Running Blog

I first met Jan Beiber at a Landmark Education course where he inspired me to get off the couch and run a marathon with him. We ran every second morning rain or shine to train( even at 5:30 am in -42 which is where the picture was taken). He is currently raising money for the Children’s Wish Foundation, and I am running a small section of his event. He is running from Victoria to Calgary and inspiring people with his story. Check out runningforyourlife.ca to see Jan’s incredible story and be apart of his journey. I have also committed to run the Canmore half marathon, the Victoria Marathon and many other runs in preparation for his event.


October 12th

I struggled to get to the gym today as I could hardly walk. Ron had a special workout planned. We had to do 5 pull ups, 10 pushups, 15 squats and then 20 crunches…and again …and again…for 20 minutes. I did 14 sets total…which means I did 70 pull ups, 140 pushups, 210 squats and 280 crunches in 20 minutes. We cooled down on the bikes for 10 minutes and did intervals at about 65 %. I walked out of the gym feeling energized that I could do it and impressed with my recovery rate… I literally had to walk down the stairs backwards with out bending my legs to get to the gym! This was just 2 days after my marathon! I am going to continue with the diet I have learned as this is miraculous for me! When I let go of knowing how to do things,  like I had all the answers…I broke through to a new way of being and new athletic heights. My body feels great and I know I could do anything if I made it a priority…and it all started with making health a priority ( both physical and mental).

Oct 10th

Happy Thanksgiving…and I have lots to be thankful for. My incredbile family who supports me 100%, kelly books and pays for my flight without question because she knows how important this is to me…I love you honey just like I said when I crossed the finish line today. With 500 meters left I pulled out the cell phone( thanks for all the calls during the race…they were helpful but I sure got some weird looks for answering…haha) and I called my family. If they had seen me on the webcam they would have seen me in tears as I crossed. I can’t explain the emotional response. It was an overwhelming sense of love for Kelly and Hunter and Piper and it was them who I was thinking of. Still a bit awed by it all. The croud roared when I pulledout the cell phone and started to dial…and then laughed as I spoke with Kelly for the last 300 meters. It was the best moment of the last 42km and I shall have it with me forever!

