Chris Jones

A Strange New Confidence

By InnerVoice

February 17^th, 2017

I want to push myself

I don't really believe that our athletic days are ever over. We may slow down or adapt to something else but athleticism is relative. My grandfather is an accomplished and well-respected alpinist who climbed prolifically all over the world, putting up first ascents and climbing and skiing well into his late 80's. While he doesn't climb today (he's now in his 90s), he still gets out for walks around the block and finds challenge and enjoyment in that, which is inspiring and athletic in its own right.

I would love to climb like my grandfather did. As I grow and evolve as a mountain athlete I would like to build the skills and strength necessary to run and climb some of the same peaks he summited. Running will always be the foundation of my interaction with mountains but I want to push myself into more vertical terrain.

Strength and guidance

Running has given me a strange new confidence in my physical self. It's weird knowing that if your car died 100km from home you could, theoretically, just run home. It's oddly freeing to know I'm not limited by my physical surroundings.

I started running to get into shape, but I continue to run to understand who I am and what I am capable of. There is a beautiful simplicity in running; it's a basic human action that most everyone can enjoy, but it will continually test you and challenge you to grow in ways you never thought possible. The lessons I've learned running provide me strength and guidance in my day to day life.

"I believe we have a lot more power to choose how we react to situations and how we learn and grow from them than we allow ourselves."

I skied all day and partied all night

I always wanted to be a professional freeskier. I grew up idolising guys like JP Auclair and Candide Thovex, who were completely redefining what was possible on skis at the time. They pushed the limits, doing something that had never been done before. I tried to follow in their footsteps and moved to Whistler after high school. I skied all day and partied all night - there was no discipline in skiing in those days. We didn't train, we just threw ourselves off of jumps and tried to figure it out as we went. Today, with freeskiing in the Olympics, there are a tonne of amazing resources out there for kids to develop the right skills and strength to do things properly. I got pretty banged up and looking back on it now, I realise that I didn't go about it in the right way. I loved the feeling of progress and getting really good and my chosen craft, but the injuries were getting worse and worse. I ultimately walked away from the pro skier dream because I didn't go about it the right way. I didn't take it seriously enough.

Now, with running, I feel like I've got a second chance at pursuing something I care a lot about. I have the same feeling of progress that I did with skiing, except this time I'm doing it smart.

BALANCE

Consistency is key. I've learned this a few times before in my life subconsciously through skiing and mountain biking, but it's really become apparent with running. With skiing, you go every day because it feels amazing. Even when the sky is overcast and there hasn't been new snow for weeks, you can still have a tonne of fun carving turns. You keep doing it because you love it and eventually you become good. Running doesn't feel amazing every day. Some days it sucks. Some days it's dark and raining, your whole body aches and the last thing you want to do is put on your shoes and get out the door. But you do it because you've learnt that it's all about putting in the work, day in and day out. You get a little bit stronger each time. You put in the effort when training so that when it comes to race day, the weekend, or that adventure run you've been planning, you can really enjoy it and see what you're capable of. You get to recognise all the hard work you've put into it. But it's not about going out and giving it everything you have every day - that leads to injury and burnout. It's about doing just enough. It's a fine balance.

real life

As much as I try to stay positive and not let things affect me, they still do, but just to lesser and lesser degrees these days. With ultra-running, you face incredible challenges. The physical discomfort combined with extreme fatigue and caloric depletion make for some really low lows, but you generally are able to come out of them. When things get tough in real life I like to ground myself by reflecting on the challenges that I've faced when running. It helps to put things in perspective. Is working late to hit this deadline at work as bad as the time you couldn't keep down solid food for 7 hours but still had to race? No, actually it's not. You'll get the work done just like you bounced back and finished that race.

"I love solving problems and training for and racing an ultra is just one big series of problems to solve."

Relax and have fun

You have to have confidence going into an event and not take things too seriously. If you have the slightest of doubts in your mind they will be compounded over the miles that lay ahead and eat away at you when things get tough. I won't be standing on a start line unless I have confidence in the training I've put in. I've decided not to start just about as many races as I have chosen to start. It's important to feel ready, but once you're there, you have to trust in yourself and the work you've done to get you to the start line. I also try to relax and just have fun with it. Most people take these things way too seriously. My inner voice tells me that I've got this, that I've put in the work and I'm ready to embrace everything that comes at me.

"I'm happier now than I have ever been in my life, and because of that I'm a better person when I'm with friends and family. I'm more present, I appreciate the time with them."

inspired

Connor Meakin, a good friend that I used to work with, helped open my eyes to running ultras. We started running together and after we finished our first marathon he suggested we try a 50km race. I still don't know where he got the idea. I had only vaguely heard of people running that long and knew nothing about how to actually do it. To be fair, Connor didn't know either, but he was determined. After that first 50km, I had to take the rest of 2013 off from racing due to injuries, but Connor continued to race. He went on to win a few races and that really inspired me to push myself.

Connor has an incredible drive and determination to succeed that I'd never seen in someone before. He showed me it was possible to push yourself and win races despite having only run for 1 year. It really lit a fire in me. If he can do it, so can I. Without him, I honestly wouldn't be the runner I am today. I probably wouldn't even be a runner. It's funny to think that we just kind of threw ourselves into this sport with no idea of what we were doing. We educated ourselves by reading a lot online and just kept trying things until we found what worked.

Another person that's been instrumental in this journey is my girlfriend Stephanie. From the beginning, she's always encouraged and supported my decisions to keep exploring what I'm capable of in this sport. She's crewed me at every race, stuck by me through the frustrations of injury, and now even runs ultramarathons herself. Connor got me started and Steph's kept me in it.

I'm also very inspired by my parents. They've lived amazing, happy lives that they've worked very hard to build. They're both in their early 60s and still ski Whistler and downhill mountain bike on the North Shore. It's incredible. They've done it all: windsurfing, rock-climbing, whitewater kayaking, backcountry skiing, backpacking, mountaineering. For years they were active members in Lions Bay Search and Rescue and have saved countless people lost in the North Shore mountains. A few years ago they started long-distance hiking and have crossed England and Japan on foot. I would love to be as active as they are at their age.

Consistent pursuit

What keeps me going? There are three things - the consistent pursuit of improvement, the people I get to meet and places I get to explore, and the limited time I have to be at my peak. The first two are important but the last one really drives me. I'm 31 and know I only have a few more years to be competitive and really explore my potential. I want to get to the end of my competitive ultrarunning "career" and be able to say yeah, I really got everything I could out of myself. There's this little twinge of regret in me that I didn't somehow get into running earlier, but it is what it is and I'm going to make the most of what I have.

it doesn't matter if you're first or last

I've also developed a lot of new relationships through running. I've been introduced to an amazing community of positive and supportive people who share the same wacky passion. It's awesome. The ultra-running community is like nothing I've seen before. The people are so inspiring and genuine. They come from all walks of life and there aren't any attitudes or egos. It doesn't matter if you cross the finish line first or last, everyone is appreciated and respected.