The Runner's Exchange

Cheltenham, England XC, mile, 3k & 5k runner Runner Spotlight At just eight years old, she was a swimmer, primarily for general fitness. A year later, she participated in a school cross-country race—not expecting much but finding that she both enjoyed it and performed well.  She didn’t win, but she loved the rush of pushing herself and seeing what she could do. That one race sparked something in her, even if she didn’t know it yet. Eager to improve but unable to join her local club until she was eleven, Ciara took matters into her own hands—literally. Every Sunday, she’d lace up, head out, and sprint a 2.6k loop like she was being chased, no warm-up, no pacing, just vibes. It was less of a training plan and more of an all-out personal time trial, with herself as both the coach and the competitor. Looking back, we can’t help but laugh at the chaos of it all, but it clearly worked. When she finally joined a club, she experimented with different events, even trying long jump. But ...

Spring break in Tulum, Mexico, meant swapping my usual track for palm-lined roads and early morning workouts. Tuesday’s training schedule had two threshold sessions: a morning running workout and a bike workout in the afternoon. I thought about finding a track by the beach or a gym with a treadmill, but with a packed itinerary, I had to be efficient.  I was ready to go at 6:30 AM, but it was still dark, so I waited for the sun to rise before stepping out of the hotel. A t 6:45 AM, I laced up and headed to the nearest flat road I could find. My warm-up was a two-mile jog through a busy morning scene—cars, bikes, motorcycles, and people already starting their day. Even a few friendly dogs were out playing. If my mom had been on this trip, she definitely would have found me a safer place to run, but oh well, this was part of the Tulum experience! The workout? 4 reps of 1 mile at 6:10min/mile pace, with a one-minute recovery. After warming up and doing drills, I chose Avenida Kukulkán—...

Grimsby, Ontario XC, 3k, 5k, and 10k runner Runner Spotlight Sophia's athletic journey started with a diverse mix of sports—gymnastics, swimming, and basketball. Growing up with two older brothers who played basketball and a dad who coached them, it’s no surprise that basketball became a big part of her early athletic journey. In high school, she played basketball on a club team, but running was always a fun side activity. That is, until she joined her high school's cross country team and quickly discovered her natural talent for the sport. After impressing her teammates, one of them encouraged her to take it further and try running with a club. At 15-16 years old, Sophia was faced with a big decision: continue with basketball or go all in on running. She chose running, and it was a decision she hasn’t regretted. To this day, cross country remains her favorite season, even more so than indoor and outdoor track. Her journey is a testament to following what you love and finding y...