my trail running has started to take a more serious turn recently, thanks to a new friend and running coach: moe beaulieu.
for those of you who don't know moe, let me give you a little background.
moe is many things: a devoted father, a lively story teller, and yes, an athlete.
moe is passionate about running, especially trail running, and he will run for as long as he can. he's been running for over 28 years, exploring trails in 4 provinces, 18 states, and several countries, earning him the trail racing nickname 'the eagle'.
some of his past races include:
- ultras: 109 in total
- 100 mile P.R. (road): 21:20.
- western states 100 miler P.R.: 24:24:08.
- 100 KM P.R. (elkhorn, montana): 13:33.
- 50 mile PR (road): 7:33 (kelowna, bc).
- 52.4 mile california '49-er': 12:12.
- 40 mile P.R. (gravel road): 5:39:13 (gold river, bc).
- 50 KM (trail) P.R.: 5:31 (blackfoot, edmonton, ab).
a passion for running seems to be hereditary because one of his sons is also an accomplished racer. in an excerpt from his website, logan speaks about his running:
Hello, my name is Logan Beaulieu. I am an ultra-runner from Edmonton, Alberta.
I run competitively in this extreme sport. Running and living a healthy lifestyle today is not only a way of life for me, but also a growing passion and I have an immense respect for active lifestyles. I have a deep commitment to the sport that goes beyond my desire to compete. Mine is an inspirational story to tell about overcoming adversity, the importance of perseverance and beating the odds.
I was in a near fatal car crash when I was 16 years old. My best friend lost his life and mine was nearly lost when I lingered in a coma for over 17 days. I also suffered paralysis on my left side, as well as multiple fractures. I awoke on that seventeenth day. I have never stopped running nor given up, despite facing the biggest challenge of my life. The support of my family, pure tenacity, courage, inner strength and faith helped my recovery process. However, as only those who have had a personal experience with this type of trauma would truly understand, the road to recovery is long and arduous... physically, mentally and emotionally. As the impact is life long, my passion for running has been a beacon and has helped me deal with moments of self-doubt and despair.
check out logan's website for more information: http://www.logansrun.ca/index.shtml
logan is not only an athlete of significant accomplishment, but he is also a motivational speaker, and uses his success to help inspire others. this is something i truly admire. while i have yet to meet logan, one of my good friends, JU, had the pleasure of running with him during sinister 7 last year. a full account of her race can be found through her blog.
back to moe...
we started talking while training at the downtown y and quickly connected over our love for trail running and physical activity. when he suggested that we could run together, i wasn't even fully aware of the athlete he was, but i knew this would be a wonderful opportunity!
since that day we have been running twice and they were both spectacular training sessions. we have run trails in mount doug park and close to thetis lake and both runs left me with that indescribable lasting glow i get from running through the forest. i have much to learn though! my lessons include increasing my endurance (my last run was 1.5 hours) and my strength (hills are my weakest point, but maybe one day they won't be!). my runs are also complemented with countless stories from moe's past races, his family, his training theories, and his races yet to come.
it has been truly inspiring to train with someone who has so much experience in this sport and and passion for it. i can assure you there will be many more adventures to report on now that i am under the eagle's wing.
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