Runner Interview – Susan Gordon

I run because I have always been fit, and I love the feeling of being strong and able to move quickly and gracefully.

I first met Susan at about the fourth race in the 2015 Vancouver Island Race Series. Here was this person who was winning ever race in my age category! And she was winning by a wide margin. Where was she last year? Not in my division. I wanted to shake her hand! As it turns out she ran several races in this series the previous year, as did I, but we were in different age categories – she had just moved up a division this year and I suspect taking her training a bit more seriously. Perhaps I’ll have the same results when I move up a division next year! I wish.

Susan is a lady who is as passionate about horses, writing and photography as she is about running. Her next book, The Compassionate Equestrian releases on May 19th and another book of abstract water photography is to be released very soon as well.

She makes her home on Salt Spring Island and runs with a wonderful fun-loving group of people called the Salt Spring Sneakers. They wear bright red Converse sneakers when they pick up their race awards, which seem to be plentiful! I think Susan’s coaching influence is rubbing off. I wish her all the best in her next race (BMO 8K) as well as others in the future.

What is your running history?
There was a very long break—decades in fact—between my last track race as a teenager and my next race, which was a 5K. I loved the short distance races in elementary school sports days and did quite well in those events. I was hopeless at high jump and most other field events though!

Unfortunately my Dad was transferred every few years (oil company executive) and just when I had the opportunity to become involved with school activities and make progress with a coach or teacher from year to year, we’d have to pick up and move again. There were signs that I might have shown some talent as a runner, but if any of the teachers had taken notice, I was usually gone by the following semester or start of the school year.

We were living in Richmond, BC during my 9th grade, and I was attending R.C. Palmer Jr. High School. We were a musical family so lessons and band practices took up a lot of my time when I wasn’t riding my horse. She lived in the backyard at our family home and caring for her took up most of my recreational focus. I had the use of a wood-chip covered riding arena next door in which to ride.

At the end of the school year, we were encouraged to participate in races and other activities just for fun on the last day of classes. They needed more entries in the 600m, and I don’t know how, but I got talked into competing. I wasn’t involved with any track activities at the school otherwise. Not feeling fit enough to race, I decided to train for the event by running laps around the riding arena.

Much to my surprise, and probably everyone else’s, I led that 600m race the entire distance and won it, beating some of the school’s top track runners at the time. It was June of 1973, and a month later we moved to Calgary.

The high school in Alberta would not allow us to do both band and track as extracurricular activities, so I chose music, and that was the end of any further running for me for a long time.

I did a little bit of running to cross-train for riding activities when in my 20s, as I had turned professional and was training a lot of off-track thoroughbred horses, but had no thoughts of racing or going into a formal run program.

In 2007, when I was 47 years old, there was a local race at my winter home in Sedona, Arizona. I wondered if I might be capable of running an entire 3 miles? I looked up a training plan online and went from there. The race was in February 2008. I won the age group—quite unexpectedly—thoroughly enjoyed the race, and was inspired to continue.

For aspiring runners, my first tip is to always “start slowly.” You want to maintain your enthusiasm and not injure yourself in the process.

Why do you run?
I run because I have always been fit, and I love the feeling of being strong and able to move quickly and gracefully. My mother was a ballroom dance instructor. I think early training and a lifetime of dancing has instilled a deep connection within me to an awareness of how movement is related to one’s level of confidence and mindset.

I always joke that running is just channelling my “inner thoroughbred” after all those years of riding ex-racehorses. I competed a lot in equestrian sports too, and somehow competing as a runner on my own two feet has made me more empathic than ever with horses. Now I know just how hard it is to find the proper balance between cardio, strength, and flexibility. For me, running is one continual experiment and journey of discovery as to what my body is capable of, including a challenge to maintain focus over a long period of time, as racing (and riding hot-blooded horses) requires.

I have never had to lose weight, and certainly wouldn’t want to lose a single kilogram more from my frame as it is now. I do just enough training with free-weights to keep my upper body muscled, and add a Pilates mat workout once or twice a week for core strength and symmetry.

My back has never been in great condition as I was born with congenital kyphosis and hyperlordosis. In other words, my spine curves like the first letter of my name. Chiropractors and sports-medicine practitioners were of some help, Pilates made a huge difference, and surprisingly, running has helped more than anything. I also work with a sport stretch-band on a daily basis to keep my shoulders and rotator cuffs strong and supple.

