GottaRunRacing (Deeper Level) Eps 1 2020
Welcome to the GottaRunRacing podcast with your hosts Norman and Jodi discover the inspiring stories of the average and not so average runners and they're off.
Hello and welcome to our very first podcast Episode One where we your hosts Norman and I'm Jodi, and this podcast is presented by our company GottaRunRacing. We're the race directors of a trail and virtual run series in Ontario and today we're going to start by introducing ourselves so you can get to know us a little better in future episodes. We'll be talking about training, racing and all things running with a variety of guests from the endurance world. Before we get started.
What's Happening In GRR
I just wanted to let you know what's happening with GottaRunRacing right now. What is happening with GottaRunRacing? Oh, Jesus. Let him put his glasses on so he could read the notes because he doesn't know what's happening. Oh yeah, everything's cancelled. That's right. 2020 is cancelled, But we went virtual this year. Yes, we did. So we have three virtual events and they are what Chase The Coyote, Thank you to everyone that signed up. Island Lake Classic which is still going on. Yes, we still have some spots left for Island Lake and our very first event, which would have taken place at Earl Row this past summer is the Rainbow Trail run. And again we're still taking registrations for that event.
You can check it out on our website. GottaRunRacing.com. What else do you have?
You've been working on lots of videos. We put a virtual treadmill video so you can run on your treadmill during the cold winter months of our events. We have Island Lake Classic, a 30 minute and a 60 minute five and 10-K. And then we did the Rainbow Trail run as well. How long is that one? It's an hour, an hour. So again, you decide how fast and slow you want to go. I put in the inclines and declines of the event. And we're also working on some playlists that you can play along rather than just listening to the music and the video or play your own. Exactly, yeah Keep it going through the harsh winter that's a common
So today we are going to get to know it's a little bit better.
Right? And how are we going to do that? How many levels can we connect on? Yes, Let's try to get to another deeper level, like on the Bachelor. So many levels. So what we're gonna do is we're gonna pick questions just to get to know each other a little bit better and for you guys to know who the hell we are. We have these 15 questions I think in this hat about different things. We have no idea what they are. I wrote seven, you wrote eight, right? and then we're going to answer them somewhat honestly. Maybe. But first, what are you drinking? Well, I just have Pepsi today. Yeah, not very exciting. I'm drinking Mill street Hopped and Confused, which is what I feel right now. That's why it's fitting. All right, let's get started.
You go 1st. This is gonna be a quick one episode. Here we go. Alright, so you're just answering that one, right? No, we're going to both put our spin on it. Okay. All right, let's go. First question.
Jodi - What well known runner would you want to interview and why?
What well known runner would you want to interview and why? You know what? I was thinking about this the other day and that's my question. That is your question. Yes, I think I know what yours is. Do you think so? Okay, you can guess after, but I think well known runners have to be alive because if we put it out there it might happen. Oh, you can't. It's not like that question where you say who would you want to have dinner with? Dead or alive? And everyone picks Jesus?
You have to go with someone that I think would really like to get to chat with.
Kaci Lickteig. I've had a vision of doing that the day we were just walking down the street and I was just asking her questions just randomly, so I think that would be kind of cool. Yeah, Kaci Yeah, and for a guy, no that's your answer, that's a guy or girl. Okay Yeah. Okay.
Who do you think mine is? I think yours would be
Dean Karnazes or Rob Krar. Okay, so those two are my running idols who have both been fortunate to meet and talk to, so because of that, I'm going to pick someone else.
Okay, so this is new to me, so I'm gonna pick
Mickey Graglia, I don't know how to pronounce his last name, The Italian runner that just did the Moab 240 because I've, I'm waiting to read his book which hasn't come out in English yet, but I've heard him on a podcast and his story is so fascinating because he literally came from a completely different world of modelling, which he fell into and then all of a sudden one day he decides to sign up for a race and he won and he is a talented runner, so it's so interesting how you, it's so interesting how people come to this world.
That's what I like about the story. So yes, mine would be Mickey Graglia, yeah, I only came across his name just a few years ago because of our friend Mike. I think they first met in the Dominican or Well, I don’t know, I know for sure he ran with him in Iceland and he was his roommate or something. I'm not too sure how that all went down. We have to ask Mike, but he talked about him and that's when I first came across, which is not that long. So it is very down to earth guys. Yeah. Okay. Next question. My turn.
Norm - Oh, favorite volunteering moment?
Well, that's easy for me. Okay, go. So, almost a year ago right now I volunteered at Javelina 100. I went out a week early to Arizona.
