Page 21 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 11

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Restless Souls Need to Run
By Terry Tinkess
t’s hard to explain the need to run
Ito someone who doesn’t have the
bug. What drives someone to run
five, ten or twenty-one kilometres
when they have a perfectly good
car, or even a bike, sitting in the
driveway?
To those that are out there, rain
or shine pounding the pavement,
there’s nothing better. Just ask
Brittany Walker, 22, who can be
seen, stop watch in hand, running
the roads near Lunenburg. From
September until April she moves it
to Kingston where she is in her final
year of a Bachelor of Education
program at Queens University.
For Walker, running is a way
to channel her over-abundance of
energy. “I started running because
I was restless and didn’t’ have any
other outlet for my energy,” says
Walker. “It ‘s a good way to keep
active, and it’s a cheap way. You just
have to have shoes and somewhere
to go. I’m lucky to live somewhere
that it is easy and safe to do that.”
While she can’t pinpoint exactly
when and where she decided running
was the thing to do, Walker thinks
it actually happened quite a while
ago. “I know a couple of my good
friends in high school ran track, I
never did, and Alison Michaels in
particular would go to the track in
Newington and talk about it, how
she enjoyed it, and I guess that
may have got the wheels turning.
I started going down the road, and
then a little further and such.”
Although she has been running
for a while, it is only recently that
she has started to enter events to
kind of give herself a benchmark
compared to other runners. Last
November it was the anniversary
run for the Kingston Road Runners
Association, and in February she
took part in an indoor triathlon at U
of T (University of Toronto).
21
right now, having reached her
most recent one of running a half-
marathon. She hasn’t figured out a
new short-term goal, but the long-
term is a bit clearer. “Within the
next couple years I’d like to do a
marathon. It’s intimidating though,
so I really need to sit down and try
to figure out a program for it.
“I have been planning for the
past month, month and a half to
do a half-marathon, so that’s a big
one. It makes me feel oriented, at
least, in the right direction.”
As much as you hear about the
loneliness of the long distance
runner, Walker thinks there is
a definite advantage to having
someone to train with. “Don’t be
afraid to get out there and run with
someone, to run with other people.
It’s taken me a good six years to
even be running where I am now,
and I feel like I could have saved
myself a lot of time if I had been
running with someone else and
getting feedback instead of just
mentally trying to push myself. It
is exhausting mentally as well. It is
According to Brittany Walker (left) having someone to run with has good to have someone to level you
many benefits, including the ability to level things out and to provide out and encourage you.”
encouragement. Photo by Terry Tinkess As for being a leader or a follower,
there is absolutely no question.
In April there was the year-end that changed a bit this summer when
event for the Queen’s (University) she was helping out students at R.O. It’s a big mental game,” says
triathlon club. “It was sort of a (Rothwell-Osnabruck District High Walker. “I really hate chasing
triathlon split into two,” says School.) someone down. A perfect example
Walker. “The night before there is chasing my brother down when
“It’s been more of a communal
was a 750 metres swim, and then effort, seeing other kids succeed and running the last stretch of our road
the next day there was a duatholon. and back and I am competitive
still pushing myself where I can still
I think they had booking problems. enough that I want to keep up with
run to a level where I can challenge
That consisted of a three k run, then him and catch him, but he’s also
them as well,” says Walker. “That
a 20 k bike and a 5 k run to finish fast enough that he can get away
it off. It was not straight running, was really a push when I started
running with mostly the boys in from me.
those last two events but they were
different and challenging. the running club this summer. That “It’s mentally draining when
was a change, for sure. I never liked you’re just running for yourself. In
At the present time she runs as running with others, and I’ve been an actual race I try to not even think
an independent (a runner without running with my brother (Brad, 19) about who’s even around me and
a team or club affiliation.) That and that was a change too. concentrate on what I’m feeling,
could change though. To this point When asked what her goal is, but definitely I’d say that if I know,
her running has always been out of Walker says she is at a standstill behind is probably the worst”
sense of personal achievement, but