Daniel Leung was once a reluctant runner. That was in 2017. Then he started hitting the trails, and got lost in the woods. Literally. Now he's leading trail runs, and he makes sure that everyone has a good time, and of course doesn't get lost. In 2022, Daniel agreed to join me for one of the Squamish 50 orientation runs. Just for fun. He must have enjoyed himself so much that he decided to do the real thing this past weekend. Not only did Daniel complete the Squamish 50, he completed a strong race. I saw him myself at the Farside Aid Station, which is around the 40km mark. Daniel looked strong and focused, and he made the whole thing look so easy.

Maybe it was the Mult-Grind Challenge he did in June that set him up for success. Daniel completed 13 grinds that day--from 4am to 10pm, beating his namesake Daniel Sedin. Listen to hear about his first Ultra, and everything leading up to this day.

Links: https://www.instagram.com/mt.n.dan/

https://www.instagram.com/icecream_and_donut_runclub/

https://www.strava.com/clubs/461808

Anna Razzell is an ultramarathoner, a mother, and one of the co-founders of Ridge Meadows Run Crew. It is hard to believe that she only ran her first ultra, Diez Vistas, in 2019 considering her accomplishments, and her confidence on the trails. Like many runners, Anna is so humble, but is so encouraging of others, whether they are new to the sport, or an accomplished runner looking for the next challenge.

Coach Carey Nelson's notable achievements are vast, but you would never know it. A humble runner and coach, Coach Carey has been running for over 44 years, and just completed his 6th world marathon major in Berlin. This accomplishment is just one of many, which include winning the Houston Marathon with a time of 2:12 in 1991, and qualifying for the Olympics 3 times, competing in the 5000m distance in Seoul Korea in 1988, and in the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics for the marathon distance (Coach Carey had to withdraw from the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona due to injury). This is all before the era of Strava, smart watches, gels, and fancy carbon plated shoes. In fact, it was a shoeless runner who inspired Coach Carey at the age of 14, and from that day on, Coach Carey knew he wanted to compete in the Olympics one day.

Regardless of the long list of accomplishments, I think all runners will relate to Coach Carey's experience with injury, his passion for running as life long sport, and how something amazing can start with a big dream. On a related note: How many of you guys remember Body Break and ParticipAction with Hal Johnson and Joanne Mcleod? They are Canadian Icons who inspired me growing up, and funny how Coach Carey was inspired by them, too. I hope you enjoy this episode.

If you want to reach Coach Carey, you can email him at [email protected] . (or find him at the Main Street Forerunners!).

Have you ever asked yourself whether it is possible to get better as a runner as you age? That is definitely something that Phil likes to talk about as he takes on new and loftier challenges with each year. Phil has been running since a senior in high school in a small town, and now he's one of the most well known runners in our community as a masters runner. He is definitely wiser, and faster, and not to mention stronger. He has a few ultras under his belt now, and not only partakes in races, but is coaching young athletes who may very well follow in his footsteps. I have personally known Phil for about 6 years now, and I love to pick his brain about anything running related--from stretching to training plans, and races to add to one's calendar. Phil has so much passion, knowledge, and inspiration to share. I hope you guys enjoy this episode!

If you want to follow Phil, you can find him on Strava and Instagram: https://www.strava.com/athletes/20563753 https://www.instagram.com/philfinlayson/?hl=en 

Jeannine is such an inspirational and relatable athlete that I had to share her story with you guys. Our podcast ended up being over an hour because she's that easy to talk to--whether it is about shenanigans on the trails, or serious talk about how to tackle the next Gary Robbins race. Jeannine is definitely a huge part of our local run community and it's no big surprise. From sharing her trials and tribulations to tips on the internet, Jeannine is so engaging! As some of you might know, Jeannine just tackled the Squamish 50k for the second time, and things did not end the way she had planned. Listen to hear more about her running journey, and what motivated this lady to go from couch to 3k to ultra! If you want to connect with Jeannine, you can find her on https://www.instagram.com/jeannineavelino/

Cover photo credit: Simon Richards (also a past guest!)

Chris Chan aka Chanorama aka On Running's biggest fan! Chris starting his running journey only a few years ago in 2015, starting with running on the treadmill to his first race (the Sun Run 10k). He soon realized his love for the experience of races, but running with others. Chris brings so much joy to others as he always brings so much energy regardless of the weather, day, or how tired you are. In fact Chris has so much energy, he is on day 808 of his running streak, which also happens to be his 51st birthday. Chris is as dedicated to mental health as he is to physical health.

If you want to follow Chris's journey you can find him on Instagram and Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/17380040 and https://www.instagram.com/chanorama.ca/ 

Runner? Yogi? Human. That is who Simon Richards is, and more. This episode is for all runners. Simon is an accomplished runner, and not because he has been running his entire life. It started with his first step not that long ago, and Simon has not stopped moving. Listen in to hear about the what and why. I think many of us can relate to his story and why many of us embark on this journey. 

If you want to connect with Simon you can find him at https://www.instagram.com/run.ride.reflect/

You can also find him leading the https://www.instagram.com/flightcrewrunclub/ at https://www.instagram.com/vanrunco/

You can follow me at https://www.instagram.com/i.heart.running/?hl=en