The race morning was raining and cool but once we got moving it was perfect. The first 15 km went buy like nothing as Jennae was running with me to help pace me and keep me company…she flew from Calgary to do that. (Insert emotional overwhelm here) She could have run under 3 hours and 30 minutes easy but she chose to run with me to get me across under my self imposed 4 hour time limit. I knew that would be difficult as my training had never taken me over the 25 km mark and I had no idea what would happen after that. We met great people, had wonderful chats, cheered on the pros when we overlapped the course and talked about the things important to us in our lives…namely family. I don’t think she knows the difference she made but suffice it to say I am typing here instead of abandoned breathless on the course because of her…haha. Things were going along royally( Victoria pun intended) when we hit 32 km. I can’t really put it into words but it is like someone snuck up on me and poured concrete in my legs( it was probably the girl named Pam from preschool 38 years ago that I poured my alphabet soup on…I never made up for that one)Once the concrete was there I had to keep it from hardening( ie cramps…lots of them). I had hoped to avoid this as in the Transrockies race I used Enduralytes from Hammer products as well as Perpetuem racing fuel. I thought I could count on that to fend off the cramping. I was wrong! I was running 9 minutes and walking 1 but at times I had to stop 3 times between sets to stretch. Jennae was encouraging me lots as she sensed I was struggling( actually she didn’t sense it…she knew it as it was the first time in her life she had heard me quiet…haha) The outward conversations had stopped and I had retreated into my head to lay seige to my diminishing thoughts of I can’t do this. I would stop and walk…and then refuse to quit…and then I’d stop and then start…repeat repeat repeat. As a result I started to alter my running style to stop using the certain muscles that were hurting…mistake. As soon as I changed…new cramp…different part of my lower body. Just when I thought I might not make it I lost Jannea( I have to remember to ask how she spells her name as i think this is the forth spelling in this story..haha). She stopped at an aid station for some gatorade and I kept going as I had lots of water( One liter of water, I liter of perpetuem, my cell phone, my flip video camera, a pill bottle filled with electrolytes and some juice plus gummies…perhaps I overpacked but i like to be prepared…haha). She turned around and assumed I was behind her when in reality I had passed her…( it wasn’t a dirty trick I promise…) As I was running I got a second breeze( not wind that would be an overstatement). I ran an entire 9 minutes and was on the rest minute and I figured she had slowed to let me run alone with my demons as she wasn’t having much luck with the conversational inspiration. I still didnt see her so I kept going( what else could I do) I ran/limped the next four miles before she caught me…four lonely miles but it allowed me to be alone with the reality I had created…not enough long run training! Perfect lesson for next time. At one point I passed a guy who was removing his shoes. I was feeling for him when he passed me 5 minutes later…with no shoes on and carrying them in his hands. I thought to myself…I should be able to stay with this guy…nope he left me in the dust( maybe I should run barefoot next time…NOT) Jannae was elated to catch me as she had turned back a couple of times to wait for me and assumed I had fallen out of the race. She told me we were right on pace for a 3 hour 55 miute finish. All I had to do was keep up to her for 2 more miles…easy right? Do you remember the show Sanford and Son back in the 70s. The old Dad would shuffle around holding his heart and say he was coming to meat his dead wife Ethel ( bless her soul).Picture that shuffle…that was me…heart and all. It was all I could do to keep moving…and Ethels ghost kept yelling at me to keep up and “we’re almost there”. Your doing great. One lady even yelled “you look strong…only 2 miles left”…I yelled back LIAR and told her I loved her anyways…haha. It wasn’t my lungs, or my mind…it was the incredble cramping. Jenne did everything she could to keep me running but I didn’t. I started to walk…and then I ran…and then I walked…and then…I sent her ahead with my camera to film me crossing the line. As I watched her go I had that emotional “holy crap shes great” feeling. Vaughan, my good friend, you have an amazing woman there…thanks for lending her to me for the race! I ran walked and watched my four hour goal go by. I was attached to that for a second…and then another cramp came…what? Did I say 4 hours…I meant around four hours and few minutes…haha. It was at around 600 meters that I had to call Kelly and tell her I loved her…you know the rest. She got me across the line( with Jennae’s help of course) and for that I am eternally grateful. I love you Jennae…even though I can’t spell your name and I love you to Kelly..spellings right on that one I think. My time was 4:05 something but I don’t care…I just ran a marathon. We ate, stretched, hobbled around, wore cheap plastic capes to keep warm and shared in the experience what it means to run a marathon with the people that were around us. It was a great day and to top it all off…there Was a Milestones restaraunt on the warf and we ate spinach and artichoke dip and sat in the sun…it took a lot to get me back out of that chair. Our good friends Dave and Heather picked us up and we visited with them and their great kids Paige and Taylor. It was one of my best days. Thanks for your hospitality Dave and Heather…I miss you in Calgary…and I love your girls to! A big thankyou to all the volunteers who helped and the tonnes of people who cheered the entire 4 hours of my endeaver and probably a lot longer after that. You kept me moving as well! Next time…under 4 for sure( and maybe a trail marathon instead this time…with Bears and wildlife to dodge…I need the distractions…haha)Namaste my friends and If I can do this then so can you!…Darin Bullivant, Marathoner!