For aspiring runners, my first tip is to always “start slowly.” You want to maintain your enthusiasm and not injure yourself in the process. There are so many “learn to run” programs now that it is easy to find something either online or in person that suits a participant’s level of fitness, body type, and schedule. I love to encourage people to take up running, even if they can only run 20m in the beginning. Walk, run, walk, run…just keep at it.

I’m trying to make the 10K my specialty distance, as I like it, and find it a challenge.

What was your last best/favorite race?
My last race was the final of the Vancouver Island Race Series, the Sooke 10K. It was definitely the hottest day of the year so far, and that was a factor in fatigue through the final 2K, which also came after a couple of tough hills. It wasn’t my best race this year, as it’s the only one of the series that I didn’t run faster than the same course last year. What’s interesting however, is that I’m in a new age group in 2015 and in general, running faster than I did when in the 50-54 age group. As a result, I’ve had 6 gold age-group medals in 6 races, the B.C. Championship for the 8K in the age group, 3 age course records, and have run each race under USATF guidelines.

I never hit the starting line with the expectation of winning. I “go with what I’ve got” on that particular day. I’ve put a tremendous amount of effort into tweaking everything from shoes and clothing to pre-race nutrition, as well as experimenting with recovery time and nutritional supplements and it seems to be paying off.

I typically think about where I might have been a little faster and if I did slow down, why? Where could I have made up a few seconds that would have had me under 43 minutes instead of 7 seconds over that? Sometimes there’s just no telling. I often wonder how much time I lose by simply taking a glance at the Garmin. Or, sometimes I’ll get into a pace group, thinking they’re going to hold that pace, then all of a sudden I realize I’m not at the same effort I was a minute or two earlier, and become aware that the runners I’ve positioned myself with have slowed. It’s all about gaining experience and going back over each race to self-analyze your performance, but I certainly don’t obsess over it. There’s always the next race!

I’m trying to make the 10K my specialty distance, as I like it, and find it a challenge. I get into fitness plateaus mid-season where I’ll have a good 8K or good 5K in me, but the 10K is still a bit of a bear and I’m still looking for those negative splits, but they aren’t happening yet. Somewhat ironically, the ½ marathon distance has been my best age-graded performance, but I have bunions and the only time they bother me is when I start adding a lot of distance to my weekly mileage. So far so good this year in keeping the shorter road race distances as my primary goals.

I’m looking forward to trying something new and different, as I do enjoy track workouts and putting some “fire” in the legs over short distances.

What is your next race?
My next race is the BMO 8K in Vancouver. I plan on having a better race this year than I did last year. It poured rain during last year’s event and it was hard to warm up. We were soaked and cold the whole time. I do run faster when I’m cold though, so my first kilometer of that race in Stanley Park was 3:56. A little too quick as I went out with the front pack. Then we got bogged down behind the slower half-marathoners and as we made the final turns coming out of the park and onto Pender. I was momentarily stuck with the option to run through a huge puddle or go around a line of walkers, and I believe that cost me quite a bit of time. Up to that point, I was probably headed for a decent PB. I’d be very happy with a sub-33 finish in this one.

After this race, I’m actually going to be training for the BC Seniors 55+ Games in North Vancouver in August. Several other Salt Spring Sneakers members are going, and a few others beside myself will be “first timers.” I’m looking forward to trying something new and different, as I do enjoy track workouts and putting some “fire” in the legs over short distances.

My cross-training right now is riding a horse for my one client, and keeping up with the free-weights and Pilates mat.

What type of training do you do?
I try to keep the quality in my program and am conscientious about a weekly long run, tempo, track workout, and longer interval workout (that we do on the track on Salt Spring Island as well). I usually add a short, slow recovery run on Mondays as well, since that is also one of our group runs.

My seasonal training weeks are 50-60K per week. This year, I’ve alternated high mileage with low mileage weeks as an experiment while racing every second week in the VIRA series. It has at least worked to keep injuries at bay to date. On Salt Spring, we have no choice but to do hill repeats unless we are on the track as there are no flat routes. It’s just a matter of selecting whether we want to run a 6% grade or a 16% grade. I was doing specific hill-repeats up until last summer, but have actually dropped them as a planned workout given our terrain. If I know there’s a hilly race coming up, I’ll just push up the hills during a long run more than I normally would.

