A running coach? I have been a co-owner and coach of the C30M women’s kickboxing circuit in Sorel-Tracy since July 2018.
I have always been into sports; in my youth, I swam competitively, reaching the provincial level. Later on, I discovered snowboarding—a sport I still practice, albeit very occasionally. I spent ten years working out in conventional gyms using weights and machines, but in 2009, I discovered running. Like many runners, I found the early days tough and progress slow, but with a bit of perseverance, I completed my first timed 5K race that same year. That was the moment—once I had run a full 5K without stopping—that I really got hooked.
I am not a fast runner; my personal best for the 5K is 26:06, set in 2013 during the Hôtel-Dieu de Sorel Foundation race. I ran my first timed 10K in October of that same year—finishing in a respectable 57:24 at the Parc Lafontaine Classic—but that is a far cry from a podium finish! Reaching the podium isn’t why I run; I run for the joy of the activity and the sense of well-being it brings me.
In the meantime, I also started trail and mountain running—it’s very different from running on pavement! There’s more elevation change—both uphill and downhill—and less impact on the joints. That’s when I realized that different types of terrain call for different running techniques and shoes—not to mention gear—and that it’s possible to reduce impact and, in doing so, prevent injuries!
The book *Courir mieux* by kinesiologist Jean-François Harvey had a major impact on my running. I still refer to it today. Reading it enabled me to keep extending the distance of my runs.
I ran a half-marathon in 2013 with a time of 2:09:22 (21.1 km—it’s no small feat; believe me, 21 km is 21 km. It requires preparation, and the race strategy is different from that of a 5K or 10K). Then, on October 18, 2015, I ran my first and only marathon in Bar Harbor, Maine; the scenery was magnificent, and running along the coastal road was a unique experience. I was poorly prepared: I hadn’t done enough long runs, I hadn’t anticipated so many hills, the wind coming off the sea was cold (remember, it was October in Maine), and I was dressed inappropriately. In short, I finished “on my knees”—as they say in the running world—in 5:46:09. I had foolishly thought I’d finish in 4 hours 30 minutes… and the next morning, I had to walk down the motel stairs backwards. I was truly ill-prepared. Yet, even though I consider it a bad race, it’s the one I’m proudest of—precisely because it was so incredibly tough, but I finished it! The best part was finishing alongside Chantal (my partner, who completed the 21K), as she crossed the finish line with me! Unforgettable!
