Page 38 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 130

38 Issue #130 November 2023 www.sportsenergynews.com

Scott MacDonald Blew his own Expectations at the

Laurentians P’tit Train du Nord Marathon.

By Christine Ouellet out of shape, I decided to make In September, he also took
some major changes to improve part in Ottawa’s Army Run, The
cott, from Alexandria, my health. I started on the journey Commander’s Challenge, where
Scompleted The P’tit Train du of getting myself fit and stop participants run for 5 km + half
Nord marathon in the Laurentians abusing my body. I started to live a marathon. He came in 3rd overall
on October 1st. In the men 50 -54 healthier life, exercise, eat better, at 1:48:16. He also plans to run
group, he finished in 5th position and then running came along. In the half marathon, end of October,
and crossed the line in 3h 01.26. 2022 I was accepted by the local in the Cornwall Multisport Club
volunteer firefighter service. To do Annual Fall Race.
It is said to be one of the fastest
marathon courses. It’s a not that job, you must be physically fit, His running schedule for 2024 is
quite downhill, but it goes down so I started to run more to improve already established; he is training
very gradually and there are no my cardio, but unfortunately, I for the Ottawa race weekend in
significant up hill sections, but had to resign from the fire service May and Chicago next fall. In
you don’t have the feeling of going following a shoulder injury.” between, he is going to attempt
downhill. Such a course is harder He adds, “The running trail running with an entry for
on calves, and at the end he said his continued and started to become Photo Submitted the 50km Quebec Mega Trail
calves were totally cramped up, so an obsession as for me it is a stress ultra marathon in July 2024. He
much so that even walking back to reliever. Being co-owner of Shore says anything over the marathon
the parking lot was a struggle. Automotive in Ottawa, there is a distance is considered as an ultra
lot of stress that comes with this; in 2022 where he meets other marathon. It will be trail running
His excellent performance running people who support each
gets him a chance to qualify for my running helps me relax and other. He claims that much of his with ups and downs with lots of
the great US marathons, such as eases the stress a little, so when success in running has been due to elevation and some sections on the
Boston, NY, Chicago, and any I can go out for a run, my day is running friends that support him Mount Ste Anne ski hill. For him it
others he wants to go. He has much better.” on all types of runs year-round. is going to be a “double” first; first
already filled his application for Leading up to his first marathon The running is complemented 50km and first trail race. It will be
Chicago that will take place in Scott was running around 100 with regular weight training to quite a challenge and he think that
October next year. km per week, mostly in Ottawa help prepare him for the pounding it will be really hard.
during the day; because by the Needless to say, Scott
Scott has not always been a on the pavement.
time he returns to Alexandria MacDonald likes challenges. He
dedicated runner. He started to
in the evening it is dark, and it Earlier in April 2023 Scott like to go beyond his own limits,
run seriously last year in an effort
is dangerous to run on country participated in his first half
turn his life around. “When I got he is a determined runner who
roads without light. He reserves marathon, St. Lawrence Marathon,
close to fifty, I realized that I was does as well in half marathons,
the longer runs around Alexandria in Cornwall, where he finished
making some bad life choices such 42 km, and will probably do very
for the weekends. He also joined in 6th place in 1h:28.51. (Sports
as smoking, poor eating, being so well in the 50 km trail.
the Cornwall multi-sport group Energy News, issue #125)