“Are you upset little friend? Have you been lying awake worrying? Well, don’t worry…I’m here. The flood waters will recede, the famine will end, the sun will shine tomorrow, and I will always be here to take care of you.” Charlie Brown to Snoopy
VICKY: I lost my Mizunos.
GRANT: And your treadmill.
VICKY: And my television, desk, bookshelf, workout mats and the list appears to go on and on at this point.
GRANT: That sucks Vickster. I’m really sorry to hear about the recent flooding in Binbrook, ON.
VICKY: Thanks G. Unfortunately, some of our neighbours were hit even harder than us. I know there are quite a few runners in my community. So, this got me thinking about what some runners do when a natural disaster strikes. How do they stay on track with their training program when in some cases, they don’t even have any running shoes left from the wreckage?
GRANT: What’s the verdict?
VICKY: Keep on running! Don’t let it stop you. Just use what you have at your disposal and keep moving.
GRANT: Yes but I’m sure it’s hard to do that when you are cleaning up and dealing with the insurance companies.
VICKY: Yes, it is. Fortunately, I have found some pretty inspiring runners out there who have helped me put it all into perspective. Do you remember that Chilean miner, Edison Peña?
GRANT: Yes, I do. He kept on running up to 6 miles each day while being trapped inside a mine for 69 days.
VICKY: Then, he went on to run and finish the New York City Marathon less than a month after being rescued from the mine! So many of us would have probably sunk into a deep depression after such a traumatizing ordeal but he kept on running and emerged as a true survivor.
GRANT: He’s amazing!
VICKY: Exactly. Then there’s Nadia MacLaren from Christchurch, New Zealand. She is a trail runner and triathlete who was training for the New Zealand Ironman when a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck her community.
GRANT: Oh I remember this quake. They didn’t have any petrol, electricity, water, etc.
VICKY: Yes, but Nadia still went on to complete the New Zealand Ironman under 12 hours a mere 14 days after the earthquake!
GRANT: Are you kidding me?
VICKY: I am absolutely not kidding. Those are just two stories that have caught the attention of the media but I’m sure there are many more stories about runners surviving natural disasters.
GRANT: Running is such a great stress reliever and in some cases, it’s the best way of focusing on something other than the fact that you have lost everything.
VICKY: Of course the flood in my community was nothing compared to these disasters.
GRANT: No, it wasn’t but nonetheless, it doesn’t take much to sidetrack a runner’s training.
VICKY: Indeed. Ok, off I go to look for a new pair of Mizunos!
GRANT: You loved those Mizunos eh?
VICKY: I trained for and ran my first half marathon in those shoes 2 years ago in Ottawa. They were supposed to be a part of my running history…forever. They are what motivated me to start running again a few months ago on the treadmill. I would keep them at the bottom of the stairs in the basement and had this little routine going…until July 22, 2012 when they floated towards my treadmill to their poetic running death. I’m really upset about it.
GRANT: Well, if it’s any comfort, you were due for a new pair of shoes anyways. Two years is way beyond the lifespan of a running shoe for an avid runner such as yourself.
VICKY: Not helpful.
GRANT: Not even a little bit? Come on! You’re a woman, you love shopping!
VICKY: LOL. Still not helpful G but thanks anyways 🙂
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