Training basket of Scott Gurney

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This article was published 20/06/2015 (3792 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Scott Gurney ran his first marathon before he was a teenager. He admits it was a bit of a mistake.

Gurney first got introduced to running in elementary school in a program called Early Morning Joggers. It sparked a life-long love interest for Gurney, who ran his first full marathon at the tender age of 12.

 

Gurney only planned on running 12 of the 26.2 miles. In those days, the marathons had “exit with dignity” stations every two miles, he says, where buses would take you to the finish line. He planned to duck out at the midway point, but the guys he was running with exhibited what he calls “positive peer pressure,” and weren’t keen on him stopping.

Gurney completed the marathon some 5 hours later, scaring his father who was looking in every ambulance, bus and medical tent for his son.

“Kids should run and get fast first. That marathon piece should come later in your 20s or at least late teens,” Gurney says in hindsight.

Despite his trial by fire in long-distance running, he kept putting one foot in front of the other through middle school and high school.

“I think I hold the record for the most fourth-place finishes in Silver Heights Collegiate history,” Gurney says.

When Gurney began teaching, his principal told him he should make sure to do something for himself. He listened, joining his brother with the University of Manitoba track team.

“It was good, I was able to do a lot and complete a bunch of half-marathons and I was able to qualify for the Boston Marathon, which I ran in 2000,” he says. “I had dreamed about doing that.”

The highlight of his coaching career came two weeks ago when his Lord Selkirk Regional Comprehensive Secondary School varsity girls’ track-and-field team took home the provincial banner, the first in the school’s history. To top it off, one of his athletes, Reagan Croy, was named the female varsity athlete of the meet.

“I went to provincials myself a couple times, I knew what it was like and what it meant to them,” Gurney said. “I remember how special it was. To be able to continue to be part of it is great.”

Gurney’s training regiment has evolved over time. Now, he says he sneaks runs where he can. If he’s got a half-hour to burn, shorts and shoes are on and he’s out the door.

At 48, Gurney feels he’s got another marathon or two in him. He set a personal best time when he was 40. But he concedes that talk is cheap: “I better put up or shut up.”

 

FAVOURITE WORKOUT:

Basically, to go out and do a tempo workout where I run really hard for five minutes, then rest a minute by jogging. Depending on what shape I am in, I will do five five-minute runs or eight five-minute runs.

 

FAVOURITE WORKOUT SONG:

No songs. I’m kind of a purist like that; I like to have my brain free. I like to hear what is going on around me. I like to be able to hear a car if it’s coming up behind me.

 

FITNESS TIP:

Move and move as often as you can. If you only get 20 minutes to do so, just do it. Steal it where you can, you’re going to feel better. And at the end of the week if you steal two or three of those, that’s an hour or hour-and-a-half you wouldn’t of had otherwise.

 

WHAT’S IN YOUR FRIDGE:

Leftovers, lots of them. Chicken, pork tenderloin, orange juice, skim milk — those are the staples.

 

GUILTY PLEASURE:

Nachos. Homemade nachos. Jalape±os, cheese, green onions and tomatoes.

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca