line of my first half, saying to myself that I’d never do that again, as I’m sure most people do their first race, so naturally, I registered for the marathon clinic the next week keeping the momentum rolling.
Ten months after starting to run, I’d completed my first marathon and I was hooked! I did a couple of duathlon events and really enjoyed them but my focus quickly shifted to Boston and achieving my BQ. I made one attempt so far coming up 5 minutes short, but I know it’s coming!
How often do you walk and run?
Starting Jan 1st, I set a goal to run every day in 2020! So far as of April 20, I’m on day 111 and have a total of 1145KMs of my 3000KM goal completed.
What was your greatest obstacle while aiming to reach 1000KM?
There were a couple of days earlier in the year when I was sick and running wasn’t high on my to-do list, but I sucked it up and got in my minimum 3Ks to keep the streak alive.
How do you stay motivated and find the time to walk and run?
I’m very goal-driven, so the act of just signing up for The Great Canadian Running Challenge is one way I stay motivated. Setting goals to run every day in 2020, hit 3000KM for the year, qualify for Boston all keep me focused and showing up day after day.
What advice would you give someone to stay focused on reaching 1000KM in 2020?
Don’t give up! You may need to take a step back and restructure your training, but the goal should never change. It may mean joining a run club to learn from others with similar goals, or maybe hire a coach. I find it also helps to set smaller milestone goals along the way leading up to the main event.
John completed 1000KM in less than 5 months and is very close to reaching 2000KM! You can follow his progress here.
Great work John and thank you for sharing a part of your story with us! We wish you the best of luck in reaching 3000KM in 2020!