Oct 9th

Gong show for the past week. 5 hours of sleep a night, running has sucked as I over ran my shoes. My legs told me so and when I checked my watch I had run over 700km on them..whoops.  My shoe plan fell through so I will be running on brand new shoes…yahoo. I also turned on my gps watch which I use to pace myself and record all my data and the watch just stopped…no power. So it was off the MEC to buy a new one. I lost all my history of my training ….blah….blah…blah. Now that I have that out of the way I am headed to Victoria in 1 hour and am going to have the best run of my life with Jenne’ Mealey who has volunteered to run the entire race with me. I am surrounded by amazing people!! Looking forward to linking it all together. My baja plans may have changed as well….I may be racing with a pro team from Medicine Hat…Rad. Lots to think about gotta run…literally…Darin

Oct 3rd

I have been tapering but have had lots of conflicting advice on what that looks like. So I am doing whatever my schedule allows. I have continued my every other day 10 km and the long run I was supposed to do on Sunday got well…not done. I ran a 5km this pm and have my circuit training in the am with Ron. I trust his advice and he said not to miss it so I will go on Thursday as well. I will run 10 km on Wednesday and then a short run on Saturday before heading to Victoria to run the marathon. As it stands now its only the voices in my head that I can have power over now as my training is what it is and there is no improving in the few days to come. I, of course…and as always, have various forms of I’m not good enough plaguing my thoughts and lots of last minute…should have trained more. And with the baja 1000 up in the air I have moments of the entire dream is falling apart…but then I remember that the suffering is optional and I will do what I can to succeed…then I do laundry…haha. My friend Janae is going to run with me and I look forward to hanging out with her and chatting while we run. She is super interesting and an amazing runner so I have to keep an eye on my pace so she doesn’t run me into the ground while we solve the worlds problems…haha…oh well she’s pretty so I’ll look like a stud when they put me in the ambulance…( shes also my best friends wife so I can get away with that kind of comment….I think?)…haha

September 25th

I ran 25 km this morning in the river valley. I went and met my friend Corey and planned out some baja stuff. It is great running with friends. I had to leave my dog at his house as she had run 15km and was too tired to continue. As I was returning on a trail called Side Show Bob  a runner came up from behind. I let him pass and we started to talk about running. He had been running for 4 hours already when he passed me. His name coincidently was Bob and he is an ultra-marathor who runs distances much longer than a normal marathon. As we chatted I learned that he had run with the people in the book, Born to Run, including the Tarahumara, a mexican tribe who run barefoot through the desert at distances that are staggering to normal people. We were joined by two other runners as well who were also ultra marathoners and they recommended that I try the Chia seeds that the Tarahumara use on their long runs. I bought some and am adding them to my morning smoothies. It was awesome to meet fellow runners, especially ones so committed to the sport. One of the runners, Dave, was a founding member of Engineers without borders and also a fair trade website called Ethical Oceans. I strongly recommend you check it out…its like e-bay only responsible!. It was great meeting with you and I hope to join you for more runs as I know I can learn from your experience and your passion for running. Todays run was the farthest I have ever run in my life…and I felt good!

September 23rd

Family is still coughing through the night as it has been this entire week. My imune system is fighting it and I am wheezy but not coughing too much. I missed my run on Monday and Wednesday but I did 2 hard workouts with Ron. We are not getting much sleep. Kelly has been off all week and she never gets sick.

I had my cortisone injection for my shoulder yesterday as my bursa ( I think thats what it is called) is imflamed and as a result my shoulder muscles are not firing. I can’t even do a pushup! I went riding after( silly I know) and it turned into an epic, survival, snow covered, lost in the dark type evening and we got home well after midnight. Life is an adventure…yahoo!

Sept. 19th

I ran the Urban Venus 10 km race this morning in the rain and 5 degree weather…chilly. I was supposed to run a long run of 30 km or longer but when I saw the weather I decided to run shorter but faster. I ended up besting my 10km time by 14 minutes. I ran 10 km in 47 minutes and won third place…I was a bit shocked as I still ran my 9 and and walked for 1 minute. After the race I spoke with first and second place, congradulated them, and went out for another 5 km. While I was doing that and cheering on the racers still racing, I won( and lost) a door prize of a free 3 month membership at the YMCA…too bad…I’ll have to save my fireman outfit for another year( I have a construction worker one as well)…just kidding…my door swings one direction only…towards my lovely wife Kelly! I also got a free massage for getting third…cool. Next time I might try and run the entire thing just to see what the difference is…I am now coughing and feeling crappy and I was stiffffff…for 3 days. My workout with Ron Helped and I am not sure about tomorrows early run as I am coughing so much…I’ll do it if I sleep well. I have a Dr. Appt for my now torn rotator cuff to see what can be done and it sounds like my baja 1000 team is folding so I will have to see what my options are…I may switch training to see if I can solo the entire race…1200 miles…41 hour cut off…this is going to hurt more than a ten k…haha…cough

