IT’S MID-JANUARY IN CALGARY. It’s pitch dark by 6 p.m., the
sidewalks are covered with snow and a howling wind is pushing the
wind-chill toward -40 C. You’d have to be crazy to voluntarily run in
these conditions, right?
Not necessarily. I used to hunker down Boston Marathon in April and most recently
through the winter months, cocooning on what some consider North America’s
a warm couch, my body atrophying as I most scenic run, the Big Sur International
waited for spring to work it back into shape. Marathon along the pacific Coast south of
But no more. I’ve found a secret weapon San Francisco. And in a break from running,
to fight those winter exercise blues — the I used a four-day, 1,200-kilometre cycling
destination run. tour through the French countryside two
For me, that means a marathon, though years ago to push me through a rigorous
just about every organized marathon comes winter and spring training regime.
with half marathons, 10-kilometre runs and, Whether it’s for motivation or not,
increasingly, even shorter jaunts for the kids. destination runs have taken off in recent
What I have found is that committing to a years, with some travel agencies and
race in a faraway place provides remarkable running clubs now offering packaged deals.
motivational oomph. Why? Because once Lists and ratings of such criteria as most
you commit to a major run, the last thing scenic, fastest or best-organized runs can one where it all started 2,498 years ago,
you want is a DNA [did not finish] tied to it be found on the Internet. Just about every from Marathon to Athens. Many runners
for lack of adequate training. And because major travel destination has an annual “collect” marathons, like one I know who
it’s much harder to back out of a run you are marathon, from sun destinations like Hawaii, has almost completed his goal to run in
investing some big bucks in and building a Florida and the Caribbean to New York and every province and territory. There is also
holiday around than it is to back out of a Chicago (among the world’s biggest runs) a Seven Continents Club of runners who
routine local run. Also, if the destination and virtually every European capital. Many have, as the name implies, completed a
run is in the spring, that means you have no have their own themes, such as the rock ‘n’ marathon on each continent.
alternative but to train through winter. roll marathons in San Diego, phoenix and One need not be that ambitious, though,
As any distance runner knows, there are San Antonio, with live bands for every mile to find motivation to run through a Calgary
no shortcuts to training — you simply need of the course. Or the Medoc Marathon (Le winter. In 2009, the Calgary International
to fit in the necessary weekly mileage to Marathon des Chateaux du Medoc) which, Marathon will be run on May 31 rather than
reach your goal, typically over three to four believe it or not, offers samples of wine (as the traditional Stampede week timeframe,
months for the marathon distance. Training well as water) at each aid station as it winds pushing training schedules back into the
is like going up the down escalator — if you through the rural vineyards of the Bordeaux winter months.
miss a week or two due to a cold spell, you wine region of southern France. The point is, committing to a spring race
can’t pick up where you left off because you Indeed, for today’s runner the world may get you out the door in February when
will have lost some of your gains. truly is their oyster, with marathons now nothing else will. And if you can get away,
Joining a winter running clinic can help organized around such iconic destinations the reward is a guilt-free holiday, secure
to motivate through the bitterest of days. If as the Great Wall of China, mounts Everest in the knowledge this is the escape that
it’s especially miserable out, I find an indoor and Kilimanjaro and the Swiss Alps, motivated you to run through the bitterly
track for a week or so, though in running Iceland, Easter Island, Antarctica and even cold winter back home.
«CO
through five Calgary winters I’ve never

found that necessary for more than three or
four runs in any given year. If you dress for
the weather, it’s remarkable how few days a
year you will miss. It should also be noted
the City of Calgary clears snow off many of
the walking/cycling pathways.
Using a distant marathon as my
motivation has worked for me over a number
of winters now. I have twice used the early-
May Vancouver International Marathon


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winter. I’ve also used for motivation the
www.CalgaryOutdoors.ca CALGARY >> WINTER 2008/2009 15
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