By David Piggott
I have an unquenched passion for spiritual, mental, and physical growth. Every so often I have to climb the mountain of fear and reach a new peak. Sometimes I don’t find the challenges— they find me!
I recall my moment realizing the Capital Trail was something I must conquer. At dinner my girlfriend, Maggie Fox, and I discussed the possibilities of completing this challenge. Once it was decided, we ordered two long island ice teas and made a toast to our new journey.
The Capital Trail starts at Jamestown and ends 53 miles later in Richmond. My longest training run leading up to this has only been 13 miles. As a personal trainer, one of my philosophies is to get the body as strong as possible, in addition to endurance training. A strong body will carry you a long way. It is strength that sets the precedents for endurance potential.
Here is a list of challenges I had to overcome with the Capital Trail:
Concrete Ultramarathon (anything over 26 miles) races are typically done on trails, however, this was 53 miles of concrete running. The pounding takes a toll on your body later in the run.
Foot health A friend and client, Jim, taught me the importance of keeping your feet healthy. Jim is an Army veteran. Once your feet fail you it’s over. I changed shoes and socks every 8 miles allowing my foot to see different contact points. Along with that were generous applications of Vaseline between my toes and heels to reduce any friction.
Nutrition Over the course of an endurance event there comes a point where you have to incorporate whole foods; you need proteins and fats to keep your body functioning. But you can only carry so much. My girlfriend drove the supply car and would meet me every 8 miles, refuel, and give me motivation. I remember her saying things like “get up, keep moving, you are doing great, stay focused, give me your watch and don’t worry about the time.’’ Spiritual and mental health is an important component of an endurance event.
The Physical Preparation Completing 53 miles require a good amount of training and typically a long run over 20 miles. The plan was to take it slow and enjoy the journey. “Pacing is everything in endurance. It’s not who goes the fastest but who slows down the least.” I still hear mentor and coach Cory Newman saying.
Fortitude During a journey, fatigue and weakness will set in. Surround yourself with people who build you up and understand your journey. I posted often during my run on Instagram and Facebook. I loved the support my friends and clients gave me. The further I travelled, the more support I received. The love I felt was epic! I remember my mother saying to me, “I know you can do this. You will finish. I believe in you!” Thanks mom.
There were plenty of highs and lows. Around mile 18 I remember Maggie asking why I decided to run the Capital Trail. I dedicated this effort to those on similar journeys. If someone looks at this and thinks “dang, I just need to get up and get moving,” then my job is complete. I run all over town on my lunch break. I see people that say “you are that runner guy” and I love it. It means so much when someone says they saw me running at lunch, then they inspired to get out and run. That’s the contagious energy I like to spread.
As I was finally approaching Richmond, I met a couple biking the trail. To my disbelief the husband tells me “Hey you know you have about 8 miles left.” I didn’t smile; his wife looked at me holding a straight face. They rode off and a few minutes later returned to report I only have 3 miles to go and offered me water and support. A fine couple spreading the energy!
After a long, challenging 14 hours and 27 minutes I finished! Success! We we all have challenges that we can achieve if only we believe and take the first step. I truly hope this inspires you to get out and join in the journey of good health. Take an exercise class, research your fitness, reach out and spread the light.
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David Piggott is a local personal trainer and health professional working at Williamsburg Neck And Back Center and at Tide Water Physicians Multispecialty Group STRIVE, To learn more about the Capital Trail, visit www.virginiacapitaltrail.org