My cross-training right now is riding a horse for my one client, and keeping up with the free-weights and Pilates mat. I could not possible ride as much as I used to and keep up this kind of running schedule. I would be stiff and sore relentlessly!

I loved running the trails in Sedona, Arizona, but have not done a lot of trail running on Salt Spring. We have the lovely Channel Ridge trails, but the hills are extremely steep. Every now and then I’ll cut through the woods on a section of trail, but otherwise most routes are too short to get in a long, slow distance run unless you want to do a lot of laps, and a lot of inclines.

Two of our club runs start at 9 a.m., and I can manage that. I’m typically on the computer in the morning though as I deal with my book publisher back east, and of course the time difference makes it necessary to work in the mornings. My preferred time is around noon, and while I’ve tried late afternoon or evening runs, I never feel as good as I do on the morning runs.

It’s pitch-dark on SSI in the very early morning hours, so daylight is a factor in my decision not to be outside running on the roads extra-early. Summer heat may change my mind about that though and I’m not completely opposed to running at 7 a.m. if necessary.

Lately I’ve been enjoying a dark chocolate-stout beer after a race, generally consumed at home while sitting in a hot bath of lavender-infused Epsom salts.

What kind of food philosophy do you follow?
I am a big fan of super-foods. I think in terms of “nutrient dense” with everything I eat, and I do seem to need to eat a lot! Diet is another area that I’ve done considerable experimenting with and have made several alterations in the past year.

I am almost entirely vegetarian, but once or twice a year I find my body craving beef. I was raised on grass-fed, free range Alberta beef and I know when I need the enzymes that are found in that kind of quality meat. So I bless the animal it came from, thank it for its sacrifice and consume a small steak or burger every six months or so.

My favourite food is actually raw, and in particular, the raw diet recommended by Dr. Gabriel Cousens (Rainbow Green, Live Food Cuisine). I stuck to it for several months last year and felt fantastic. I ran two PB races shortly after beginning to follow the Tree of Life Café recipes and diet suggestions. It does require a tremendous amount of prep and planning however, and I don’t like to be obsessive over food—or training.

My compromise has been to consume a raw breakfast of superfoods, including hemp seeds, chia seeds, goji berries, nuts, yogurt, and so forth. Then at least one other raw dish per day like a big salad or something from the recipes in Dr. Cousen’s book.

If I eat “junk food” such as pretzels or chips, they are from the natural food grocery store and made with gluten-free non-toxic ingredients. I can’t eat any of the standard packaged junk foods or anything from a fast food restaurant. It doesn’t taste like food to me at all. Every now and then I might get something at such an establishment if we’re there with a group, but then I’m always reminded of why it’s probably not a good idea to eat those things.

I rarely drink alcohol, and have a self-imposed one-drink limit when I do. Lately I’ve been enjoying a dark chocolate-stout beer after a race, generally consumed at home while sitting in a hot bath of lavender-infused Epsom salts. That’s my newfound treat for this latest season of winter races.

My preferred pre-race nutrition these days is a protein bar made by Whole Earth & Sea, called Pure Food Organic Vegan Greens. It’s mostly raw ingredients and it has been the best I’ve found to date. The bar, a banana, sometimes some organic gummy chews, and my little spray bottle of a maltodextrin mix made by my triathlete/neuroscientist brother are my pre-race energy boosters. The carbo-spray comes with me on the race courses lately as well, as it allows me to skip the water stations.

Do you have a running hero/ role model?
I used to love watching videos of Kara Goucher’s races on YouTube in my early days of competition, but have not really kept up with her or anybody else as a role model lately. I enjoy watching all of the elite women run, as it boggles my mind as to how they can maintain such a fast pace over the distances that they do. If I need inspiration, it’s always available.

There are several runners in my family. The closest is my brother, Ron, 52, who is also a long-time triathlete and an Ironman. We have an ongoing sibling rivalry, as our times are very close at most distances. All in good fun. My cousin, Rick Tkach, and his wife, Jeanie Bezdan are managing partners at Burnaby Square Orthopaedic and Sports Centre, and are legendary competitors themselves. Rick was one of Canada’s top Ironman competitors in the early days of that event, and Jeanie is well known for her 800m specialty.