September 12th

I was supposed to run the Canmore half marathon this am but my family decided to go for a retreat weekend in Fernie with Grandma instead. It has been a wonderful weekend and I am still stiff from the Hard Times workout on Thursday…haha. I decided to run a half marathon of my own in the mountains surrounding Fernie this am. I started off from the house and ran through the provincial park and up Gorby trail towards the ski hill. When my calf started to cramp( its mostly up hill( I realized I had forgotten my electrolytes.) I was also running without water or my GPS and the bears are supposed to be really low and plentiful in Fernie right now. All things I had to let go of and just run. So I headed back down and back home for a quick drink and some electrolytes. Tucker was wearing out as she is not used to runs longer than 1.5 hours. I turned around again and ran up a trail called Dem Bones. Its an awesome trail but straight up Fernie Mountain. I got to the top and started down. No Bears which was nice. I saw some mountain bikers who were having fun in the mud as it was raining and the trails were quite slick. We made it back to the house and I needed another 5 km so I dropped off the dog and ran the road for another 20 minutes. It was a nice run and I have determined that I like trail running more as it requires so much more attention to pick your way through the forest and be mindful to keep making noise to scare off the bears, that you don’t have the time to let your mind wander to negative thoughts that get in the way of your goal. Oh well…I need practice with both and perhaps I need to work on practicing the mind work even more than the fitness. When it comes to the marathon, maybe I’ll laugh, shout and sing like I’m scaring bears to take my mind off the effort…I wonder what the other runners will think?…maybe I should wear my clown nose just in case…chow for now!

September 10th

I got up at 5…ate and was off. My dog Tucker is not entirely enthused about these early runs…she is scared of the dark and I have to keep calling and encouraging her. As a result I didn’t even notice the first 5 km go by. My mind was busy looking out for her so I didn’t have any voices talking to me telling me how hard this is. That wasn’t the case of course when the alarm went off…I’m too tired, I don’t have the time for a full run this morning, Go back to sleep…were all thoughts I had to overcome this morning…I did it and feel amazing both for having done the run and for also having integrity to keep my eye on my goal and turn off my minds reality which, of course, is not real…haha…I love this game I’m playing. I am learning more each day about what people are truly capable of if they don’t listen to their head. Maybe if you treated your mind like your mother talking to you, you would always do the opposite and you’d end up being an Olympian…haha( ps. I no longer listen to my Mom that way…I used to think she thought I was incompetant and had to tell me what to do all the time and I was resentful…post Landmark education and after becoming a father I realized that she was only trying to look out for me and teach me what she thought was best…we often don’t see love as love…we see it as judgment of us personally…my advice….look for how people are loving you today !!!

September 6th

I ran 15 km this am and 5 yesterday and 10 the day before that. The highlight this week was running with Brenden Brazier along the Bow river. He gave a talk about nutrition after and he was very knowledgeable and inspiring. We did a leisurely 5km and chatted the whole way. I thanked him many times for the difference he has made in my life as I feel healthier now than I ever have. Thanks again, Brenden!

I am running 4 times a week and training with Ron Jarretts hard times training group on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. My shoulder sucks and I have to figure a way to keep it in place while I run and quad. I am still running 9 and 1’s and will plan to do that for the race. My goal is under 4 hours for the Victoria…wish me luck and come and run with me if you like…