I was signed up to run the 100 K. And I volunteered on the Monday and the Tuesday before the race setting up the Jackass Junction aid station and then setting up at the start line. And I had the greatest time there. They’re such an organized group of people and they're all passionate about putting on a great event. It was an awesome experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat. And did you win some award there?, I did. I got the, oh, what did they call it? Because it started with a J. I don't know. Anyways, I got the
Volunteer of the Year award, Volunteer of the race award, which was almost as exciting as getting my 100 K finishing medal, you were there for a while? You're there for a week.
I was there for a week. It was great.
What's yours? Mine is. When I volunteered at Bryce Canyon 100 and I asked for the 50, it was 100 miles. I wanted to be at the furthest point from the finish line. And I was with my friend Will. And so we went out, which took quite a while to get out there. But we brought everything Canadian. So we had huge flags everywhere. We must have put four huge flags everywhere Plus we were wearing everything Canadian. And as soon as people came into our aid station it looked like they just crossed the border. That's pretty much how it looked. And the reason why I did that is because we had 15 Canadians in the event and I wanted them to feel like home when they came to our aid station. That was cool.
And then this is so funny because The Americans who came up to me and said, why are all these Canadian flags here? I said well because I have 15 friends in the race and they were kind of confused. So anyways that was a fun time and glad to have been there. Cool. And who puts on, who's that company called, Vacation races? Oh yeah, Bryce 100 miler. All right. Next question. Okay.
Jodi - Favorite running book?
Mine Easy is Born to Run. That is the reason why I went to Leadville 100. That's it. And also, if you had to get a chance to listen to the audio version of Born To Run, I do recommend that because, well, I just enjoy audiobooks more than reading who has time to read these days.
Okay, go ahead. Mine would be Dean Karnazes 50 days 50 Marathons in 50 days and 50 states. Yes, for sure. Okay. All right. My turn.
Jodi - Dream race and why?
Oh, a dream race. That shouldn't be hard. My dream race. Yeah. Okay. We all know what it is., obviously, obviously Western States 100
because It took me six years to get there plus Covid year. So now seven, Hopefully it happens next year. That is my dream race that I've been trying to strive to get to. And I finally get in and Covid hits So my second one obviously is UTMB, just because Western States 100 are considered to be the Boston of ultra and in North America. No, I think you're Boston because it's the oldest, prestigious just like Boston So it's anywhere in the world. Yeah. And UTMB considered to be the Olympics. Okay, so that's it. I think I know what yours is.
Let's see if you're right. I think it's Mont St Michel in France It is, and it's a trail race now, that's why it's my dream race because originally it was just a road race in Mont St Michel where you would run around the town and then you got to see the monastery. Sure, I guess., but now they have a trial version in the same vicinity and what the heck, how exciting is that? So and isn't it we have to run towards the castle before the tide takes you out to sea or something. Yeah, I'm not so sure what the actual courses are, but basically if you don't know what Mont St Michel is looking up it's a monastery that is. depending on when the tide comes in and see they're surrounded by water or by sand. So it's pretty cool. Yeah. Right.
Norm - So how did I get into running?
So when you signed up for your first marathon? Which was Toronto? Toronto Marathon in 2002. Really? The year we got married or the year before? Yeah, I guess it was early 2000, Okay, whatever, 2001. and it was a cold day and you are sick, not in good conditions, I had 101 fever, bloody nose. I want to throw up. It was just bad, I should have just stayed in bed. But anyway, and it was, what month was that? Me? It was, Yeah, me, huh. It was Toronto. So me, So we were wearing parkas. It was that cold of a day, some standing at the finish line and the first time in a marathon, I had no idea what to expect. And I'm watching these people across the finish line and I'm seeing all ages, all body types, all running styles and I'm thinking, wow, this is not what I expected. I thought they were all going to be athletes.
I hated running growing up. So I was like me, however, this inspired me and waiting for you and standing there and being cold, I kind of looked into my future and I thought, well, I know he's not stopping. So I thought well maybe I should try this because I don't want to be standing around waiting at the finish line for the rest of our lives. And I was inspired by the people I saw at the finish line that we're running and I thought well, if they can do it I can do it. Absolutely. So that's how I got started. Thanks to your inspiration A cold six day. Mine is I was an adventure racer first before running, I didn't know anything about running So I was an adventure racer and I was the slowest on the team. Which pissed me off.
So that inspired me to better get my Ass in gear. So I became a runner. I started running to become better than my teammates and eventually raced for about four or five years and then the team disbanded and I figured what am I gonna do now? So I just decided to keep on running. That's how I got into running. But how I became an adventure racer, is a different story altogether, right.
Jodi - What is your greatest athletic achievement?