I have found that I really enjoy writing, and do so while sitting on a Pilates balance ball, not a chair. Perhaps some people might not think of that as relaxing, but I exercise creativity and my core (without thinking about it) at the same time.

How do you relax, when you are not running?
I turned my years of experience with horses into a book and have been writing with a veterinarian co-author (Dr. Allen Schoen DVM) for the past two and a half years. The Compassionate Equestrian releases on May 19th.

I have found that I really enjoy writing, and do so while sitting on a Pilates balance ball, not a chair. Perhaps some people might not think of that as relaxing, but I exercise creativity and my core (without thinking about it) at the same time. I really stiffen up if I sit in a chair and love to be able to roll around a little on the balance ball while typing.

I’m also an artist and photographer, and have another book of abstract water photography due to release later this month as well (Iridescent Silence of the Pacific Shores, with coauthor and fellow runner, Doug Wahlsten). Walking along the beach with my camera is something I really love to do. I don’t need to go on holidays anywhere. At least not while living in one of the most beautiful, peaceful places on the planet! I do miss Sedona’s trails and red rocks though, so perhaps if our Canadian dollar is stronger next year I’ll go back for another visit, and do the Sedona Marathon Event again.

It’s taken 7 years, but my leg muscles and tendons have finally adapted to an intense training program without threatening to “break.”

Have you had any running setbacks?
Oh yes. Name a leg muscle starting from the interosseous muscles (between metatarsal bones) upward and I’ve probably injured it.

The worst injury was a medial soleus tear just prior to my first race in 2008. It wasn’t such a bad injury to begin with, but I didn’t give it enough time off, which caused the full tear as soon as I tried a speed workout on the track. It barely recovered in time for me to get to that first 5K starting line.

My primary mode of care is red light photonic therapy which helps speed up healing time tremendously, as well as returns range-of-motion.

I’m a lot more careful these days, and understand my body’s “tweaks” much better. The scar tissue from that old tear can still tighten up, so I have to take note if it acts up. I ran a lot with Compressport Calf Sleeves for a few years, and still do occasionally, but have found I don’t need them much anymore. It’s taken 7 years, but my leg muscles and tendons have finally adapted to an intense training program without threatening to “break.” If something does start to bother me now, I can usually tell to what degree I should back off the speed or distance to accommodate the minor injury and pain.

I prefer to use homeopathic and alternative treatments as much as possible, and they have worked very well to relieve injuries as well as sore, tight muscles.

Do you have a coach?
I am still a member of the Vancouver Falcons Athletic Club in Vancouver, which is coached by John Hill. He helped me tremendously in the couple of summers I spent in Vancouver, before moving to Salt Spring Island. I was doing the “long distance” program with him up until last season, but have been self-coaching so far this year. When working with John, he sets up a two-week schedule for each runner, and holds two club workouts a week.

Here on Salt Spring, I lead the Thursday morning long-interval Sneakers workouts at our local track. We have a total of 3 group sessions a week where many running issues are discussed amongst the diverse membership, some of whom are, or have been, track and field coaches at some time throughout their careers.

What is your career/job?
My schedule is my own as I do not have a spouse or family. I get plenty of socialization through the running club though!

I am officially an author now, and retired from the horse industry as a trainer. I just retain one part-time equestrian client to keep my riding muscles and seat in shape.

I coach for free right now insofar as the running goes, so that is a hobby. However, as soon as I have enough time to get my NCCP coaching certification, I plan on doing some formal running clinics.

Every now and then I’ll do a long, slow run with my iPod as I have a great mix of classic rock tunes with a strong dance beat and I really enjoy running to those songs.

Do you listen to music when you run?
I used to listen to music more often when I had a safer place to run than our narrow, winding, hilly island roadways. You need to have both ears and eyes open and aware here. Every now and then I’ll do a long, slow run with my iPod as I have a great mix of classic rock tunes with a strong dance beat and I really enjoy running to those songs. Good old Madonna…

Just as in my younger days in track and swimming, when you see the same people at most every race, it is easy to strike up a friendship, especially when you have so much in common. I’m sure and I hope that Susan and I will be seeing each other for many more years to come.