By Suzanne M. Wood

 

People run for many reasons: some for the physical benefits, some for the runner’s high, others to compete against themselves or others, and many – like most of us who work for or shop at the Great Outdoor Provision Co. – as a way to explore the outdoors. 

 

Diane Van Deren had a unique reason for turning to running some 20 years ago: to prevent an epileptic seizure. A lifelong athlete, Van Deren was devastated when, in 1987, while pregnant with her third child, she was diagnosed with a severe form of epilepsy that didn’t respond to drugs. The seizures came three days a week, throwing her life and family into chaos. 

 

One day, after noticing the “aura” that presages a seizure, Van Deren put on her running shoes, grabbed her dog and headed for a mountain trail near her Colorado home. She was amazed when the aura disappeared and the seizure never happened. Van Deren discovered that as long as she was running, she didn’t seize. So she started running a lot, over long distances. Even after she underwent surgery in 1997 to remove the section of her brain associated with the seizures, she continued running, becoming an ultra-distance athlete with events such as the Yukon Arctic Ultra, a 430-mile footrace across frozen tundra, to her credit. Today, at 52 years old, she is seizure-free and participates in endurance running as a platform to raise awareness for causes she believes in and to motivate people who have, like her, have faced adversity. 

 

“My love of ultra-running came from my fear,” she says. “I found comfort in the mountains; it was my safe spot.”

 

Soon she will lace up her shoes for her longest run, and perhaps greatest challenge, yet. Next month, Diane will take on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, a challenging, topographically diverse 1,000-mile scenic route that traverses the state. She will be running to raise awareness of and support for the trail, beginning May 10 at Clingman’s Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Her journey will be supported by the Great Outdoor Provision Co., in recognition of the company’s 40th anniversary, and The North Face, which has been her corporate sponsor for the last 10 years. The two companies are joining forces to help the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail raise the $40,000 it needs to sustain its success.

 

Diane says she became intrigued by the idea of tackling the trail last year when she met Kate Dixon, executive director of the Friends of the Mountains-to Sea-Trail, while on a speaking engagement in Raleigh.

 

“The trail sounded exciting and also overlooked,” she says. “I was hooked. I really feel honored to team up with GOPC and North Face to support the trail – I couldn’t be more pleased.”

 

In order to break the current record, held by a teacher from Marion, Diane will need to run the trail in less than 24 days, averaging more than 38 miles a day. That’s a pace she can likely handle, but don’t credit surgery with giving her almost superhuman endurance. Rather, Diane believes she’s able to handle terrain and distances that would humble the rest of us thanks to the strength and stress hardiness she developed while battling epilepsy.

 

But her life isn’t perfect: Because of the lingering effects of the epilepsy and the surgery that cured it, Diane has problems with organization, directions, and time management, all of which can affect her performance. So she’ll be relying on support from a handful of guide runners and navigational technology such as the SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger system. Members of the public are encouraged to cheer Diane on where the trail passes through their cities or towns or to track her progress online.

 

“You don’t see the disability or impairments I have to deal with on a daily basis; most people see only a successful athlete,” she says. “But my family and friends see what I have to face and how much support I really need.”

 

But Diane relishes her independence during competitions. “Alone on these long runs, you really find out a lot about your soul and character,” she explains. “To me, it’s a time to reflect and feel grateful, and my thoughts of the journey and where I’ve been and how far I’ve come tend to escalate. Fifteen years ago, I couldn’t even take a bath without my husband or children making sure I was OK.”

 

If Diane’s schedule permits, she hopes to visit one or more GOPC locations along the route. To learn more, or to receive updates on Diane’s progress, visit www.mstendurancerun.com or www.neverstopexploring.com.

 

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Suzanne M. Wood is a freelance writer and outdoor enthusiast, and is married to Scott Wood, our buyer for fishing, books, maps, travel, and footwear.