You have so many but my greatest. Yeah. Oh you wrote the question. So you must have an answer. No, I was thinking about you. I was thinking about your answers. That's nice. It's tough to say because you've been an athlete your whole life. I'd have to say
Leadville 100 Because I DNFd in 2010 And it took me four years to get back to Leadville to finally get the monkey off my back which was 2014. And yeah I have to say Leadville because I was prepared to die that day in 2014. There's no way I was not going to finish this race after.
Okay you say it because you did your 100K. Which is an achievement. It's a milestone. Yeah. But I think finishing a triathlon. Yes that's true because when you met me I didn't run. I didn't swim. I didn't bike. So I would say completing a triathlon was probably the biggest out of my comfort zone achievement because I don't I have yet to feel out of my comfort zone in a race running and I want to feel that one day because you know not that I finished feeling awesome but I want to know what it's like to be completely destroyed and but overcoming the fear of swimming and biking was huge. So yeah, you're right.
Jodi - My turn yep describe your favourite race experience?
So that's from start to finish like oh just a favourite expo how they treated you and what you got a swag and post race food and blah blah blah So the entire, yeah. Whether it was the place you were in. I know it's hard because we've done so many destination races. I have to think about this. I think hands down is going to be the party in the desert. Yeah I agree. Javelina 100. Yeah. Yeah those guys know how to do it right. Yeah and the aid stations were stacked.
They just help you out and they oh it was very well organized for those who are thinking about doing 100 miles 100 K. Make heavily your first definitely break your virginity with them. This could be the last one. I don't know what that one is. Let's see here.
Norm - What's the one thing you like and dislike about being a race director?
Who put that in there? I like, I like, okay so I'm gonna break it down into two things I like to plan. So I like it when we're, you know, a year out or thinking about what we are going to do for next year to top last year? Like thinking about swag, like all of that on race day. If we've done our job, then at some point we get to stand by the finish line and watch people cross and see the joy hopefully on their faces and hear people talking in the crowd about what they, what their experience was. So, I love that. Dislike? I think it's more about the stress that I put on myself because there's always so much planning you can do and there's always the unknowns when it comes to race day. And you try to think of everything. And then of course, there's always something you've forgotten and I stress about that one thing that I've forgotten till the minute it happens. So that would be my answer for everything I like about directing is I just absolutely enjoy flagging the course. Oh you're good at it too. Well, sometimes I'm out there for three days flagging of course that I go over it and I recheck, check recheck, make sure everything is good. And sometimes even three o'clock in the morning to make sure nobody has stolen any flags or moved or moved them throughout the night.
And sometimes I remember this one time we're getting ready for Coyote and some biker just purposely biked over all the flags to knock them down. It's like, oh man, But that's why I enjoy it. Anyway, dislike is also the stress because remember that time at the lake, all the runners kept going through a turn sign, which stressed me out. Oh my God, there's a leak, There's a leak. We have to seal the leak. So it's stressful and it's just a lack of sleep. I didn't sleep for three days before. I don't sleep the night I've even done, I don't sleep because I'm still wired about keep going. So, but at the end of day, we just absolutely love it.
Jodi - Okay, last one, favourite race distance?
My favourite race distance. I do, I do enjoy the 100 miler because you So many things you go through, so many things you think about, but because you can start the race at a beautiful temperature and then 12 hours later you're on top of a mountain and it's pelting down with hail and then how do you deal with that? You just keep going. You have to figure it out. So, I can't enjoy that. I try to get done before the sun rises twice, But I also enjoyed a 50 miler because you're done by dinner and I always think of it as a nice steak waiting for me by dinner. You? I think I would say 50 k because it's long enough that I take it seriously to train properly, but it's not so long that it takes, you know, hours and hours and hours and you're you're kind of wrecked at the end of it in terms of how you feel or, You know, I think I would go 50 k because I like I like the challenge of the distance.
If it's too short, you kind of can fudge it a bit in your training. I see, you know what I'm saying? So, it's a challenge. The 50 K is a challenge.
Yeah, Okay. All right, so I hope you got to know a little better and to tune into our podcasts or Youtube. Yes. And if you have an interesting story or you know someone that does and you want us to chat with them, please send us a message at gottarunracin@gmail.com. Give us a like, give us a follow, give us subscribe whatever you do. Yeah, we'll have some fun. All right. All right. Thanks for listening
You can hear the extended version of our first podcast here : https://www.gottarunracing.com/podcast/episode/2f23bf60/grr-1-norm-and-jodi-gottarunracing-podcast-deeper-level-2021
Or check out our shorten version of the podcast on our YouTube channel here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imi6SmvHvx8&list=PLs7JbCy_IY5AmXeQW2MDKYoarh_xINT7x&index=23&t=11s
